We are holding our annual fundraiser on Sunday for the chapel at Teysseroles, an historic monument that we are helping to restore. A group of 14 or so meet regularly at the site to continue the restoration work and the tidying of the cemetery. Work has intensified over the past few weeks with the big day rapidly approaching. We want people coming to the fête to see how much we have achieved over the past year.

The first job was to tidy the inside of the chapel, which was dust-ridden and full of plaster that we had removed from the stone walls. The scaffolding in the picture, which some of us scaled precariously to get at the crépi, will probably stay for the fête. Why not? It is a building site, after all.

We have also worked hard to put the cemetery in order. Last year, we sowed grass seed around the graves. An employee of the Mairie helpfully sprayed it all with weedkiller. We have re-sown and, with all the rain we’ve had, the grass has come up well. The Maire is now under strict instructions not to allow them to weedkill it.

Next up, clearing and enlarging the open-air dining room under the trees. Last year, around 220 people came to the meal. As of yesterday, we already had 265 reservations and no doubt some will wait till the last minute – or even not reserve at all. In 2012, we had to set out two extra tables to accommodate the people who just turned up.

This weekend will be a frenzy of setting up tables, laying out the “church” for the open-air mass, preparing salads and starters in someone’s garage (don’t tell the health & safety people) and a myriad other last-minute things that need to be done.

Possibly the most entertaining activity will be watching Jean-Claude cross a field, to which only he is allowed access by the owner, with the cable providing the electricity supply, hotly pursued by the resident ram.

Our greatest worry at this point is the weather. After a radiant weekend, it was business as usual early this week with rain and thunderstorms. The forecast is dodgy for this coming weekend, but it does seem to be improving as it approaches. It would be a great shame, and would rather defeat the object of the event, if we had to transfer the whole lot to the salle des fêtes at Parisot (plan C). Plan B is a rather ingenious – but not tried and tested – scheme to erect a gigantic tent over the tables. I have my doubts about that.

So please keep everything crossed for us for dry weather on Sunday.

Programme:

10h30 – open-air mass, including the christening of the granddaughter of one of the Teysseroles team (not obligatory).

12h30 – aperitifs followed by a meal (salads, grilled lamb and sausages, rice salad, cheese, cakes, wine, coffee, digestif etc).

After lunch – entertainments, games, tombola and visits to the chapel.

Price:  18€ for non-members of the association, 15€ for members.

Booking essential, either via:

• 06 14 93 40 52 (Secretary) or
• association.teysseroles@gmail.com

And, if you’re interested, I have set up a blog for the association (in French but with a few English bits) to record the work we are doing and events connected with the chapel. Your browser might automatically translate the French into English, in which case it will be nonsense – just be assured that I write a little better than that!

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