Page 58 - IT'S A RUM LIFE BOOK FOUR Volume 1 "Northcote 1984 to 1998"

a modern well equipped room for a good night’s rest.
The next day found us heading vaguely for the Loire Valley and travelling thorough
pleasant “Picardy” countryside. A sign post showing directions to “Liomere” sounded
familiar and I pointed it out to Ruth.
“But that is where I first came to stay with a family here in France,” she said excitedly.
“Let’s go there!”

LIOMERE
Arriving in the town square just a little after midday, everything was asleep or eating before
going to sleep but we did eventually find the location of the little shop once owned by the
Bamiére Family.

We toured round a little more and found ourselves in a very select residential area. A chap
was walking down the road and we asked him where the Bamiére family lived now.
He must have thought us very strange as he said, “but you are outside their very house
now!” (All in French of course)

We turned into the large drive of an elegant 1920’s style town house and Ruth knocked on
the door.
Before she could get a word out, it was Madame Bamiére who said quite positively, “It’s
Ruth!”
It was in fact 27 years since Ruth had stayed with the family and their daughter, Nicole
subsequently spent some time with Ruth’s family in England.
Such is the nature of French hospitality, they had a party in our honour and we stayed the
night.
Before all this I must explain the Bamiére family used to have the village store and were
also local distillers. They would travel to your farm and turn your home made “cider” into
potent “pommeau” or “calvados”.
Madame explained that she had to finish some important distilling paperwork to be
delivered to the local Town Hall as soon as possible. Would we like an apperitif while we
waited for her?
An orangilla bottle was produced containing colourless liquid. Generous
measures were dispenced into stem glasses and we were left alone for a few minutes.
It was fresh young Calvados, too strong for even my generous pallette !

By now the family were the only local official distillers and it was their son who was the
principal. We had to visit his beautiful thatched barn of a home with central “hall” and
galleried landings to bedrooms and various other facilities. It was obvious that the distilling
business had been kind to the family fortunes!
Madame excused herself and while she made preparations for a family evening, and
sent us off to visit her daughter.

AT THE COAL MERCHANT
We went to visit Nicole, now married and living in a neighbouring village. Her husband
was the coal merchant and their yard was the tidiest and cleanest I have ever seen.

By now it was almost the end of the day and we were invited to join Nicole and her