A Letter from Honeysuckle Harebell~29th August 1908

First Meeting of The Tea Time Club

Dear Millicent

Absolutely wonderful news! I can’t wait to tell you. Perhaps you can read between the lines as I know they read your correspondence in prison. Hello Officer!

Hope you are well. Hang on in there. (Not those lines, I hasten to add, they are pretty much as you see them, nothing hidden. Not that I am hiding anything Officer, nothing at all. ) I want to tell you about the first meeting of The Tea Time Club last week.

I was all of a fluster which is very unlike me but it was so important to me that it all went well and I do believe I put on a good spread. I had the opportunity to use my Grandmothers teapot, you know, the one that has a mind of its own and Nanny Duckeggs’ Fairy cakes. Percy brought some more scones. A lot better since the addition of buttermilk. Then a knock on the door and a Fox sauntered in, closely followed by Miss Shrews with a gentleman! Professor Ruckenfigur. He seemed a very quiet, thoughtful sort, he even expressed an interest in my books on Astronomy, which made me warm to him immediately. Of course that is his forté, celestial bodies. Violet is such a gentle soul and I do believe I fancied a whiff of romance about them. Primarily, he was here to support our cause- I mean the cause of being a member of 'The Tea Time Club' and enjoying a perfectly civilised afternoon refreshment Officer.

According to the Professor, Miss. Peasebloosom and her faction, which seems to be growing in numbers, have managed to stop the funding for scientific research in the Department of Moon & Stars, which is the Professors’ faculty. Even tempered as he appears outwardly, the Professor is very upset. Years of careful study and research gone in an instant. Who would ever have thought we would be in this position, having to fight for the planets and the Milky Way, the whole of the solar system as we know it. But we weren’t there to discuss such things, oh dear me no, we were enjoying our Earl Grey with lemon- or milk if you preferred .

Department of Moon & Stars

After the niceties “pass the sugar” “no more scones for me” “would the Fox like to go outside for a bit?” we got down to business, what to do about our ‘problem’.

We considered many options to thwart Peaseblossom and her gang, Deathwatch beetles being one of the more dramatic solutions proffered up (that was my suggestion), or perhaps putting an advert in the paper with a photograph of a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis ( Violets suggestion ), or perhaps boycotting the Church ( the Professors’ suggestion) but none seemed quite appropriate. Then Percy had the marvellous idea of ‘wing walking’.

Percy in goggles

Apparently they have a friend who has designed ‘ a Biplane ’ that flies. I’m not even sure what a Biplane is, but I thought it a very Avant Garde idea.

The initial plan was that Percy would wing walk with a large banner trailing behind the biplane saying something quite cutting. However, as wing walking hasn’t been invented yet, we all decided Violet would print 100 leaflets instead, and we would drop them out of the biplane if the wind was in the right direction.

Leaflet Drop

Peaseblossoms’ lot would get the message that we are up for a fight about the..erm … Harvest Festival. (Are you still reading Officer?) Then what happened? Oh yes, we had more tea and made small talk regarding the upkeep of the Village Green. (Surely he has nodded off by now.)

Meanwhile my brain was whirring away regarding ‘flying’. How some Fairies take it for granted, and then I had an idea. A rather marvellous one, Millicent, you will be so pleased. I put it to the group. We decided it was to be the first plan of action for The Tea Time Club, before the Biplane drop. Operation ( ah, now that would be telling ) We all cheered, which upset the Crow roosting in Violets’ hat. The Fox got involved and I am afraid to say the afternoon didn’t end quite as happily as it had begun ,but nevertheless, I felt it was a success. A beginning.

However in my darker moments,Millicent , and I’m well aware you must have those occasionally, in prison, I do wonder, how an inconsequential little band such as The Tea Time Club could make the slightest difference but dear Millicent we have to start somewhere don't we? So we have decided to start …with you!

Keep your strength up, you are going to need it. I better dash and plait my cloves.

Best wishes

Honeysuckle Harebell

X

p.s. Wear something light.

P.p.s. Still no sign of the Cat I’m afraid, but the Crow is now on the mend.

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