Tag Archives: france

WRITERS ON THE ROAD: SUZANNE FORTIN

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When I first started out writing, my novels were all contemporary, so I didn’t need to do a great deal of research as most of the things I wrote about were within my own experience. However, when I moved into writing historical fiction and, in particular, the Second World War, research became one of the key elements. With so much information out there, it was important that I got my facts right.

Prior to this point in my writing, I had never been much of a historian. I moved into historical fiction by accident really, when my editor wanted me to expand on the backstory of one of my characters. I wasn’t sure if I could do it at first. Researching the Second World War seemed a huge task but the internet, friends, family, colleagues and the local library/bookstore have all been my assistants in helping me in this area.

Most of my novels have been partly set in France – a country that has been close to my heart for many years. Me and my husband first started visiting France in the early 90s and fell in love with the country and culture, so much so, that in 2003 we bought a cottage of our own to renovate in the Morbihan department of Brittany.

Little did I know back then how the area would influence and inspire my writing. Since then, I have found a wealth of information, a lot of which is widely known and many things that are smaller more personal stories of events during the occupation and the efforts of the local French Resistance who fought to disrupt the German war effort as much as possible, proving invaluable in the lead up to D-Day and beyond.

One of my research trips in Brittany took me to the Musée de la Résistance Bretonne in Saint-Marcel. It is, in fact, built of the very site that was once woodland where the local resistance group lived, trained, organised their attacks from and saw actual fighting as Brittany was liberated after the D-Day Landings.

Some of the displays within the museum have recreated scenes of the fighting as well as what every-day life was like under the occupation. All the displays are very detailed. There are some personal accounts, and these helped greatly to the authenticity of what I was writing, rather than just relying on well-documented war facts.

As with so many villages and towns within the area, memories of the war are never far away. On the edges of a village near to our cottage, is a small stone cross on the side of the road with the names of three local men engraved who were captured and executed by the Germans for being part of the Resistance. I have always felt a great sadness when I pass this memorial and initially it was hard to find out any information about the local men but over time this has become recorded online. Their personal stories have stayed with me and although not directly recounted in my writing, I hope I have managed to include the sentiment and acknowledge the sacrifice made by so many men and women in Brittany during the occupation.

 

 

Book link: https://bit.ly/3Z0ECxk

 

SUNDAY SCENE: JAN BAYNHAM ON HER FAVOURITE SCENE FROM HER NANNY’S SECRET

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My third book, ‘Her Nanny’s Secret’, is a dual timeline novel, set in wartime and the sixties in rural mid-Wales and Normandy. It involves secrets, forbidden love, loss, and hope. In the 1963 story, my main character, Annie, travels to France with Clara Pryce to whom she was nanny when she was younger. Clara’s father had been shot down over Normandy in June 1943. Now as an adult, Clara is keen to try to find out what happened to him and where he’s buried. My chosen scene in the novel is when Annie accompanies Clara to Ville de Roi, a town near where her father’s Spitfire fighter plane had been shot down. It’s her first day and I want to capture Annie’s reactions to French life, seeing it through the eyes of someone who had never been to France before.

As she and Clara approach the town, ‘the sea sparkled like a mirror in the afternoon sun’ to the left; ‘coves and inlets surprised her around each bend’ in the road. Once parked, they wander through the streets, eventually choosing a pretty crepêrie where they can have lunch.

La Belle Epoque was situated down a narrow, cobbled street branching off from the main square. Outside, tables, covered with red-and-white tablecloths, and bentwood chairs were placed along each of the two large windows. Ornamental fruit trees in brightly glazed pots separated each table.

‘Is it warm enough to sit outside, do you think?’ asked Clara.

Just being able to sit out in the fresh air to eat is a new experience for Annie. A real treat. None of the cafés in Pen-y-Rhos have outdoor seating.

They sat down and studied the menu. Annie had never seen such a choice and couldn’t decide from the images between a savoury galette filled with ham and cheese, topped with a fried egg, or, to satisfy her sweet tooth, a crêpe, oozing with cooked local apples and whipped cream.

Clara laughed at her indecision and Annie wondered if her eyes were as wide as she felt them to be.

