Tag Archives: Marcillat-en-Combraille

Saturday 15th February 2014 – I SHOULD HAVE BEEN …

… at Marcillat tonight for the football. However, the ground is situated right on the crest of a scarp slope about 6 miles from here and the floodlights are clearly visible from the end of the lane, and when I reached the end of the lane, I could see nothing.

I drove as far as Virlet from where the ground is even more visible just across the valley, but there was no change – still total darkness – and so I turned round and came home.

Mind you, it doesn’t surprise me. We had torrential rain again today and it’s probably about 6 weeks since we last had a day of no rain at all. I’m up to my knees in mud around here and so I imagine that it’s just like this at the football ground at Marcillat.

Even more intriguing – when I went out to take the stats just before going to bed last night the temperature was an astonishing 13.5°C. Mid-February too! It was more like mid-April outside last night. This “winter” that we are having is totally crazy.

Today, I wasn’t in a hurry to leave my stinking pit, and after breakfast I made a start on what was left of the rdio programme that needs writing. However, I lost interest halfway through and ended up carrying on the sorting out of all the files on the various external hard drives hee, punctuated by a bried visit to the Intermarché at Pionsat for supplies for the weekend – I’m going to Montlucon on Tuesday so I’ll do a major shop there for the rest of the week.

But it was exciting through the night, I’ll tell you. It was my turn to be in a wheelchair and I was racing through the streets of Halifax (Yorkshire, not Nova Scotia) in the snow at speeds of up to 45mph through the traffic, allowing for the momentum of the downward slopes to carry me back up the steep hills. Excitement wasn’t in it! If I could maeket a game like that, you can forget your amusement parks!

-4

Monday 20th January 2014 – I FEEL DREADFUL.

Yes, I’m sure that I’m getting worse. It must have been quite an exertion for me yesterday as by the time I returned home I was in no condition to sleep and I remember at one stage looking at the clock and it was way past 04:00.

But sleep I must have done as I didn’t hear the alarms and woke bolt upright at 09:05 and it was just as well as I had to be in Marcillat for 09:30 to record the rock programmes.

And I made it too but the crew wasn’t there. In a delightful summing-up of rural France, the excuse given (when they did turn up) was “well, there was a queue in the boulangerie“.

I went to Cécile’s on the way to Liz’s afterwards and sure enough, there was the form she was expecting, finally arrived, but collecting the letter isn’t going to be anything like straightforward.

We did the Radio Arverne programmes at Gerzat, but towards the end I was dissolved in fits of coughing (and poor Bernard who has to edit it all out) and I don’t know how I made it to the end.

But that’s about finished me off now and I won’t be doing anything else. Liz gave me some honey and a lemon and I made a hot drink, but it was rather like the time that I sent Nerina to the Health Spa for a weekend.
When my mate came round, he asked me if the mudpack had improved Nerina’s appearance any.
“It sure did” I replied “but it wore off after three days”.

-4

Monday 16th December 2013 – WE’VE BEEN RADIOING…

… today. It’s that tile of the month isn’t it? Well, actually it isn’t – we’re a week early but I’m badgered if I’m going to go out and work any time between Thursday night this week and January 2nd 2014.

So after an exciting dream and an early morning, I was at the Radio Tartasse studio in Marcillat to record the rock programmes for next month and then Liz and I did the January “Radio Anglais” recordings. No events – the Tourist Board isn’t pulling its weight – and so we waffled on about places to visit – to such an extent that we didn’t even have time to talk about the technical issues.

after lunch of bread and lentil soup we went to Gerzat for the Radio Arverne sessions, and heard the good news that we will be moving into a purpose-built studio in the autumn. not before time too as the Arverne equipment is definitely creaking.

Back to Liz’s and coffee and mince pies and then on the way back here I went via Cécile’s to pick up the last load of washing. The stuff that I hung outside this morning was already dry, and the load that I rescued this evening, that went on the line as soon as I returned home as we are having another warm, windy night.

This weather is just topsy-turvy but I’m not complaining. After the bitterly long cold winter we had last year, we need an Indian summer right now.

-3

Saturday 14th December 2013 – WELL, IT DID RAIN …

… during the night, all 2mm of it. First time for ages too as I said. And when I woke up this morrning there was a hanging cloud to greet me. Consequently I stayed in and read a book, and then reorganised the bookshelves a little and did some housework.

