About helena

Helena Frith Powell writes the French Mistress column in The Sunday Times about living in France. She is a regular contributor to the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, Daily Telegraph, the Sunday Telegraph, Tatler Magazine and Harpers. Among other topics, she writes about health, beauty, France, interiors and travel. She is the author of More France Please, we're British, a book published in November 2004 by Gibson Square Books about her experiences in France. She is also the author of a book about French women called Two Lipsticks and a Lover published in October 2005 by Gibson Square Books. The paperback will be published by Penguin in the US in December 2006 and by Arrow in the UK in February 2007. Her latest book, Ciao Bella, was published by Gibson Square in October 2006. Helena was educated at Durham University and lives in the Languedoc region of France with her husband Rupert Wright and their three children and two step-children.

A Tiger in my gym

Posted on February 5, 2012 by helena

A week ago today I spotted a rare and beautiful creature in my gym. Many women have sighted him before me, but it still felt very special. It was none other than the ‘casually sweaty Tiger Woods’ creature, former world number one golfer and reason that millions of women (and probably men) watch golf now, even though they had never heard of the game before he bounced on to the scene.

We had a deep and meaningful discussion. Me: “Hi Tiger, good luck today, I really hope you win.” Him: “Thank you, I appreciate it.”
He didn’t win, some English bloke no one has ever heard of did, but he played well, and cut a fine figure in his grey sweatshirt and grey shorts (not that I was gazing) with his two bodyguards (I want that job).

Sport seems to dominate my life at the moment. If I’m not spotting Tiger in the gym, I’m on the tennis court. I have become utterly obsessed with tennis. I play it, and then I read about it, at the moment I am going to bed with Rafa’s autobiography every night. Failing that I watch other people play it and then talk endlessly about it. “Can’t you just have an affair like every other women in town?” Rupert asked me the other night as I described my new serving motion.
As I write I see my ical alarm flashing ‘Man U at home’. It is almost time for Chelsea versus Man United. I have been in constant touch today with my old friend Floss who first introduced me to Chelsea when I was 17. She has two children (boys) whose middle names are Stamford and Gianfranco. If only Torres had been playing for us when Leonardo was born he might have been Fernando.

I think one of the things that is so compelling about sport is that it is truly unpredictable, well, apart from Chelsea’s bad form, but as Floss said today, we are delusionally optimistic. On the outside I am saying ‘of course we will lose’ while secretly hoping for a Torres hat-trick. But the point is, we have excitement and unforeseen outcomes, much like a soap opera, without having to sit through 15 hours of Season One. And the heroes are just as good looking, especially in their gym kit.

The Viva Mayr Diet Part II

Posted on February 2, 2012 by helena

Here is part two, linked to the publication of the book in Germany. A condensed and easy way to follow the Viva Mayr Diet. Happy chewing!

Viva Mayr Day 8

Eat early: Sometimes it’s really difficult not to eat late but today we are about to discover why it’s much healthier to eat early in the evening. If you cannot avoid a late dinner invitation the trick is to try to concentrate on eating a little and CHEWING. The wonderful side effect is that breakfast will taste even more delicious the next morning.

Viva Mayr Day 9
Why it is so important to drink a lot of water – just not during meals. The good news is that Dr. Stossier does allow you a glass of beer or wine with your meal…

Viva Mayr Day 10
We are to discover how wonderful and helpful it is to massage your stomach yourself. It seems a bit strange in the beginning but after a couple of days you will feel and notice the wonderful benefits…

Viva Mayr Day 11

Stress free eating – eating stress-free can help you to remain healthy and slim. I feel really stressed I eat nothing or try to wait until everything around me has calmed down and I can have a quiet meal. Much better then to wolf down your lunch at your desk while under pressure.

Viva Mayr Day 12

Hello alkaline, goodbye bloating – the importance of maintaining a healthy acid – alkaline balance.In general I eat a more alkaline diet, concentrating on fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and try to avoid chemically processed food such as ready-made meals. Once a month I have a complete alkalizing day. Only drinking broth, herbal teas still water, eating ripe fruits before lunch followed by steamed vegetables. Very important to use only organic veggies and fruit.

Viva Mayr Day 13

Looking and feeling younger (looking after your skin) – there is a lot we can do, for example avoiding smoking and that evil stuff sugar. Antioxidants are very important to protect your cells, I love almonds, avocados, porridge, sunflower seeds, pumpkinseed oil and so on…

Viva Mayr Day 14

The Viva Mayr way and you. How to assess your health and well being from top to toe. Make sure you stay on the Viva track. Viva changed my life – even though I don’t always follow all the guidelines religiously, I never eat anything raw after 4pm, I drink gallons of water and always use cold pressed omega 3 oil such as hempseed, linseed or olive oil. And of course I CHEW…..good luck!

