The 30th year of the two club’s association started with not so much a meeting but more of a homecoming, for such was the welcome given by Civray to the Downham contingent for this years cultural exchange. Long standing and new members were all greeted and made to feel most welcome.

31 Jul. After a night settling in with our hosts some of us had time to wander about Civray, we chose to explore the little streets of very old stone houses the flower decorated bridges crossing the Charente river and the two town squares one of which has it’s own babbling water feature, we enjoyed sitting outside one of the café’s, drinking coffee and soaking up the local ambiance.
In the afternoon we motored to Champniere where we were greeted by the Mayor outside a small  church.  We entered the church and found ourselves in a time warp.  The wall areas had been covered in paintings dating back to the middle ages.  The nave ceiling and walls were similarly decorated, but at a much later time, about 16th century I believe!  The gentleman giving a lecture on all the painting had researched his subject well and was fully acquainted with the meaning of every part of each painting, and gave a most interesting description of each figure in the huge murals. Glynn Howells was hard pressed to gather thought and précis an interpretation, often when trying to gather breath the conductor was off again before Glynn could get the words out.  No matter, it was fascinating. On entering the bright light of day we ambled about the delightful village, which appeared to have remained little changed for many years.  On then, to where the villagers had set aside a large area and building as a museum to record Rural Life.  A steam engine many tractors and much farm machinery all restored     

and useable – inside we were given an audio visual presentation on the machinery actually being used  by the local people, both young and old.     We then went to a room by room setting depicting life in the late 1800’s, giving visual and spoken word of what was going on both inside and outside each room, including the baying of dogs and howling of wolves to the accompaniment of a child’s cries from the crib. The final setting was a tabloid of sound and vision being a graphic display of the difficulties farmers faced in the early 1900’s when trying to reap the crops during war – a very graphic and sobering display depicting the stupidity of war.  Once again entering the calm fresh air we were refreshed with drink and biscuits, again addressed by the Mayor. Some of us were able to thank the Englishman who, with great pride, had conducted us around and was a part of the museum team, before we were gathered up and driven home.

1 Aug.  The Market areas of Civray were buzzing with activity as we explored the many stalls before going to the Town Hall for a Civic Reception by the Mayor and his team. It was nice to be welcomed in a relaxed and very welcoming manner, many of us he remembered.    A good selection of biscuits and a flow of most pleasant liquids ensued.
After lunch we left for Melle.   Once again our driver was Laurent who expertly negotiated the many smaller roads, we passed through very pleasant farming countryside spreading in either direction as far as the eye could see, with very little apparent housing and illustrating just how large a country is France eventually arriving at the site of a Silver Mine.  For many years hardly  a tree could be seen for miles around Melle, they had been used to heat and fracture the rock to gain the silver content. The highlight of our preliminary talk before entering the mine was when some of us were allowed to mint a coin in the old fashioned way with a club hammer and die punch, I was lucky enough to be able to make two, albeit out of lead and got one presented to Tinker Taylor.  We then proceeded into the silver mine where we stooped, scraped and bumped our way though a series of tunnels and mini caverns of great interest, to finally emerge into strong sunlight.  Surprisingly all were present, we then wandered around an area of specialised garden where plants were grown for the colour dies that could be produced from them, before walking around town to look at three of it’s churches.  Some of us who were faint hearted, lazy or just incapable got back on the coach. We made our way into the last church to be visited and found cold stone vantage points and continued our viewing of ancient stonework from a sitting position. The two ex builders then pondered the question of why water should be allowed to enter the church when on a sloping site, which was all rather pointless because the wisdom of our findings could not be passed on to persons who might  take note!  This ended by being shepherded back to the coach when we went off to another area where we were given free time to walk about and view the Town from another aspect.  The water feature with fountains and a bridge going nowhere, was where we stopped, of great interest and the non-walkers amongst us were grateful for the opportunity to rest awhile at a pavement café and enjoy the local café au lait.

2 Aug.  By Coach to Angers today.  This was  the area where armies collected in the 1400s.  A huge castle like structure was erected which dominates the Town and was considered totally impregnable, having very high steep sides and being surrounded by a moat.  Used as a prison and collection ground for the armies that converged on Angers.  Each Knight or landowner etc in the Loire valley had the responsibility of providing troops when asked, but for a period of only forty days which time started from leaving their home ground till their return, it was these troops who camped on the open ground of  

