Rehearsals started in earnest this week for The Memory of Water, our May production remember? They had a very successful read-through on Monday at the Church Hall, and off they go into full blown rehearsals that will result no doubt into another winner in the Spring. Further news as it breaks.

Auditions for our ODN Festival entry of Kill Jill also took place and the cast list has been announced and the first rehearsal takes place on Tuesday, so there we are two productions in full rehearsal-impressive eh?

Now far be it from me to comment on the fact that two inches of snow and the country comes to a halt, but good grief what have we come to? I suppose it’s the ogre of ‘elf and safety ‘ that’s turn us into a shadow of our former nation but ‘When I were a lad’ I can never remember having one day off school due to the weather. Oh well I’ll shut up on that one I think.

Other than embarking on the nursery slopes of rehearsing a couple of new plays there is little to report on the old drama front. The divine Emily is preparing to get married later this month. A full detailed blog of the nuptials will be forthcoming, as I’ve beaten Hello magazine to the publication rights. Stay tuned folks.

What else? No drama social events on the cards,’cept Emily’s wedding so nothing to report there either. The disappointment of the food at the annual dinner is sliding into history and no doubt a new venue for next year will be considered.

Back to the weather. Six of us did go for a walk the other day across the bleak and frozen expanse of the nearby fields. That was very enjoyable but not as enjoyable as the mulled wine and hot nibbles kindly provided by two of the members of the Kingston Bagpuize Arctic Ramblers Association. Thanks guys.

So as we all sit and wait for the snow to go I’ll tell the short educational tale concerning a certain part of the US.

This may come as a surprise to those of you who know Las Vegas, but there are more churches there than casinos.

Not surprisingly some worshippers at Sunday services will give casino chips when the plate is passed rather than cash.

Since they get the chips from many different casinos, the churches have devised a method to collect the offerings.

The churches send all the collected chips to a nearby Franciscan Monastery for sorting and then the chips are taken to the casinos of origin and cashed in.

This is done by the Chip Monks.