It’s already a month since the first Top Up Your French session took place on board the Côte d’Albâtre.  A steadily increasing number of passengers are joining me around the captain’s table with especially more children now that the school holidays have started.  How lovely to hear their laughter and their first attempt at ordering a meal in French! 

I hope you were able to listen to the interview on BH, the Sunday morning Radio 4 program.  The BBC South East Today team will join me on Thursday 14^th of August and I am told their report will appear in the evening program. 

We’ll soon have a link from the Transmanche LD Lines home page.  This is excellent news and I am sure it will bring more people to the sessions.

The Top Up Your French sessions are an essential part of the cosmofil concept.  Helping people to communicate in the language of the country they are visiting is the first step towards a better understanding of different cultures.  This is the message I want to put through to MEP Sharon Bowles when we talk this week.  I am a passionate European and I believe cosmofil can help promote Europe in the UK.

Best cosmofil wishes

Babette

Hello

I still can’t believe it!  Cosmofil on Radio 4, Broadcasting House (BH) on Sunday at 9am?  Up to the last minute, this morning 6.15 I did not really believe that  Paddy O’Connell would be boarding the ferry in Newhaven to join me on a day return trip to Dieppe.  Actually, he almost did not make it, arriving just seconds before the bus took the foot passengers to the ferry, in real “Tintin reporter” style!

If you know me a little, you will have an idea of how anxious I was about meeting him, but believe me, my anxiety subsided as soon as we met.  He could have been an old friend of mine and in fact I felt more at ease with him than with many people I have known for years.  I guess that’s what makes a good reporter, this ability to make people comfortable so they confide in them. 

Paddy helped me set up for the day’s crossings (sticking posters on the wall and setting up the captain’s table for the first Top Up your French On Board session).  He then followed me when I went to the cafeteria and the bar with my questionnaire and £1 off vouchers trying to get people to  join a session.  Amazing how the sight of a microphone (and Paddy’s light hearted questions) can get people talking!   There was much laughter and frank admissions along the lines of “yeah well, I know I should make the effort but what the heck, I’m on holiday, let me finish my drink and I might think about it”.

Top Up Your French On Board broke a new record today with 10 people attending the first morning session, 6 adults and 4 children.  It was a joyful session, with 3  generations of one  family playing their part in the roleplay “ordering a meal at the Cosmofil restaurant”.  So much fun and just what cosmofil is about, bringing people together to enjoy communicating in a foreign language.

Only two people came to the afternoon session, despite the £1 off voucher and Paddy’s rich voice making the announcement on the loud speaker.  Still, two is better than none, and I’m sure they’ll help spread the word, one way or another.

I hope I did not miss this fabulous opportunity to put the cosmofil message across.  Of course I am annoyed with myself for not always giving short and sharp answers or sounding cleverer but hey, it was a first  so I can only get better.  Anyway, I am sure the children’s laughter is worth ten times more than anything I could have said.

Tune in to BH on Sunday at  9am if you can.  I will be  almost mid-way between Sussex and Normandy so I’ll listen to the broadcast on the internet when I get home on Sunday night. 

 Best cosmofil greetings to You

Babette