A stitch IN TIME...

The village hold their version of The Repair Shop

The poet TS Eliot once spoke of a life being measured out in coffee spoons. This must be true because I heard it on a Radio 4 quiz show. In much the same way, the life of Mr Thomas Dear, former hardware-store owner, is measured out in episodes of Dad’s Army.

He can’t quote much in the way of poetry, which doesn’t crop up much in the hardware-store business, but he could do Quotations from Dad’s Army as his specialist subject on Mastermind.

The reason I mention this is because occasional episodes of Dad’s Army feature committees, formed to organise some charity event, or dance or similar occasion. You know the form. Captain Mainwaring is the chairman, and Warden Hodges is at the end of the table complaining, and Private Pike is told to sit down and be quiet.

Anyway, we also have very similar committees in our village hall when we want to raise funds for some reason or another. Jean from the Rotary Club is always the chairman, and this is what normally happens.

Jean: Right then, what shall we do this year?

Some bright spark: How about a local version of Britain’s Got Talent?

Second bright spark: We did that year ago.

Third bright spark: Have we done Bake Off?