Sainte Cecile For Sale

Posted on January 23, 2012 by helena

When we bought Sainte Cecile in the year 2000, I never thought we would sell it. “These people must be crazy, selling this place,” I whispered to Rupert as we were shown around. “It’s utter heaven.”

It is utter heaven, as anyone who has ever visited us will confirm. And we have seen so many momentous events there; the babies, several books, unforgettable lunches with, among others, great friends who are sadly no longer with us.

But the time has come to move on. We are not leaving France, but leaving the region. It is too difficult to get to from here, added to which La Belle Maison, a property I have had my eye on for years, is now ours. Well, we have had our offer accepted, and we just need to sell Sainte Cecile to pay for it.

So if you feel like relocating to our former paradise, please let me know. The house has five bedrooms (three with mezzanines), two sitting rooms, a kitchen, dining room, office and terrace from which you can watch the swallows diving into the pool to drink while enjoying a glass of Languedoc white.

It is sad in many ways, even looking at the pictures now makes me nostalgic. As Bea (the family member I was most worried about, who has always maintained she wanted to live there forever) summed up: “It will always be my first home, but it is time to move on.”

The Viva Mayr Diet

Posted on January 16, 2012 by helena

I am here in Munich to promote the publication in German of the Viva Mayr Diet book. But for you lucky followers here (!) they have a condensed English version you can follow day by day, for 14 days, starting tomorrow. Go for it…

Are you ready to change your life and how you eat and approach your cooking?
Tomorrow we will begin with the 14 day Viva Programme. Please join us! We are going to explain one Mayr principle a day and we are really curious to find out what you think and hear your comments and experiences.

Tell us what you would like to achieve your dreams your goals …..

18th 1st VIVA DAY

Today we start with the new Viva regime! Get ready for the 14 day Programme – get into the right mindset or mood. Perhaps you would like to write down what you wish to achieve, for example…..

Lose weight
Have a flatter stomach
Improve sleep
Perhaps you would like to tell us more about the goals you want to achieve.
Perhaps you would like to start to bake the spelt bread – so that you can start with tone of the most important rules of the Modern Mayr Philosophy chew, chew, chew……

… at the end of the 14 sections you will feel slimmer, healthier, look and feel better than ever before…………

19th 2nd VIVA DAY

Good health starts with good shopping – today we go food shopping
Concentrate on buying good quality organic products – essential from now on, tell us about your favourite new food and tell us which food might make you weak, or is difficult to avoid!
Say goodbye to doughnuts, biscuits, chocolate and cocktails – no more sugar that evil stuff

20th 3rd VIVA DAY

You will discover how important it is to chew every bite between 30 – 50 times!!
Do you have your spelt bread ready?
It is difficult in the beginning, the bread is not very tasty – but you get so used to it and even enjoy the taste of the spelt bread as well as enjoying the benefits of feeling fuller much quicker…Other wheat free bread options are allowed. Or look up a spelt bread recipe online.

21th 4th VIVA DAY

Be more active – move more ………have more fun … enjoy being active… start exercising every second or third day….
Exercise is essential for your mood digestion health weight and general health.

22th 5th VIVA DAY

Breakfast like a king
Lunch like a prince
And dine like a pauper

I used to make the mistake to skip breakfast – aiming to lose weight, never worked. Even though I have three children and mornings can be very hectic I always make space for myself and the family to concentrate on a good healthy filling breakfast…..

23rd 6th VIVA DAY

Nothing raw after 4pm.
It is very difficult to skip the healthy salad habit in the evening but it all makes so much sense…..your body is just too tired to digest raw food after 4pm.

24th 7th VIVA DAY

When was the last time you have been really hungry? We all eat to much. Try to stop eating BEFORE you feel full
I love pasta – and loved to have three extra helping although I was already full… today I eat much smaller portions and can function much better…

Viva Half Time. The first week is behind you! More next week….

