2005 ended with a 12½ mile bang, closely followed by the cork popping on a bottle of Sainsbury’s Vintage Champagne. It was intended to be a toast to usher in a new year of glowing good health, even if yes, there’s something mildly ironic about celebrating abstemiousness by glugging a bottle of bubbly. And true enough, the gesture came back to bite me on the arse yesterday, when my visit to Loftus Road was enhanced, or otherwise, by visiting a few of the local inns to check that all was in order.… READ MORE.... …