Damp but festive

The Guardian today says this year is heading towards the wettest on record in the UK.  Lots of people here talk about it - endless problems drying washing, difficulty in taking children out to play and so on.  For us here over a short time with our 'motorised umbrella' it is mainly just an invconvenience - muddy dog paws to keep off furniture, muddy shoes to take off at the door - and a bit unusual for us now that we have 300 days a year of sunshine.  But it is wearing, and it makes the winter days between Christmas and new year seem even darker. 

Being very much on holiday and away from regualr chores leaves us time to sleep, read and think more.  I have bought myself a subscription to the Guardian on my Kindle as a Christmas present.  The news is full of British doubts over continuing membership of the EU, which makes us nervous.  We are after all recent emigrants to France who rely on the reciprocal status of EU citizens for many things.  But even more, it is a sad isolationist reverse to contemplate at a time when nationalist fragmentation all over the world is a curse.  Surely we can make more effort to co-operate and harmonise?  Minorities in France, Belgium  and Spain are not immune from fragmentary thoughts either - the Brits are not as unusual as we once seemed - but the ideal of harmonisation after the war is not that far distant that we should forget the benefits of partnership for peace.

Nearer to home and to our hearts, this has been a wonderful time with friends and, especially, with family - Jeff and Fi who have welcomed us so freely in their home, disturbing their lives with the arrival of 2 people and a lively dog for well over a week; Sam, Sas, Heather and Ben who have been around and such enjoyable company; and Ed who stayed with us at Jeff's over Christmas.  He left to go and collect Isla who will stay this weekend with him in London, and we'll see her at home in Paignton next weekend.  We have enjoyed great meals together here and there - on Thursday we met up with brother Tom, Gill, my nephew and niece David and Katherine and her boyfriend Ian at a cosy pub in Ashford in the Water - nearly under water with the swollen rive Wye rushing just under the old bridge arches nearby, with Sam and the family for a rare reunion.  Ian told us he'll be cycling down France later this year so we shall look forward maybe to seeing him again before too long.

Then last night was one of the highlights of our time here, and a chance to see not only Fi's workplace, the New Vic Theatre in nearby Stoke but a splendid production of Dickens' A Christmas carol.  It was a musical adaptation full of life and real pathos, beautifully and energetically acted with nice singing and playing by a multi-talented, multi-tasking cast including great child actors, in the round.  The theatre is in fact the first in the country to be purpose-built for performances in the round, and we really felt part of the action.  We also felt very proud of Fi and her hard work as the which goes on with very few days off over the festive period.