Insomnia….again

Posted on January 5, 2012 by helena

There are many things you can do when you wake up in the middle of the night. You can lie there and try to get back to sleep. Sometimes that works, but not, as was the case with me just now, when there is a little person next to you who has just had a nightmare and keeps throwing her arms in your general direction while she sleeps.Or, as is also the case with me tonight, there are a million things going around in your head such as how to finish the novel, what to eat for dinner, where is above-mentioned little person’s science test and how best to deal with an extremely pesky work situation.
My friend Carla’s view on sleep is that if it doesn’t come naturally, you take drugs. I once took a sleeping pill. It was when my father was staying with us one Christmas. The next day I was like the walking dead.
“Why are you being even more stupid than usual?” he asked me. I told him about the pill. He flew into a rage such as I have never seen before. “Sleeping pills are for the mediocre,” he yelled. “You are a writer. If you can’t sleep, get up and write.”
So after an hour and a half of trying to get back to sleep I have decided to do just that. There is a novel to finish and an article to write.
And even if it doesn’t help my own insomnia, it may help someone else’s.

New look 2012

Posted on December 22, 2011 by helena

When I was buying Christmas presents for the girls this week I was struck by how very different the kinds of things I was looking at were from last year. There is nothing in a toy department that would interest them now, for example. Gone are the pet shops and the furry animals.Their Christmas lists were all about clothes from Forever 21, bits for their BlackBerries and other ‘grown-up’ things, such as fountain pens or new curtains.
Much as I loathe those round robin ‘oh it’s been another frightfully good year in the Frith Powell/Wright household’ I do think it’s a perfect time of year to look back. I am guessing if you’re here in the first place, you must be interested. And to mark the end of 2011, I have a new look, hope you like it.
I will start with work. This year was my first full year as editor of M magazine. It has been brilliant, I love my team and the product, which I feel just gets better and better. It has also been the single most challenging year of my professional life, because of changes to my working environment. But it’s all too tedious to relate here, and quite frankly I have wasted enough time droning on about it.
The latest book is missing around 20,000 words and a satisfying ending, I was hoping to get it done before Christmas but that is not going to happen. Still, I am happy with it so far if rather nervous about the proposed title: How to turn your husband into your lover. My publisher, whom I utterly adore, believes in the old adage of ‘sex sells”. He is right of course.
As I said, the girls are growing up at an alarming rate. Olivia is quite the most elegant creature I have ever seen, and is doing really well at school. We had a letter from the head of her year congratulating her on her great report. Bea is becoming more and more beautiful but now I sound like a ‘smug married’ so won’t go on. She has a boyfriend, he is sooo cute and plays football and piano (grade 8). I fear it’s all downhill from here….Leo is still the sporting superstar, utterly obsessed and determined to join Chelsea FC and turn their fortunes around. The sooner the better frankly.
I started with work and return to work. As I write I am having my hair blow-dried in preparation for Rupert’s leaving party. He has resigned from the National and as soon as I can I will tell you what his next move is. It’s really exciting and may mean we stay here for a few years to come. Which I am actually beginning to like the idea of. As long as we have La Belle Maison to escape to when the heat sets in….
Happy Christmas and a very Happy New Year

Happy Birthday to me!

Posted on December 15, 2011 by helena

Have had the best birthday ever and it’s only half past eight. Slept through the night until 5.30 then went back to sleep and woke up to find the girls by the door singing Happy Birthday carrying tea, blueberries and cards and presents and this video on a laptop: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2WIpIzNrP4&feature=channel_video_title
Big birthday party tonight!

What should I write?

Posted on December 7, 2011 by helena

Two bits of news before I get on to the main topic of the day. One everyone in my book club HATED the AS Byatt book and no one had read it, bar one poor newbie who felt compelled to plough through it because it was her first time. The next book is one I have picked called Before I Go To Sleep. It is the debut novel of a man called SJ Watson, and a thriller (something I usually would never read) but really extremely original and clever. My only worry is that the other ladies will slate it, they are a tough crowd. Lucky for the woman who picked the Byatt book she’s already left the country to move back to the UK, I’m not sue she would have got out of there unscathed.

Some very good news now. I spoke to my father, who sounded so much better. It was so great to hear his old self (almost), his wit and intelligence coming through for the first time in months, it’s a minor miracle really, to have recovered to some extent at the age of 87 (it was his birthday last week). It was really lovely to talk to him and I hope to be able to see him in January, once ticket prices are sensible again.

The main topic of the day is writing. I found the AS Byatt unreadable, and wonder how she was able to keep going while writing it. I am at a bit of a standstill on my novel, I wouldn’t call it writer’s block, but for some reason, the final 20,000 words just aren’t flowing as easily as the first 60,000. I have always really enjoyed the process of writing, and I think that is the key to writing something someone wants to read. You need to be having fun, or it won’t be fun to read. I can’t imagine Ms Byatt was having fun when she wrote all those historical facts that she thought we needed for some reason, and they certainly weren’t fun to read.