Back home, pancakes are only eaten on Shrove Tuesday and then always with lemon juice and white sugar.

Later in the scene, they come to a central square where a group of elderly men are playing a game Annie hadn’t seen before.

‘Pétanque,’ said Clara. ‘It’s very popular in this part of France.’

They found a bench and watched the game in progress. One man threw a small white ball onto the dusty gravel, a ‘jack’ Clara called it. In turn, each player threw a larger silver coloured ball, a boule, as close to the jack as they could. The men became more animated as the game went on especially when someone’s boule knocked another’s further away from the jack.

‘Every village will have a square for pétanque. Can you see how earnestly the old men take the game? You must never disturb a player when they’re about to throw.’ Clara laughed, waving a finger.

Clara explains to her that even the smallest village in France would have a square and a town hall, a mairie. Annie can’t get over how many cafés and bars there were in one place.

Pretty window boxes adorned the upstairs windows and scarlet summer geraniums and tumbling blue lobelia gave a blaze of colour.

During the rest of her time in France, Annie is to encounter many more new experiences. In the search for Clara’s father, she could never have imagined the outcome of the visit. Keeping her secret for over twenty years is justified at last.

 

https://janbaynham.blogspot.com

 

PUBLICATION SPECIAL: SUMMER AT THE FRENCH CAFE BY SUE MOORCROFT

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As the saying goes, this is the first Sue Moorcroft book I have read, but it won’t be the last. On the face of it, Summer at the French Café is a happy ever after holiday read, but actually the book is far more.

So, what makes it stand out? The sense of place, certainly, and I love that. As I read I could actually see every place the author described; Parc Lemmel, the bookshop café at the story’s heart, the local villages… and without a single sentence of overblown description. All I needed to know was dropped seamlessly into the narrative in an exceptionally skilful way.

But more than the quality of the writing, I love the fact there is a very serious issue at the heart of the book, one that isn’t squashed or skimmed over in the search for a happy ending, one that is dealt with in a sensitive and realistic manner. That issue is emotional control; how it can be used in relationships, the reasons people accept it, and the dangerous patterns that mean it can echo across generations and years.

I asked Sue Moorcroft why she decided to tackle this insidious form of coercion…

“I’m interested in human behaviour, so when I read about control within relationships, I wanted to write about it. It provided the perfect secret behind central character Noah giving up his life in Dordogne and moving across France to Alsace. I write love stories, so the mystery had to be nuanced rather than a simple jeopardy.

I remembered someone who, when she lost her husband, refurnished and redecorated her home. I’d never come across that reaction to widowhood. She explained, ‘He liked to be the one to choose. But now I can.’ To me, this put their relationship in a whole new light. When we’d invited her out and she’d said, ‘I’ll have to check,’ had she meant with her diary? Or with her husband? When we’d picked her up, he escorted her to the car and looked inside to say, ‘Good evening’. How old-fashioned and courtly, I’d thought. But was he checking she was going out with who she’d said she was? If so, did this behaviour make her feel cherished?

Or did she resent it and feel controlled?

She also once mentioned that she’d married young and that her (by then deceased) dad had been a similar man to her husband…

I’ll never know if I jumped to conclusions, but my suspicions informed the background I gave Noah’s ex, Florine. When Florine’s controlling father died, she felt adrift. Attentive Yohan came along, telling her what she looked best in what he liked so that she could like it too, and she felt secure again. But leaving Noah for Yohan pitched her into a very different relationship.

The interesting thing about control, and which provided the nuances I was after, is that it doesn’t have to involve a traditional bully. Yohan doesn’t hit Florine or her daughter Clémence – he loves them. In fact, he almost suffocates them with his love, wanting constant knowledge of where they are or to have them with him, using his anxieties over them to cut them off from others, so he can bask in their undivided attention. His behaviour stems from his own insecurity and immaturity. Mix in a little self-importance and selfishness, and you have a controlling man. Yohan isn’t a main character, which means that Summer at the French Café is not his story – but the plot around Noah won’t work without him.”

