Harp correctly named best pub in Britain

It couldn't happen to a nicer pub. The superb Harp in Covent Garden, handy for Trafalgar Square tourists and Charing Cross commuters alike, has today become the first London pub to be named CAMRA's National Pub of the Year. Whether it was the excellent and ever-changing selection of great beers, the unbeatable level of service or the all-round, constant hum of good feeling that flows through the place that swung the judges, this is a hugely deserved accolade for Binny and the gang. I recommend an urgent visit for a taste of this delightful place, the best of all possible pubs.

Essential skills

It's a strange world we live in. Working as a banker can earn you large amounts of cash and a reputation for deep wisdom, despite oceans of evidence to the contrary, while working behind a bar produces slim pickings and is often regarded as something you do until you get a proper job.

If social utility were taken into account, it would definitely be the other way around. Bartending is an essential and venerable profession, requiring a vast array of delicate skills, that can bring happiness and comfort to a lot of people, and that's something few bankers can claim to have done lately. And when the bar staff know what they're doing, as at the excellent Harp in Covent Garden, a good pub becomes a great one.