It's Thursday, raining, late-night shopping in full swing, crowds on the main street. What better excuse than to slip down a quiet side street into the Morning Star where life retains a civilised equilibrium.

I took a couple of pictures of the Star last night, but made the mistake of having a couple of beers first. Alcohol, I discovered, a negative effect on Nikon's vibration reduction system - as well as on my equilibrium.