Au secours!!!!

Ste Alice

HAPPY SAINT'S DAY ALICE!!!!! X X X X X

Yesterday's weather: no better, freezing fog, ice, cold.....

They've come at last.

The chugging of a car was heard climbing the lane towards out house - I scowled, I usually do at strangers, but I nodded and mouthed 'Bonjour'.

Three men unfolded themselves from the car and I noticed that they were wearing the same jackets, black with a reflecting stripe across the middle. The pompiers had come to wish us a Merry Christmas and offer us their calendar. Having heard about this, I was ready with some money to offer them.

The firemen are all volunteers, they attend not just fires but road accidents and other emergencies too. They apparently do not deal with wasps nests as has been widely reported in the past.

These three were not the glamourous men in uniform I had been hoping for. Mr Grumpy was their leader, asking who we are, how long we had been living here and who the neighbours are. All of which was noted in his little black book, along with the note that we had given them a little donation in exchange for the calendar. The other two chaps were equally nothing to write home about but looking at their team photo on the inside cover of the calendar it seems that they were hard pressed to find some nice hunky firemen to send round collecting donations.

Now I am racked with guilt.

Did I offer enough money?

What is the norm?

Will I sleep tonight?

Who else should I expect to come calling?

PS I'm still waiting on the French rugby team.......