Welcome to justthoughtsnstuff

I started posting to jtns on 20 February 2010 with just one word, 'Mosaic'. This seemed an appropriate introduction to a blog that would juxtapose fragments of memoir and life-writing. Since 1996, I'd been coming to terms with the consequences of emotional and economic abuse that had begun in childhood, and which, amongst other things, had sought to stifle self-expression. While I'd explored some aspects of my life through fiction and, to a lesser extent, journalism, it was only in 2010 that I felt confident enough to write openly about myself. I believed this was an important part of the healing process. Yet within weeks, the final scenes of my family's fifty-year nightmare started to play themselves out and the purpose of the blog became one of survival through writing. Although some posts are about my family's suffering - most explicitly, Life-Writing Talk, with Reference to Trust: A family story - the majority are about happier subjects (including, Bampton in rural west Oxfordshire, where I live, Oxford, where I work, the seasons and the countryside, walking and cycling) and I hope that these, together with their accompanying photos, are enjoyable and positive. Note: In February 2020, on jtns' tenth birthday, I stopped posting to this blog. It is now a contained work of life-writing about ten years of my life. Frank, 21 February 2020.

New blog: morethoughtsnstuff.com.

Wednesday 5 September 2012

end of holiday, horseshoes, bell at langford, châlons, tournon, seguin, jaboulet











Last day of the holiday... Great lunch at the Hollybush's sister pub, the Horseshoes, in Witney. Yesterday, did the Bampton-Black Bourton-Langford walk featured in post of 3rd September 2011--superb lunch at the Bell!

Above are photos from the journeys to and from the South of France. On the way down we stayed in Châlons-en-Champagne (top pic), as mentioned in my first French post below, and Tournon-sur-Rhône (see also, French Wikipedia site). On the way back, it was just Châlons (last three pics)--quite a drive, that one.

The second from top photo shows the bridge between Tournon and Tain-l'Hermitage, which was built by Marc Seguin (the inventor of the wire-cable suspension bridge) in 1849--the first night pic is taken from the bridge itself, looking towards the old castle. This structure was the second Seguin bridge to be built at Tournon. The earlier one (1825) was said to be the first of its type in France (see Bridgemeister). It was converted to a footbridge in 1847 and demolished in the 1960s--for navigational reasons, according to a board on the surviving bridge.

In the background of the daylight photo of the Seguin bridge, can be seen Paul Jaboulet's vineyards. Terrific to catch a glimpse of these, having enjoyed the wine with Christmas lunches.

Tomorrow, the furniture is to be lotted up. Quel dommage.
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