WHAT'S HAPPENED THIS PAST WEEK?

Well not a lot to be honest! The weather has been mid seventies, a real late summer burst.

We have juiced over 50lb of apples and now can't give it away as there is a real glut this year.

The rave in the village last weekend had one death from a drugs overdose, plus about 80 arrests for possession. The police were mob handed and were nicking the locals for minor offences as well.

Kip was really ill on Friday lunchtime. He was so weak he couldn't stand, so we got him up to the vets where he spent a night in care. When we rang up Saturday they said we could collect him in the afternoon. He was as right as rain. Seems porky boy had eaten something off the floor and had a gut infection. We think he might have done it on purpose as he was due his neutering operation on Monday. What's a bit of tummy ache when your bollocks are at stake!

Bella will still go in to be done on Monday, so she will need a few days TLC when she gets home.

THIS WEEK GETS CRAZY!

OK. So we live in a tiny community of 750 people. All is quiet. Everyone knows everyone. Life is good.

You just will not believe this.

On Wednesday night, the local council were summoned to the Mayors office to be told by the police that permission had been given for a rave party to be held just 500 meters from the village. It had been planned for elsewhere, but had been moved to our village after complaints. 3000 plus ravers are expected over the weekend. It is running from Friday till Sunday.

Al got up at 7-30 am Saturday to the sound of thumping music.

At the time of writing, all is quiet, but the main event is tonight, with the rave going on till 10am

Although we are 1 1/2 km from the rave it is still loud.

Good thing was, about an hour ago, two ravers (although they looked like hippies) were having a fight in the road that goes by the house. Lots of French gesticulations and shouting. All over drugs I expect.

Jeez..you can never get any decent gear around here, and when the dealers turn up, they are fighting eachother.

Pictured are the police vans/Army/Ambulances/Customs that have turned up to cover the event.

250 Gendarme, Customs officers and the army are here patrolling. Talk about overkill.

FORMULE MIDI

Let me explain a formule midi. Most eateries in France do this lunchtime set menu. A choice of 2 starters, a main course, cheese, a dessert, coffee, and a 1/2 carafe of red wine or cider thrown in. All for about 10 euros, or 8 quid in Gordon Brown money. Always starting at midday, they run through till about 2pm. So me, Marie, and her dad,Eric, went to Matignon to Abats, a well used formule midi eaterie. Unfortunatly all tables inside were taken, so we were offered the terrace outside. We accepted as it was a warm day, and we were bloody starving.

The "terrace" turned out to be a table and chairs out in the backyard amongst the empty beer barrells, garden equipment and the owners dogs.

Still, no complaints about the food. Crab terrine, roast pork, and a red fruits flan were the pick of the day.

Eric enjoys the red.

Al poses by the empty gas cylinders, toilets and sceptic tank.

MATIGNON MURDER!

The market town of Matignon is just 3 miles away, and the peace and serenity has suddenly been shattered by a murder mystery.

The mayor of Matignon, his wife and their 12 dogs were all found dead in their house.

Seems the Mayor went mad and killed his wife with a knife, slaughtered the dogs, then cut his own wrists in the bath.

A real shocker in this quiet area. It's been on national news.

I would like to say at this point that at the time of the incident, Al was cooking a meal.

The knife has been DNA tested and the results are conclusive...Never slice a courgette lengthways!

ANOTHER LOSS

Al was due to run the line in the big local derby against St Cast on Sunday, but due to the events in Matignon, fixtures were re-arranged and the village ended up playing Dinan. Another defeat means St Potan are rock bottom after 3 games.

SALTY SEA DOG

Mikhail our Russian friend has suddenly found a love of the sea and all things nautical, so last week he went back to the UK to buy a boat for general cruising around the bays and a spot of fishing.

So Saturday morning he invites me and Marie's father to come and help launch the boat and have a bit of sea time. No problem!

Er..wrong!!!

The English have a combined 50 years of sea time..the Russian,,20 minutes. A quick show round Newhaven harbour when he bought the boat was his only experience.

The engine cut out when 1/2 mile from the shore as there was air in the fuel line. That got sorted. Mikhail's steering needs to be worked on a bit too as we hit the harbour wall with the speed of an Iraqi suicide bombers car.

All in all, a good morning in unseasonably hot weather for late September.

View of St Cast from the bay.

The boat Marlin....or if Mikhail doesn't take some seamanship lessons it will be renamed K19 - the widowmaker or even the Kursk

LONGEST DOG WALK SO FAR

Saturday, like the rest of the week, was scorching. So we decided to take the dogs down to the lake, a round trip of 4 miles, which is by far and away their longest walk to date.

We took a picnic down there and stayed for a couple of hours relaxing.

The two teams line up for a friendly game of punctured football!

Kip wants to take the free kick quickly, but Bella refuses to move the wall back 10 yards (or 9.144 meters as the French say).

Half time drinks.