Une histoire de plage mêlé de sable et d'eau

Brighton captures many of the quirks and oddities which maketh the Great British Seaside Holiday. Okay, so it feels a little weird to pack Factor 50 sunblock and an umbrella in the beach bag, and sometimes it might feel like the coast’s main source of heat is the polystyrene tub of chips you find yourself huddled around, but this never seems to detract from the timeless sense of wholesomeness conjured by a stroll along a good ol’ British seafront.

Des pique-niques et des surprise-parties

All images are published in accordance with article L.122-5 of the Code de la propriété intellectuelle français.

In my last post I promised to share some of the delightful morsels of sixties France that I’ve uncovered during my foray into France’s youth culture of yesteryear. This first instalment collects images scanned from various issues of the unisex youth magazine, Salut les copains, between 1963 and 1968 and a few of my favourite record sleeves - all from my own personal collection of old tat. The second photograph is - of course - Francoise Hardy looking pensively out to sea.

Mon cœur et ton cœur sont repeints au vin blanc

I've been busily beavering away researching my dissertation topic and unfortunately I've been a little lax updating the blog, however all my hard work delving into the annals of mid-century French youth has unearthed some charming nuggets of Francophone pop culture that I can't wait to share with you over the next few weeks. In the interim, here are some colourful summer snaps that have been lying around collecting dust. I really wish it wasn't so damn cold right now!

Un p'tit séjour à Paris (Part Four)

Here is the final set of photos from our wonderful trip to Paris, which saw us gorge on a most excellent breakfast in our apartment; stroll around the splendid streets of Saint-Germain-des-Prés; and listen to 60’s French pop on the banks of the Seine - courtesy of an exceptionally cool bouquiniste stall-holder and his battery-powered record player. Amazing! Au revoir et à bientôt mon cher Paris!

Un p'tit séjour à Paris (Part Three)

Part 3 of our Parisian adventure saw Kate and I pottering around our lovely neighbourhood in the 10me arrondissement and exploring the Quartier Latin’s plethora of indie cinemas, bookstores and record stores. Following a good rummage, I excitedly unearthed a stash of bargainous French pop records for €1 a piece; some more Diabolik comics; and a great bande-dessinée of Leo Malet’s hardboiled wartime noir 120, Rue de la Gare. The final shot is courtesy of my lovely girlfriend Kate, who put together a sweet pentaptych of our favourite photo booth snaps from our trip.