The excitement mounts.

The quiet folk from Walla Walla were rather taken aback to be joined mid-breakfast by an ample figure in black bicycle shorts, a lilac fluffy angora jumper and a lime green coloured fabric turban. Yes, Madame Bay has returned, safe and well, from her trip to Croatia with Monsieur Bay and the retired septaguenarian gendarmes. For once there was little time for small talk. 'Could she borrow some baking trays ?' Saturday is the day for the firing up of the long delayed pottery kiln, large crowds are anticipated (why?), and Madame Bay is responsible for making pizzas. God spare us all from honey, anchovy, goats cheese and ground beef delights on a crunchy whole meal base.

Tonight, as part of the pre-firing up celebrations for the kiln, there is to be an exhibition by the art class in their atelier. Their atelier is otherwise known as the village hall. Long time readers of the blog will remember that the art class is populated by a number of French ladies with an eye for the male form. An invitation addressed to me had a hand written comment on the bottom saying ' You'll be most welcome'. Frightening stuff. The junior members of the family can deal with that one - good practice for those whose greatest aspiration in life is being a 'greeter' at A&F.

The perfect excuse for not joining these gallic harridans lies ten metres away on the other side of the village green. Oustric, convener of the beautiful highways committee and the villager responsible for the kiln, has invited us to a reception for a master potter from Perpignan. This gentleman is seemingly an expert on sixteenth century kiln technique and will be test firing the marvellous contraption on Friday ahead of its formal unveiling on Saturday. Riveting stuff. How the master potter will deal with the design flaw posed by the juxtaposition of the smoke from the chimney and the tiled roof covering remains to be seen.

Closer to home , Aude, our chain smoking, decaratrice with the bi-polar conversational habit is getting on swimmingly with Wilf. After a slow, somewhat suspicious start , Wilf has now come round to the view that she is talking to him. He settles down in his corner of the hallway and listens intently while she discusses the topics of the day - all day. He will not move apart from following her outside when she pops out for a quick roll your own . Most of the hallway now has an undercoat apart from a Wilf shaped area by the office door.