Mark Daniels: There's a Royal wedding, let's have a party!

I, like many other barkeeps the length and breadth of this great nation, am often asked to provide bar services for events, such as weddings, birthday parties and so on.

Often, these involve standing at a bar watching the best man attempt to get the maid of honour back to his room and the bride's father having a go at dancing to Tinchy Stryder. Occasionally, something amusing happens.

I suspect there might be a bit more decorum at next year's wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton but, while the rest of the country is likely to get a day off, every pub and bar across the country is going to be asked to provide a bar for this wedding.

Cynics might spout in the newspapers that it's all being timed to simply distract us from the ills of every day life - maybe it is - and I understand that the betrothed couple are planning on keeping costs to a minimum because of the economic gloom, but perhaps this is just what the nation needs. Maybe they should push the boat out and give us a proper show.

I'm not a royalist by any means but everybody likes a wedding and, with doom and gloom dominating most of the front pages of newspapers, the imminent collapse of Ireland and big events like the Olympics and the European Cup not happening until 2012, the Royal wedding could be the occasion of next year that public houses need.

Naturally, by tomorrow we'll all be fed up of the constant coverage and speculation on when the wedding will be, where it will be held, and whether the bride will be wearing white or not, but let's face it: this is the best good news story since the miner's were rescued, and it beats reading about how the banks have survived while businesses have collapsed in their wake.

So, next year then. Let's have a party. Does anybody know where I can get some commemorative "I watched the Royal Wedding at The Tharp Arms" pint glasses made up...?