Fond Farewells...

H here.

FDH has gone on his travels, leaving us I hope in some more peace than we have had this past week. Dear PP has been utterly hopeless throughout of course, never tiring of talking the fellow up when the situation clearly required him to be firmly put down. Mildred and I have had conflab even on whether Xtian charity should be re-defined as middle-aged loopiness, though in the end we did own that a tad harsh.

Maddeningly PP has been dropping hints 'if only we knew' etc., etc., which hardly helps as clearly there is some significant intel he is choosing not to share with the troops. Sufficient though for the moment that, as best one can tell, the parish accounts remained safely in the drawing room safe for the duration of the visitation and if FDH is determined to build a case for penury as the new black he won't have accessed any useful data from us to lay before Old Tom.

Peace though has not entirely returned as dear PP is in an utter fluster about Nick the News [vendor to the parish of newspapers, magazines, limited supplies of stationery, rarely the right sort of stamps, and never batteries when they are needed, etc., etc.] who has taken to playing 'O Come All Ye Faithful' in his shop by the second week of November. Even I can see PP's point in this as it's plain barking, but I fear a row brewing and clerics simply can't afford to row. Howsoever just the cause, a clerical row always ends up pitting half the village against the other half to no good effect.

We nearly came badly unstuck last Spring when PP decided he simply couldn't reconcile the Xtian creed and blessing the May Dance, which reasonable stance against synthetic paganism earned him reprobation from all sides. Mabel [baker for all and Wicca priestess for some] came close even to invoking some ancient daemon in retaliation. Happily Mildred and I were able to remind her that such an act was contrary to the 'National Service Framework for White Magic' and she desisted, though not before Mildred and I had had to sit through an interminable crystal gazing session as Mabel sought guidance from the spirits.

A quiet word with Mrs Nick the News down the gym next time we meet over a bench press is perhaps the thing here to quell this stir before it becomes a storm! Must also keep tabs on our Rake's Progress as I hear FDH has descended on St. Bertha's for a sojourn. Anila there has been briefed on the whole situation, so will doubtless be sharing her thoughts and risk assessment 'ere long.