The Brass Band Competition

            Ferdy pulled Phoebles away from the food table, just as he was starting on his third mooncake.

            “But I’m in the middle of… Do those pink things look like prawn cocktails to you? I’m very fond of prawns.”

            Outside, a stretch of lawn had been cleared, and groups of bandsmen were polishing their instruments, shaking out the accumulated spittle and setting up music stands. Each Brass Band was similarly uniformed, somewhat like bus-conductors, with peaked caps, but distinguished by colour. There were mills’ bands in maroon or navy, miners’ bands in scarlet, charcoal or green, and a Sergeant Pepper tribute in shimmering pink, yellow, sky-blue and crimson satin.

            The SPZ and Brick Lane Zapatista Massed Marching Mariachi were on the brink of being disqualified for not being Traditional and were being defended vociferously by The Megadeath Morris, already barred on account of not remotely resembling a brass anything. The resultant loud squabbling had drawn a crowd. Eventually it was agreed that the trumpet section from the Massed Mariachi along with a small contingent of buglers from the West Surrey Mounted Makhnovchina could compete, but there were to be strictly no guitarrón mexicano or fiddles.

            Unseen behind one of the moot hall’s open windows, and with his back to it so that he would not be influenced or prejudiced by any prior knowledge regarding the contestants, the competition adjudicator sat waiting to pass judgement on each performance. The order of play was determined by the drawing of lots from a venerated cloth cap, donated by Keir Hardie himself in times gone by – and, after much fumbling and faffing, the competition was under way.

            By the third rendition of Mull of Kintyre Phoebles was becoming fidgety and Boz had dozed off. He woke with a start as the Zapatista Mariachi launched into The Birdie Song. Their chances of winning were looking slim, but Snowdrop was wolf whistling and shouting “Encore!” While he slept they had been joined by Anna and Bui. Aunty Stella was there too, having changed from her Subcommondante’s uniform into denim jeans and a salmon-red and black bee-striped fuzzy jumper. She had Googleberry with her and he had acquired a large Italian ice-cream cone.

            “Some foreign chap with a black eye was giving them away before they melted, from a Galatia tricycle with a bent wheel and defunct freezer. Looked like it’d been blown apart by a minor explosion.”

            As the competition results were announced over the Tannoy system there was loud applause from the crowd, and some grumbling from the competitors.

            “Look. Over there.” Ferdy had spotted Barrymore striding jauntily towards them across the green. She was beckoning furiously for them all to meet her half way.

            “Larry wants every one out front of the main stage as soon as you’re finished here. Who won?”

            Phoebles shrugged, “That bunch with the tubas and trombones and stuff, I think. Or that other lot with trumpets and French horns and a drum. Or maybe…”

            “Never mind.”

            Behind them a fight had broken out. Two bandleaders were at war over the competition trophy, grasping a handle each and tugging in opposite directions. More and more bandsmen joined in, swinging their instruments like halberds. 
            "Jocks awaaah!"
            There was a sudden surge as a wave of screaming Reivers and wildcats plunged into the fray. And then, scattering combatants in all directions, Rotskagg Blenkinsopp was in the midst with an ululating Dark Flo balanced precariously on his shoulders.

            “Someone is going to get hurt,’ said Barrymore. As Boz and Co watched the spreading mayhem the Ranters moved in.

            “Peace and love, man.”

            “Group hug.”

            “Karma.”

            Ducking fists the Ranter men folk distributed flowers and spliffs. Girls, wriggling in between the grappling factions, handing out catnip mooncakes and kisses, began to calm the situation. As the violence subsided Rotskagg and Flo emerged from the crowd.

            “Well that ended a bit disappointingly,” she said to Boz, “Blenkinsopp and I barely got started. Who are those hippie kill-joys?”

             Barrymore resumed, “Larry. Main stage. All of you. Don’t hang about too long. Oh, and Mr Boz, Larry says someone has to pay for that airship he lent you. Have any of you seen Slasher McGoogs. The acting PM would like a word with him too.”

            Googleberry started to whistle innocently, which is not easy with a mouth full of ice-cream.

           “Not really his kind of scene, this,” said Boz, “Doubt we’ll see anything of him today.” He tried to put a conspiratorial arm upon Barrymore’s shoulder, but couldn’t quite reach that high. “Erm… About that airship…” he almost whispered.

Aunty Stella’s Tale

“That was a fine haggis supper, Catriona, you excelled yourself.   Are we all here, has anyone seen Slasher McGoogs?”

            “He took off after Black Douglass, through the rhododendrons.”

