An Open Door, and a very English Cup of Tea,
in Rural France
by Caroline Sherwood
If you find yourself in Poitou-Charentes, aching to hear the sound of
English, or longing for a good old cup of tea, then you might like to visit
The Open Door in Civray who host a drop-in centre on Tuesdays and Wednesdays
from 10 am to noon at 18, rue Pierre Pestureau.
Set up in 2004 by Lynn and Tony Webster initially to provide support for
people suffering the effects of long term illness (whether as sufferer or
carer), and linked to L'Association La Porte Ouverte, The Open Door offers a
friendly social hub for ex pats and English visitors to the area. Finding
yourself in a country whose laws and ways seem labyrinthine, and especially
challenging if you can't speak the language, the centre has been welcomed by
the many English speakers who have settled in the area.
The 'PALS (Professional, Amateur and Lay Support) Network' offers a team of
skilled listeners, able to respond to family crises, bereavement, addiction
and loneliness. In 2007 this was raised to an NVQ standard training for all
listener and counsellor volunteers.
As well as a welcoming drink and snack, you will find a lending library of
more than 6,000 books in English, audios and DVDs (with membership being
only 5Euros per annum). The library is also open on Fridays from 10 am to 12
noon. The gift shop carries some very attractive locally made cards as well
as gift wrap. If you're going to be in the area a while, the centre welcomes
help in the form of volunteers at the Drop-In mornings, or you could become
a Friend of the centre. There are special interest and support groups and
the Open Door organises various events throughout the year, such as 'Boules,
Booze and Barbecue' on 16 June, and a Bastille Barbeque on 14 July.
Navigating the complexities of the Code Napoléon can be soul destroying for
those not au fait with French law, so the Open Door has produced information
sheets on subjects of interest to English ex pats: regulations concerning a
British motor vehicle in France, the French succession laws, French Income
Tax and the Chèque Emploi Service. From the links page of their website, you
can navigate to the Silver-Haired Ex Pats blog, which is described as 'the
rantings and ravings of a British ex-pat pensioner living in rural France'.
The centre has also been active in supporting the work of breast cancer
charities, as well as that of the Alzeimer's Society and they have worked
with Tools for Reliance, to re-condition old tools to send to artisans in
Africa. They have also linked with Phoenix Animal Rescue to help the plight
of homeless dogs in the area.
 Just
down the road from The Open Door is the exquisite and jaw-droppingly
beautiful 12th century church of St Nicholas. An absolute 'must-see' if
you're in the Poitou-Charentes region, this mediaeval jewel-of-a-church
gives a sense of how majestically and brightly coloured all European
churches of the period were when they were built. Civray is also well placed
for visiting Poitiers (just under an hour and 64 kms away), Angoulême,
Cognac (home of the famous brandy) and the picturesque west coast town of La
Rochelle and the islands of Oléron and Ré.
The postal address is Association La Porte Ouverte, Le Bourg, 86510,
Champagné le Sec
Tel: 0033-(0)549 87 97 36
Photo credit: © Adrian Fletcher
www.paradoxplace.com
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