EDENVILLE

Christmas Preparations

By @silenttomorrows

'Well hello Edenville peoples.  This is going to be a ding dong merrily on high show.  And soon we will be shovelling through the snow but your resident DJ, Corky Flute, will keep you singing with a rooty toot toot.  Christmas is going to be a hoot! So if you're a shepherd watching or a wise man off to the Tiki bar, then keep tuned in for all your Christmas favourite songs, starting with Frosty the snow man.' 

The Reverend Cuthbert Smidge had had Wilfred rig up speakers in his church and was pleased to hear the melodious words of Corky Flute echo around the stone walls.  Cuffy had renamed the church which used to be called the  Edenville Church of Hope in the Field to the Edenville Church of the Blessedly Lucky Resurrection.  Not the olde fashioned resurrection of 2000 years ago, no Corky's resurrection of last week. 

Cuffy was also pleased because Frank had rigged up a mechanical Corky that popped its head out of a coffin if you put a £2 coin in the slot.  The mechanical Corky then gave a rendition of "The Pobble That Has No Toes" by Edward Lear before laying back down again in readiness for the next £2 coin.  Church funds were on the up again. 

Meanwhile the Women's Guild were meeting to discuss the preparations for Christmas in the village.  Bessie Herford had dragged an eighteen foot Christmas tree, that she had chopped down earlier that morning, to the village centre ready for Eli to erect as a centre piece.  Agnes Pedderforth the Chandler said that she would create a candle lit trail through the village so that it had a magical special atmosphere.  Adelaide Agincourt the fletcher said would set up an archery range so that villagers could have a go at shooting an arrow through a Christmas pudding with a red Santa Claus hat on it. 

Japonica and Edith were in Christmas mode, excited by all the festive ideas.  Even Edward Fudge had ordered a batch of turkey and cranberry ice cream for the the seasons good cheer and Japonica had made gingerbread elves for the children at the local school. 

Meanwhile Jethro and Bianca Woodnick had set up a skating rink outside of the hotel .  Bianca had employed a skating instructor called Hudson Rock for a couple of months and was hoping to put him through his paces; and if there was time do some skating to. 

Carlos Monteverdi was excited.  Christmas allowed him to be creative.  This year he was going to put small bells in the centre of his jammy fairy cakes to add a bit of a tinkle.  He'd call them Jam Barry fairy cakes and the bells would help you to follow the leader in the dark. 

Sid Schwinn was nominated as Santa Claus once more.  He always looked spectacular when he arrived in full costume on his penny farthing.  Sometimes he got the mums to sit on his lap too; no one was sure what he said to them but often their faces went as red as Sid's Santa suit. 

Passers by heard the hammer hit the wood of the parish notice board as Rosemary Tipplewuck put up a poster that said, 'People needed for panto.  Come and audition for Cinderella and have a tot of rum.'  Auditions were for the village hall on Thursday. 

There was a buzz of excitement in the village as news of the forthcoming pantomime spread like butter over toast.  People dusted off their Alice bands, aired their bloomers and steamed their pantyhose... just in case clothes moths had got in. 

Frank hesitatingly agreed to make a pantomime horse costume, as long as he didn't have to wear it. The horse was called Dobbin and along came a little red robin that sat on a post and it began to snow.