Being Friday the 19th of December, 2014 ...

Only two days to go before the solstice ...

We had a party.

Several people took heed of the dress-code ...

Sylvia showed off her Appalachian dulcimer ...

"Please can we play something
in the key of D?" asked Sylvia.

• We made music, we sang and laughed.
• There was yodelling and whistling.
• We ate and drank in moderation.
• We said nice things to each other.
• We bought raffle tickets and won prizes ...

Dogsbody continues to struggle with this
obscure instrument that he won.

Mick retrieved the prize that he has been trying to get rid of for years!

One person danced ...

Oh, no ... that was the week before.

Seriously now ...
Thank you to everyone who came along and contributed to a most enjoyable evening.
Thank you for so generously sharing food, buying raffle tickets, and donating desirable prizes.

Thank you, indeed, to all who have supported our gathering throughout another successful year.

Important information ...
At the time of publishing you will already have discovered that we did not meet on Friday, 26th December - Boxing Day.
However, there is a consensus that has agreed to meet on Friday 2nd January, 2015.
We will also meet on the following Friday, 9th January. but not on Friday 16th January because the Guides need the hall.
After that, keep an eye on the informative blog.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Being Friday the 12th of December, 2014 ...

Actually, that was six days ago.
Dogsbody has some difficulty in remembering ... anything at all!

Here are some random images ...

Actually, 'override' didn't work.
We kept asking for 'extra hours'.

If you bring your toiletries, you may soon be able to shower on a Friday evening ...

Yvonne had hoped to marry a lighthouse keeper.

Mike, however, had lied about his occupation ...

Mave took compassion on those who had lost their livelihoods due to inclement weather ...

Poor frozen-out gardeners

Elayne demonstrated her huge repertoire again ...

We said some slightly nice things about Berry, (who wasn't there,) and particularly nice things about Brenda, (who also wasn't there.)

Then we packed up and went home.

Next week?
(At this time of writing, that's tomorrow, 19th December.)
Yes ... Grand Festive Celebration.
In case you missed earlier publicity, click here

Will we meet on Boxing Day?
No.

What about Friday 2nd January?
There was a show of hands that indicated 'YES'.
So shall it be.

An Advent Lesson ...

There are those who understandably advise that Dogsbody should not be encouraged.
Nevertheless, one correspondent has imprudently so-encouraged him to 'share humour and Christmas joy to a wider audience'.

(Blame Nigel!)

Here are some verses that may be found in the Second Book of Mother-in-Law, chapter the second ...

v.1 The Lord God Almighty did look upon Dogsbody with great favour, and He did command a wing-ed servant to bless him with a message.

v.2 And it did come to pass that, as if in a dream, Dogsbody did perceive a vision.
He was greatly afraid.
"Fear not!" sayeth the wing-ed messenger, "I bring blessings and glad tidings from the Lord."
Dogsbody did prostrate himself in repentant tears.

v.3 "The Lord hath spoken thus:" declareth the apparition.
"Well done thou good and faithful servant.
"Thou hast completed all the travails I have sent thee.
"I now require of thee a further task."

v.4 Dogsbody did tremble greatly.
"What's that?" he enquireth.
"The Lord commands thee to accommodate and provide hospitality for thirteen of thy wife's relations, spouses, common-law partners, offspring and stock, (to include two small people unrelated by blood and one mad dog,) for a celebration of the glorious salvation of humankind," replieth the divine emissary.

v.5 Then did Dogsbody, in great sadness and despond, creep away into the cupboard under the stairs wherein his wife did store fermented fruits of the vine ...

Thence was heard much weeping, wailing, gnashing of teeth, hair-tearing and rending of clothes.

v 6. Mrs Dogsbody was greatly disturbed.
"What are you doing in there?" she enquireth.

v 7. Dogsbody did take the name of the Lord in vain.
"B***er off!" expleteth he ...
"I'm turning wine into water!"

Herewith I hope I have inoffensively shared 'humour and Christmas joy'.
Kindly understand that I will not indulge my friends with Christmas cards this year.
Alzheimers is my charity of choice.

Being TWO Fridays: 28th November and 5th December, 2014 ...

The blog-administrator apologises for this tardy post.
He has been much distracted of late, and readily confused.

We recently welcomed some new participants to our gathering ...

Here's Paul of Bognor Regis ...

Amy Goddard came along with her husband, Matt.
The club has purchased a copy of Amy's CD, Burn and Glow.
That will become a desirable prize for the Christmas raffle ...

Yes, it is still in its original cellophane wrapping.
Dogsbody bought his own back in August.

Believe me, this is a particularly good album.
Be not disappointed if you don't win it; you can buy your own from Amy's website.

Last Friday, (5th December,) we were delighted to discover that the Guide Hall refurbishment is pretty well complete with three loos and an additional rehearsal room.
What more could one desire?

Philosopher's Balcony is no more ...

Now we have use of a magnificent Stargazers Platform ...

Music?
Oh, yes, that's why we're here, but there was too much to document completely - a total of 56 performances of considerable quality.

Mike demonstrated his decorative guitar strings ...

There were several references to death, love lost and found, celestial bodies, atmospheric disturbance and precipitation.
Tony's bestiary featured marine organisms ...

Some minutes were occupied
in consideration of this question:
"Do lobsters actually swim?"

There were trains, ships, sheep-slaughter ... my brave boys ... a smattering of holiness and only one account of a socially-acquired disease.
Such is the nature of folk music!

There was singing, dancing, (well, Angela did!) whistling, yodelling, benign interpersonal abuse - and much fun.

Christmas is coming ...

Yes, there will be a party ...
Friday 19th December, 8.00-11.30pm.

Have you all done your homework regarding dress-code?
For a reminder click here.

