We have finally decided to replace our windows, if we don’t do it soon some of them will fall out! We got a number of quotes, and settled on one. We live in a conservation area, and knew that we would have to get permissions. I put in all the forms at the Mairie, and settled to wait. The historic buildings people are happy, with some guidelines at their appearance. The local planner sent a long letter saying that approval normally takes one month, unless there is a problem with the paperwork. There was. I hadn’t filled in the form correctly where it asked in which Commune and Department I was born. Even the lady in the Mairie thought it was amusing…Just have to wait now.

The Vignols Short Mat Bowls Club continues to thrive, and make for a very enjoyable Wednesday morning. We had our annual lunch at a local restaurant, and I was astonished to be presented with a cup for the most improved player! I don’t think I’ve ever won a cup before! OK, I was starting from a very low base!

We enjoyed a very pleasant visit from my cousin Joyce and her husband Richard. They seemed to have a good time as well, probably because they went out on their own a number of times and didn’t have to listen to me in tour guide mode! They came with us to the Auberge for my birthday dinner, a really nice meal and a lovely cake at the end with my name on it.

 We have been to a couple more RAFA ceremonies. We were asked to go to Grun Bordas again, as the niece of one of the Australians on the crew was in Europe, and we were able to have a ceremony at the memorial they could attend. As always the locals were in attendance, and it was very moving.

Last week we went to another ceremony near the village of Beleymas in the Dordogne. There is a memorial to the first air drop of agents and equipment by SOE (Special Operations Executive) in 1941.  A government minister from Paris attended, so there was lots of security. Again a very moving occasion as there were many people there related to people involved on the French side. I saw a report of the flight from the RAF records – 10 hours in a Whitely!

We went on another picnic, visiting the very impressive Roman remains at Cars again. I think Icare looks very at home! We found a nice lake to have our food beside – there are so many of these, as Correze is so far from the sea they often have artificial beaches as well.

Pompadour hosted a dog show for les Levriers, that is running dogs, everything from Whippets up to….let’s see…. Irish Wolfhounds.  It was great to so many in one place!

Another picnic took us to the Dordogne and the chateau at Rastignac, which is apparently the building the White House is based on. Because it was used by the Resistance the Germans burnt it down, so it’s actually now a reproduction and is divided into apartments. 

With Amazon vouchers I got for my birthday I bought a machine to scan in lots of our old slides. Some really nice ones we hadn’t seen for years! Lots of photos of family members in their youth. Watch this space little brother.

The sign that winter is on it's way - the grues (cranes) flying south. There were hundreds that day, and you could hear them before they came in sight.

  

It's difficult to believe that we have now been here over seven years! Still love it as much as ever!