Paris jadis

[mint]

Had a charming postcard this morning from a French friend whom I haven't seen for a while as we are resisting being with people.

It is a reproduction of an old photo and is of Paris, by the Seine under one of the bridges.  It is entitled la matelassière and shows a woman with a "hammock" held up by trestles at both ends and working on the materials in it.

In the olden days, the explanation goes, this was one of the petits métiers of parisiens.  All the materials for the mattresses came via boats and were downloaded where the women worked.  Of course, the wools, feathers, horsehairs, stuffing materials could be washed easily in the river and transported by handcarts to where the women sort and arranged and stuffed them into mattress cases.

The petite matelassière didn't look too petite to me; in fact she looked a bit matelassée herself[:)]

I love learning about these long lost means of earning a living.  Makes doing whatever job you had/have or even housework looks like a walk in the park, doesn't it?

[idun]

I love that word Jadis, and yet hesitate to use it, I am never sure how I would put it in a sentence. I know it means, times gone by, that is not my problem.

Also I know a family who's name is Jadis, she is a teacher and I am sure that she would not be very happy if I got it 'wrong'.[Www]

I love looking at historical things too with regards to everyday life. I always think that most people in the olde days, would be incredibly strong and tough. I reckon we have lost that.

[Judith-aka-Judith]

Strong and tough, yes.  I always said that those who survived childhood illnesses, the Spanish flu, WWI in the early years of the 20th century were our nonagens and centenarians of nowadays - aunts who survived to their mid to late 90's all born in the early years of the century .. jadis .. I had forgotten that word, thanks as ever Mint in reminding me, yet again ..

[Gardengirl]

It’s ages since I came across jadis, yet a lovely word.

A couple of times a year a man turned up with his stall at fairs in the main square. He had many boxes of old postcards from the local area, always interesting to rummage through them. I used to buy any that really appealed and sent them to friends to enjoy.

I imagine he had vast numbers of boxes of old postcards from places all around France and made/added to his living each weekend travelling around hoping that nostalgia about the local area would appeal to enough people.

[mint]

There is a place not far from us where there used to be a thriving cottage industry of peat collection.  I tried to look for some "images" on the internet to show you but I couldn't find any.

They had special tools to get la tourbe from the marshy land and peculiar looking spades and rectangular shaped hods to carry the peat in.  There are a few places in the Dordogne where this industry was carried out.

Of course, as well as the peat, there are many unusual species of birds and plants that thrive in these wetlands.  When our dog was still alive, we used to take her there now and again for a treat.  Her being a spaniel, she loved nothing better than water and she'd splash in the bog and, when she came out, she'd be black from top to tail.

Then, there was another place we came across while we were house-hunting.  In the garden of a house  that we nearly bought, was a rectangular pool with regular sides so we knew it was man-made and not natural.  On doing some research looking at old maps and talking to an elderly would-be neighbour, we found out that the area had a connection with flax-growing.  The "pool" in what could easily have been our property in fact belonged to the parish and anyone in the parish could go and wash their flax there.