Tricks that old racers get up to after retirement

[Lake X Kid]

Jackie how did you spend your time in Bouzigues?

Your art piece to me, has that modern architecture style.

[jackiewilson]

Jackie how did you spend your time in Bouzigues?

Your art piece to me, has that modern architecture style.

Living the Mediterranean life ROY—— I had friends from all over the globe———Great food and wine for next to nothing. Toured Spain Italy and Portugal. Picked the grapes and pressed them. Picked the olives and took them to be pressed. Flew my best friends airplane, Went for a steak at “BUFFALO GRILL” in Montpellier for a change from seafood.
Almost perfect weather—- once had Christmas dinner on the top terrace in shirtsleeves.
Had a 30’ sea ray in the harbour—— dined out on it with a bunch of friends most summer days.
Was a continual round of visiting friends and eating and drinking with them—- Reed Eller was famous throughout the world for his dry martinis——Gin, Vodka or Tequila Two of those and you were anybody’s!!!
Fresh baguettes twice a day from the village bakery ( Boulangerie )two hundred local vineyards to choose from !
Traditional centuries old festivities four or five times a year that involved local communities—— and the Annual three day oyster festival —- the midsummer music festival !
Hells teeth ROY—- what did I do in Bouzigues——?. Damned if I can remember —— but I seemed to have time to create a few pieces in my six car garage that served as a workshop.
All you have to do to create a masterpiece is open the mind and think laterally—- vertical and horizontal——- and away you go.

)

[jackiewilson]

A guy in Canada once asked me if I had a nice looking plank of two inch ash ? Asked if I would cut out a shape for a guitar——- did that —- couple of odd shaped pieces left over, so I made them into a pair of wading birds. They’re stuck on the bedroom window sill.

[jackiewilson]

went to Sweden with Runo Cronström —— retired dental surgeon and naval commander in the Royal Swedish Navy.
He introduced me to a couple of outstanding Swedish Artists, one of them made huge concepts for towns parks and civic centres. Earned shed loads of money , he needed to, he was married five times and was paying five lots of alimony!
The guy was outstanding—— but I realised “”I CAN DO THAT”——- ​very firstpiece I ever made was this—— a direct copy of one he charged hundreds for——- mine still hangs in the outhouse!

[jackiewilson]

Another of the Swedish designs I did a straight copy of—— been hanging outside the front door for ten years .

[Lake X Kid]

Living the Mediterranean life ROY—— I had friends from all over the globe———Great food and wine for next to nothing. Toured Spain Italy and Portugal. Picked the grapes and pressed them. Picked the olives and took them to be pressed. Flew my best friends airplane, Went for a steak at “BUFFALO GRILL” in Montpellier for a change from seafood.
Almost perfect weather—- once had Christmas dinner on the top terrace in shirtsleeves.
Had a 30’ sea ray in the harbour—— dined out on it with a bunch of friends most summer days.
Was a continual round of visiting friends and eating and drinking with them—- Reed Eller was famous throughout the world for his dry martinis——Gin, Vodka or Tequila Two of those and you were anybody’s!!!
Fresh baguettes twice a day from the village bakery ( Boulangerie )two hundred local vineyards to choose from !
Traditional centuries old festivities four or five times a year that involved local communities—— and the Annual three day oyster festival —- the midsummer music festival !
Hells teeth ROY—- what did I do in Bouzigues——?. Damned if I can remember —— but I seemed to have time to create a few pieces in my six car garage that served as a workshop.
All you have to do to create a masterpiece is open the mind and think laterally—- vertical and horizontal——- and away you go.)

Jackie congratulations on the good life of evading high taxes in England, and dining with cultured friends in the moderate climate of southern Europe.

I was a Floridian greenhorn from the states, and the first time, I flew in a commercial airplane was going to Italy. I had never been out of the United States until then, so my learning curve went to new territories. I say this as a preface, with dining with Renato.

So we (including my dad, and I think a fourth person too, but I cannot recall who it was). We are in central France (maybe close to where you are now Jackie) traveling, and we stop to eat. At this roadside restaurant, I experienced two new things in my life.

The first was the restroom. Americans know my reaction, when I walked into the restaurant’s adjacent restroom. And there was no urinal or toilet (a word derived from the French). Instead there was a hole in the ground. And more accurately a white porcelain/stoneware slab with two shoeprint impressions in the slab, one on each side of the target hole. Welcome to 1971 southern Europe.

So back inside the French restaurant we have several courses to eat. And (I think it was a later course) Renato ask for fromage, and this platter of cheese was aged. The age in fromage was showing. There was mold over half of the 8 or 10 varieties of cheeses on the platter. Renato selects about 3 varieties, and at least two have mold on the outside surfaces.

So my greenhorn eyes are looking at Renato’s plate, and I’m thinking is he going to eat that. Renato in style, like a chef schooling a newbie cook in his kitchen, take’s his knife and cuts off the outer molds with precision. And with a Cheshire cat smile, Renato proceeds to eat the unmolded cheese sections. I grew up eating Wisconsin cheddar, and now culture broadens my palate.

[jackiewilson]

My AMERICAN grandkids !

