binding wire works

Last nights gigs;
1.in the square at Tilling, the Eskimo dancers
and chanters of the Folklore Festival:
2. at Marcus and Corellas Espace d'Art vernisage:
3 with John M and Peter G at T Rex sorting out the world.

......Camera doing odd things




In my experience most things can be fixed with either a bit
of binding wire or some gaffa tape. By shoving a bit of wire in
the camera it can be switched off or on.

Doesn't make for better photos, helas.

paint your own picture

Tillings temporary stage was graced with the dancing troupe
from Columbia. The mayor introduced Msr Ortega who read
out a paper telling us where Columbia was.

The stage was dressed in veridian plastic and the shadows of the
plane trees were ultramarine. The band were dressed in acid
yellow shirts and black trousers; very nice. The dancers were
various; girls in blues, orange, green with top skirts that sparkle,
the blokes in white trousers and shirts. Waistbands in dull red
and hats of straw. They all whirl and twirl and the girls have
disconcertingly white M and S type knickers.

The music is great and the dancing charming.

Three little angelic faced girls with long tumbly blonde curls are
in the meantime scrambling under the stage. They are in pink
and white bits of contemporary clothing and are beginning to
upstage the pros. I so regret my lack of camera, it would be
such a cool shot. So I was pleased when I saw Therese, the
lady who takes the photies for the local rag, get up and head
towards them - but alas, she is telling them off and asking them
to sit down.

Drat.

The dancers change to the disco version, girls in short black
cossies with frilly edges of green, red, orange, white and gold
and boys in black swirly capes made of spangles and net,
featuring a bib affair and a sparkly headdress with elastic backs.
They whirl and twirl a great deal and heave each other about.

There is no stopping the pink and white sisters now, they are
dancing with the troupe so the adults get up and join in. Its
all very happy and good hearted. I got an achy face from smiling.

Tomorrow at 5.00 its Tchoukotkas turn which we think is Eskimo.
Hope so; they were fantastic at the launch last night.
Afterwards its the viewing at l'espace d'art, Rennes-les-bains,
dont forget - first knees-up of the summer.

blog off

Last night I was snapping away at the alfresco dinner chez
chateau St Julia de Bec, Rushton and cohorts, nestling in the
mountains with a hot sunset - lovely pix - after which we all
tipped down for the International Festival of Folklore launch
in Quillan.
All that whirling and leaping. Photo opportunities galore.

Which was when I discovered that the little plastic on/off
button on my trusty camera had snapped. Chances of repair
totally zilch. Making it the second camera to die on duty for
this blog.

Shall I hone my word picture skills or just take the hint and call
it a day?

good news from Blighty

Jezza and Bilo are wed!! Many congratulations and a long and
happy life to them both.

Tilling People

Here is Peter B., still missed after two long days;
wonderful portrait by Tony Othan.

And also by Tony, here is Madame Paulette, known and loved
by all of Tilling.

Misinformation 'r'us

Apologies to those I misinformed about last night.
I lied.

Thought that the Espace d'Art season recommenced but we have
that to look forward to next Friday instead. Had a good evening
with Pete and Clare and Freya anyway...

Tilling is empty today, half the population and then some having
decamped to the beach.
The rest are celebrating Los Fecos' anniversary. The eagle eyed
will spot Barry or possibly Frank, one of the towns two police
persons, dressed in the customary white shirt and black eye.

They will be partying till late tonight if anyone can face it.

fridays vernisage

 Marcus and Corella are back in action with 
"La Photographie Insolite",
at the galerie Espace d'Art in Rennes les Bains, on 
Friday 30 July at 6pm. There are 30 artists showing, 
giving you a chance to speed-view the local talent.
 

The exhibition continues from 30 July to 8 August,
Friday to Sunday between 2pm and 7pm.

au revoir Pete'n'Annie

We raised our plastic mugs with Ceri in tribute to our friends
Pete and Annie, who tomorrow leave for Ireland en route to
Scotland.




