This is the thirteenth Chestnut Fair at Laguepie and we have been to them all except the first one. The day has changed enormously, from our perspective not for the better. When it started there was a marquee in the centre of Laguepie which in itself has changed, gone are the uneven pavements and conker trees and an uglier but I know necessary car park created. There used to be a few locals with barrels of hot chestnuts over the fires and little groups would stand around drinking beer and eating chestnuts out of a paper funnel. Then into the tent for the repas, one year with a storm and rivers of water passing beneath our feet, by gum we had some fun and one year we were even serenaded by Charles and Anna.
Now hundreds of people come, in cars and bus trips, marching bands, stall sellers with every sort of tatt you could not want, but sometimes a patchwork display in the salle des fetes and an exhibition on mushrooms and best of all a man with the most amazing wooden street games.
The leaflet on the event states:- animations gratuites, vente de châtaignes, jus de pomme, jeux géants, expos, marché, randos, repas, crepes. to reserve the meal 0563302043
It will be so busy that there are even stewards for parking. We will be back by then with the "young ones" and I am sure they will want to go and sport their Laguepie " T" shirts. For children a must but for us more elderly, another year I will probably stick to mucking out the donkey shed.
Malc says - It has lost its charm.
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