Category: 2017

Super Pancake Tuesday at Périers

Phew! Some of us would have been in need of Ash Wednesday and Lent, the beginning of fasting!

At the excellent “Pancake Day” at John and Janet’s home, we all tucked into crêpe after crêpe, anxious to see to it that, as was the old custom, all the yummy food in the house was eaten up; then, when the sun came up on Ash Wednesday we would each get serious and give up lots of foods. For quite a few days. Really Not.

But still the crêpes flew, always finding an eager-sounding “Well, I seem to have finished that one, so, yes, happy to help you out and eat the one you need a taker for!” or else “Ah! Just let me use that little one to try out this other topping everyone likes!”. Or an overly-concerned “No. I couldn’t. I shouldn’t really. Might not one of the others like it? Ah, OK, yes, that’s my plate!”

It seemed that several of our dedicated ladies whizzed from kitchen to table for ages, with yet another pile of flat golden goodies soon to be clad in jams, sauces, cream, fruits and the like, while those in charge of the crêpe factory managed to keep chat going while dealing them like a pack of cards. Ace effort, team!

Was it just our table that became quieter and quieter as the needle crept up to “Full” and then towards “Full-to-Popping”? Talk of lunch and, eventually, any mention of food faded as sugar rush and coffee etc took effect. On our table the gents were crusted at one end and talk at that end turned to what to do with new presidents and, at the other end of the same table, to what to do with our end of the table. Contentment all round.

As usual, John and Janet did us all very well and we thank them and all those who joined in and helped all round – again – and made for such an enjoyable get-together. So, make a note for 2018, friends, in 249 days, it’s Tuesday the 18^th of February.

Write up and photos courtesy of members

One hundred and eighty!

The Anglophones gathered at Les Unelles, bearing delicious savoury or sweet dishes for everyone to enjoy.

The table fairly groaned under the amount of food on offer.

It was a multicultural gathering with individuals from Belgium,France and Germany, interested to see what the very English game of darts is about. After everyone was replete, John  read out the partnerships for Darts, and the tournament began.  It was not exactly a world darts championship, and there were no Glen Darrants or Eric Bristows present.  However, nearly everyone had a go and enjoyed themselves, even when the dart they were throwing, decided the surround, rather than the board was the place to be.

The tournament was won by Kay and Sharon.

There was also a quiz, thanks to David, to give our little grey cells a work out, in addition to exercising our dart throwing arms. The joint winners of this were Alexander, Beate, Sharon and Alan.

Write up and photos courtesy of members

On a very crisp January afternoon Janet and John welcomed some forty-six members and guests at their home in Périers for this popular meal. We were met by an enticing mixture of aromas coming from the kitchen. Several rooms of the house had been prepared to accommodate us, including the beautifully 1920’s tiled summer room, into which the winter sun streamed. With cider and ginger punch we soon forgot about the freezing temperatures outside. The committee had been particularly busy, providing a variety of curried dishes on a generous scale with choices including Chicken Madras, Red Thai beef, Lamb Tikka Masala, Chicken Korma, Aubergine Thai curry, Chickpea, chard and tomato curry and Dahl. The meal was wonderfully flavourful and presented with an efficiency that can only come from good teamwork. The desserts were a real treat, with Tiramisu, raspberry tart, gooseberry crumble, blackcurrant crumble, trifles, sorbet, custard and ice-cream. The crumbles and tarts were home made by Janet using fruit from the garden. Amongst the lively hum of conversations there was opportunity to meet more members and guests. We were also entertained throughout the meal by the antics of an extended family of blue-tits on the feeders immediately outside the summer room window. News of Janet and John’s hospitality had travelled quickly. When we eventually left we were reminded of the winter chill and how comfortably we had just spent the previous few hours. We returned home to watch a Presidential inauguration but could only dream of gooseberry crumble.

Write up and photos courtesy of memebers.