24 • THE QUERCY LOCAL
Walking tour in English of St Antonin Noble Val: Discover how people lived and worked, and how their lives were affected by war, religion and the forces of nature over 1000 years of history. Thurs. 20th & 27th July and Thurs. 3rd & 10th August. Leaving from in front of the Tourist Office at 11am. 5 euro/adult Office de Tourisme Intercommunal, 10 rue de la Pélisserie, 82140 St Antonin Noble Val. Tel: 05 63 30 63 47 http://tourisme-saint-antonin-noble-val.com, www.gorges-aveyron-tourisme.com/
Beauville’s 24th Franco-Britannique pétanque competition Since 1993 this has been a popular annual event at Beauville. It is held on every 14th July, and has an interesting history and format. The competition was started in 1993 by Nick Twilley and his English and French friends as a way of meeting and sharing a sporting event particularly between the British and French communities, for the last few years it has been run by the Tourist Office, however this year Bon Coeur will take up the organisation of the day. The event is sponsored by the local artisans and restaurants and we are launching a website www.bonsoeufs.fr to support and promote those who contribute to this – this will be a handy reference too. The event has broadened to include many other nationalities who are welcome to join one or other team. The pétanque teams are made up of one English (speaking) player and one French player paired together on arrival, the knockout format then continues to the final of the main competition. After this the winning teams are shuffled and the two British players join forces to play against the two French players for the Grand Finale. Over the years the French teams have won more times that the British – but we keep trying! After this there is prize-giving and normally a meal under the arches at the Midi restaurant. There will be some changes this year as for the first time the event is on the same day as the Friday Night Market. The competition is ‘amicale’ – and there is no charge to enter – it’s played on the terrains at Beauville’s Place du Carré. If required, boules are available to borrow, and all abilities of players are welcome. For added conviviality an English bar will be serving beer, as well as a French bar during the afternoon – so come and compare beverages! Traditionally there have been special tee-shirts available for the players and we plan to re-instate this in 2017.
If you are interested, please contact chsmiskin@aol. com for more information, practice your boules (there will be some practice afternoons at Beauville), and do come along on the day (registration starts at 1.30 pm & play! Bon Coeur is a charity based in Beauville that raises funds for a variety of good causes – contact us through face book – ‘Bon Coeur’, boncoeur@hotmail.co.uk, or via our boutique in Beauville – open Tuesday – Friday afternoon 2 – 4pm and Friday / Sunday 10 – 12 noon.
The Quercy Local • July - August 2017 Please support our advertisers and tell them you saw their advert in The Quercy Local