Je tourne à travers les champs époussette à mes talons vers la fin du soleil de soirée et la musique pressante chauffe le soleil passionné et je me tiens à la nuance foncée les des bois et capture mon image à plusieurs reprises sans couverture du monde. Je suis libre dans le monde normal de mon rêve.

I turn through the fields dust at my heels towards the end of the evening's sun and the pressing music heats the impassioned globe and I am held in the dark nuance of the wood and capture my image over and over without the cover of the world. I am free in the normal world of my dream.

Phil Lowe

Hi there blogging friends! Happy New Year to you all after tomorrow. Have a cool time tonight.

Sorry I haven't been blogging for a short while. Not sure where the time has gone but in the lead up to Christmas I got very busy with everything and generally the computer had a little rest and a byte to eat on Christmas day.

I should be back blogging now and reading all the great bloggs from you lot out there in the world.

On Tuesday 3rd I have a call back for another audition for a part in Anna Kareninna (the play) so I will let you know what is the outcome.

The lady I dated (once) before Christmas didn't come to much as there was the difficulty of me not driving and potentially having to travel up to Derbyshire if the relationship got off the ground romantically. She was a nice woman and I wish her luck in her future dating.

Phil x

"It is well to give when asked, but it is better to give unasked, through understanding."
–Kahlil Gibran

Have a great time and check out my Christmas pictures on my flickr site.

www.flickr.com/photos/frenchyphil/sets/1633946/

Food Heroes Christmas Special
- Monday 19th December, BBC2 at 9pm
I made a programme about all the things I'd choose for a special Christmas hamper such as smoked salmon, York ham, Christmas pudding and the best turkey and geese. It's on Monday 19th December, BBC2 at 9pm and features my dog Chalky in a cunning disguise.

Cabin Fever - Tuesday 3rd January, BBC2 at 8pm
What's it really like making a TV series like French Odyssey? Well quite chaotic actually, plenty of arguing, too much boozing but a sense that we were all having the time of our lives on that barge. It's on Tuesday 3rd January, BBC2 at 8pm*.

This blog is short and to the point. If you have not already purchased the book "Shopped.... the shocking power of British Supermarkets.' by Joanna Blythman please go out and spend a mere seven pounds 99p of your hard earned money now and save yourself an absolute fortune. I got this today because I thought it would be 'interesting', 'culturally whimsical' etc and can't stop reading it. Let me know what you think. Phil

'God bless the independent shops who have survived' Phil

This morning I used my digital camera to record the mess that my creaky old body is getting into. With curtains closed and self timer primed I recorded every angle of my body sans clothes purely for my personal inspiration. The 'inspiration' meaning to do something about toning up and getting some exercise so I don't end up an even bigger wreck somewhere in the future when it is too late. At least with a digital camera the results don't have to be chortled over by the staff at Boots. I have printed the results off and am determined to get rid of my 'pregnant man' beer belly and to trim down those 'love handles' I never knew existed as I never see myself normally from behind. I am not expecting to turn myself into a fifty year old adonis but there is certainly room for improvement. New Years resolution comes early.

Thanks to Rick and Janette for a lovely afternoon and evening in Nottingham. This is a poem for you that tries to capture those slightly drunk moments when I was seeing every small thing as a photographic possibility on the way to eat at the Pizza Express.

Photographic memory.

Watch out for the moments
The shadows and the sight
The right fall of light
The trembling of the essence
The vibrations that make
The captured image still
The pull and push of creation
The tweak of body to get it,
To get it spot on,
To get it perfectly right.

Phil Lowe

20 WORDS OF WISDOM
Be the change you wish to see in the world

ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you
want.
FOUR. When you say, "I love you," mean it.
FIVE. When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.
SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.
EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
TEN. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.
TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.
THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"
FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
FIFTEEN. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.
SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson
SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and responsibility for all your actions.
EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone.

First there was Cilla behaving like somebody's pervy 'should-know-better-at-her-age' auntie some while ago with that scary woman lech look on her face and now even worse! Bobby Ball in a pink leotard cavorting camply in the jungle showing off his sleepy pink viper and surnames in figure hugging latex! Don't they think I have enough bad images to contend with? I couldn't stand him as he was, all 1980s power braces and gap toothed moustache mascarading as vaguely funny to the straight fella Cannon whatever. Religion and comedy should never mix.

Turn of the telly now viewers or at least watch something amusing like the re-runs of The Peep Show.