Dear kindred spirits,
How are you? What’s your week been like?
Here, in north-west France, it has been cold - but nowhere near as cold as everywhere else in France so I probably shouldn’t moan too much! We’ve had no snow but it has been bitterly cold and our electricity company has been enticing us to use less electricity - which we are doing!
Anyway, to keep you warm, in this edition, we will be looking at
Bins
Traitors
Norway
…and much, much more!
So, without further ado, jumpers and scarves on! It’s email time!
Enjoy!
James x
Words
Ever since I was a tiny, I have been fascinated and amused by languages. I’m also still a bit childish and love a bit of innuendo. So, I can never pass up something in another language that has some kind of inappropriate thing going on with it.
Hopefully, not too many English speakers who haven’t mastered French will see this and get confused about what sort of services they would be required to provide…
Dog Days
I am 9.25 years old - in dog years.
You can find out your dog age by clicking here.
I have yet to try to use this to get an under 18’s cinema ticket. If you have, let me know.
Calling All National News Reporters
I have some chickens in my garden. I am available for interview.
Because, apparently, you’ve run out of news.
PlusPlus
Like lots of adults, I still love Lego! I think it’s a great toy for all ages and it has a longevity that is unsurpassed by any other plaything.
However, there is one new kid on the block that I have enjoyed for a couple of years - PlusPlus.
PlusPlus bricks are basically two ++ signs that lock together. They are incredibly tactile and are a great fidget toy.
Up until now, they’ve been sold mainly in boxes or tubes of random bits with no instructions. Recently, though, they have been making tubes with instructions for specific models - and they’ve been in the sales! Under 3€ for 100 pieces! (If you are in France, check your local U and, if you are in Germany, I know that TK Maxx had some too)
So, last weekend, we spent some family time building PlusPlus models! Here are some of them!
…and, in case you were wondering, the duck was mine!
If you do find yourself with some PlusPlus (which I’d recommend you do!), their website has some great ideas for things to make.
BBC Traitors
Are you watching the BBC’s Traitors? It’s excellent!
…and, obviously, Claudia isn’t a traitor!
But you’ve got to wonder about whoever runs the BBC News app (which, while you’re here, is bloody awful since the update a few weeks ago).
Who thought it was appropriate to put this on the front page the day after a banishment?
I hope you don’t mind that I’ve blocked out two key details but the BBC News app decided not to - and I haven’t seen that episode yet. Maybe you haven’t?
Spoiler alerts aren’t that bloody hard!
But that episode has been ruined for me.
Thanks!
News from the Co-Pilot
Early subscribers to this newsletter will remember my son, Marko, the Co-Pilot from the EV tour of France, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium that we did back in… oh, a few years ago!
Well, he has recently been accepted onto the Erasmus+ scheme.
If you don’t know what Erasmus+ is, it’s an education scheme that supports students, teachers and other educational professionals to spend time in other countries - learning about their cultures, exchanging information and creating new bonds. Those countries include all the countries of the EU and a number of other enlightened countries who have joined the scheme.
What a lot of people do not know is that, as well as university-level students, it also supports younger students to study in other countries.
The Co-Pilot is at lycée and, this year, will be going to Norway for four weeks and I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT I AM NOT JEALOUS AT ALL AND I AM ABSOLUTELY FINE WITH IT.
Norway is one of the non-EU countries that are part of Erasmus+.
Each applicant had to explain what they were interested in learning from the experience. The Co-Pilot is dyslexic and is interested in looking at how the Norwegian education system supports dyslexic students.
The Co-Pilot has promised me that he will send some photos that I can share with you in future newsletters.
And, just to be completely clear, once again, I am absolutely not jealous. OK?
Help the Co-Pilot!
If you’d like to help the Co-Pilot with his Norwegian trip, he’d be super grateful! Use my BuyMeACoffee link and, in the comments on there, just mention the Co=Pilot and I’ll pass your donation to him!
Thank you!
These emails are powered by coffee! If you feel so inclined, thank you! They are hugely appreciated! My buymeacoffee link is at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jamesmb and I’ll post a photo of each one you get me as a thank you!
This week, I have broken all the rules and have used Christopher’s coffee for something that was not coffee…
A lovely hot chocolate and a croissant and a bit of time to sit and think for under 4€! Thanks, Christopher! Much appreciated!
Podcast Corner
I know I’ve mentioned it before but, given I have also just mentioned the Traitors, if you are into that, Chatabix’s Emergency Podcasts about the Traitors are great fun!
Rubbish Origins
Back on 24 November 1883, the préfet of the Seine department in France, signed an order which required landlords to provide their tenants with bins that would be collected by the local authorities.
The Préfet’s name was Eugène Poubelle - and that’s where the French word for a bin (poubelle) comes from.
From the beginning, it was envisaged that there would be three different bins.
a ‘common bin’ for normal household waste;
a ‘special bin’ for remnants of crockery , glass , pottery; and
a ‘special bin’ for oyster shells and mussels.
No, seriously!
But the reason had nothing to do with recycling - it was to protect ‘rag pickers’ or ‘bin divers’ from getting hurt while going through the bins.
I’m not sure what Eugène Poubelle would have made of the state of the bins in Paris back in March last year.
Eugène Poubelle’s story doesn’t end there, though! He went on to become the French Ambassador to the Holy Sea.
Not bad for the original bin man.
Thanks for the Shares!
The other fab way to support these newsletters is to share them with your friends online - just click below and pick the relevant option!
Thank you!
…and, I have just finished watching that episode of the Traitors that the BBC News app ruined - shame because it would have been very tense and exciting otherwise… Bof!
I feel like there are things happening next week - hopefully with the weather being the tiniest bit warmer - but I can’t remember what they are! This makes enticing you into the next edition very difficult… I’ve not mastered this part of the email!
Still, it’s going to be ace!
Have a fantastic week, everyone! :)
Take care,
James x
Plus plus looks like a load of fun and I think our local toy store sells them. The kids need some or at least this 9.5 year old bloke does!