It cleared up this afternoon so I had a quick run to St Eloy-les-Mines and the shops, and spent almost nothing there either. I’m back into my old ways again.

After a late lunch I did some work on the laptop and then wznt to Marcillat-en-Combraille for the last match prior to the winter break. AS Marcillat were playing Vallon, top of the table, and to everyone’s surprise they won 1-0. Once again, they could have had a bagful of goals but couldn’t hit the nether regions of a ruminant animal with a stringed musical instrument. Some of the misses were comical to say the least.

Vallon offered nothing up front although they were the better team. And they can consider themselves unlucky, if now downright cheated, of a good goal. An AS Marcillat defender handled a cross just outside his area but the shot fell to a Vallon attacker who volleyed it home. The referee blew his whistle … for the handball, thus disallowing the goal and the Vallon players were furious. The ref said that he had blown prior to the shot but I am totally and utterly convinced, as was everyone else around the ground, that the goal had been scored before he blew. And why blow anyway. Hasn’t he heard of the advantage rule?

And anyone who says that football is a man’s game is clearly unaware of Marcillat’s n°13 this evening. Only been on the pitch two minutes and he’s booked for having a ‘frank exchange of views’ with the referee. And 30 seconds later, as the Vallon keeper goes to clear a ball out of his hands and upfield, the n°13 goes up and impedes the clearance. A second yellow card, and so into the dressing room, and not been on the pitch 5 minutes either. Two of the most stupid bookings that I have ever seen.

Vallon had a player sent off too right near the end. He was rather too vocal about a bizarre refereeing decision and while one never condones that sort of behaviour, I do have to say that some of the decisions made by the referee were totally bewildering to say the least.

Ahhh well.

-4

Thursday 12th December 2013 – I CRAWLED OUT …

… of bed at such an unearthly hour that it was still dark outside. Not like me of course, but then again, I had things to do today as you know.

But with it being dark outside, I hadn’t realised how difficult it was to go a-riding the porcelain horse without any lighting. The sooner I deal with this issue the better, I think. But I digress.

At 08:30 I was on the Intermarché car park, and so was Terry. He piled into Caliburn and off we went to Limoges and the airport. I’ve never been there before but luckily The Lady Who Lives In The Sat-Nav knew the way and so we didn’t get lost at all.

Leaving the airport, I came home a different way. The way that we went was via Marcillat, Evaux, Guéret and the autoroute, and that is one big curving road. There’s a direct route back via Limoges, Bourganeuf, Aubusson and Auzances and so that was the way I came back. Despite being on more difficult roads, it’s a good way shorter and so it took me exactly (because I times it) the same time to come home, as well as being a much more interesting and beautiful route.

It wasn’t just the ecenery that was exciting either. Regular readers of this rubbish will recall that when we were in Piraeus a few weeks ago I was certain that I saw a trolley bus, but I wasn’t quick enough with the camera and in any case I had Trixi with me and who cares about trolley buses when one has a very attractive woman at one’s side?

trolley bus limoges franceAnyway, here I am going around the inner ring road at Limoges and what do I encounter but a modern 21st-Century Trolleybus of all things.

And so I wasn’t dreaming in Piraeus the other wekk. Trolley buses are back on the roads, and not before time too. Nice, clean and efficient, it will be interesting to see how well they do over the next decade or so and see how many other towns and cities follow suit.

This afternoon, back at the ranch, I wrote the additional notes for our next series of radio programmes. That kept me out of mischief for a good few hours.

The plan of acrion for tomorrow depends upon the weather. If this Indian summer keeps up I’ll be pointing the stone wall. Failing that, I’ll be working in the garden, tidying up the yard or else making shelves for the lean-to. There’s plenty of work on here and, for a change, I have all that I need to do it.

-6

Saturday 7th December 2013 – I FINALLY MADE IT …

… to the shops in Montlucon today – first time in ages. And I spent a pile of money too, which is not at all like me, of course.

Mind you, it was an effort to get out of bed which was hardly surprising seeing as it was absolutely taters outside. And scraping the ice off Caliburn’s windscreen didn’t improve things either. But in Montlucon I did the usual round of the usual shops.

