It’s the time of the year for parties and celebrating the festivities in the pub. The work/office Christmas party season is in full swing and the season of goodwill may even extend to buying a drink for John in accounts who is a pain in the neck the rest of the year but, because it’s Christmas, you still feel compelled to buy him a pint (okay, half pint lager shandy)
It’s also the time of the year when you think of family and friends, particularly those who can’t be with you at Christmas. There’s been a few Christmas parties and family gatherings where I’ve remembered someone who I used to work with or, in the case of a family event, is living in the other side of the country or even overseas. I’ve raised my glass on those occasions and, as I sip my malt whisky, have said ‘to you’, wishing they were standing at the bar next to me.
It’s good to know, then, that it’s now possible to buy this person a drink at that very moment – even if they are miles away. Impossible? Not if you use a new free application on your smart phone. ClinkClink is an app that lets you send drinks to your friends or family via your mobile phone.
It’s a simple concept. You select a friend from your list of phone contacts. If you’re supping a pint in an Edinburgh pub and you know your friend is in a particular pub in John O’Groats, you open that pub’s menu on your phone, select a drink, send a greeting and pay for the drink via PayPal.
There’s more. If your friend doesn’t want the drink at that moment, they have the option to ‘put it in a virtual fridge’ and collect it later.
It’s a quite brilliant way to celebrate this time of the year – or, indeed, any time of the year – with someone who isn’t physically beside you but is there in spirit (if you’ll pardon the pun!)
I’m just about to tell my partner I’m heading to my local – my 85 year-old uncle in Aberdeen has asked if I fancy a pint. Happy Christmas, folks!
Author of The Team for Me - 50 Years of Following Hearts. Runs Mind Generating Success, a successful therapy practice in Edinburgh. Contact me if you want rid of any unwanted habits. Twitter @Mike1874
