Sol and Ruby at Christmas 18

The house was getting quite full now. Minimeep, Little Bun and the Squirrel got there that evening. The staring contest continued, even though the hedgehogs had given up long ago, Minimeep was telling Nerys all about school. The squirrel had installed his climbing gear and found the nuts, so all was just about all right with the world.

Sol and Ruby at Christmas 14

Munch and Nerys were put on cleaning duty. They were not exactly naturals at it, but they did their best as they were sorry to see Ruby so upset.

Sol and Ruby at Christmas 9

Sol had found a lovely dead branch to use as a tree. The old Christmas decorations came down from the loft, and all was well with the world, until....

Sol and Ruby at Christmas 8

Sol had a sudden brainwave! A Polytunnel ! Ruby would love that on the allotment. She could grow all sorts of nice things in there. Yup! Thats what he'd get her ! He was already thinking of all the nice dinners they could have from it, yum !

Sol and Ruby at Christmas 7

Sol went back to his shed with a restorative cup of tea and some biscuits after his little yoga adventure. Oh no ! The Limpopo courier was coming up the garden with a huge parcel. Sol ducked when he realised he was wearing a pair of Ruby's pyjamas. 

Sol and Ruby's Christmas 4

Ruby had been knitting solidly day and night now for three days and had nearly finished when she ran out of wool. It was a good job Sol noticed and brought in their neighbour Lawrence Lamb. Lawrence was slightly reluctant, as you might imagine.  She'd left him with almost no wool last year, and he had had to wear one of her jumpers all winter, but there was only half a scarf to finish so it wasn't too bad. 

Sol and Ruby at Christmas 2

When Sol saw Ruby come in from the garden all in a flap, he knew he was in trouble. He tried to hide behind his newspaper but when he heard the word Christmas he started to worry. It would all be over in a few weeks he thought to himself, and sighed. 

Sol and Ruby at Christmas

It was a lovely breezy day in Lesser Foxton upon the Sea. Ruby was out hanging the washing and happily humming a little tune to herself when she stopped in her tracks. Her heart skipped a beat, she dropped all her pegs and she started feeling quite panicky. It was December, again. That meant Christmas....aaarrrggghhh!

Not so secret story 4

Here's lady Xinthia Audrey Carmichael Mc.Spot, Spotty's mum. She's wearing a natty little twin set from the supermarket, her best wellies from the pound shop and a hat she made out of a paper plate and some artificial flowers. She's not one for spending her money on anything other than her dogs and horses...

Not so secret story 1

Stripey's dad, Sol, is very pleased to still be able to fit into his festival clothes from the 1970s. Perfect for this kind of occasion...

Secret story 10

The Mice had found Meep's secret stash of old fairground bunting to make their outfits, and as you can see they are very proud of them. Stripey's great Aunt knitted the jumpers for the boys, on sewing pins, very tricky...

Secret story 8

Horace and Harrisson decided against clothes and opted for bagpipes instead. They didn't know how to play them but blew enthusiastically into them and squeezed the bags...fortunately hedgehog pipes are very small, really the only ones who could properly appreciate them were the mice, and they all had noise cancelling earphones.

Secret Story 6

All in all, apart from the fact she couldn't find shoes in her size, Maureen O'Hare is quite pleased with her outfit. Henry however, is not. He's desperately hoping none of his school friends can see him in his girly green velvet suit.

Underwater Adventures 14

Here's the whole scene...it's so busy under there !

The Spotty Houshold

Day 99

The invention of the telephone was a wonderful thing. The first models allowed one to shout at each other from the next room without opening the door. 

Day 98

The first typewriters were unwieldy beasts, designed to type only 'short paw', as hitting the keys accurately with a large mallet was difficult to master. 

Day 97

The whole Pre Raphaelite movement can be blamed on their disdain for corsets, and bare furniture legs. Although some found their wafting through the world insufferable, soon more and more foxes abandoned restrictive underwear, heralding the modern age. 

Day 96

Young Lady Grace Fitzroy de Montesquieu was so shocked by seeing a bare chair leg at the Great Exhibition that she got through ten packets of smelling salts and took to her bed for a week before she dared emerge back into the drawing room. 

Day 95

When she came back to Spottyland, Florence loved going out of an evening dispensing foul tasting medicinal gloop to the local urchins. It isn't clear what the urchins thought about this but the phrase "'ere comes the gloop lady!" became synonymous with "run for your life!"