| AUTUMN IN FRANCE
Autumn started slowly as it was really a continuation of summer - September saw Chris recovering from his operation and Jill still suffering with her back. Chris made good progress and was soon up and making the best of the weather. September is normally a beautiful month in South West France, and this year was no exception. An ideal time to relax and catch up on some work. We had to return to the UK for Jill to see the back specialist. She had been ostensibly seeing him for 15 months, but despite various diagnosis and treatments she was still suffering very badly and virtually living on pain killers. She could not walk more than about 50 metres without sticks. Traveling was painful, especially when she had to get out of a seat after a few hours. So this was going to be the show down. They were eventually going to give her an MRI scan. It is criminal that they didn't do one earlier for without it there was no way that the specialist could make an informed opinion. It would be a bit like bombing a target without reconnaissance and a map! The specialist, the only one in North Yorkshire and Teesside, declared that Jill would have to have an operation to remove the existing screws and frame in her back and to fuse a further 5 vertebrae. This was a serious operation and it would be at least 3 months and up to 6 months before he could perform the operation! Right - Jill exercising her back in the pool |
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Chris working in his outside office whilst recovering from his back operation |
Sundown at young Quigley's "Office complex" |
Jill making the best of a late summer |
We returned to France in early October as Jill preferred the weather and we needed to be there in any case for my Birthday bash on 21st. I returned to the UK almost immediately for a busy week catching up on business. However, I did manage to fit in the York RAFA dinner in the Mess at Linton before I returned to France. This was a largely uneventful night apart from the fact as we approached the main gate and two burly armed guards stepped forward with their SA80's ready for action, Dick asked me had I picked up the ID cards & passes from the table. To which I replied "Oh Bugger No!" I was about to blag my way in when the guards raised the barrier, waved us through and saluted as we passed. We were in the Bentley and as a joke to impress Dick and Shireen's neighbours I had put a small RAFA standard on the roof mounted antennae when I picked them up. This obviously impressed the guards into believing that we were important so they waved us through. (Hopefully no terrorists will read this as it may give them ideas!).
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Right - Can't imagine how the guards could let these two reprobates in! Les & Dick eating the place cards 1/2 way through some boring after dinner speeches!
I tried not to drink too much, by giving 1/2 my wine to Dick, but still I drank too much, and then foolishly drove home at around 02.00 hrs as I had to be away early next morning! Now I've driven the 10 or so miles many times at that hour of the morning. It is all country lanes, with not a soul in sight and I drive slowly and carefully. This morning was no exception I drove steadily home not seeing a soul until I approached a T junction just before our village. I could see the headlights of a car to my right probably 1/2 mile away so I turned left and proceeded into the village at a steady 30 mph. Meanwhile the car approaching had caught up with me and was now sitting on my tail. I drove the 100 yards or so to our cross roads, signaled to turn left into our Cul de sac ad was surprised to see the car follow me. My driveway was on the right, but I signaled and pulled up short on the left, so that the following car could pass - I was curious and wanted to see who was following me. It didn't it pulled up behind me. I then realised that it was a police car - the only one in about 400 square miles of me! Luckily my front gates were already open so I quickly signaled, pulled in and automatically opened the rear 2 metre high gates and drove through closing them as I went. I parked the car switched all lights off and quickly entered the house. I looked through my study window to see if a policeman was following - he wasn't - I had escaped by the skin of my teeth and had learnt a valuable lesson. Don't drink and drive even if you feel safe, for no matter how unlikely the odds you just never know what can happen. The odds of me bumping into the one police car in my area at that time of night must have been several thousand to one!!! |
