‘I can turn my hand to most things,’ Mr Patterson told me, ‘but baking isn’t my strong point and I still haven’t got a clue about the craft project. Each child has to make something unique to them so the parents will be keen to buy it, but I seem to have run out of ideas and Mrs Newton has been so busy she hasn’t had a chance to give it much thought.’

The poor man looked frazzled and I quickly scanned the sheet on the staffroom wall to get an idea of what each of the other classes were doing.

‘No one’s put down stained glass biscuits.’ I noticed. They had been a firm favourite when I was at school. ‘They’re ever so easy to make. Each child could make three or four and we could bag them up and name them so the parents would get roped in to buying those as well as the craft item.’

Mr Patterson grabbed a pen and quickly scribbled the suggestion in the gap next to Dragonfly class.

‘You better call me Paul,’ he smiled, looking happier already.

‘All right, Paul,’ I smiled back. ‘How about, before I go home with Dolly, I have a quick look at some simple Christmas tree decorations online? I can’t do it at the cottage because Dolly doesn’t have Wi-Fi and I still haven’t found a reliable phone signal hotspot.’

Given the look of relief on his face you could have been forgiven for thinking that his Christmas had come early.

‘That would be wonderful,’ he sighed. ‘I’m also the music teacher,’ he added, no doubt feeling the need to justify the fact that things had been left a little late, ‘so as well as organising my own class, I’m responsible for the carol concert at the church and some of the music for the school performance.’

I wasn’t at all surprised it was all a bit much and I was already feeling pleased that Rose and Dolly had coerced me into helping out.

‘Well,’ I told him, ‘don’t worry about things for the fair. I’m sure I can pick up what we need in town before I come in tomorrow and then we could make a start first thing in the morning.’

‘Brilliant,’ he said, pushing his glasses back into place, ‘absolutely brilliant.’

*

Dolly was delighted that I had been officially teamed with Paul Patterson and loved the tree decorations I had come up with.

‘What a clever idea, including each child’s photo,’ she nodded, when I showed her the sheets of instructions I had printed off. ‘The parents won’t be able to resist these.’

‘I hope not.’

‘You’re a clever girl, Hattie.’ She told me. ‘A natural at this sort of thing.’