18th August 2009
Dear All
You will find attached Missive 9, which will also be on the blog now, and amazingly for once I think the missive says it all!!
Hope you're having a good summer and the weather has picked up from our visit to the UK.
Love
Roger
Mes chers amis
WET, WET, WET! ~ Missive 9
Once again, it’s some time since the last missive, partly due to us having been in England for a couple of weeks and also see the profound thought for the “day” at the end.
Why “Wet, Wet, Wet? I hear you collectively ask, and I’m sure you’d be partly right! Yes, we chose to return to England that fortnight, and for the fifteen days we were on English and briefly Welsh soil, it rained heavily for 14 of the days, at its worst it seemed when we were travelling. So with journeys from Dover to Stroud and back, Stroud to The Forest of Dean, Stroud to Broadway and back, to York and back, in total well over 2000 miles, of which only 800 was in France, the windscreen wipers were given a good work out.
The rain even had the cheek to follow us back over La Manche, and for the first hundred or so miles, 160 km now we were back in France, the rain lashed down. But on our return the only sogginess now is caused by sweat, or perspiration for the sensitive amongst you, as temperatures soar into the 30’s!! And, when you look around at the numerous reservoirs in the area that are becoming seriously low and some of the less hardy / less deeply rooted trees have already started their autumn, and it’s only the beginning of August!! We’re in a drought big time, but more about that in the next missive.
The Moon’s in “A”
For some year’s now, Victoria (my daughter) and I have “communed,” or perhaps that should be “commooned!,” through the moon and its various phases! I guess it all started when Victoria, Daniel and I would walk on Rodborough Common, on the night of the full moon, in order to wave to the man in the moon!! I should point out that was some time ago, when the children were only little, but Victoria, now 22, is still known to do it now – a girl after my own heart!!
Just before Victoria finished her “A” levels and then afterwards, with almost undue haste, jetted off for adventures in South Africa and Swaziland, I was watching a fascinating programme about the moon and there was this amazing, although when you think about it unsurprising, revelation that in the Southern Hemisphere the moon is upside down, well at least you see it the other way up to how we do in England. I suppose really, it’s you the observer who is upside down!
So on a moonlit walk prior to her departure, no doubt after a glass or two, we decided to view the moon “African” style, by standing legs apart and looking through our legs at the moon! Then it sort of stuck and rarely a full moon goes by without us contacting each other and reaching out – commooning, across the sometimes thousands of miles that separate us, sort of secure in the knowledge that we can both see the same view, clouds permitting!
Why am I telling you this now you may wonder, well as some of you may know, for her dissertation research, looking at the effects of the Aids pandemic on orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), (you can tell I’ve been reading through the first draft of her dissertation!!) she has recently returned to Swaziland. After, her first visit she has rarely stopped talking, sometime in SiSwati, about the country and particularly the people and orphans she worked with, in a country that has become very dear to her heart. So to build her dissertation around research to be carried out in Swaziland, whilst hopefully catching up with people she had met previously seemed a good idea, and I can only imagine at some of the squealing that must have gone on when she met Ziyanda and her new youngish child, Esphile who Victoria hadn’t met, the intensity no doubt increasing when she found out another was on the way!!
Well, the night of the full moon coincided with both her visit to Swaziland and us having friends to stay from York. The day before, right on clue, she beat me to it and texted me to say don’t forget to look at the African moon tomorrow night! So, to cut a long story short, at gone 11 o’clock the following night, in near perfect moon watching conditions; a clear sky and a warm still night, we have photos to show Linda and I, with our friends from York, legs wide and looking through them at the moon that is clearly visible in the background!!! Then, by the wonders of modern technology, we were able to first text some pictures to Victoria, much to the amusement of her friends in the bar, and later email some better pictures from the camera, so the tradition continues!
The title, The Moon’s in “A,” well it started life as the title of a song by Decameron, a popular Folk / Rock group from the late 60’s / early 70’s, but seems rather fitting when viewing the moon in “A” for Africa!!
Blog UK
This section was going to “dish the dirt,” as it were, on those friends we met up with on our recent UK visit, news of those particularly who haven’t ventured Vendée way and therefore not had the opportunity to feature in a missive or on the blog!!
Sadly, maybe due to the soggy weather putting a dampener on things, there’s little scandal to report. We did however catch up with a few friends and quite a lot of the family, finding people in good spirits despite the weather. Daniel’s kitchen is all but finished and he was getting ready to spend a week at The Wilderness, an outdoor pursuit’s centre in the Forest of Dean, completing his Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award, which we are both very proud to say he has now successfully finished. My Mum and Dad returned from their second trip to France with the caravan, just after we came back, we had seen them at the beginning of this holiday, and they were busy unpacking and getting the caravan ready for their third trip to France (there was a time when I would have said “It’s alright for some!) to holiday with my brother and his family and end up here once again for our annual Family Weekend, which this year – is it the pull of the sunshine (fingers crossed!), cheese, wine, oysters ........ or do they want to see us!?!
Victoria returned from Swaziland so we were able to catch up with all her news, and we met several friends who have threatened to come us see us – but so far only the Chalford contingent have booked up, the rest we are awaiting the call! Seriously though, visitors are actively encouraged, we’re not just saying that, we are delighted to see people, otherwise we only have each other, and the neighbouring herd of cows to talk to!!!
In York, we were able to meet the latest edition to the family, baby Jack who entered the world in March and is a happy soul, who if he isn’t giggling or smiling is eating or sleeping. Victoria has just met him and her “He’s adorable!” pretty well sums him up!
The nearest to scandal, was when I briefly met one of the many Ann’s I know, India Ann, who works on the customer services desk on Sunday in one of the Stroud supermarkets. I popped in waited for her to finish serving a customer, and in my best French greeted her warmly, hugged her and kissed her in the French style on both cheeks. Not, I should add here, with a French kiss, as one of our recent visitors announced on arrival and after the customary peck on both cheeks – Oh! French kissing! It’s at times like that that we are grateful not to have any close neighbours!!! Well, after the initial shock of my appearance, India Ann quickly composed grabbed me tightly and nearly pulled me across the counter, I remember thinking, I hope there is not one of those automatic security grids that come down when a panic button is pressed, as the young “Saturday lad” also at the counter looked decidedly worried, a look that changed to one of utter astonishment when, Ann finally released me and turned to him and said “I’ve no idea who this is!!!”
Then it was back, as they say after a holiday, to reality, except we’re not really sure what that is anymore!!!
Why’s that jogger up in the sky?
The more observant amongst you may well have viewed the video piece called “Blue Sky Thinking” on my blog (“It happened one Thursday in February,” just in case you’ve forgotten!!). On this you get an idea of my delight for gazing skywards and seeing what shapes the clouds, or indeed the silhouetted trees, particularly at night, appear as.
I’m reminded of a time a couple of years ago, when camping with the children from school. They had all gone to bed and all was quiet, that’s wishful thinking for a start!, and the adults were relaxing around the campfire, swopping stories and having a well deserved rest, when suddenly, I announced “Look there’s a jogger!” The other adults, I’m sure not for the first time, thought I had gone mad, until I drew attention to the old gnarled tree at the bottom of the field, standing starkly in front of the darkening sky. Indeed, before the end of the evening the tree had taken on many forms, finally stopping at a footballer, with a remarkable resemblance to David Beckham, volleying a football towards a certain goal, or perhaps that should be volleying a ball well over the top of the cross bar!
Shortly afterwards I found a fantastic book, published by “The Cloud Appreciation Society” (www.cloudappreciationsociety.org) called The Cloudspotter’s Guide by Gavin Pretor-Pinney, founder of the society, and subsequently another book “A Pig with SixLegs and other clouds” edited by the same person.
In the words of W.H. Davies, who spent the last years of his life in the Stroud Valleys at Nailsworth ~ “What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare?” I commend both the Cloud Appreciation Society and the poems of William Henry Davies, to give him his rarely seen full name. Also, why only stop at the first two lines of his famous poem ~ it really is rather apt, and in keeping with a framed quote I always rather liked, that hung in the gents at a conference venue used regularly by the Gloucester School’s Partnership Headteachers. Indeed, when I left this august body, I received a framed copy of the quote: “Be not so busy making a living that you forget to make a life!” printed with the background of a rather splendid sunset.
Leisure
WHAT is this life if, full of care,We have no time to stand and stare?—
No time to stand beneath the boughs,And stare as long as sheep and cows:
No time to see, when woods we pass,Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:
No time to see, in broad daylight,Streams full of stars, like skies at night:
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,And watch her feet, how they can dance:
No time to wait till her mouth canEnrich that smile her eyes began?
A poor life this if, full of care,We have no time to stand and stare.
Dear All
You will find attached Missive 9, which will also be on the blog now, and amazingly for once I think the missive says it all!!
Hope you're having a good summer and the weather has picked up from our visit to the UK.
Love
Roger
Mes chers amis
WET, WET, WET! ~ Missive 9
Once again, it’s some time since the last missive, partly due to us having been in England for a couple of weeks and also see the profound thought for the “day” at the end.
Why “Wet, Wet, Wet? I hear you collectively ask, and I’m sure you’d be partly right! Yes, we chose to return to England that fortnight, and for the fifteen days we were on English and briefly Welsh soil, it rained heavily for 14 of the days, at its worst it seemed when we were travelling. So with journeys from Dover to Stroud and back, Stroud to The Forest of Dean, Stroud to Broadway and back, to York and back, in total well over 2000 miles, of which only 800 was in France, the windscreen wipers were given a good work out.
The rain even had the cheek to follow us back over La Manche, and for the first hundred or so miles, 160 km now we were back in France, the rain lashed down. But on our return the only sogginess now is caused by sweat, or perspiration for the sensitive amongst you, as temperatures soar into the 30’s!! And, when you look around at the numerous reservoirs in the area that are becoming seriously low and some of the less hardy / less deeply rooted trees have already started their autumn, and it’s only the beginning of August!! We’re in a drought big time, but more about that in the next missive.
The Moon’s in “A”
For some year’s now, Victoria (my daughter) and I have “communed,” or perhaps that should be “commooned!,” through the moon and its various phases! I guess it all started when Victoria, Daniel and I would walk on Rodborough Common, on the night of the full moon, in order to wave to the man in the moon!! I should point out that was some time ago, when the children were only little, but Victoria, now 22, is still known to do it now – a girl after my own heart!!
Just before Victoria finished her “A” levels and then afterwards, with almost undue haste, jetted off for adventures in South Africa and Swaziland, I was watching a fascinating programme about the moon and there was this amazing, although when you think about it unsurprising, revelation that in the Southern Hemisphere the moon is upside down, well at least you see it the other way up to how we do in England. I suppose really, it’s you the observer who is upside down!
So on a moonlit walk prior to her departure, no doubt after a glass or two, we decided to view the moon “African” style, by standing legs apart and looking through our legs at the moon! Then it sort of stuck and rarely a full moon goes by without us contacting each other and reaching out – commooning, across the sometimes thousands of miles that separate us, sort of secure in the knowledge that we can both see the same view, clouds permitting!
Why am I telling you this now you may wonder, well as some of you may know, for her dissertation research, looking at the effects of the Aids pandemic on orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), (you can tell I’ve been reading through the first draft of her dissertation!!) she has recently returned to Swaziland. After, her first visit she has rarely stopped talking, sometime in SiSwati, about the country and particularly the people and orphans she worked with, in a country that has become very dear to her heart. So to build her dissertation around research to be carried out in Swaziland, whilst hopefully catching up with people she had met previously seemed a good idea, and I can only imagine at some of the squealing that must have gone on when she met Ziyanda and her new youngish child, Esphile who Victoria hadn’t met, the intensity no doubt increasing when she found out another was on the way!!
Well, the night of the full moon coincided with both her visit to Swaziland and us having friends to stay from York. The day before, right on clue, she beat me to it and texted me to say don’t forget to look at the African moon tomorrow night! So, to cut a long story short, at gone 11 o’clock the following night, in near perfect moon watching conditions; a clear sky and a warm still night, we have photos to show Linda and I, with our friends from York, legs wide and looking through them at the moon that is clearly visible in the background!!! Then, by the wonders of modern technology, we were able to first text some pictures to Victoria, much to the amusement of her friends in the bar, and later email some better pictures from the camera, so the tradition continues!
The title, The Moon’s in “A,” well it started life as the title of a song by Decameron, a popular Folk / Rock group from the late 60’s / early 70’s, but seems rather fitting when viewing the moon in “A” for Africa!!
Blog UK
This section was going to “dish the dirt,” as it were, on those friends we met up with on our recent UK visit, news of those particularly who haven’t ventured Vendée way and therefore not had the opportunity to feature in a missive or on the blog!!
Sadly, maybe due to the soggy weather putting a dampener on things, there’s little scandal to report. We did however catch up with a few friends and quite a lot of the family, finding people in good spirits despite the weather. Daniel’s kitchen is all but finished and he was getting ready to spend a week at The Wilderness, an outdoor pursuit’s centre in the Forest of Dean, completing his Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award, which we are both very proud to say he has now successfully finished. My Mum and Dad returned from their second trip to France with the caravan, just after we came back, we had seen them at the beginning of this holiday, and they were busy unpacking and getting the caravan ready for their third trip to France (there was a time when I would have said “It’s alright for some!) to holiday with my brother and his family and end up here once again for our annual Family Weekend, which this year – is it the pull of the sunshine (fingers crossed!), cheese, wine, oysters ........ or do they want to see us!?!
Victoria returned from Swaziland so we were able to catch up with all her news, and we met several friends who have threatened to come us see us – but so far only the Chalford contingent have booked up, the rest we are awaiting the call! Seriously though, visitors are actively encouraged, we’re not just saying that, we are delighted to see people, otherwise we only have each other, and the neighbouring herd of cows to talk to!!!
In York, we were able to meet the latest edition to the family, baby Jack who entered the world in March and is a happy soul, who if he isn’t giggling or smiling is eating or sleeping. Victoria has just met him and her “He’s adorable!” pretty well sums him up!
The nearest to scandal, was when I briefly met one of the many Ann’s I know, India Ann, who works on the customer services desk on Sunday in one of the Stroud supermarkets. I popped in waited for her to finish serving a customer, and in my best French greeted her warmly, hugged her and kissed her in the French style on both cheeks. Not, I should add here, with a French kiss, as one of our recent visitors announced on arrival and after the customary peck on both cheeks – Oh! French kissing! It’s at times like that that we are grateful not to have any close neighbours!!! Well, after the initial shock of my appearance, India Ann quickly composed grabbed me tightly and nearly pulled me across the counter, I remember thinking, I hope there is not one of those automatic security grids that come down when a panic button is pressed, as the young “Saturday lad” also at the counter looked decidedly worried, a look that changed to one of utter astonishment when, Ann finally released me and turned to him and said “I’ve no idea who this is!!!”
Then it was back, as they say after a holiday, to reality, except we’re not really sure what that is anymore!!!
Why’s that jogger up in the sky?
The more observant amongst you may well have viewed the video piece called “Blue Sky Thinking” on my blog (“It happened one Thursday in February,” just in case you’ve forgotten!!). On this you get an idea of my delight for gazing skywards and seeing what shapes the clouds, or indeed the silhouetted trees, particularly at night, appear as.
I’m reminded of a time a couple of years ago, when camping with the children from school. They had all gone to bed and all was quiet, that’s wishful thinking for a start!, and the adults were relaxing around the campfire, swopping stories and having a well deserved rest, when suddenly, I announced “Look there’s a jogger!” The other adults, I’m sure not for the first time, thought I had gone mad, until I drew attention to the old gnarled tree at the bottom of the field, standing starkly in front of the darkening sky. Indeed, before the end of the evening the tree had taken on many forms, finally stopping at a footballer, with a remarkable resemblance to David Beckham, volleying a football towards a certain goal, or perhaps that should be volleying a ball well over the top of the cross bar!
Shortly afterwards I found a fantastic book, published by “The Cloud Appreciation Society” (www.cloudappreciationsociety.org) called The Cloudspotter’s Guide by Gavin Pretor-Pinney, founder of the society, and subsequently another book “A Pig with SixLegs and other clouds” edited by the same person.
In the words of W.H. Davies, who spent the last years of his life in the Stroud Valleys at Nailsworth ~ “What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare?” I commend both the Cloud Appreciation Society and the poems of William Henry Davies, to give him his rarely seen full name. Also, why only stop at the first two lines of his famous poem ~ it really is rather apt, and in keeping with a framed quote I always rather liked, that hung in the gents at a conference venue used regularly by the Gloucester School’s Partnership Headteachers. Indeed, when I left this august body, I received a framed copy of the quote: “Be not so busy making a living that you forget to make a life!” printed with the background of a rather splendid sunset.
Leisure
WHAT is this life if, full of care,We have no time to stand and stare?—
No time to stand beneath the boughs,And stare as long as sheep and cows:
No time to see, when woods we pass,Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:
No time to see, in broad daylight,Streams full of stars, like skies at night:
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,And watch her feet, how they can dance:
No time to wait till her mouth canEnrich that smile her eyes began?
A poor life this if, full of care,We have no time to stand and stare.
Both sort of sum up the way the missives, the wider blog and life generally is shaping up!! I now have quality time, energy and passion to become philosophical, observant and to think!
The silent wolf!
I’m sure that on an earlier blog, I’ve mentioned our close proximity to the 16th century wolf pit, deep in the chateau woods. Well, back then in the 16th century the servants of the good people of the chateau, plagued it would appear by a proliferation of wild wolfs, preying on their livestock and who knows, perhaps the odd unwary human ambling peacefully in the wood, dug a deep pit with sheer stone-lined sides and would bait it, cover it in twigs and leaves and hopefully trap and kill the unwary beasts.
Enter Tottoon, the chateau hound, a large shaggy black beast who pads silently around coming up when least expected! You might be bent over weeding the garden and suddenly you’re aware of being watched, and sure enough after the initial shock of thinking wolves are still around, you realise its Tottoon come to call. Other than looks that where the resemblance to a wolf stops ~ she’s quite a charming, happy, self contained soul, who seems to like nothing better than accompanying us on our evening walks, padding silently on ahead, as Max sniffs along behind, stopping every so often to check we’re still there, and on our return she’s off without a backward look, to go and check up on Monsieur!
The egret has landed
Strictly, I suppose this should be the “egrets” have landed, but that’s not how it was for Neil Armstrong or Michael Caine in the film of book with the “similar” name, by Jack Higgins!!
We had first properly encountered (I had seen them from afar, amongst a herd of cattle a couple of days previously) what was a rather large flock of these brilliantly white and excruciatingly shy birds, when they had taken up residence on the low trees surrounding Monsieur’s grand lac (large lake). Here they were hung haphazardly like the incredibly white washing, pummelled in the muddy water of an Indian river and spread over the surrounding bushes to dry. I often ask myself the question – just how do they get the washing so white? You could similarly ask how the egrets stay so pristine, when surrounded by murky water, muddy foreshore and the increasingly dusty banks of drought affected ponds and lakes.
However, before we even broke cover the egrets had flown and were heading over the distance trees to drape themselves on some other waterside location. However, not to be daunted we returned the following night complete with camera and telephoto lens, found they had returned, and crept up on them altogether more quietly, only to be thwarted once more by an alert bird giving a warning and the others going into flight mode so quickly as to only be able to get one clear photo opportunity, through the trees, before they were gone. Slightly disgruntled we left, wondering whether we would have to resort to some sort of camouflage or hide to get sort good shots, but didn’t really give it much thought for a day or two.
Imagine then our surprise, when returning from a shopping trip, through the back way, we found that they had moved in with our neighbouring herd of cows, and as the cows nonchalantly grazed their way across the field they seemed to be chaperoned by one or two of these magnificent birds, looking I guess for rich picking amongst the dung!! No sooner had the car come into sight than these shy birds took to the air and disappeared far away over the distant trees, we thought never to be seen again. But, as the days have gone by they have come back and even begun to stay grazing in the field as we walk by, if they are not too close to the fence, and if they do fly it seems now they do a quick circuit and return when we are safely past.
The photos? Well all that talk of camouflage and hides was somewhat premature, as some of the best shots I have got sitting at the table after tea, in comfort, with a glass of wine to hand –isn’t this called being an “armchair naturalist,” or is that only when the wonderful natural world unfolds in front of you on a small scene!?!
What a shower!
Not in this case relating to the glass cubicle in the bathroom, which it could quite easily, as the other day I heard Linda informing someone that “It’s quite simply the best shower we have ever had!” So there you have it –praise indeed!
No in this case, I’m referring to the Perseid shower, an annual occurrence that brings an even greater majesty and wonder to our night skies, and yes before you ask, unlike the African sky in “The moon’s in “A,” our Vendéen night sky is much the same as that in old England, albeit suffering from no light pollution from street lights or the like, except if Max goes out and turns on the automatic security light, by walking underneath it, not by dexterity of paw, you understand!!
During the course of said evening, several times I ventured outside, and as suggested lay back in a reclining chair and enjoyed. It was a perfect night for star gazing, so often not the case when the evening weather-person tells us what a great sight we are in for, later in the night – weather permitting, and it rarely seems to! I sat feeling very small with the vast firmament that seemed to be pressing down, so intense was the light and the sheer number of stars and I thought about early man and their need to worship the “heavens.” I also couldn’t help feeling that somewhere, just somewhere, there must be life out there, we can’t be that special and unique and how unimaginable it is that it just goes on infinitely – powerful stuff !!
