Dominique Zanardi has worked really hard over the last few months. He has converted the area around his bar and turned it into a cosy and modern pub lounge area. He went all the way to Scotland to purchase a carpet decorated with the black watch tartan and has used wooden panelling to add a warm touch to the walls and ceiling. Dominique was delighted with the opportunities given by two events that allowed him to inaugurate the Scottish bar and, in particular, the wooden stage area designed for live music.
Firstly, he held a Scottish St Andrew's Night thanks to the organisation and participation of Jean Luc Saint and Nicolas Choquet (The Jocks), together with other musicians, notably Jean-Luc's son Thomas, Mireille, Eliel and Miccaïah (the latter two being members of The Gleannancre Pipe Band). The atmosphere was lively and the participants were definitely in the right mood for a good time, while listening to pipes and drums.
Secondly, Dominique willingly accommodated The Christmas Truce crowd after their Carol Service in the church in Pozières. The Truce buffet always follows the Carol Service and this year the participants were delighted to come in from the cold and eat delicious snacks made by French, German and British people. They were equally delighted to be treated to a free concert given by a British trio who haven't yet found a name for themselves. (They can't agree on one!)
The trio is made up of John Anderson, Victor Piuk and Derrick Llewellyn. They played a range of Clapton and Beatles numbers, all that after playing their little hearts out in the church in Pozières. This year they rose to the challenge of playing and singing Greg Lake's I believe in Father Christmas. The congregation was really positive about this year's Truce and sang along to most of the tunes that they knew or had heard of.
The church in Pozières had been given a facelift thanks to the Mayor Bernard Delattre and his team of volunteers who worked really hard, despite snowy conditions, to make the church interior more attractive. This also provided a white backdrop above the altar for the video projections that conveyed The Battlefield Language Academy's Christmas Truce message of peace and tolerance.
By Paula Flanagan