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Back to France by cars Chris had decided that his old MGB GT was not the ideal vehicle to keep in central London so decided to take it to France to use there. I said I would drive out with him as I needed to take a fair bit of kit out for my birthday party. (Mostly English Beer & Guinness!!) We looked at various routes, but because of the age of his car and the fuel consumption of mine, we decided to go via Portsmouth and Bilbao. This proved to be an eventful and enjoyable trip. The plan was to meet up for Lunch at a restaurant near Hook. Needless to say I got a call from Chris saying he would be late as he had trouble starting his car. (Not a good omen. He only had 50 miles to drive as opposed to my 250, and despite 2 major diversions due to road works on the M1 & A1 I still managed to be there an hour before him!). Not only did he arrive late, but he arrived less wallet, money and credit cards! He said he realised when he was about 20 miles from home but thought it better to rely on me than go home and be even later. Anyway we still had time for a quick snack before we headed down to Portsmouth dockyard to have a look around HMS Victory. I had always wanted to visit the ship since I first saw her back in 1964 when we boarded the aircraft carrier HMS Centaur which was moored just across the way. I thought it appropriate to visit on the way to my birthday celebrations since Nelson died on it on 21st October - my birth date. It was a visit well worth doing as the ship is so well preserved. (It is still on the Navy list - likely to the only one left after the next round of defence cuts!). There is even a plaque on the deck showing exactly where the French gunned down the great sailor! I was only sorry that we had to rush. We were literally the last men off the ship. They followed us locking up everything once we passed. Right - The plaque on the deck showing where Nelson fell - an old drunk had obviously fallen in the same spot a couple of centuries later! |
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HMS Victory
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The gun deck were the crew lived & slept in their hammocks (hanging on right) |
Her guns
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An old tar on the guns
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We were sailing on the P & O Pride of Bilbao, I had ordered a Club class cabin with two beds since it saved Chris having to pay for a cabin. When we were shown to our cabin it only had one double bed and a make your own put-me-up bed settee. Furthermore, unlike the Club class cabins on the Hull Rotterdam/Zeebrugge run that we were used to, you couldn't swing a cat in them. Probably OK for a quick overnight trip, but this was a 2 night trip and we had planned to spend the day working on a new marketing strategy for the Alarm Monitoring Company. Naturally I complained. The Purser said that they only had a suite left, but whilst it had two rooms and 2 bathrooms, it only had one bed - a large king sized bed. We took a look and decided to take it. I hadn't shared a bed with Chris since he was about 8 and all I remember is that he bobbed about a lot. He volunteered to sleep on the settee in the lounge, but I pointed out that we could have got 4 in the bed and still had room for more so he took one side and me the other.
| I slept really well until about 04.00 Hrs then in my dreams I could hear the woop woop woop of a helicopter alongside me with its searchlight picking me out. I immediately awoke, saw light through the curtains and looked out. Incredibly there was a helicopter hovering alongside us about 20 metres away. Our cabin was on the port side, at the front and high up so I looked down to the sea expecting to see people abandoning ship. Not a soul, the ship was making headway and anyway the light was shining almost directly at me. Naturally Chris was fast asleep through this so I went back to our lounge. This had two large windows and the curtains were open so it was bathed in light from the helicopter. Now wide awake I sat and watched. It continued to hover. I could see lights on the coast, which I assumed to be France, and therefore that it was French Naval helicopter. I got myself a drink from the minibar and sat watching for over an hour. The helicopter made two moves over the deck and each time returned to its hover station just above me. Eventually after 1 hour 10 minutes it did one more move over the deck and then swung out and headed for the coast ahead of us. Next morning I checked the on board route chart and found that we had in fact doubled back towards Weymouth for about 40 miles and then turned back towards Brittanny. It was the UK coast that I could see. I then questioned one of the seaman crew who told me that it was a Naval helicopter that had to winch up a women and her 3 month premature baby - both were reported as being well! Chris had slept through it all. His only comment was "I bet the baby gets called Bill"!! |
Not what you expect parked outside your window in the middle of the night mid channel! |
| Apart from hitting horrendous traffic in Spain and my GPS
sending us into central Bilbao the trip from Spain to France was not too bad except for one slight
problem..... Chris didn't have any money or credit cards for the toll, and
whilst I have lots of cards I only have one "Euro" card, so every time we came to
a toll, (about 6 of them) we had to take it in turns going through,
stopping and passing the credit card back. Very annoying, but at least we
arrived safe and sound in time for lunch at home in Monleon Magnoac. As I
always say - "All is well that ends!"
The plan for my birthday bash was as per the invitation programme .....
