La Fête patronale

La Fête patronale of the 11th-16th century church of St Maurice, Damvillers is scheduled for Sunday 28th September although St Maurice’ day is on Monday the 22nd.

In the UK, more often than not on these occasions, one sees two elderly ladies sitting at a table in the porch to receive donations for the church, and, possibly, a flower festival on display inside the church.  Nothing so genteel here!

As a celebration, the fair comes to town with its stalls and rides.

Of course the set-up cannot be done in one day and lorries, trailers and caravans start arriving several days beforehand.  The build-up begins…

The fair is held in centre ville and most of the roads approaching it are barred.  We live in a corner house in the centre so are soon surrounded and our cars have to be placed elsewhere. 

British “Health & Safety” would have a field day as power supply cables trail everywhere including immediately outside our front door. 

I’ve taken some photos of the day-by-day “invasion”…

Tuesday - the first lorries and trailers arrive…

Wednesday - joined by more, some of which arrived rather noisily after 11 last night…

Thursday - and yet more.  The place outside our door is almost full and the road down the other side is getting full…

Friday - in the place the caravan has added a veranda and awning and the small roundabout has been assembled; other vehicles are crammed into and around this area… their pipelines snake across the ground and it is essential to watch where you are walking!

Saturday morning - from our first-floor window…snakes alive!  No, just power cables…

I need to go to the corner shop.  OK…so I won’t walk on the pavement but in the road. Certainly no traffic but look out for cables again…

From outside the small supermarket...

Saturday 3.30.p.m. - Stalls and rides are open, each with different music.  A row of chairs is placed by two small roundabouts so that parents and grandparents can watch the kiddies in comfort.

Between the statue on the roundabout and the roof of the salle, cradles with canopies fly high/low/round and round, each filled with waving and screaming youngsters.

By the evening, a few more people wander about.  The big wheel is the most popular - the girls screaming and the boys shouting.  The slot machines in the two “casinos” do fair business until the clock strikes 12.  Then the music and lights go off and everything closes.

Sunday - after a calm night and a peaceful morning, at 2 p.m. everywhere slowly opens again.  Families come out after their midi.  The streets soon fill up with crowds from the town and surrounding areas. It is good to see the children enjoying themselves.

Throughout the evening the crowd dwindles and rides and stalls gradually close.  The casinos with their slot machines are the last and they shut down at 11.00.


Monday - during a dry morning many of the stalls - mostly those on the periphery -  are packed into lorries which depart.

A few more pack up during a drizzly afternoon but at 5.00. the two casinos and the kiddies’ roundabouts open as the rain eases.  They draw very little interest and close at 7.00.  By the end of the evening just a handful of caravans and lorries remain.

Tuesday - the last vehicles are the ones that surround our house. One of the casinos left at 11.00. last night, the other at 8.00. this morning.  At 10.00. there are signs of the place being cleared of the caravans, lorries and trailers that are packed in there and the two small closed-up stalls at the side of the house and by 11.00. all have departed.

There will now be a respite - but only for a few days as it will be the autumn fair on Sunday!  But that really is only for one day and another story…

A walk on the wild side

Tuesday afternoon, September 23rd 2014.   Bright and sunny.  We decided to go for a walk on the far side of the lake at Les Ballastières at Damvillers.  We used to visit this part of the lake quite frequently but access had been made more difficult and it has been a while since we went, these days gaining entry on the other side, nearer the main road.  On the far side, it is no longer possible to take the car to the entrance - we used to do that and take a picnic lunch, chairs and books, although we enjoyed short strolls as well. This time we parked at the top of the path.

The footpath approach looks much the same although it has a wooden barrier with pedestrian access only.  When we got into the grounds themselves we found it a much more neglected area.  We wonder if this has something to do with the long summer holiday by the schools as it is maintained by a local forestry-training college.  But there seems to be more than that with some paths closed off, bird hides in disrepair, fallen trees left where they fell and nettle beds running rampant - and many signs of donkey droppings! We used to see other locals walking, including families, but this time did not see anybody else.

We ploughed on as best we could wary of tree roots across paths which were very muddy in places.

It was an experience and I got some nice photos but it was a relief to get my aching back home for a welcome cuppa!

Old Soldiers

Union meusienne des Anciens Combattants.
Lieu : DAMVILLERS
Date de début : 20/09/2014
Date de fin : 20/09/2014
La manifestation organisée à Damvillers rassemblera les responsables des 25 sections d'anciens combattants de la Meuse ainsi que les membres du conseil d'administration de l'Union meusienne des anciens combattants.
Cette réunion se déroulera de la façon suivante:
9h30: Accueil des participants à la salle Ambroise Paré.
10h15: Réunion de travail, salle de la Mairie, place Liégeois.
10h15: Animation pour les conjoints à la salle des fêtes.
11h30: Cérémonie au Monument aux Morts et dépôt de gerbes.
12h00: Vin d'honneur à la salle des fêtes.
13h00: Repas à la salle des fêtes.


Saturday morning.  Sunshine and blue sky as the old soldiers, their families, local dignitaries, les pompiers and various citizens gather outside the Mairie. We join them at the back of the crowd to march with them and pay our respects.

A black cloud of rooks flies overhead and one completely white one stands out from the crowd…gone too quickly for my camera, yet, although not a dove, stands out as a portent of peace.

Flags are unfurled and the flag-bearers lead the procession up Grand Rue and left into Rue d’Eglise. A person on duty stops the traffic on Rue Carnot for the crowd to cross the road to the Monument to the war dead in front of the ancient church.

Surrounded by the raised flags, our mayor and other dignitaries from the region each step forward to place a wreath.  The flags are then lowered and names are read out, each responded to by the crowd “mort de France”; a prayer is said. 

The flags are then raised once more as recorded music is played - the Marseilles and all raise their voices in the anthem.  I get goose-bumps at the moving sound.

The crowd starts to disperse and the Maire invites us to join them for a drink at the salle before their repas starts.  A drink in honour, he said.  We are the ones who feel honoured.