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| The Tour du Poitou-Charentes leaving Rochefort |
This week is not just the last
week of the holidays it is also the busiest and potentially the most exciting
week of our summer.
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| Alex Dowsett signing my programme |
Today was the first day of the
four-day, five-stage Tour du Poitou-Charentes cycle race, an event we have been
following for about four years now. It may be a little brother to the Tour de
France, but it is still an important race in the cycling calendar that attracts
the big names from the big teams. This morning we were stood by the Team Sky
and Movistar team buses, (almost) rubbing shoulders with Alex Dowsett (that’s
another autographed programme to add to my collection), Ben Swift and Luke
Rowe. I was close enough to the open door of the Movistar coach to watch their
final preparations. Bananas and muesli bars were eaten, water was drunk, shoes
were ratcheted up, tops were pulled over brief glimpses of bare chests, helmets
and sunglasses were positioned and finally the riders emerged to sign
autographs before checking their bikes and cycling off to sign in. An
experience that was very much worth the hour and a bit drive to Rochefort in
the Charente Maritime.
Tomorrow afternoon I almost get
to invite my favourite cyclists over for tea and cakes as stage two of the race
will pass through our village – can you see my happy dance? In order to ensure
the safe passage of the race, the publicity caravan that passes an hour earlier
and all the support vehicles the commune was ‘told’ to provide a team of
marshals. As a Maire in France is someone in a position of authority being
‘told’ rather than asked nicely, didn’t go down too well at first. However, the
levels of excitement displayed by me seem to have rubbed off and now it is
something most of the village are talking about. Ade and I are looking forward
to being involved as marshals tomorrow, doing our bit for the village and
feeling like we are part of the race organisation too.
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| Charroux Literary Festival 2015 |
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| James Vance |
As if this wasn’t enough for one
week in rural France where quiet and calm normally rule, on Thursday and Friday
I will be attending the
Charroux Literary Festival. Oh yes, a real literary fest
event with real authors almost on my doorstep. I can’t wait to attend the
sessions run by
Kate Mosse, Jacqui Lofthouse and Diana Morgan-Hill among
others. In order to really feel the pulse of excitement I’ve volunteered to introduce
local author
James Vance for his session on The Basics of Plot Structure in
Fiction. Am I nervous? Yes. Excited? You bet!
The only pin that could burst my
happy bubble at attending my first lit fest is that I will be missing the final
two days of the Tour du Poitou-Charentes. If books and cycling are top of my
list, cycling and Status Quo are top of Ade’s list and just to round off the
fun this week, the mighty Quo are playing in the Loire on Saturday evening and
Ade and Ed can’t wait. A two-hour drive is worth it for a free Quo gig. I’ve
still to decide whether Saturday is a lit fest day or a Quo day for me, but I’m
pretty sure Sunday will need to be a lazy day. You’ll probably find me in a
darkened room re-energising on patisseries.
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| Charroux Literary Festival 2015 |
