Busy Days

Teazle Heads

It's always a strange, mixed set of feelings as we get set to go back to the UK. We've friends over there who we are really looking forward to seeing and spending time with. Bradford on Avon has a very special feel about it at Christmas and New Year. If the weather is good, preferably a bright, crisp day, with a splattering of snow, BOA transports you into the traditional Christmas card scene of another century, with the narrow streets and old bridge and buildings. Bath is absolutely glorious as well, leading into the festive season, with the Christmas market and concerts. But somehow or other France has captured our hearts and minds and it's a wrench to return, even though this time we know we must, to sort things out for our move. There are some friends who over the next few months in the UK we must say 'bye' to, as we won't see them again unless at some stage they come to visit in France. Technology of course makes keeping in touch so easy. For the first few years after we've moved, we are allowed to spend fifteen days each year in the UK. We have an annual commitment in London which is important to get to. But apart from that we don't in the first year, what to use our allocation in one hit, in case something urgent crops up that we have to return for. It affects your residency status. In all likelihood we'll travel over to London next June, by train.

Cravant vines in autumn

The way things have worked out, we're going back earlier than we usually do. In fact this time last year, we were taking the ferry out to France, rather than back to the UK as we are this year.  Autumn has yet to fully develop as far as all the colours are concerned. We know what it can look like here, so have a clear picture in our heads of the Cravant panorama in all its glory. It's a stunning view. 

Getting ready to go back is always quite a performance. The week before, you're packing things up, tidying things away, getting wine orders together and this time Christmas presents as well, all of which is mixed up with a hectic social life. There's been something happening with local friends every day since last Thursday - great fun, and today we're meeting some more friends for lunch at L'Auberge. One way or another it's a whirl of activity. And it's the same when we get back to the UK. One piece of news that we weren't wanting to get concerns a wine producer here Fabrice Gasnier. We met him for the first time on the rando round Cravant at the beginning of September and have bought wine from him a couple of times since. Lovely guy and family. We'd been trying to make contact with him, as friends in BOA who had stayed with us and tasted his wines, had specifically asked if we could bring some of his wine back for them, for Christmas and New Year. So since last Thursday we've been attempting to make contact by phone and going round on the off chance we might catch up with him. But not a sign and calls weren't returned which is most unusual. Anyway last night, we heard he'd had a very bad accident, which involved him falling from a high enough point directly on to a concrete floor on his back. Various injuries as you can imagine, including a punctured lung. Wine producing is a delicious business from our point of view as customers. But it's a tough business and at times it is also a dangerous business.

Our first night back in BOA, we've had a lovely invitation to dinner from friends who live about five minutes away. Other friends are going as well, who are also moving away. They leave for Skye on November 13. Just before dinner I'm going to my first weekly French conversation group. Really didn't want be back in the UK and not chat in French. Fortunately there is a weekly group led by Frenchman Gérard, which restarts the day we get back. So the timing is perfect. Mike is joining one of his other groups.  During the day we will have attacked a four month pile of mail. We have a wonderful friend John who looks after the house for us. He is meticulous in his organising of our post. Firstly into his and her piles and then in date order of arrival. Also he gets rid of all the junk mail! He's so good about doing it.  Sunday night we're out to a jazz gig that a friend of ours is involved with.
Monday we're round to dinner with our friends Sue and Dave, although the Origami Chef will have been at work over the weekend with a few apéro dishes to take along. Then we're all going to a big firework party. Or maybe it's the other way round.

The following week we're into a run of appointments. Dentist, hairdresser - that means me going to Jim. Will be lovely to see him and the rest of the gang. There's a whole tranche of birthdays on the 9th and 10th of November and joint 60th birthday party. After all that, we're getting on with getting sorted.

So for the next few days, I'm blogging of. Then over to Tales from BOA.

Go well!!

The rebranding of Chick Lit

Well it was only a matter of time. I will freely admit I've never read any Chick Lit. I do know what it is!  Anything that deals with the issues of modern womanhood, which I regard myself as still being part of, in a frequently humorous and lighthearted fashion, I should perhaps have made time for. After all I thoroughly enjoyed the film version of Bridget Jones's diary. It was hilarious. What's more the author Helen Fielding is an English graduate from Oxford. So that must surely mean decent writing!