4 Aug.  After a good nights sleep we arose next morning early to catch the coach  to Rochefort.  On the riverfront of the Charente Estuary was an incredibly long building which had been the rope factory for the French navy, capable of producing the longest  ropes in the world.  Part of the building had been converted to a museum and contained much of the original rope work machinery, which to us mariners was of great interest.  
Leaving the museum, the call of nature was urgent and this was when we discovered ‘the hole’  both sexes and no option.  An experience!  Bob went into the wheelchair section and was busy taking aim when his wife opened the door, seeing he was coping she shut the door on him.  Silly really because these loos , cleanse automatically when the door is closed.  Bob needless to say had to put up with a few multi-lingual comments.    This was followed by a restful café au lait.
Soon we were gathered,counted and given a talk on the next visit, the building of Hermione a French frigate of Nelson era complete with canon ports. She is due for completion in about five years time and will sail to the Americas to celebrate the part the French took in driving out of the ‘Terrible English’, she will then come back to France and her dry dock.  (I bet she doesn’t go up the English Channel)!   Some of us spent a very long time looking and photographing her, the method of construction was very interesting.   Hunger had now got to us so we followed the Coach driver and Jacqui until we happened upon a huge square containing two very large pavement cafes, separated by a fountain and a huge rectangular pool of water.  We ate a very pleasant and economically priced lunch, then went walk about looking at nearby shops, before returning to the coach.  I never cease to be amazed how people manage to meet at the correct time and correct place.  We hadn’t lost a soul.

Upon our return it wasn’t long before we were out again this time looking around the Night Market in Civray which had been set up as a Craft and eating extravaganza.  Paella dishes about a meter across contained scrumptious looking food, sausages of all shapes and sizes, and various other foods, specialties of the region, were all available, the mouth drooled and the stomach gnawed, it all looked so good.  As we were leaving the square up popped Jacqui and Martini, who visited Downham Market last year, and wouldn’t hear of us parting without a glass of wine.  Leaving a little late we arrived for the Party, again at Saint Gaudent .  The meal was memorable and again the wine flowed. The two musicians were excellent and dancing commenced between courses.  A certain element of crusty members had taken the precaution of consuming pain-killers prior to coming and this together with copious quantities of red wine had successfully deadened the nerves.  A person previously seen to walk with sticks was now cavorting about the floor.  Much fun and laughter was had, Chris didn’t seem to want to stop dancing. Irene performed a bit of a Jamaican love dance. Bill was encouraging every one to dance, even the chairs.  All seemed to enjoy themselves and few went home sober.

5th Aug    Today was free time to enjoy with our hosts, and this we did to the full. Ginette took us to a small village near Ruffec.  We parked the car and walked down what looked like a service road, then through what appeared a private gate.  Not so this was the entrance to a public park, an arboretum, maintained by the community.
A footpath led alongside a walled brook hundreds of years old about two meters wide with private properties on the opposite bank, all with sloping gardens some with stone outbuildings at the waters edge, one with stone sided tanks or pools off the stream as if for fish stocks or laundry work.  Eventually we entered a garden area with it’s own serpent like tiny stream running through it.  It was beautiful and peaceful, over a small bridge we entered a green area where we discovered a  snail shaped maze, constructed of woven wattle with climbing plants.  We returned via the path having had a privileged glimpse of something a tourist would seldom discover. Again we were late for the next venture but a quick drive home, a quick change and off we went to our new friends farm where we par-took a few glasses of excellent bubbly. We then went to Saint Pierre D’Exidleuil.  Boy, were we in for a surprise.  A normally tiny village was inundated with cars, thousands of them on fields in gardens on the roadside, on the pavements – Gendarmes all over the place – the road controlled by them and people, people everywhere, thousands upon thousands of them – all going to the same place a field down the lane. We collected our tickets and queued for our barbecue then sat at tables under a huge folding tent arrangement seating about 400 persons, live music accompanied us while we feasted.Then rising from the table we carried our benches down to the viewing area.  In front of us in another meadow and across a small stream was a huge stage with backdrop on either side were enormous screens relaying what happened on the stage.  There then followed very professional song and dance routines by various artists.  Eventually it became dark and we were informed that a Poetry reading was to take place about a young man who was found down by a small stream with two holes in his side, how he died in the war and went to heaven, this would also be accompanied by music and illustrated by fireworks.The result was a very moving reading, beautifully arranged music and the most spectacular firework display I have ever seen.  It transpired this was only the second year of the event and that a man from the village had made a fortune from firework displays worldwide, and this was his donation to the village.

6 Aug Today was  a rest day and we all did something different, but that’s another story.

7 Aug Early morning saw a tearful au revoir from both parties, as the coach left for Downham Market.  Many will return in October for an Official Function to celebrate 30 years of being twinned – but more of that later..

(Report and pictures by Bill Hayes-Allen)