John and Geoff head into La Giraudiere to volunteer and lend a hand in France.

La Giraudiere continues its 2016 season with the arrival of 2 new guests. John, Paul’s brother, and his friend Geoffrey Heath came to volunteer in France for a week. They are tied for 5th volunteer of the 2016 season.

John is a Londoner through and through whereas Geoffrey is from Rochdale, however they both now reside in Germany. John works for the US army and Geoff is a retired tailor.

John was a valuable asset to the team – he assisted greatly in painting apartment 4 and the balcony rendering project by providing a constant supply of cement. He also repaired the shower in apartment 4, chopped some wood for the fireplace and cut down some weeds with the weed whacker.

Geoffrey took over housekeeping duties, keeping the apartments spick and span and making sure the table was set for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day to keep morale bursting high.

On the night of their arrival the duo were welcomed by being taken to Le Bistrot du Circuit, a local French restaurant which overlooks a Formula 2 race course. Their menu offers a wide variety of splendid French dishes and great value for money – you can get a three course meal for 18€ with a choice of 6 entrées, 6 plats and 6 desserts.

They both leant their talents to create some great-tasting German cuisine to share with the team, with rhubarb and apple pie for dessert for the weekend.

Geoff, Foo, Paul and John enjoying a drink together

They finished off their stay at La Giraudiere by attending a special fish & chips night held at The Clubhouse, a local sports bar. La Giraudiere was full of fun and laughter during the week of their stay.