However it's all quite irrelevant. Been overtaken by events. Because what we now have is Bic Lit, which I'm assuming is more or less the same as Chick Lit only more girly, more relevant to the modern woman, more humorous and more lighthearted, because it's written with those pretty pastel coloured pens. And of course Bic Lit is much better value. Made for the female hand, Bic Lit authors can hold their pens for a greater length of time.  Not as exhausting as having to write with those nasty, heavy male pens.  Which means that with the added bonus of the smoother writing action of the Bic lit pen, there'll be more words committed to paper, so the books will be longer. Isn't that a lovely!

Bic Lit looks different as well. Gone are the days of boring old black on white. The secret yearning of the 'gentler sex' to use materials that compliment their ultra-femininity has been realised. For the first time ever, Bic Lit authors will be writing on that lovely pink, scented paper. There's a clear strategy at work here. The pens have been specially designed for this application. Just think of it. An aromatic waft with every page turned. Finding Bic Lit in bookshops will be a doddle. All you need do is follow your nose.  It is going to revolutionise the reading experience.  I wonder how the Kindle will respond to the nasal challenge? After all, these days book and kindle version are part of the regular marketing mix.

What I am looking forward to are the Bic Lit awards or the Bic-er awards. Not sure when the first one will take place or where. Will it be in London? Of course! At The Gherkin.With its uncanny resemblance to the cap shape of the Bic pen, the awards have found their natural home. There'll have to be a bit of rebranding of course. But all The Her-bic would need is a special lighting effect with a sequenced colour change across the entire Bic for Her range, and London will have added an orgasbic visual experience to the city's skyline. Life's a bic really. There's poor old Sir Norman Baron Foster of Bic Bank - sorry Thames Bank - thinking he's designed an iconic architectural form for Londoners, when all the time he's been working for the Bic marketing department.

Presumably the Bic-er awards will get similar tv coverage to the Booker?  Who'll be hosting it? Mariella Frostrup perhaps. Don't think it would be up Germaine Greer's street. But you never know. What about Miranda Sawyer? Patsy and Edwina?
As much as I love him, I don't think it could be or should be Stephen Fry.
Hm.
Got it!
What about Ellen Degeneres?

The Origami Chef

The Origami Chef

Food in France is very important. It's not just something you eat. The essentialness of eating and cooking is deeply embedded in the national psyche. So every culinary experience, wherever and whenever it takes place, has to be good. And the expectation here is that it will be. Therefore every time we 'entertain', it's always carefully planned. Sounds like a lot of work, but it isn't. We keep things simple and use quality produce from our local market. I do the regular catering, as tomorrow when we have a French friend for lunch. Although Marie-Michèle is bringing the ingredients for the dessert - Pain Perdu, which Mike adores and I don't know how to make. So she's making it here with me helping. Whenever we go to Cravant's L'Auberge for lunch, they no longer ask what Mike wants for dessert. He is known as 'Monsieur Pain Perdu'. 

Mike is a reluctant cook, although he's actually very good at it. The few times I have been really unwell he has come up with something simple but delicious. But he very clearly sees himself as the 'emergency' chef. He doesn't enjoy doing it. So I look after the daily stuff. 
However Mike has found his niche within the culinary world.

Most of our friends and children either side of the channel know that the taller Shearing is into origami. Fascinated by it in fact. Quite a few homes have a Shearing fold or two, perched on a book case. Fortunately this fascination with things small, which clearly includes me, has been extended to include food, in particular small more fiddly savouries, which are the format for un apéro or un apéro dinatoire - as we had here last night with some neighbours. 