            “OK.   So, where shall I begin?   Googleberry had been away visiting rich relatives in Derbyshire, again.   He’d been gone a few days when I received a text from him:

OMG A STLLA ∑:>{+’ LDY C’S FNCY DRSS BBQ WSHD OUT COS GUSTING WND SWPT FOUNTAIN OVER PATIO! SOCIAL BUMMER = LHK 4EAE  GOOGLEBERRY XX = PS LDY C SEZ 2 TELL U LES YT CTS MOBILIZING = LLAP ∑:o3 LOL WUSS *

…closely followed by this Basildon Bond gilt edged letter, delivered to my door by a uniformed dispatch rider on a Brough Superior:

…Obviously urgent and not much leeway for discussion.   I only hoped someone along the way would have the where-and-when missing from Larry’s redacted letter.    I scrawled a quick note to the family, Lasagna in the fridge, PE kit in airing cupboard, that sort of thing, and left it on the kitchen table.   Then Strawberry and I chucked our tooth brushes, clean knickers and a spare pullover each into overnight bags, fired up the Blue Chevy and hit the high road bound for the Dales.

            That Chevy needs some work on it.   The engine’s clapped out, the seats are incredibly uncomfortable and it is a long haul from home into the upper reaches of Derbyshire.   By the time we made the A6 I had progressed from aching all over to being numb from the neck down.   Strawberry announced that he was getting rather stiff too.   So we parked up in Cromford and visited the local bookshop for soup and builders’ tea.   It has a world renowned Vegan café on the top floor.   Vegan soup is not generally regarded as palatable since the flora and fauna on Vega is invariably slimy and tentacly.   This facsimile vegan soup, however, was made with nettles and mushrooms and things picked from local hedgerows and was barely slimy at all, with virtually no tentacles.   It was delicious.

            ‘That girl behind the counter, the one with the rasta hair and sandals that gave us the long stare; she got on the phone to someone soon as she’d served us,’ observed Strawberry.

            ‘I’ve had a tingly feeling for a while, like we’re being watched,’ I replied, ‘Drink up and we’ll crack on.’

            Halfway down the stairs we met a middle-aged lady coming up.   We stepped back into a room, labelled SATIRE & SURREALIST FICTION, to allow her to pass and were immediately grabbed from behind.   Sacks were pulled over our heads; we were bundled out into the street and into the back of some sort of van.  

            When the sacks were removed I found that I was sitting on a hard wooden chair, nose to nose with an inquisitive lurcher.  

            ‘Let them be, Spike, they may be friendlies.’

            We were in a dimly lit barroom surrounded by ruffians in ski masks.   One of them rose after sstudying my face and took off her balaclava.  

            ‘It’s OK, it really is them.   I’ve met them before,’ said Snowdrop.   ‘Sorry about the rough treatment, Les Chats are watching the roads north of Matlock and we had to grab you quick.   It’s important no-one knows you’re here.’

            ‘They may know already,’ said Strawberry, ‘the girl in the café rang someone.’

            ‘She’s one of ours.   That was our signal to move in.’

            The door burst open and in walked a chattering group of hikers.

            ‘No coach parties,’ snapped the tall, dishevelled landlord, from behind his row of beer engines.

            ‘But…’

            ‘We’re closed.   What do you think this is, a pub?’               The hikers left, disappointed.

            ‘Isn’t it a pub?’ I asked.

            ‘Yes,’ replied Snowdrop, ‘but not always welcoming to strangers.   Makes for a perfect hide-out.’

            ‘So, what now,’ said Strawberry.

            ‘Manchester, but first we need a willing volunteer to wear the Subcomandante Everyman costume,’ she was talking to Strawberry, but looking at me, ‘and you, Strawberry, are a bit on the short side.   Come on Aunty Stella, it’s not as if you’d really be in charge or anything.’

I didn’t exactly feel inconspicuous travelling through Manchester astride the tallest grey I’d ever seen, its bells and harness jangling loudly.   I was disguised behind a black knitted balaclava and kitted out in white jodhpurs, four ply woollen submariner’s telnyashka, a silver-grey hussar’s jacket trimmed in reddish brown fur and an excess of gold frogging, black patent leather boots to above the knee and topping the ensemble, a tall, French Marines’ shako, with a Burgundy plume.   All around me were the Zapatista cavalry.   There was a bronze painted 1952 Ford F1 van support vehicle, Strawberry driving the blue Chevy with red and black flags all over it, and Snowdrop’s tachanka bringing up the rear.   My standard bearer trotted up alongside me, the black banner with its skull and cross bones fluttering in the bighting, early morning wind.   Her eyes smiled through the slits in her ski mask.

            ‘What’s your name?’ I asked.

            ‘Eunice Aphroditois, after the Mongolian Death Worm.   Neat innit?   Take the next left; we’ll enter Piccadilly Station through the goods yards.   No point attracting too much attention.’