It was a fine farewell if tinged with sadness. But Annie will be
visiting in a month and of course we are all packing to join them
some three hours north of Inverness.


Ive always wanted to see the Aurora Borealis.

John and Margarets farewell

alas, John
and Margaret join the ranks of those who have better
things to do elsewhere.
I'm getting my head around trying to enjoy these adieus and
indeed did enjoy tonight enormously. You can tell by the photies -
these are the only usable ones and they are baffling.

Top one I know is UllaB's back though his wife says he has better
bruises elsewhere. Cant remember why I didn't see them - or did
I?- or where he got them from.

Here he is, offering you a chance to supply your own caption.

Many thanks to John for overdoing the blanquette, which was a
very good idea, and to Margaret for patient hostessing and delicious
delectable derloverly nibbley things; small wonder the tribe didn't
want to go home.

Farewells...

Sunday Tony and Helen left - though they'd only been here
overnight - and yesterday Bob, who'd been here since Thursday.
Same as Liz and Frank, seen here with the waiter from le Cantou,
having a last (excellent) meal before returning to Blighty.
Smashing night; the entire staff joined us outside for a digestif,
very drole too. Good food culminating in their chocolate mousse
and cinnamon ice cream.
Too many farewells going on. Come back soon

Tour de France

The Tour de France came to the Café de la Gare yesterday.
They obviously knew it was still closed and carried on to Quillan.


Lots and lots of them going fast. Anyone know who won?

vernissage at Boudets gaff, Rennes-les-Bains

It was Trebour who pointed out that the spot of tonights expo
was -incredibly - the old presbytery, home of Henri Boudet and
therefore where he wrote his remarkable "La vraie langue
celtique : Et le Cromleck de Rennes-les-Bains", which has been
done into english by Marcus and Corella, see

http://www.atelier-empreinte.fr/thetruecelticlanguageand
thestonecircleofrenneslesbains-p-2193.html

(you may have to cut-and-paste that one, or just google it)

The show went well; the artists survived, no-one was nasty.
Above is the terrace from the expo space which was Boudets
back garden.

The big news actually was Els leg, seen here - tragically I missed the shot where she fell unconcio., covered in
crepie and bleeding profusely. 14 stitches!!!
-Ask her husband about it, its a drole story.

l'artothèque tonight

Thought I'd be clever and let you know about tonights
event a couple of days in advance so you'd remember -
I didn't expect the computer to develop what is called a
'ghost' modem and render itself effectively useless.

Thanks to the good offices of Marcus and Teleconnect all
is restored, so; if you haven't already got arrangements
for the apero hour tonight, please come at 6pm to

l'artothèque [*] de Rennes les Bains, rue de l'église,

(thats down the steps to the library by the side of the
church off the square)where Jim and Kat and I will be
helping the mayor to dispose of some free wine.
And showing off some new paintings.

* artothèque n.f. = Organisme de prêt d'oeuvres d'art...

party snaps from Mavis

winning is a meaningless construct

Watched the match with the Dutch over the road, their family
and friends and though one might say that Spain won, the
Dutch were more fun.
When Spain (finally) scored, they broke out into "Viva Espana"

As Ian said, the man of the match was le flic anglais; the ref.

I would add that the other was John, Tobys brother, who kept
the barbecue going through it all and of course Leo who sorted
vin rouge. I left to the merry voice of Toby calling Fresh
Blanquette! Fresh Blanquette! When not advertising
Fresh Vin Rouge!
Great evening. Sorry you guys lost but hey, its only a game....

happy birthday Dorothea Tanning

Been in Provence - Seillans - for an exhibition called
*Happy Birthday Dorothea Tanning*
at Maison Waldberg.

Tanning lives in New York but lived at Seillans with Max Ernst
for a decade, mid 1960 -70's.
She will be 100 years old in August, hence the show: which was
wonderful. Beautifully presented, lots of info and photos of her
time in France, marvellous examples of her work.

