Winegrowers demonstrate in region's capital

The start of the demonstration at Place Peyrou, Montpellier

I chose a bad day for a RDV with a client on Wednesday. The meeting had been arranged two weeks ago, and was to be held in offices situated in Rue de la Loge, Montpellier. I thought the city was busier than usual when I arrived and parked in the Place de la Comedie large car park. Wednesday is usually busy as it's the children's day off from school, so it's the day that mum can take them with her to do some shopping. But it seemed much busier than normal.

As I left the underground car park I saw lots more activity and it was then I realised I had chosen the day of the big Winegrowers demonstration. Bad decision, but an important client, so I had to go ahead and try to get through.

The reason for the demonstration is well known. For a long time the winegrowers in this area have been making complaints about the perilous state of the wine growing industry in Languedoc. Normally this has involved lobbying politicians or holding large demonstration - like today's, to raise public awareness.

Unfortunately, many members of the wine growing community feel that this is not enough and many times have resorted to violence. This has included throwing sticks of dynamite at agriculture ministry offices in Montpellier and Carcassonne causing serious damage, burning cars, including a car outside ministry offices in Nîmes, trashing and setting fire to the Péage offices near Pézenas, trashing local supermarkets, who they say either do not pay enough for the wine - or worse still, they sell wine from other countries instead of only French wine.

The government did act in response to the lobbying and demonstrations but the €70 million rescue plan tabled by the minister of agriculture Dominique Bussereau has been widely criticised for not going far enough. The winegrowers say they need and deserve more.

So this time they had a very large demonstration, completing blocking many parts of the city. I must add that David says that the French are by far the best at organising and staging demonstrations and strikes. Stood in the middle and looking at today's event's, I believe he must be right.

Then, after what was essentially a peaceful if not very noisy 'manifestation', the fringe element did start to cause some serious problems. I had long returned home, passing hundreds of gendarmes along the motorway and at the Pézenas péage, and the TV and radio reports were full of the events that occurred after the main demonstration in Montpellier had finished.

Several coach loads of winegrowers and their supporters, homeward bound, decided to stop at various locations on the way. The police did their best to stop them - they blocked off the town of Pézenas with over 200 gendarmes, and Béziers with even more gendarmes.

However, the demonstrators managed to stop their coaches near the village of Servian. They attacked the Lidl supermarket, trashed several police cars, lit fires on the route nationale and even set off rocket flares at the patrolling police helicopter, before the gendarmes repelled them with tear gas.

This was a sad end to what could have been a popular demonstration - the whole community depends upon a thriving wine industry so there is a lot of sympathy for the winegrowers. However, with so much world competition, and a shrinking home market (within France, wine consumption has fallen to 50 litres per adult per year, compared to 100 litres in the 1960s) it is more and more difficult for the winegrowers.

Perhaps a change of tactics is needed by all those involved in producing wine if matters are to improve.

Armistice Day

I write this entry on November 11, Armistice Day. Memorial services are held in many countries of the world to mark the ending of World War One. In France today is a Public Holiday, and our village, along with other villages, towns and cities throughout France, ceremonies are held at 11.00, the exact moment when the guns fell silent on Armistice Day in 1918. France today is a Public Holiday, and our village, along with other villages, towns and cities throughout France, ceremonies are held at 11.00, the exact moment when the guns fell silent on Armistice Day in 1918.

In Paris, for the first time since the armistice, a German leader has joined French officials to mark the moment the guns fell silent, with Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy laid a floral wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc Triumph.

Here in our village Whilst it may not have the same high profile as the occasion in Paris, it is still Regarded as an important and a solemn event. We always waiting, believing that it is so important to make sure we pay our respects and remember all Those Who Gave their lives for the peace and freedom we enjoy today. hose who gave their lives for the peace and freedom we enjoy today.

David always wears a poppy - this year they were selling them in Pézenas at a cafe called The Tea Shop, run by two English couples. However, all the people from the village who attend proudly wear 'Le Bleuet de France'. This is a small picture of a cornflower, hence the word 'blue' in the name. The cornflower was originally chosen in tribute to young soldiers who, during WW1, wore the same blue coloured uniforms.

They are sold by children, who go around the streets and call at houses with their rolls of flowers and collecting tins. David bought mine when he went to the Boulangerie for the bread this morning - plenty of children going around selling their Bleuets in the village square. The proceeds are to help soldiers wounded in wars.

The ceremony itself is evolving over time to ensure all generations are involved. Whilst children have always attended as groups, two years ago the French government asked all schools to ensure children were involved more. I believe our village it typical and at today's ceremony, not only were the troop of young Pompiers (fire-fighters) present (age between 12 and 15 years), there was a contingent from the primary school just across the road, accompanied by teachers and the Headmaster, and a group of children from the High School. They are asked to participate "lest they forget" at school and also at the ceremony.

At the village war memorial, a young Pompier, together with the President of the Anciens Combattants, Robert Chauvel, who led the ceremony

The students from the High School contributed by taking in turn to read extracts from articles about the war. Under guidance from the English teacher at the college, one young student had even prepared a speech in English. She wore a red poppy, not a Bleuet, and told the people present about last years ceremony in London, on Remembrance Sunday when three of the last surviving veterans of the First World War joined serving soldiers in current conflicts to mark the 90th anniversary of the day peace returned to Europe.

She read their names, and their age at the time of the ceremony; Henry Allingham, aged 112, Harry Patch, aged 110, and Bill Stone, aged 108. Also the forces they represented and to which they belonged during the conflict, the Royal Air Force, the Army and the Royal Navy.
She concluded her speech by saying one of the survivors, all of whom had since died, had said how important it was, never to forget the sacrifices made. It was for that reason she said, that we are here today, and for French people to never forget the sacrifices the English and other nations made for France.

David was quite moved that this young student should stand in front of an assembly and give such a tribute, and to say it in English.

The ceremony ended with what is now usual here in France. Normally there would be music, the playing of " La Marseillaise", the French National Anthem. However, in another move by the Government to encourage people to show more patriotism, to feel good to be French if you like, they have asked people at events not to play music, but to encourage people to sing the National Anthem instead.

This is certainly working, as more and more people sing - and sing loud, in a very patriotic and proud way. David is very impressed with the way the French have taken up this idea of expressing their "Frenchness". He would like to think that would work in the UK, but is doubtful. All the ideas of creating a 'Britishness' usually meets with PC cynicism.

Then after the ceremony, the mayor, as usual here, invites everyone to the Mairie for an aperitif. A chance to meet friends and have a chat.