            When we reached the railway and eventually found our remote and rarely used platform, Larry had done us proud.   There stood a majestic, streamlined Mallard locomotive with a string of horse-box cars, one still had BERTRAM MILLS’ CIRCUS painted on its doors, a flat bed for the vehicles, two LC&DR third class carriages with varnished coachwork, a Pullman ‘Kitchen Parlour’ Car and a pillbox break van.   Strawberry demanded to ride in the break van and no one was going to dissuade me from travelling at least some of the journey on the engine’s footplate.

            Enticing the horses into the boxcars and loading the flat bed took some time but eventually we were ready for the off.

            ‘You’ll not be about to shovel coal in that outfit,’ said the engine driver as I clambered into the cab and eagerly eyed the array of pipes, valves and levers, ‘best sit back and enjoy the ride.   We’ll be shifting at a rate of knots once she gets the bit between her teeth.’

            Two hours later we parked up in the sidings in Carlisle and Strawberry and I left Snowdrop to supervise the unloading whilst two Zapatistas guided us down Lowther Street to our rendezvous at the Howard Arms.   The lounge was packed.   Wildcat Moss Trooper Commanders had stacked their tin hats by the door and lodged weaponry behind the bar, a gathering of minor clan chiefs was clustered around a cast iron radiator and representatives from several Border Reiver families sat around a table already cluttered with half downed sleevers of 70/-.             ‘Ahaah!’   We were greeted warmly on our arrival.   ‘Sit yer sells down and we’ll get to talking.   Pints of heavy all round.’

            We sat, and a huddle formed around the table.

            ‘Ye have here the cream of the faithful and we’ll pick up a few more before this evening.   We’ve lost a few families to the dark side, but not so many.   Have another pint.   We’ll be away north of the wall soon as your gang is ready.   May even liberate a few coos on the trip to Gilnockie Tower.’   And so we did.

            The rest of the story you know, we apparently arrived in the nick of time.   Shame about the airship.   Has anyone put the kettle on?”

* Translation for those unfamiliar with Googleberry’s version of text speak:

‘Oh My God, Aunty Stella, catastrophe, Lady C’s fancy dress barbecue washed out because gusting winds swept fountain over patio!   Social bummer.   Love, Hugs and Kisses for Ever and Ever, Googleberry, Kiss, Kiss.   P.S. Lady C says to tell you Les White Cats mobilising.   Live Long And Prosper.   Smiley face.   Laughs Out Loud With Unintentional Snort Sound.’ 

Aunty Stella’s House

Ferdinand Desai was having tea with Strawberry.   It was a long time since he had been home and they were out in the garden, even though it was turning a little chilly.   In the kitchen they could still hear Aunty Stella preparing cream scones.   She seemed to have been at it for hours despite the best efforts of Mouse to lend assistance.   The tubby little cat had been mixing the ingredients with a relatively clean paw and her tabby coat was hidden under a fine covering of greyish flour.

            The rest was doing Ferdy good – sure, he still had that distracting tick below his left eye, and his stubby wing shook when he tried to handle the large stoneware teapot, but he was a lot better than when he first arrived.   For three days all the pent up tension that he had kept suppressed, nurtured to enhance his combat awareness, came out and all but paralysed him.   The days had been hell and the nights far worse.  

            Now he was on the mend.   He had been recounting some of his reasonably exciting, yet not too lurid Coleywar adventures and was getting some funny looks from his old friend.

            “…and now Larry seems to think we’re going to sort out this mess in Antarctica.   Do you know how far it is to Antarctica?”

            They agreed that they did not.

            “Well it’s a long way.”

Ginsbergbear joined them on the patio.   He was wearing a loose fitting and stylishly shabby corduroy suit and was lighting a compact vulcanised meerschaum Peterson pipe.   Aunty Stella and mouse followed him carrying trays with the first batch of warm scones.

            “Are they going to join us?”   Aunty Stella nodded towards the slumped figures of Boz and Phoebles, stretched out on recliners by the pool.   “Tea’s up, you two.”

            There was a stampede for the food and Phoebles had cream all over his nose before the others could get the top off the jam pot.

            “Save some for me.”   A tall figure slunk from the shadows by the wheelie-bins, the mole-grey fedora shadowing a face hidden behind a Lone Ranger mask and the wide striped zoot-suit instantly recognisable to the assembled company.   The yellow MacDuck tartan pashmina scarf was new.

            Ginsbergbear was the first to address him.   “Slasher McGoogs as I live and breathe, and what brings you to leafy Surrey?”

            “You do, your gang and Larry and this whole bloody mess you’ve got yourselves into.   Stir things up a bit I says, and you start a war.  

“I’ve been up north of the wall, amongst the Reivers, gathering intel.   And nothing I’ve heard so far is good.