Our Marcus played a major part in setting up the exhibition
and he was much feted by the town. As a hanger-on I basked in
his reflection and got fed at La Glorie de Mon Pere, a restaurant
under the trees by the fountain which I recommend to those who
make the trip to see the show. Do! Its a rare chance to see a major
player in the surreal circle.

dynamite

Kat 'n' me went to Paulilles where Nobel used to make dynamite.
Sounds so cozy - cartoon sticks with a fuse that cowboys chuck
about pubs when not blasting mines. Sounds like Marmite. Nice.

They manufactured nitroglycerin there and sulphuric acid;
workers got blown up and the side effects were terrible. The
factory closed - which lucky country hosts the manufacturing
now, one wonders? - but Nobel, his inventions and his guilt-money,
remain key in our culture.

The place has been landscaped and the beach turned over to
people.
Here me and Kat claim it for Tilling.

After an exhausting day on the beach it was time to water the
trees on the mountain.

As the sun set gloriously, it seemed that an outbreak of
wife-beating had broken out. All that could be heard rising from
the town were male cries of Merde! and ALLEZZZ.

Now there are car horns beeping.
Ahhh - a football game, perhaps?

post party post

Guests have gone to their several homes.
Lily is sulking; why have I driven away her friends?

I am uncleaning the house.

Where did we put everything to get the place fit to party in?

Where is the coffee filter?

In the microwave is a lemon cake of great deliciousness;
(I suspect Jacqui, hers is the perfect lemon cake hand.)

In the fridge was a chocolate mousse cake. I know the
boulangerie it came from - written on the box, innit - but not
who caused it to be put there. There is another cake, a
mississippi mud pie if I'm any judge, that was in foil in the fridge.
Whoever made it is a genius.

The pretty fairy cakes got eaten for breakfast yesterday;
everyone thought Louise had made them. They saved me
a green one and it acted as a healing spell.

A large bowl of potato salad got eaten yesterday too, yummy;
the big red bowl it came in should be claimed and then I can
thank the donor and pass on the thanks of my houseguests.

There's a brown pie dish in the kitchen that I dont recognise but
will steal if not claimed.

Someone bought a large bowl of wild plums and Ive turned the
uneaten ones into an uncertain jam, if anyone wants any -

Thanks are due everywhere;

To Bob and his ability to juggle two fridges and an icebox to
ensure cold blanquette all night.
To Stan, Debs, Mark and Kate for the best live music on planet
Tilling.
To the team of sandwich makers - you know who you are -
To the dancing partygoers that made it all such fun.

Feel like an elderly princess... tempting to itemise my pressies
but a bit vulgar, perhaps, no?? Decked in new jewelry with my
feet on the coronet coconut matting, surrounded by flowers and
plants, listening to music Ive unwrapped from new cellophane
envelopes, I have to say that age need not oppress me - not with
friends like y'all. Bisouxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

22250 days on earth

It was a good party. This is one of the better photos.

chateau Bowyer

dinner at Annie and Petes with Gus and Leon, Fiona and us...


someway should be found to prevent these people
from leaving the country. Even Gus.


My party tonight!! please come - rain looks likely so we are putting
up those tent things. No need for wellies.

Let revelry commence...

Captain H is here...
Fiona's here... party tomorrow!

Hot

Discovered that my incompetence means that I can't link you to
the Aude Flyer without giving access to my email Inbox -
you do not need this, trust me, so I suggest you get Steve to
send it to you direct. Email him at mail@audeflyer.com.
Useful and engaging info sheet.

Whilst its too hot to go out or do anything, you may as well
take a look at some newly blogged pix;
www.thishumanclay.blogspot.com
(also listed in links)

lala. Hot, aint it? I see from l'Independant that a geezer walking
nude in Limoux having left his clothes in the fountain ("son corps
est tres beau") has been arrested and taken to the psychiatric
dept. Who are they calling mad??