ｺﾃﾉｫﾏﾈﾉ￢V buys a pint 窶ｦ for Buro Happold

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A Scotsman, a Welshman and an Irishwoman walk into a pub 窶ｦ

There is a distinctly Celtic feel to our evening in the Bricklayer窶冱 Arms. It all kicks off with Alasdair窶冱 boast about his bagpipes. Apparently his mum窶冱 to blame. 窶彜he got angry with me for refusing to play the recorder at the Scouts, so I decided to teach her a lesson,窶� he says. The many, and painful, years of practice paid off and Alisdair was the star act at his cousin窶冱 wedding last year.

Sinead窶冱 story has a less happy ending. At a recent party, she decided she would treat her guests to a traditional Irish performance. 窶廬 got my dad to send a few tin whistles over from Ireland. We practised and practised and practised 窶� until the next door neighbours tipped a bucket of water over us.窶�

The journey involved an accident in the Bay of Biscay and a brush with the FBI in miami.

Perhaps she窶冤l have more luck at the weekend. She窶冱 going to County Clare for a reunion with her 33 first cousins (her father was one of 10), courtesy of her grandmother, who left money in her will for a big booze-up. It seems death is quite a social affair in Sinead窶冱 part of the world. Her parents窶� social calendar revolves around funerals (they have been known to attend those of strangers) and her brother even met his wife at one. 窶弋he number of times I窶况e been told off for speaking during the death announcements on the radio窶ｦ窶� she laughs.

Even New Zealander Steve is in on the Gaelic act. He tells us about a Highland Games event that takes place every year in Kiwi town Dunedin. 窶弋here窶冱 caber tossing, curling, everything. We窶况e got no problem with people wearing kilts down there.窶�

Richard窶冱 grandfather was a druid and used to swan around in ceremonial dress.

Steve has been in the UK some 20 years, but still remembers his journey here like it was yesterday 窶� unsurprising, since it involved an aborted boat trip to South America, an accident in the Bay of Biscay and a brush with the FBI in Miami.

I窶冦 beginning to get the feeling that the international cross-section at the pub tonight is no accident 窶� could Buro Happold窶冱 PR team be making a statement about their global vibe? Richard is clear about the benefits that a multinational office can provide. 窶弋he bonus is people bringing back lots of goodies from abroad. Some of them are godawful though. What was that sweet and salty biscuit thing last week? Disgusting.窶�

Last, but not least, we turn to the Welsh contingent, which does not disappoint. Richard窶冱 grandfather was a druid and used to swan around in ceremonial dress. 窶廩is robes were green, which made him look a bit like an extra in ER,窶� he says. Alasdair, who is half Welsh, has just finished reading a 窶徭ingle-volume history of Welsh窶� and talks us through the language窶冱 roots. It is the second history lesson of the evening 窶� the bagpipes, it turns out, date back to the ancient Egyptians, who used them to extract confessions from suspected criminals.