Preparing for Christmas



Decorations are going up all over Menton, the animals are out, I'm sure Father Christmas won't be far behind. 




The lights aren't lit in the town yet but the casino is ready for hoards of hopeful gamblers ready to win a fortune.


In the centre of town, I love the way the washing hanging from the shutter is as festive as the Christmas tree.


You can tell Christmas is approaching, I'm thinking about making mince pies. There won't be many this year as I didn't bring any mincemeat from England (or make any six months ago) and the cost of mincemeat in France is a bit steep! I have secured two jars but it looks like that will be my lot (I don't think I'll be ordering from Amazon.fr )



Look what I did buy this week. Am I back in the 1950’s  or is this a more economical (possibly environmentally friendly) way to keep warm? It’s certainly cheaper than updating the heating in the apartment for the three months of the year it might be needed.



And, just to remind you that we are not even in December yet, here is a picture of November evening sky in Menton.



Everything keeps growing all year round and the poor cactus in my garden had to be cut back as he kept getting in the way of the shutters, I think he's crying but I've been assured he will regrow...




Incidentally, I recently discovered that Agatha Christie worked on some of her early novels in the very building where I am living (and writing). How's that for name dropping!

On that note, I am working through Hidden - Book 2, again. Taking note of what the early readers have said, trying to make it the best it can be.  Still aiming for early 2026.



My reading looks rather random lately but I've loved everything I've read. 

Don't place any significance on the fact that one is about a vicar and another a vicar's wife.  
I love anything by Barbara Pym—her observations on people and relationships are second to none, Jane and Prudence is her best (I'm in good company saying that, as she was one of the great Jilly Cooper's favourite authors). 
In  Murder Before Evensong, the Reverend Richard Coles is writing about the eighties, the period when my Hidden novels are set. It was suggested to me for this reason and it certainly is evocative of the early eighties but I enjoyed it more for its characters and their interactions.  
A Rising Man has some wonderful characters and is not without its humour. The book is a detective novel set in India after the first world war which provides a fascinating backdrop and the author offers a perceptive insight into the period.





My books are all available from Amazon or can be ordered through your favourite bookshop



The Barwell Trilogy




If you have enjoyed reading this and would like to be sent a link when the next episode is published, please contact me on info@jacquelinejames.co.uk and I will add you to the list.

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