An excuse to party?

Yesterday's front page splash by the Mail on Sunday about trasury officials clebrating Burns night on the day that Britain officially dipped into recession is replied to by Iain Martin over at three line whip.

He points out that

So, a bunch of people held a party they paid for. This kind of thing will
continue to happen even in a recession. It may become more commonplace.

and adds that

Read any decent set of Second World War memoirs (Alanbrooke, Colville etc)
and drink and fun gatherings are a constant even when money gets tight. There
was a war on and people put a good deal of effort into cheering themselves
up.