 

Jane Cable

 

 

 

 

 

Travel thoughts: Christmas markets

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I lived in France for ten years where the Christmas hype started much later and was much more low key. So for me, the Christmas markets signify the beginning of the festive period. Being cocooned by the closeness of the beautifully decorated stalls, almost suffocated by the homely aroma of vin chaud and heartened by the promise of melted cheese on bread, was an event worth attending even if I didn’t have a shopping agenda.

A tradition which originated in Germany in the late middle ages to mark the four weeks of Advent, the popularity of the Christmas market soon filtered through Europe to Switzerland, France, Italy and Spain. Surprisingly, even though local markets have occupied a place on the town squares of England for many years, the extravagant English Christmas fayres of the past didn’t return to our cities until the 1990s. Banned by the puritan leaders of Cromwell’s reign for being, an icon of a wasteful festival that threatened Christian beliefs and encouraged immoral activities, Christmas markets in all their glory took a long time to re-emerge. Festive products and foodstuffs eventually found their way back onto the English market stalls in the Victorian era. And thankfully now the dedicated Christmas markets of the past are once again popping up all over the country offering an abundance of tempting treats handmade gifts and a chance to meet the maker.

More popular than ever, festive markets are now regular events in the larger cities of Scotland (Edinburgh & Glasgow), Wales (Cardiff ) and England (London, Manchester, Leeds & Birmingham). Smaller towns and country estates have also eagerly adopted the unique yuletide shopping opportunity. York, Bath and Blenheim Palace are amongst the most popular heritage sites to make use of their elegant architecture as backdrops for complex projections, spectacular light manifestations and laser displays to wow the shoppers as they browse the stalls for festive goodies.

 

christmas treats

 

The best Christmas markets still take place within the leading countries of Europe. Cultural styles dominate the handcrafted objects on sale, varying the design of the jewellery, ceramics, and toys from region to region. The geographical differences don’t stop there, the choirs, the minstrels and vibrancy of the dancers who entertain the crowds all vary dramatically too.

Stuttgart, Frankfurt and Nuremberg still attract the highest numbers of visitors every year and are the biggest Christmas markets. Hot Bratwurst and gallons of beer are amongst the tempting treats at the german street stalls. Further east, roasted hams and hot sugar-coated cake entices shoppers to the markets in Prague. In Bologna, it’s festive nougat made with almonds and honey that is a winner with the crowds. However diverse the flavours may be, there is always one tempting aroma that dominates – roasted chestnuts. And just writing about it is putting me in the festive mood, which reminds me, I must buy some more cinnamon!

 

Christmas treats

In Search of the Past: A visit to the Somme Part 6 by Penny Gerrard

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Lieutenant Colonel Harry Vivian Robert Hodson

Our two day trip was drawing to a close and so, lunchtime baguettes eaten and the loo in a local café visited, our thoughts turned back to Richard’s grandfather Harry Hodson.

After the battle of Mametz Wood, Harry assumed command of the 14 Royal Welsh Fusiliers on 18 July 1916 and redeployed with the 38 Welsh Division to the Ypres salient on the Yser Canal until June 1917 when he was appointed Officer Commanding the Brigade School.  Harry took command of the 1st Battalion the North Staffordshire Regiment on 9 April 1918 to reform and retrain the battalion after it had been virtually wiped out in the area of St Quentin when the Germans first launched the Ludendorff offensive.  The battalion was deployed in the Lens area from May to late September until relieved. The regiment was then redeployed to the Cambrai area to take part in the final stages of the war and the battle of the Selle.

In Search of the Past. A visit to the Somme. Part 6 by Penny Gerrard16
 “The peaceful River Selle as it is today”

We drove down a steep hill to find the River Selle which formed the setting of this battle and were rather nonplussed to find a small, tranquil and reed-edged river winding its way in a rather chocolate box way through a pretty village.   Not at all Richard’s vision of what the River Selle would be.    It was clearly a very different place when Harry’s regiment fought for control of what was a key bridge.

In Search of the Past. A visit to the Somme. Part 6 by Penny Gerrard26 “The landscape above the River Selle where Harry’s battalion fought”

Back up the hill Richard was able to bring the area of the fighting above the village to life for us, having an instinctive grasp for the lie of the land and the direction of the fighting which the rest of us lacked.

