Monday 30th March

Well I was quite exhausted when I flew in on Saturday.  I had been to Walton on Friday night, and just as well, as there was a mountain of post to deal with.  Up early on Saturday morning and out to catch the eight-o-clock train.  Slightly delayed as there was a points failure at Thorpe Le Soken and they had to shunt trains in and out of the station to enable people to change for either the slow stopping train to Colchester Town or the faster one into London.  DLR from Stratford to Island Gardens, it was bitterly cold and windy walking to the house.  I repacked the case and ironed a couple of shirts and headed off for Stansted.  By this time I had spent nearly five hours already on trains of one sort or another, and another flight to look forward to.

Sunday morning we woke to rain; il pleut – though it did clear up and we caught a glimpse of le soleil en l’apres midi.  I opened the café and Marie our neighbor was there to pick up the paintings of her friend Anick.  Today was the day of the changeover.  I had carefully packed 12 quite large framed prints by our good friend Liz in London and my wife drove them and a multitude of other stuff and the dogs down a couple of weeks ago.  It was quite good fun hanging them but a bit like Bernie the Bolt (who can remember that) with instructions – up a bit, down an inch and to the left, no to the right and up a bit.   But we got there okay in the end.  And I must say they look fantastique.  Very modern and very different and, in the nature that a collection of anything looks better than an individual piece, they set the café off wonderfully.  So, a successful day – and now we must prepare for Le Vernissage (anyone know what that means?) on Saturday.