If you'd been the woman in Stockton, you might have thought Christmas, birthday and small lottery win had all arrived at once.
You could leave your home and teaching job in cold, damp Teesside and move to the beautiful southern French city of Nimes. It didn't seem possible, but they'd found someone there who was willing to come to Stockton.
It happened. And six years later, Flossie Malavialle is still in the North East, happily settled in the West End of Darlington and combining teaching (supply these days) with a useful singing career, applying her outstanding voice to pretty much any kind of music. British influences range from the Beatles to Vin Garbutt, French ones from Edith Piaf to Jacques Brel (well, he was Belgian but you know what I mean).
But enough of the Flossie Malavialle story. It is being told elsewhere in the little Salut! empire.
Read what she thinks of the North East and north-eastern folk (not just the music) at my main site Salut!. And if my synopsis of her musical adventures strikes a chord, see the first part of my interview with her - plus a YouTube clip - at Salut! Live.
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