— 12 Jul 2023, 16:00 by Alex Hardy
Day 4, Wednesday 12 July
We awoke to clouds this morning - and an early morning dustcart - and the incongruous jumper that had been lying unloved and untouched in my suitcase has finally found a reason to exist and is now happily doing its warming job to perfection. The boys have divided into a rotating triumvirate of French delights. Some are playing charades and other games, others are learning French to prepare for the trip to the French market on Friday and the remainder are cooking puddings for the snack this afternoon, making 'tartouillat'. I've had a good look at the preparations thus far, and even though they are following the same simple recipe with the same ingredients, there are some I am looking forward to tasting more than others...
We opened up the MCF shop before lunch, selling MCF branded T-shirts, mugs, mini teddy bears and caps for the boys to buy as mementos. Faced with this choice, they almost all went for... tins of sweets - and not just any tins of sweets, but rather the exact same ones they bought in Vézelay for double the price!
This afternoon was spent playing various football and table tennis tournaments, dodging the heavy showers that gave the event a certain je ne sais quoi, where the quoi was a total deluge. At time of writing, they still haven't quite finished and I haven't the energy to go outside and find out what's what, so let's just say they are all winners.
Oh, we have the winners for the cookery. Congrats to German, Freddie, Hero, Christopher and Thomas for the best decorated offering (regardless of the flavour), and félicitations to Archie, William, Sam W, Seb and Kit for having the tastiest tartouillat, regardless of looks. A life lesson here, boys, something about judging books by their covers.
As I type this, most boys (not involved in the football finals) are showering and putting on their finery for the meal out. The question is, Did all you mums remember to pack a tie? Nul points to one of the Sams, but I won't say which, to engender a bit of spice into the blog. I became very excited when a boy came in to ask for help to knot his bow tie, 'Wow', says I, 'a boy who values the finer things in life, like a properly made bow tie!' The excitement was short lived however, he wanted me to clip the ready-made 'object' round the back of his neck. Parents, your summer holiday challenge has been set. (As ever, anonymity will be respected.) (hint: Chaplin/Sheen/Parker/Brown) One tradition that has been maintained is that of being ready far too early before departure time. Every year, I panic that the boys won't be showered and changed in time, forgetting that they are BOYS and capable of sticking a shoulder under water and chucking on five items of clothing in about three minutes. Then they go outside and play football and go from handsomely groomed young men to something from Lord of the Flies, but very slightly better behaved, and I make a note not to let this happen next time. Which it absolutely will, guaranteed. Bel tried to impress on me the importance of not starting this process too early ever again, but it is fate. It cannot be changed.
I forgot to say, great excitement (I must stop using this word, sorry), we are going to a different restaurant tonight! Since 2001, we have been going to the same establishment, except in 2003 when my colleague (in those days there was the just the two of us, and a frazzled matron) slummed it at a sort of French 'Wimpy' (other fast-food comparisons are available) where they spoke no English and my colleague spoke no French. Meanwhile, I had sneaked off to a Michelin 3 star restaurant on my own (well, I had PG Wodehouse for company, obv). He was truly furious the next day, but I didn't listen to a word. I had enjoyed a 10 course tasting menu with matching wines and nothing on this earth could shake me from my satisfied state of mind and body. I'm sure the boys' burger and chips happy meal was more than adequate, the fusspots. Our MCF chef says he used to work there (where we are going tonight, not the fast-food joint) and says it is excellent, so I am beginning to wish I had not eaten so much lunch.
Aha! I have news! The winning football team consisted of Freddie, Jude, Maxence, Hero and the neighbours' child who hopped over the fence to join in. And the table tennis was abandoned sans gagnants.
I have just been summoned for pre-departure photos. You will hear all about it later.
10 pm
Well, if that wasn't the very definition of an unbridled success, I don't know what is. Where do I start?? Well, first of all, I will start with the INSTAGRAM (I can do it!) photos, that have been mysteriously vanishing from our account. Turns out that:
a) sending photos from the school marketing phone to an Instagram account used largely for marketing, should have an emphasis on marketing. No one told me. and
b) Mrs Corrigan has been kept very busy by a wayward French teacher who has inadvertently been wreaking havoc with the school marketing phone...
Anyway, touchwood Mrs C will be happy with tonight's offerings, the boys looking thoroughly spiffing and, my word, putting a shirt and tie on a boy absolutely improves his behaviour, it is uncanny. They were truly little angels, sitting there at their tables making entertaining conversation and not even eating the mashed potato with their fingers. There has never been a French Trip meal like it. A few highlights:
- My utter surprise when I realised it was the same restaurant we came to last time pre-Covid. My mind is turning to mush.
- Mr and Mrs Wale, do ask Arth about being hypnotised.
- To the parents of at least two of the boys present, who were unceremoniously packed off to a campsite holiday of doom in Suffolk last summer, what on earth were you thinking of?? I heard all about it from 'F' and 'A' and I think I will be having nightmares myself!
- A certain boy who has a birthday tomorrow won the 'best dressed' award, I am really hoping his picture stays on Instagram, you will spot him at once!
It was a triumph, Chers Parents, if only you could have been there to see your BS in action. I think we should stick them in posh clothes on a regular basis, clearly it works wonders.
I am off to bed, just two days left!