Tuesday
20th October – 19.00
hrs - RV at Dupont Hotel for Pre-Dinner drinks followed by traditional French
Dinner Wed
21st October –
11.00 ish – Champagne Brunch at Les Deux Grenouilles (Les Quigs) .......
to
13.00
ish – working its way into a
BBQ Lunch with entertainment by the New Orleans Jazz band 14.00
ish – Board bus to take us to the mountains above Nestier followed by a 3 mile
hill walk to the Halifax Bomber Crash site and the RAF cemetery at Pic du Douly
where Air Marshal Sir Christopher Coville and fellow retired RAF types will lay
wreaths on the graves of the 7 aircrew that died there in 1944. 17.00
Hrs – Return to base - Siesta time or whatever 19.30
Hrs – Pre-Dinner Drinks at Les Quigs 20.30
Hrs – Dinner accompanied by local Swing Band with guest vocalists (Dress smart
casual) 23.00
ish – Dancing to ‘til you drop |
Chris following in his MG was obviously amused at my being lost in Bilbao so took this photograph of me stuck in traffic! |
Thursday
22nd October –
AM
– Late Breakfast at your leisure
12.00
Hrs - Depart for the town of “Les” in Spain
13.00
Hrs – Pre-lunch drinks in Les
14.00
Hrs – On to Bossost for Lunch in L’Occitan the town’s smartest restaurant
17.00
Hrs – Meander back down the Pyrenees to Chez Quig relaxing evening – where
ever!
Friday
23rd October -
AM
– Light Breakfast at your leisure
12.00
Hrs – Typical French Working Lunch in Le Tacquet
14.00
ish –
shopping or other local sight seeing adventures. (Including Europe’s oldest
cave paintings circa 30,000BC!!)
Evening
– R & R (Relax & Recover)
Saturday
24th October -
AM
– Breakfast at your leisure
Mid
AM – Depart for Toulouse
Lunchtime
– Lunch
PM
– Rugby or Sightseeing and shopping
Dinner
– Casual downtown Dining
Sunday
25th
C'est
assez - C'est fini - Trouvez votre propre maison ou autrement
Except for the weather everything went reasonably according to plan until Friday when the Sun came out and everyone was so tired & stuffed that we decided to have a BBQ lunch on the patio at Chez Lez. Some of us then went chestnutting up to Quigley Wood. We then drank more and had a quiet evening in for the 10 or so remaining guests! The balance of the party left on Saturday, except for Jerry and Winnie. They had had come all the way from Hawaii for the party and were going back to San Francisco after a quick tour of France, Italy and Germany. (They had planned to visit Danielle in Luxembourg, but apparently blinked and missed Luxembourg as they drove through on the way to Germany - thinking a country cannot really be that small can it??)
| A quick erection was called for!
Luckily for me 3 ex-RAF stalwarts arrived on the Sunday (before Chris and I, who didn't arrive until Monday). The weather forecast had changed from good to iffy to bloody awful so we had to put into action our CWWW plans and build an awning outside the summer kitchen. So the 3, Dick Shuster, Dave Taylor and Fred Ullathorne and me got stuck into some construction work whilst Jill and Shireen Shuster relaxed. Chris Q, needless to say was in the office somewhere running his business! Right - Dave, Dick & Fred just the trio for a quick erection Far Right - The erection takes shape |
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The Party
Everyone appeared to enjoy the party, and, despite many people not being able to attend (mostly because they were working or holidaying in such far flung places as Australia, USA, Canada & Antartica!!), we ended up with an eclectic gathering from 8 different countries. Many had met at least once before but many had not so it was down to me to organise the sit down meals in such a way that the men had to move tables for every course. Originally there were to be 32 to the sit down meals, which made planning the moves very easy however, at the last minute 3 people couldn't attend. 29 was far more difficult, however, somehow it worked without a hitch! (At least as far as I know as I always sat were I was supposed to!)
