Jayac is a sleepy little village : 180 inhabitants the average age of which is 76 –   just as well we Djelils moved in otherwise it would have been a lot higher 😉

In spite of that people really pull together and several times a year the local Salle de Fête stages a themed event to keep the community spirit alive. We’ve had crêpes evenings, BBQs, Périgordine nights and apéro gatherings to name but a few.

There has even been a suggestion of my good self organising a Scottish ceilidh & teaching all the locals to set & reel…can you imagine?? Just translating all the moves into coherent French and picturing the ensuing chaos was enough to send me loupin’ ooer the Périgord hills. I’ve kept a pretty low profile since then and all has gone quiet…so far so good!

This weekend we had a Soirée Moules Frites ( mussels & chips night)! As with most of these events Amar was nominated as head chef.

My very own mussel man 😉

Turning out Moule Marinières for 150 hungry people was never going to be easy but add a pulled ligament in his right arm to the mix & he was facing quite a challenge! Luckily there were plenty of helpers to clean & prepare the 140 kgs of mussels so they got there in the end.

I’ve never known these events to start on time and this night was no exception – , by the time all the stragglers arrived, got settled and fuelled the appetite with lots of apéritifs – cider with créme de cassis this time – it was nigh on 10 pm!

140 kgs of moules marinières

and lots of chips!!

Hello Sailors!! Stripey tops and committee sailors hats keep the theme afloat!

The entertainment was provided by local band ” Weekend” – they are always brilliant at getting everyone in the party mood with a repertoire for all ages & costumes to match – not that age has any bounds…I have to say there is something quite surreal about seeing a Périgordine Granny getting to grips with Gangnam Style!!

YMCA - courtesy of Weekend!

A middle eastern flavour...

Amar and I also had a very Proud Parents moment when Emma was invited to sing during the dessert. A couple of English numbers and a Celine Dion French classic went down very well and left me amazed at how seamlessly she can dip in and out of both languages with the greatest of ease  ( Note to self – really must try hard to polish up my own linguistic efforts).

Emma

The night eventually drew to a close around 1.30 am with the band still playing as everyone was clearing up…another successful fun filled evening with a real sense of community spirit. Just waiting to see what the next soirée will be….hoping beyond hope it won’t have anything to do with haggis, neeps or Dashing White Sergeants!