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Fun in St
Benoit
(1
November 2003)
With
thanks to Timmy and Lynda Mallett Click
for larger photo |
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Half term and Cookham Twinning make
their biennial trip to Cookham's twin village St Benoit, which is close
to Poitiers in La Vienne region of France, about 50 miles south of the
Loire.
Lynda and Timmy Mallett along with
their son Billy visited St Benoit for the first time. Lynda gives us a
feel for their trip there.
What a great time with had with the
French mayor and family. We could not have been better placed. Dominic,
his wife Sophie and son Theo nearly 13 were just so hospitable and kind.
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Dominic,
St Benoit's mayor, with his wife Sophie and son Theo
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Lovely home with room to move. I
must admit I was a little concerned with the thought of mattresses on
the floor and heavy smoking Galloise Frenchies with doubtful food for
vegetarian Timmy. But in fact, it could only be described as great.
Fortunately Dominic has good English (not perfect) but frankly that
makes it all the more fun. Gave us something to laugh about on the
language front. Sophie has only ever spoken at language school so
to speak to some real fast-talking English in English was a real
challenge. Theo was a shy adolescent, and with only two years of
English at school he was quiet.
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Inside the mayor's house
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But Billy, having had a school trip
recently to Normandy and now this........wow did his confidence
grow. He even stood on the restaurant chair and said in French Hello my
name is Billy Mallett I live in C'ham and I love bonbons but d'test
e'cole! It brought a laugh.
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Billy
and Lynda Mallett at a seafood restaurant in La Rochelle with the
Twinning group
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We liked Le Rochelle and the harbour very
much. Great and marvellous aquarium. We gave them some interesting
English phrases to learn and better yet; some great Aussie ones!!!!!!
Hearing them say in Crocodile Dundee
fashion "g'day maaaate" was extremely amusing.
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Billy in La Rochelle
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We were given a present Cognac, wine of
the region and something that looks different. We took various
gifts they seemed to like including a mouse mat, English tat from
Windsor ...sweeties, Marmite (that was fun!) Gentleman's Relish.
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Lynda,
Sophie and Billy in St Benoit
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In fact, there was rather too much going
on for Timmy. He likes to stop and smell the roses and hates to be
rushed. He wanted to sit in the port and paint a picture. He
did....whilst we walked the narrow streets buying meringues and
Halloween tat. Then he painted a picture of the mayor's new house
which went down well.
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Timmy
with his painting of the mayor's house
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Timmy said the last thing he would do for
reciprocation would be dragging them into London. He'd be taking them
punting in Oxford or simply cycling around the sights of Cookham; since
that's the village they are twinned with. I guess it depends on
your guests and whether they've ever been to UK before. Ours
have......also they have done the London Eye and things.
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Agnes
Faugeron (left) organiser of the St Benoit Twinning with Monsieur
Gregoire, Judy Trinder (Cookham Twinning) and Guy Faugeron
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