The 14 July at Pessac

Pessac celebrated the 14th July with the help of a MASSIVE wind band from the small town of Manuel in Valencia province in Spain. The group has come in three coaches to spend the weekend at Pessac, playing for the parade and ceremony this morning, for the dance in the park this afternoon and evening and then at a concert in the church on Saturday evening.

I'll pop on some videos of the parade when I can.

After the ceremony, which involved a short speech, a Remembrance Day-style commemoration with flags, fanfare "aux morts", silence, wreaths and Marseillaise (played rather slowly three times by the Spanish band - normally it is played once, briskly), there followed an apéritif on the top floor of the cinema, and very pleasant it was too.

We got talking to a lady with a Shitzu, discovered she is a retired English teacher from the University and got invited to her house some time.

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