At the moment, it doesn’t feel like fun. But I am hoping that this setback is in the main because I have had no time to get a rhythm going. I think writing is a bit like tennis. If you are playing against someone who stops you settling into your rhythm, you lose. I have had about three hours free in the past two weeks to write, so maybe it’s not surprising that I am find myself lacking in inspiration.

Soon I will be on holiday, which means I can be more focused. Having said that, the children will be on holiday too….But I will remember the two best bits of writing advice I was ever given. One by a friend called Jonathan Miller, who used to be Media Editor at the Sunday Times and (more significantly) is Olivia’s Godfather: “If it doesn’t write itself, it’s not worth writing.”

The second piece of advice is of course from my mentor, my dear father. I remember when he first told me to write a short story. I was about 13 years old.

“What should I write?” I asked him.

“Write the most extravagant thing that comes into your head,” he told me.

Which is what I will do….as soon as I have some time.

The Big 4-O

Posted on November 29, 2011 by helena

No, not me you fool, the country. The UAE, the country that has been our home for the last three and a bit years turns 40 on Friday. It is odd to live in a country that is younger than me, and of course it does make me feel rather old, but I am trying to get into the spirit of things.
The streets are lined with flags, the houses are decorated and the cars, well, the cars are a sight to behold.
I think this outpouring of national pride for National Day is rather lovely, and I wish the Brits had more pride in Blightly. But what I find fascinating is the fact that the population of this nation made enormously wealthy by oil, shows its affection through its four-wheel drives.
One of the main events is the National Day Parade. Unlike parades in Red Square, for example, this involves locals in their elaborately decorated vehicles driving around the part of town where the F1 circuit is.

The rest of them will be driving around the centre of town beeping their horns and throwing streamers. The traffic will be almost stationary there are so many revellers. Last year I made the mistake of leaving the tennis court at 6pm to drive home, it is normally a 15-minute drive max. Three hours later I was still in traffic. But the girls made plenty of new friends along the way.

I think this year we will be on a boat with some friends and watch all the celebrations from the relative calm of the sea. It will be interesting to see what effect turning 40 has on the country. Not much I should think. A bit like humans.

What makes a good book?

Posted on November 22, 2011 by helena

I have now been a member of a book club for a few months. Not just the one I set up on my own, which has floundered slightly as we are all so busy, but one run by a Sheikha here in Abu Dhabi. We meet every month or so to discuss books at her palace. We sit in an elaborately decorated room while uniformed women bring us tea and chocolates.
The latest book is by AS Byatt and is called The Children’s Book. I am on page 110 and cannot really face going any further. The only reason I have got this far is that a great friend, whose opinion I respect, told me she loved it and I just had to be patient and I would get into it.

I know as the writer of frivolous books (my husband doesn’t call me Helena Froth Powell for nothing) I am bound to say this, but what is the point of a book that you have to struggle to get into? Some might argue that the reward is a deeper novel, one with more insight. Does anyone struggle to get into The Great Gatsby? Or Jane Eyre? I don’t think so.
At the same time as the Byatt book I have been reading Bruce Chatwin’s In Patagonia. The difference could not be more obvious. While Byatt’s prose is turgid, faux-brow and laborious, Chatwin excells in the art of the simple, incisive sentence.

I can see what Byatt is trying to achieve with her convoluted layered sentences, evoking the mines beneath the core of the story and the dank atmosphere of Edwardian England, but do they make for good reading? No. Here is the opening line: “The boys stood in the Prince Consort Gallery and looked down on a third. It was June 19th 1895. The Prince had died in 1861, and had seen only the beginnings of his ambitious project for a gathering of museums in which British craftsmen could study the best examples of design.” Make you want to read on? Me neither.
Chatwin on the other hand begins In Patagonia like this: “In my grandmother’s dining room there was a glass-fronted cabinet and in the cabinet a piece of skin. It was a small piece only, but thick and leathery, with strands of coarse, reddish hair.” Immediately we want to know what this rather disgusting object is, and why it is interesting enough to open a book with. My favourite sentence so far is this one, which I think is one of the most perfect things I have ever read:
“The day before I had met the nuns of the Santa Maria Auxiliadora Convent on their Saturday coach outing to the penguin colony on Cabo Virgenes. A bus-load of virgins. Eleven thousand virgins. About a million penguins. Black and white. Black and white. Black and white.”

Sublime. In other news, my father has been awarded a literary prize for a play he wrote. I have not been able to speak to him yet, but am sure the news has cheered him up immensely. And I assume, knowing him as I do, that the writing was more like Chatwin than Byatt. At least I hope it was, or I may not be able to read it…In fact as it’s in Italian, I may not be able to read it anyway.