Tuesday 13 January 2015

The Annual Meeting, humbugs and general excitement ......

'So cold outside, cold enough to freeze a rabbits whiskers!' Archibold huffed and stamped his feet on Aunt Mildred's door mat, 'good thing we are having the meeting here, we'd have frozen to death in the glade!' Almost all the pegs on the coat rack were covered in coats and jackets, mufflers and a wild collection of outside hats, 'Must be the last one here" said Archibold winking at Hortensia as he put on his soft green inside hat, 'best be nippy drinking my tea!'

'Everyone seems to be here' Hortensia whispered to Aunt Mildred 'let's give them a few more minutes to settle and then we can begin!'

Soon a general hush came over the gnomes, probably helped along by the most excellent tea of summer meadow flowers and the moist honest cake that Aunt Mildred had passed around, as a warm up against any lingering effects from the cold.

'Today as you know is the day of our Annual General Meeting' Humperdinck was looking splendid in his best waistcoat embroidered with honeysuckle and wild roses, ' a chance for us all to plan ahead and to look back on the previous year's activities, so it is with great pleasure that I welcome this year's  Daisy King - Archimedes Bonaparte, to open proceedings!'

Poor Archimedes had to be helped to his feet, as the journey from his island home had brought on a bought of stiffness. 'New jar of lineament for you Archie - and I'll rub it in your knees myself!' Aunt Mildred looked fierce and protective, Archimedes smiled gently at her as he cleared his throat, patted his pockets till he found his speech carefully written out in his curly writing, and began to speak.

'My Dear Friends, it is with great pleasure that I open this meeting and welcome you all to the comforts of Mildred and Humperdinck's home. This is when we plan our year ahead; The Midsummer Revels, any expeditions, who is to go to the local garden centres for work experience, building projects and of course, to consider which gardens we wish to maintain.'

'Goes with out saying that we will look after Mrs Partridge's garden' there was a general murmur of agreement as Aunt Mildred continued, 'she is our friend and protector, without her we wouldn't know that we are safe here!'

'Too true My Dear, too true and indeed, I am sure that we all agree on maintaining her garden as a matter of great importance!' Mrs Partridge is most unusual in that she is our only human friend, true a few of the other humans still put out statues of us and welcome us as guardians of their gardens, but we do not know them as friends and are probably best choosing carefully who to help.'

Archibold stood up, 'before we make a list of gardens, can we discuss visiting Hector in the city, a grand expedition to see his balcony cactus garden again, perhaps combined with a wild planting trip along the railway?' Well, that was that, any plans for an agenda had to wait as Stephanotis leapt to his feet, 'put your hands up if you are interested in an expedition?'

'No shoving, plenty of time to be excited, calm down, SIT!' Archibold bellowed in his best fierce voice, usually reserved for telling off rabbits when they ate his flowers, 'Perhaps we can agree on a separate planning meeting for an expedition?'

'Jolly good idea' said Archimedes as he quickly sat down, 'perhaps it is time for a humbug and a little thinking?' and with that the assembled gnomes calmed themselves as they passed around the mint humbugs and began to loudly suck on them and considered what to plan next!