THE Dean of Truro, the Very Revd Roger Bush, was in one of the few areas in the country to escape the cloud cover that hid the solar eclipse at the end of last month. His reward, naturally, was to appear in this competition.

Several readers recalled the previous caption competition, another sky-gazing scene. "Fr John feared that, having ignored the Rapture a couple of weeks ago, someone had now opened the sixth seal" (Christopher Tookey); and "Ah, so that's what my colleagues in the previous caption competition were looking at" (Dennis Abbott).

Typical of a C of E readership was the focus on the refreshments: "The light may have gone from the sun, the end of the world may be nigh, but there'll always be someone to ask, 'More tea, Vicar?'" (Alison Rollin); "So this is what I have to do to earn a cup of coffee, is it?" (Ben Woods); "What can be better than a Damascus Road moment followed by a cup of coffee?" (Michael Watts); and "The Rapture had taken Mrs MacPherson with the teapot" (Patrick Irwin).

Besides the cups of coffee, it was remarkable the details that readers could spot (no, the colostomy-bag joke was not funny, reader who shall remain nameless). Special commendation to William Petts, for: "The verger's stifled yawn went unnoticed by the vicar's revelation."

Talking of the Rapture: "OMG. . . It is OMG" (William Petts); "It was going to be tricky to explain to the Sunday congregation that it was the Rapture, and he wasn't in it" (Dave Sargent); and ". . . always remembering, of course, not to look directly at the light of salvation" (George Frost).

A few at random: "The vicar's re-enactment of the conversion of St Paul was going to plan" (Richard Frost); "For now we see through a glass darkly. . . ." (John Bowman); "Fr David was momentarily distracted from his study of the solar eclipse when he happened to spot Bathsheba taking her morning shower" (Michael Foster); "The Dean had no idea that the Bishop was a naturist" (John Penny); "The Dean took to busking like a duck to water" (Bill Scott); "Who is going to tell him that the eclipse was yesterday?" (Kim Styles); and "It's behind you, Mr Dean" (David Elkington).

We particularly enjoyed: "No, Vicar, that's not the way to take a selfie. . ." (William Petts); "The new Bishop of Islington assembled everything he would need for his first visit to HTB: smartphone, protective glasses, and two cups of coffee" (Edward Mynors); "Roger the Dean couldn't remember the last time he'd been eclipsed by anything" (Caspar Bush - no relation, though that's the sort of insult you'd expect from one); "Nobody had expected Poldark to ride up the High Street without his shirt" (Patrick Irwin); and "You're right, with these two teabags tied together I can see right into the heart of the nation's spiritual needs" (John Keeling).

Special Easter chocolate, courtesy of Divine (www.divinechocolate.com), to our two winners.

Too late Mrs Smith realised that her cup of "special"tea had been given to the vicar

George Frost

The Dean practises his Elton John tributeact

David Elkington