Christmas Has Come and Gone

Well, another Christmas has rolled by. The guests are gone, the Turkey eaten, and the mugs fleeced. Mr and Mrs. Rule are staying on for New Year, while the Vaughans are joining us later today. The Green Man and the Girl in Grey spent most of their time here getting better acquainted, while Ms. Madison was here after a fight with her young man, andspent a lot of time being irritated at the Girl in Grey. I think they had a fight on Boxing Day. But given the ways of girls these days, I wouldn't be surprised if it was a new party game.

Lady Arcos and I joined the hunt on Boxing Day. Given the ban on hunting foxes, an alternative was used. In this case it was a Hunt Saboteur who presented themself. We had a good time, but I think the saboteur was less than impressed. Still, it caused a fair amount of amusement in the village, and the head will go to the taxidermist and be placed in the secret section of the village museum.


We arranged to go shooting, but Ms. Madison objected to the thermal underwear our peculiar climate necessitates. Still, we did have a passing artist capture it, and I shall be giving the piece to one of the Vaughans, as he asked for it. Apparently he's waiting for Mr. Rake to get tired of Ms. Madison's excuses before he moves in. I think he entertains the foolish supersitition that she would't treat him in just the same way.


Oh, and we got a call from Lady Sylvia Vaughan to her brother inviting Ms. Madison to a New Year's Eve party.

Merry Christmas!

Due to unforseen circumstances, I haven't put anything here in a very long time. In explanation, we were preparing for Christmas. The village will be having its usual Yuletide festivities, and we shall be hosting a party in the Great Hall for the good folk of the village.

On Christmas day itself, four of my children will be visiting with their families. Among my other house guests will be the Green Man, Ms. Madison, the Girl in Grey, Scruff and the Outsider.

In the village, the three correspondents to the local paper who complained about Christmas will be tied to the Yule log, doused in brandy and set on fire, in a tradition going back fifteen months. There will also be a ceremonial burning in effigy of an income tax inspector. Since the Inland Revenue rumbled this, we haven't been able to get a real one.

The Manor House will be open from the day after Boxing Day. We expect to make back our operating costs for the year. All visitors will be assessed and then robbed by the villagers. As Lord of the Manor, I get a cut.

So, Merry Christmas and toodle-oo.

Places of Worship: The Methodists

As I walk about the settlement of Little Pudding, the good people of the village salute me. I wave back and greet them heartily. The village has a number of landmarks, especially its places of worship.

The old Methodist Church on the Green is advertising its Christmas bizarre (yes, bizarre, apparently it's a form of freakshow), which it held in June last year, as part of its quest to appear less tradition-bound. The minister who came up with that left last year when it was discovered that he was stealing other people's sermons. There wouldn't have been much fuss, but he was mugging them when they left church. And when he robbed a Reformed Baptist, that was the last straw.

It really was a pity, as his congregation did not appreciate that sermon. He was asked to explain his references to Election, and his excuse was rightly judged worse than the original.