Little Egypt are ever-tolerant of the more verbose among us, ever-willing to have a go, ever-inventive in their use of ceremony and ever-welcoming to newcomers.
This is just as well really, because the Christmas Dinner inevitably involves all four elements.
(i) His Squireishness, Neville Parry, uses the occasion to deliver his Annual, State of the Side Speech - "State" because that's what Nunu is normally in by half-eight, and "Annual" because it seems to go on for years.
(ii) Would-be, want-to-be Watersons, Rusbies and Priors-Kemp are given full rein to exploit the full extent of their musical talents.
(iii) Each year, the entry level required for admission to the ranks of MMLE seems, according to the "Daily Torygraph", to be being lowered, but we heartily deny this, pointing to the excellence of our new recruits
and
(iv) We prove that last point further by the public demonstration of our admission test (or, in the case of Tommo and Trevor, emission test).
Neville Makes A Speech
And, as always, the assembled company, hung on his every word.
Particular applause was reserved for the arrival of greetings to the assembled MMLE, from Olaf and Turid, in Oslo.
This year's vocal, nay musical, no, right first time, vocal entertainment, was initiated by Andrew "Biggles" Wilkinson.
Determined to impress such a captive audience, Biggles launched into a rendition of "Swing Low Sweet Chariot".
Long before Clive Woodward's publicity machine got hold of it, this song was beloved of every Rugby Club (particularly the Fourth XV) in Britain.
Biggles demonstrated the song With Actions; it is not recorded whether this included the time-honoured verse
"With Actions ONLY".
If it didn't, I can teach him.
Tommo was not entirely amused, as the only Rock-God in Glemsford (apart from Trevor), at being upstaged like this
but he got his own back by joining in a storming performance of "All Around My Hat"
along with Julie, Ruth and Bagman Brian.
Onwards towards (parentally advisory) Initiation Ceremonies and other trivia