On Saturday my friend from the next village rang. She and her husband ( aged 78 and 80) have just come back from another trip in their 'camping car'. This year they have been to Norway, the South of France and Brittany but they're not planning any more trips till 2008 as Michel is having his second cataract op next Monday.

Anyway, to get to the point, after the first few sentences Marie said bluntly, (but not unkindly)

"I can tell you haven't been speaking much French lately. You no longer speak fluently."

And she was dead right. Since we had our satellite redirected to receive all the British channels we haven't been watching  the News in French and continuing with the odd French film. There haven't been any social events in the village recently and so conversation has been limited to 'Bonjour', 'ca va', and 'bonne journée' when you meet someone in the street.

What little real conversation I've had has been in English. Even my English accent must be becoming more pronounced when I do speak French as Philippe at La Fontaine has been teasing me of late by speaking with an English accent. It's hilarious!

Perhaps it's due to my age but it's so true: if you don't use it, you lose it.