A big thank you

A thank you to all who have open hearts and minds and who have welcomed the Yedizi ladies and their children at Septfonds and Caussade. Yesterday Jill Williamson and I went to make a donation to each of the eleven ladies of 150 euros. It was money donated by you all instead of flowers after Malc died.

Since the last time we went to see them just after they arrived when Mains Tendues gave each one 200 euros, we were delighted to see how they had integrated into the French community. After four mornings a week having French lessons their language and communication skills were noticeably different. 

They looked happy.

Jill and I drove home also feeling happy  as I am sure Malc looking down would also have done.

Thank you

Book swap March 2nd

Book swap Monday March 2 nd at the Gazpacho at St. Antonin, 10.30 am

Please note no book swap in April

Helen Graham

Poorpaws book sale

Poorpaws

Dear Booklovers,

A  reminder for you to put Saturday 4th April in your diaries !  It's time for your favourite - I hope - Book Sale.  As usual, at the St. Pantaleon, (Lot), Salle des Fetes from 10am to 3pm.  Books, dvds at one euro and cds at 50 cents.  Your best loved cakes, we have it on record that Liz's carrot cakes and Pat's coffee and walnut, are the best in France - and possibly the universe !

Tea, coffee and snack lunches will all be on offer, so come along and spend a great few hours browsing, buying, eating and drinking !

I am responsible for the books that are chosen to go on sale so if there are authors you don't see and who you like, or if you have any suggestions, please don't hesitate to tell me. (But please don't ask me to put them all in alphabetical order !)  I do categorise them but sometimes it is a bit difficult to know which genre to put them in so do look at miscellaneous and hard backs where different categories are put together.   I do try to ensure books which are in good condition but sometimes there are those which I think are cracking good and deserve to be read whatever state they are in, so they are given a chance.  This time - don't I always say this ?! - we have a really excellent choice, so come and indulge !

A service which I started last was a 'book search'; this proved quite popular, so if there is an author you really like, or a book you have been wanting to read, let me know and I will do my best to find it/her/him.

All proceeds to go to La Mere aux Betes, Cancer Support France and Poorpaws Dog Rescue.

So, come rain or shine your Book Team will be ready to greet you on Saturday 4th April !

Sue xx

Vide Maison

Vide Maison

Moya is having a vide maison on Sunday 1 March at Las Treilles, 81170 Itzac from 10am to 4pm. Her house is 1km up the hill from the centre of Itzac on the road to Vaour. There is a lot of great furniture for sale, including: 2 Stuart Jones chairs,  a nest of tables and a yew corner unit, as well as pictures, kitchen items, crystal glass and a wide range of books. The larger items can be bought in advance. Contact Moya on: graemoya@orange.fr for more information or to arrange a visit to see the furniture.

Remember Laura and Sid?

Glad to hear that you're happy in your new home.

We're fine, Sid's doing well, he's got past the first 3 months which apparently is the dodgy time after a heart attack & is now back to normal really. Portugal has taken us in hand totally... We're registered farmers now which was a bit of a shock to the system! But honestly everyone is so kind & helpful we really feel as if we're finally in the right country. We're now busy putting in raised beds for veggies, have pruned about 80 of the olives which hadn't been touched for years & made a start on double glazing and insulating the house, that in itself is now a building site but the weather's too glorious to be indoors so it'll remain a mess for a while. We seem to have a constant stream of visitors most of whom help.

We cannot believe how early spring comes to this area, the meadows are full of thigh high flowers, chamomile, marigolds, lavender, ash trees are in leaf it's just wonderful. Anyway here's a few pics of our place, we've got all the land both sides of the river just can't believe it.

Really if you ever fancy then do come & see us.

Look after yourself with love from both of us Laura & Sid

Val says.  There is life after France and this couple are now in Portugal

taglines82@gmail.com

A club no one wants to join

A club no one wants to join

A good friend who lost his wife a few years ago said to me, ‘’ Val we are in a club no one wants to join’’

I understood perfectly what he was saying. No one wants to loose a beloved partner but as we get older it is going to happen to us all, its a fact of life...or death.

There are  two other people in the village who lost partners around the same time as I lost Malc. It is uncanny how we are all going through the same stages of grief, but the over riding problem is the loneliness, after spending years of sharing ones life.

I am a great one for tackling problems head on. We must accept our lives have changed and prepare for the next phase, which we must try to make as much fun as possible.

Hearts  will ache at bedtime bit we still have our lives which are a gift to enjoy.

If you live in Varen or nearby and want for any reason to join the group no one wants to be in, then contact me to arrange having some fun.

Its a club  with no direction and no other aim than to make us happy.

Maybe we can discuss help we need with documents or jobs too difficult around the house.

So far I think I can  count on 5, not a bad start, and or course it will be a multi lingual group.

taglines82@gmail.com

Dogs are banned

Varen  frip takes a hard stand 

No more  dogs in the frip. 🦮

You know we love dogs at Mains Tendues, we all have one or two ourselves... but after a week end where 3 dogs lifted their legs copiously in the shop and the owners sneaked off without offering to clean up. We have a new rule now.

