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Nellie and Sybil and the Planning Application: A Satisfactory Conclusion

As we were halfway back through the wood again, we heard the sirens. A mixture of ambulance and police. We opened my back garden gate and slipped in, carefully locking it behind us. ‘Well, that’s another interesting time we’ve had Sybil,’ I breathed a sigh of relief as I sat down. ‘Good idea of yours Nellie, I must admit, telling them we were going home by Rolls Royce. They will never find it. Or us,’ said Sybil taking off her… Read More »Nellie and Sybil and the Planning Application: A Satisfactory Conclusion

Nellie and Sybil and the Planning Application: The Ladies from ARPAD

So, once we had prepared ourselves in our roles (quite exciting really as I always enjoyed my time in character with the Gilbert and Sullivan Society), we opened the back gate, shutting it carefully behind us and made our way up through the wood to the back of the school. We shuffled around the side and arrived at the main door. Sybil flung the heavy door open impressively, but there was no one to stop us from entering as we… Read More »Nellie and Sybil and the Planning Application: The Ladies from ARPAD

Nellie and Sybil and the Planning Application: Battle Plan

And so it was that Sybil arrived at my home by taxi the next day armed with what appeared to be a large suitcase and a carpetbag. As the taxi disappeared, she was left standing in the road looking somewhat terrifying. She wore her ‘intimidation power suit’ as she called it. Dating back to the 1980s, it was black with huge, padded shoulders which made her look even larger than usual. She had a black trilby on her head. She… Read More »Nellie and Sybil and the Planning Application: Battle Plan

Nellie and Sybil and the Planning Application: The Big Problem

When I saw Sybil a week before lock-down for the Covid 19 virus, I had a real problem on my hands. We had a chance to meet still at our special little French Patisserie, Patisserie Angelique. Sybil had already demolished one of our favourite pastries, the rum baba, when she suddenly became aware of my face. ‘Nellie,’ she said sharply with her mouth full of cream. ‘Nellie, what is troubling you? You are not your usual annoying self. You are… Read More »Nellie and Sybil and the Planning Application: The Big Problem

Out of the Blue: Unforeseen Consequences

Strangely the mystery of the ‘flying video’ was never solved, not even by the Flying Squad who were unable to come to a conclusion despite spending two days studying the material very thoroughly. But just as a stone thrown into a pond sends out ripples, so that simple gift from James Peabody had set off a chain reaction that altered people’s lives forever. Prunella Attrill was surprised but pleased when Dr Attrill strode manfully home that night carrying a pair… Read More »Out of the Blue: Unforeseen Consequences

Out of the Blue: Miss Iris Witherspoon & the Vicar

As it happened Miss Iris Witherspoon was walking along the path that was the other side of the hedge. It was ten years since she had retired as headmistress of a small school in Cheshire, where her life had been one long innocent ramble through childhood not extending beyond the school gates. Now she had achieved her dearest ambition and bought a stone cottage in a quiet unassuming village in Dorset. She was just thinking how kind it was of… Read More »Out of the Blue: Miss Iris Witherspoon & the Vicar

Out of the Blue: Dr Attrill

The respected Dr Attrill settled back into his first-class seat on a train heading to Waterloo. He adjusted his spectacles, opened his briefcase and drew out a copy of the Times. As he was closing the case he caught sight of the small parcel wrapped in plain brown paper and felt uneasy. Dr Attrill had been attending a medical conference in Plymouth. The subject matter was obscure and he found the coffee and cold buffet more enjoyable than anything else.… Read More »Out of the Blue: Dr Attrill