Just for a change, LIDL turned up nothing exciting apart from a big box of clementines (yes, it’s nearly Christmas) but everywhere else did me proud. At Noz, the cheapo shop, I bought a full set of the Piorot Series I DVDs and also some of the home-made fizzy lemonade that they have. Three bottles of that, for me over the Christmas / New Year festivity period, and not only that, the bottles with the drink inside are those with the wired stoppers and cost less than just the bottle alone at IKEA.

In Brico Depot, I bought 24 planks of shuttering board – €3:95 a plank and three joined together widthways makes a decent 50cm shelf 3 metres long. I can crack on and build my shelving now, once the rain restarts. But it didn’t restart today – we had another one of these glorious Alpine winter days.

Before leaving Montlucon I went to the Centre Aqualudique, which is the posh way of saying “swimming baths”. It was cold in there, but not as cold as it would have been at Neris les Bains, and I made history by not only forgetting to take my clean undies with me but also my soap and shampoo. Something of a wash-out, if you pardon the expression.

This evening I froze to death on the terraces (well, terrace) at Marcillat as the home side’s 1st XI took on Varennes in a squalid bottom-of-the-table match.

Two worse attacks I have never ever seen in my life. Varennes never even tested the Marcillat keeper once during the entire match and while Marcillat had plenty of opportunities, they couldn’t hit the nether regions of a bovine animal with a stringed musical instrument. They could still be playing when the winter break is over in February and the score would still be 0-0.

That is – except for a very dubious penalty and a woeful calamity of a mix-up between the Varennes n°3 and his goalkeeper. And tule n°1 of any defence is and always has been “when making a backpass to the keeper, always send it wide of the posts”.

Are you reading this, Varennes n°3?

But it was a niggly, argumentative match – a typical foot-of-the-table affair, and when the referee finally did have enough and brandished the first yellow cards, I would have had half the teams in the dressing room a long while previous to that.

-3

Saturday 30th November 2013 – IT WAS THE DRIVING RAIN …

… that woke me up early this morning and as I was lying there in my stinking pit I was thinking that if this keeps up for the rest of the day it’s going to be quite amusing in Pionsat this morning for this little open-air celebration.

But never mind. By the time I plucked up the courage to tear myself away from my stinking pit it had stopped raining and there were even a few little streaks of blue in the sky. Only a couple, mind you, and they didn’t last for very long, but they were indeed there for a moment and that was encouraging as I hurtled off to Pionsat.

patrick poivre d'arvor olivier poivre d'arvor pionsat puy de dome franceHere in Pionsat, at the Old People’s Home, we were treated to the spectacle of a couple of ex-celebrities doing the old book-signing bit. Nearest the camera we have a certain Patrick Poivre d’Arvor, a name that might mean nothing to anyone reading this rubbish, that’s for sure, but in fact formerly a well-known French TV presenter and author, one of whose books we found in this house when I bought it.

Standing at the table, further away from the camera, is his brother Olivier who is also a well-known author (however, not well-known to me, I have to admit) and who is also supposed to be signing copies of his books, not that there were so many of his on display.

nouvelle salle de fetes pionsat puy de dome franceThe book-signing isn’t actually the main reason for the presence here in Pionsat of the brothers Poivre d’Arvor – it’s a mere opportunism.

The real reason for their presence is that if you have been following these pages over their many reincarnations, you’ll be aware of the story of the “Maison Ducros Maymat”. A fine Art-Deco house of the late 20s and early 30s left to abandon and bought by the town of Pionsat simply to demolish it and to use its enormous gardens for building housing, a new medical centre and a new salle de fetes

patrick poivre d'arvor olivier poivre d'arvor rue jean d'arvor pionsat puy de dome franceThis necessitates the construction of a new road through the site and it was decided to name the road after the famous early 20th Century French poet Jean Jeuge dit d’Arvor who was born in Pionsat back in 1883.

The town asked Patrick Poivre d’Arvor and his brother if they would perform the opening ceremony and now that Patrick has “retired” from the silver screen he could spare the time to come down to the birthplace of his maternal grandad and do the honours, and at the same time do some rehearsing for the local gurning championships. The brothers were born with the simple surname “Poivre” – meaning “pepper” – but Patrick, at least, added his grandfather’s pseudonym to his own surname upon the death of the latter in 1970.

patrick poivre d'arvor laurent dumas pierrette ray brice hortefeux pionsat puy de dome franceWe were also highly-honoured by the presence of all kinds of dignitaries here at Pionsat for the ceremony.

