A selection of classic English stories continues with Mackenzie Crook reading a comic tale from his favourite author Thomas Hardy's collection A Few Crusted Characters. A group of villagers on their return from market, reminisce about Christmases past.

Later in the series there will be a couple of short pieces from Hector Hugh Munro, better known as Saki, whose skill for skewering the manners and pretensions of the upper classes is turned on the business of giving and receiving Christmas presents.

And to conclude, another wintry mystery - The Lion’s Tooth by Edmund Crispin finds the author’s amateur detective, Fen, assisting a convent in finding a young victim of kidnap.

The Longpuddle Players by Thomas Hardy
Abridged and produced by Jill Waters
Read by Mackenzie Crook
A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4 Show less