Give yourself that feel good factor

All the world news seems to be dire this morning, heartbreaking what is happening between Israelians and Palestinians. For heavens sake get around the Peace table and stop the killing.

Refugees being targeted not just in Glasgow but in England too by Priti Patel and her facist group. Many asylum seekers were moved yesterday when they should have been able to celebrate Eid, moved to worse accomodation at a moments notice. Often these refugees had doctor and dentists appointments and were in the middle of treatment. 

I post my stories with pretty chocolate cakes and pictures of our local smart restaurant about to reopen, our lives.... and we are so lucky.

YOU can say, what can we do?

Well you could do something.

Do you need ideas?

Help local charities raise money for refugees and people in need

Mains Tendues 82 in Varen asking for people to give up 2 hours of their time a week to help

You can give unwanted items to sell to raise money, I have just sent a car load with more to go

We have brilliant lives here  but helping others gives a real sense of worth.

Friends here and in the Uk I know many work for charities and feel the rewards but for others who perhaps are retired and need a challenge, find a charity that appeals to you.

It can be helping the homeless, Cancer charities ,anything ... 

if I am preaching to the converted forgive me, but we do need the world to change

I leave you with the message of ,help each other and give LOVE and joy.

You can have a laugh doing it .😂

taglines82@gmail.com

Saying good bye

As I think the majority of you know I am returning to the Uk after 20 years of not just living but energising in France.

Malc and I always said whatever happened we have had these  years.

20 years of being involved.

We created the monthly book swap which will be able to start again soon

The Varenly regatta, a yearly canoe race in Varen for Families

Monthly Folk and Jazz Evenings

Picnic in the Park yearly Jazz event raising money for Enfants d’Afrique , children in Bamako

Malc was President of the Caylus Bridge club 

Malc started the Friday boules group,

For awhile I was involved with Fifi as a committee member

I started the very popular on line local magazine Taglines,first as paper copies then Tag-on-line,Malc became so interested he  joined me with editorials

I helped rehomed animals with Truffes et Moustaches and started a face book page called Rehoming animals in Midi Pyrenees

When nearly 6 years ago refugees arrived in the area and we both then spent every minute doing what we could to help them.

When they started getting asylum and their own apartments we asked readers to give us furniture and funds to help us ,help them

We were so succesful we needed an association and created Mains Tendues 82,which proved a great success and I am proud and Malc would be too to know it is going to continue.

As you also know Malc died about 17 months ago, then we were plunged into covid. Because I am now 75 and feel I need family in 3 weeks I will return to the Uk.

I want to take this opportunity before I go to thank everyone for their love and kindness to us both. 

His time and my time have just been a blast... but we could not have enjoyed it without you all.

I am sure you will continue to hear of my exploits in the Uk

Joy and hope wished on this the first of May

 Muguet or Lily of the Valley in English,growing in my garden sent to wish you joy and hope

taglines82@gmail.com

A good time to spot wild orchids

http://www.orchideesdenajac.fr/orchidsframe.htm

Plant Fayre at Caylus

Histoires et Légendes de Noble -Val

France picking up speed on Covid vaccinations

10.5m now, they managed over 510k total doses yesterday. Here's last nights press release https://solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/actualites/presse/communiques-de-presse/article/vaccination-contre-la-covid-en-france-au-9-avril-2021-pres-de-14-110-000

Macron’s speech last night

Key points from Macron's speech tonight...

From Saturday night, the measures in place in those departments already "confined" will be extended to all of France, for four weeks.

The curfew will be maintained.

Attestations will be needed to travel more than 10 kms from your home.

Crèches, les écoles, les collèges et les lycées will be closed for three weeks.  Next week classes will be held at home, except for children of carers and some other professions, as well as for children with disabilities. The school year will start on 26 April, physically for nursery and primary schools, remotely for secondary schools. Students will still be able to go to university one day a week.

Parents who cannot guard their children at home will be able to benefit from the partial unemployment scheme.

For all the businesses affected, the aid schemes will be re-established. For shopkeepers, the self-employed... All the measures currently in force will be extended.

Vaccination will be extended. We will vaccinate every day of the week, on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

From 15 May, vaccination will be open to French people aged between 55 and 65.

taglines82@gmail.com

Universitat Occitana La Guépia

One can see similarities here

Fancy something spicy?

Book sale hoping to go ahead in April

Message from Sue Glibbery at Poorpaws

Hallo Faithful Booklovers !

I'm getting in touch to tell you that, barring any new confinements, your favourite Book Sale will be taking place the weekend of 10th/11th April.

As usual it will be at the Salle des Fetes of St; Pantaleon, (Lot), starting at 10am and finishing at 14.30.  I am busy sorting through hundreds of books and can promise you that we have some really fabulous books in great condition !  Do I say that every time ?  Yeah, probably, but I promise you it is true.  As last time, anti covid regulations will govern, masks MUST be worn, there will be a one way system in the hall and hand sanitizers will be plentiful.  We are restricted to the number of people allowed inside - hopefully more than last time - but, as last time, and weather permitting, there will be tables to browse outside.  Please use the village car park which is a two minute walk away and well signposted. Prices have not changed, all books are at one euro, as are dvds, with boxed sets being 50 cents per disc.  Cds, 50 cents.

We CANNOT accept books on the day, so please get in touch with me if you have books to donate. We have sufficient cookery and coffee table books for this sale.  I know you won't mind me saying that books must be in a good saleable condition.

