Flies

I blogged last year about the flies. I will say no more except that this year they are worse. I hate them with a vengeance!!!
I know they can't be helped and they are everywhere but I can't see what purpose they serve. Why do we have flies?
We have even resorted this year to the ghastly sticky tapes that are seen everywhere in France hanging from ceilings, covered with dead flies, like the inside of a garibaldi biscuit.
We have placed Red Tops outside and they are harvesting flies in their hundreds, but you have to be very careful to not get downwind of them

But we have a new weapon. I have just taken receipt of a fly screen, made for us by CIC screens in Isleworth. Whilst I have sat and typed this, no fly has landed on my nose, my ear or balanced along the top of the laptop. I haven't even had to stop to pick up the smiley face swatter.
It looks like we may finally be fighting back
Let battle begin!

The Blog goes worldwide

I started the blog back in May last year as a way of communicating with friends and family in one go, rather than write the same stuff on numerous emails. People said they liked to read it and so I carried on. I realise that some of the postings are of more interest to some than others ( or should that be mildly less boring than others).
I also realise that I started writing about French life because it was new to me and so different and that I haven't added to this for a while as perhaps I am becoming more used to the peculiarities of life here.

The blog is also my diary, a written record of what we did and when.
In the year we have had almost 6000 hits, (not bad as the kids have all forgotten the address) and this grows daily. Karen Wheeler the local author whose second book features some events that took place in the bar, linked the blog to hers toutsweet.net whilst writing a blog about fish and chips.
We also receive hits from a blog http://alohahawaii-toula.blogspot.com/ which is a blog described as The story of Toula and Big Boy's excellent adventure as they plan their move from California to Hawaii.
I have no idea why they read the blog about a small bar in a very small village but I hope they enjoy it.
I even had an email from Australia asking if we will be showing the cricket next year. Yes we will and England are going to win again!!

However the thing that really bought the blog and it's impact home to us was when a couple walked into the bar a few days ago and said they were staying 100 miles away and just had to drive up and see the bar that they read about. It was a little spooky and if I acted oddly Rebecca, I apologise. They ordered cheeseburger and chips with the comment "if your chip fryer is now repaired"

So the blog will continue but I will be a little more cautious as to what I put on it now I know that I don't know who is reading it.
To the readers, I hope you can live with the boring bits and stick with us. Thank you for taking time to keep coming back and if you are in Champniers do drop in.

MFI Deja Vu

Homeform the company that runs Moben, Dolphin and Sharps are appointing an administrator
They have closed their stores and sent the staff home, and customers deliveries have stopped.
The CEO is Chris Pavlosky and the Managing Director is Richard Lee.
Chris was the COO at MFI and Richard was the Sales Director.
When MFI went bust, both of these were involved in touting the MFI stock around with a view to striking a deal in which the stock was sold by the administrator for next to nothing and then both being personally involved in the buying company with of course a stake in the profits.

It is a pity that any business goes down the pan and of course we must all feel sorry for the people that lose their jobs and for the customers that lose their deposits, or don't get their rooms completed. However it must be asked why these guys were given the chance to run another business

Club des Ainés outing

Champniers has a suprising amount of associations for so small a village. The Club des Ainés is the club for the Troisieme Age, ( the retired). We were invited to join them for a day out which had been arranged for a Thursday, our one day off, to a rural museum.
The coach pick up was 10.30 in the cafe car park, not 50 yds from home, but "we" were still nearly late.
The 30 or so people were driven for an hour to a village named Blond for lunch. I was amazed that we managed to drive for an hour with 29 old people and not one loo stop, old age seems a little more welcoming (unless of course they all have bags)
Half hour in Blond was enough time to see the church and find the bar where we were having lunch. As the bells chimed noon we took our places at the seats



We were sitting at the English speaking table with two English ladies and a Dutch couple from the village. I know three things about the dutch, their language is impossible, they all speak good english and they like to have a good time.


Lunch was "tout compris" with four courses, a kir to start, wine with the meal and a coffee to finish. Most bars that give wine included offer the basic vin ordinaire which is the stuff in plastic bottles or 5 litre casks, not the best wine to say the least but if you drink enough it does get to taste a little better. The taste of the first glass is best summed up by the photo of Karen below




Lunch lasted until 4pm!!!!! and then we were back to the coach for a ten minute drive to the village containing the rural museum. You walk round the village and at various points there are buildings either as they were previously or containing displays of the life and times of people in the village. There is an old school, the lavoir(photo below) where the women did their washing, a mill, an old bar etc etc


The village was very interesting but of course because lunch was 4 hours we were limited on time and only had an hour to see it all. Jeanne coming from a farming background particually enjoyed the trip, even going back to her childhood and climbing the biggest tree on the village green before we were called back to the bus for our return journey



The BBC news is reporting today that the over 65's should cut their alcohol intake to half of an adult allowance. It wont be happening in France, I can tell you

A year in Champniers

On June 17th we celebrated one year at the bar. This was the day we moved here and started the hard work of getting the place clean after nearly three years of being empty and ready to start serving beer and food on July 31st.
It has been a great year and whilst we have not always found it easy in a number of ways expected and unexpected, we can honestly say we made the right decision.
Home is here now and we are very happy with our choice.
We have learned many things, perhaps the most important that the previously empty bar can keep us ticking over even if it wont ever make us rich.
Pour moi, le francais c'est tres difficile but Jeanne seems to have adapted to speaking French quite well. She is forever being complimented on her language skills as it is assumed that she is British. This is not considered a compliment!!
May I take this opportunity to thank all those who have helped us during the past year, too many to mention but you know who you are.

at last

we have finally had some rain just in time for fish and chips. At least it will be more like England

A Quick Update

Just a quick update on some of the previous blogs.
Our fryer is now repaired and back in use. Metro staff training obviously does not include offering any apology as the return of the appliance came with a stare and a grunt.
Our panini machine is now back in action as well. They worked hard to find a reason why not to repair it and have now said that no future repairs will be made as it looks as though it is being used too frequently.
The toilet floor is now dry.
Our internet user has been back, to shout at us complaining that we have "written nasty things" on the blog. J asked him if it was all true to which he left, got in his car, revved it and then flashed his lights half a dozen times into the front windows.
This could become a saga,I tell you he has been here, he comes again to complain and I tell you he's been back to complain.

Lastly, we have had lots of new readers from Karen's blog, Tout Sweet. welcome and thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy my ramblings