Flying the flag in the Enchanted Village
The annual village fete will soon be upon us and so will the football. Oh yes, the football.
In the Grigg household, rather like during the election, we will sit on opposite sides of the fence. Mr Grigg is passionate about the game. Me? I neither understand the offside rule nor do I care.
But I do like the house and the street being decorated, which it is every year whether the football is on or not.
Six men turn out this morning to put the bunting up while my neighbour flits in and out of her front door with a tray of coffee and biscuits.
A short man stands on the phone box while a taller man balances precariously on the litter bin next to the village green in an attempt to tie a string of bunting on to a signpost.
Mr Grigg is up a ladder in fake Crocs and Mr Sheepwash swings out of an upstairs window to greet him.
The health and safety devil would have a field day if he were to cast his net right now.
The men have abandoned the idea of attaching bunting to the frame of the play equipment. Last year the children decided it was a great game to jump off the swings in mid-air and make a grab for individual flags of the world as they fell, with extra points for Germany.
Sadly, though, Mr G has not given up on his plan to attach flags to the Freeloader, which means I probably won’t be driving it until the World Cup is over.
‘Think yourself lucky it’s not your knicker elastic he’s using,’ I was told last night in the pub by a worse-for-wear steel erector who sounds uncannily like a Dorset version of John Wayne.
Roaring with laughter at his own wit when Mr Grigg expressed puzzlement, he drawled: ‘Well, if you opened the window, zoom, her’d be out.’
At that point, the conversation turned to Ferdinand and King. I thought they were talking about Spanish history.
Come on England!
That's about it.
Love Maddie x
NB This post first appeared on the Real West Dorset webside yesterday.
it's always a brightening sight to see the Cross of St.George everywhere whether or not it's attached with knicker elastic.
ReplyDeletei'd suggest going one step further and making little England coats for all the village pets.
C'mon England!!!!
ReplyDeleteWorld Cup, Stanley Cup, Grey Cup.......The Great Dane is onto all of them and I am left cold by it all. Just be glad there's no flag waving from a the car antenna as you drive out for your shopping.
ReplyDeleteBeing up a ladder in crocs at all, let alone fake ones, sounds like a recipe for disaster.
ReplyDeleteThe boxing kangaroo is out and about around here. Sorry but I have to say "C'mon Aussie, C'mon, c'mon" - if we are ousted before you I will then switch to "Come on England". (Well I was born just north of Birmingham).Personally I'm more looking forward to Wimbledon and Le Tour!
ReplyDeleteHow fantastic to have so many festivals and events marking the importance of the Village....we still haven't managed that over here but we are trying to start some traditions....I think it is brilliant to have that as a community (and I am with you on the footy thing lol).
ReplyDeleteMy! it all sounds provincial and beautiful and wonderful lol. Being in the states, my little town does nothing as charming. Lovely writing, lovely blog. I'm glad to be a reader!
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome...we don't have anything cute like that in my Town! Really not looking forward to the football but sure I can drown my sorrows in a glass of Pinot ;-)
ReplyDeleteAs an unapologetic Anglophile, I say,
ReplyDeleteC'mon England! C'mon England!