We began with baby tomatoes, which he stuffed with egg, anchovy and olives with pimento. There were little tartelettes with various rillette fillings - fish and meat. Blinis with smoked salmon, crème fraîche and 'mock' caviar. Miniature courgette tartelettes - no pastry just courgette baked in a particular way - so it's a very light mixture. Quails eggs with celery salt. Manchego cheese with membrillo, which is a quince paste and finally my sole contribution, which were individual miniature pavlovas with fresh orange. Started off with fizzy, red wines during and a dessert wine, which as you'd expect were sourced locally. I have to say it was all quite delicious. He'd prepared everything, made all the tartelette cases etc. I was really proud of him.

So as The Origami Chef's newly appointed manager we have unexpectedly and half-seriously, hit on a brand name for our particular range of savoury bouchée. Perhaps we should do something with the idea.Would be rather exciting.

I lost my phone inside a cow!

Every time I get an idea together for a blog at the moment, something distracts me and sends me off on a completely different track. I think it's all part of my generally distracted demeanor, as I finish getting ready for a visit to the UK next week. One half of me is in France and the other half in England. It's always like this just before we go back. I'll be pleased when it stops. I end up putting things in the wrong place.

So what caused the distraction this time? Well there a several things .To begin with a posting on Facebook from The Daily Mail by Michael Shearing entitled,  I lost my phone inside a cow! It's an article  about mobile phone insurance claims. The title comes from a claim by a farmer who was trying to help a cow give birth and was using the light on his phone, to do what he needed to do. Without being too graphic, the farmer managed during the process, apparently, to drop the phone inside the cow. I just hope there weren't any calls or text messages!  This reminded of a list of hilarious car insurance claims I've got somewhere in the BOA house. They make wonderful reading. . . 'I was parking my car and a tree suddenly jumped out at me and made me swerve into the other vehicle'.  I've had the list for ages and never used it. Now's my chance. Watch this space. Then there was the late night news round-up on Southern TV when I was down in Sussex with Mike one time, which included a report about  a man who had been arrested one evening, after knocking down a cow while on his pedal bike. And then running over it! How? The cow survived but had an interesting kink!  This story remains a complete mystery.

Then I remembered my own mobile phone moments, all of which happened while I was still working in the theatre. I'd phoned one of my technicians from my mobile on his mobile, not knowing that he'd given his phone to an actor to rehearse with. So I managed to phone up in the middle of a rehearsal at the most perfect moment by all accounts, which had the cast in hysterics and they had to stop. Another time I was on tour in Scotland, in a restaurant with the company on what was now our night off. I'd gone to the loo - a modernised block of six metallic cubicles which after I'd arrived, were all occupied. My mobile phone went off. It was so loud, that all the little metal boxes resounded with laughter, as I tried to discuss in a whisper, details of a company call my boss wanted the following day, over breakfast. I could only imagine what it must have sounded like, me whispering 'I'm on the loo and everyone's listening'. The incident at the Barbican was the worst. Me of all people! After a hefty day of rehearsals I had gone to see a show and had forgotten to switch my mobile off. No phonecalls, but the battery was low, and so of course in the middle of the action, it started bleeping. I couldn't get at it either until the interval as my bag had got wedged right under the seat with my coat in front of it. Never did it again mind you!

Then came a Ellen Generes clip, again on Facebook, which a uni pal of mine Debbie posted. I'm not saying any more. Just have a look at it if you've got a minute.
What I wanted to blog about is a French magazine I'm reading which has a whole series of features about French cinema. As I mentioned in an earlier blog we go to the cinema regularly in Chinon and thoroughly enjoy the mix of mainstream and art house movies. So reading a bit more about the history of French cinema has been really interesting.

So finally I am at the point where I was going to start. Although after all the earlier stuff, I'm not sure this really fits in. Anyway I found a really interesting article about the brothers Auguste et Louis Lumière who are credited with the development of film as a mass medium, using the camera-projector called a 'cinématograph 1' They were born 150 years ago on the 19th of October 1862. Their first public film showing was on the 28th December in Paris,1895. Entitled 'Workers leaving the factory' the film started at 7pm and ran for 50 seconds, in front of 33 people. The you tube link is a bit sticky. One of their other famous pieces is called L'Arroseur arrosé which runs for about 44 seconds. The affect on audiences to see moving images must have been quite astounding. The same when sound in movies arrived. For me such a moment was watching a man land on the moon - live broadcast. Quite amazing and something I'll never forget. Back to the Lumière brothers - their house and studio in Lyon is now a cinema and museum and attracts renowned cinéastes (film directors) from all over the world for talks, lectures etc.
A couple of brilliant inventors.

