WAITING AT THE CHURCH

I've mentioned before that I don't possess any form of religious belief. However, I hold no grudge against anyone who does. Everyone can believe what they like as far as I'm concerned so long as they don't use that "faith" to find excuses to hate and persecute others with different beliefs and lifestyles.

So with that in mind I was given a rousing and witty introduction last Saturday morning by the vicar of St Johns church St Leonards. Everyone is always very welcoming of the heathen in their midst.

"We'd like to welcome Alex Lester once again to open our Craft Fayre. As you know he is a regular church goer...attending once a year to open this event".

Over the years I've got to know quite a lot of the volunteers who create wonderful things out of wool, wood and recycled materials among other stuff. There's always something eye-catching that is worth shelling out a couple of quid for.

This year I remembered to skip breakfast so I had room for the excellent cake and sandwiches.

I spied some tiny woollen Dwarf Santa stockings which I bought.

The Step-children hope that when hung on the tree they'll be just big enough for a high denomination bank note. The Dark Lady muttered something about "jewels". I pretended not to hear.

The rest of the day was spent searching for a pine box.

No...a pine trunk with a flat top to use as a coffee table.

That's better. Hastings is full of curio junk and antique shops stuffed to the gills with pine trunks. However, I think I know what the must-have Xmas gift is going to be this year. Forget X Box and Tracy Island. It’s the plain flat-topped pine trunk. Not one did I see. There must have been a run on them.

That evening it was off to the Marina Fountain, a favourite pub, to meet one of my best mates.

As I said at the beginning of today's blog, I have no problem with different belief systems provided they don't try to claim one is superior to another.

The pub is similar as it attracts people of all ages and lifestyles who all mix easily with one another. There are office workers, truckers, writers, bikers and - shortly before I left - a couple of very glamorous women dressed to the nines for a night out sat down next to us.

Tossing her auburn curls and sipping her Chardonnay daintily, one of them said to my mate

"Hello Clive"

In a deep bass voice.