On Wednesday 30 January Timothy AdÌÄå¬s gave a fascinating account of the
life and work of Victor Hugo in general and of his poems in particular.
The evening was very well attended but people are always shy to occupy the first two rows. Though one lady who was the first to arrive, boldly occupied a front row seat, and grabbed the opportunity to have a pre-event chat with Timothy.
It was a very lively evening and we even listened to a recording of a Victor Hugo poem set to music, and we were invited to some audience participation:
I don’t know where and I don’t know when,
Old Yannick was blowing his chanter and drone.
Other poems ranged from grandfatherly interference in ‘The Pot of Jam’, lovely observations of a child in ‘Jean Asleep – II’:
She sleeps: those eyes will shine when day has dawned.
Clutched in the dark, my finger fills her hand:
to grandpa’s childhood frolics neatly illustrated by the poem ‘Pepita’:
With hairnet and mantilla, so
That rhyme took time to fit her,
After the reading Timothy was kept busy with requests from the audience to sign their newly acquired copy of How to be a Grandfather.
