Dear Ivan
I have in the past attended the fête The line should have read 'once again'
This was John Q's first.The mayor was thrilled to have Sinclairs from
Australia and America at the fête. We were photographed for the local paper
and interviewed for the national papers. John was given the honour of
carrying bones. John was much taller than the French. The bones were
carried on a tilt. JSQ led the procession. He did remark, 'You should
have told me where I was going." Fortunately the priest was a bit more
helpful than this writer.
Saint Clair's bones have no skull, the skull was lost in the English Channel
on it's was back to Kent.To claim the payment from the person who demanded a
murder it was customary to require proof. The proof usually was a severed
head! .
Annie will photos posted to the web site in due course.
We thought that John slowly circling with the bones around the fire was
about to be slowly roasted. It is a different feeling went hundreds of
people call the name you are proud to wear whilst walking behind a banner
carried by an acolyte boldly proclaiming Saint Clair. The weekend fête is
much larger but the French say the 16th is the 16th.
It is a non commercial event and some of the symbolism is almost pagan. The
end of the Salle de Fête ( the community hall) bear Viking symbols at each
end. The town's principal square is Place Rollon. This half mythological
brigand still towers almost 1100 years later over much of Normandie.
John's name, as if by magic, became Jean Quatremains (four hands) Sinclair.
When John returns home his singed jacket can easily be explained. Can you
hear it? As Annie said anticipating John's perfectly rational explanation
"I was carrying thousand year old saint's bones around a fire in the middle
of a French field and got a bit too close to the 10 metre tall fire, Oh and
by the way my name is Jean."
"Yea right John good story wine and sun in Normandy? Better look in on the
company doctor. No good reason but maybe you are wee bit overworked."
Sinclair
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