Franco-British Relations in Milhac-de-Nontron

Welcome back to Port 80! It’s a lovely sunny day in the Dordogne, warm enough to make one forget it’s nearly October already. The last tomatoes are ripening in our veggie plot and our fig tree has outdone itself this year – we’ve harvested kilos and the tree is still laden. They’re so tasty that it’s even worth the invasion of sugar-hungry hornets with whom we have to share them. If anyone wants a jar of fig jam, you know where to come!

After a truly dire start to the year (and not just in terms of the weather), it’s been a real treat to have had a long, hot summer out here. We hope the sun stays with us a little longer yet, but annual winter preparations – the tedious ordering and stacking of wood – are underway.

Also underway are our rehearsals for our next and final gig of 2016. This is called La Soirée Franco-Britannique and is an annual event that has taken place for the last 3 years in a row here in Milhac-de-Nontron. It’s an event with a sweet story behind it. There are quite a few Brits that live in our commune and one such couple were so overwhelmed with the friendly welcome they received upon moving here that they decided to organise a small event to thank the commune – La Soirée Britannique.

The first one attracted around 40 people, a mix of English and French, who all got to experience a range of quintessentially British produce, from pork pies to English cider. For entertainment, we joined the organisers and together put on a small concert of Beatles songs. The Soirée was so well-received that a local association decided to take it over and make it an annual event. It now draws over 100 people each year, and it’s proved to be a welcome distraction from the approaching winter.

To reflect the fact that both the food and music is now a mix of French and English, “Franco” was added to the name, but otherwise the format is the same, including us providing the musical entertainment. This year’s event is happening on 19 November and is open to all, so if you’re in the area, drop in! We’re very pleased to report that Brexit has done nothing to dampen Franco-British relations in Milhac. 🙂

Aside from fig plucking and rehearsals we have of course also been working away here at Port 80. We recently put live a drone photography website for a local French company called 3DR View. This is a brochure website featuring an English language version, the translation of which we provided. Other sites we’ve recently completed include A Flavour to Savour – an English butcher providing British meat cuts here in SW France – and How to Logistics, an eCommerce WordPress site selling digital downloads.

We’ve a few more that are very close to going live too, but you’ll have to wait until next time to hear about those. Until then, it’s au revoir from us here in Mazeroux city.

Events in Milhac-de-Nontron
La Soirée Franco-Britannique 2015 in full swing!