News

April Fish – Poisson d’avril in France
| NewsApril Fools Day – Poisson d’avril in France In England you have April Fools Day and in France we have “Poisson d’avril”. It’s the same kind of thing; practical jokes on family and friends, jokes and hoaxes to catch the unwary. Last year Alex convinced me my bald patch was shrinking and I persuaded her […]

No.2 L’Age Baston – This is true story by John Waddington
| NewsThere I am, Châtelain John, cleaning up a bathroom for the winter shutdown when Aidan comes upstairs to tell me there are suspicious looking coves in the courtyard. Aiden’s French is good enough to know when to call me and when to say I’m not in so, reluctantly, I surrender the loo brush and go […]

La Fete du Muguet – Lilly of the Valley Day
| NewsLa Fete du Muguet May Day in France is the La Fete du Muguet (Lilly of the Valley Day). Most old gardens in France have a little patch of muguet de bois tucked away somewhere. Ours is just the other side of the railings going into the High Garden. Ever since the Middle Ages Europeans […]

Honey Bees at Château L’Age Baston
| NewsDespite their publicised recent decline in the UK, we’ve always had lots of honey bees at Château L’Age Baston. When we first came there were old bee hives in the attic and a resident colony in a servant’s bedroom. They had built it between a window and the shutter that had been closed for years. […]

Early Summer at Château L’Age Baston
| NewsWell what an interesting Spring and start to the summer season it’s been here at Château L’Age Baston already. Spring began by pretending to be a hot mid-summer but then the rain came and it all went a bit strange. We’re now very happy to report that we now have full summer warmth although grass […]

The Passing of the Cranes
| NewsI heard the first cranes pass yesterday. The sound of cranes honking overhead still stirs the blood. Especially in that strange bit of late Feb that whispers of spring to come and life stirring underneath. There were two groups of about a hundred in each, flying high and running almost due north. They must have […]

Ode to L’Age Baston – Poem by Holly West
| NewsA poem written by a guest called Holly West, September 2011. Ode to L’Age Baston The month I came to heaven This little rhyme Tells of the time I stayed with Alex and John At the wonderful L’Age Baston We did painting and biking Learning and hiking We did not too much thinking Lots of […]