Be gentle with me good people for last night I bought and paid for the £200 hangover that I'm now nursing. Yes it's time for the office party anecdotes but at least we did it in style.

For the third year out of four we had our bash at the Glasgow Hilton and all in all we had a good time. The cost of £49 is expensive, too expensive for many on the staff. Twenty-two of us went with we 30 year olds being the youngest there. The remaining staff chose to make their own entertainment which is a shame but understandable.

As you'd expect from the Hilton it's a pretty lavish affair with great food and service but prices to match. Bottles of Miller beer were £3.30 with a double vodka and coke £6. Even at these prices the bar was mobbed with 750 people attending our 'party night'. The food was good with the melon course already on the table as we arrived. This was quickly followed by broth, beef and cheesecake. They got the meal out of the way quickly so we had more time to spend at the bar. The beef was excellent although the Madeira sauce (gravy) didn't appear until I'd nearly finished.

One minus point was the crackers, which were the cheapest I'd ever seen - not even a false moustache! No joke either only a poor riddle - 'What stays hot in the fridge?' answers in the comments please!

Once the tables had been cleared - 45 minutes after we'd started the bands came on. To start with we got 'Hopscotch' who play traditional Scottish music and dance numbers. I don't know my Gay Gordon from my Queer Cecil so I hid in the bar but some of those reels looked lethal! Next up were three guys in Afro wigs singing along to soul numbers. These guys were OK but their patter was rotten and they kept stopping to talk just as I got my groove thang going! Lastly it was DJ time and he didn't disappoint with back to back Steps and S Club 7.

The night really flew by with little to report i
n the way of drunken lewd behaviour - damn slow bar service! It was almost identical to last year's event with them choosing to keep to a winning formula. The drink was expensive although they do allow you to bring your own for a corkage fee - £25 on a bottle of spirits. It was very busy and even getting on the dance floor was an ordeal but this did generate a good atmosphere and lots of 'accidental' bumping!

The night lasted from 7pm to 1am at which point the lights went up. Luckily we'd the foresight to book a room and avoided the taxi scramble. The double room including massive buffet breakfast was £88 and this was a good deal. On the whole a great night at a superior venue and well worth considering. No late bookings though we had to book our slot by May to get in. Right where's my Irn-Bru hangover kit?