Dogs have to be tied up outside or if one of us is free we will hold their leads for you. 

We do not have washing facilities, although we do now have a smelly mop.

You brought it on yourselves you mutts.... I do mean the dogs.

Car wanted

Hi Val,

How are you doing? So hope all's well with you, often think of you, have you moved yet?

I have a request for tag

Please does anyone have an old car they no longer need, preferably English with French registration, anything considered.

Many thanks & lots of love to you Laura & Sid xxxxx

green.havard@gmail.com

Apero Concert, Verfeil

Mercredi 19 Fevrier, 19 h cafe de la halle 

Busy week end

This Valentine days week end and what a busy time we have had a Mains Tendues 82

We had a lovely visit from Sol handi à Verfeil. They are setting up two or three apartments for the handicapped people they help, for  them to learn to live independantly.

We are helping them for free to furnish their apartments.

Then we had a visit from representatives of Citrus Laguepie, who we gave a cheque for 1,000 euros to help them with their work of integrating young people from around the world and teaching them to work together.

Then we welcomed two new helpers to the team both elderly French ladies who are my neighbours in the village. Well done ladies.

A young refugee, one of my young men who has just got asylum came for bedding and he happily went away with arms full

We are only open 2 hours on Friday and three on Saturday but we fit a lot into those hours.

The bureau of Mains Tendues 82 with Citrus Laguepie 

Foire des Couturières

Restaurant for sale at Verfeil

An absolute bargain, you can live there, rent rooms and have a restaurant

Go for it whilst you can

Vide Maison

Vide Maison

Moya is having a vide maison on Sunday 1 March at Las Treilles, 81170 Itzac from 10am to 4pm. Her house is 1km up the hill from the centre of Itzac on the road to Vaour. There is a lot of great furniture for sale, including: 2 single beds (never used),  a UK king sized bed (150 x198, excellent condition), Parker Knoll sofa and two arm chairs and pine bedside cabinets as well as pictures, jewellery and you guessed it, more cookery books! The larger items can be bought in advance. Contact Moya on: graemoya@orange.fr for more information or to arrange a visit to see the furniture.

MOYA’S ITEMS FOR SALE ON OR BEFORE VIDE MAISON

Please contact Moya via: graemoya@orange.fr or telephone Graeme on: 06 04 08 81 12:

2 single beds with mattresses, unused, still in their wrappers. 190 x 90. 200 euros for the pair.

Single bed: integral headboard, pine frame. Mattress vgc, hardly used. 200 x 90. 60 euros.

UK King sized bed and mattress. Mattress vgc. 198 x 150. 120 euros.

Parker Knoll tapestry effect sofa and 2 chairs 350 euros.

Corner unit/vitrine in yew. 181h x41/45w top/bottom sections. 75 euros.

1 pair dark pine bedside cabinets. 50w x 48d x 68h. 70 euros

 

MOYA’S ITEMS FOR SALE ON OR BEFORE VIDE MAISON

2 single beds with mattresses, unused, still in their wrappersMOYA’S ITEMS FOR SALE ON OR BEFORE VIDE MAISON

2 single beds with mattresses, unused, still in their wrappers. 190 x 90. 200 euros for the pair.

Single bed: integral headboard, pine frame. Mattress vgc, hardly used. 200 x 90. 60 euros.

UK King sized bed and mattress. Mattress vgc. 198 x 150. 120 euros.

Parker Knoll tapestry effect sofa and 2 chairs 350 euros.

Corner unit/vitrine in yew. 181h x41/45w top/bottom sections. 75 euros.

1 pair dark pine bedside cabinets. 50w x 48d x 68h. 70 euros

 

La grotte du Bosc above St. Antonin

The grotte du Bosc is set to open again yet another place interesting to locals and tourists alike.

There is a report in the  Depeche

2020 Municipal Elections

The 2020 French municipal elections will be held on 15 and 22 March 2020 to renew the municipal councils of the approximately 35,000 French communes

Many of us who have lost our European citizenship will not be able to vote this year 

Changes afoot

Now you may all have heard about this, it must have been in the Depeche.

The Abbaye of Beaulieu is going to be made an important Museum in France.

Daniel Cadiac, not sure of the spelling of his surname even though he is a friend, was in the frip this morning. He is the leader of a team who for the last few years have organised expos at Beaulieu, absolutely splendid. All that is set to stop and for about a year the site will be closed as extensive works get underway.

It is envisaged to be a huge, well promoted museum expecting thousands of visitors to the area ( I mean thousands )

I felt sorry for Daniel but for others in the area of tourism ,this could be a great opportunity.

The villages close by Verfeil, Varen, Parisot, Caylus could all benefit.

Imagine the potential of easily filling your chambre d’hote and gite. Restaurants nearby must be rubbing their hands.

On that subject there is a restaurant for sale at Verfeil, the nearest village. Anyone with a bit of go could do well there.

These villages need to elect Maires who can see the potential of making their villages tourist villages, parking for motorhomes, villages fleuris, plenty of car parks.

Like it or not, tourist invasion in the summer is on its way.