| Round 1
Our first night was a dinner in the Hotel Dupont. I had warned everyone that when they landed at Toulouse they were to put their watches forward 1 hour and back 50 years to get the correct local time. No one believed me until they arrived at the hotel! Then they started believing. By the time they left they were convinced. Everything about the Dupont sums up this forgotten area of France. The hotel is decorated and furnished 60's style (That is probably the last time it was decorated!), Madame Dupont, the grand old lady who owns it has that trusting 1950's approach to business - where else could you book a 4 course dinner for 32 people and not be asked for a deposit? When discussing pre-dinner cocktails where else would the owner suggest Kir Royals and then say "Why don't you bring your own Champagne?" and not charge corkage? Furthermore she gave us her main restaurant and consigned all the other guests to the less pre-possessing function room! For this first welcoming night we had selected a typically local meal - Soup de Moules; Foie Gras; Cocotte de Canard; & a special Armangac ice cream to finish. Everyone congratulated the hotel on their excellent food. |
Fred, Irene's back & Dick's right shoulder outside the Dupont |
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Pre-dinner Ange & Dave Wilcox, Irene Coville & Jill |
Annie Roach. Dick. Les, Pat Robertson, Renate Slattery, Fedelma Shawcross |
Jim Roach, John Slattery & Fred (who is obviously pleased to see them) |
Hello what's going on - Dave T's stood up -
Left to right - Chris Q, Jim. Irene (looking Lady like), Annie (eyeing up Dani's Champagne), Paul (wanting to be excused!), Fedelma (drunk too much?), JC, Danielle (after more Champagne!), Pat, Ian (picking his nose?), Jill & Mark (looking worried)
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At dinner - Carro Newland, Dave W & Dick getting served |
Ange, Jerry, Renate & Dave T |
Jill with a 40th anniversary bunch of flowers from a loving husband |
For more photographs of the first night's nosh - go to www.lesq.eu
Day 2 - Quigley becomes an OAP (We decided not to celebrate our famous victory over France on 21st October 204 years ago as today we are somewhat out numbered!)
As promised by the French metman the day started very wet (to remind us how they felt when we sank their ships) - our "erection" was buckling under the strain of French water, (I tried catching it to sell it on with the rest of that expensive French stuff you get in posh UK restaurants - but no joy I just ended up feeling like a French sailor at Trafalgar - wet!). Luckily Lord Nelson's ghost came to the rescue - he stopped the infiltration just before disaster was about to strike. The rain stopped! Luckily I had anticipated the weather and had the caterers put tables in the garden office, Jill's studio and the garage so together with the house, we were able to seat everyone in the dry. Our Chef, who has done many meals for us before, is highly organised and had set up his kitchen in our summer kitchen which made it easy for guests to help themselves.
We started with a Champagne breakfast accompanied by our New Orleans Jazz Band. Breakfast was supposed work its way to lunch, however, my the time the Chef started producing steaks, chicken etc on the BBQ everyone was stuffed so not many managed the full nosh since we had a coach tour booked for 14.00 hrs!
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The band starts playing under the erection |
The rain stops & guests start arriving |
Sir Chris, "Lord Les of Liverpool" & Lady Irene wave to the proletariat below |
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Chris chatting to Renate |
Serving 50 people from our summer kitchen |
Champagne breakfast in the office - very business like |
Champagne breakfast in the garage - who cares! |
"Dad's Air Force" On Parade
The next item on the agenda was quick bus trip up a mountain to honour 7 RAF aircrew from 624 Squadron who had crashed and perished 65 years earlier in 1944 whilst trying to drop weapons and supplies for the local Resistance unit. RAFA South West France had asked members to visit every RAF grave in South West France. SWF RAFA members had visited and laid flowers or crosses on an incredible 860 aircrew graves located throughout South West France. I volunteered to do the honours for the 7 aircrew buried near me, about 50 minutes by boss and a further 1 hour on foot. They are buried on a mountainside at Pic du Douly but officially still listed as "MIA no known graves". Since Chris was coming to my Birthday Bash I thought it an even greater honour to the memory of these 7 young men if an Air Marshall was to lead the ceremony. Chris readily volunteered together with everyone else despite the graves being the highest RAF graves known at 4,700 feet and an hours trek from the nearest road. So we set off to the little grave yard that had been built by former members of the French resistance. (For full details of the crash go to http://maquis-nistos-esparros.chez-alice.fr/crash_en.php & for 624 Squadron go to http://www.624squadron.org/ )
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First a coach tour up the Pyrénées Jim & Annie, Fedelma & Mark, & Judy |
Disembarking - Jean takes the French flag as Les issues flags to the troops at 4,000 feet just below the clouds
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Air Marshall Sir Christopher Coville meets Monsieur Bordes the former Resistance fighter who organised the building of the graveyard |
The party sets off for the hours trek up and around the mountain to the cemetery and crash site |
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Some of the ladies - Jude, Renate and Irene setting off |
Up in to cloud |
Into the woods |
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After laying a wreath for the French Resistance at a cross marking the point of impact Sir Chris thanks the French people for their dedication in creating and maintaining this cemetery. |
Professor Jim Roach briefs Nick with his marching orders as Jude watches on!
