Is it just me? I’m not furious, I’m not even angry, I’m just disappointed at having my work edited in such a way. Who cares? I’ve been paid haven’t I? Yes. I’ve been published? Yes. But… I made a serious ... Read more

You may or may not remember I won the recent Down My Way contest with a story about our local boulangerie and had called it ‘Merci Marie‘. Well I’d already told Marie (not her real name) the baker’s wife, about it and that s... Read more

Sometimes I buy fish from the fisherman' wife in the village square but today they were fresher than I've ever seen them before. The two sea bass I bought weren't even just twitching, they were alive and fighting to jump out of my bicycle basket on t... Read more

I left the house quite early this morning with this ringing in my head, ‘Poisson. Vin. Pain.’ I could even hear myself think in the local accent, i.e. ‘vang’ and ‘pang’! That’s how we say it around here. I... Read more

I just went on to Amazon to see if I could order a book by Andrew McMillan called 'An Intruder's Guide to East Arnhemland'. The author has spent a lot of time with the Australian Aboriginals and has lots of interesting things to say about them, in pa... Read more

Today I decided to visit the village coiffeuse, Françoise. It is something you really need to be in the mood for, and I made a bad start by being an hour late. But even if I'd been on time, I suspect events would have unfolded in much the sa... Read more

I like to think my village is not just like any other village in France. In my opinion it's unique which is why I chose to live here. Apart from its obvious scenic charms there is one place I visit every day which never ceases to amaze me. There's... Read more

This was published some time ago by France magazine. A SLICE OF NOSTALGIA As I cut the first slice and the delicious aroma of freshly baked wholemeal bread seduced my nostrils, the villagers anxiously awaited my verdict. The simple commen... Read more

A nice surprise came by email to welcome me home - my article 'Lagoons of the Languedoc' is finally in print, a 3-page spread in France magazine's November issue. I've not seen it myself yet except for the first couple of paragraphs on the website ww... Read more

  I’m just back from a two month trip in Australia (yes, you’re right, lucky me) and the adventure began in Darwin, Northern Territory. I made a note of the headlines of the local paper for the four days I was there, thought it mi... Read more