Snips and Snaps

Our friend, Mr Walling, has upbraided me from England (by telephone).  He says I am being lazy with this blog, or at least he hinted it if he did not say it outright.  But he is quite correct.  Looking at it, I have only posted two entries this month.  And we have done quite a number of things this month, though none of them seemed to merit a post to itself.  So here are some snips and snaps.

Mike often talks in his sleep – or at least says things which he denies all knowledge of in the light of day.  Yesterday morning when I climbed back into bed after going to the bathroom he suddenly said, “Do not bounce on the bed.  It is like being on a trampoline”.  This was clearly not true as I doubt if even his smallest toe had been disturbed by my re-entering the bed – had I been able to bounce him towards the ceiling it would have been a good laugh, though cruel.   But I didn’t and he doesn’t remember anything about it. 

Last week we went to the celebration dinner for 80 years of CACC.  Anyone who has read this blog previously will know that is the village athletic club and nothing more sinister.   

Many of us sat at tables in the village hall and had drinks and ate paella.  There was also a disco and a space cleared for dancing and lots of people danced.    At one point most of the teenagers sat lined up behind each other on the floor whilst the younger children were passed from hand to hand over their heads.

I really like these village dos.  There is a proper sense of friendship and community.   I find I am getting less inhibited with my French speaking, though probably not more accurate. I now gabble away with all kinds of “cack”.

Along with the ladies of NEDWA (North East Dordogne Women’s Association – primarily ex-pat) and some of their husbands, I went to Brantome earlier this week for lunch with the Brantome Police Horses.  Roland and Alison Phillips run a large centre with paddocks and stables for retired police horses, mainly from London but also from Avon and Somerset.  The centre is run with donations in addition to the Phillips’ entire income from pensions, holiday lets, lunches etc.  Apparently working police horses are very well cared for but there is no provision for their retirement.   Those that can no longer be ridden and cannot be sold on or homed with charities such as this one are put down.   I have mixed feelings about police horses – over the years my friends have been far more likely to wave a banner than sit on a police horse, but any hard working horse deserves respect, particularly when its working life is over.  And these horses are beautiful.          

 

The acrobats who were parked in our Salle des fetes earlier this month are performing at Coulares next Tuesday.  I haven’t had a chance to see them yet, so shall probably go.  Having met them at the salle, I now know that they are a French family troupe. Due to their name, Les Tony, I previously suspected them of being a duo or even a single acrobat, from Chelmsford or, perhaps, Basildon.