At last week's meeting one of our members, André, shared the fascinating story of his grandfather, Henry, as well as his father, Marcel and the family's many years spent in France.

Following the end of the First World War Henry, a gardener, worked for the International War Graves Commission, and was stationed in Aubers, Northern France to tend the war graves there. Marcel was born in 1929 in Fournes, and, as a result of emergency surgery, was named after the doctor who saved him. Growing up as a foreigner in another country, Marcel had occasional problems integrating with the locals - at school a particular teacher disliked the English, so that each morning he had to sing La Marseillaise with the other children. One of the children's pastimes was to go through the nearby fields to collect relics from the First World War, including helmets, shells, gun and rifle parts and then set fire to them. When, in 1940, the area was invaded by the Nazis, Henry looked to return to England with his family in the very last hand-made Peugeot ever made, which he had previously bought. Whilst the journey was not without its challenges and changes of destination from Dunkerque to Boulogne, the family was finally able to cross the Channel safely on board a Red Cross hospital ship and return to Hastings. Several years later, André came across a sign indicating Aubers was now twinned with Wadhurst - records show that several local men had fought and died in the battle of Aubers. A recently published book entitled 'The Caretakers: War Graves Gardeners and the Secret Battle to Rescue Allied Airmen in WW2' by Caitlin G deAngelis includes some of Henry Hayler's story; and a podcast entitled War Graves Gardeners includes an interview with Marcel Hayler from 2019 and can be heard on Spotify.

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 22 April, when we shall be bringing to life some of the well-known fables of Jean de la Fontaine.

Between September and May our club meets every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at 2.30 pm at Holy Redeemer Church Hall, Upper Church Road, St Leonards. We welcome all Francophiles and French-speaking nationals. We make a small charge of (currently) £3.00 per visitor. There is wheelchair access to the hall and free parking nearby. More information can be found on our website www.hastingsanglofrenchclub.com as well as Facebook page, Hastings Anglo French Club.