The Night Journey

It wasn't the usual troublemakers disturbing the good residents of Swanvale Halt yesterday evening, but their parson. Going out to visit Valerie and Craig who are getting married at the church later this year, I not only managed to go to the wrong street and knock on the wrong door, but while going up an alleyway that allowed me to approach the church from the south side and to check whether there was anyone hanging around in the churchyard, I set off a whole pack of dogs, it seemed. 'Shut up, there's no one there!' shouted a voice to at least one of the agitated canines. But there was.

Valerie and Craig have decided to marry after being together for quite a while, and have daughter Jade and twin boys. I was late getting to their house, but Jade was waiting up to hand me an envelope of cash. Her school had asked pupils to do something for a local charity and she had decided to bake cakes and biscuits for sale in aid of the church. £30 represents a lot of work for a seven-year-old. I will retain the envelope and put it in the files, as a holy relic of the kindness of children.