Just ordered three of Yuca's favourite movies.  Examining black and white portraits of French actors/actresses yesterday reminded me to do so.  Good tip.

If you're anything like me, after watching you'll be wearing a mac and an existential scowl every time you leave the house.

Well Plein Soleil is filmed in sunny climes so no macs there as I recall.

Un flic I've not seen. It's by Melville who I love however I read some questionable reviews. Plein soleil I adore as I've mentioned previously, although you could argue that plot-wise it's flawed. Bob the flambeur is Melville but far lighter than his other works. Montmartre looks absolutely amazing in it. One hell of a film actually.

I loved Montmartre when I stayed there a couple of times, except a crappy bit with lots of tourists buying paintings and Jim Morrison t-shirts by the dozen.  Quite liked Pigalle, too, but used to watch out for the ice-cream sign which indicated you were away from the Tesco Superstore size sex shops and clip joints.  Never felt threatened, though.  Nor in the allegedly dodgy suburb of Stalingrad.  Great book on Paris by Richard Cobb.  Lovely, lovely city.

Plein soleil is based on the same story that provided us with the film the Talented Mr Ripley. Which probably has more ivy clothing but is nowhere near as good.

Just watched 'Un Flic' on DVD.  Raincoat musings a-go-go.  Most of the male characters seem to be sporting Burberrys trench-coats.

We enjoyed it, but, yes, special effects involving a train and a helicopter straight out of 'Thunderbirds'.  We smiled and waited for Catherine Deneuve to reappear.  We'll almost certainly have one your recommendations this evening.

We didn't quite 'do the rounds' this morning but visited four charity shops in the old mining/textile area to the east of us.  Largely BNP territory ten to fifteen years ago.  Sushi bars do not abound.  Yet good stuff does turn up.  An English made Aquascutum raincoat was a bargain at £15 - wasn't it?  Also a corduroy cap, again made in England, a snip at £2.  A navy lambswool v-neck - old M&S.  A fiver.  Yet, go to the far more affluent area to the west and you'll find very little indeed.

If ever you find yourself in our neck of the woods, KingstonIan, the finest fish and chip shop in the county is an unassuming little place in Ambergate (a Victorian railway creation more or less).  Ian is a former chef whose chips are the best I've tasted since childhood (when I used to get packed off, circa 1967, for the Saturday-lunchtime meal: shout up if you want breadcrumbs instead of batter!).  Open Thursday to Saturday only but, if in this part of Derbyshire, highly recommended.  Good pubs within easy driving distance, including the 'Holly Bush' at Makeney and the 'Barley Mow' at Kirk Ireton.  The former landlady would not deal in decimal coinage!

'An English made Aquascutum raincoat was a bargain at £15 - wasn't it? '

If it's a 40R then we need to talk.

Are you waiting until you've lost a bit of weight or did you get it to pass on?

I bought a Dhobi - at the same price, £15 - from our local branch of the same shop, The Lighthouse.  But, whereas the Dhobi is Baracuta quality, poly/cotton, this new acquisition is 100 per cent cotton. 
That's now nine raincoats in total.

Enjoy. I have 2 raincoats, which is enough for me.