Last weekend the smallest village in Maine et Loire organised and played host to the biggest event of the year in the Baugeois - the Comice. Chartrene only has 57 inhabitants, so to lay on something of this size, they called for volunteers from the neighbouring villages, in order to get the required team of 300.
Our village played its part - setting up, dismantling, running one of the bars, providing car park attendants. We also took part in the intervillage games - this year with a more artistic feel than the normal "It's a Knockout" style event. Bicycles were decorated, our float was done up with a windmill and donkey and was replete with miller, miller's wife and children, and everyone was encouraged to sing "Meurnier tu dors" otherwise they were pelted with chicken food and confetti.
My contribution was the song and dance routine, where we decided to stick with the windmill theme, but this time it was "A Windmill in Old Amsterdam". Finding clogs for the team, making mouse masks for my dancing mice and creating a plausible windmill took a fortnight. During that time we also had to rehearse, let me find my voice following a UK induced cold, and also track down a backing track for the song.
We did it - the team and I - shown below, and the village came third in the Intervilles, so we are quite proud. The float is also shown.
In two year's time, it is our turn. We hope to introduce some English culture into the event (afternoon tea would be good!), and while we do not have time to create a wicket anywhere, we feel an adequate welly chucking pitch can be arranged!
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