Good things come to those who wait.

Like most commonplace sayings, this little aphorism's relevance rate is rather mixed. Not least as the predominant culture seems to be 'I know what I want and I want it now.'

And yet, maybe we're all going to have to get used to being a little more patient than we have been in recent years. And possibly, a lot less greedy too.

The petrol crisis spasm of a few weeks back saw an interesting bout of moral arm wrestling between a desire to fill up every single jerry can possible and sod the rest and the need to be patient and polite whilst queuing and only take what was really needed

By and large, at least here in Hadleigh, the latter sentiment just about won out. I think.

Now we hear that the shortage of HGV drivers is having an impact on the flow of those jolly large behemoths, which roar like demons from one of the inner rings of Hell, out of Felixstowe and along the A14.

What is rather tweely referred to in the otherwise roughty-toughty haulage trade as 'dwell time' - the number of days that a filled container remains at the port before being transported off - has significantly increased and so available storage space has all but disappeared.

The result is that at least one major shipping line is dropping off its cargo elsewhere whilst the backlog is cleared. Meaning that all those thousands of consignments of bright plastic toys purpose-built to lacerate adult feet and vanishingly small but increasingly clever electronic widgets may not make it to the shops in time for the now traditional orgy of consumerist thing worship.

Of course, a somewhat more muted and less dazzlingly vulgar Christmas might not be the disaster it would appear at first sight. Perhaps this might be the opportunity for us to swap unwrapping time for neighbourly time or helping out such great initiatives as the Christmas Present Trust?

Indeed, picking up on the 'levelling' agenda so beloved by that blonde chap currently residing in No 10 Downing Street, this could be a Christmas where the rich go out of their way to help the hundreds, if not thousands, of Hadleigh folk currently on or beneath the breadline.

Furthermore, perhaps the very wealthy in and around the town, could help Felixstowe Port's storage problem by offering some of their vast acres as temporary container parks? All in a good cause, chaps.

There's been another example of patience receiving its just rewards this week.

The decision by Generalissimo John Ward to back down and delay his plans to start charging folks to pay to park in Hadleigh after one hour is a vindication of the moderate wing of local campaigners.

For unlike the militant, motorised lot led by Footsie Grutchfield, the likes of Councillor Doctor Sian Dawson have clearly applied pressure in the right way to old El Caudillo.

Generalissimo's woes have actually worsened further. The person nominally responsible for piloting the car parking plans through the council, a Mrs Elizabeth Malware, I think her name is, has resigned from his Blue Team to sit as another Independent alongside Grandone Grandon.

But in a sign of Generalissimo's loosening grip on just about everything at the moment, Mrs Malware remains in charge of half her portfolio – pressing flowers and talking to wood nymphs, it would appear.

Dr. Dawson picks up the rest including something called public realm, earning her the immediate sobriquet of Queenie. Helpfully, she is rather posh in a Penelope Keith-type of way.

That Queenie Dawson is a Hadleigh councillor is a good thing in itself. For too long the town hasn't had a presence at Babergh's political top table. We'll see how well she uses her regal influence.

But for Generalissimo, the graffiti might well be on the proverbial wall. He inherited 31 councillors when he was first elected leader and now that number is down to 13. Five of those jumping ship have joined the Independent Group talking their number to 11.

A coup d'etat might well be in the offing. The plotters may only need to wait a little longer and it could be over by Christmas.