A Fur-midable new charity Chats de Châtillon
Swinging back to the Sixties
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by Tim Fitzgerald
ur last production saw us transported back to the Sixties (see Sue’s boots). We hope you all had as much fun watching Alan Ayckbourn’s ‘Relatively Speaking’ as we had putting it on. It was fascinating to take what was written as a modern play 50 years ago and perform it as a period piece with appropriate music to boot! Changes in language and attitudes, in particular those to women, were very clear and although we made some subtle changes, we hope we kept the authentic feel of a play written in and of the Sixties. Our heart felt thanks to everyone who braved decidedly inclement weather and not altogether clement ‘Gilet Jaunes’ to come and see the show. There is now some time for us at TheatriVasles to consider our next production and while we do, this is also the perfect time for you to join the association. If you would just like to become a member we will, among other benefits, keep you informed with our mailing list of upcoming productions and events, provide you with a free drink at each performance and extend exclusive invitations to read-throughs - and all of this for just 10€! If you would like to take a more active role, you might want to consider being part of the front of house team, the technical crew, the small army of people who help with costumes and sets or even get on stage and do a turn. However you want to get involved, we would be delighted to hear from you.
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by Judy Lewis
iving in France for 11 years, like many others we accumulated a large number of house and barn cats. For some years we had also been trapping and sterilising feral cats and helping those when we could. But it was becoming more difficult to find organisations that could assist with the many abandoned kittens we were coming across. Then early summer, finding six tiny sick kittens yet again in our hedgerow, Alan my husband, quickly erected a large outside structure in which to temporarily care for them. As we rescued more from other areas we realised that the only way in which we could offer them hope was to start our own charity. We felt inspired to launch it in loving memory of our amazing cat, Afrika, who was the inspiration for our past fundraising campaign which changed the lives of so many. (If you are interested, his story is on the history page of our website). We began the arduous task of completing the necessary legal documentation to become a registered association. Alan took on the huge project of building more enclosures as we had large dog cages and playpens housing kittens everywhere. I studied for several months in order to acquire the necessary French certificate to run a refuge thinking that at 68 my studying days of French law, anatomy, transport and breeding etc., were long behind me! But in November when I received my certificate it made it all so worthwhile and Chats de Châtillon was launched. Our darling cats are housed in large secure enclosures with insulated wooden cabins overlooking the Thouet valley. We endeavour to give them everything possible to make their time with us happy. They have plenty of toys, warm bedding, thick branches to climb and we envelope them in love and kindness. Chocolat has become very adept at turning on and off his radio but has yet to learn to change channels... We love them all dearly but the greatest gift we could give them would be loving, forever-homes. Fifteen, between the age of eight weeks and nine months are currently awaiting adoption. We are desperately in need of kind foster homes as well as fundraising. Also required are your unwanted soft covers, blankets, cat beds, large water bowls, donations of clay based litter and dry cat food. One Saturday each month you will find us in the Gardening/Pet department at Mr. Bricolage Parthenay promoting our charity. We would love to meet you for a chat and introduce you to some of our beautiful kittens awaiting homes. Open adoption afternoons are held at our refuge every Sunday afternoon from 2pm to 5pm and other times by prior arrangement.
Ginny (Sue Fitzgerald) and Greg (Tim Fitzgerald) sorting out their differences after a day of assumptions and mistaken identities in TheatriVasles production of ‘Relatively Speaking’. Photo by David Brenan
If you would like to get involved please do contact us at theatrivasles@gmail.com, follow us on the TheatriVasles Facebook page or visit our website www.theatrivasles.com
Please visit our website: www.chatsdechatillon.com email us: mailbox@chatsdechatillon.com or tel: 05 49 94 39 77/06 85 63 55 94 The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, February 2019 | 13