The Tory Party at Prayer (Still, very still)

Though the preacher, suffragette and Tory scion Maude Royden warned the Church of England almost 90 years ago that: "The Church should go forward along the path of progress and be no longer satisfied only to represent the Conservative Party at prayer" the poor souls have been too small c conservative to heed her advice.

Went along tonight with the family bell ringer to Rostherne Parish Church for the annual Christmas Carol Service. As it was dark we did not see the view of the lake. And we certainly did not see the lake's mermaid or hear her ring her lost bell.

But what we did see was the Tory party at prayer. Vicar reminiscing from pulpit of old comrades, judges and farmers and that nice detective from Midsomer shoulder to shoulder in the pews, and in the bell tower for that matter, and ... an average age, discounting the brass band and choir, of about 74. With choir 77. Still, last time I was there two years ago, again in solidarity with the bell ringer, the christmas midnight service was pretty dour, chilly and certainly did not have a bass trombonist leading a jazzy Frosty The Snowman astray before the collection.

Things are looking heavenwards then for the Tories.

Disclaimer: We did have a jolly time at Rostherne ringing bells, singing carols and all that. We made up the bit about the choir boosting the average age by three years. As there were a couple of hundred huddled in the apse or the nave or whatever, and only eight of them they'd all have to be 154 to have achieved that. Which was not quite true. Synchronity in Observer X-Word where "Unfriendly Conservative, advanced in years (4)" becomes C_O_L_D which the parishioners of Rostherne and the once-a-year-for-carols-brigade there certainly were not.