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I give the troops their final marching orders (I'd always wanted to tell an Air Marshall where to put it - in this case his wreath) |
The troops march in to the cemetery with Francis our French volunteer trumpeter preparing to play the Last Post after the wreaths have been laid
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Air Marshal Sir Chris Coville reads the prayer flanked by retired Wing Commanders Ian Robertson & John Newland |
On behalf of his daughter Sally-Anne Barrett & survivors of 624 Sqn, Lady Irene Coville lays a wreath dedicated to Wg Co Stanbury the CO of 624 Sqn in 1944 |
The wreath laying party made up of retired RAF personnel Left to right - front row - Nick, Fred Ullathorne, Dave Taylor, Les Quigley Rear - John (JC) Newland, Chris Coville (hidden behind Dave T), Ian Robertson |
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Les lowers the RAF flag over the few 65 year old remains of Halifax JN 888 |
A much deserve drinks break on the way down- Irene, Dave & Fred do it RAF style |
The final descent - the rear guard - Mark, Les, Dave and Fred descend from the cold damp cloud covered Pic du Douly |
For more photographs of the days activities - go to www.lesq.eu
| LWQ's 65th Birthday Dinner
I had decided to have my celebratory birthday dinner at home. This meant restricting the dinner guests to 32 ( 4 tables of 8) as any more and would make it too uncomfortable and somewhat unwieldy for the caterers. We used our normal caterers who decided to use the summer kitchen for preparation. Luckily the rain had stopped, and although not warm it was not too cold outside so we decided to have our 3rd Champagne reception on the patio with the band playing alongside for the reception and in our main lounge for dancing after dinner. As usual our chef and his staff were superb. Furthermore my planned movement of men for each of the 4 courses again worked perfectly so by then end of the 2nd day everyone had completely integrated. Right - The evening band getting into full swing on a moderately cold October night |
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At the end of dinner Chris Coville, my oldest friend present gave a very amusing speech which had guests rolling in the aisles - so to speak! [Chris and I go back to aged 11 when we were at De La Salle Grammar School, Liverpool together - we were then in the same Fazackerly ATC Squadron - we both gained RAF scholarships for Cranwell whilst we were in the 6th Form (a unique record for any school, let alone a tiny Liverpool Grammar school as less than 20 were awarded nationally each year!) - at school we were two of the founder members of the "4 musgetbeers" whose motto was "Flying, women & beer - and in that order!". {Fortunately only Chris & I had pilots licences so the four of us often had go straight for the women & beer part of our motto. Then since we could only afford 3 pints a week, women (well girls) was often all that was left - and if I remember rightly they were less than co-operative!} - between school and Cranwell we both worked as barmen in the Jolly Miller Pub - we were in the same Squadron at Cranwell and eventually Chris was my best man when Jill and I got married. (Mind he was no encouragement or help - when I ran out of petrol on the way to my wedding all he could say was "Typical Quigley - now what do we do?" - needless to say I fixed it and we were only a little late!)] . So in truth he was my youngest friend present at the dinner! (Philosophically speaking!)
After his speech I had to suffer the embarrassment of everyone singing "Happy Birthday" and then face a cake that was belching like a volcano. After a quick thank you from me we got the band in and then set to to dance. However, not before Chris Coville, Dave Wilcox and Mark had each joined the band as guest vocalists. I think they thought that they were auditioning for the "Y" factor at least that was what the audience were shouting at Mark - their were many plaintive shouts of "Why?"......
