Avec les Wauters
Dordogne, 1995
Wauters is my mother's family name. One of her brothers, Gisbert Wauters (my Godfather), and his wife Régine had a property in the Dordogne region of France (I think). They lived in Brussels but had family holidays there. In 1995, our holiday in the Dordogne coincided with that of Vincent Wauters (a son of Gisbert and Régine) and his family. They came to see us on our camp site in Sarlat and we all went canoeing on the Dordogne river.
I am assuming the whole of my family was there that year, in which case Thomas probably took the photo of us all having a picnic on the riverbank. A historic occasion one could say. Vincent is in the centre. His wife Frédérique is sitting down (striped T-shirt) and their eldest son, Simon, is in front on the left. He came to stay with us once in England. We remember him as 'extremely active' and fearless on a mountain bike.
Vincent owns a circus school in Brussels: École de Cirque de Bruxelles. The last time we went to Brussels (over a decade ago in Régine's back garden) is the only time I have been 'tight rope walking' (officially funambulism).
Gisbert died some years ago but Régine still lives (2024). She and my mother Françoise were best friends when they were young before and during WW2. Françoise was a Guide Leader and Régine was one of her troupe. Gisbert was training to become a priest in the Belgian Congo. When I was young he regularly sent me photos of elephants and giraffes and other jungle animals. The story is that Gisbert eventually wanted a wife and there wasn't much going in the Congo. I think my mother perhaps thought Gisbert and Régine would make a good couple and she could help things along by bringing them together. For whatever reason, Gisbert came back to Brussels and he and Régine became husband and wife and settled in Waterloo where Gisbert set up a plant nursery business (see the pine tree in our garden).
