| British grit and French flair defeat English weather The weekend of 29 June - 1 July saw the latest visit of our French twinners from St Paul du Vernay to King's Somborne. The group consisted of about 25 adults and children from France. Our guests were collected from Portsmouth ferry terminal on a wet Friday evening and brought back to their respective English hosts. Saturday dawned, grey and miserable. However, after breakfast we all donned our raincoats, unfurled our umbrellas and met at the church for a coach trip to Alton from where we took the Watercress Line to Alresford. After an enjoyable train ride, we arrived in Alresford and took our guests to visit the French graves at St John's Church. Alresford was a parole town for French prisoners of war during the 18th century and also during the Napoleonic wars which followed. Just as we were standing reading the inscriptions on the headstones, the heavens opened and we all had to take refuge inside the church. After an, unfortunately, all too brief walk around Alresford due to the inclement weather, we had lunch in various pubs and restaurants and then caught the return train to Alton, where our coach was waiting to bring us back home. By evening the rain had shown no signs of abating. Unable to have the village hall for our reception, we had initially decided to hold this event in the garden of one of the host families. However, after a week of sleepless nights listening to the rain pouring down relentlessly, we contacted the scouts, who kindly offered us the use of their scout hut for the evening. After a delicious buffet meal, we paddled through the car park to the village hall. Doug and Carolyn Stammers were celebrating a family party and in an unbelievably friendly gesture, had invited us all to join them and dance the night away to the sound of Broadband. A truly great example of the "Entente Cordiale"! Sunday morning saw our French guests enjoying a full English breakfast in various homes before taking the coach back to Portsmouth. Next year, it is our turn to visit St Paul du Vernay. If anyone is interested in joining us, please contact either Wendy Hartley on 388742 or Mary Bradley on 388386. You will be made most welcome - on both sides of the Channel. | 