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Jill, Champagne Quigley & Irene |
Dick Face, Ian, Fred, Nick, Dave T |
JC, Carro, & Chris |
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Pat's back, Dave W, Ange, John |
At dinner |
Men changing tables between courses |
LWQ following Chris's excellent speech |
The singers......
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"Frank Sinatra"? - No - Chris Coville! |
Ronnie Scotts? - No - Dave W giving it some welly |
The "Y" Factor - Fedelma asking Mark - "WHY are you embarrassing me"? |
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Nick & Jude leading the dancing |
John, Les & Dani listening to the singers |
Dani & Ange listening in amazement |
John, Winnie and Irene in awe at Dave Wilcox! |
"We're all off to sunny Spain"
Day 3 of Quigley's Birthday bash saw the survivors heading south to Spain whilst others headed North, East & West to catch planes, trains and boats for their journeys home. Spain was somewhat uneventful since we set off late, it rained and was far from sunny. In fact the first snow of the season started falling. Nevertheless, everyone enjoyed their outing despite the super cheap booze and fags in "Les" not being as super cheap as they used to be thanks to the de facto 30% devaluation of the £ against the Euro. Everyone particularly enjoyed lunch in "Er Occitan", it was completely different from any food that we had had over the previous few days....
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Laurent & India brave the rain in Spain |
Bossost in not so sunny Spain |
Pre-lunch drinks - Jill with her favourite tipple - a Spanish G & T |
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Waiting for food - Mary, Dave W, Ange, Fred, JC, Carro, Les |
One of the starters! |
Winnie watches Paul's paella |
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Dave's cheese course |
Someone's pudd |
Danielle watches as Jerry amuses India |
| Lunch took several hours, and by the time we
left the restaurant the mountains surrounding us were beginning to be
covered with snow. The rain had stopped, but we were all feeling
very mellow after fine food and fine wines so we decided to head back down
hill to France and a quiet evening by the fire. I got to open my birthday
presents, which until this time I had not had time to do.
My thanks for your present goes to all who I did not thank personally in the melee following my Birthday Brunch. Day 4 The weather improved, the sun came out, and more troops were heading home so we decided to take a walk up to Quigley Wood and collect some sweet chestnuts. This was followed by Dani & Laurent producing a superb BBQ which we ate on the terrace. We drank the Champagne and eat some of the steak and chicken left from the Champagne Brunch. |
The main road through Bossost with snow on the mountains ahead |
Dick, Danielle, & Fred prepare to head down hill to France |
More snow on the mountains with India (still sheltering from the now non-existent rain), Laurent, Jill, Fred, Dick & Les |
We finished off the afternoon with a clear out of the empties. This necessitated us loading up two cars with bottles and heading for the re-cycling containers in the village. Since the re-cycling area is opposite our village pub we deemed it necessary to make a visit to introduce everyone to a few locals, and Jerry to Pastis - something they don't drink a lot of in San Francisco apparently!
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India looking for chestnuts in Quigley Wood |
Jill & co at the end of the last lunch |
Recycling the left overs |
The boys in the local bar sampling Pastis |
With the exception of Jerry & Winnie, day 5 saw all remaining overseas guests leave for either Pau or Toulouse airports. We then settled down to a few days of R & R - Party Over!
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Paul was uncertain which of our cars he should take to the airport ..... |
He used to own an MGC GT back in the late 60's..... |
But having seen India clean my car - he thought he'd look better in that! |
Before every one left we even made the local papers - though apart from saying that we were old I haven't a clue what it said!!!! It must have been good for everyone in uniform at Toulouse airport was saluting Fred! (They thought he was an Air Marshal!)
NEXT JOB
Our next job was to get Jill organised with an operation to fix her back and free her from pain! Because she had been messed about in the UK for over 15 months, and had been promised an operation in 3 to 6 months time we had decided to have the operation in France since that could be done in 3 weeks time. I had to return to the UK for two weeks, but returned early November to get Jill into hospital in Pau....
Major operation and major problems - click here for latest medical updates