The well-built man standing to the right of the image is Laurent Dumas, mayor of St Magnier and the representative of the Canton de Pionsat at the Conseil General of the Puy de Dome. To his right, cropped unfortunately from the image, is Pierrette Ray, mayor of Youx and Vice President (yes, they cater for all kinds of things) of the Conseil Regional.

Patrick Poivre d’Arvor is there of course in his raincoat, and to his right (and our left) in the expensive suit in centre-shot is Brice Hortefeux, the area’s Member of the European Parliament and with whom I later had a very friendly chat about Brussels.

foule maison de retraite pionsat patrick poivre d'arvor puy de dome franceThere followed the usual round of speeches and presentations, under cover back at the Old People’s Home. Hardly the many millions of telespectateurs to which Patrick Poivre d’Arvor is accustomed, of course, but a crowd is a crowd is a crowd, as any celebrity will tell you.

The mayor treated us to his vision of the Pionsat of the future, which includes some kind of shopping mall at the Intermarche supermarket. And while I for one applaud his vision – he is quite right in saying that we need to progress in order to survive – but
firstly, I’ve seen the shopping mall at the Intermarche at Commentry, a town 10 times bigger than Pionsat, and that can’t sustain half a dozen independent retain outlets

secondly, there are enough empty shops already in the town, with several businesses having closed down since I’ve been here. If exisiting businesses with exisiting clients can’t sustain, what hope for any new ones? And what hope for the ones that remain when the new shops open? It reminds me of the situation when the main-line standard-gauge railway arrived just up the road in Marcillat in 1932. They had closed the narrow-gauge tacot that had run into the town for years, and built the new line right through all of the old earthworks, totally destroying them. However the new railway never made a bean and closed in 1939, but because the tacot had been destroyed, the town was left without any rail connection at all even though the rest of the tacot system was running quite happily everywhere else. I can see this happening in Pionsat with the shops. And we’ve also seen, for those of you who were with me in Labrador in 2010
 that while the town of L’Anse au Loup may well be growing in importance due to the concentration of coastal Labrador’s services there, that has led to the collapse of the infrastructure of all of the other towns along the Labrador coast. I can see this happening in the Combrailles. Other towns will be forced to compete with Pionsat to keep themselves afloat, we’ll have a spending war, and it will all end in tears.
thirdly Pionsat is one of the communes of France with the largest per-capita indebtedness. So where is all of this money going to come from?

This evening, Pionsat’s match against the Goatslayers was postponed – a waterlogged pitch which is hardly surprising as everywhere is waterlogged around here right now. There was footy at Marcillat though – the 2nd XI taking on Montmarault and so in the freezing cold and frost I went to see the worst football match that I have seen for some time. Marcillat were awful, Montmarault were even worse but were better-organised and from a 3-2 lead, Marcillat suddenly found themselves 3-6 down. They clawed their way back to 6-5 before the final whistle, but I can’t say that they deserved to.

As a matter of interest we had a female referee this evening – that’s quite a rare event here. And I’ve seen worse referees too.

And my chips, beans and burger for tea were absolutely gorgeous. A good investment, this woodstove.

-7

Monday 25th November 2013 – I WASN’T BACK AT WORK TODAY EITHER.

Well, not that kind of work anyway. We had a radio programme or two to record for Radio Tartasse and so this morning I reviewed my notes, copied the music onto the data stick and did a few other little bits of computer housekeeping.

And quite right too because today we had the first decent day’s sunshine for quite a while. At one stage I was receiving 30 amps as well as about 30 watts of wind.

At Radio Tartasse we recorded a months worth of rock programmes and a month’s worth of information, and then Liz and I went for a coffee seeing as how we were both frezing cold.

Back here later, I eschewed the idea of going backoutside to work for just the hour or so that was left, and so I chose the music for the rock programmes for the month of January. I need to keep ahead as much as I can. But as an aside, I think that the January live concert will be the best that we’ve ever had.

Tomorrow, if the weather is nice, I’ll be nipping to the sawmill at St Gervais. I need to buy some wood.

-4

Saturday 16th November 2013 – I FORGOT TO MENTION YESTERDAY …

… that I saw my first “D” registered car when I was on my way to Rosemary’s. If you don’t know, the French changed their system of registration numbering in April 2009 (and Caliburn carries one of the earliest new numbers) starting with AA and going through to AZ, before changing over to BA, and so on. Anyway, there was a “DA” registered Ford Stranger Danger parked up in Montaigut yesterday.