In Search of the Past. A visit to the Somme. Part 6 by Penny Gerrard3
 “Dark clouds over the fields above the River Selle”

Harry commanded his battalion in operations from 7 October to clear the enemy from the villages of Awoingt, Cauroir, Cagnoncles, Rieux, Avesnes, St Aubert until he was wounded at 11am on 13 October 2018, very near the end of hostilities.  He was twice “Mentioned in Despatches” for gallantry.  The war ended before he was again fit for duty and so he survived and returned to his wife and three children, one of them being Robin, Richard’s father.  He commanded his regiment again in 1925 and was stationed in Calcutta until 1929.  In 1930 he was compulsorily retired due to defence cuts, living to the age of 85.

As we stood on the road trying to visualise the battle raging across the landscape, we thought about how different things could have been if the bullet which hit Harry in the hip had actually killed him.  A long life could easily have been cut short as it was for so many thousands who went off to the Somme with such high hopes of serving their country a century ago.

Our time exploring the Somme battlefields was over and we left with just a little more understanding of the experiences of Robert, Walter, Gilbert, Harry and Frederick – only two of whom lived to tell the tale.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.*

In Search of the Past. A visit to the Somme. Part 6 by Penny Gerrard4 “St Aubert British Military Cemetery – just one more example of the dedication of those looking after these very special memorials all across France and Belgium”

*From “For the Fallen” by Lawrence Binyon

 

Penny Gerrard

with information & text from Richard Hodson

 

 

In Search of the Past – A visit to the Somme – Part 3 by Penny Gerrard

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Captain Walter Basil Haddon-Smith

The Gerrards and the Hodsons had successfully tracked down the first of Richard’s family members and so onwards on the next stage of our journey – this time to find the Le Touret Monument to 13,400 soldiers whose families had no marked graves to visit.  On this would be carved the name of Walter Basil Haddon-Smith – a first cousin of Richard’s grandfather. Walter was a Captain in The Queen’s Regiment and was killed in action on 16 May 1915 at the battle of Festubert commanding D company.

In Search of the Past – A visit to the Somme - Part 3 by Penny Gerrard1 “The Le Touret Monument to the Missing with its surrounding graves”  

There were no problems with navigation this time and we entered the quiet grounds of the monument which sat huge and timeless in the rolling French countryside which was unrecognisable from the devastated landscape it was 100 years ago when Walter fell. The names were faint and we struggled to photograph them but there it was –  the simple name “Haddon-Smith W.B.” among so many thousands of others. The quiet was only broken by the sound of birds singing.  How many generations of birds would have lived here since those whose song was stilled by the fighting I wondered.

In Search of the Past – A visit to the Somme - Part 3 by Penny Gerrard2 “The name ‘Haddon-Smith W.B.’ engraved on the stone”

Richard explained to us that Walter’s Battalion plan was for A Company to lead the attack with two lead platoons followed by two remaining platoons behind with a 50 yard interval, followed by B, C and D companies in identical fashion.  The distance to the German trenches was 180 yards over uneven ground with ditches and long grass.  The attack was preceded by artillery bombardment of the enemy positions from 2.45 to 3.15 am.  Then, as daylight broke, A Company scaled the ladders and rushed towards the German position.   The enemy opened fire immediately.   After elements of C Company had gone over the top, enemy resistance was unaffected and a second artillery bombardment was requested and lasted 15 minutes.  Then the remainder of C Company and D Company attacked.   By 7.30pm the operation came to an end.   Of the 27 Officers and 963 other ranks, total casualties were 19 Officers and 416 other ranks killed or wounded.   A sad postscript was that his wife Edith had died of peritonitis ten days before Walter was killed.   Richard will never know if Walter was told of his wife’s death before he went into action.   He was posthumously “Mentioned in Despatches” for gallantry.

In Search of the Past – A visit to the Somme - Part 3 by Penny Gerrard3 “The Le Touret Monument with its 13,400 names”

We had started to realise that time was passing by fast and lunchtime was upon us.  What we needed was a crusty baguette bursting with ripe Brie or some such appetising filling (we were remembering the tempting arrays in the boulangeries of Lille).    Not apparently to be found at lunchtime out in the wilds of the French countryside though.  The occasional tabac serving a full meal was our only choice but “Madame” whipped us up light and fluffy omelettes.   The lunchtime passed in sociable chat with other war grave pilgrims as we compared notes and family histories.  We wondered what was in store for us next as we travelled on through the French countryside.