The things you find

original cast

I had got a blog sorted out for today. At least in my head. But then everything changed to more important matters. First of all, Trekkies have been gathering for a Star Trek convention in London this month: 19-21 October.  Got to admit it has been an amazing year for London. First of all Mrs. Queen celebrates her sixtieth anniversary as Mrs Queen. Then came the Olympics, followed by the Paralympics and now a Star Trek convention, which this year has five Star Trek Captains all present and correct. My favourites are Kirk and Jean-Luc Picard otherwise known as William Shatner and Patrick Stewart.   
Am I getting excited or what! 
I am a Junior Trekkie, in as much as I loved the first few series, but never progressed to the costume or make-up stage. The idea of getting decked out does rather appeal though. The question is as what. I'm grappling with the fact that despite my aspirations, I would never have been cast as an Elf in Lord of the Rings - height problem. Or maybe they did they have short elves and Tolkien simply never got round to writing about them, and now obviously, never will. So Star Trek has got to make up for it. I quite fancy playing Uhuru the Communications Officer in the original series. (That would be me in the back row second from the right). Driving the Starship Enterprise instead of Sulu would be good. (That would be me in the back row first on the right). Warp factor 9 Lt. Shearing. Beam me down Shearing. Oops no that means that I'd have to be the whizz engineer, Scotty - don't think so! I'm not good with a spanner.  This is all too much. I'll just have to content myself with watching the DVDs of the original series. Devil in The Dark is one of my favourite episodes featuring The Horta. Terrifying at the time, it now looks like a speeding brown blancmange with acne and a fringe. Still good ideas in the script though. Or The Menagerie - a two-parter all to do with  mind control, illusion and other things.

Then came the news that Superman had resigned from his post with The Daily Planet. This is serious stuff. You know things must be really bad if even Superman has given up. Does this mean that the all American hero is going to disappear for ever? Who will he be replaced with? Wonder if there's any chance that the Lone Ranger and Tonto will come back with their trusty steeds Silver and Scout. Nice little clip here. Will have you on the edge of your seats! Not that I'm regressing or anything, but according to my mother, I used to watch this every week, and every week I would run round the back of the television set to see where all the cowboys and horses and disappeared to.

Having suffered a double whammy of missing a Star Trek convention and a superhero resigning, I thought I'd go outside and do some gardening. Beautiful afternoon and after all the rain we'd had, the beds had dried out enough so that I didn't get covered in mud as I walked around pruning and weeding. Started cutting back one of our rosemary bushes that had grown too big and was becoming a bit of a thug. The branches were so thick, I had to climb into the bush to be able to cut it back. I'd taken off a couple of pieces, then saw carefully balanced on a thick branch but wedged against our house wall an empty, but perfect birds nest. It was an amazing construction and completely hidden from view. Whichever bird built it had a good eye for a secure spot. I took a few photos of it, then left it intact. Had no idea it was there.  Cheered me up no end.



PS It looks like The Lone Ranger is coming back. There's a film being produced with Johnny Depp. Well who else could it possibly be!

The Arts Crowd

Autumn Bell

Having spent thirty+ years immersed in the London arts scene - career and for fun - the decision to move away wasn't an easy one. Our choices of where to move to were heavily influenced by the degree of arts stuff available. We breathe the arts, so continued access was very important. Sounds very smug I know, but with both places we've pretty much aced it. Bradford on Avon (BOA) has been a creative town for centuries and continues to attract all sorts of artistic talent, many of whom are nationally (and internationally) very well known. Bath which is about 8k from BOA is packed with arts events in all sorts of conceivable spaces and all year round, as is Bristol. Then there are annual music and literature festivals in nearby-ish Cheltenham, Salisbury and Gloucester.  And of course London isn't that far away so we usually go back at least a couple of times a year.  We're there the weekend before Christmas.