But it comes to something when I’m having to recap on yesterday’s blog in order to make something interesting to write about because, frankly, badger all happened today.

I was up comparatively early to the welcome sight of gorgeous bright sunlight and I reckoned that we might be in for a corker today. But round about 10:30 it clouded right over and that was that.

I started work on the radio programmes for next month and then went off to St Eloy for the shopping. They had some 12-volt LED lights on offer at LIDL, more expensive than the normal ones but they were 2.5 watt instead of the 1.2 watt lights that I use. Anyway, I bought two of them to see how they shape up.

Back here, after a little siesta I finished the radio programmes and went down for the evening’s footy but the stadium was all in darkness. And I’m not surprised because the pich was more like a swimming baths than a football pitch. The stadium at Marcillat, which I can see from one of the hills around here, was also in darkness. It looks as if they have been rained off too, and so I came home instead and lit the fire, because it’s taters in here.

I hope that here’s some footy tomorrow – I can’t do with being deprived like this.

-7

Friday 18th October 2013 – IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG …

… for the battery issue to resolve itself. I’m not going to pretend that I’ve brought all the good weather back with me from Greece, but there’s no doubt that once the weather eye cottoned on to the fact that I was back, the weather has improved no end.

Yesterday I had 200 amp-hours of solar energy and today the batteries topped out to such an extent that I had almost 40 amp-hours of excess charge. Thats good news in itself. but it’s clear from the performance and the statistics that I’ve been keeping is that one of the batteries is on the point of handing in its hat. I have all of the new batteries that I bought – they are still there waiting and so when I finally return from Brussels (I’m heading off there early nrxt week) I’ll change them all over.

This morning though I was off to Marcillat and Radio Tartasse for today’s recordings of “Radio Anglais”. I did the rock programmes and then Liz joined me for the information stuff. We went for a coffee and chat afterwards and then I came home.

First job was to fix the letter box. You may remember from ages back that strange things have been happening to it, and when I came back from Greece it had been propped up against one of the cars in the car park. I spent a pleasant 10 minutes anchoring it back in the ground where it can stay until I have more time to deal with it.

After lunch I started work on another series of radio programmes. We’re recording the “Radio Anglais” programmes for Radio Arverne on Monday and the text needs to be written for that, but I also need more topics for discussion as the pipeline is running low. There were a variety of taxation changes in July this year so I’ve started to do a programme about that lot.

Apart from that, not an awful lot has happened. But I’m not in a rush to start anything because if I’m heading up to Brussels on Monday or Tuesday, it will be just something else that I’ve failed to finish and I have enough projects like that already on the go.

-6

Monday 26th August 2013 – WELL, I MADE IT TO THE AIRPORT

terminal 2 airport charles de gaulle paris franceBut it wasn’t half touch and go, I’ll tell you.

I didn’t manage to get anything in the way of sleep last night either, because I couldn’t find the keys to my storage box and my safety deposit box in Canada.

Desperate times call for desperate measures and so I put a couple of batteries for the Ryobi angle grinder on charge. It’s as well to be prepared, and that will sort out the men from the boys of course. After that, desperate measures were called for and I started going through all of the waste bins.

I’m glad I did because I found my missing personal telephone directory NOYE TO SELF – have a word with Cécile about her method of tidying up. I found lots of other disagreeable objects but no keys and at 08:52 I called it a day and started to pack everything away.

However, I had a thought. I definitely remember putting the keys in a zipped pocket and they ought to be in the zipped pocket of my “Canada Electrical” bag. But I didn’t remember opening the suitcase after I locked up the storage unit. I’d tipped out my sac banane where there are about four zipped pockets, and the keys weren’t there either of course, but there was a zipped pocket on the computer and camera hold-all.

And sure enough, with just a couple of minutes to go, I emptied that out, and there they were! Phew! That was a close shave!

So at Radio Tartasse I recorded two months of rock programmes, then Liz and I did 6 weeks of “Radio Anglais”. I stopped off at the Pionsat Intermarché to buy a pile of bread and salad and I’ve made a mountain of butties – I know all about the closed restaurant round the corner from my hotel and I have my suspicions about Air Transat and their choice of vegan food. It’s as well to be prepared.

caliburn at liz and terry messenger sauret besserve puy de dome franceAfter taking Julie and Clare’s furniture out of Caliburn, I garaged him right round the back of Liz and Terry’s where he can stay quiet for 6 weeks or so out of the way and be good.

