Christmas Sketch

That's the lot, Bernard?

Before you go home for holiday, Minister, Sir Humphrey has something to say to you.

Thank you, Bernard.

Minister, just one thing: I wonder if I might crave your momentary indulgence in order to discharge a by no means disagreeable obligation which has, over the years, become more or less established practice in government service as we approach the terminal period of the year, calendar, of course, not financial. In fact, not to put too fine a point on it, Week Fifty-One, and submit to you, with all appropriate deference, for your consideration at a convenient juncture, a sincere and sanguine expectation, indeed confidence. Indeed one might go so far as to say hope, that the aforementioned period may be, at the end of the day, when all relevant factors have been taken into consideration, susceptible to being deemed to be such as to merit a final verdict of having been by no means unsatisfactory in its overall outcome and, in the final analysis, to give grounds for being judged, on mature reflection, to have been conducive to generating a degree of gratification which will be seen in retrospect to have been significantly higher than the general average.

What's he talking about?

Well, Minister, I think Sir Humphrey just wanted to crave your momentary indulgence in order to discharge a by no means disagreeable obligation…

Alright, alright, Bernard. But Humphrey…

At the end of the day, Minister, all things being…

Just a…

Yes Minister?

Are you saying happy Christmas?

Yes Minister.