30/10/2007 by Bob and Di.

So the trek to the UK started with our run to Ouistreham, which was uncomplicated, thank goodness. The ferry crossing went without incident and, as usual, the Customs at Portsmouth wanted to come on board to check that we had no illegal immigrants – although really I suspect they just like to see the inside of these vehicles! Once clear of the port we made our way to Gloucester where the new roof was to be fitted. We were able to park up in one of the sheds there overnight in readiness for work to start on the Monday morning.

Whilst we were away from our home we enjoyed time at Somerford Keynes, near Cirecester (some visitors to Parc Verger will have met Brian and Sue with whom we stayed), London, where we visited the London Canal Museum, this being another of our keen interests, and Bristol, where we stayed with one of our daughters for the last few days, as we were hoping to pick Columbus up on the Friday, and had a ferry booked for the Saturday evening. Having spoken to the repairer on Thursday and been told that they were hoping to have the work finished on Friday arranged that daughter Julia would drive over from Chepstow that day to pick us up, have lunch, and then drive us to Gloucester. We agreed to ring the repairer lunchtime on Friday, but when we did so we learned that the work would not be completed until Monday, so James and Julia had unexpected guests for the weekend! This actually worked out well, as it was grand-daughter Sarah’s last weekend before going up to Southampton University. They were having a houseful of guests on the Sunday, so Di was able to help Julia with the preparation of the food, and a great time was had by us and all of the other guests.

On Monday afternoon we collected Columbus, and it was off down the motorway to do some shopping, which included a new mattress from Dreams. Frustratingly they could not dispose of the old one, so we travelled to France with both – not really a problem as we had a cabin on the overnight ferry to St Malo, and we were able to cart it off to the local dechetterie (where we can take almost anything we want to get rid of) as soon as we reached home.

Within a couple of days of getting home, however, Bob went down with a bug that laid him low, gave him a chesty cough, and almost inevitably, Di went down with it a few days later. Three weeks later it just about cleared up. Thank goodness that Mike and Carol who had looked after Parc Verger for us were still there to lend support! Brian and Sue, who preceded us back to Parc Verger also lent a hand to keep Parc Verger in superb condition, so we were able to suffer in the background without worrying!

Our activities at Parc Verger at present are concentrated on clearing the land for the extension. We took time out of that for the electricity upgrade – vital as we prepared for the Cider and Pork (Cidre et cochonaille) fete in our local village on the third Sunday in October, this year the 21^st, when the site was full, and this year 28 RVers shared in the day. Those fortunate enough to be present descended on the village, which was closed to traffic for the day to allow stalls and amusements to take over. The village bar was doing a roaring trade, with tables spread across half of the street, and chairs at a premium. OK, so there was plenty of space on walls or just leaning against the bar!

The mix of stalls ranged from typical car-boot stalls (vide grenier in France) to those of local farmers offering cheeses, wine, honey, meats and the like. Oh, and the cider-producing machine was working overtime to produce sufficient for those that thronged around, fascinated by the wonderful old system of production. RVers had been warned in advance that this was not cider to keep – drink it promptly and (if you had a taste for it) it was fine, but keeping it for any length of time could have explosive – and sticky – consequences.

The chief activity of the day though was the lunch prepared and served by ladies of the village to well over 200 diners. Not haute cuisine, maybe, but the courses just kept coming. Soup, cold meats, pie, gammon and beans – some diners already starting to wilt – on to cheese and salad, then apple tart, coffee, all accompanied by wine or water. Can you wonder why so many RVers were actually glad of the 1km walk back to Parc Verger? Everyone voted the day a success, and enjoyed the atmosphere of a rural village fete, though it was not long before the inevitable drift of people getting together for a beer or more wine under awnings started, and lasted into a clear blue evening. There was even a sense of relief among RVers present that the piglet (the cochonaille of the day’s title, and the subject of a guess the weight and length of tail competition) was not won by one of our number!

The following day everyone gathered for aperitifs on the lawn to finish the weekend on the right note, and enjoy a top-up to the indulgencies of the previous day. If you’ve never been to a French “répas” you should not lose the opportunity – judging by the reaction of those this year for whom it was a first, you would miss out on one of life’s worthwhile experiences!

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