Liz kindly prepared lunch, a salad and bread, and I shaved my head with the hair trimmer. There are First Nation Canadians, or Amerindiens, around by where I’m going and I’ve heard all kinds of stories about the Malicete. I’m not leaving them anything to pull off. Anyway, after all of that, we went down to Gerzat in Liz’s car to record 5 weeks of “Radio Anglais” for Radio Arverne.

diesel multiple unit sncf french railways riom puy de dome franceThat was for once quite straightforward and then Liz dropped me off at the station in plenty of time for my train.

I’ve no idea what make or model it is – I shall have to refer to my Jane’s Train Recognition Guide for that, but I can tell you that it wasn’t as rattly or as bangy as the one last time I came here. And as nothing at all exciting happened during the voyage, we arrived in Lyon, and Lyon is much more civilised than trying to go via Paris. I had time to eat some butties and drink a coffee.

double decker TGV Lyon part dieu paris charles de gaulle SNCF French railways franceIn the TGV though we were like sardines. I was lucky in that I boarded early and so I managed to grab a place on the difficult rail halfway down the carriage. Anyone who came after me was struggling for luggage space. It really is ridiculous – why don’t they have a luggage van and a baggagiste on each of the trains? That would make everything so much simpler.

And a good 25 minutes late, due to a tardy connection, we hurtled off into the night with kids screaming and all kinds of things. And not even a place to swing a cat. I hate to think what this would be like on a Saturday evening.

That 25 minutes ended up as being a whopping great 44 minutes by the time that we arrived at the station at Terminal 2, and although that might seem like bad news, it is in fact the first bit of good news that I have had for about a week because it entitles me to a refund of 25% on my ticket – something that I shall be following up with vigour.

paris charles de gaulle airport terminal 2 waiting for hotel shuttle bus franceUp in a crowded lift from the first floor to the fifth floor and into a heaving mass of people waiting for the hotel buses. Last year I stepped out of the station and onto the bus – this year I think that everyone else’s bus must have done 5 or 6 trips before mine came. But at least that had dispersed the masses and we were a mere 12 on the bus.

Having now had a shower (and we aren’t talking about the OUSA Exeecutive Committee here), configured the new laptop for the internet and downloaded a pile of files as well as a FTP program, I can post this load of rubbish and go to bed.

-12

Monday 22nd July 2013- I’M OFF

But then again you knew that already.

This morning I was up bright and early (just for a change) and did all of the domestic chores around the place before shooting off to Marcillat-en-Combraille to record the Radio Anglais sessions for Radio Tartasse.

As usual we had total and utter chaos – they had a printer and after much searching we found the USB cable, but as for the power lead, no hope for that. I ended up reading the text off the computer (I had taken that along in anticipation – one has to be prepared at Radio Tartasse).

Liz and I went on to record the information programmes, which passed off almost without incident, and then we set off back to Liz’s house for lunch.

I called at the bank to pick up the new bank cards but, as you might indeed expect as it’s Monday, the bank is closed.

At Liz’s we had yesterday’s leftovers for lunch and then went down to Gerzat to record the Radio Arverne version of “Radio Anglais”. That passed off without much incident too.

However, in a dramatic change of plan, we went there in Liz’s car. After all, the hottest day of the year and it has air-conditioning. What more can any man desire?

Back here though, not so good.

I melted in Calibuen on the way back and there was no hope of me going on to Brussels. I crashed out for a couple of hours, loaded up Caliburn with the dirty washing and a pile of empty cardboard boxes.

Just after 21:00, with the weather still absolutely roasting, I was on my way.

See you soon.

-8

Monday 24th June 2013 – I HAD ANOTHER …

… vivid dream last night, and I remember telling Cécile about it when I woke up. But 5 minutes later it had gone completely out of my head and Cécile hadn’t been paying too much attention to it anyway, so that’s one that got away.

After breakfast I went to Marcillat en Combraille and recorded my Radio Anglais rock music programmes for Radio Tartasse – and have I got a belter of a live concert for the month of August – but more of that in due course.

I was able to harvest a pile of radio programmes to put on the net, and then Liz and I did another series of radio programmes in the “Radio Anglais” series.

