It was a cold March morning in the forest town of Malmesbury and the snow could be seen on top of all the surrounding hills. The paddle steamers were frozen into the river and swans were skating with the ducks.
Millie, as the locals called the Professor, was trying to position his transistor radio in the window to get the best reception and at that moment a sparrow flew into the window pane and fell to the floor.
Annie Lennox was singing No More I Love You's on the radio as Millie went out side to find the sparrow. It was no use it must have frozen to death in full flight. Judging by the frozen moustache and eyebrows on Millies' face as he came back in it must have been at least 25 below zero out side.
Annie was at the last line of the song, Ha Ha she sang. Well if she was here she certainly would defrost me, thought Millie to himself. He sat back at his desk and finished off his cocoa. Then the phone rang. It was the Mayor, could Millie come over to his office immediately, it was very important.
Before he knew it Millie was slipping and sliding along the frozen slush on the two wheels of his BSA Bantam motorcycle. Puffing and panting his own clouds in front of his frozen face Millie ran up the stairs to the Mayors office.
Come in boomed a voice and Millie opened the door. There was his old friend Kenny "Lemon" Innes. sat with his hands behind his head and feet upon the desk looking relaxed as one possibly could considering the urgency in his voice on the phone earlier.
This isn't one of you pranks is it asked Millie. No, no, no, sit down on the radiator and warm your brains he said. I need you ideas, we have a problem. Millie looked at Lemon suspiciously and Kenny gazed blankly back across the room with that screwed up expression that gave him his nick name.
After a while Lemon untwisted his face, stood up and began pacing the office floor. Millie my old friend ...
