Who do you think you are?

HMS Paddington Bear

We had some friends round last Thursday evening. Not for an  apéro, which I've mentioned in a previous blog, but for what's known as an apéro dinatoire - a hybrid between an apéro and dinner. It's a 'sitting at the dinner table' arrangement, with lots of small bite sized savoury dishes, cheeses and if you want to,  a small bite sized dessert, such as a macaron. I must remember to do a blog about macarons - those little mouthfuls of heavenly gooey almond meringue.    Moving on . . .

We only met Jim and Francoise for the first time earlier this year and then again in July. We just clicked. They're such fun. He's English and Francoise is obviously French. They live in Tavant, about twenty minutes away from Cravant and - small world etc - they also have an apartment in Bath, which by train is about fifteen minutes away from us in Bradford on Avon. They'll be in the UK for Christmas and New Year, so we'll be getting together at some point. Anyway, we shared language duties, so switched between English and French and chatted about this and that. Somehow we got on to the fact that Mike and I both have a lot of Celt floating around in our family histories. His family are from north of the border. Mine are from the other side of the Irish Sea.  Now there'll be a few of you, I don't doubt, who'll be thinking ' . . . aha! That explains everything'. Well don't be so sure. According to Francoise, I also have a touch of the Peruvian about me. It was the hair and face shape that convinced her.

If my friend Lesley Hayward is reading this blog, she will hopefully remember an exceptional evening in her house - circa the late 80s. We were all involved with an amateur drama group called The Hatch End Players (H.E.P.) and for this particular social event, a few of us put on a performance of Paddington Bear - when he first arrives from Peru and goes to live with the Browns. I always wondered why I was cast as Paddington. Now I know. Thanks Francoise. That really does explain everything!