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WHAT WOULD WE DO WITHOUT ANGELS?
We journeyed to France on Tuesday 25th September. The main
reason for our trip was to attend the Welsh v Fiji Rugby
match on Saturday 29th at the Beaujoire Stadium, Nantes. Our
destination was La Baule and our French friends very kindly
allowed us to stay in their small ‘Summer Let’ cottage in La
Baule, close to Le Pouliguen, the twin town of Llantwit
Major.
Journeying south through Brittany we planned to visit
another of the places associated with St Illtud, an
itinerary we had followed on our previous visits to France.
This time it was to be a place called Ploerdut. The large
church there was in the process of being renovated and the
workmen were reluctant to let us in. We intrepid Welsh
travellers pleaded our case and ventured into the church
despite any dangers we might have met. However we were
disappointed to find no historical evidence of St. Illtud at
all. A short stop at a local bar for much needed refreshment
followed, where a friendly landlady, (who incidentally was
from Chippinghaml! ) directed us to the nearby crossroads
where a sign should point the way to the chapel of St Illtud.
Sadly the chapel had long been demolished and the only
indication of the site was the road sign shown below.
Pic.1: Jimmy, Mair Griffiths & Author at the Crossroads
Our first stop-over was to be spent in Carnac. When we
arrived, due to a massive restructure of the roads into
Carnac, we had great difficulty in driving to our hotel.
Very frustrating for we could see the hotel but could not
access the car park. This presented a problem in that Jimmy
Griffiths, being a semi invalid was not able to walk the
distance.
This was the moment when the first of our guardian angels
came to the fore. The gardener at the hotel agreed to drive
Terry a 5km. circuitous detour back to the Town Hall, where
we had left Jimmy and Mair sitting in our car. We then
proceeded in convoy to follow the gardener on the reverse
route! Our hotel stood at the base of a 6000 year old
Megalithic tomb or tumulus. Perched on top of the burial
mound was a chapel dedicated to St Michel, illuminated at
night but only open to the public one afternoon a week
Subsidence being the reason for this restriction. We were
one day too late!
Pic.2: Picture of the Tumulus and Chapel of St.
Michel,Carnac
On now to Le Pouliguen / La Baule where we spent the next
two days meeting up with old friends who as well as
entertaining us, helped us to book our train tickets to
Nantes (I’m afraid my French isn’t that proficient) and
arranged to meet us on our return from the game. More
assistance from our Guardian Angels!
Saturday 29th Sept. dawned bright and fair. Every thing was
going to plan and suitably attired in our red jerseys, Welsh
caps and carrying two enormous flags we arrived at the
Nantes stadium.
Pic.3 ‘Welsh Supporters’
Anyone who might have read the front page of our local
newspaper, ‘The Gem’, dated the 11th. October will know what
happened next. For those who missed the report, poor Jimmy
took a tumble on entering the stadium and it was later found
he had broken three ribs! We escorted Jimmy and Mair to an
ambulance with the aid of some excellent paramedics not to
forget several mounted gendarmes. It was now close to
kick-off and the mounted gendarmes formed a ‘V’ and
proceeded to part the exuberant crowds now entering the
stadium. Enclosed in the ‘V’ were the paramedics, gendarmes
and Jimmy in a wheel chair. One French wit commented, ‘It is
like Moses!’ Jim insisted that Anne and Terry must not miss
the match and so we proceeded to find our seats and watch
the game. Sadly, Wales lost but Fiji deserved to win. After
the match we tried to locate Jimmy and Mair, only to be
informed that the British Consul was arranging for them to
be taken back to Pornichet, the base for the Welsh Team.
Hywel, Jimmy’s son, a physiotherapist for the Welsh Team
would then be able to assist his father. Knowing our friends
were in safe hands we proceeded to Nantes Station to return
to La Baule. Our train would only take us as far as St.
Nazaire on the return journey, so our friend Brigitte was to
meet us on arrival St. Nazaire and then drive us back to La
Baule. On our arrival, she and our friend Annie Breton were
there to greet us; Annie’s husband Michel having driven all
the way to Nantes, a good hour’s journey by car, to return
with Mair, Jimmy being ensconced in Nantes Hospital, very
aptly named, Hotel Dieu, God’s Hotel!
Pic.4: Mair at the Hotel Dieu’
Michel and Mair returned to La Baule at midnight. The
following day, Sunday, Michel came to take us to his home to
enable us to telephone an insurance company and the
hospital. This took most of the morning and then after
taking us for lunch, he drove us back to Nantes Hospital to
see Jimmy and to arrange for Mair to stay in the Holiday Inn
close by the hospital. When Terry was booking Mair into the
hospital a woman sitting near to reception introduced
herself and offered to help. She had once taught maths in
Llantwit Major Comprehensive school! That evening Mair,
anxious and tired remained in her room. During the evening
the lady’s family had dined in town and on returning visited
Mair with a tasty supper. Another ‘angel’?.
The insurance company would arrange to fly them home the
following day. Michel then took us back to Le Pouliguen to
have dinner at Brigitte’s house with Veronique and Annie.
During the meal the girls toasted Michel and wished him a
happy feast day for the day before. Of course the 29th
September was Michelmas, as we used to call it. Now it is
the feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. What would
we have done without our very own St Michel and his band of
angels! We arrived home safely on Tuesday 2nd October, which
coincidentally was the feast of our Guardian Angels. What
could have been more appropriate? This set me thinking about
two hymns that we used to sing when I was a child. Do any of
our readers remember them I wonder? Sadly I think that the
Angels are neglected nowadays. What a shame. They appear in
so many forms and guises as we found out on this visit to
France.
Guardian
Angel from Heaven so bright, Dear
angel ever at my side,
Watching
beside me to lead me aright. How
loving must thou be
Fold thy
wings round me, O guard me with love, To leave thy
home in Heaven
Softly sing
songs to me of Heaven above. To guard a
sinful child like me.
Beautiful
angel my guardian so mild,
Tenderly
guide me for I am thy child.
Anne Rooney
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