Christmas loneliness is a problem – festive hats off to the pub with a plan | Dave Berry

A London pub's offer of a free dinner for anyone who's alone at Christmas is a heartwarming reminder of a social ill that exists all year round

To say that somebody is a "product of their environment" is to suggest that their actions or behaviour can be explained by where they've grown up, where they've worked and, in particular, who they've had around them.

For example, a child isn't born with a certain view on race, gender or a favourite football team. I have a school friend who earned a work placement at a bank in the City and he wasn't even a little bit of a tosser when he merrily travelled off to Liverpool Street in 2002. However, I'm almost certain that the 15 years he's spent within that environment has possibly helped chisel out the man who stood before me at a recent reunion said he was "more than happy to spunk his latest bonus up the wall".

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