In Search of the Past – A visit to the Somme - Part 3 by Penny Gerrard4“Our lunchtime tabac”

In Search of the Past – A visit to the Somme Part 1 by Penny Gerrard

In Search of the Past – A visit to the Somme by Penny Gerrard Part 2

 

 

French House Party, Carcassonne – How it Began By Owner Moira Martingale

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By Margaret Graham with news of an exciting offer exclusive to Frost readers.

** A very special offer for Frost readers:  sign up for the House Party Creative Writing Retreat in June at this great venue, and  save £150. Just email Moira Martingale quoting the code: ‘Frost’. This is a rare opportunity to find time to finish that manuscript or short story in the company of others. A professional will be on hand to help when needed. There will be great food, wine, a swimming pool, sunshine… Read more to find out the where, what and why. 

French House Party, Carcassonne – how it began By owner Moira Martingale1

‘So,’ owner Moira Martingale ponders, ‘where did the idea of French House Party come from in the first place?’

One sultry August evening, sitting around the table in Carcassonne with friends, it turned out that all of us had read Yann Martel‘s Booker-winning ‘Life of Pi’ and everyone had a view about it. The book-talk went on for ages, punctuated only by the uncorking of further bottles of the lovely local wines from this region of southern France, which is Languedoc-Roussillon.

French House Party, Carcassonne – how it began By owner Moira Martingale2

We were all arty folk: a successful ceramicist, an early-retired theatre director, teachers, artists and writers, one of the latter being myself.  A journalist-turned-author, I also had a teaching qualification and a doctorate in English literature.

Suddenly it dawned on me: why not set up holiday courses for people to come and do precisely what we were doing: discussing books with each other during a holiday in the sun with lovely food and wine laid on.

French House Party, Carcassonne – how it began By owner Moira Martingale3

At that time there were five en suite bedrooms in this 200-year-old farmhouse, so in theory there was room for ten people. My friends were all skilled and enthusiastic artists and within minutes I had my Ceramics, Arts and Creative Writing tutors with a planned Books and Drama course run jointly by myself and my theatre director friend, Chris. It was as easy as that.

Or was it? Marketing? Promotion? Advertising? Annual accounts? Business plans? What did I know about forecasts and profits and losses? I found I knew nothing the moment the website went up. Because NOTHING happened. The enquiries@frenchhouseparty mailbox  was empty.

French House Party, Carcassonne – how it began By owner Moira Martingale4

Slowly I learned, and things picked up. My break-even point was five people per course and at six I was in profit, although I was clearly in no danger of being named in the Sunday Times Rich List.  Frequently we had three or four people booked onto a course and I still ran it. Ruthless businesswoman I was not.

French House Party, Carcassonne – how it began By owner Moira Martingale5

Eventually I made all the arts courses groups-only, other than Sarah Hymas’s Creative Writing, which was regularly over-subscribed. In 2009 I extended the house to eight bedrooms. Things were cooking, literally, because French House Party offered additional courses which individuals could join – various cookery breaks tutored by first-class French chefs and our Summer Songwriting course run by the respected singer-songwriter and 1970s/80s chart-topper Dean Friedman.

Along with Creative Writing, these remain the most popular, and are effortlessly filled year after year. Other arts courses continue to operate and the demand is, in fact, increasing, but now these are on a groups-only or privately-booked tailor-made basis.

French House Party, Carcassonne – how it began By owner Moira Martingale6

Dedicated writers have an additional option now. Sarah Hymas, who is a professional mentor at her publishing company, is for the first time, offering a Writing Retreat for authors whose work is either complete or in progress.  There will be no formal lessons, but individual one-to-one sessions for manuscript inspection, advice, help and ideas-input from someone with a pedigree in such expertise and who is fearless when it comes to sharing it.

