Category: Christmas

The 6th of December had a rather grey and uninspiring start as we headed off for the annual Association Christmas lunch. However, spirits were quickly raised as members gathered at the very warm and comfortable Auberge de l’Abbaye d’Hambye. Nestling on the banks of the river Sienne, in a wooded setting that serves as a backdrop to the romantic remains of the 12th century Hambye Abbey, you find the Auberge and restaurant located in an elegant stone building. The restaurant is perfect for such an important event in the associations calendar, it is elegant, light, airy and with ample space to comfortably seat the 45 members and guests who attended the lunch.

After a very warm welcome from our President, we took our seats for an aperitif before being served an excellent meal that was very much appreciated by all. The ambiance, food and extremely good service provided by the restaurant team certainly led to a very enjoyable time and this was clearly evident from the level of laughter and general merriment. The happy festive nature of the gathering continued after the meal as the raffle and sale of the table decorations was conducted. A total of 297 euros was raised for the Associations nominated charity Les Sauveteurs en Mer (SNSM.) The very well supported Christmas lunch provided the perfect opportunity for the announcement of the winner of the Associations’ recent photo competition and to give a detailed explanation of the ethos and aims of the competition. Unfortunately the winner was unable to be present but a framed photo of the deserving winner’s picture was displayed.
This was the second time that the association held its Christmas lunch at the Auberge de l’Abbaye and yet again it was a fantastic success and another truly memorable event organised by the committee.

Despite having only been a local resident for 18 months, I’ve learned 2 very important things about the Association Anglophone’s annual Christmas lunch.

 

 

 

 

 

First, it’s advisable to wrap up very well for the occasion, as winter seems to feel that it has a standing invitation and always greets the day with an icy blast. Second, it’s probably the most important social event of the Association’s year from the point of view of both attendance and cumulative merriment. Indeed, it’s so important that it really deserves 2 reviewers.
The first was provided by our friend – let’s call her Mrs S – when we delivered her back from the event to her home and hubby, Ebeneezer, who’d preferred to stay at home listening to Brexit news and was in dire need of seasonal cheer.
Her responses to him went as follows. How was the restaurant? – Beautiful – and the food? – Delicious – Lots of people there? – about 80, so I need a rest! – and with that she disappeared upstairs, having said all that needed to be said.Even so, I feel the event deserves a little extra description. The venue and meal were indeed as described by Mrs S, but it should be stressed that the restaurant was especially warm, light and spacious, whilst service was efficient and friendly.

 

The general consensus seemed to be that the Committee had done well to find a venue, which added to the pleasures of the occasion. In particular, its lay-out facilitated mingling and mingling is an essential aspect of this event as everyone wants to take every opportunity to greet old friends, swap news not to mention gossip and extend festive invitations. In fact, so extensive and noisy was the mingling, that it led to Mrs S’s sole factual error, because by my count there were just under 50 guests present, not the 80 or so that she and others understandably believed.
Suffice it to say that chatter and hilarity prevailed for over 4 hours and a good time was had by all. We benefited from the stentorian tones of Jacques, who alone could call the assembly to order and establish the silence necessary for such essentials as thanks being given to the Committee and the restaurant staff and most important of all, the auction of table settings and the raffle, which was ably and impartially conducted by Jean-Christian.

Finally, I understand that the resplendent Christmas crackers, which adorned the tables, were donated by Cheryl and Sean even though they couldn’t attend. Very generous indeed, though personally it would be appreciated if in future crackers without jokes could be provided, as I’m worried that my reply to a request, from the non-English speaking lady who was sat next to me, to explain the pun involving an elephant’s trunk, which had fallen into her starter, may have irreparably set back Anglo-French relations.

Write up and photos courtesy of members.

The afternoon was hosted by Janet and John at their home in Périers
we were welcomed with a glass of mulled wine
it was so nice to see so many new faces as we are new to the group our selves [6 months ]
Janet and John put on a lovely spread of food .

A lovely afternoon was had by all, we would like to thank the committee for a lovely time and wish everyone a Happy New Year for 2017

We were greeted at Le Tourne-Bride in Gratot with a roaring fire and an aperitif, both of which were very welcoming – as the weather most certainly was not! Continue reading “Christmas Lunch – December 7th 2012”

Christmas started at the Anglophone lunch on December 9th! After a welcome drink and the purchasing of squares of France, and the surrounding sea, in pursuit of hidden
treasure… Continue reading “Christmas Lunch at 16ème Ouest”