The Veteran 21 Dec 17

The Veteran 21st December 2017
The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year...
Mrs Fox Goes To War...
The Chronicles Of Little Hope
1939 - 1945
The Daily Fox...
Hilda Ffinch
The Bird With All The Answers...
Letter Of The Week...
Dear Ms Ffinch,
And before we knew it, it’s here. Mum’s have been out buying
Christmas presents since July, Dads are waiting for
Christmas Eve, Kids are getting hyper... The feeling is nothing
short of magical. So for this reflection, I am not going to
spoil the feeling for anyone, we have spoken about remembering
those less fortunate in the previous editions and while
they are very much in our mind let’s take a few moments to
just feel great about the most wonderful time of the year.
I do have to say though, walking around the shops doing my
own Christmas shopping gets a little annoying hearing Slade
and Wizzard for the 50th time that day (Yes lads, that’s right,
mine’s already done - take a tip, do it early and the other
half gets so impressed. Loads of brownie points) But regardless
of the non-stop Christmas musical ritual, everybody’s
faces are glowing. Some from the chilly weather but
most from excitement. All I can say is thank you Jesus!
Gift giving is the tradition that represents how the three wise
men presented the baby Jesus with Gold, Frankincense,
and Myrrh. So without thinking about it we celebrate the
birth of Christ in that wonderful way.
There are other ways too. How many of you will go and
watch your children or grandchildren acting in the school Nativity?
How many of you go to Midnight Mass? Here’s a
very common one, how many of you say ‘Merry Christmas’?
I think most of us do. But how many of you stop to think
about what you are actually saying? You are wishing the recipient
a happy Christ’s Mass. You are wishing them to be
happy on the day Christ was born. Absolutely wonderful!
So many reasons to be happy. It never fails to amaze me
just how many songs at Christmas time say the right thing.
Not just carols, but a lot of the pop songs too. Of course I’m
not talking about Santa or the party stuff but the wishes of
good will and the messages from the heart. One thing I do
know is that we all sing them, especially when the wine
flows.
So to conclude a reflection of a few nice thoughts about
Christmas, I thought I’d leave you all with a few words written
by the Peter Pan of Pop, yes, Uncle Cliff. Hopefully,
these words will help you to think about Christmas in the
right way and give you hope for the coming year.
A time for living
A time for believing
A time for trusting
Not deceiving.
Love and laughter and joy ever after
Hours for the taking
Just follow the master.
Harry Roy's song about a pussy cat sounded
perfect for the tea dance at the church hall...
Someone had been stoically sampling the
communion wine again...
www.mrsfoxgoestowar.co.uk
I've tried erecting an Anderson shelter in the
back garden but I'm struggling to get it up.
Mrs Risqué thinks it may be due to the
draught around the back but I'm not sure -
I've managed to get it up outdoors before (August
bank holiday Monday, Taunton, 1933 to
be exact). My wrists are quite weak and I find
the screwing particularly difficult.
I just don't know what I'm doing wrong!
Please, could you give me some advice, or
even better come and give me a hand?
Yours,
Tad Risqué
Dear Tad Risqué,
Really! I have to say that this is the first time since the
war started that I've come across a fellow who wasn't
able to get one up in the great outdoors. Look
around you, the village is full of men of your age
going at it hammer and tongs and displaying some
very fine erections indeed. Colonel Ffinch and Mr
Percy Mountjoy managed five between them on Saturday
last and might have got another one up if the
sun hadn't gone over the yardarm and it was time for
tea.
Put your back into it, man, for heaven's sake! If you
do find tightening your nuts particularly difficult then
I'm more than happy to send my lame gamekeeper
Dick Scratcher round to help you with the screwing on
Tuesday, assuming that he's not still up at Agapanthus
Crumb's.
Battle on and think of England, never mind the wind
round the back, just get it in the hole and you'll be
away!
Yours,
Hilda Ffinch
The Bird With All The Answers.
Merry Christmas everyone, and have a faithful New Year.
4 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk