Cacassonne airport on Weds?

Anyone going to the Airport in the 2cnd? Poo arrives on the 10.25 from the Midlands - if you are there, please bring her back to Tilling. She says shes happy to risk public transport otherwise.
She goes on the 10.50 on Weds 9th if anyone has a flight to meet then... and in the meantime is available to be entertained.

Its true...

Its true; Mr Hall is leaving Tilling. I'm hoping that he will continue to blog from Edinburgh; Its not a patch on the social or cultural life of Tilling of course but it may be interesting to see what other people regard as significant.*sniff*
I've avoided mentioning that Jezza and Bilo are pushing off too, to Canterbury in their case. I had assumed that everyone here was work shy and now they're all taking job offers. Words fail me.

Anyone wanna buy a house?

It is with very mixed feelings that I announce my departure from Esperaza. It is not every day, especially at my age, that one gets unsolicited job offers. I got one and have decided to go back to Edinburgh. I have met so many fantastic people here and you know who you are. I will be back to see you all. I plan to leave around the 24th of July.

xxx

Inaugural Garenaud Gay Pride Weekend

You all know 4 Poofs and a Piano. Now 3 Poofs in a Pool. Thanks to the generous hospitality of Leigh and Lorraine, our foreign correspondents in Montazelshire, the local gays gathered to celebrate Gay Pride. And here they are showing off their brightly coloured noodles. It was a veritable campfest of poofery and much fun was had by all. Hoorah!

garths show

Behold, our telescopic lens brings us pix of Garths show after all -
Here is Garth himself taking instruction and a glitzy host of art lovers...

Its on at Jardin en Ville, 5 Rue des Framboisiers, Carcassonne
on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays, 11H30 - 20H



And thanks to Mark Howie, our radical activist, who it seems was the
sweetie who left the stretchers yesterday. They will be used well.

thanks...

Many thanks to whoever left the stretchers by my front door! Great shape and size. Most kind.

I didn't get to Garths vernissage last night on account of having to work, anyone got any pix? Sorry to have missed it...

dinner do's

Last night I forgot to take my camera but thanks to mine host for unforgettable dinner.

Tonight I remembered it but they are dreadful pix, except for a really good one of Jez. But since he is self-conscious about his suppurating eye thought it best not to publish...

People were taking pictures. Any you would like to see blogward??

Date for the diary; July 4th is MY vernissage, a tasteful collection of portraits intended to inspire folk to commission me. 6.30pm at the Casino at Alet-les-Bains. You would be foolish to miss it, since the restaurant do a brill spread and people in natty cossies serve chilled blanquette. This year I propose to gamble and win, myself. Someone has to.

And tomorrow is Garth's vernissage in Carcassonne. If you haven't been invited well, tough. Or if you have his number, ring him for the details.

alisons fab birthday

Ali and Martin look glamorous while the rest of the party gets on with the feast...






- after dark there was a bonfire and Stan played his cello,
Debs sang - and we all enjoyed the stars and each other.
Thanks for sharing your birthday, darling Ali!

last nights highlights

here - variously - is Mike enjoying his vernissage

and, erm...

lost

Be-Bop (above) has gone missing... the disabled boy who drives the tricycle understandably distraught. Please keep your eyes open for him. He lives in the cottage on the level crossing off the lower road to Campagne-sur-aude, should he turn up.

Warty Bliggins

So there was Msr Cros and his retirement party; there was Mikes (very successful) vernissage; there were the people sitting about in Quillan and the nice statue of the curé with the keys cryptically rusted into it; there was some nonsense over dinner including a picture of Msr Jolie gurning; and they have all disappeared, gorn, vamoosed into limbo or wherever pictures go when they quit your camera.
So I nipped outside and snapped Warty Bliggins here. A treat to see him, at any rate.

debs birthday

I can tell a good evening by the number of photies that are
more creative than representative. But then, I'm highly trained...

Debs, you are an angel to put on such a brill spread at the last
minute. May your new year be the gem of your crown;
until the succeeding years outclass it -

weekend over, now settle down...

Busy in little Tilling - there was Saturdays market and Sundays Vide Grenier, see above. Got a dozen hand painted oyster plates. Can't imagine life without them now.

But to more important issues: Saturdays party.
Calling those who are going to Ali's birthday hoop-la - Can we have a designated driver to get the riff-raff (and me )home?
Is there anyone out there who is on penicillin or feels that the last weekend was enough for a while?
Or has some karmic issue that an be easily addressed in this way?
Please get in touch...

date for diary

http://www.artreview.com/events/event/show?id=1474022:Event:25877
Mikes vernissage - Friday at the Tourist info place in Quillan.
Unmissable...

friends....

Friends are people who come up a mountain on a Saturday night to pull you out of a ditch. Mille Mercies to Annie and Pete and their land rover and the Ullabendix for the chains. We owe you big time.

Leigh has another birthday

Leighs birthday party!!! Those of us
intellectually nimble enough to remember last years event take
off our hats - and knickers and bras - to the man for instigating
an annual event to be remembered!

Gate crashers... and a photo taken from under the table.

canoe prize

This years winner of the canoe arranging award goes to Annie - a fitting decision as she is the instigator of the genre. But the judges were unanimous in their choice - aficionados will appreciate the internal rhythms in the deceptively simple arrangement. Congratulations!

moon mouse

Tillings haikuist
The celebrated Moon Mouse
has gone green, in parts.

Tilling Ten

The Tilling Ten had a vernissage at the Espace d'Art, Rennes les Bains.
The umbrellas of the party greatly contributed to the event.

mamon on mountain top

Took the 8.00am bus from Tilling Station to Andorra (10 euros return) this morning- fabulous scenery through the mountains to the top of the world, where you can buy Pastis for 1.20 Euros for a litre.

Handy for frying prawns.

The mountain flowers can be viewed as the coach slows to get round the hairpin bends. There is still some snow on the mountains and the little waterfalls are going ballistic.

However, this is the image that sticks ...baffling.

mimines vernisage

Mimine went all shy at her vernissage-
she'd brushed her hair and perhaps her strength
had been weakened - regulars will note the floor
of Espace d'art, Mimines distinctive trousers
and little Lily.

So, instead of a photo of the artist here is a lovely
picture of Corella's bejeweled tum.

katrinas vernisage

Daniel and Edith - above - hosted
Katrinas expo at the Atelier in Tilling,
and a fine time was had by all.
Well done that Kat!
And come back soon Pete, we missed you.
(Not yesterdays birthday Pete, Katrinas Pete.)
(actually missed yesterdays Pete too, can he be hors d'combat?)

petes birthday

Its Petes birthday!
I haven't got a picture of St Peter so here is
St Jerome, patron of manicurists.

caca manif

Cacassonne closed off today for a manif - the wine growers are trying to say that they are being killed off by Sarko. Strange atmosphere, despite the lovely weather - clearly the folk are anxious.There were many police vans full of armed police in the side roads.
The debate on the bus concluded by much shrugging and saying, its the same for everybody...

airport run

If anyone wants to join forces with Katrina, she is doing 2 Carcassonne trips.
Wednesday 4 June leaving at 11.00 for the 13.10 departure
Monday 16 June leaving at 14.30 to meet 16.00 arrival. You can e-mail Katrina at katrina@katrinahead.com

convivial répas

Some news from abroad. Our Montazels correspondent, Leigh Barnes, has sent in this report.

On Sunday 1st June some 70 residents of the ancient district of Garenaud, sitting as it does astride Outer Tilling and Montazelshire, took part in a convivial répas in a local field protected from the unseasonal elements only by a thin layer of canvas. Copious quantities of food and wine were consumed and an excellent time was had by all. Your correspondent and his other half waved the flag on behalf of Englandshire and even joined in the raucous and increasingly drunken singing. As the first such event to occur in this district, it was declared a great success and is likely to become something of a regular event.