There is a great deal of unrest and awful happenings at the moment.
The thought now is that it was neither terrorism nor attempted-murderā¦ rather an act of mindless violenceā¦ 
Just a nasty piece of work rather than a terrorist!!
There is a barracks in our nearest large town, Castres, and the soldiers are really careful when they leave the safety of the high fences. Iāve seen a group of them in Geant Casino and I assume they are required to only go out in groups because only 2 of them bought anything and they were all ultra-vigilant. Also, one of them used the cashpoint machine and another stood on guard while he used it.
What a sorry state of affairs when our soldiers need to take such measures.
Not so long, since it was like that for our lads, close to home 
I have vivid memories of the early 1990s Bill when there were huge problems in Northern Ireland. I had to go there on business and it was probably the scariest few days of my life. Young soldiers with guns on nearly every street corner in the centre of Belfast, the hospital had 12 ft high barbed wire fencing and we had to be driven everywhere with doors locked. Terrible times.
We spent some time at a āGendarme Holiday Campā down south, a few years back. What a nice bunch of peopleā¦ but sad that they had to guard their families against reprisals or violence even on holiday.
They were Mandy, I used to sail there often on my boat, it was an easy weekend trip from Scotland, regular calls were Belfast, Carrick Fergus and Strangford, was entering Strangford once when a large RIB came alongside, a bunch of Rā Marines boarded and ācoveredā us, while the rest went below searching the boat, eventually reappearing with my crews papers, āIs this you Sir?ā one said to him, āYesā, they left soon, after a wee dram!
My friend was an ex Royal Navy Officer (Dental Surgeon).
They were a nice bunch of Lads.
On another occasion, similar occurrence in Carlingford Loch, on the way to Warren Point.
I often wonder how the children of gendarmes cope with their schooling. Whether or not they are āpickedā on because of their mother/fathers occupation.
Has anyone with children at school heard anything to that effect ?
Mrs Bā said they found it difficult to make friends, but because they were often moving, like service kids do, due to their parents occupation.
We moved often and I formed a sort of āsurvivalā modeā¦ I am naturally shy, so decided to befriend someone who appeared to be a little left outā¦or even more shy than I wasā¦ each time we arrived at a new place. Worked like a charm. 