TWO smart men in black are positioned at the entrance of The Hand in Hand in High Street. As we approach the door, they greet cheerfully. They search our bags - reputedly for bombs and drugs - and we enter the brightly-lit building.

Loud, funky music is playing while barmaids with tight red tops and "fcuk football" printed on them pour drinks. We are quickly helped, and a Boddingtons, Guinness and Smirnoff Ice come to just under £8.

The place is packed, but not to an extent that it is uncomfortable. Guests are almost exclusively in their early twenties, and either stand chatting inside, or they sit on the wooden benches under the willow tree in the beer garden. There are many small groups, often made up of exclusively men or women. Everyone is in a good mood, and many seem to be on the pull.

The dress code for young women seems to be "sexy", while most menwear loose-fitting office shirts, jeans and white sneakers.

A DJ is setting up his equipment in the main hall, a large, dim room with a high ceiling and antique-looking wooden pillars. The friendly man explains that the dancing will soon start and that he plays "all kinds of music". On one wall, there is a big screen television.

The Hand in Hand is a good party place, with a young, student-like crowd. Whether you just want to chat with friends while being in a young crowd, or whether you're single and don't want to go home alone, you could do worse than choose The Hand in Hand.

PdB

June 26, 2002 13:30