....and orders three pints, sits in the corner on his own and drunks them one after another.

As he is about to leave the barman asks why he ordered them all at once instead of one at a time.

The old man explained; "My two old buddies and I all live in different parts of the world now and can't see each other, so on the same day every year where ever we are we each have three pints to remember each other."

The barman thought it was a lovely story.

The next year the old man came in again, but only ordered two drinks.

The barman was horrified thinking one of the buddies had died.

"I'm sorry about your friend" he said to the old man.

"Why?" said the old man. "There is nothing wrong with my friend."

"But you only ordered two pints."

"Oh, I am on antibiotics."