In early December, both Trevor and Douglas Webster were back in the village on leave. Douglas was expecting to be summoned to the Palace to receive his Military Cross from the King. There was news of another local lad who had fought with the Canadians, Pte Albert Edward Watts, son of Mr Watts of the White Horse, Frampton Mansell:

Pte Watts experienced a glorious time on the Canadians’ entry into Mons last month. He and others were relieved of everything they were carrying by the delighted inhabitants, who could not do too much for the Canadians…

There was more consciousness-raising about V.D., which was obviously a major public health concern, as men returned from service overseas:

Those who ‘wait and see’ may well see terrible things…False shame is sheer folly. The doctor is not there to blame but to cure. Do not be frightened of going to the doctor, be frightened of the disease…

The General Election was held on Saturday December 14th, the first in which most men and many women could vote. The Stroud seat was contested by Sir Aston Lister, a Liberal, on behalf of the Lloyd George/Bonar Law Coalition, and Captain C.W. Kendall, for the Labour Party. Enthusiasm for the poll was not marked – the election was felt to have been called too soon after the end of the fighting, when much was still not settled; the influenza epidemic was still raging; most servicemen were still away. In Chalford, the electorate was listed as 1483, absent voters numbered 285. According to the Journal, reporting on the election in the whole district:

A heavy poll was not anticipated, and the first few hours were deadly dull, so dull that apathy seemed to have taken hold of the electorate. As the morning wore on, however, activity became more marked, and at noon, when the mills and factories closed, the presiding officers…were given a more busy time, the ladies making things hum to some tune, in more senses than one. In the agricultural districts, polling was leisurely but continuous throughout…The weather was disappointing…Many old ladies displayed a fine example of zeal for country by voting…

‘Jonathan’ commented: ‘It was interesting to watch married couples sallying forth together to record their Parliamentary vote…’

The results were not announced until 28th December, a whole fortnight later: a victory for the Coalition – Lister won by 4912 votes.

The Stroud News anticipated a ‘frugal Christmas’, ‘the scarcity and high prices of the usual Christmas fare’, and the ‘cost of children’s toys will also limit the range of selection in many homes’:

…Nevertheless, now that the dark cloud has lifted, Christmas should be a joyous and happy festival…