A quiet hush pervades the evening at our seaside B&B. With the lounge to ourselves, we can't even be sure if anyone else is in residence. We are enjoying our holiday books when at 8.55 prompt, in walks another couple, almost furtively. Do we mind very much if they switch on for the news?
The etiquette handbook would say it is as rude to walk out as to say 'Yes, we do'. We accepted the inevitable, not before exchanging pleasantries in the few moments left for conversation. It took about 90 seconds to discover that our new acquaintances were Baptists; you can usually tell. We agreed to talk more after The Weather.
By some means, I know not how, the conversation moved on to hymns. 'We go in more for songs', they said. 'Those old hymns are so hard to understand. All about hobgoblins! And what was that we had last week - All the sons of want are blessed? What is that supposed to mean?'