“Boz, you’re going to have to get hold of Larry and dissuade him from all that Antarctic rubbish.   We need to defuse this powder keg in the Autonomous Northern Territories before there’s the biggest bang since Krakatau.   And we may have to curb the Kittens of Chaos.   They appear to have directed their undoubted if random enthusiasm towards some freelance offensive of their own devising.”

            “Me?   Why don’t you go and see him?” Boz was not in the mood to be taking orders, “I have to admit though, Blackpool does sound more attractive than some snow swept continent in the middle of the Southern Ocean.”

            “Larry and I don’t meet.   You can’t exactly be the shadowy antihero one minute and lunch with the Acting Prime Minister the next.   And it’s not exactly going to be Blackpool, old pal.   I want to introduce you to the Gilnockie of Gilnockie.   See if we can’t get the Reivers back to cattle thieving, rape and vendetta amongst themselves, on their own patch – and something similar for the Corsairs.   There’s a time factor though – rumour has it Les Chats Souterrains are moving a Vril-1 Jäger Class Foo Fighter up there and if any one gang gets their hands on that there’ll be all hell let loose.”

            “No pressure then?   As usual.” chipped in Ferdy, who was developing a disturbing glint to his eyes.   "And the Kittens are raising Cain up there too.   Walk in the park.”

            “The Kittens,” said McGoogs ominously, “are laying siege to Berwick-upon-Tweed.”

No Plan B!

As the fearful five skidded out onto the High Street a cloud of paragliders rose above Mam Tor and swept towards the fleeing heroes.  

“It is Le Régiment Étranger de Chats Parachutists, known colloquially as The Flying Eyebrows; a nick-name deriving from the appearance of the curved, hollow fabric wing of each chute above the eye-like dot of le chat de combat,” explained Boz, hurriedly.   “They side with the Dark Forces, so we might have a bit of a problem.”

The paras swooped down onto the town, landing on their feet running, jettisoning their parachutes and firing their PPSh-41s from the hip.   The carnival crowd scattered with a depressed mumble, a few shrieks or screams, the odd groan and thud, to take shelter, for the most part, in the cellars of local hostelries.   The crunch of the shock troops’ hobnail boots, rattle of their blazing submachine guns and zip zipping of randomly scattering 7.62mm Tokarev rounds terrified our heroes.

“Don’t let me die dressed like this!” cried Slasher, momentarily shedding his customary cool.

“Amen to that.” sympathised Ferdinand.

With lead and splinters ricocheting all around them the fleeing gang dove into the Rose Cottage Tea Rooms.

 “I hear they do an excellent lemon meringue pie,” cried Phoebles excitedly.

They were just putting in an order with a nippy waitress in very short black dress, black stockings, lacy white apron and starched doily perched and pinned to the top of her head when the teashop windows were stove-in by a thunderous barrage of sound.   An intense pressure wave was shattering plate glass along the length of Cross Street.   Outside, the massed Dark Agents of the Merovingian Lizard Kings stopped their advance, clutching at their ears, then fell back and soon were in full retreat.

Down the road from the neighbouring village of Hope, at full throttle, hurtled the legendary Vicecream van, black and menacing.   Its jingle system had been upgraded and a bank of Marshall 350-watt vacuum tube amplifiers was feeding The Kittens of Chaos Mariachi Band’s insanely abandoned live rendition of La Cucaracha into an array of horn woofers and tweeters flanked by twin Megadeath Bass Boomer Geo-Frackers.   Consuella was riding the roof, unplugged on tambourine, and Dark Flo squatted behind the driver, wringing every last decibel out of the sound desk.   The vehicle squealed to a halt half way down the shop lined, devastated high street and the Snake Pass Zapatistas charged past, guiding their mounts with their knees, firing off bursts of 7.62 from their AK47s or accompanying the Kittens of Chaos’ in La Cucaracha on their guitars and singing till their lungs ached.   Riders and chargers alike had their ears plugged with cotton wool, twists of Bronco toilet paper, or solidified and manipulated dairy products.

Snowdrop’s Techanka drew up alongside Phoebles.

“Jump up!” she signed, over the earth-pounding music.   And he swung aboard to man the Maschinengewehr 08, heavy machine gun, its 250-round fabric belt of 7.9mm ammunition snaking wildly.   He, in turn, collared a passing teddy, yanked him into the landau and yelled, “Feed me, Ginsberbear!”

Tac-atac-atac-atac-atac-atac-atac-atac-atac-atac-atac-atac-atac-atac-atac-atac-atac!

Throwing the van door open, Dark Flo sprang onto the street, dressed in full oyster-grey Ninja kit and armed with an 18inch feather duster crowned with pheasant plumage.   She took off after a small cluster of Les Chats Souterrains that looked as if it might rally.

“And what exactly does she intend to do with that?” queried Slasher McGoogs.