However, we have a minor hitch – I forgot all about “On The Beach” and we ended up starting “identity controls”, and so we are now all out of synch. Ahh well …

Back at Liz’s I gave Terry a hand to fit some of the windows into his new extension, and then we attacked the left-over pasta from yesterday.

Down at Gerzat we recorded another 4 programmes for the Radio Arverne version of “Radio Anglais” and then Bernard arranged for all of the outstanding programmes held there to be copied onto my memory stick.

But here’s an issue – his main computer wouldn’t recognise the stick. It seems, after investigation, that it’s formatted in RAW data and not in NTFS (or in FAT 32 either) and so we had to do a few manipulations in order to get the data onto it.

Once I’ve taken the data off, I’ll have to reformat it all into FAT 32 or something.

I gave Terry another hand back at Liz’s and then came back here to help Cécile carry on sanding down her ceiling. One of these days I might even be able to make a start on my house, and won’t that be nice?

And talking of working on my house, Liz gave me a tub of really vicious weedkiller – something like the commercial variety of Agent Orange.

I’ve been trying to avoid using weedkiller at any price on my land but I just can’t cope with the weeds and so on.

There are some parts of my land that will be under black plastic sheeting and gravel or even tiles (looking at that lovely lot of tiles that Terry used on his new patio) and so, regrettable as it might be, I’m afraid that that is exactly what will be happening tomorrow morning, if the bad weather holds off.

-2

Monday 17th December … WHAT WITH MY …

… late night last night – not returning home until 01:35 this morning – it was freezing cold up here and so I went straight to bed.

And I was up early too, for today we were doing the radio programmes.

This morning it was out to Marcillat-en-Combraille and the Radio Tartasse sessions.

Down to Liz and Terry’s for lunch and then Gerzat and the Radio Arverne sessions this afternoon. That involved the regular series of programmes followed by the Christmas Special.

Just as I predicted, we haven’t used half of it either. But that’s no big deal – it saves me a job for next year, doesn’t it?

And much to everyone’s surprise, including mine, everything today went off without a hitch. How often does that happen?

Back to drop off Liz a – something that naturally involves a coffee (followed by a slice of vegan ginger cake of course) and then I came back here.

And here I’m staying too, and the reason for that is simple. I’ve not been feeling to well for a couple of days and last night a heavy head cold erupted, hence one of the reasons why I had no sleep.

It now seems to have developed into a fully-blown man-flu and so that’s me up here in the attic for the duration.

I hope that I’ve cut enough wood to last me out.

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Saturday 15th December 2012 – I DIDN’T BLOG …

… last night before going to bed, and I bet that you were all disappointed.

But no matter, I’ll serve it up this morning for you.

Actually, I was far too busy, working on the radio programmes and it was 02:30 before I went to bed. “If you have the inspiration, keep on at it”, as the actress once famously said to the bishop.

But at least it’s all finished today, all …errr … 60kbs of it. That’s the equivalent of almost 2 hours of discussion.

And then you have to add the ad-libs in too and then of course the music that we’ll be playing in between – so that should be enough for the next three years.

At least, I hope so. As I said yesterday, it’ll all come in handy.

And so, apart from writing the radio programme, that was that

The weather warmed up dramatically this morning and it was 17°C in my room when I woke up. That makes a nice change, and at least I was comfortable without the fire when I was doing the radio programme

Shopping was next on the agenda and so a run out to St Eloy-les-Mines was called for.

But there’s been a change of plan as far as the diet goes. Pasta doesn’t work in the oven, and rice is a bit samey day after day and so I’ve bought a big bag of potatoes. Baked spuds should be just about fine for the rest of the winter I think.

But while I’m on the subject of changes, I’ve changed the room around a little.

I’ve moved a bookcase or two and shuffled the pair of chests of drawers around a little, and now the end wall underneath the little window at the side of the oven became miraculously free.

Remember the table that I brought up here a while ago? That’s gone nicely just there and I now actually have a kind of kitchen in that corner. Won’t that be really handy for the winter.

And I’ve finally heard from Bill.

I set Marianne a task viz to contact the hospital. Marianne is not easily brushed aside and managed to find out where he was. So she came up with a number and so I rang him.

He’s out of danger but he’s not himself yet. Time will tell but I’m so relieved.

I was really worried.

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