Meeting the Mayor

[Nearly Retired (I am now)]

"Most people in France don't live in villages, they live in towns or cities." NormanH - And your point is ?

LEO - I was taking into account the tone of the preceding 8 pages. If my assumption was wrong then thanks for putting me right

Maybe I should just keep out and keep my thoughts to myself.

[NormanH]

[quote user="Nearly Retired"]"Most people in France don't live in villages, they live in towns or cities." NormanH - And your point is ?

LEO - I was taking into account the tone of the preceding 8 pages. If my assumption was wrong then thanks for putting me right

Maybe I should just keep out and keep my thoughts to myself.[/quote]

My point is that you said

'It's village size that counts'

But as the majority don't live in villages that isn't really a factor.

Perhaps more important is if you live atypically in some time-warp rural isolation, or in modern France with its urban problems, and concomitant alienation of immigrant populations, of which the British are relatively insignificant.

[Panda]

[quote user="crossy67"][quote user="ericd"]

[quote user="crossy67"]Aubeterre-Sur-Dronne.  [/quote]

 

.......There are two Aubeterre-sur-Dronne ....Creuse and Charente, both cannot be a majority of Brits ???

[/quote]

Sud Charente, sorry.
[/quote]

Yes that's where I thought you meant and all joking aside it is a lovely village!  The numbers of Brits does swell in the summer due to holiday home ownership in the area I believe.

 

[crossy67]

Thanks Panda[:)] 

[Tancrède]

[quote user="NormanH"]Self-serving, self satisfied formulaic exchanges worthy of the Freemasons.

[/quote]

Oh dear.  I have never been a [cue sinister music] Freemason, so I am unsure of the precise nature of the self-satisfied and formulaic exchanges which you imagine they make one with another.

My mate and I were at the château as labourers, and the maire was a farmer  -  so we were all, as it happened, in our bleus de travail, rather than our aprons.

[quote user="NormanH"]Your

post overflows with… class conciousness…

[/quote]

I think not.  I can truly say that I was not remotely bothered by the fact that someone had bought a 'château'.  The circumstance did not evoke even a passing frisson of envy, jealousy, or spite.  I am, however, intrigued as to why a member of the semi-professional classes should be provoked to such a bilious effusion by someone else's purchase of a  -  to my mind  -  extremely inconvenient property.

[quote user="NormanH"]but then we can't hope to buy a 'château'

[/quote]

But you could if you tried.  No doubt you will say that you wouldn't want to.  In which case, sweetie, if you really wouldn't  -  what is your problem? 

But frankly I thought that 30 k, including ice house, cottage, etc. etc. was an extremely good buy.

[quote user="NormanH"]On the other hand there are some of us on good terms with our Maire or Deputé because we can do things for them.

[/quote]

I must candidly admit that the conventions of my upbringing prevented me from alluding to our favours to the maire.  I am so pleased that that you do not feel this inhibition.

But how do such maires and députés know that you can do things for them if you have never introduced yourselves?  Are we to understand that they are clairvoyant, perhaps?

[quote user="NormanH"]Do you really believe that the Maire of a town of 100, 000 is interested in meeting each immigrant[/quote]

Absolutely no idea, as I have never lived in a town of this size, and there are only some five dozen or so in France.  The vast majority of communes of not of this size, and the vast majority of anglophones do not live in communes of this size. 

But if you feel that this is inappropriate why not set your sights lower :  exert your charm on the lady in the boulangerie, for example?

[quote user="NormanH"]Do you really believe that the Maire of a town of 100, 000 is interested in meeting each immigrant?

[/quote]

If you are alluding to yourself, your question puts me in a difficult position, and I am quite unable to hazard an answer.

[quote user="NormanH"]meeting each immigrant in search of a favour?

[/quote]

In so far as this refers to my own visit to the maire adjoining the château, I was not an immigrant and we were not seeking a favour  -  we were asking the maire and his wife to dinner;  which they accepted with alacrity.  That was the absolute outside extent of our objective.

But I am so glad to say the unfolding of events greatly exceeded our expectation.

UPDATE :

I have not been part of this fascinating discussion for a couple of days because I was invited away, rather unexpectedly and quite by coincidence, to the very château which was the scene of the those far-off  -  and to Norman troubling  -  events.  And the former maire, hearing of my arrival, kindly sent me a large piece of rump steak of his own élevage, the first slices of which I had tonight, in the modest circumstances of my own home, with pommes de terre paillasson and sauce marchand de vin.  Perfectly delicious.

How glad I am that I troubled to make that courtesy call all those years ago.

[smiley face]

[ernie]

Gengulphus,

 

Quite one of the most courteous, yet effective ripostes I have had the pleasure of reading.

 

Such an interesting and informative thread and such a pity some appear to view it as an opportunity to disparage others.

 

ernie

 

[idun]

Genfulphus did you actually invite the Maire and his wife to dinner before you knew them?

If so, that has actually shocked me rigid.

[Fiona]

try

[Tancrède]

[quote user="idun"]Gengulphus did you actually invite the Maire and his wife to dinner before you knew them?

[/quote]

No, the process was not quite that precipitate.

The maire immediately invited us to take an apéro with him the following evening.  This, as it turned out, was an event which required rather more stamina that I was expecting.

[quote user="NormanH"]…those are the circles you seem to move in.

[/quote]

I haven't often been accused of moving in circles  -  but felt that I was in decided danger of doing precisely this by the time we left the maire's house that evening.  But I think I gave a passable impression of being entirely steady, at least until I got around the corner.

The request for their company at dinner  -  so as not to put these hospitable people on the sharp end of a perhaps un-wished-for verbal invitation  -  was included in a written note of thanks the following day, and accepted immediately.

The dinner itself presented some entertaining challenges because there was no electricity or water at that stage, and even windows were at a bit of a premium.  But we did manage to find a few sticks of furniture with almost the right number of legs, and then we were away. 

The evening was extremely memorable and full of laughter, and the visit of the irrepressible 84 year old parish priest the following week was even more entertaining (it lasted over twelve hours)  -  but I am wandering away from the topic…

[idun]

I am so glad that you had 'met' first.

I would wish the maire of my old village and his awful wife on my worst enemy, in fact, come to think, he likely is my worst enemy. Not a couple I would recommend anyone invite under any circumstances.