Our French life is similarly busy with arts events.  From time to time we'd do the usual touristy things of visiting chateaux and gardens. But pretty much all of them organise special themed events and late night openings as an extra way of attracting visitors. Living half the year in France we've gradually become aware of the depth of the creative life in the region. Obviously there's a lot more happening during the season, but being around regularly, you get to know those smaller hidden places and spaces which operate all year round and which we always support when we're here.

Some of them I've already mentioned in earlier blogs and there's more to come. But as far as well known faces are concerned this side of the Channel, the Loire has certainly attracted some 'star' turns. Two of the best known are Leonard da Vinci and to give him his full name, Joseph Mallord William Turner. A quick drive over to Amboise will bring you to the Clos Lucé - Leonardo da Vinci's last destination, which is dedicated to his memory and creative genius, with fabulous working scale models in the house as well as the gardens. Turner was totally besotted with the Loire and appears to have sketched his way along the Loire via Brittany. Whether or not he came to Chinon or Cravant even, I've no idea, but he certainly went to Amboise and Saumur which is another big town to blog about at some stage. The Tate has at least one of Turner's French scenes in its collection. Turner also encouraged other British artists to experience the Loir, including Samuel Proute (architectural watercolour), William Callow (landscape, engraving, watercolour) and Clarkson Stanfield. He was a real turn up. I had heard of him as being an exceptional marine painter, but it turns out that he also worked in the theatre as a scene painter, including the Drury Theatre in London.

Calder mobile: Saché

Two more recent names are Max Ernst and Alexander Calder. Max Ernst lived in Huismes about 8 k from Chinon, with American artist Dorothea Tanning who, amazingly died in January this year aged 101. Calder lived in Saché, which is a bit further away from us at around 22k. There's all sorts of information about him (and Ernst) on the web. I'll never forget the first time we drove through Saché, which is a sweet place but not overly special and there in the centre of the village was/is an enormous Calder mobile. The Chateau at Tours which we visited recently for another exhibition, staged a massive retrospective exhibition of Calder's work a few years ago, which included some filmed pieces of his amazing miniature circus and photos - including shots with his friend Max Ernst. Wonderful collection. 

Anyway if you want to see more, there's a lot of information about all three artists - Calder, Ernst and Tanning - on the web including youtube. It's worth having a look.

What's the French for. . ?

I love the French language as much as I do English. If I didn't I don't think it would be possible to live here. I've always preferred the sound of the lyrical languages such as French, Spanish and Italian. There's something uplifting, expressive about them and they make me smile. But gutteral languages such as German just have never appealed to my ear and I never enjoyed the feel of the language on my tongue. Which is perhaps why I gave it up at school as soon as the opportunity presented itself. 

I can't imagine what the effect would be if, one morning you woke up not only disliking the sound of your own language, but not having any interest in it. Luckily I've always been fascinated by words and they've shaped my life sometimes in the most unexpected ways. Now of course, out of choice, I've two lexicons to play with.

I hadn't appreciated until relatively recently, that at least 43% of English comes from French. Our neighbours here and our co-conversationalists found this quite intriguing. Given our countries shared histories, it's not surprising that language would be part of the cultural exchange. But it's only since I started studying French again and regularly using both languages that I've become aware of the cross-over. Many 'every day' words in English are the same in French. On occasion they are even spelt the same, or there might a one letter difference. Some words are of French origine, but over time have acquired different meanings in each country.

During the summer the grand-children of our neighbours Norbert and Jacqueline came round for an English lesson, to try and ease their worries about starting to learn it at school in Septembre. So I got about 100 words together just to start them off, which were either exactly the same in either language, or had a one letter difference. Of course pronunciation is clearly différente and important to get right. And each word in French comes with gender definition. However the look on their faces as the réalisation began to sink in, that they already knew some English words was just wonderful to see. 

Here are a some which are so obvious, but I'd just stopped thinking about the connection: chef, diction, blancmange, cuisine,orange, table, impossible, ballet, jungle, patron, discipline, adorable, judo, vampire. lion, panorama.

The link below gives an A-Z of English/French cognates.

French language