Alan and Pat live and work in Bordeaux. Alan is a pastor and Pat was a nurse. Now we work with UFM worldwide. Read on! (If you'd like to know what took us to Bordeaux, then start with the archives from September 2004)
100th birthday barbecue
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at our place. 100th because I contribute 50 and Pat throws 50 into the pot, too.
Merguez, chipolatas, ventreche and steak haché galore.
100th birthday duly celebrated in the presence of all Pat's siblings.
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Ken said…
Thanks, that reminds me, a friend (note f r i e n d, not contemporary!) was 105 yesterday. Try getting a birthday card that already has 105 on it I defy you. I still need to get the card to her son, (yes, he's still alive too!) Her memory's 'not too good' so it will hopefully serve to extend the celebrations for her. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
Ken said…
As a (rather appropriate - I think) afterthought which is of no particulat interest other than to give vent to the musings of a simple mind, I have just bought the book "The Last Fighting Tommy", by the late Harry patch, at 111 years the younger of the two. There's a funny little quote from one of his relatives at the front of the book;- 'Harry's father was keen on rabbiting. After he died, his sons found his gun. Nobody knew whether it had ever been licensed, so they threw it down Granny's well.' Maybe I'm just easily amused but I'm chortling me little 'ead orft as I'm typing this. I just have this vision....
They're really different. I think I have already mentioned that while in the UK people generally find a private teacher for their instrument, or do it through a school scheme, here there are municipal music school, conservatoires and so on. The situation is a little more complex than I had first understood, because the schools vary in the rigidity of their organisation: the most, the conservatoires, next the municipals, then the associations. Our music school is an association, but it tends to apply the standards of the municipal schools with its programme of cycles, etc. Britain - grade 1 to 8, grade 8 being roughly equivalent to A-level, pre university/conservatoire. France - 3 cycles, each taking about 4 years, with 3ème cycle being roughly equivalent to grade 8. Theory of music - UK to take grade 8 you need theory grade 5. In France you study theory alongside your instrumental studies, very slowly. Catrin's flute music is MUCH more difficult than the stuff she does in theor
We have some medication from the pharmacy. It seems to be good stuff and has reduced the problem greatly. Meanwhile Pat's old back problem has flared up.
Following the Great Keswick Debacle, when our volunteering at the Keswick café was sabotaged by our assorted indispositions, we had airline tickets to use up. Yes, we had not taken travel insurance, so we paid even more money to change our tickets to fly for a short visit to North Wales. This time we were able to go. We passed extremely slowly through a very crowded Bordeaux airport but in good time to get our plane. All seats in the terminal were taken so we leaned against whatever we could find while waiting to board. Hey, bags need seats, too! though sometimes pointing out to Pat, "No, that's a bag seat", makes the bag find a new refuge on the lap of the person sitting next to it... Once on the plane we quickly found our allocated seats - right at the back on the left hand side - stowed our bags and the flight was smooth and uneventful. We had 30 minutes in Manchester to disembark, get through immigration , hustle off to the station and board our train for Shotton. I
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There's a funny little quote from one of his relatives at the front of the book;- 'Harry's father was keen on rabbiting. After he died, his sons found his gun. Nobody knew whether it had ever been licensed, so they threw it down Granny's well.'
Maybe I'm just easily amused but I'm chortling me little 'ead orft as I'm typing this. I just have this vision....