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When we first arrived, we went to the mairie to introduce ourselves and asked about joining some local clubs. 

We asked specifically about a seniors' club but the maire explained that the president had died and no one had taken over, so it was no longer functioning. 

Then they asked if we would like to re-start the club, so we said yes!

Patricia is now president of Les Séniors Leucois and I am the assistant treasurer.

We posted details of it around the village and included a flyer in the seniors' Christmas box, provided by the town hall. After three years, we now have around 40 members who are all French, so we do everything in French. Membership is €15 per year. 

Patricia teaches members English, and we have a weekly games meeting in the village library on a Friday afternoon. 

We play belote (a French card game) among other games. It gets quite raucous. We always have refreshments; cakes and rosé of course. French life really does revolve around eating and drinking!

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Once a month the club goes on an all-day outing to somewhere interesting, such as the Musée de la Chapellerie (hat-making factory and museum) in Espéraza on the river Aude. You need a lot of water to make felt.

We also went to Sète for the day and took a boat ride across the bay to visit a mussel producer. We have plant exchanges too sometimes.

Every December we go out for a Christmas meal. Last year we went to the training restaurant at the Lycée Professionnel Charles Cros in Carcassonne. It was fabulous. 

It is a real restaurant run on commercial lines, but completely staffed by students, supervised by their teachers. 

As well as having a wonderful meal out, we were supporting youngsters beginning their culinary careers, which was great.

Our members are all over 55 but some of them are in their 90s. Let me tell you, they can wolf down a four-course lunch with the best of them! 

As a fun diversion, in 2023, we invited all the members, plus our friends and neighbours, to a party to celebrate the Coronation of Charles III because people in France are so fascinated by the British Royal Family. Far more than we are. People turned up in droves.

We get a lot of jokes and banter. The members say: “You British are so good at getting things done. You are so efficient.â€� 

I think we have a reputation for being organised and putting things in place. There is very little culture of pulling together here, of putting aside personal differences, and acting for the good of the majority. 

Having said that, the club is a very cohesive bunch and we are hoping that someone else will take over as president. We think we have found someone who will.

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Richard’s tips for getting involved in village life

• Introduce yourself at the mairie when you move into a village. 
• Join any clubs you can – choirs, local history, pottery, printing, keep-fit. You will improve your French and people will get to know you. Then they will join your club. 
• Starting an association is not hard, but getting a French person to help makes it much easier. They will also know how to apply for all sorts of subventions and aides to help you run the club. It is amazing how much financial help is available once you learn the system.