Come Christmas morning you either find yourself surrounded by too many relatives or none at all.

But the answer to both woes lies in the same place – the pub.

While many close for the 25th there is a healthy selection of watering holes offering a welcome on Friday.

And if you class the regulars at your local as extended family, then it would be rude not to pop in to share some seasonal goodwill - as Ephraim Greenland, barman at the King George V in Brompton, explained.

“It’s usually busy,” he said. “I think people just put on the roast potatoes and then come to the pub while they’re waiting. It’s a bit of a tradition for a lot of people to come in on Christmas day – it’s very much a locals’ pub.”

The King George V will be open from noon to 2pm, but the festivities will continue through the afternoon and into the evening at others.

Camra award-winning pub the Kings Arms in Upper Upnor is open from noon to 5pm, and barmaid Val Hicks was expecting a busy afternoon.

“We get people with families, and people without families,” she said. “Everybody and anybody comes in.

“It’s a village pub, so we get a lot of villagers who don’t drive, but people are prepared to travel here too because we won Medway Camra pub of the year.”

New micro pub The Flippin Frog in St Margaret’s Banks in Rochester High Street will also be among those opening its doors on Christmas Day, from 11am to 9pm.

Others on Rochester High Street include: City Wall, from noon to 5pm; and The Golden Lion, from 11am to 6pm.

The Star in Watling Street, Gillingham, is open from 11am to 3pm; The Cricketers in Rainham is open from 11am to 11pm; and the White Horse in Borstal is open from noon to 2.30pm. Check with your local pub for others.