Reading’s Simon Smith is a hero for our times.

Knocked flat by a Reading Buses no.17 service to Tilehurst in Reading town centre, but calmly got up and walked directly into the Purple Turtle bar.

Not even a near death experience keeps a Berkshire man away from his pint (even though 9am might still be a bit early for us, run over by a bus or not).

I used to live right next to a bus stop on the no.17 route to Tilehurst.

It’s staggering to think that if that incident had occurred at any time between 1994 and 2002 at a completely different bus stop, that could have been me. Fate, you are a fickle mistress.

More details from our pals at Get Reading:

Get Reading: Man mowed down by bus in Reading town centre stands up and walks away

It appears that Mr Smith will make a full recovery – he was later treated in the Royal Berkshire Hospital for “minor injuries”, and considers himself lucky to be alive.

We’d like to join the very long queue of people hoping to buy him a drink, and ask him if he has any idea of next week’s lottery numbers.