Winter has arrived at Sauveterre but along with the snow, ice and low temperatures, we are also enjoying lovely sun and blue skies. This weekend we have welcomed 8 French children from Toulouse for the weekend and they are joining in with all our activities until Monday morning. They were taken to the market with their Sauveterrian correspondents this morning.

We were all delighted to receive visits from Heads of Mowden Hall and Ashdown House. Mrs Beardmore-Gray from Mowden spent nearly three days here in the second week and Mr Floyd arrived this week from Ashdown and enjoyed the day trip to Condom on Wednesday during his stay.

The new art facilities have been in full operation since the start of term. Mlle Rodrigues is delighted with the space, the light and the washing and storage facilities which she now enjoys using the ground floor of La Petite Maison. Some excellent pieces of work have been appearing from the new room.

This week’s main trip was to Condom, up in the north of the Gers, where the Sauveterrians were given a tour of the Chateau de Monluc, where sparkling wine (Vin Sauvage) is made along with their local speciality “La Pousse Rapiere”, a liqueur of Armagnac with orange extract and a secret set of herbal ingredients which, when blended with the Vin Sauvage creates a delightful champagne cocktail! After lunch in the cathedral cloisters, the children were guided round the cathedral itself and taken to the Musee d’Armagnac and shown the methods used to create this ancient and highly revered regional brandy.

Other trips have enabled children to visit local towns and villages such as Saramon, Lombez and Samatan and to meet some of the local French inhabitants. Everywhere we have been met by kind and smiling faces.

We have celebrated a number of birthdays already this term; Ellie and Alex shared birthdays on Monday this week and everyone enjoyed sharing the cake and Champony with them!

A glance at the times recorded under “La Course” will show that we have some extremely able runners at the Chateau this term. Already a sub-2 minute time has been achieved and the fastest girl has notched up 2.05. There are several who are managing to get round in under 2m10, after only three attempts, so it is possible that records could soon come under attack…….

As ever, the favourite activity is the legendary Sauveterre wide game “Le Jeu de Mr Woods” which is played with terrific enthusiasm and spirit most weekends. Everyone will need to be thoroughly well-wrapped to stay out there today; maybe something a little warmer this weekend?

M.W.W.S.