Christmas greetings to all my readers

.   I would like to extend to all my readers my heartfelt good wishes for a merry Christmas and a happy New Year! I will send a further blog later to say how we spent the festive season.

A fantastic visit to Ark79

.  On Tuesday we visited the Ark79 shop at Ste Soline, which Hope had said was closed. It was absolutely packed, all Emma's faithful clients had heard the news that the shop was in fact open, widely spread on line, and here was a line of people carrying in new stock and departing with their purchases. We came away with several items as usual, most satisfactory. Kim in particular was delighted with her new duffel coat. A glass of free fizz plus a nibble was on offer and Emma confirmed that she had restocked the shop. So pleased to hear and how dismayed Hope must be! All the doors and windows removed by Hope had been replaced and repainted and the shop was as good as new. A most satisfactory result!

Good News!

  This morning, we attended an appointment with the surgeon , who had carried out my operation to cut out the cancer from my lower bowel and create a stoma. We went with some apprehension but in the event, he gave us the news that all was clear and there would be no need for any further treatment.  My plumbing can be reconnected early in the new year and the stoma closed up. We could scarcely believe how lucky we have been! The operation will require a weeks stay in hospital but after that I will be as good as new.
   We celebrated with a cup of coffee in the tea shop before making the necessary arrangements and driving home rejoicing.

Visit by Cecile, our friend from Lille

  We had the great pleasure of a flying visit from our good friend Cecile, who dropped in for a day, after visiting her son at Angouleme. We collected her from Ruffec station as arranged but only succeeded by the skin of our teeth in catching the train back to Poitiers on her way to Lille. Thanks for your visit, Cecile!

Status update

I haven't written a blog for ages and readers are understandably worried. In fact, we have not had a moment to call our own, having gone to Niort hospital every day by taxi ambulance for radiotherapy to shrink the tumour in my rectum. I am happy to report that the treatment was effective and the tumour was diminished by fifty percent, allowing the surgeon to operate successfully and to create a stoma. I spent some time in the hospital with Kim visiting each day but am now back home.
We had the pleasure of a visit from our daughter Alyson come to spend a week with us. She flew in to Limoges airport, lucky she isn't going back today, with the road system in chaos to protest against the cost of fuel!

  Love you lots, Al xx

Noah's diary..Damage to the Ark

 The bolt hit the pole at the top of our street, blowing the lid off the telephone box, all our lights went out, the power supply to the phones exploded, making Kim and I jump a foot in the air. We had had storm warnings for the morning but as the thunder seemed to have receded, we had started to reconnect the systems trusting that the lightning would start in the distance. 

  In the event, the first bolt was almost on top of us! We went to the Mairie to ask them to ring Orange for us and after a couple of days, a technician rang to say he would call. He replaced the burnt out box and said we had phone and Internet back, but would need to replace two filters. In the event, our router and live box also needed replacing, as our very competent expert, Nick explained the next day. He replaced the two boxes with a single combined second hand box which seems to be working well. I got the lights and power on again by resetting the fuse switch and luckily that was the extent of the damage.

  Phew even the thought of that huge bang gives me the cold shivers! Bye for now!

Blam! Lightning strikes the Ark

  On Sunday, we were very shocked when a bolt hit the pole at the top of the road, only 50yards away,