PETULA CLARK is looking for
ward to her new TV series. `I
think these shows, more than
most, will give me the chance
of showing how I really feel,'
she says. `I shall be able to do
songs that really matter to me,
not just the ones that I am best
known for.'
Each of the six shows, she
says, is completely different.
For instance, there will be one
featuring the songs of the Bea-
tles, and one on the best of
Burt Bacharach. For the first,
The Girls Who Make Music, she
says she and producer Yvonne
Littlewood `have chosen songs
by the best of today's girl
writers and composers - for
example Carole Ring, Joni
Mitchell, Carly Simon and
| | Buffy Sainte-Marie: And one
of the shows will make a point
of Petula's French connections
- a side to her which not too
many of her British fans know
about.
Off-screen, she's properly
known as Mine Claude Wolff -
has been since 1961 - and she's
more French than English now,
even to taking her holidays in
Megeve, in the French Alps.
From Geneva, where the
Wolffs live overlooking the
lake, it's only an hour and a
half's drive. The Hotel Castel-
Champlat is more a pension
than a Hilton: warmth and
comfort and heavy, old-
fashioned mahogany furniture.
`There are posher hotels in
Megeve,' says Petula, `where
| | you change for dinner and all
that. But this is nicer for the
children.
`A lot of people choose it.
Sacha Distel used to come here
before he built his chalet, and
Alain Delon has stayed here,
too. Nobody stares at you.'
Petula is used to being stared
at, having been a child star,
and thus as she puts it having
`to grow up in public.' Both
she and Claude are determined
to see their children run no
such risk.
Next day we go off for lunch
at a place a few miles above
Megeve. Claude's telling funny
stories that Petula knows and
loves.
`Listen to this one, it's lovely
.` `Patrick's teeth are on the
| | way. Aren't they, papichon?'
She dips her finger in sterilis-
ing white wine, wipes It dry
and investigates his gums with
satisfaction.
The Wolffs are building
their own chalet in Megeve. At
the moment it's still only a
shell, and when we get to the
site, the architect and electrician launch into long and
elaborate discussions with Monsieur
and Madame about where
power-points should be. `Half
the fun at this stage,' says
Petula, `is trying to picture
what it will be like. The sauna
will be here, and that's a sun
terrace. The card-playing room
- that's Claude's. Nothing to
do with me! This little room
under the eaves will be
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