Hamish Champ: Give me a night in a pub over Ant and Dec anytime

I had a reminder last week of why going to the pub is, to borrow a line from our recently-departed-for-pastures-new editor, the "best thing ever".

One of my best mates celebrated his birthday in a bar called the Jam Circus, near where we live in South East London.

It's operated by those lovely Antic people, the up and coming multiple operator which appears to be going out of its way to take on failing pubs all over London and in the blink of an eye turn them into places people actually want to spend an evening in. And they do. In their droves.

The Jam Circus has been around a while though and is in Brockley, which the locals won't mind me saying is not exactly the most happening part of the capital, albeit only a few doors down from the achingly wonderful Rivoli Ballroom.

Yet the manager and staff have created a delightfully quirky environment - 1950s and '60s furniture and fittings, wacky old-style wallpaper, great live and recorded music, etc - which while it not be to everyone's taste sets the place up for being an interesting one to spend an evening in.

The venue's atmosphere - not that this is necessarily a good thing in some people's books - reminded me of pubs and bars in trendier spots in London, such as Shoreditch or Hoxton.

I reckon no small part of this is down to the staff, as much as the décor and the clientele. Young, friendly, and - shock horror - enthusiastic they are in the Jam Circus. Being served a pint by someone who looks as if they actually enjoy what they do, never mind that it cost me an arm and part of an adult femur, is a wonderful thing.

I also experienced this sort of vibe last week in the Hawley Arms, the pub in Camden, North London, best known for a) burning down a year or so ago and b) being a favourite haunt of Amy Winehouse.

The - again young - staff were dancing about behind the bar as they served customers, helped in part by one of the best jukeboxes I've encountered in years, which was pumping out everything from 'proper' R&B, through to The Clash and The Smiths. Marvellous it was.

Some people might want to stay at home and drink cheap supermarket booze, seeing the pub as too expensive, or because they can't smoke in one. And they're welcome to their front room and their flat screen-bloody-TVs showing Ant and Dec's Red-bleedin'-Button.

For the rest of us, those who do​ want to spend an evening in a boozer with great atmosphere, where the staff seem pleased to see you and where you can get a buzz just from being surrounded by like-minded people, I reckon we're the real​ winners. Bring on the weekend!

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Life goes on, I know, but one's own good times were put into sharp perspective as I watched TV and internet footage of the tsunami sweeping into towns along Japan's coast last week. It looked awful and one can only hope that not as many lost their lives as is feared.