Wilma – my new surf heroine

At Port Eliot Festival this year I met my new heroine – Wilma Johnson.  Her bio describes her as an artist who moved to Biarritz France in her forties where she learns to surf and set up a surf school for older women. -” It might take you ten times longer and ten times as many bruises along the way, but anyone can learn to surf “

Wilma's Book - Surf Mama by Beautiful Books

Ok, Ok,,….. in my case it is going to take a lot of effort, but inspired I definately was.  For starters, her paintings are mainly beautiful bold self portraits, the sort of thing I have played with but have kept hidden in my painting journal, which come out on occasion when I have had one or two many glasses of wine!  I felt an instant connection with this woman. We are the same age, we paint, we have done the homemaker thing and love the sea.  This is probably where it ends.  I suspect she came from a “well-heeled” background that afforded her to make the move, but it has made me think that yes, I could do something and start by improving my swimming.  One thing her book “Surf Mama” does give you, is an insight into all the barriers and strife you might come across in your quest to master the wave, so that you can avoid making the same mistakes.  She also says she is not one of the Beautiful People that parade the beaches of the south of France, but she looked pretty hot, as you can see.

Wilma talking about Surfing at the Idler Academy, Port Eliot Festival

She made a grand entrance having paddled her longboard up the river and arrived dripping with the sheepskin coat just adding to the whole effect.  Effortless but very glamorous.  She spoke very eloquently about her life in a very modest way.  She was after all in the Idler Academy, where festival goers are taught how to step back from life a little, slow down, and live like a modern middle/upper class anarchist. So I am half way through the book and I can definately recommend it to anyone.  A very easy read in short punchy chapters, and will await the film in which she could probably have the starring role and play herself.

 

Roll on Port Eliot 2012

We have been back from the Port Eliot Festival for four days and are already looking forward to next year.   There is so much I could write about and so many photos I could post.  Someone said of Port Eliot that “if you asked 1000 people for a story of their experience of Port Eliot, you would get 1000 different stories”, and hereby lies the problem.  I can only say you need to go and experience this festival of ideas yourself.

Me and Don enjoying a Bloody Mary Elevensees

.  What sets it out from others is I suppose the mix of literary talks with the mix of music, cinema, food, fashion, comedy, cabaret and of course the beautiful setting, which allows all the different aspects to be laid on without really being aware of the any of the  rest of it.

Taking in the magnificence of the Round Room

One thing for sure is that it could be summed up as “London meets the Cornish”, where you see the “Beautiful people” strutting their stuff, the families whose children are called Tabitha, Henry, Hector and Aerial trying to organise themselves miserably alongside the often badly dressed cornish who always appear stouter and rounder and just love beer tent hopping. This of course is finding the extremes at both ends of the scale and in between there are the most lovely people who are genuinely there to soak up as much culture,and music as possible.  One of our favourite parts is “Caught by the River”, the inspiration of three music producers who also have a love of nature, their ethos summed up by the words “An antidote to indifference”  www.caughtbytheriver.net

Chris Yates, Jon Berry, John Andrews and Charles Rangley-Wilson talking Words on Water

My festival diary is written, full of memories of everything we saw, the chance meetings with new people, the inspiring talks we hear and the great music from Ahab, to banghra band RSVP, blues from Hat Fitz and Cara, theatre from Bellowhead, dance your heart out to Trance from The Egg and the mellow sound of Louis Eliot and many other great acoustic acts.  It really is a smorgasbord of creativity and inspiring thought, washed down with some good ale and great cocktails.

Suggs (Madness) at the Boogie Round , 2 a.m all singing "Lets go fly a kite"

Another post on my new heroine to follow very shortly!!