Some Fretwork and the Interminable Christmas Play at the Chalet School

I'm pleased to report we managed to save all the baby angels. They were all bathed, dressed and given some special milk. Not one of them woke up during the process. All now aboard a coach, except Joey who's having to travel on foot via a cave. We're still singing.

Why do I feel like crying? Is that smoke in my eye?

Come on girls. Sing, sing! Silent Night, Holy Night. Otherwise everyone will panic about the pillaging, the fire, the baby angels being drugged and kidnapped. Sing, sing!

Luckily the baby angels are still unconscious so they're blissfully ignorant that tragedy has befallen us. I'll just get rid of this lighted ciggy backstage somewhere and rush to comfort the denuded one.

What's that strange light I see coming from behind the stage? Is it a star, rising over the steppe? Erm, I don't think stars are supposed to be quite so flickery.

EmilyAlice, I think your troops might need to go on a bit earlier than planned. The baby angels have passed out and although Joey's offered to carry on singing for the next hour and a half to fill the gap, I think it might get just a little - how shall I put this - samey?

And I have my baton at the ready so that I can keep on conducting while the yurt goes up in flames, thus keeping everyone calm and preventing tragedy.

Has anyone been set on fire yet? I'm standing by with my bare hands ready if necessary.

Enter das engelkind bubchen, as tender and rosy a little love as ever, even at 92. See how prettily she humps the kapok! I'm not quite sure why the audience are howling with mirth, tears streaming down their faces as they slide gently to the floor, but hey, I guess it's compulsory on these occasions.

Disaster! The baby angels made a little too merry in Mushy Pea this afternoon and now they're singing some songs with very strange words and they don't seem to be able to walk straight, much less caper merrily round the stage. Quick, fetch Joey, someone! She's the only one who'll be able to sing them back to their senses. I'll have a quick fag while I wait.

Oooh! I'll get into my costume then. Don't want to miss my first play.

How are the angels? Anyone want any help getting their halo glued properly to their head? Anyone become entangled with another angel with hilarious results? Anyone seen anyone loitering nearby with a cigarette?

This conjures up wonderful images of EBD writhing around on the floor shrieking 'hold me up, someone' and mopping her eyes, while girls, parents and other staff gaze on in bemusement.

I was thinking exactly the same thing

Speaking of the pantomime, are we giving the interminable Christmas play this year or is it dragging on for a few more years? I think I'm ready (I walk on from the left, stop, listen to 6 solos from Bettany rellies, watch the reindeer do the reindeer thing, watch Ghengis and then walk off). It makes me feel like crying.

I love the way they don't have lessons at St M's, they have lectures - no more reasoning from cause to effect, then, except perhaps in essays . Re Matey apparently cloning herself, I wonder whether EBD intended to move her over to the finishing branch because she thought she was going to set more books there and wanted some of her favourite characters in situ. Hence moving Bill, who of course is one of the best characters in the entire series. I'm sure she wouldn't have done that if she hadn't intended to write more. Once she realised/was directed not to develop St M's it would have been rather obvious to move Bill back again, but maybe she thought she could get away with it with Matey and no-one would notice. OK, OK, she probably forgot. But stay with me here.

Apparently sometimes EBD's own school did the pantomimes she describes in the Chalet School.

This conjures up wonderful images of EBD writhing around on the floor shrieking 'hold me up, someone' and mopping her eyes, while girls, parents and other staff gaze on in bemusement.

She always appreciated the music they did gym to

Cheddar - not to mention that she has changed her first name and mysteriously lost her husband!

And then you get Inter V, which is created entirely because EBD had been merrily moving the Triplets up the school before realising that they're only 12

This had actually never occurred to me, but it's so obviously true! Haha.

My mum is arriving today to stay for Christmas - she's also a big CS fan. She's going to love this. Perhaps she could come and look round during the Christmas play

Am now reading Oberland - why is Miss Nalder suddenly teaching Musical Appreciation? I thought she was a gym mistress!

Margot was generally in a lower form than the other two until about New Mistress.

Apparently sometimes EBD's own school did the pantomimes she describes in the Chalet School.

And aren't Sicilians wild, romantic and love having feuds? Sounds great!

Garden Director is a typo for Gaudenz, no?