“Don’t ask.   The last man to face the feather duster of Dark Flo spent the next eight weeks in a full body cast and still has to suck his sustenance through a straw,” muttered Boz.

Above the retreating Chats the sky-blue and dusty pink, angular dazzle camouflaged, Merovingian Flying Frisbee had doubled back and was moving slowly and systematically towards the partisans, waiting for them to come within range of its death-ray, when it met the full, reverberating force of the 'Wall of Din'©.   It tottered, dropped suddenly, partially recovered in time to avoid hitting the ground and withdrew, spinning erratically.   It also started to glow - an unhealthy, bilious glow - as its magneto-shield overheated and the stricken craft wobbled away towards Winnat’s Pass.   A writhing bundle of Kittens of Chaos fell out of the Vicecream van, the trumpeters and a lone soprano saxophonist now playing an unbridled Marseillaise whilst the remainder threw their sombreros into the air, jeering, mooning and making rude paw gestures after the retreating UFO.

As Cross Street began to calm, and the action moved into the distance, Snowdrop returned; the horses were lathered up and panting, the machine gun overheated and out of ammunition, Ginsbergbear and Phoebles babbling in adrenaline fuelled over excitement.   Aunty Stella, in matching honey-beige pith helmet, snake boots and safari suit, climbed down from the cab of the Vicecream van.   She pushed her Halcyon Mk49 goggles up above the rim of her hat and met the charging rush of squealing cats and dodo.   There were relieved hugs and enthusiastic welcomes all round, then she explained to the group that Googleberry had gone missing again.   Before she had become really worried however she had received a text message from him saying that he was visiting relatives at Chatsworth Hall and to come up, urgently, with the Vicecream van, the Kittens, Consuella and Dark Flo, all would be required and much would be revealed.

“Who’s running the shop?” enquired a fiscally worried Boz.

“Doo not deesturb yoorselv Meester Bozzz,” chipped in Consuella Starcluster, “Sam assurrres us hee ees ayble to hold thee forrrt forrr ay day orrr two.”

“…We were met, en route, by the Zapatistas,” continued Aunty Stella, “and so here we all are.”

“That’ll be ginger beer and lemon meringue all round then.   Job well done,” exclaimed Phoebles, fresh from the fray.   “Is there a litter tray out the back?   I may have got a bit over excited.”

A Second Battle in Cable Street

The front ranks of the Nationalist marchers were staring into Hell.   Ahead smoke curled and flames crackled.   Shadowy wraith-like figures scurried across the crimson haze.   A roar of defiance filled the air and chilled the blood.
Boz was on the barricade waiting for the exact moment to signal to Phoebles.   He was proudly wearing his best telnyashka under a flamboyant Makhnovist Cossack, bum-freezer jacket and his little Kronstadt sailor hat was perched on his head.   He felt that he looked pretty good.
Michael Winner was at the head of the advancing column, waving  a large flag of St George,  when the first salvo of bombs hit.   He was floored by a wobbly, water-filled condom and stepped on by a Royal Marine Trombonist.   A wavy, jiggling line of riot police rushed forward, making chuff chuff train noises, and formed a defensive barrier between those who had fallen and the looming presence of the barricade, they banged their shields in time to each other and muttered a deep throated, tuneful 'Whoa-whoooooooo, whooooooooa-ha!   
And then pandemonium errupted.   There was yelling and screaming and clattering and clashing.   Everyone opened up with every weapon they had, at anything they could see.   Firing short accurate bursts with the X Ranger 1075 from the Town Hall roof Ginsbergbear was having a devastating effect on the Nationalists, but down below in the thick of the melée water was flying everywhere, there was the steady pop, pop, pop of Burp® guns and flour and water were combining into a dreadful paste.   Some tear gas had been deployed in the early stages of the conflict, but it had clung to the fog, refusing to spread and lingering in intense isolated pockets.   Hurling their bombs over the heads of the front line combatants the Kronstadt sailors could have no idea of the havoc they wrought, every so often Boz gave them a reassuring thumbs up from his vantage point on the defences. 
For the moment the Women's Institute Anarcha-Feminists were manning (a term that I am sure they would object to) the field hospitals. but they were armed to the teeth and eager to join the fray on the flimsiest of excuses .   The essential tea urns had been set up  on a conveniently located trestle table by two pacifist Quakers and a jewish transvestite named Manny who had not wanted to endanger her expensively manicured nails in battle.   They also serve who only serve the tea.
La Columna were engaging Metropolitan Snatch Squads and a detachment of Eton school boys in nearby side streets.   The boys' Saturator SIG SAUER 556’s and La Columna's STR80-AK47 Aquafires were pretty much equally matched, but experience was to win out and the toffs were soon routed.   One snatch squad was captured and, with no provision for restraining prisoners, was released on a promise that they would go straight home.   Elsewhere the conflict was confused and messy.

