Editorial
As we all know, Christmas is that wonderful festive season we so look forward to, when, surrounded by our loving families, we gather round the piano to dash off the odd tri-part carol, faces a-glow from the blazing log fire, gifts a-giving, trees atwinkling, turkeys basting, chestnuts sizzling... it was just like that in our house, of course. Unsurprisingly, we hear that our modern Christmas was all an invention of the Industrial Revolution, probably, if you ask us, a single-handed invention by one Charles Dickens who kicked his wife out of house and home so he could better enjoy the festive good-will trimmings without her getting in the way. But hereีs some really good tidings for next year....the Eds hear that if you catch a flight from Heathrow on Christmas Eve, you can reach San Francisco on the same day, re-fuel, head off to New Zealand and cross the date-line just in time to completely miss Christmas day.
Meanwhile, it's 2004, and our Correspondence pages are already brimming with controversy. Yes, there's clearly been things brewing without us noticing, so closely have we been glued to the Christmas treadmill - sorry - gladsome preparations. Many thanks to Margaret Stanier (and the WI) for telling us about a fascinating local Tiffany connection and a belated welcome to the old new Vicarage's enthusiastic new Ground Force Team, Pat and Toby Stocks, who may not quite have finished for Christmas! Our new advertisers have all taken their places, welcome to them and we hope their advertisements are all in order. If you didn't know, the Crier is funded almost entirely by advertising - many thanks to them. And many thanks also for a recent and very kind donation - we need these too!
Congratulations to John Norris, this year's deserving winner of the Gay Bullied Award. Few people are aware of the great debt that Swaffham Prior owes and continues to owe to the Norris family particularly in the area of the restoration and upkeep of our two churches.
Happy 2004, everybody!