French V British: What Makes Us Different?

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I have only been in sunny Bordeaux for a week, but I have already noticed a lot of culture differences between us awkward Brits and our froggy neighbours. They may be stereotyped, but they’re very true.

Their Driving. I decided to make a little road trip out of my year abroad and so brought my car to Bordeaux with me. I expected dilemmas to arise when entering car parks and not being able to reach the ticket machine on the other side, but I hasn’t quite realised that the French aren’t particularly bothered by the welfare of their vehicle. I have yet to see a car without a dent or scratch and am counting the days until I find mine with a wing mirror knocked off.

Their Size. They may eat lots of bread, but I have yet to come across anyone larger than the likes of Dr Jenson recommend. I’ve seen lots of fast food restaurants, but fast food junkies seem to be few and far between.

Their hate of supermarkets. I haven’t quite worked out why, but the French seem to hate the idea of buying everything in one place. They have separate shops for food products (Boulangerie for bread, boucherie for meat, epicerie for all the condiments) and I really cannot understand the lack of the all-encompassing Boots. Make-up, shampoo and plug adapters all in one place? Yes please.

And the one thing we do have in common? We secretly love each other! We can’t get enough of French restaurants in England and I seem to be seeing the British flag everywhere in Bordeaux. Not only that, but within a 10 minute walk of my apartment can be found, ‘Sherlock Holmes’, ‘Charles Dickins’ and even a ‘Cock and Bull’ (Yes, real pubs! Apparently one of them even serves Pimms…). 

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The Places of Bristol: The Wardrobe Theatre

One of my big loves is theatre; and where’s a better place to be as a theatre-lover than Bristol? This arty (and studenty) city has much to boast of; there are so many quirky and exciting theatres and one of my favourites is The Wardrobe located above the White Bear on St Michael’s Hill. 

This intimate and endearing theatre can only seat about 50 but manages to charm its audiences through a good mix of comedy and independent shows on their way up (The fantastically promising Tap Tap Theatre production company are finding their first successes at the Wardrobe). I was lucky enough to meet one of its directors, Matthew Whittle to discuss the incredible success of the toddler-aged Wardrobe Theatre and how it got such a strong reputation. Learning about its journey from humble beginnings was fascinating, and I was charmed by its simple ethos; to create accessible and affordable theatre that supports new and local talent. 

The theatre has regular shows in the style of soap operas and plays host to the University of Bristol Drama societies fortnightly. However, it seems to me that their growing reputation is spreading even further, having staged Russell Howard recently and they even have Ed Rapley on the programme for this season. 

If you fancy a break from the usual cinema trip and you don’t want to stretch to Hippodrome prices, why not head down to the Wardrobe Theatre where every show promises to be less than £5 and the after party is just down a few stairs. 

Where? 133 St Michael's Hill, High Kingsdown, BS2 8BS

How Much? All shows under £5