Happy Halloween

There I was in the garden when .... the elastic snapped

Happy Halloween, stay cheerful

The Gazpacho today

The Gazpacho in times of Covid

taglines82@gmail.com

The Aveyron in Varen

Painting in acrylic by my brother in law Tudor Powell

Thanks Tudor

Doctors coming and going and a good optician in St. Antonin

So we have a new remplacent Doctor in Varen called Dr De Vries.

What a good job, as I am told by a reader that Dr Trann will soon have closed his surgery in Laguepie. There is an English speaking Doctor in St. Antonin who if not already,  will be overloaded soon.

I have had a very pleasant visit to the optician in the halle in St.Antonin this morning. What a nice guy who has been installed there for nearly a year and a half.

I needed some new distance glasses and he was able to take the prescription from my sun glasses to make a new pair.

He also did some minor repairs to my reading glasses for free.

He complimented me on my French, ( which went down well ) and he told me in the summer one of every two customers were English who did not speak French. He had come from a practise in Gaillac where  there were few English clients so he said he rapidly had to brush up on his English

I was very impressed.

Since posting I have learned the optician is the son of well known and respected Gerard Narjoux of Espinas

Dr Trann is moving to Marseille, his wife died of cancer some months ago

The new Doctor is Dutch and speaks English

taglines82@gmail.com

Lost an iphone in Varen ?

Has anyone lost an Apple iphone in Varen

If you have or know of someone who has it is in the Mairie

Bonjour Valérie, quelqu'un a déposé dans la boîte aux lettres de la mairie un téléphone Iphone Apple appartenant à un anglophone, les paramètres sont en anglais. Peut-être pourriez vous faire circuler l'info dans vos contacts ?!

Merci.

It is being demolished to rebuild

Today they are starting demolishing the restaurant that partly burnt down, Les Deux Rivieres at Laguepie.

Bernard Mages, councillor at Laguepie tells us it will be rebuilt.

Merci à Bienvenue a Laguepie

25 ans que cet hôtel restaurant est implanté à laguépie...une institution chez nous !

Une grosse pensée pour Gisèle et Pascal Doucet qui patientent depuis presque 2 ans (1 ans et 10 mois) pour la reconstruction du bâtiment après ce terrible incendie à la veille de Noël en 2018.

Les travaux commencent ! 🚧💪

Longue vie aux Deux Rivieres !

Good bye to local stalwarts

This week end our area says goodbye to John Dawson and Susan Dawson.

What a loss they will be to the area.

I am not sure exactly how long they have had a second home here but is probably more than 30 years. I rembered when they moved from Najac to St.Antonin.

John has built up a superb archive of old photographs of the area, his attention to detail, has made it an awesome collection. In the past he helped raise money for Mains Tendues by selling the power point presentation. We did well and everyone loved them.

John is also renowned for his knowledge of the walks in the area and has been running a very popular local walking group.

He intends to carry on planning walks for the group from the Uk

A nicer couple you are unlikely to meet and I along with others will be sad to see them go.

Both John and Susan say they will be back for holidays another year.

Safe journey and bon resettlement in the Uk.

taglines82@gmail.com

Did you know we have otters in the river ?

This afternoon in the Salle des fetes in Varen

A talk with pictures of animals of and along the river including local otters

2.30

No chestnut fayre this year at Laguepie

Laguépie. La foire à la châtaigne annulée

Opening more hours

Remember Mains Tendues in Varen is now open

Wed, Thurs,Fri afternoons 3 to 5 ( Sat morning of course too )

But if you want a bit of style advice come in Wednesday and I will be on hand to give you advice as I did to these ladies on how to be fashionable

See you Wednesday I hope 💕

Open all hours

Mains Tendues 82

  Varen

The team are up for change

In our lovely new surroundings we are all keen to extend opening hours

So from Wednesday 14 th of October, these are our new times

Wednesday 15 h to 17 h

Thursday.     15 h to 17 h

Friday.           15 h to 17 h

Saturday morning 9 to 12

As well as giving you more shopping, browsing time, it will give YOU the chance to bring in all your donations ( donations, the thing that makes us tick )

Parking is no problem and we are always on hand to help you unload.

We all LOVE what we do, come and join us as part of the team by buying and donating.

YOU are our dynamo.

Terence Harker took the photo

We are now taking in good quality ladies winter clothes.

Bernard Mages

Oops,one too many

Oh God it is me

Who took the photo?

17h30: retour du marché de St Antonin après un passage d’une durée indéterminée au Café de la Halle. Ça parle á quelqu’un ? 🤪🙃🤣

From Sue Glibbery, Poorpaws

From Susan Glibbery, Poorpaws

Dear Faithful Book Lovers and Book Sale Attendees !

I am so happy to confirm that, barring any further restrictions, your favourite book sale will go ahead as planned on Saturday 17th October AND Sunday 18th October !

There will, of course, be a few necessary changes.  Masks will be obligatory and hand sanitisers will be in good supply around the hall.  There will be separate entry and exit doors and we are working on a double one way system hoping not to make you look as though you are doing a weird Scottish Reel or the Hokey Cokey !

No parking in front of the hall, except for disabled.  There is a large village car park to the right of the hall (if you are face on) which is less than a two minute walk.

WE  CANNOT  ACCEPT  BOOKS  ON  THE  DAY, so please don't bring any.  Should you have books you want to donate, speak to me on the day and I will collect asap ready for the Spring Sale.

There will be, as usual, a great selection of books and dvds, along with cds.  Books and dvds one euro each (box sets 50 cents per disc) cds 50 cents.  Please make sure all discs are there before purchasing.  If they are not, tell me and I will deal severely with quality control - moi !

The very popular home made book bags will be there as well as lovely keyrings - both good Christmas stocking fillers - AND (sorry !) Christmas cards.

On Saturday 17th tea, coffee and the usual yummy cakes will be on offer and the increasingly popular veggies samosas.  No lunches, sorry.  All cups and plates will be 100% disposable and recyclable.  If you prefer to bring your own coffee mug, please do so - so long as it is not a pint one !

This year we are trying a two day sale to see how it goes.  Sunday 18th will be slightly different in that there will just be tea/coffee and biscuits (plus any cakes/samosas left over from Saturday - in your dreams !) with books, dvds and cds at half price.

So, Salle des Fetes, St. Pantaleon, Lot, 10 am to 2 pm, Saturday 17th October AND Sunday 18th October.  Do desperately hope you will support us as usual, the money support tins are getting frighteningly empty and, anyway, your Book Sales Team misses you !

With love from the whole team,

Sue x

Book swap restarting, in November at the Gazpacho 2nd of November 10.30 am

Having got this reply from a St. Antonin councillor, i think we could start the book swap again with mask whilst looking at books which will be on tables outside

It will not go idea if raining or Covid rules change

Please only bring two or three books as I do not want to have loads of books to dump afterwards.

Hi val,

As far as I can see there are no objections against doing that. Just contact the gazpacho and I think it will be possible. Present COVID19 rules don't forbid it. 

Hans