WATCHING AND LISTENING to the news tonight, I am so sad and shocked by
the horrific fire, that is destroying and consuming the beautiful and
historic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. It's a place I have visited many
times since I was a teenager. No time in Paris can be spent, without
seeing 'The Cathedral'. With it's an amazing architecture, inside and
out, the paintings, the sculpture... the history, you could sense so
strongly when you walked inside. Peter Cushing visited it quite a few
times too and loved it, very much. He sat and painted in water colours
the spire, the arches and roof. It's truly, truly sad to see the iconic
spire and parts of the first tower, now vanishing in the flames. To all
our followers and friends in Paris and France... our hearts go out to
you...
BACK IN THE EARLY 80'S, it wasn't unusual to sometimes meet up with some of the 500+ people back then, who were international subscribers to the PCAS Newsletters and Journals. PCAS was then a team of three people. We treated managing the society as a hobby! Often we would spend a weekend in London, Sheffield or Bristol, meeting many of those members who loved Peter Cushing, Hammer films and anything connected! We would always take gifts of some stills or a press book, for anyone we were meeting! One trip, I remember well, was a three day trip to Paris. It was a hoot! We arranged to meet outside Notre Dame Cathedral. Peter Cushing always had, and still does have, a very healthy crowd of 'fans' in France! I only knew one of the people we were meeting in that crowd, one Jacqueline Carron! We had spoken on the phone and written a few times. this was PRE internet, remember! My French was a joke, but her English, perfect! The group we were meeting all knew each other, so we were the visitors. They were the kindest, most polite people, generous with time, they didn't want us to leave! Some brought their partners and Mum's along too! We walked, talked and eventually, all as planned spent the evening at Jacqueline's home, watching anything and everything, we had managed to record or copy of Peter Cushing on video! Jacqueline lived a short distance from the Cathedral, and the towers could be seen from her living room. The following morning, we met again for a coffee and took pics of our new 'Cushing friends' under the shadow of the Cathedral towers....it was a special time...
