  Let $A$ be a unital Banach function algebra with character space $\Phi_A$.
For $x\in \Phi_A$, let $M_x$ and $J_x$ be the ideals of functions vanishing at
$x$, and in a neighbourhood of $x$, respectively. It is shown that the hull of
$J_x$ is connected, and that if $x$ does not belong to the Shilov boundary of
$A$ then the set $\{y\in\Phi_A: M_x\supseteq J_y\}$ has an infinite, connected
subset. Various related results are given.
