Another Christmas extravaganza

This is a little more garish than the one a few days ago. They’re also raising money, this time for cancer research. They’ve really gone to town. I wonder if the lights are switched off overnight?

We had friends over for lunch which extended until after 4.00pm. Shepherds pie with vegetables and trifle for pudding. Lynda was the secretary at the secondary school where I was deputy head.

One of abiding memories of her was when she came around to my deputy head’s office and instructed me to get in the head’s office. This was on the first day of my tenure as acting head owing to head’s illness. She thought that’s where I should be!

A stauncher ally you couldn’t get. If she batted for you take pity on the opposition!

Glad you liked the night time shot of 4144 in Rolvenden yard. As one or two people have said, getting coal or an alternative fuel is the greatest challenge facing all heritage steam organisations.

Although we’re exempt from the new legislation on lump coal, sourcing the stuff is going to be expensive and involve importing it. Alternatives, at the moment, do not have the same high calorific value as coal.