[AZMIDLYF]

[jackiewilson]

Jackie congratulations on the good life of evading high taxes in England, and dining with cultured friends in the moderate climate of southern Europe.

I was a Floridian greenhorn from the states, and the first time, I flew in a commercial airplane was going to Italy. I had never been out of the United States until then, so my learning curve went to new territories. I say this as a preface, with dining with Renato.

So we (including my dad, and I think a fourth person too, but I cannot recall who it was). We are in central France (maybe close to where you are now Jackie) traveling, and we stop to eat. At this roadside restaurant, I experienced two new things in my life.

The first was the restroom. Americans know my reaction, when I walked into the restaurant’s adjacent restroom. And there was no urinal or toilet (a word derived from the French). Instead there was a hole in the ground. And more accurately a white porcelain/stoneware slab with two shoeprint impressions in the slab, one on each side of the target hole. Welcome to 1971 southern Europe.

So back inside the French restaurant we have several courses to eat. And (I think it was a later course) Renato ask for fromage, and this platter of cheese was aged. The age in fromage was showing. There was mold over half of the 8 or 10 varieties of cheeses on the platter. Renato selects about 3 varieties, and at least two have mold on the outside surfaces.

So my greenhorn eyes are looking at Renato’s plate, and I’m thinking is he going to eat that. Renato in style, like a chef schooling a newbie cook in his kitchen, take’s his knife and cuts off the outer molds with precision. And with a Cheshire cat smile, Renato proceeds to eat the unmolded cheese sections. I grew up eating Wisconsin cheddar, and now culture broadens my palate.

Must have been quite a culture shock Shock ROY—- My kids loved going to Italy—- made friends easily with all the Italian kids, language was no barrier at all.
Only time I ever knew them fall out with anybody was when “Biff” Ridgell ( think that was Bobbys boy) got into a fight with Boo!
promise to get back to you later in the day—- shower time!

[jackiewilson]

Must have been quite a culture shock Shock ROY—- My kids loved going to Italy—-and France made friends easily with all the kids, language was no barrier at all.
Only time I ever knew them fall out with anybody was when “Biff” Ridgell ( think that was Bobbys boy) got into a fight with Boo!
promise to get back to you later in the day—- shower time!

Italy and the Italians are so easy to get along with—— how they ever got into the WW2 has always puzzled me. They are a nation of musicians— painters— sculptors— artists —designers —- wine makers and engineers——- a fighting people, they are not !
H yes, the fromagio—— when you are used to mild cheeses such as cheddar—- Cheshire— etc - With the occasional Stilton at Christmas, it comes as a shock to be faced at the end of the meal with a selection of the worlds “stinkiest” cheeses on a trolley!!! Gorgonzola—Dolcellata —- Goat and sheep cheeses —- hard and soft. It’s an acquired taste that I never quite mastered.
Then of course there are the wines—— USA has caught up with the rest of the world now, but in the late sixties and early seventies US wine left a lot to be desired—— Americans preferred COKE—- SEVEN UP— or DOCTOR PEPPERS ?—- it’s all changed now of course, but in the early days, dining out in Italy, you needed to take a friend who was a bit of a “ Gourmet “ !!
Oh yes, the toilets—— footholds in the porcelain—- hole in the back—— lower your bum— heave— pull the chain and get your shoes washed at the same time !!!!!
Romans invented this device and It’s has been in constant service for two thousand years!!!.,
Nonetheless ROY, you have to admit, we lived the life and did the deeds—— wouldn’t change what we did for anything!
All we have left now are the memories!

[powerabout]

Italy and the Italians are so easy to get along with—— how they ever got into the WW2 has always puzzled me. They are a nation of musicians— painters— sculptors— artists —designers —- wine makers and engineers——- a fighting people, they are not !
H yes, the fromagio—— when you are used to mild cheeses such as cheddar—- Cheshire— etc - With the occasional Stilton at Christmas, it comes as a shock to be faced at the end of the meal with a selection of the worlds “stinkiest” cheeses on a trolley!!! Gorgonzola—Dolcellata —- Goat and sheep cheeses —- hard and soft. It’s an acquired taste that I never quite mastered.
Then of course there are the wines—— USA has caught up with the rest of the world now, but in the late sixties and early seventies US wine left a lot to be desired—— Americans preferred COKE—- SEVEN UP— or DOCTOR PEPPERS ?—- it’s all changed now of course, but in the early days, dining out in Italy, you needed to take a friend who was a bit of a “ Gourmet “ !!
Oh yes, the toilets—— footholds in the porcelain—- hole in the back—— lower your bum— heave— pull the chain and get your shoes washed at the same time !!!!!
Romans invented this device and It’s has been in constant service for two thousand years!!!.,
Nonetheless ROY, you have to admit, we lived the life and did the deeds—— wouldn’t change what we did for anything!
All we have left now are the memories!

all true but too many love cheating in sports..

[FUJIMO]

[jackiewilson]

I think Angelo’s idea was a Hydro with full length sponsons—- he used to race hydros with Rolla earlier on !

[jackiewilson]

Finally finished the Roller for Marks office—- did the Chesterfield leather effect myself in the end—- got tired of waiting for talented upholsterers in the end!
Should have the Getty upholstery finished late afternoon, that’s another one out the way!

[FUJIMO]