In deepest Southwest France you could be somewhat startled to discover a cricket match rather than a game of boules being played during the summer. In the sleepy village of Catus (46 Lot, Midi-Pyrenees) a few miles north west of Cahors, the local cricket club (Catus CC) has acquired a new cricket ground with the help of the local Mayor (Maire) who has helped the club get a loan to purchase some municipal land, and who will also open the new pitch.
We are in a tourist area and our little town relies on this summer trade to boost the local economy. The mayor is pro British and for integration so it becomes a win win situation for everyone if he can boast a cricket pitch in the town. I'm sure other communes in France could adopt the same route for the same reasons, which could help the sport to develop.
The Mayor will open our pitch officially next Sunday with a fundraising meal and match. So all in all I'm hopeful we will be going from strength to strength!
In many ways Cricket and Boules (or Petanque) are not so dissimilar - they are very sociable games which benefit from being played on hot, lazy afternoons at a gentle pace.
For more info on French cricket - see www.cricketeurope.net
Now this could be taken to indicate how much the Brits have infiltrated parts of the southwest - but also how well they have integrated. Certainly the Sunday markets at nearby Cazals and at Montcuq are very popular with the English tourists and expats - there's even stall selling English second-hand books! Certainly the incomers have tended to push up property prices, but equally they do support the local economy - few young French people want to stay in the countryside - few jobs and few opportunities.
The other factor which is impressive is the existence in most French villages of municipal tennis courts, football pitches etc, which are recognised as an important community asset. The village hall, often next to the Mairie, is heavily used for local functions - for although the French enjoy the privacy of their own homes, they do come together for local events and celebrations, sometimes for no obvious reason!
Catus has a number of nearby attractions - the Lac Vert (Green Lake) is an oasis of quiet tranquility (except in mid-summer, when it is a popular day out for the children); at St Medard Catus is one my favourite restaurants - Le Gindreau - a little extravagance, but we enjoyed several memorable and lengthy lunches on the terrace in the middle of the countryside. Le Gindreau was converted into a restaurant from a former school, which was also the case at Les Arques 
few miles further north) where the La Récréation Restaurant was created.
This was the subject of the book by Michael Sanders From Here, You Can't See Paris
The restaurant has a good reputation - but somehow I was expecting something less grand - with tables in the courtyard in summer they can seat 130 people! However, we cannot report on the food - due I suspect to the 35 hour week, the restaurant is closed for 2 whole days midweek even in summer!!
Michael Sanders' two books (the other about winemaker families in Cahors) do offer a great insight into life in the rural southwest - and whilst they may not be racy reading, they are well-written and describe the locals and their way of life with great affection.
