good news

Hurrah! Text from Pete to say that Katrinas leg operation a success and she'll be up and about tomorrow. This Tibetan miniature - bought by Allenna in a flea market in China - to celebrate. (Tenuous link here between legs and running to Olympics and China's human rights record.)

bridesmaid hiring

It is another of Tillings customs to hire out bridesmaids.
This quaint tradition is lost in the mists of time but probably not unconnected with the large number of hat factories in the town wishing
to maximize their sales opportunities.
There is a lengthy ritual associated with the hire - do not approach one
in ignorance of it!
Here is a photo of one of the first of the season, standing hopefully
ready with his posy.

bienvenue Padge

Find myself curiously lost for words this morning - used 'em all up last night, I'II be bound.
But welcome to Padge (spelt phonetically, with apologies) from County Wexford, who is building a house next to Saverias. I thought he held up well, eh, team? And many thanks to Jo and Roy; unforgettable meal, hysterical conversations - some of which I can nearly recall.

Castelreng lunch

Had lunch with Mat Hilton at his new gaf yesterday, in the hills above Limoux; beautiful. I mean, even for these parts, quite beautiful. New home and studio so comfortable and welcoming that Mat had trouble getting rid of me.
The very good news is that he is opening the studio every Friday from now on, so you can see it too and give me a lift while you are about it.
Mats site is http://www.apwb.org/expo.html and the details are there.

here come de judge

yesterday culturally challenging as I was called to judge an art competition.

The occasion was the Concours Jeunes and the brief was Appropriez-vous et réinterpretez une oeuvre de votre musée. Its a Languedoc-Roussillon event for all the museums and Tillings own Hat Museum was entering.

So, there are eight people, some of whom may be judges, looking at the work of nine children. There was Edith from the Atelier, Annie-the-potter(not a judge), Maitre Itier (or the other one, this was the blonde no-makeup one, I get their names mixed up), Msr. Reynaud (from the museum and not a judge), an intern from Toulouse, a bloke I didn't know and the young man who'd organised it all.

We selected a clay hat with a lizard on it. Then we selected two coloured-in drawings of hats.

Lastly we chose a short story which was quite gripping and involved satanism in the museum, an Occitan sorcerer, police surveillance, misuse of hat making equipment and a deal besides.

Now the pride of Tilling Youth get sent to Montpellier for the finals. Good luck to them - everyone else got a cassquette, which anywhere else is a baseball cap.

The above image is a locker spotted at Les Abbatoirs in Toulouse.

Annies birthday

Annie was seventeen for the third time yesterday and accordingly had three birthday cakes -
one from Joan, one from Aileen and one from the bakers (illustrated)
With that many wishes, world peace is just around the corner...

Birthdays

Lily ("the fish") is three today....