Then as the near quarter moon rose, as the shower lived up to expectations, at times not short of a firework display, I found myself reminiscing, and two incidents came back. The first a similar if not quite as warm (it was still 20°C at 1.30 in the morning) Welsh evening, sitting late at night in a field outside Brecon on an annual Gastrell’s Ramblers weekend, and as the stars started shooting, one of the assembled company was astonished – he thought shooting stars only happened in the southern hemisphere – how easy it is to pick up the wrong message I thought.
The second, with also a Welsh connection, was sitting late at night on the common above Stroud with my boss, and her husband I hasten to add, hoping to snatch a promised glimpse of the Northern Lights only to be thwarted by the clouds. But we sat on a chilly evening with cars parked next to each other chatting through the open windows. But, being more that the permitted 15 yds from the road a passing police car drove over to ask what we were doing! I can’t remember if the boss used her Welsh to baffle the policeman on that occasion or not – but see frequently did and probably continues to do so!!
A quote and profound thought of the “day!”
In a magazine I was recently reading I came across this quote from Dr. Joan Harvey from Newcastle University’s School of Psychology: “Humans adapt brilliantly to the countryside; we sense time passing differently, even the smell of the air. The countryside isn’t silent of course; what we’re enjoying is our natural ability to recalibrate to its rhythm.” I’ll like to tell you it was in some learned journal entitled “Psychology Review” or “Psychology Today” but it was actually in a Country Walking magazine! Nonetheless, how very true, and as we recalibrate, perhaps that explains why it has taken so long to send you this, the latest “Nouvelles de la Vendée,” (News from the Vendée)!
Kind regards, Best Wishes and Love
Roger, Linda and Max ~ (“Continuing the weather gloat, whoops theme – how pleasant it is, to once more be able to lie outside in the warm sunshine and come in and out without the ignominy of having to have one’s wet paws wiped each time, as the UK gardens did seem to be rather soggy on our recent visit!!)
And to come next time, maybe: “Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink- nearly!,” or “When the cat’s away the mice will dance!,” “What came first – the trolley or the trap?,” “Something good from Swaziland” and “Children.” The “day’s thought” – a good book.
“What about the Citizen Blog?” Oh, these media people! They have been looking for the right “platform” on which to launch me to the unsuspecting people of Gloucestershire! They think they have now found it and will be in touch shortly!! They seem keen, but not sure if it’s a case of “Don’t call us, we’ll call you!,” leaving me in true “Britain’s Got Talent” fashion sobbing outside the audition room! That Simon can be so cruel(!!!!) and we don’t even watch it, in fact we don’t even have a television now, despite “Phonezilla” from the France Telecom office telling us our package comes complete with 40 FREE channels. We’re told that French television isn’t a patch on that in England. With the likes of the afore mentioned programme and others like “Big Brother” “Jeremy Kyle and “Loose Women” (included to annoy Linda!), Dieu aide les Français!
Roger, Linda and Max ~ (“Continuing the weather gloat, whoops theme – how pleasant it is, to once more be able to lie outside in the warm sunshine and come in and out without the ignominy of having to have one’s wet paws wiped each time, as the UK gardens did seem to be rather soggy on our recent visit!!)
And to come next time, maybe: “Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink- nearly!,” or “When the cat’s away the mice will dance!,” “What came first – the trolley or the trap?,” “Something good from Swaziland” and “Children.” The “day’s thought” – a good book.
“What about the Citizen Blog?” Oh, these media people! They have been looking for the right “platform” on which to launch me to the unsuspecting people of Gloucestershire! They think they have now found it and will be in touch shortly!! They seem keen, but not sure if it’s a case of “Don’t call us, we’ll call you!,” leaving me in true “Britain’s Got Talent” fashion sobbing outside the audition room! That Simon can be so cruel(!!!!) and we don’t even watch it, in fact we don’t even have a television now, despite “Phonezilla” from the France Telecom office telling us our package comes complete with 40 FREE channels. We’re told that French television isn’t a patch on that in England. With the likes of the afore mentioned programme and others like “Big Brother” “Jeremy Kyle and “Loose Women” (included to annoy Linda!), Dieu aide les Français!
