Albi is in the Tarn, but another great example of how near we are to so many wonderful places. We did this trip in a day.

*** “Portes Ouvertes” weekends ***

♥ 21.-22. April | Sat/Sun » 14:00-19:00h

“Laborie” - Pontcirq - 46150
Tel: 05.65.21.27.59

L’oenotourisme a le vin et le vent en poupe. L’agence Lot Tourisme déroule un menu de six actions fortes destinées à piloter un ambitieux programme touristique et viticole.

Wine tourism - what a wonderful idea! There is a project in place to help wine producers welcome clients to their vineyards, promote Cahors wine nationally and internationally via a guide, a website and other promotional materiel - and improve signposts to the vineyards themselves. A worthy cause, I’m sure you will agree! 

At your last book sale, my mother Greenie spotted a book by Edward Storey, ‘Fen Boy First’. It’s the tale of his pre-war childhood in the Fens, and she recognised all the places and many of the characters in it, including the doctors she worked for as a dispenser. She told her 99 year old brother (in Norwich) about it, and I found a second-hand copy on Amazon to send to him. They’ve happily been chatting about it, and also mentioned it to those (older than me) members of the family who were born or partly grew up in March. One of my cousins tracked down the author, now in Wales, and Greenie rang him up. They were on the phone for ages, he was delighted! He’s a few years younger than Mum, and she reckons he was surprised to find there was anyone else alive, let alone older than him, who would remember those times.

The book was published in 1992, and I would have thought that Greenie might have spotted a review of it at the time in the local paper, but then it was not long after my father died and perhaps she wasn’t too alert.

Anyway, in these gloomy times I thought I’d just let you know this happy tale, and that your book sale was worthwhile in other ways than making money.

Greenie wonders who gave the book to the sale, and Mr Storey was also intrigued to hear it was found so far away. 

How long will it take before the local Christmas decorations are taken down? It’s not unknown to see those hanging Father Christmas mannequins in July. So any bets? 

In days of yore, Armagnac was drunk for its beneficial properties. Cardinal Vital du Four wrote in the 14th century that it aided digestion while acting against aging, skin disorders, chronic tiredness, cankers, gout, kidney stones, senility, impotence and other ailments aplenty. In other words, it was said to work in much the same fashion as the multitude of food supplements we are encouraged to buy in pharmacies today.

Nevertheless, recent research does suggest there is some truth in all this, as Southwest France, famed for such fatty delicacies as foie gras and where lard is the principal cooking medium, has the world’s lowest rate of cardiovascular disease.

Make sure you drink plenty of Armagnac this Christmas!

Remember the summer? Castelnau Montratier in the south of the Lot. 

I just wanted to add to the thanks below that all the other stalls at the sale- this year Kim with her cards and gifts, Iris with her beautiful jewellery and Perle bedlinen -all contribute part of their takings to the good cause. So another big thank you to them!

www.bluebaguette.com sponsored the Castelfranc book sale on the 26th November.

The grand total raised this year for La Ligue contre le cancer is……..

 1804.11€

A fantastic result - thank you once again to every body who generously supported the event this year.

When we receive the letter of receipt from the charity I will put it on here so that you can all see it.

The following people won prizes at the Castelfranc book sale raffle on the 26th November:

Uttley - Basket of fruit

Higginson - Christmas crackers

Flannery - Champagne

Coralie - box of 3 bottles of wine

Heyworth - box of 3 bottles of wine

Platt - box of 6 bottles of wine

Chadwick - box of 6 bottles of wine

Dainty - box of 6 bottles of wine

O’Hara - box of 3 bottles of wine.

Wilkinson - christmas baubles

Thanks again to Château Touzeau for donating all the wine.