In Minchinhampton we had two butchers.
One was local and did all the game and the other, who came from London, wouldn’t touch game but made the most delicious faggots.
We have started smoking our own fish since we don’t like the bright orange fillets that are most commonly found here, and only person who does good smoked fish is a long way away. Haven’t quite perfected it yet, but get a pretty good result in a kettle barbeque.
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Yes, just a Grade 1 bent terrace.
John Wood’s masterpiece.
I found it awesome, when I first saw it as a child 
We found fricandeaux which look a bit like faggots. I don’t know how widespread they are. You can get them in Hyperfrais in Albi, and we found them in Bergerac as well.
Did you live in Minchinhampton?
They’re also readily available from most butchers on markets in the Aveyron, and in our neighbouring Lot and Cantal.
However, whilst I’m fond of Aldi, I prefer buying fresh food from local producteurs - too much supermarché charcuterie has huge lists of additives on the label, but also one builds up a relationship when buying regularly from the same source.
For several years we’ve mainly bought our cheeses from a fromagier in Bagnac-sur-Céle who is present on most of our other weekly markets, and who winds my wife up continually. Last Spring , when we returned to him after a few weeks wintering in Seville (and therefore not buying his cheeses) he announced to the queue of locals, " Ah! Les touristes sont arrivées !"
Conversely, today I bought a lovely range of tomatoes off a lady from whom I buy every week and then she asked me if I also needed parsley (which I often buy from her, but today had forgotten). When I replied, " Oui, s’il vous plait", she gave me a big bunch for free. Surely this is one of the innumerable, heartening ways in which la France profonde (or whatever you/they/ils/elles) want to call it differs so much from urban England (I won’t malign the Scots , Irish and Welsh!).
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Chalford Hill. I was a teacher at SHS until 1985.
Albi, not Aldi! Not a typo.
I think you will find that L’ Angleterre profonde differs quite substantially from urban England.
I don’t think what you describe is that much different from rural England where you can get the same friendly relationship.
Oops! Sorry (I’ll have to sack my proofreader).
However, your correction prompted me to discover whether or not Albi has an Aldi. Answer at:-
Well fancy that.
Our elder daughter would have started there the next year and Sarah three years after.
We lived in Burleigh and then Brimscombe before moving out here to the Clunysois.
We were just talking abut Minchinhampton Common to our friends yesterday afternon and explaining that the cows had free range, which they fund rather strange.
Where do you live now?
We lived for ten years near Albi, but had to move back for family reasons.
We are now only 45 minutes from Minch in Swindon.
Has no-one mentioned riz de veau yet? I can’t resist it when I see it on a menu, though I’ve never cooked it myself.
Me too.
Love ris de veau!
I am sorry to hear that.
I hope all is well with your family.
Kind of you to ask. Not perfect by any means but bearable.
We loved France, now we have to compensate with an ice-cream from Winstones on
Rodborough Common, or the beer, as the French don’t really do beer.
Bonne soirée