Vincent's Diary: January 1919 and December 1921

I guess this ticket wasn't a winner. A shilling would have been quite a high price to pay then. What appeals to me is how these have been specially printed - there surely can't have been that many staff in the General Manager's Office!

The diaries have been pretty sparse in their content for a couple of years but the entry on Sunday 26 January 1919, meeting the Archbishop of Cyprus at 11am, is fascinating as he was over here on a political mission at the time to pursue his island's independence. Vincent in his Church role would have been organising something behind the scenes.

Peter's oak gazebo grows

Graeme blames a giraffe for some interesting variations in beam lengths. Now, most people would, you'd think, wonder why on earth there should be a giraffe in Astcote in the first place. "Ah, just the right back angle to hold up the roof!" said Pete, always keen to use natural solutions.

Peter's portable oak gazebo

Under Gazebos

The Paddock Party Committee met in Cold Higham where Adrian entertained us and Sarah B fell asleep after providing masses of fine food and drink, including some remarkable desserts from the Saladeers. Stationmaster Steve demonstrated yet another skill by the production of Stationmaster's Light Ale, a tipple that had the Chairman wanting more and making several trips around the table after several handfuls of Bombay Mix.

In the absence of a Paddock Party this year there was not a great deal to report which was just as well seeing as how the Minutes Secretary had to interrupt proceedings in order to watch his 12 year old son emerge from a Village Hall Disco, thankfully sober and not wrapped around several female school friends, in Potterspury and then do the Dad Taxi service before returning to the Committee.

On his return half the Committee had disappeared, possibly to avoid having to sing his reworked version of Under The Boardwalk. So that they might practise for the next occasion the lyrics are included below.


UNDER GAZEBOS
Oh when the rain beats down and the sky above is black
And your clothes get so wet, you may think about going back
Under gazebos, being blown away, yeah
With our friends and a bottle is where we'll stay

(Under gazebos)
Out of the rain
(Under gazebos)
We'll all be laughin' again
(Under gazebos)
People singing this song
(Under gazebos)
All getting it wrong
Under gazebos, gazebo

From the shed you hear the happy sound of a Saladeer
Mmm, you can almost taste the hot dogs and smell Steve's own beer
Under gazebos, we're doing fine, yeah
With our friends and a bottle is where we'll stay

(Under gazebos)
Out of the rain
(Under gazebos)
We'll be laughin' again
(Under gazebos)
People singing this song
(Under gazebos)
All getting it wrong
Under the gazebos, gazebo

Oh, under gazebos, with the PPC, yeah
On the grass with a wet arse is where we'll be

(Under gazebos)
Who needs the sun?
(Under gazebos)
We'll be havin' some fun
(Under gazebos)
It can rain all night
(Under gazebos)
But we'll be all right
Under gazebos, gazebo.

with apologies to The Drifters and The Rolling Stones, amongst others.

Taking a shower

A downpour this evening didn't seem to bother this visitor.

Keeping cool

Now that the pond looks like a pond should look again, I can see that I'm going to have trouble next time I have to put the geese away before they're ready to go on their own!

Ghost

I was just taking a quick snap of this jackdaw, who'd been showing off his ability to stand on one leg and stare at me, when there was a strange wooooo-ooo noise from across the road. Now, normally I would have associated that kind of noise with either an owl or one of Stationmaster Steve's latest steam engines blasting its way around his plum tree. It was neither. A large ghost had appeared in his garden.