IS GOING-OUT THE NEW GOLF?

There's very much a 'morning after' feel so far today.

I saw Joe slouching towards the car park as I arrived.

"I've not even reached the hangover stage," he said, looking at me through half-open eyes, "I'm just going to my car to get a jumper."

The Christmas Do. It was raining when I left the restaurant - raining hard and straight into the concrete like it does in the movies. We loaded the instruments into the taxi and crammed ourselves into the back seat.

It had been fun: cramped, but fun. As we launched into the first carol, I was pleasantly surprised to hear a chorus of raucous voices joining in with gusto. Applause and cheering followed, along with the customary chink of wine glasses and beer bottles.

As the taxi swung itself around the statue of King Edward VII, and the rain streamed across the windscreen, I had already decided not to come back to town for the after party. The thought of waiting for a train and then trudging through town with drunken colleagues was too much. It was outweighed by the thought of a cup of hot chocolate.

And from the sound of it it was just as well!

Louise steamed into the office at 9:30.

"Alright?" I said.

"Traumatised," she replied, flinging her stuff down.

The grizzly story emerged. I'm not even sure I can go into details. I was suddenly quite glad I'd gone home and fallen asleep.

Do you think 'going out' is the new golf? Back in the old days, young thrusting executives would do their best bit of company networking on the golf course - that utterly ridiculous game served as a perfect catalyst for business bonding: fresh air, little eye-contact-required, something mildly distracting yet still a test of your concentration, stamina and coolness under pressure.

What if 'going out' and getting a bit merry with colleagues is the same thing? I only float this as an idea, as it seems the stories from last night are drifing around the office in quiet cosy huddles.

Alcohol, the eternal catalyst of social bonding, seems to also be the fastest way to accelerate your workplace relationships.

But what does it mean for those of us who have to get off the bus early? Is it possible to find other catalysts? Will it happen but happen more slowly?

I've often wondered this. I've wondered it as I've sat clutching a coke in a crowded bar of lunatics. I've wondered it in the middle of a food-fight, and of course, during the now traditional paper aeroplane battle every Christmas. Is it possible that living right and well, could lead to longer lasting and stronger socio-workplace moments? I've always sort of believed this, but is it true?

Of course the other problem is that alcohol does lead to grizzly stories too, just as much as it leads to friendships. It reduces our inhibitions and reveals the children we spend our grown-up lives trying to keep hidden.

It would be much better if we just let out that side of ourselves more often, without the need for sickly drinks or a round of golf.

But then, I went home after the work Christmas Party and fell asleep with my cocoa, like an old-age pensioner.