Category: Committee News

Nigel writes:

Our next 2025 event will be on Wednesday 11 June 2025 when we will visit the fabulous Château des Milandes at 24260 Castelnaud-la-Chapelle, 16 km south of Sarlat. Members should book via Nigel.

Greg Hawes (our Chairman) writes: 

“Besides being a beautiful château from the fifteenth century set in lovely grounds in the heart of the Dordogne valley, Milandes is renowned as the former home of one of the most famous French women of the twentieth: the American-born cabaret artiste and Resistance heroine Josephine Baker. She is the most recent of only five French women to be honoured at the Panthéon in Paris (Marie Curie was the first—bonus points if you can name the other three !). The château now houses a fascinating exhibition celebrating her life. The visit includes the recently renovated chapel. You can download a leaflet and plan of the grounds at <https://www.milandes.com/en/>”

The schedule for the day includes lunch followed by the tour and the display of birds of prey.

After that we are free to visit the Chapel and explore the grounds. 

Our 4th visit is likely to be the Millau Viaduct and Roquefort in early July. Details to follow.

Nigel writes:

Our next 2025 event will be on Wednesday 11 June 2025 when we will visit the fabulous Château des Milandes at 24260 Castelnaud-la-Chapelle, 16 km south of Sarlat. Members should book via Nigel.

Greg Hawes (our Chairman) writes: 

“Besides being a beautiful château from the fifteenth century set in lovely grounds in the heart of the Dordogne valley, Milandes is renowned as the former home of one of the most famous French women of the twentieth: the American-born cabaret artiste and Resistance heroine Josephine Baker. She is the most recent of only five French women to be honoured at the Panthéon in Paris (Marie Curie was the first—bonus points if you can name the other three !). The château now houses a fascinating exhibition celebrating her life. The visit includes the recently renovated chapel. You can download a leaflet and plan of the grounds at <https://www.milandes.com/en/>”

The schedule for the day includes lunch followed by the tour and the display of birds of prey.

After that we are free to visit the Chapel and explore the grounds. 

Our 4th visit is likely to be the Millau Viaduct and Roquefort in early July. Details to follow.

After our successful visit to Figeac, the second OUS SW France visit of 2025 will be to Chateau de Fayolle at Saussignac (24):  https://www.chateaufayolle.com/en/home/on May 7th. The vineyard tour begins at 10:30, and will be followed by a chai tour, the appellation Saussignac tasting and a substantial shared lunch platter. The vineyard visit with owner Frank has been particularly well-liked. Numbers are limited so members should contact Nigel to book early and no later than 25th April.

Note also that there is another Chateau de Fayolle, also in the Dordogne, which has just opened its doors this year!

After a very active year, Hon. Sec. Nigel has distributed to members the minutes of the AGM held at Saussignac (24). Inter alia, members are requested to re-subscribe now for this coming year: more details are provided below. A final visit for this year is planned for this October to the Musée Champollion at Figeac.

Importantly, too, the committee has new members and now a Membership Secretary in Mark Galloway and we congratulate our newly elected Chairman, Greg Hawes:

Members are also encouraged to suggest venues for 2025. We always welcome Oxford alumni in south-west France as members.

Subscriptions

This annual subscription for this coming year is €20. Those not paying by the deadline of 31 December 2024 will no longer receive details of events. Payment can be made either by bank transfer (details below) or by cheque made out to ‘OUS SWF’ and sent to: John Perry, Hon. Treasurer OUS SWF, (address in Nigel’s email).

Account: STE DE L UNIVERSITE D OXFORD ASSO SUD OUEST DE LA FRANCE
IBAN​​: ​FR9420041010161130551B03729

Nigel has written to members with details of our next visit, in summary below.

“As advertised, our next outing will be Wednesday 17 May to the Château de Fénelon, 24370 Sainte-Mondane. On this fortress, prominent during the 100 Years’ War and the Wars of Religion and birthplace of the writer, bishop, and royal chaplain (1651–1715), there is an unusually informative website (in both French and English): <https://chateau-fenelon.fr/>&#8230;.

The château has been closed all spring for the filming of Christopher Thompson’s adaptation of Robert Merle’s 13-vol. Fortune de France….

Lunch at the Restaurant/Hôtel Le Rouffillac at Carlux (<https://www.hotelrouffillacdordogne.com/les-restaurants/&gt;)

Our third 2023 event will be an afternoon visit on Wednesday 21 June to the Château Royale de Cazeneuve, 33730 Préchac, with lunch at l’Escale du Ciron in Villandraut.

When the Committee last met, it asked that all members be reminded that the terms of office of the entire committee and all the officers of the Association will expire at the AGM we shall hold in Moissac on Wednesday 13 September. As indicated in a previous message about the Castelsarrasin/Belleperche event last month, we would be very grateful if members would consider helping us by being willing to stand for election then.