Very merry (HULL OR HIGH WATER concludes)
Another chapter comes to an end, and I am declaring it possibly my best Solver to date. Next up: CHRISTMAS SPECIAL, of course beginning in April, I know how to time these things just right. When you see the parade of pals returning for this glorious celebration of all things Saturnalian I am sure you will forgive my appalling time-keeping.
I love this cliffhanger.
Controversial opinion: crossing your fingers behind your back is a valid way of extricating oneself from a pinky swear.
As a kiwi, G*&%# will miss being down at the beach getting sunburnt and generally avoiding warm fires and woolen clothing
Although the intensive barrage during his childhood of Christmas media from the Northern hemisphere based on snow and Winter-related activity will have helped prepare him
A friend of mine in Melbourne once called me on Christmas Eve (there.) Said he was waiting for it to cool down below 40° before riding his motorcycle over to see his Mum. I did a little mental calculation and realized he wasn’t talking Fahrenheit. (40° F is fairly common here on a Christmas eve.)
“Tackleford? No, nothing exciting or unusual has EVER happened in Tackleford.”
They better pray that this Christmas will be enjoyed off-panel
It’s the most relaxing town in the UK. Perfect for enjoying the quiet, the warm and the joy of Christmas.
The new tourism board slogan- “Tackleford; at least it’s not Tredregyn.”
Festive!
Reading these makes me want to dash to the window like Scrooge, so I can peer down for a likely urchin and yell “You there! What day is it?” And when they tell me it’s April 23rd I can say “So it’s not too late!” and then start throwing pecans at them til they go away.
That’s nuts!
My 5-year-old is currently oddly obsessed with the Animaniacs episode that spoofs this. So I can’t help but read that in Plotts’ voice.
I see a brunette mustachioed gentleman and my antennae go up…
Hmm. You think that might be a Graham pram?
He looks a bit like McGraw, except with more hair and less moustache.
Christmas in Tackleford is a gamble. It could be perfectly nice, or it could be something that makes Scrooge’s experiences in ‘A Christmas Carol’ seem nice and restful.
Tackleford’s version of a Christmas Carol is probably more like ‘A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong’ done by The Cornley Amateur Drama Society
Well at the very least it’s not Christmas in Tredregyn. In Tackleford, chances thst it’s the latter are about 50% while in Tredregyn, I’d say it’s more like 80%.
NOPE NOTHING SUPERNATURAL GOING ON IN TACKLE-FORD
NO MA’AM NEVER
This has been a wonderful story, start to finish.
I can’t help wondering about Claire in that last panel- is she just crossing her fingers to cover herself, in case there’s an unexpected life-changing event, or is there a life-changing event she’s actively planning to spring on our hapless Kiwi?
I believe he is lacking in not just hap, but also gorm
Gorm can’t be gormless! That’s a paradox!
Oh, wait, that’s why he fit in so well in Tackleford.
I’m pretty sure Gallon already knows the NFT. Claire certainly does. A stay in Tackleford with no life-changing events is, itself, a life-changing event. Conclusion: Claire is crossing her fingers to evade the liar paradox.
National Film Theatre or Non-Fungible Token?
Normal For Tackleford.
Why not both? Can’t wait to see how her parents will react to her important friend Glenn. Expecially because they could be the ones hosting him.
I suspect that she might be hoping for a life-changing event to whit her finally telling Glen of her feelings for him.
Dang, Claire’s hat bobble is HUGE.
Now, now. Size doesn’t matter!
Unless you’re putting up wallpaper…
Claire’s gloves with the cord! Squee!
And Claire always insists she’s NOT CUTE!
Oh hohoho…What’s with the crossed fingers Clairey? Is that that a hope for no life changing events…Or maybe just one?
Lovely cliffhanger to a fun story. I’m personally hoping that no enormous holiday-themed bell or other boogin crashes the party, but it might be that this last chapter has used up all the “chill” and now we’re in for a classic Tackleford Problem™.
These three closing chapters of volume two are “of a piece” tonally.
This’ll be the first time Tackleford’s been a major focus of a story since Circus Windows, as its subsequent appearances were just to set up a character for a new adventure elsewhere.
Nothing stopping that from happening here. They start in Tackleford and somehow end up in Trederegeregerygyn.
Looking forward to seeing Desmond as Father Christmas!
I still see houses that have their Christmas lights out, so I’m pretty sure that makes the upcoming story adequately timely.
Yep, no possibility of life-changing events for Glenn. He’s not going to the city with the highest concentration of weirdness in the UK and he’s not about to be hosted in the house of who might become his future in-laws. With these premises, it’s refreshing to see how McGraw is still a practical guy and uses an old stroller to carry groceries.
A very neat inversion of Ed Gemmell staying with Nina’s folks down under, when you put it like that. Who will fare the better?
Oh, now, Tackleford might have changed since Lottie and Claire departed. It might have changed BECAUSE Lottie and Claire had departed. But probably not. 😉
Well I mean Shelley moved back years ago so at least some weirdness has returned to Tackleford. Probably the worst case scenario would be if Tim Jones returns.
Tim is dead, so a return is unlikely.
Yes, I know death didn’t exactly stop either of the Winters, but
GodI mean John has his favourites.How/When did Tim die?
John killed him offscreen, and only told us in a comment.
I may be wrong, but I thought Shelley had moved away from Tackleford again, though I can’t remember where to.
No, she lives there still.
Does Esther still live at Shelley’s London house?
I don’t remember this at all, Luke!
I’m sure Takleford’s levels of weirdness has even increased since Rev. Penrose moved in it.
Schrödinger’s Borough.
Oh hey new page! I always get confused by the end of stories.
Is that the original “Murder She Writes” in the queue after the next story?
JA is taking a sabbatical and that rerun sequence will include new commentary, as per Patreon.
I know it’s a coincidence, but that first panel looks identical to a very specific spot on Brighton seafront.
I don’t expect anyone to do anything with this data, I just wanted to get it out of my brain.