deteſted kite, thou li[e]ſt[.] [M]y traine, and men of choiſe and rareſt parts, that all particulars of dutie knowe, and in the moſt exact regard, ſupport the worſhip of their name, … Detested kite, you lie! My train [i.e., knights in attendance] are men specially chosen for their rare qualities, know all the particulars of their duty, and most conscientiously uphold their reputation, […]

hairy mammoth

The confrontation of urban and rural lifestyles is the major source of fun in the novel which would be incomplete without due references to the WI where tradition decreed that one should wear a tweedy A-line skirt with a delicious lemony-coloured twin set (119), where one can get one's hand on loads of those hand-knitted gnome families they always make (118) and where new members are introduced into the mysteries of how to knit Mrs Santa Claus or the Three Bears in lime green wool remnants (118).

The sandcastler “is engaged in creating a moment of triumph, a moment of splendor and personal achievement. The fact that that moment must end is of little importance — except that it makes the moment sweeter.”