Our fabulous cake team has their mixing bowls at the ready and we are hoping to put them back in the main hall this time so you can better see the delicious choices on offer.  We will not be able to offer lunches but can highly recommend Nina's tasty samosas if you fancy something savoury.

I really do hope that you all feel safe enough to come - hopefully many of us will be vaccinated by then !  We really appreciate your support, at the moment bills are being paid  out of personal savings, which is fine, my choice to keep the unadopted dogs, so I assume, but 600 euros vet fees over the last couple of months is a bit of a choker apart from other expenses.

We do our best to make it a pleasurable outing for all you avid readers and, judging from feedback, we succeed, so your Book Team looks forward to welcoming you all again in April.

Love,

Sue x

Poorpaws

Beware those caterpillars

Hi Val

For all dog walkers, be careful because the processionary caterpillars are about a little early.

Tony

Relaxing game boules

Today I had my first day at leisure for 5 years, playing boules again.

Malc set up this group soon after we arrived probably around 2004

Today now I have retired from Mains Tendues I played boules again.

It was my first afternoon of leisure for 5 years and by gum I enjoyed it. It brought me closer to Malc who had he been alive would have been there with us on our 55 th wedding anniversary. 

This was 2011

For many years now a dedicated group of boulistes, mainly Brits but with regular assistance of some French, occasional Dutch players and often supplemented by summer visitors, have met on Friday afternoon to indulge in this most French of pastimes.

 Numbers vary from 10 to 20+, all ages, both men and women, plus many children in the holidays. In order to achieve some fairness in the teams players are generally seeded into “tireurs” (those who think they can knock out opponents’ boules) and “pointers” (the rest). Teams are always drawn at random to try and give some semblance of equal opportunities.

The game is usually played in either “doublettes” – teams of two players using 3 boules each - or “triplettes” – teams of three players using 2 boules each. Given the unknown number of people attending on any Friday we don’t usually know until we start how many doublettes and/or triplettes we will have. But we usually manage to sort something out.

We usually play 2 or three games, “parties”, up to 13 points. The afternoons last about 2 hours.

In summer the matches are at the Verfeil boulodrome, but in winter we find Varen is less likely to be cold as the sun remains on the “terrain” much longer.

All the matches are played in a serious but friendly spirit and the regulars would welcome any newcomers and will willingly help explain the rules and the tactics. You don’t need to become a regular; come as often or a little as you wish. Some of us have even become familiar on the French circuit of “amicales” – occasionally the very proud winners of a few euros! It’s a pastime or a passion, as you wish.

From Friday 4th November we will be meeting at Varen on the boules terrain by the little Vival supermarket, rain always permitting. So if you would like to come and play or just find out more we would love to see you.

For more details ring Malcolm 0563 64 06 73 or email taglines82@gmail.com — with Deborah Eagle and Neil Ford.

Expo in St.Antonin

A new dining terrace at the Moulin

Soon to be a new terrace for dining with views overlooking the river.

I cannot wait.

The Moulin of Varen, how lucky we are to have it here in the village

taglines82@gmail.com

And this was in a Covid year

The end of my era

This week I resigned as President of Mains Tendues in Varen and welcomed in a younger, enthusiastic team

Jo Schofield, the new President

Myriam Dubois, secretary and treasurer

And three Vice Presidents, Hilary Edwards, Charlotte Stallwood and Najat Olive

Rose Lewis is Vice Treasurer, not pictured

taglines82@gmail.com

Part of the chateau of Laguepie for sale

For sale exceptional house part of the chateau of Laguepie. The house has so much character as befits a French chateau, in total calm, near  an historic site and charming village, dominant location, with all amenities accessible 5 minutes on foot: 2 weekly markets, mini markets, butcher, pharmacy, post office, press, restaurant, hairdresser..

Including:

living room, dining room, kitchen, 6 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 vaulted cellars, laundry room, 2 North and South terraces, 600m2 garden, parking

Perfect insulation, double glazing

Laguepie is known for its river swimming areas with a locally proclaimed blue flag beach.

The Covid years 2020 in Varen

We are now starting to gather in your contributions to the Covid Years in Varen. It is going to be an interesting read and we look forward to receiving around 250 words with a photograph

Why and how long you have lived in Varen, with your impressions of living this year with the Covid pandemic

You can send your contribution to

myriamduboisvaren@gmail.com

deborah.eagle@yahoo.com

taglines82@gmail.com

Or take and post in a box which you will find in the pharmacy or another in the médiathèque

Here below is my contribution, it can be in English or French

I moved from a large property in the hills into the village after my husband died and within weeks Covid raised its ugly head and we went into lock down.

I have lived in Varen for 20 years and love our village and surrounding areas. A village with a chateau, ancient church and a river flowing through. Over the years here we have had some wonderful holidays with family here. We will all keep the memories in our hearts.

In our years here we have played boule, started a book swap in St. Antonin once a month, had fun with a regatta on the river and in our latter years starting helping refugees who were sent to our area whilst they applied for asylum.

Whilst my husband was alive we created with other friends an association Mains Tendues 82 to help not only refugees but people in need. 

We were lucky enough to have on loan a building in the halle where we could sell items donated to us to sell with all profits going to other associations and those needing a bit of extra help.

This year 2020 we have spent many weeks with the friperie closed, we have  had some success selling on line but it is not the same as personal interaction.

Being on my own I have found it particularly hard and laughed when a friend said “ my highlight of the day is going to the poubelles and hoping I meet someone to talk to.”

So difficult not seeing family in the Uk and so because of Covid and the looming Brexit I have made the decision to go back to the Uk to be with family there.

A hard decision.

Val Johnstone