The week started off on Sunday in Rothwell, with the continuing visit of people from Droué. We had a mother (Séverine) and her two children, Louis (9) and Rachel (7) staying with us.
On the Sunday morning we went to church as usual, but Roger had only one job to do, reading the Gospel, as Bishop John was taking the service. Simon presented us with a card and a bundle of Euros on behalf of the congregation, to say "thank you but not goodbye" to us for our work for the church, especially during the interregnum. When we counted it later it was €220. Then we took our French visitors down into the bone crypt (they'd been on a tour during the morning in a vintage bus) and eventually home for lunch. There was supposed to be an event at the Heritage Centre at 2 pm but as it was we had enough trouble finishing lunch to get them to the Blessing of the Fair by 3 pm. After that the fair was open and they had a jolly time trying to make themselves sick.
After this we went with our guests to the Panters' house, where some of their relatives were staying, for a barbecue.
Next day we got up very, very early (clock set at 5 am) to go to the Proclamation, which started at 6 am. This is a quite bizarre ceremony and it's really difficult to understand why so many go to it. It was our first time in our 36 years in Rothwell. But it was all very good natured, even the rather staged scuffles. The best bit was when the Bailiff's horse did an enormous wee outside Rothwell House Hotel just as Bob was about to read the "whereas heretofore" bit. Bob the Bailiff sounds like a character in a children's story, doesn't it?
We and our guests had "full English" breakfast at Rothwell House Hotel. As you can see below, Rachel thought it great fun to have such a vast cooked meal for breakfast!
The visitors had to be at Montsaye for their coach back to Droué at 10 am, so after breakfast and before that we went back home and taught them how to play Beetle. Rachel wasn't very keen on losing.
After seeing them off we went back to bed for an hour or two. We were quite shattered. There was one more job to do, apart from packing, before leaving for France on Wednesday. That was reading the eulogy at David Rudkins' funeral, on Tuesdy morning. The church was packed and the service was OK.
Delia's car had developed a fault the previous week with the heating fan, which made it run on maximum whatever the settings. This was very noisy and distracting and I (Roger) needed the car to go to Wales in July. The garage couldn't look at it until this Tuesday, so we took it in before the funeral. As it was they did very well and managed to have it fixed just in time, around Wednesday lunch time, but it did make us late leaving for France.
We had intended to leave by 2:00 pm to catch the 5:20 pm crossing, but didn't leave until 2:30 so missed that. Then Evreux was closed! The autoroute out of Rouen had roadworks on it and the exit to Evreux was blocked. We got off as soon as we could and went across country to Dreux, then to the F1 at Chartres, where we had booked for the night. But that was around midnight French time, a bit late even if it was only 11:00 pm UK time.
On the Thursday we had a good journey from Chartres to Neffiès, arriving at around 6:30 pm. We went to Pézenas on the way for Delia to ask our bank to sent letters etc to the Neffiès address and also to go to the Intermarché. The weather was warm and sunny.
On Friday we went to Béziers after lunch to take one of the Liveboxes back, because Orange had sent one by post the last time we were here. We did some washing before going but not as much as we'd hoped. We bought fuel in Béziers but otherwise just came home and spent the rest of the day getting the house tidy. Had veal for dinner.
Next day we got lunch ready & dinner (lamb carbonnade Nîmoise) before doing the rest of the washing and having lunch. Then to the beach at Serignan Plage until quite late. Perfect day for it and a good start in our aim to do absolutely nothing for a while.
After seeing them off we went back to bed for an hour or two. We were quite shattered. There was one more job to do, apart from packing, before leaving for France on Wednesday. That was reading the eulogy at David Rudkins' funeral, on Tuesdy morning. The church was packed and the service was OK.
Delia's car had developed a fault the previous week with the heating fan, which made it run on maximum whatever the settings. This was very noisy and distracting and I (Roger) needed the car to go to Wales in July. The garage couldn't look at it until this Tuesday, so we took it in before the funeral. As it was they did very well and managed to have it fixed just in time, around Wednesday lunch time, but it did make us late leaving for France.
We had intended to leave by 2:00 pm to catch the 5:20 pm crossing, but didn't leave until 2:30 so missed that. Then Evreux was closed! The autoroute out of Rouen had roadworks on it and the exit to Evreux was blocked. We got off as soon as we could and went across country to Dreux, then to the F1 at Chartres, where we had booked for the night. But that was around midnight French time, a bit late even if it was only 11:00 pm UK time.
On the Thursday we had a good journey from Chartres to Neffiès, arriving at around 6:30 pm. We went to Pézenas on the way for Delia to ask our bank to sent letters etc to the Neffiès address and also to go to the Intermarché. The weather was warm and sunny.
On Friday we went to Béziers after lunch to take one of the Liveboxes back, because Orange had sent one by post the last time we were here. We did some washing before going but not as much as we'd hoped. We bought fuel in Béziers but otherwise just came home and spent the rest of the day getting the house tidy. Had veal for dinner.
Next day we got lunch ready & dinner (lamb carbonnade Nîmoise) before doing the rest of the washing and having lunch. Then to the beach at Serignan Plage until quite late. Perfect day for it and a good start in our aim to do absolutely nothing for a while.
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