April ‘25

Spring is in the Air

We arrived in Brittany this morning (1st April) just in time to celebrate ‘Poisson d'Avril”. In France April Fools Day involves jokes combining paper fish stuck on a ‘victim’s’ back and chocolate - though I think those pretty chocolate fish packed into a sardine tin, found in many chocolateries, are definitely preferable. To celebrate the day I’ll be using my favourite fish plate.

We have a whole wonderful month ahead, with walks on the beach, shopping in gorgeous markets, eating in our favourite restaurants, and reading in the evening, whilst gently toasting by the fire. There will be some more mundane tasks such as house maintenance and gardening.

One of my regular spring cleaning tasks is to polish our dining table. We bought it from a little carpentry shop in Morlaix (sadly now closed) just after buying the house. It is a large, farmhouse style, kitchen table, we have managed to sit 14 people around it. I make my own furniture polish, which is also useful to ‘feed’ wooden kitchen equipment; chopping boards, spoons and other utensils.

I wanted to ensure that the polish was non toxic, after a great deal of research, I now have a simple, fail safe recipe.

Beeswax and Olive Oil Furniture Polish

Beeswax (food/cosmetic grade) 75g

Olive Oil 300g

In a Bain Marie gently melt the beeswax into the oil, (do not boil, nor allow water into the mixture)

Once fully mixed pour into a clean jar (it may look a little dull)

Allow to solidify and you will have a beautiful, golden furniture polish, which smells divine

*Bonus* you don’t need to wear rubber gloves whilst using this polish, it feels like a particularly rich, sumptuous hand cream!

My reading during March was rather slow. It took me a week to read Jane Austen’s Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney. This wasn’t because it was a difficult read, but because it was so interesting. Each chapter dealt with a female author whom Austen, in all probability read (indeed in both her novels and her letters she references them.) Apart from Maria Edgeworth and Frances Burney I hadn’t heard of these female authors, which meant, of course, that I had to investigate them; discover more about their lives and their writing, and most importantly find out where I could buy (modern) copies of their novels. Most are published by the Oxford University Press. ( search for World Classics) I know that I’ll gradually build up my own small ‘Jane Austen Bookshelf’ as I attempt to read some of these novels over the next few years.

It then took me a week to read Mansfield Park (not helped by a recurrence of an awful winter cold!) . I have always found it the most difficult of Austen’s books, there are so few really sympathetic characters, I even find Fanny and Edmund annoying! I am now looking forward to reading Emma, the heroine can also be infuriating at times, but there is, I think, greater wit and humour within the book.

This April I’m really looking forward to eating seafood. Langostines are at their best in the Spring. They don’t need a long boil, just a minute or two in salted boiling water, then into a colander and run them under a cold tap. They simply need a squeeze of lemon and a dollop of mayonnaise.

You could go old school and make a Rose Marie Sauce. A traditional sauce has mayonnaise, tomato chutney, creamed horseradish, Worcestershire Sauce and Tabasco., it’s a bit of a palaver! I make a far simpler one by stirring a teaspoonful or two of tomato ketchup (Amora is good if you’re in France) into a small bowl of mayonnaise, once combined, I sprinkle some paprika on top, it’s absolutely perfect. Don’t forget a baguette and salted Breton butter on the side, and a glass of something pink!

I’m looking forward to spring foraging. Here in Brittany, at this time of the year, I can usually find Wild Garlic (Three-Cornered Leek rather than Ramps - gentler, milder but still garlicky) and Pennywort, which grows between the gaps in stone walls, it’s a delicious salad ingredient (don’t gather from a wall beside a busy road - a quiet country lane or pedestrian path in a town is far better.)

Last month I said I would share a list of things I find useful to bring to France, this time we are staying for a month, and we return for a further three months in the summer, my list is therefore quite long, we have driven and crossed the Channel by Ferry so could bring more in the car. I would definitely struggle to take any of this on an aeroplane! The majority of this list has been bought at local Richmond supermarkets, the hoisin sauce comes from an Asian supermarket, the tea is from Fortnum’s.

