Spike interviewed by Martin Bashir

Spike interviewed by Martin Bashir

Originally uploaded by Le Patron

No surprise, Spike was the star of the show when the London and Northern Mottrams met up at Le Petit Marais. He worked the crowd brilliantly especially with his Lady Di eyes – captured here.

CSI St Julien

Whilst Zanna Hurst’s party was at Le Petit Marais some local jeunes invaded the house via the window in the pool room nearest the steps and proceeded to bang about whilst the girls cowered, in a brave way, barricaded in the drawing room. In order to improve their conversational French they called the Gendarmes to the rescue – hopefully they have spoken to the Maire who will have put the word out. There was some doubt as to how the youths had got in but the photograph below clearly shows mud from a trainer on the suspect window cill.

Only a few days later Guy turned up to mow the parc to find the the front door wide open and the keys to the house missing. Merde! New complicated secure access to keys and new locks are a pain in the neck. Le Patron is not a happy Lapin.

All this may be just part of a general St Julien crimewave – see the excerpt from Entre Nie et Boutonne warning communards to take care,

Valentin’s Day

Le Petit Marais’ youngest guest, Valentin visits with his mother Stephanie and proud dad Pascal.

Premier Reunion

Premier Reunion

For the third time the Premier Board met up at Le Petit Marais. On the two previous occasions we ate at Chantegasse with Hildegarde cooking magret de canard over an open fire in the dining room – a beautiful location with wonderful cooking. Chantegasse has changed hands and Hildegarde has died so this year we were at Le Scorlion. I met the chef on the Saturday before our reunion and gave him a jar of Chivers OEM, a packet of Cadbury Fingers, half a pound of leaf Typhoo and disconcertingly a packet of Smash and asked him to incorporate them into a menu decouverte. He did and the menu was fantastic. Le Scorlion did me proud as did St. Jean with amazing Xmas lights. Proud to be Angerien secondaire.

Le Patron

Derek & John worry about Smash..

LPM at night

LPM at night

Originally uploaded by Le Patron

My solar lights and Alan’s jeep lower the tone of this night shot on the wedding day.

Richard & Sophia’s gazebo

Richard & Sophia’s gazebo

Codgers single handedly moved the wedding gazebo from the hangar to the terrace where Le Patron gently secured it, whilst fellow codgers strimmed and hacked and burned.

Darth Fenner

Darth Fenner

Originally uploaded by Le Patron

Codgers blasted their way through years of growth and abandoned logs to clear the island and main bank. Sal was on strimmer duty consuming over one hundred metres of something or other, Terry was slasher, hacker and gatherer with Don as firemaster. Brilliant job.
I’m sure Paul and Peter would have brought their HR skills to bear but they were both no shows, confined to blighty with bad backs.

The Bride

Baby Harry looks on as Sophia moves down the white carpet.

Go to www.petitmarais.com for more shots.

Batiment transformed

Drapes, ivy and lighting and ivy and butterflies and ivy before the caterers arrive with glasses, cutlery and ivy.

Stage management, decorators and props

Peter, Si (who proposed to Jen in La Flotte), Brian (best man), Rob, Richard (groom), Tim (wrangler and barman), Jen (bridesmaid – who accepted), Sophia (bride) and ops director Alan take a break.