These days 'The Grove' is owned and managed by a charming Montenegrin called Zeljko and his brother-in-law Igor...The clientele is younger and richer than ever, divided about half and half between food and drink. I recognise most of the faces: that nice guy who founded Intersoft is usually propping up the bar (I keep meaning to ask his name), there's that good-looking couple who look like they should be famous (but I don't think they are) and there's that twentysomemthing guy who's always in the same corner. He'll do.

    Turns out he's a TV producer called Jim. What does he like most about his local? It's somewhere I can sit on my own, read my book and have a glass of wine,' he says. Now there's a sign of times.

    The Grove is my 'proper local'; has been for six years. In that time, the area 's changed, the pub's changed, the clientele's changed and, I guess, I 've changed too. Because these days I'm a convert to duck salad (with Hoi Sin sauce no less) and, when I walk in, Federico, the barman, starts pouring the house red. He doesn't even have to say 'the usual?' or anything like that. He knows me. It's my local.