My ´Going to Brittany’ Shopping List (things I often pack for France*)

For the Kitchen:

Marmite /Crunchy Whole Earth Peanut Butter

Redcurrant Sauce/Creamed Horseradish

Belazu Rose Harissa/Hoisin Sauce

Zoug Paste/Chermoula Paste

Countess Grey Tea

For Baking:

Golden Syrup/Treacle

Stem Ginger/Crystalised Ginger

Baking Powder/Bicarbonate of Soda/Dried Yeast

Saltanas/Raisins/Mixed Vine Fruit

For Cleaning:

Large Cotton Dishcloths/Large Cotton Dusters/Microfibre Cloths (all machine washable, therefore reusable!)

For the Bathroom:

My preferred brands of deodorant/shampoo/conditioner

Mouthwash/Dental Floss/TePe picks

* most of the above list could be found in supermarkets or pharmacies in France. However I find taking some familiar store cupboard ingredients useful, sometimes I can’t find things as they are stocked in an unexpected (to me) places within a shop, for instance I used to bring a jar of anchovies, until I discovered that rather than being with other tinned/jarred fish, they are refrigerated in France.

(I have struggled to find the more specialist dental supplies.)

I’ve been meaning to read ‘The Enchanted April’ by Elizabeth Von Arnim for years, but have never got round to it. Could there be a better titled book for this month?

I’m looking forward to the Easter Weekend, even though this will be the first in 38 years without any of our children, there will still be chocolate eggs! My daughter plans to visit her brother, sister-in-law and nephews, whilst my eldest son and his wife are spending time with friends.

I’m really pleased that getting to Finistere is easier. Since the demise of Flybe (Southampton to Brest) there were no direct flights for several years. Last year a European Airline called Volotea (Mondays and Wednesdays) introduced flights between Gatwick and Brest, and now Easy Jet (Wednesdays and Sundays) have joined them. It’s now far simpler (and quicker) for both our family and our friends to pop over for a few days.

I’m enjoying Substack more and more. There are so many fascinating writers here. I’ve realised that I’m treating my own Substack posts more an old fashioned monthly blog, I post so many photographs, however I think that’s okay, one can make it whatever one wishes.

The Substack newsletters that I follow are all fascinating, there’s an abundance of recipes, ideas on fashion, gardening, recycling, travel, bookshops and reading, as well as peacefulness, kindness and generosity. I think I’ll do a separate post mid month, with some of my favourites.

And I absolutely agree with India Knight, the BBC (or another company) should make Radio Plays, TV series and Films, based on Georgette Heyer’s novels (I’ve been reading them on repeat for the last fifty years!) I frequently switch over to Classic FM three minutes into the afternoon play on Radio Four. The news is dreadful enough without a sad, depressing, or utterly ridiculous radio play to follow .

(And there are more… enough for a year’s listening, without repeats!)

In the meantime, whilst we wait for a commissioning editor to have a brain wave and realise that Heyer’s Regency Novels would tie in with both Jane Austen’s 250th Anniversary and the popularity of Bridgerton, there are a few programmes on the BBC Radio archive which include discussions of Georgette Heyer’s novels (find them on the Sounds App) two editions of Women’s Hour and an edition of Books and Authors.

If you have not had the joy of reading Heyer, I would suggest you start with Venetia, The Talisman Ring or Friday’s Child.

Additionally her Golden Age Crime Fiction is, I think, as good as either Agatha Christie or Dorothy L Sayers.

I found this on Audible yesterday! In the past Radio Four, did make four radio plays based on four of Georgette Heyer’s Novels; three Regency Novels and one Crime Novel: Six hours of wonderful escapism (of the very best kind!) absolutely ideal in these gloomy times.

As well as Regency Buck, there is Friday’s Child, Faro’s Daughter and Envious Casca!

Take care, I hope the Easter Bunny brings plenty of goodies, see you next month.

Judith xxx