Advent Calendar

At half past ten on the morning of the third of September 1939 the villagers of Upper Placket gathered round the radio in the village hall where shortly after eleven o'clock they listened in silence as the Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, announced that the country was at war.

One week later Annie gave birth to a daughter and just two weeks after that, Ivor was painting the ceiling of the new nursery a delicate shade of egg shell pink when he suffered a massive heart attack, dropped his favourite briar pipe, fell off the stepladder and died. Annie later remarked that his favourite briar was quite undamaged by the fall.

The funeral was a sombre affair and very quiet except for the contented gurgling of the tiny infant clutched to Annie's breast. It is true that the tolling of the bell sparked a major panic in nearby Lower Plackett where Miss Abernethy from the Cosy Rug Store decided that an invasion was taking place, locked herself in the outdoor privy with a packet of crackers and her father's shotgun and threatened to shoot any man who came near.

Annie Humpass bore her loss with typical Bedworthy - Bracegirdle stoicism but the old Widow who stood with her daughter at the graveside felt she sensed unease amongst the mourners.

The reason for this unease became clear later in the day down at the village inn where many an old man could be heard to mutter into his cider,
"Her might be a fine bit of Bedworthy - Humpass but you mark my words, there be a curse on that there family. One good looking widder is only to be expected, two good looking widders could be an unfortunate accident, but three - all in the same family?"

The outbreak of war, Ivor's untimely death and the resulting malicious gossip unsettled young Annie. She bought a train ticket, packed her bags, embraced her dewy eyed mother and headed north with the baby clutched tightly to her breast.