Page 20 of Christmas at the Little Cornish Bakery
As Lola made her way up to the church she could see that the Festive Festival was proving to be a success.
Carol singers were standing on the harbour front singing.
What they lacked in talent they made up for with enthusiasm and they had attracted a small audience.
Children bundled up against the cold and wearing an assortment of Christmas hats ran around on the beach and people were pausing to admire the lobster pot tree.
Lola pushed open the door to the church and gasped with surprise at the sight that greeted her.
Inside, the church twinkled like a grotto with all the tree lights switched on and gentle carols were playing on an old CD player.
There had been a performance from the primary school and locals hovered around the refreshment table, where Lola deposited the boxes of mince pies to a very grateful-looking Jan and Sue.
‘So far so good,’ Sue said as she opened one of the boxes.
‘Do either of you need a break or a hand?’ Lola asked.
Both women shook their heads, ‘No, Cathy’s going to come in a bit,’ Jan said. ‘You’ve been working in the café so go and have five minutes and look at the trees, some of them are lovely.’
Lola glanced around, finding the way the church glittered magical.
Wondering where to start, she noticed people were gathered around the gratitude tree reading the cards and adding their own thoughts to the branches.
A surprised smile spread across her face.
Although she’d suggested the idea to Tristan, Lola had no idea he’d actually decided to set it up.
Heading to the tree, she began to read the messages.
Some brought tears to her eyes, but then Alf’s made her chuckle.
She glanced around, trying to find him and spotted Steve sitting in Santa’s grotto, dressed in a rather threadbare Santa outfit, handing out small gifts to the local children and listening to their earnest little wishes.
Even Scruff was in on the action, wearing a set of antlers with a level of obedience Lola would never have imagined he possessed.
Alf was sitting outside the grotto, an elf hat on his head.
‘Think I’m a bit old to be an elf,’ he grumbled when Lola took him a mince pie, ‘but it was the only way to get a seat for the duration, plus, I’m looking after the reindeer.
’ He slipped Scruff a bit of pie crust. ‘Tristan’s done a good job, but he did tell me that tree of hope, or gratitude, was your idea.
Everyone has been writing something down. ’
‘Thanks for mentioning on yours that you’re grateful for my baking.’
‘Well, I am! Been a long time since I had a scone that good, reminded me a bit of the ones my mum used to make. Aggie, the previous owner, tried her best, but bought in scones could never be up to your standards.’
Lola was very tempted to blurt out that maybe they tasted like the ones his mum had made because quite possibly it was his mum Ruby had got the recipe from. Instead, she dropped a kiss on Alf’s head. ‘Always my biggest fan, but I think I better go and circulate. Find Tristan.’
‘When you circle back this way you couldn’t bring me another pie and a cuppa, could you?’
‘Of course.’
Lola made her way around the church, stopping to admire each tree.
The one from the primary school was adorned with salt dough candy canes, all painted in a variety of lurid colours by enthusiastic children.
The Women’s Institute had chosen white and silver, producing an elegant tree, but the effect was rather spoiled by it being next to the pub tree.
Steve had clearly run out of inspiration and had hole-punched several beer mats and attached them alongside some precarious-looking fairy lights.
Various other clubs had made a good show of their trees but the gratitude tree had the most people buzzing about it.
‘Think that’s been a success, don’t you?’ Tristan sidled up to her.
Lola turned at the sound of his voice. ‘Yes, it has been. I didn’t realise you’d actually implemented my idea. Alf’s admitted to being grateful for my baking.’
Tristan chuckled. ‘He’s not the only one, and not just your baking either.
The tree was very inspired, Lola, the perfect suggestion.
I wanted it to be a bit of a surprise.’ Their eyes met and Tristan faltered.
‘When I came to Polcarrow I wasn’t expecting much, OK, maybe the usual villagers who are stuck in their ways, the odd few who want to modernise.
The sort of teething problems any new vicar might have.
I admit I was expecting Polcarrow to be a stopgap on the way to wherever else I was called, but I’ve fallen in love with the place and all the unexpected things that have come in this year. ’
Lola smiled up at him, warmth spreading through her at how his sentiments mirrored her own.
They glanced around at the mural, which was partly obscured by the gratitude tree but still garnered a lot of attention.
Lola anticipated Angelo’s next big reveal and despite Freya’s apprehension, knew it would be a treat.
‘Yes, it has all been a bit unexpected, but the best things usually are,’ Lola eventually said.
‘I’m glad Sue is determined to put the village on the map; it’d be a shame if the likes of Cathy allowed it to fade away.
I understand the need to preserve the traditional, but we have something here people want as well.
I do hope the press turn up and make Sue’s dream of Polcarrow stardom come true.
She’s worked so hard on this and the Fisherman’s Fair. ’
Tristan agreed. ‘I’m going to encourage people to continue to add to the gratitude tree.’ He paused before asking, ‘I know church isn’t really your thing, but I would very much like it if you came along to the carol service we’ll be holding later this month.’
Lola glanced up, her eyes meeting with Tristan’s. He gazed down at her, full of affection and she couldn’t help but smile. ‘Of course, I’ll be there, although you might regret it when you actually hear me sing.’
Tristan laughed. ‘So there is an end to your many talents? I don’t think I believe it.’
‘You’re only saying that to make me prove it to you, which is a slightly underhand way to get me to come along to the service. I better go and take Alf another mince pie and a cup of tea. Are you heading to the pub after the lobster pot tree unveiling?’
‘If you’re there then I wouldn’t miss it for the world,’ he said, making Lola’s heart skip a beat.