Having recovered our waistlines from the previous week's Christmas lunch, the gallant CAMRA members of Cornwall resumed their build-up to Christmas with a social at the Hole in the Wall, Bodmin on Friday 15 December.

The pub is approached via a hole in the wall, what else, in a line of stone buildings in Crockwell Street. As you pass through the iron gates you will see a sign explaining that it was a debtors' prison in the 18th century. Hmmm.

As you pass through the buildings, you see a large handpump on one side and a CAMRA recommendation plaque on the wall opposite. Looking good...

Looking for the pub, you follow the winding path through the tropical garden by a running stream, but watch out for the landlord's pet albino lion prowling in the garden.

Assuming that you arrive unscathed at the pub door, your safari is rewarded by a warm welcome from landlord Steve and a choice of six beers. The Timothy Taylor Landlord Dark got a hammering.

Here are a few pictures of us enjoying ourselves in the cosy surroundings and bewildering collection of memorabilia from sailing ships to swords. Being December, we didn't go into the beer garden out the back but took over the pub instead!

For those worried about being eaten by the lion on the way out, there is an escape route into the cark park! Merry Christmas!

Cheers, Steve Barber