Well, I opened the parcel, posted in England. But then the first preasent out was the works of a music box that played Waltzing Matilda.Aha, I thought, an Australian who has arranged for a parcel to be posted in England to confuse me. Second present out, a Maine cookbook. Hmmm, the plot thickens. Maybe not an Australian, maybe a New Englander. Than a personally made calendar, with no identifying text, but a monthly series of pics of a very nice looking and obviously English bungalow. With an exceptionally nice looking garden of the type I really love. Cat lovers I was glad to see, there is a nice arrangement of a plank going up to a catflap let into a window pane. Also a pic of the black and white cat strolling along the path in an ownerly way.One pic has a bloke in the background, sawing up a hefty bit of wood at a not very ergonomic angle, by hand. So obviously a Luddite folkie who doesn't habitually use power tools.Probably not a professional Chippy.
Then a privately printed Christmas card saying love from Old Keepers. Which, along with the calendar pics of foxes and pheasants, leads one to conclude that the house bears the Ambridge-like name of Old Keepers Cottage(or suchlike).
So, the last present, and here there are rather more clues. A CD of songs sung by one Hilary Ward, described as a Mudcatter called "my guru always said". So, I'll put on the Sherlock Holmes hat and guess that Hilary is my Secret Santee, and thanks very much indeed. Unnless, of course, it was sent by another Mudcatter, perhaps the mystery woodcutter who is the partner and fan of said Hilary? But what of Australia and Maine? Perhaps these inhabitants of Old Keepers Cottage are frugal simple peasant folk(hence the hand sawing?): and their main recycling activities consist of receiving presents from Mudcat Secret Santas in Australia and Maine in previous years, and then sending them on to me?
Well, all I can say is, please invite me to Old Keepers Cottage, it looks the sort of place a musician would get a very nice welcome and a glass of sloe gin and some pheasant and hare stew.
Thanks a lot Hilary