Locked in a stale mate at the barricade the Nationalists deployed their secret weapon, two mounted police vans.   The  vans were lashed howdah-like to the backs of elephants, blue lights flashing and sirens 'nee-nawing', but the elephants proved as ineffectual as they were ridiculous.   They quickly faltered under the Kronstadt sailors' artillery bombardment and were rendered skittish by tear gas stinging their eyes and trunks.   At this opportune moment Ferdy arrived on the scene in the Cierva C.19, screaming out of the sky, bonksie-like in a steep dive, to unleash a stick of flour bombs with devastating accuracy.   Jumbo ran amuck, charging back through scattering ranks of riot police.
Sadly, autogyros do not do dive bombing, or if they do, they do it but the once.   Trailing smoke and oil and popping rivets all the way, Ferdy just managed to hold it together long enough to ditch in the chill waters of Shadwell Basin.

Meanwhile, back in Cable Street, the cobbles were drenched and slippery, gutters running with those fluid residues that are the byproduct of armed conflict.   The Anarcho-Surrealists had regrouped and united with the Situationist and were holding their own.   Scary clowns were recklessly hurling pails of confetti.   Boz was just checking the last few magazines for his AK47 Aquafire, water was running low, when Phoebles pointed to a young lad with a severe limp approaching them urgently from the rear.   He was being held up by one of the Anarcha-Feminists.

"Talk to him.   He's gone to a lot of trouble getting here."   She left the lad with Phoebles, picked up an abandoned Burp® gun and clambered onto the barricade.
The youngster had come up from the sewers and was the son of one of the Yorkshire miners.   His Kier Hardie cap was awry and dried blood stained his left cheek.   
"T' Cats Sootrins 'as been guidin' t' Met Snatch Squads through 'tunnels.   We'n bin overrun int' sewers.   Thou's gonna be cut off an' surrounded.   Me da' says I gorra warn yer."
"Good lad." said Boz, "Phoebles, take him to the rear and get him a cupper... make it a mug, strong and sweet.   And tell everyone back there it's time to go; we'll hold on here for a bit longer."  
Phoebles returned just as the howling Snatch Squads and Chats Souterrains emerged from the sewers.   Once on the the surface they assumed a cuneum formation, several wedges in fact, so probably cuneii or something like that... and charged. 
Boz raised one eyebrow. "I meant you to go too."
"I know, but..."
Heavily out numbered now the defenders battled on, periodically releasing small groups from their number to escape through the surrounding, winding alleys and passages.   One catapult crew remained with a fast dwindling supply of bombs.   Whilst unsuccessfully urging others to follow, a ski-masked mob of Anarcho-Syndicalists rushed on to the barricade crying "No retreat - stand firm!"   They planted a Confederación Nacional del Trabajo banner securely into the rubble, "Rally to the flag!"
Ginsbergbear could see the circle of Nationalists tightening on his comrades.   Riot Police were hammering on the doors of the Town Hall.   It was time to go.   He picked up the X Ranger 1075 and headed for the stairs.
Phoebles and Boz were standing back to back, one magazine left in Bozzy's AK47 Aquafire and the last two ping pong balls in Phoebles' Burp® gun.
"Not exactly going to plan, eh, y'old bugger." muttered Phoebles.
"Ah, but you've not heard my Plan B yet, pal." 
Softly the distant, tinkling notes of Die Walküre drifted on the gentle breeze that was just beginning to clear the day long fog.
"That'll be the Plan B where we're unexpectedly rescued at the eleventh hour?"
Headlamps and ice-cream cones flashed as the Vicecream van, with a newly fitted Audi turbocharged V12 diesel engine grumbling under its bonnet, careered westwards along Cable Street and burst in on the scene.
"That's the one!" replied Boz.
With the Kittens of Chaos balanced precariously on the roof-rack lobbing a fusillade of smoking baked potatoes down onto their hapless victims Aunty Stella gunned the Vicecream van through the rear ranks of besiegers and slewed round to halt within inches of the lucky pair.

"More spuds, more spuds We're running low on ammo up here!"
"Get in... Now!"
They piled through the open serving hatch.
Nationalists were all round the van and advancing up the lower levels of the barricade.
"We'll never reach anyone else."


Consuella Starcluster dominated the highest point on the pile.   With bodice bursting to reveal her ample and heaving  breasts and waving a republican flag with a single red star centred on its golden stripe, she was totally surrounded by warring Anarcho-Syndicalists and Metropolitan Riot Police.   And she was screeching defiance...

 "¡Vare a la mierda!"  

"¡A hacer puñetas!"   

"¡A tomar por el culo!"   

"¡Descojonarse, mearse de risa!"   

