The Royal Signals Catering Display Team

Wake at 6:45 and put the kettle and the frying pan on and then hang out a line of white washing. It is another lovely morning and I'm hoping it stays fine for the Saint John of Beverley annual lunch, at which I have volunteered to help this afternoon. Back indoors I put the sausages and tomatoes in the pan and then load the washing machine with a load of coloureds, before adding some streaky bacon and finally eggs. When it is cooked to perfection, I take it in the garden room with my tea and eat it there, whilst I listen to the news. Shower and dress and then call at the village post office to pick up the Observer, before driving into town for nine O'clock Mass at Saint John's. The church is full and we nearly raise the rafters with the hymns, which I really enjoy because I love to sing. Afterwards I pick up my friend Leslie and we drive out to Skidby Windmill cafe for coffee and cakes. Caffe Nero, our usual haunt, has been abandoned because of the hugely popular Beverley 10k road race which is taking place at eleven. Leslie enjoys the change and we chat about several things for an hour before I take him home again. I am due at the school for one o'clock and manage to bring in my whites, mow the lawns front and back and hang out the coloureds in an hour. Clearly, I must be over whatever bug I had last week. When I get to St John's primary school, there are over two hundred people there already, and I am asked to man the bar with a big chap in his forties called Paul. We slip effortlessly into a complementary way of working together, neither telling the other what to do, just coping happily with the constant demand for drinks, red and white wine, apple and orange juice, still and carbonated water. After lunch is finished and the kids choir has sung for their mum's and dad's and grandparents, we start serving tea and coffee. The kids play rounders outside for an hour, whilst the adults chat and drink. It is then that Paul and I discover that we are both retired soldiers and both from the same Corps, Royal Signals. That is why we developed such a quick understanding. In the Army there is a saying, "either lead or follow, or get out of the way!" only it's not quite so polite. We christened ourselves, "The Royal Signals Catering Display Team", a parody of "The White Helmets", The Corps motorcycle display team. Everyone was very friendly and happy, and we all had a wonderful time. By the time we had cleared away and put the school back to normal, it was half past four. Back home, meditated for an hour and then made some nachos for tea before settling in with my Observer for the evening. The less life is about ourselves the happier we are.