Hi there,
Here is this week’s episode of Queer Tango which is their Christmas special. I hope that it makes you smile and you enjoy dancing with the class and munching chocolate!
May you have a wonderful Christmas filled with cheer, good health and big smiles,
Love and Big Smiles,
Jody, Em and Ferb
Queer Tango
Episode 40 – Bumblethorpe’s Christmas Show
The snow fluttered gently upon Bumblethorpe Hill and onto Lanie’s bicycle helmet as she chomped on her Christmas Pudding ice cream. She paused as snowflakes added sprinkles to her treat and then grinned. She shoved the ice cream in her mouth and twirled with a whoop. She jumped onto her bicycle and sped down the hill tring-ling and ringing her bicycle bell.
Miriam, who was in the middle of filling George’s tooth paused at the sound of Lanie’s bicycle bell. She turned and peeked out of the window. ‘She’s had Christmas Pudding ice cream,’ she said to Ceri who popped through the doorway. ‘She gets really excited when Janis’ aunty pulls out her Christmas Pudding.’
Lanie whizzed by singing and holding up her ice cream stick with joy. ‘She’s added extra chocolate!’
George sat up then grinned. ‘I should go get Diane one.’
Miriam pinned him back down with one hand. ‘I haven’t sorted your tooth out yet.’
Ceri winced then smiled at Miriam. ‘I want to dance with you.’
Miriam raised her eyebrows. ‘Did we have issues with the sedative gas again?’ She looked around the room then spread the filler on George’s tooth.
Ceri chuckled, then grabbed her by the hand and twirled her around. ‘It’s snowing… the girls can do snow-steps.’
Miriam raised her eyebrows, dusted George down and released him. ‘I used to sled, personally, but I suppose that’s cheating.’
George fled out of the chair then pointed to his mouth. ‘Fried Chocolate Christmas Pudding… Diane will love it!’ He planted a kiss on their cheeks and scurried out.
Ceri twirled around and into hold. ‘You leading?’
Miriam pulled off her visor and grinned. ‘I’d love to. Lanie gets to throw me around while I get dizzy.’
Ceri nodded. ‘I’ve never seen a rhumba that athletic.’
Miriam tango-ed her past the clients in the waiting room and out into the street. Janis waved from hanging Christmas lights between lampposts; Stan twirled as he fed the cable around the lamppost and threw the plug to Andy who twirled on one foot, other at a perfect ballet angle and did a cartwheel to place the plug into the socket.
Ding! The lights pinged on, one by one until every shop, every lamppost and traffic light was a twinkling with gentle lights as the snow drifted gently to cover the street in a soft, white mush.
Andy twirled out onto the road, struck his best Ruby-pose, and held out his hand. ‘Saucy, snow-shimmy over here.’
Glynnis twirled out from the opposite side, into hold, and plonked a tango hat on his head, complete with tinsel. ‘I’ve not danced with Ruby before.’
Andy flopped her over his arm. ‘She does like a good tango.’
Tammy burst from the Bee and jumped into a pile of snow then held out her hands. ‘Colin dressed up as a Snickers!’
Tracy burst from the other side of the road, startling Agnes who nearly dropped her travel kettle. ‘Ricky didn’t dress up as a Snickers!’
She slid through the snow over to Tammy and threw her into hold then threw three snowballs at Andy who shrieked and wriggled about.
Hedges scurried out of her shop with several flower orders then stopped and watched Andy wriggling around shrieking while Glynnis attempted to dance with him. She glanced over at Tammy and Tracy part dancing, part firing snowballs and then at Miriam and Ceri who were skidding around giggling about leading being harder than it looked.
Hedges placed the flowers in her van then honked the horn. She hopped into the snow filled street and held out her arms.
Mary-Lou who was cycling by mid-meeting skidded to a stop, jumped off her bike, and slid into hold while shivering and muttering about the snow.
Stan jumped down from the cherry-picker he used to put up the lights and hurried across to Diane’s salon. He threw open the door. Three customers turned around and Diane raised her eyebrows mid-snip while putting another customer under the perming machine. He grabbed Gaynor, mid-clip, and carried her and the clippers out into the street.
‘I know your chin is stubbly but I could have just sorted it out in the shop.’ Gaynor blinked at him then looked back at the shop where the customers and Diane were watching.
Tammy hit them with a snowball each and sniggered. The customers shrieked and ducked back inside.
Stan grinned, gave Gaynor a smacker on her lips. ‘George is making Christmas pudding chocolate specials.’
Diane left her customer in the perm machine and sprinted across to George’s shop. ‘I love you!’
Gaynor threw her clippers cable around his neck and yanked him to her. ‘Then we’re rhumba-ing.’
Tammy and Tracy whistled then pelted Andy with more snowballs.
Janis jumped down from her ladder and stared at Ceri twirling around with Miriam. She turned to Agnes grabbed her and the kettle and waltzed out onto the snowy road.
Lanie whizzed by with a grin and slowed enough to air-peck Miriam. ‘I got the management to order in ice cream Christmas Puddings.’
‘I gave George a filling,’ Miriam said with a smile. ‘A chocolate one.’
Tammy pelted Lanie with a snowball and sniggered.
Lanie scooped up a pile of snow and pelted Tammy and Tracy with a clean shot.
Gaynor and Stan cheered but more so because Mary-Lou had pulled a backflip and landed then slid as Hedges hopped after her.
Diane sprang out of the fish and chip shop with a flourish and wiggled over to Mary-Lou and Hedges then George pulled his apron off and tried to jive over to Diane but skidded off the kerb, flipped, did a roll and ‘oof’d’ into a pile of snow.
Paulette rounded the corner with Little Agnes and Little Liza in a pram and stopped. She stared at Lanie whizzing around providing the music as Miriam and Ceri giggle-danced while dodging Tammy and Tracy’s tango and snowballs; Stan and Gaynor—clippers in tow—skate-rhumba-ing around Janis and Agnes—with kettle in tow—next to Mary-Lou shivering-dancing and Hedges hopping; nearby Andy squeal wriggling with Glynnis laugh-dancing, beside Diane who was trying to pull George out of the pile of snow.
She shook her head, picked up both babies and walked over to the light switch for the lights stretching across from George’s fish and chip shop to Diane’s salon and smiled.
‘This is supposed to be their version of a Christmas show,’ she told the babies. ‘I’m not really sure what to call their dancing other than… it’s their unique style.’ She winked at Janis who nodded then flicked on the lights.
Merry Christmas lit up as the snow drifted and the class twirled and Paulette took her mother’s kettle, and plugged it into the spare plug socket.
Lanie whizzed by and handed her an ice cream chocolate Christmas Pudding and Paulette smiled. It was definitely in their own unique style, yes, but it was, without doubt, Bumblethorpe’s Christmas Show.
