Alex fumed: “Adam! Why on earth did you agree to stage a pantomime on top of everything else? “I hardly ever see you as it is! Now, we’ll have every pushy stage parent in Hackney trying to get their little darling a speaking part and every unemployed actor in London will be turning up for auditions to keep their hand in, telling you how you don’t direct them well.” Adam sighed: “The church needs the funds for our outreach programme with the homeless. St Saviour’s in the Marshes is barely able...

Dave looked up from wiping a glass at the bar of the Winchester club. “What’s all that about, Tel?” he asked, nodding over to Arthur Daley in deep conversation with a man in a dog collar. Terry McCann chuckled: “Arthur thinks he can make a few quid by offering to host the church pantomime at the Winchester. He’s offering the club free with 25 per cent of the ticket sales going into the Winchester’s ‘community fund’ to help the less fortunate. “The church gets 75 per cent towards the new roof....

Martin tutted and looked at the map of the Christmas market stalls. “It’s all higgledy piggledy, Ann. There’s no rhyme or reason to any of it! A handmade wooden gifts stall next to a raclette stall selling smelly cheese, a local artist selling paintings next to a stall with handmade hats…” He sighed. “The food should be in one section, handicrafts in another, fine art in another. That would allow us to make the most of our time here.” Ann smiled her patient smile. “I like the smell of the...