© Copyright Harleston Grapevine 2009

It is midsummer, and here in rural France there is a lot going on. The notice board at the entrance to the supermarket is crammed with notices of events. One of the summer regulars in many of the villages is a music festival, at which local bands perform. One that we went to featured nine bands (all amateur), each of which had a ten-minute slot, followed by a concert of all the bands.

Our village is one of the few that does not have a band, but we do have something to celebrate, as last week we had the re-opening of the Creative Arts Centre – it has been closed for three years. It has been taken over by two American artistes who will transform it into a centre for exhibitions and concerts. The Centre itself is the property of the Community of Communes (a grouping of nine villages).

Next week we shall be celebrating the big day in French life: July 14th, Bastille Day. It is a public holiday and many villages, including ours, have the celebration on the evening of July 13th. There will be a barbeque, dancing, fireworks, a bar, and a torchlight procession. On the 14th itself there will be a ceremony outside the Mayor's office and a celebratory glass of wine.

We are now on the eve of the 'visiting season' when we look forward to an influx of friends and family. All are very welcome. Visitors often ask 'is there anything I can bring', and we are often hard pressed to think of anything other than loose-leaf tea and bacon. Some British residents in France order a vast range of groceries from the UK, claiming it is cheaper even with the cost of delivery included, though it is not our experience. I keep meaning to do a price comparison between, say, SuperU (our local supermarket) and Budgens, so perhaps I will be able to report on this when I am at the Festival in a few weeks' time talking about 'Life in France'. See you there!