Inspector Barnaby from the other side of the channel.

Each Sunday afternoon a popular English series is broadcast on TV: Inspector Barnaby. In spite of the theme, a lot of French people watch this series. What attracts the viewers? I think we are experiencing an atmosphere we are not accustomed to seeing in France. Horrible crimes are committed in dream-like places where people are very polite. The castles and cottages are beautiful with marvellous, cosy interiors. Generally, people are more from the upper or middle classes where everybody thinks particularly leisure and parties! For a good story, there are at least four murders…In my opinion what pleases people is that the crimes don’t seem real. Characters don’t lose control of themselves. It seems like an intellectual game without consequences on the viewer’s behaviour.

I would say: it is so British.

Claude.

Brian's interests

My name is Brian Dummigan. I am 66 years old. I have retired from work, so I have quite a lot of time to do the things I like.
I love classical music. I have a big collection of records and CDs, and I go to concerts two or three times a month. With a couple of friends, I also travel to places like Leeds, York, Newcastle and Scarborough to see plays, operas, ballet and art exhibitions.I read a great deal - novels, detective stories, poetry, non-fiction, in fact, anything I can get my hands on!
For exercise, I swim 800m. twice a week, but I am not a very good swimmer. I go for fairly long walks as often as I can, and there is always a lot of work to do in the garden.
I love languages, and as well as French I know some Spanish, Italian, and German, and a (very) little Russian.

Brian's thoughts about Big Brother!

Quelques Pensées au Sujet des Caméras de Surveillance

Je ne suis pas à l’aise avec l’augmentation de la surveillance par les autorités, sauf pour la détection des crimes sérieux. Je crois que l’application de cette technologie pour reprocher tous ceux qui se comportent sans considération est l’utilisation d’une masse pour casser un noix, et un pas de trop le long d’un chemin dangereux. Sans la vie privée nous perdons nôtre liberté.
De plus, il faut nous souvenir que les surveillants ne sont qu’êtres humaines qui soient soumis à la tentation d’abuser l’information qu’ils obtiennent.

Brian French 5

Some ways I pass my time.

Now that I am retired,I am not as agile as I used to be and my hobbies reflect that fact.I still enjoy short but easy walks in the coutryside, and I like to spend my time doing my gardening, especially in the summer, when the weather is warmer.

My other pastimes are more sedentary now. I love reading, and I prefer to read Historical Biographies, and other types of true stories, which I find fascinating.

When I am in the mood, I like to draw using pencil or felt-tipped coloured pens. I also paint with water colours. the subject I paint more than any other is birds. I think they are all so beautiful, and I adore their colours and shapes. For amusement, I often draw cartoon type pictures for my friends.

I have bought my first computer this year. I have been attending classes each week, to learn how to use my computer properly. It is complicated!!

I am really enjoying learning the French language, and our weekly classes are always interesting, with lots of interaction and discussion. Now that I can access my computer, I am able to enjoy reading all your correspondance from Bourges.

VERONICA French 5

A drawing by Veronica

Sue Carling's interests

Dear Sylvia

Thank you for posting so many interesting articles on the blog. Peter has asked our class if we could write a few lines about our hobbies. Obviously, one of mine is learning French. I really enjoy meeting the other students as well as learning more about France and the French language. I also like gardening (but only when the sun shines – we call this ‘fair weather gardening’ round here). I also enjoy walking with friends in the countryside, or with my dog. I love books and reading – luckily I work in a library. If I get a quiet few moments to myself, I like to do cross-stitch embroidery; I am not very artistic, I can’t paint or knit or sew, so this is my only creative outlet!

And some more reaction!

Les cameras de surveillance
Je pense que c’est triste que nous avons besoin des cameras de surveillance. Pour moi c’est une question avec deux opinions.
D’une part, je pense que si on ne fait jamais qu’est tort, on n’a rien à peur.
Mais, d’autre part, je m’inquiète que ces cameras peuvent suivre les mouvements de chaque individu.
Les gens qui font marcher ces cameras peuvent ramasser beaucoup d’information d’un individu. Sont ces gens dignes de confiance ?

Patricia

And some more reaction

Bien que les cameras de surveillance dans notre centre ville a Middlesbrough est très importante, je n’aime pas cette nouvelle idée de utiliser les haut paroles.

A mon avis c’est trop embarrassant pour les personnes et si on a utilisé fréquemment il deviendra une distraction aux personnes qui fait les courses.
Walter.

More reaction to the cameras!

Bonjour Claude.
Je m'appelle Susan. Je suis étudiant de Peter et je viens de lire votre extrait au sujet des appareils photo parlants de surveillance en Middlesbrough. Je suis tout à fait d'accord avec l'utilisation d'eux.
Je souhaite que nous en Angleterre n'ont pas laissé tomber les détritus. Les Français qui ont toujours le respect. Je crois que si on n'a fait rien tort puis on n'a rien de peur.

Quels sont vos loisirs?

C'est une question simple que nous (professeurs) posons souvent à nos étudiants ou futurs étudiants pour ainsi les lancer dans une conversation et tester leur niveau de langue.
Mais aussi à travers cette question nous établissons un premier contact sympathique et entre eux les étudiants apprennent aussi à se connaître et parfois ils se découvrent des passions communes.
Aujourd'hui je vous propose de découvrir à travers ces quelques photos les passions de Marie-Pierre et de Danielle qui ont décidé il y a deux ans d'apprendre l'anglais et doivent maintenant partager leurs temps de loisirs entre exercices d'anglais et activités artistiques.
PS: J'espère que le 'slide show' va bien fonctionner c'est mon premier essai!

I created a Slide Show! Check it out!

Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

Flea markets.

I don’t know why we use this name to refer to a market selling a mess of old things, probably because they are infested by fleas! Now in France we prefer to say “brocante” (second-hand market) and flea market is used more for a permanent market, such as the one you can find in the north of Paris near the “porte de Clignancourt”.
These “brocantes” take place at weekends often outside, in villages, towns and are in fashion in France. It is a way to attract people to places where there are usually not many inhabitants. Sometimes it is the great annual event of the village! In our Department (Cher), we have at least about a hundred brocantes a year…
The biggest “brocante” is the one in Lille in the north of France with thousands of dealers and hundreds of thousands of people interested in this market. Maybe English people know this event better than I do because it is just on the other side of the channel and the Pound is overvalued against the Euro!
You used to be able to find a lot of second-hand objects on these markets, called “objets dans leur jus” (objects in their juice) that means without restoration (furniture, tools, crockery, cameras, clothes….) and you could do good business.
Today, it is a bit different because you find dealers selling restored things that look like objects which are usually sold at an antique dealer’s. And you also find what we call “vide-grenier” (empty-attic?). In this case the objects are sold directly by inhabitants who sell everything at a very low price but sometimes I wonder who are interested in these items! Dealers are often children who sell their toys, their books, their bikes…and know how to bargain!
Alas, now we rarely get good bargains because there are less and less interesting things to be sold and so prices are increasing…
The negative side of these “brocantes” is that it is a way for dishonest dealers to sell stolen goods. In France we have many examples!

Claude.