French House Party, Carcassonne – how it began By owner Moira Martingale7

This course – ‘Pen & Think’ starts on 15 June and ends on 20 June. The all-inclusive price is £895. As with all our courses, we provide free airport transfers and include extras such as a couple of dinners, including wine, out at lovely restaurants. (See  our French house Party offer above)

French House Party, Carcassonne – how it began By owner Moira Martingale8

In the years since that first inspirational nudge from ‘Life of Pi’, French House Party has been named one of the top ten learning retreats in a National Geographic book ‘The 100 Best Worldwide Vacations to Enrich Your Life’ and we have a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor, reflecting customer satisfaction. This year the Daily Telegraph named us as one of the top ten cookery holidays in France.

French House Party, Carcassonne – how it began By owner Moira Martingale9

You see, it might have taken eight years, but finally I’m starting to sound like a businesswoman, aren’t I?

Moira Martingale

The French House Party, Carcassonne.

Email: enquiries@frenchhouseparty.co.uk    or    moiramartingale@me.com

Website: www.frenchhouseparty.eu

UK Mobile: 07900 322791

UK Landline:  01299 896819

 

 

Why Writers Return To Carcassonne By Jane Carling

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I am always on the look out to find ways of improving my writing and I also know that not only is a good tutor essential, but one needs time to think and concentrate. So hey, why not combine it with a holiday?  I struck lucky when, two years ago, I discovered French House Party. It is a country retreat that provides an all-inclusive oasis of calm for both experienced writers and novices who seek inspiration away from daily distractions of life.

J.SUNFLOWERS IN PEXIORIA

Located in the hamlet of Pexioria, the converted stone barn is about twenty minutes from Carcassonne in SW France.  Each of the pretty eight bedrooms are en-suite, individually styled and in June the scent of lavender fills the air, whilst just across the track are fields of sunflowers.  If only I could paint. On arrival at Toulouse, I was whisked away in an air conditioned limo to this haven and was greeted by my host, Moira Martingale with a glass of champagne as she introduced the group to one another. There were only six of us last year, although they can cater for up to twelve.  The only important decision required was Red, Rosé or White as delicious meals, prepared by the innovative Regine, was placed before you.

Inspirational tutor

Sarah Hymas runs the creative writing courses.  She is an accomplished mentor, coach, editor, and a recognised poet who also writes short stories and performs plays.  Effortlessly, she really made us think outside the box, encouraged our inner creativity, dispelled any inhibitions to overcome writing blocks and has a wicked sense of humour.

Writers at work

The course began at ten each morning until lunch, then we were free to write, walk, cycle
(the Canal du Midi is close) play tennis or table tennis, swim, or just sit in the sunshine with fellow scribes.

Dining out in Carcassonne

Included in the price, are two suppers in excellent restaurants, one of which is highly acclaimed and set within the Medieval City walls of Carcassonne.  There is also a free day for relaxation, to write, to shop or visit local attractions and one evening was dedicated to discussing our work over a leisurely Dinner.

This year they have introduced a retreat week, “Pen and Think” for those wishing to focus on personal projects and Sarah will provide individual support and critique.

Since discovering French House Party, I have made some great new friends including a Tasmanian hermit who is now travelling  the world, an enigmatic octogenarian who was writing her risqué memoirs and a fun character whose interpretation of French House Party was not quite what he expected.  In between the laughter and fun, there is much discussion and sharing of writing and publishing tips.

Relax and re-charge by the pool

Although this is not a cheap week, it is worth every penny for anyone of any age who is writing a novel, short stories or just starting out as a writer.  Stepping out of one’s comfort zone is daunting, but last year the disparate bunch of people blended so well that my laugh lines had doubled on my return.  So, armed with excess baggage of eye cream, in June I shall be returning for the “Pen & Think” week to indulge in the delights of words, warmth, and a little wine whilst hoping to get some work done.

As a romantic Indie novelist, I like to write fast paced romantic stories set in sunny locations and to date I have published two books, Pandora’s Box is set in Greece and my latest,  Ruby’s New Coat, is a wartime romance, set between London and Crete.

Details are on my website: www.janecarling.co.uk and both can be purchased on Amazon.co.uk and Kobo.com.

For more information about French House Party visit www.frenchouseparty.co.uk