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Great fun read this week Darling Hannah!

I enjoy window shopping a sexy Pompier as much as the next old lady, but sadly these days They all seem to morph into one giant Son! So I appreciate their beauty and short shorts but the feeling I enjoy rather than the lust of yore,is largely Maternal joy in watching them larking about!

Paris is so many things isnt it? From celebrating storming the Bastille to fireman displaying their well toned wares! Boring , it never is!!

Awwwr , love the thought of you with my beloved Kate and Lauren celebrating with a grand Karaoke evening! Those two can really put on a show cant they?!!

As you no doubt know the two are off to the Med for a holiday next week and I am fretting about the extreme heat and also about Babs and Gary with their little pawsand furry coats!

We have been deprived of le Soleil here in Scotland with soaring temperatures of 12 to 14 degrees celcius!

Much much niicer today. So off for a dip in the freeezing yet exhilerating Loch.

I have a dog friend I call Mr. Blondell who often joins me for a swim, as theres no traffic in the village the doggos are free to roam and they often roam up to our house for a cuddle and to search for any bits of cat food in the bowls!

Enjoy the pompiers and the Summer sun xx

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Hannah, I enjoyed sharing comments with Karen from Scotland, but I felt I overstepped with too much flotsam and jetsam and so I did not share any comments last week. I'm happy that you enjoyed the back and forth, though.

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Hello, Your Honor. We have exchanged kind words over at Cafe Anne. Nice to see you here! Where I live there is definitely Pompier YMCA disco fitness potential, however the guys instead seem to have focused on good food. Their big nights out are in December when one of their number dons a red fur suit and they light up their trucks and go screaming around town, waving at kids who jump up and down trying to out shout the sirens. Everyone then repairs to the park for punch and cookies.

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Ahahah!😂truly Judge Roy Bean, I too felt my pen friend chit chats might be a bit much ! So I desisted from going off at a Pen friendly tangent last week!😄

I think Hannahs gentle yet thought provoking substacks are just that, they provoke much in the way of thoughts! Hope you are keeping well and will no doubt be sharing comments very soon!

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I loved this and am going to adopt “day of eternal youth and beauty” 😂 I remember attending a fireman’s ball when I lived in Paris - but it was one of those events which made me feel like the REALLY fun stuff was happening just round the corner in another room.

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I too do not find the tradition of the Bal des Pompiers surprising. Young, athletic men, in tight clothing parading around for women (and men, no doubt) will only have to do that for the next 10,000 years to even the score, gender-wise. In the States, tight football uniforms could be considered an equivalent: in case anyone is interested I know a young man (30), shy despite the photos, who I'm sure is every bit of the equivalent of the sexy French fire brigade; never been married and works for a French international corporation, so can relocate just about anywhere in the world: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1e-0AWtWdWA9C8DkQ_O-J0vVlcWkjnxR9

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I'm late to get to this this week, sorry Hannah.

A delight of a read, of course (and my, I just love your "Overwhelmingly male" artwork).

I hadn't heard of the Bal des Pompiers, but it makes me chuckle to think of it. I'm not overly surprised that it exists, though. However, although firefighters in the UK and in Australia still carry that macho stereotype, I can't ever imagine a Bal des Pompiers happening in either country (and definitely not in the UK haha). It seems fitting that it's a French thing. Hopefully there aren't too many emergencies happening in and around the city when it's going on, though!

Have a lovely weekend.

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We often see the firemen running.

I’ve always been baffled by the variety of phone numbers for the emergency services. I just remember 112 from a mobile 😊

I’ve just finished Demon Copperhead a retelling of David Copperfield which is excellent if you like a modern spin on Dickens.

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The firemen's disco sounds wild! I'm just picturing it like the naval officer's ball in Sex and the City! I must schedule my next visit to Paris very precisely...

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The artwork is amazing!!

This is one of my favorite scenes in any movie; Ronald Coleman in 1935 Tale of Two Cities: https://youtu.be/2wfL3JQEANc

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