Turning to look down at the euphonically wagnerian vehicle she produced a fully loaded Saturator STR100 Lightning Strike super hand cannon from under her full skirts and proceeded to carve a swathe thro her would be captors.   Springing gazelle-like down the rubble she reached the vicecream van, vaulted through the hatch and spun round to continue firing on anyone who had been stupid enough to pursue her.   Aunty Stella jabbed the accelerator pedal, wheelied the van through a tyre smoking handbrake turn and was gone.   
For a while the remaining defenders atop the barricade fought on, but they were quickly subdued and bundled into waiting black marias.   

Phoebles' Story

Right...   Well...   First off it's PHOEBUS, not Phoebles.   BUS as in red, two storeys, not BULLS as in horns and poo!
So, this thaw thing was really inconvenient 'cos we gorra sledge anna Brockhousecorgisnowmobile thingy an' down in the valleys was all slushy snow and melting ice an' the skid things dunna work proper.   An' we wuz forced up onto the ridgeways wot woz nice cuz we could see all about and where we woz goin', burrit woz a bit windy.   An' the streams woz all swollen an' surging with melt water an' some of the bridges had got swept away so we had to go a long way round.   Anyway it woz fun sittin' up on top of the sledge an' luggage and everything an' real excitin' 'cos we was doin' a real rescue.
Anyway, somewhere north of Edinbugh Ginsbergbear's i-Phone GPS stopped working 'cos it was broke, burrit dinnermarrer 'cos Boris still had his Dan Dare compass an' that told the way... somehow.   But Boris said we wuz running out of fuel 'cos of the Brockhousecorgisnowmobile having to work so hard an' that woz a real problem.
So, there we woz, pootling along on top of some hill, tryin' not to run out of fuel an' a bit worried, but not a lot.   An' Boris woz concentratin'  very hard 'cos he said we woz runnin' outta snow an'all an' would haffta do summat about it soon an' Ginsbergbear woz huddled up in a rug, wiyya hotwaterbottle, readin' Moby Dick 'cos he are nesh, burreye has got very woolly warm fur wot is impervious to the cold and wet and I woz lookin' around and enjoying everything and I sees it.
Down below us woz a road and on the road woz a van wot wern't movin' an I jumps up an' down an is shouting 'cos Boris canna hear above the chuggin' of the engine an' he says,
"What's up?"
An' I says,
"Look there's a van an' it might have some wheels an' we could make the sledge an' stuff work wiyout snow."
So we stops and discusses the practicalities of my idea an' Boris and Ginsbergbear aren't very optimistic an' Strawberry wanna joinin' in 'cos he were being ockard.   An' then Boris says that the van looks a bit like the Vicecream van an' there are people millin' about down there.   So we go for a closer look.
An' guess wot.   When we get closer we can see Aunty Stella, in a boilersuit anna leather jerkin like a lorry driver an' one of the van's wheels is off 'cos it has a flat tyre an' Aunty Stella is rolling a new wheel up.   An' Ferdinand is there too, workin' the jack, only he is a bit little an' the jack is very big.   Still he doin' all right.
An' we run down the hill shouting,
"Aunty Stella, Ferdy, Aunty Stella, Ferdy Aunty, Stella!"
An' they look up an' they shoutin' too.
An' we get to them and stop, an Aunty Stella wipes her swarfy hands on her overalls before she hugs us all.
Then Ferdinand tells us all about crashin' an' polar bears an' wullufses, in an excited sort of way.   An' we tell them about losing my atlas wot woz old and dogeared, an' about losing Bert who were old and dogeared too, but we woz sad.   An' we all says,
"Ah, well..." an' all mucks in fixing the van.

So anyway, when the van's mended Aunty Stella says,
"Stow your gear in the back." an' there will be plenty of room for all of us too 'cos she has had a clear out.   An Strawberry jumps in the cab wiy Aunty Stella and Ferdinand an' we all climbin' in the back 'an WE ARE OFF!
An' we are all singin' Ten Green Bottles.

Phoebus,

Extraspecial Ginger Cat,

Somewhere in Scotland.

