This was the idyllic setting for a barbeque. The hedge has grown since our last visit to this house so you can no longer see the Meuse but the towering hills of the Ardennes are a wonderful sight to enjoy as you have an al fresco meal.

We were invited for Sunday lunch because they had a favour to ask; would we help their younger son with his English during August?

After a champagne aperitif and plenty of food and friendly conversation it was impossible to say no. But when I realised they meant Quentin to stay with us for several days at a time I began to see a few problems.

As far as I'm concerned it would be a pleasure. This young man, now 17, was the tiny baby we looked after when his uncle had a heart attack almost at the same time as we arrived in the village to stay in the holiday home belonging to another of his aunts.

The whole family went into shock. People rushed hither and thither and his mum pushed the baby into my arms  with breathless instructions for finding bottles and nappies etc. and disappeared in the car.

Sadly the uncle died and we went to stay in our friends'  'real' house in Charleville, leaving the family to grieve and organise the funeral in the village.

So now, we are going to be left 'holding the baby' again, so to speak. Bear is a bit grumpy about it, especially as I don't know how long he's going to be with us. We kind of arranged that they would bring him next Sunday evening and we'd 'see how it goes'. . . . . .

CC and Jay are sympathetic as they realise the poor lad probably doesn't want to come and live with an English family whom he doesn't know very well but they do feel it is a bit of an imposition.

As far as I'm concerned, I enjoy having visitors but am aware that some of the work will fall on CC and Jay's shoulders if my knee doesn't improve soon. We are all looking forward to meeting Sophie with Chris and Chaddy on Friday and some more friends are coming to stay at the end of August. Trouble is, I can't be sure what will happen with Quentin in between.

It looks as though next month is going to be 'interesting'.

Some time ago we noticed that the 'second telly' -

the one I use to watch French TV - was behaving badly. The colour came and went and sometimes the picture narrowed. 

This week we decided to take it to be repaired. The man put it on his bench and connected it while we were there.

"Strange," he mused, "ir's not a fault I've seen before. Leave it with me and I'll ring you within 48 hours."

Yesterday he telephoned to say he could repair it for 75 euros. It was not as bad as he had feared but 'did we have a cat because they had found evidence of liquid. . . .?'

"You mean a cat has done a pee in the television?" I asked.

"Erm, yes. It's quite possible."

"Well we do have six of them so it's highly likely."

We collected it today and the man explained how he had cleaned it all inside.

"Our repairs are guaranteed for three months," he announced as we left.

"Even against cats?"

"No, sorry!"

So who's the guilty party I wonder.

                            Parsley likes sitting on the computer monitor,

or in the laundry basket.

The twins prefer to share an armchair.

Chloe likes a radiator.

Toby patrols to keep all the girls in order,

but suspect number one is Holly, as she spends quite a lot of time on the boxes behind the television.

Yesterday, Michel Fourniret, already serving a life sentence without remission, was before the court again to answer allegations concerning Joanna Parrish.

This 20 year old English girl was found raped and strangled in May 1990. Monique Olivier had accused her husband of the murder but she later retracted her accusation.

Fourniret, himself was more co-operative about answering questions but denied the crime, although he admitted it did have his hallmark.

Lawyers for Joanna's family asked how it was that Monique Olivier knew certain details about the crime and had originally accused him of being the perpetrator.

Fourniret couldn't explain it but said perhaps the police had told her.

After the summer recession the Fourniret's will be back yet again.