A Fenlander's Diary

CHRISTMAS news from Sue Ryder Care concerns a unique recording of a carol which has been given "an unmistakable country music twist".

The band Turner West has recorded its own version of Hark the Herald Angels Sing "creating a fusion of the traditional Christmas message and the fiddle, banjo and 'gee-tar' sound of country", says Sue Ryder.

Ouch.

Band member Phil Rynhart says: "If we can replace Santa hats with stetsons on the dance floor this Christmas, it would be fabulous."

Dream on, Phil.

But don't worry. It's all in a good cause. The band will donate 25p to Sue Ryder Care every time the song is downloaded from iTunes, from November 15.

REPORTS that international supermodel and actress Liz Hurley, pictured, and companion were staying at the Elme Hall Hotel at Wisbech over the weekend have not been denied by hotel bosses.

"We cannot confirm the names of our guests to the public", said a spokesman, who added: "We regularly have various celebrities and political figures staying with us."

VISITORS to the newly-refurbished Exchange pub on March Market Place have fallen in love with the furniture - if the actions of a group of young men are anything to go by.

For when they paid a visit to the newly-refurbished pub they asked for asked for beer mats... so they didn't scratch the new tables.

"I couldn't believe it," pub owner Resh Verma told one of Brakespeare's sidekicks.

NOT everyone, it seems, is comfortable with members of March Town Council wearing their new gowns at the town's official wreath-laying ceremony on Sunday, November 11.

One pensioner, who has asked not to be named, says he understands one March councillor to have said that wearing the robes would "save them from looking like the poor relations".

And he wonders, as they stand before the unknown soldier, if they will be thinking about the "poor" men who fought in soaking wet clothes in the First World War trenches and all the others who gave their lives, without wondering what they looked like.

Whether any of our councillors actually made that remark or not must be a matter for conjecture. However, Brakespeare acknowledges that our pensioner friend does raise a valid point - not so much about the councillors' robes, but about the importance of thinking about the significance of Remembrance Day and not treating it as just another annual civic occasion.

And that goes for us all, not just our civic leaders.

THE British Red Cross Shop in Wisbech can see a really good way to raise funds.

On Wednesday November 21 the shop will hold a clairvoyance evening with Christine Mir at Leverington village hall, starting at 7pm.

Nationally the British Red Cross hopes to raise one million pounds between November 26 and December 9. Surely if it's hiring clairvoyants it should really know by now if this is possible.

IT'S never too early to start planning for Christmas. You'd better get moving if you want to participate in St Peter's March Christmas Tree Festival, though, because written entries have to be returned by November 17.

While most of us throw a few baubles and strings of tinsel on our trees during Christmas Eve, festival decorators will be putting a lot more effort into their designs this year, which is a far cry from the Brakespeare way -- taking an already decorated fake tree from its box and stick it on a table next to the nearest electricity socket.

The festival takes place on December 7-9 and is becoming increasingly popular in the town.

Last year there were more than 60 trees on show decorated by individuals, groups, organisations and businesses.

BRAKESPEARE thought he had solved the problem of getting that little bit extra work from his office colleagues. A Christmas evening with Natasha Marsh at Ely Cathedral on December 15 advertised a 25-hour ticket line.

Latest rumour is that he has booked his ticket in a bid to extend the day for that extra hour.