Wolves in the Woods

Ferdinand trudged on.   It was a clear, cold day and he felt almost joyful as he strode into a pretty, mixed deciduous wood.   A gentle breeze blew showers of fine snow off the branches above him, his foot falls crunched crisply, and small creatures dashed from tree to tree leaving tiny footprints in the snow.   Birds were twittering in the thin canopy and despite being footsore and running low on supplies Ferdy joined in, humming a selection from Vera Lynne's greatest hits.
On trudged and hummed Ferdinand.   Almost imperceptibly the woodland turned foresty, the chill north wind backed sou'westerly and turned milder.   A thin mist began to form and an occasional drop of water fell from arching branches.   The sky darkened.
Past the road, into the woods, shadows were intensifying, undergrowth thickening.   It really was getting quite dark and a little spooky.   The diminutive woodland creatures had all fallen silent, but out there something padded.   There were rustles and snorts and heavy breathing.
Ferns twitched and Ferdy thought he could see dark shapes keeping pace with him, slinky, lopey, probably howly sorts of shapes.   And they were all around him.
In the deepening darkness there were yelps and snarls.   Ferdy searched his knapsack and produced a small, but brilliant flash-light which he panned about the forest edge.   Emotionless, golden eyes lit up and although not visible he was sure there were fangs and dripping jowls too.
The things closed in on him.   Ferdy flashed the torch, which only seemed to make them playful.   He shouted, which they ignored.   He threw a stick and for a moment it looked as if one of the fiends would run after it, but it's companions glared it into shame.   Ferdy needed a really good plan, quickly - but nothing practical came to mind.   The whole situation was becoming extremely unsettling, when...

Was that distant music?
The encroaching creatures heard it too.   It was growing louder, stirring, Wagnerian.   The pack backed away.   Ferdy recognised The Ride of the Valkyries, not orchestral, more jingly, but deafening.   By the time two lemony beams of light flashed over a rise the thumping waves of sound were blasting the forest.   Terrified golden eyes peeped from behind the trees.   The source of the onslaught, a black van, careered along the road, slewing from side to side, horn blazing, two flashing ice-cream cones glowing eerily above the cab.   It skidded to a halt some yards from Ferdy, the door flew open and out scrambleded a Hollywood fantasy, Russian countess.
"Aunty Stella!" exclaimed the terrified bird.
The tall, slender creature stood before him, clad as last time he'd seen her, in greatcoat, piped and brass buttoned, tall boots of black leather. still the tall Astrakhan hat, but the muff was gone.   Over one shoulder was slung a cartridge belt and she carried a Browning B78, falling block, 45-70 hunting rifle, which she fired, once, into the air.   The wolves departed.
"Oh... Aunty Stella!"
Ferdy rushed at her and they stood hugging for a longtime.
"I think I might be able to rustle up some ginger biscuits, do you fancy a fortifying snack?"
"I've had rather a lot of ginger biscuits just lately," replied Ferdy, hoping he did not sound ungrateful.   "You don't have a bag of millet around do you?"

In the back of the van they partied well into the night.   There were finger snacks and tiny triangular sandwiches and a variety of sweet meats deep fried in beer batter which Aunty Stella insisted was a Scottish delicacy.   There was pop in abundance, liberated from the Strathbogie supplies  and "The Shadows Live at Doncaster Coliseum" on the Vicecream van sound system.
Next morning they had a barbecued full english, assessed their situation and surveyed the local geography.   The first signs of a thaw were now unmissable.
The Vicecream van was looking much more serviceable than when it left The Land of Green Ginger.   It now had heavy duty tyres, the more trivial pieces of baggage were missing from the roof rack, abandoned along with their owners to the music halls of Northumbria, and replaced by jerry-cans of diesel and two spare wheels, strategically placed brackets held towrope, snow-shovel, flares.   The ice-cream maker had been removed and stored in a barn somewhere north of Berwick-upon-Tweed, making room for supplies, a small primus stove and an Elsan Visa model 268.   Ready for anything.
"Last leg.   Lets get this rescue wrapped up." proposed Aunty Stella.

Kittens of Chaos

"Are we all ready?"
"...Not got my shoes!   Where's my red shoes?"
"Can't get any more stuff on top the van!"
"You's wearing them!   Gimme my red shoes!   ...And that's my hat!"
"Get in!"
"Everyone get in!"
"Where's my...   You sitting on it!"
"Don't shove!"
"...Don't you shove then!"
"We're-we're driving-driving!" (The twins)
"First stop Nellies for lunch!"
"Not gorrany money!"
"...I got tuppence!"
"We can sell some of the Vicecream!"
"You are not taking ice-cream into the frozen wastes?" (Aunty Stella, exasperated)
"It's VICEcream... with catnip!"
"Start up then!"
"Which way?"
"...Not that way!"
"Put the jingle music on!"
"What tune?"
"The Valkyrie song!"
"We want the Valkyrie song!" (All)
"...Loud!"
"Go faster!"
"Are we there yet?"
"Are we there Yet?"
"Are we there yet?"
...
...
"Hello, is that Ginsbergbear?   It's Aunty Stella here with a progress report... well a lack of progress report.
"We are parked outside a pub... more of a house that sells beer really... with a big white horse over the door.   Two of the kittens are selling Vicecream to pay for our lunch; to incredibly unsavoury looking customers.
"Inside it's all little rooms and corridors and it's run by six little old ladies... three feet tall, hunchbacked and all called Nelly.
"The rest of the kittens have stripped to their telnyashkas and are doing a disturbingly wiggly dance on the tables!"