It's been a funny old week.
It started out with a very festive Christmas Carol service at St Paul's Girls School. Candlelit, lovely readings, beautiful harmonies from the choirs, and musicians. Mr Holst would have been proud!
I was then lucky enough to have tickets to see the dress rehearsal of Wayne Eagling's production of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker at the English National Ballet. Rather foolishly, I looked at my phone in the interval, only to discover an e-mail from a member of the public notifying me that part of the window at the Chiswick shop had been smashed. A flurry of e-mails and telephone calls before the second half meant that I was able to make sure that someone went to the shop. Luckily nothing had been stolen from the window, so we assumed it was just vandals. A member of public who had spotted the break at tried to report it to the police but have been unable to get into the police station!
So some highs and lows on Wednesday evening, but on going into the shop on Thursday, a little faith in human nature was restored. Firstly the pub next door to us, had within half an hour of the break, placed card over the hole. A couple of customers, including the husband of the person who reported it to me, popped in to make certain nothing had been taken and all is well. Our local community policewoman popped in too, and apologised for the lack of access to the station the night before. My brother Peter and I cracked on with restoring the damage (I'm a dab hand with a putty knife), and putting together the beginnings of a festive window. Warmed by the response of those around me, it became a positive glow when the young man who'd broken the window came into the shop, apologised, and offered to pay for the damage!
Christmas spirit. Well certainly, that's what caused it. Office party, too many drinks, obligatory post drink wrestling match to sort out who buys the kebabs on the way home. Either way, I was so delighted at the fact that he'd fessed up and taken responsibility, and that there now didn't appear to be random book hating vandals breaking my window in with their Kindles, that I suggest he make a donation instead to the St Mungo's Christmas Appeal. I will, and I suggest you do too.
