Memorable evenings and old jumpers

After dressing this morning in the usual autumn/winter wear - slightly paint-decorated cords, several jumpers in various states of mankiness - no socks yet - I'm holding out for a while; I hate socks - I had a fleeting memory of a few weekends back where me and Mark did the music for a 30s ball at our friends' Manor House/small chateau. I was always a 'tomboy' in my childhood but the occasional wistful idea of dressing up in gauzy outfits like my friends loved to do did sometimes cross my mind, and still does now from time to time.

So . . . 30s ball. Oh dear, much hunting about on Vinted would have to be done, even proper 'hairdo'. What a shame. 😁.

So, hunt I did, and eventually found the sequinned wonder below. Cheap as there was a couple of small rips. I had shoes from some random purchase years ago at a boot sale; hair rdv was booked, and the look put together - with the help of our adept-at-sewing cousin, Gill - thank you. I found Mark an arabesque fabric tux, waistcoat, etc from the great V, and we were ready.

It was a typically-of-them fabulous evening, and a celebration of their new extraordinary dwelling, and their supreme talent of putting it altogether themselves with Workaway and friends/family help. We got the usual 'Soiree scratch band' together on the night, as we've done in the past at our friend's previous events and it worked super well.

So, it spurred on the making of a card for our duo, 'Mornington Crescent'. Now we've just got to find some gigs. Ha - the bit we're crap at . . .

Tea n' jazz at le Jardin Insolite

So, after many days, probably more like weeks, of preparation we opened le Jardin Insolite for tea, Mark's marvellous cakes, music, and celebration of all things floral and fauna of which there is an vast abundance within the boundaries of the garden. Having not completed a year of living here yet, each day reveals new plants which Anna, the previous owner and botanical super enthusiast had introduced over the years. 

Our new sign featuring official LPO bird and nature reserve panel  

Thanks to our local Emmaüs we had managed to find enough old chairs and tables needing a loving home to provide the seating and a random pot of blue paint from the same establishment started off a vague blue theme which was then carried on into seat cushions, table cloths, etc. I've always loved miss-matched crockery and this was a perfect excuse to spend time mooching around all the local charity shops and re-house many, many, tea time accoutrements. 

Interesting melange of Victoriana, dutch blue and German 90s china

As if requested the weather was perfect: blue sky, hot but with a breeze. Swallows and house martins swooped and dived into the outbuildings, river frogs chorused, and the odd train passed - Sunday hours so not too often. Our resident and intermittently vocal dogs next door were silent for the afternoon - our neighbours had taken my plea for tranquility seriously and not so much as a whimper was to be heard from over the hedge.

Mark excelled himself and made, starting at four in the morning (insomniacs? us?), citrus cheesecake, shortbread, chocolate cake, rich fruit cake and a mysterious gluten-free gateau which was also delicious. He hopped into piano mode and regaled us with a laid back jazz set, interspersed with me singing a few songs from our jazz duo set and the odd dog disagreement between our usually silent greyhounds.

Our friend Jean-Paul, local grower of organic veg par excellence set up a stall of his produce under the lime tree along with part of our red and gold Gamelan, (Mark was going to assemble the whole thing but the effort of doing so in the afternoon heat had suddenly seemed an effort too far . . .) If we do another similar event I'd like to invite other local producers to join in, maybe some crafts, basket makers, pottery, anyway, many ideas surfacing . . . and many other things to catch up on.

Special thanks to our lovely friends Mike and Tracey at Les Peupliers, and Béa, who helped in so many ways and dramatically reduced any lurking panic inherent with any new project. 

The tea time sessions. Angel Eyes

Direct from the tea time sessions front room, Angel Eyes, written in 1946 by Matt Dennis and Earl Brent

dog indifference to music

I've seen and heard other dogs howling along to various genres of music, but ours seem totally untouched by any type whether it be classical, jazz, Japanese noise terrorism, ska, opera, folk; Mark practising accordion, piano, cello, or Ezra playing guitar.
Here is a small experiment: me trying out a Kink's number on Gala.

Moondog . . . featuring

Mark (husband) singing!

This wonderful piece - Westward Ho! - was performed recently by Ensemble 0 (zero) at La Folle Journée de Nantes.
One of the great musical mavericks, Louis Hardin (aka Moondog, and the"Viking of 6th Avenue") spent most of the 1950s and 60s living as a street musician in New York. Blind from the age of 16, he was an expert in counterpoint and musical canons, and was inspired by street sounds, jazz, Native American music and norse mythology.

Building No 16

We'd also hoped, (following on from last post) somewhat naively, that the owners of this magnificent old hat factory in the same town might like to lend it for the weird jazz event that we failed to place in building No 15. In fact, I would have eaten my hat (what a charming turn of phrase that is) if they had said yes.
A true Mary Celeste, this building, still full of all the machinery, dust-covered paperwork in offices, hat moulds . . . as if the factory owner had turned to the workers and said: "sorry folks, that's it - no one wears hats any more."
I'd never thought about it before. Any news clip or film from the 1950's - a sea of Trilbies or Homburgs; why did men stop wearing hats? or at least those wonderful stylish felt ones.

Building Number 12

Something to with wine making I think. Planted on the outskirts of St Hilaire, this could be the perfect restaurant, along the lines of Le Potager - a very favourite restaurant in Sigean. Sunny courtyard full of fig trees, a fountain and rescued slatted chairs. Jazz in the evenings, fresh local produce, interior full of bistro tables, ancient grand piano, open fire, interesting lighting and brocante china . . . future project? if it ever stops being something to do with wine making.