Christmas signals the arrival of three things: An expectation to spend lavishly, an excuse to gorge on food and almost daily pub invites.

We Brits are creatures of habit who don't need an excuse to go to the pub, but if one presents itself, we welcome it with open arms.

I think my first 'Christmas bev' of 2025 was back in October, which screams volumes.

Now just days away from the big day, you can expect your local to get busier and busier as the days roll by.

And that now begs a bigger question, should dogs be allowed in pubs around Christmas time?

It's an age-old debate that few can rarely agree on at the best of times, but at Christmas, the question becomes divisive.

One user on X recently said: "Pubs in Scotland need to understand that allowing dogs in does not mean that every single dog has to be allowed in. One of the most common ar*****e behaviours in pubs now is bringing massive excitable dogs into tiny, rammed boozers and I've never seen anyone get punted........

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