Masterclass number two,dog trouble and Memorial Hall set up

Bill called around this morning to give me my first lesson in chicken "dressing", and I couldn't quite get out of my mind that I was appearing in an episode of the 1970s Generation Game.
Patiently he showed me how to cut the head off and remove the crop without tainting the bird's flesh and like a surgeon he helped me to to understand the somewhat complicated workings of guts, viscera and gizzard. We cut off the feet with garden scissors, and removed the livers to be cooked later whilst all the time bantering about this and that..
In a matter of minutes he had dressed the first bird, and only a few minutes behind him, I had finished my first! and it was surprisingly easy! We cleaned the bird with care , and by doing so, I felt that the whole effort of killing the roosters was worth something.I was secretly quite proud of myself.
Now,I know I am not going to get into the habit of killing birds for the table, but I have found the whole experience of the last few days, sobering, useful and in a strange way very respectful to the birds involved.
I cooked the large Buff cockerel this afternoon,(below)....which was tasty enough......But I have to say that I am so happy that I didn't Kill Bill.........

We finished up at noon and after I had stored the two extra chickens in the freezer I piled the dogs into the car to go to the Memorial Hall to set up the Flower Show display for tomorrow's grand Hall re-opening. As we drove off, a neighbour who had been ill for a while came around the corner and I got out of the car to say hello, as I did so William deftly jumped up and depressed the central locking button on the car door. The bloody keys were in the ignition!, The car was in the narrow lane...and all four dogs (who all needed a pee) were trapped inside.....I was livid with myself.......Chris had the other set of car keys and could not be contacted, so the only route left to me was to ring the AA.
I rang and gave them a sob story of four desperate "bladder overflowing terriers" trapped in a berlingo and within half an hour a dog loving AA man with his van, who had put me on a priority call, had broken in to release them. I could have kissed him!

I got to the Memorial Hall late, but still manged to set up the display up before the village Friendship group had their afternoon's social. The hall looks lovely. with it's newly painted walls and woodwork gleaming and all shiny and new. A modern kitchen has replaced the old tired church-Hall looking old one and there is even a small lift installed so that the stage room can be reached by all.They have thought of everything.

The war memorial outside has been re landscaped too,and shrubs and turf has been laid where before there was nothing but scrub and dirt.

Tomorrow's opening is a celebration of a much used and much loved local landmark. I am so looking forward in attending