Free entry, but you will be coerced into purchasing raffle tickets.
We already have three desirable prizes.
Here's one ...

Further contributions will be gratefully received.
Proceeds from the raffle will be donated to Friends of Guiding.

Please bring a plate of food to share.
(Angela's bringing pavlova!)
... also, any beverage of your choice.

Naturally, please bring yourselves and your festive music.

Doors will open at 7.30pm.
Please come early so we can begin celebrating promptly at 8.00pm.

We have arranged an extension of the hall hire until midnight.
Music will cease at 11.30, giving us thirty minutes to clear up before departing in absolute silence.

Being Friday the 21st of November, 2014 ...

We must be getting something right.
Phil came back ...

We welcomed Julian and Keith.
Here's Julian singing a song he learned at his mother's knee ...

He sang about having to make do with gin, with gin, and something about a hideous grin, a grin ...

And we all joined in, joined in ...

There was sunshine, rainbows and at least two bluebirds ...

Berry delivered some memorable quotes ...

• I was never very good at standing up.
• You all think I'm an ignorant savage.
• I know about things you never knew you knew.

Mike waxed lyrical about this revolutionary individual ...

Phil instrumentally exhorted the virtues of a national flag ...

And we had to make do with a unisex lavatorial facility ...

One lady was heard to say,
"Which of you guys has dribbled on the floor?"

Will there be a Christmas Party?

Someone asked this question way back in September.
YES is the answer.
We have plans for Friday 19th December.

First, however, we must consider dress-code.
Here is your anticipatory homework.
Study the following ...

You are invited to attend on condition that you wear at least one accessory or piece of apparel that demonstrates your Elvish name.

(If you were born in June and your first name is Edward, you might be in serious trouble.)

You work that out!

Further instructions will follow.

Best wishes from Glitzy Pointy-Ears!

Being Friday the 14th of November, 2014 ...

A good turn-out of 19 persons who decided not to stay at home at watch BBC Children in Need.

This bear sent apologies ...

Nevertheless, both Les and Ken remembered unfortunate and disadvantaged small people.

Mike P. took the chair and asked us to convey our good wishes to Margaret H. She will have a new knee when we next see her.

We welcomed Phil, new to our gathering.
He teased the fretboard before saying, "Oh, I'll do something else!"

There was much remembrance of events 100 years ago ...

Battle of the Somme - Attack of the Ulster Division, (J. P. Beadle.)

Dick gave an account of another conflict of a few millennia in the past ...

Pharaoh's army got very wet!

Regrettably, Berry, (who might have been an eye-witness,) was not with us.

Yvonne wanted to shut Mike in the coal-shed ...

Let me out ... it's my birthday on Tuesday!

Mike H. delivered a metaphorical lesson, yet to be embraced by political beings ...

Melissa lightened the tone ...

Any volunteers for a shampoo?

We encountered a woman dead in a river ...

(Ophelia, J. E. Millais ca. 1851.)
Lucy blamed the wind and dreadful rain.

Now hear this.
Slow your vital functions, imbibe beautiful music and poetic imagery through the pores of your very soul ...

Close your eyes; allow them to turn to glass.
Weep tears of gold and jade ...


Sadly ... we had to return from dream-land to witness Max whipping an old horse ...

Does Max have a soul?

Was it all doom and gloom?
No!
We left in high spirits to watch for the break of day ...

Being Friday the 31st of October, 2014 ...

Yes, it was the eve of All-Hallows.
Debbie dressed for the occasion and arrived by broomstick ...

Dogsbody began by bemoaning the fact that we have recently turned back our clocks for the end of BST ...

Leaves that were green ...

In Lynda's company we visited the first of several graveyards ...

Had you one kiss from my cold lips ...

Mave was strangely preoccupied with bananas ...

Molly was encouraged to share some personal news about her recent engagement to Connor.
Dogsbody had to apologise for his incontinently frivolous remark about alcohol involvement.
Congratulations, Molly and Connor!

"I am not liking the look of that rising moon," sang Simon ...

We had a shot at this encouraging piece ...

Lucy gave account of precipitation ...

Storms may come and
shatter the sky with lightning.

Angela, accompanied by her mobile phone, sang something in Serbo-Croat.
Did you know that volim te in Croatian translates as 'I love you'?

Simon and Debbie stumbled over this Snowdonian mountain ...

That'll be Cadair Idris.

To finish, Ken sang a remarkably good song, (self-penned,) called 'Good Company', following which Roger gave us assurance that we will all understand it, bye and bye.

Remember now, we will not be meeting next week, 7th November.
However, our occupancy of the Guide Hall is secure every Friday thereafter until the end of the year.

Being Friday the 24th day of October, 2014 ...

Berry occupied the seat of authority with his usual, welcoming charm ...

Who could fail to be engaged by that
mischievous grin?

Outdoors the weather was fair, but there was precipitation in one of Paul's essential body-parts ...

Oh, misery, misery ...

Les gave account of a cycling accident ...

but Les didn't care!

We were pleased to welcome Stuart and Jan again.
Stuart sang about a failed amorous encounter alongside a bank of wild flowers ...

"Never mind," he concluded ...
"Many a dark and cloudy morning
turns out to be a sunshiny day!"

Debbie provided some classical culture ...

Dogsbody pretended to be happy ...

Lynda indulged in an agricultural skill ...

... and I claim all I have is my own.

Elayne promised that lights will guide you home.

Here's Elayne looking lovely...

Thus reassured, we all went safely home!

"What about the death-count?" you might ask ...

Only one sheep is reported to have died!

Important information:
Yes, we will meet next Friday, 31st ... that'll be Halloween.
However, the Guide Hall will be otherwise occupied the following week, 7th November, so you'll all have to find something else to do for that evening.