French Mills Open for Business Again!
For a little bit, shortly after 1789, France went a little bit mad. In just over a year 17,000 political dissidents were executed in what came to be called “the terror”. The people rose and made their voices heard and the streets of France ran with blood. Assassinations and recriminations abounded, but no sooner than the dust had settled Napoleon bought Europe to its knees and declared himself emperor, beginning the cycle anew. Republics, empires and states were proclaimed and swiftly fell, anarchy and bloodshed were ever present…
Eventually it was all worth it though: the new French state arose with liberty, justice and a legal minimum of 5 weeks holiday for all.
It’s not all rosy though. Taking that lovely big lump of annual leave any time outside of August can be difficult. As most companies shut down for what is historically the hottest month of the year many French people have their holidays then.
That includes French sawmills, which wind up production at the end of July and don’t return until the dour, grey days of winter are on us.
For us that means a whole month with no lovely new logs of beautifully clear furniture oak to gloat over. No mighty constructional beams to marvel at. No characterful boards, full of complex natural beauty to machine into floors and table tops or even just to generally admire. It is a sad time for us. Whilst our continental cousins are en vacances we sit here on tenterhooks, anxiously awaiting their return (and steaming with jealousy).
But with the end of summer our wait is over. France reopens for business and all is well in the world once again.
Blog | 4 years AGO