Gardeners Rest #16 ( 2021)

[Nicos]

It’s that time again folks!!!

Please feel free to join in- the more the merrier tbh!

Here are some of the previous ones if anyone fancies looking back over the years…

https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...s-rest-15-2020

[Nicos]

As Nicos was walking along the country lane making fresh footprints in the snow, she stopped and took out her secateurs. Just in front of her was a massive holly branch covered in red berries.
”Perfect” she said clipping it off. That’s all we need now to make up the village wreaths.

Over the hedge she could see that Bones had got the wood fire burning in the Gardeners Rest .
Snoop had been baking festive bread and cakes and could be seen heading towards the front door , basket on arm.
Janie had arranged a wreath making session inside the GR and her bobble hat could just be seen poking above what looked like a massive mobile shrub heading indoors.
Bramble and greenishfing, along with other Grapes could be seen sorting out the festive lights onto the massive Xmas tree next to the village pond which had turned into an ice rink.
The smell of hot chestnuts and woodsmoke filled the air.

Nicos smiled …she loved this time of year….

[Snoop Puss]

Snoop did indeed have lots of baked goods in her basket, but tucked in among them were the smiles. The Gardeners Rest was their real home and it would make a nice change, everyone coming to them rather than them having to fly off, whatever the weather. With any luck, Rary would come along too, after all they were originally his smiles.

Was it perhaps a bit too early for a drink to accompany the mince pies? She knew it wasn't fashionable, but she did rather like a sweet sherry with a mince pie. Perhaps she could persuade the others if she suggested one of each.

She bobbed her head over the bar, to find Rary hard at work dusting behind the barrels. His wife had obviously got him well-trained...

[rary]

Actually Snoop I am looking for somewhere to have a nap, OH has had me cleaning out upstairs, then a rummage cupboard, well that's, what I used it for now everything is in boxes with most of my "stuff" in the bin, I'm feart incase she wants to start in MY hut and honest it's, somewhere to have a nap no tae hide

[rary]

By the way just to clarify the Gardeners Rest is a free house isn't it?

[greenishfing]

I don't care if it's "free" as long as there is decent bitter, preferably black Sheep or speckled hen (or red wine). Got to get my priorities right. Panic here over Christmad has now receded as three weeks is far less stressful than two......I got confused.....again. I promise that I will make some Christmas puddings for the main event if anybody needs one.

[Nicos]

Do you put a silver sixpence in gf?…I’m sure Rary must have a stash somewhere….or maybe they could be silver threepences?…..
Either way , we’ll probably need a couple of dozen puddings if they are going to be as delish as they were last year!

Bramble and Bren were busy helping Janie with hanging mistletoe and making piles of greenery for the wreaths when NTG popped his head around the door asking if anyone fancied a glass of mulled wine he’d just made.
”It’s a new recipe” he grinned - and everyone stopped what they were doing to try and work out just what that twinkle in his eye actually meant…..

[mothhawk]

...and try to remember which veg he'd had a glut of this year. Is there such a thing as courgette wine, wondered MH as she set out chunky church candles on all the windowsills, ready to be surrounded with some of the holly wreaths that Bramble was making in the Snug. What we really need, she said, is...

[Snoop Puss]

'It's rhubarb and ginger', NtG interjected. 'The jam is nice so I thought why not wine? And why not indeed. It's actually pretty good.'

Rary, who was up for pretty well anything liquid after breathing in dust all day, volunteered to try it. 'Mmmmmmm', he said and held out his glass for a top up.

He looked around him and thought to himself 'This is a good start. Looks like it's going to be a good year at the Gardeners Rest.' And he flopped down in a chair, took another swig of wine and decided to inspect the insides of his eyelids.

'Have you knocked him out with your wine already?' GF asked as she began rummaging through Rary's...

[rary]

I'm not sleeping I'm just resting my eyes, when have you ever known me to sleep when there's free drink in the go, so get your hands off my private things GF I think Nicos has already been fumbling there otherwise how did she know I had a bag full of silver thrupenny bits, anyway I think I am going to enjoy this Christmas, as its a free house that means free drink which means I don't need to bring any money with me

[Nicos]

‘Of course it’s free’ said Nicos….’we nip back in time in the Tardis to stock up. Which reminds me…….’

[Snoop Puss]

"Where's the fairy for the top of the tree? We left her here last year, didn't we?", Nicos asked.

"And what about the elephant?", Rary wondered, very quietly so that no-one would think he was awake and ask him to do another job.

[rary]

You used to get a deposit back on empty bottles, thought Snoop, I wonder if rary has any, knowing him he will have some stashed away somewhere , so if Nicos taking the Tardis back in time we could cash them in. Then it struck her what she was thinking, rary was having too much of an influence on her, she new she would have seek help from....

[greenishfing]

.....the ghost of Christmas past......
but who was playing him in the local pantomime this year?

[Snoop Puss]

Hmm, thought Snoop, I'll just have to go and round up some willing volunteers for the pantomime. But they wouldn't be volunteers would they if they weren't willing...

'Hello', came a voice from up on high on the other side of the skylight. 'Could someone let me in, please? It's perishing out here.' And there she was, wand in hand, the Christmas fairy.

That's a relief, thought MH. No need to go climbing up into the loft for her at least.

Nicos grinned...