In lieu of Shirley Hurd not attending the Funeral, I would like to contribute one of her favorite Christmas stories. We had been invited down to Christmas lunch with Lewis and Margaret and Karen at Little Binnal in Hawkinge, I suspect DM and DD were there too and maybe others. After lunch about mid to late afternoon, it was time for tea and Christmas cake, Lewis was tasked with bringing in the infamous “Tea Trolley” - the folding brown trays and chrome frame with wheels, remember that one Karen? I think I probably helped Lewis load it up at the time. Margaret was holding court in her usual chair, the Tea Trolley was wheeled in with dignified aplomb befitting the occasion, everybody was ready for a cuppa and Christmas cake! Margaret started organizing the Trolley shuffling things around, meanwhile Lewis seemed to notice some kind of mis-alignment of the trolley to his keen engineers eye. He started adjusting aka “messing” with the poor trolley just as Margaret managed to get out “what are you doing Lewis?” the Tea Trolley did not take kindly to being “manhandled” in the midst of service. “Slap” and promptly it half folded as Lewis snapped in his final adjustment, everybody turned in horror and dismay as crockery tumbled off, the teapot fell over, but providence had set me in prime position, staring at the whole calamity before my eyes, I sprang into action acting like a wicket keeper of “cake” , I dived in hands outstretched quickly scooping the cake back onto the plate so the umpire of spectators were obscured from calling the cake “out”, as if it never happened! A few pieces of icing were hastily retrieved from the carpet and returned to original formation, Margaret finally recognized the cake was missing, “where’s the cake”, “I have it I replied” as I presented it to her for safe keeping. Lewis looked suitably relieved, I could tell he was very embarrassed, I consoled him later in the kitchen by asking him what happened – he didn’t really know, I think the Tea trolley won. Never was its mechanism adjusted again while in service! Alan Hurd