Rue 2011

I’ve just returned home after a holiday in northern France with 46 Y8 pupils. On the whole we had an excellent week, with just a few minor irritations. 

The Chateau, inside and out.

We stayed at the Château du Broutel at Rue. The Château is run as an education centre during term time, although open to families and the public during the summer holidays. We use it to give our pupils an appreciation of French life and culture, but other schools use it for adventure activities.

The chocolate factory

Madame making cheese at the goat farm

Me, making a tressage de ble

Some large corn dollies, the one on the right is over 100 years old.

On this visit we went to the market at Etaples, visited a WW1 cemetery, goat farm, chocolate factory, hand made sweet shop and wheat farm. We saw croissants being made at a local bakery, visited the Nausicaa (sealife centre) at Boulougne, and best of all paddled in the sea off a beautiful sandy beach at Le Touquet.

The cemetery at Etaples.

What a week! I think the kids got good value for money, which is important these days.

The Château was built in 1714 by Jean-Baptiste Loisel, one of the heads of cavalry for Louis X1V. During the French Revolution it suffered and fell into disrepair, but was substantially renovated in 1824. It fell into disuse at the start of the 20th century. It is not known what happened to the Château during WW1 , but it was occupied by the German army during WW2.

After the war the main part of the Château was left uninhabited until the early 1980's when it purchased and renovated by Lionel Leroy (a former director of Leroy Merlin). In 2001 it became a residential centre and the barn and stable blocks were renovated and turned into accommodation blocks.

The staff provide excellent care and are superbly well organised. They also manage to be relaxed, and appreciate that 'kids will be kids'!!!

We have being using the centre since 2006, and will do again.

I am tired, but happy.

Soon, I shall be in France again......... and hope to meet up with a few of the people I have met through our blogs. Isn't it strange to know so much about the daily lives of others, through their blogs .

I know that

•  Jean loves baking and France.
• Susan enjoys cleaning beams with a toothbrush and wildlife.
• Tim and Pauline take wonderful photographs of birds.
•   Antoinette and Niall are enjoying the joys of life in Charnizay.
• Mandy is more comfortable with her life, and enjoying the challenges of her work
• and Elizabeth keeps fit by chasing butterflies!!!

Keep it up..............

I've said it before but it is just like 'Wikipedia but with SOUL'.