The (strange) things we have to do ..
Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2017 10:24 am
We have our own gites and look after another close by on behalf of friends.
(We're in France - not sure that's relevant!)
500 metres up the road from our home is an English-owned house. The family had it built about 10 years ago, lived there but didn't get on with France or the French so returned to the UK. They come out a few times in the year and rent it for the Summer to help with costs. They have a gardener and a cleaner/pool lady for visitors.
The cleaner/pool lady this year is a friend of mine - Jean. Jean has mentioned a couple of times that the current set of guests are being a bit of a pain: they keep ringing her with questions, said the pool pump wasn't on even though it wasn't scheduled to be, ask for local information, help etc. etc. Jean is a helpful person and does her best but her patience is being stretched.
Jean lives 20 minutes from the property.
So, yesterday teatime Jean 'phoned me to ask a favour. Could I go to the house she looks after because Mr. Guest had 'phoned her and said he was worried about two men around the property. They had, apparently, been into the (unfenced) garden, approached a locked shed and were loitering around in the next door field. Mr. Guest said they seemed to be 'immigrants' and he was nervous about it all. I agreed OH and I would go up and see what was happening and report back.
We approached the house and Mr. Guest came out. We explained who we were, why we were there. Mr. Guest took us around to the back of the property and indicated where the 'immigrants' had been walking and said that when he shouted "Private Property" at them they had turned and gone to the neighbouring field and were there now lying in the shade of a tree. Mrs. Guest then appeared and said the woman (woman?) had on the full, long black dress Arab women wear and had seemed to be being held up/supported by the man when they'd approached the shed. Mr. Guest thought the 'men' were looking for somewhere to sleep. Mrs. Guest was very unhappy that "you never know about these people" and that when the family were at the pool the house and their belongings would be very exposed. Mr. & Mrs. Guest were worried about what would happen "after dark".
OH and I could see the couple. We asked a few more questions. OH and I agreed to walk down the field on the pretext that the family who 'lived in the house' were worried the young woman was unwell and did they need help. OH and I started to go down the hill and Mr. Guest followed at a discreet distance. I agreed with OH that I would go first and do the talking as it would be less threatening. We called out a "Bonjour" and they replied and raised an arm in greeting.
They were lying down, in the shade, relaxing and chatting. Two young people in shorts and t-shirts. Very smiley, very happy. I explained that the family who lived in the house didn't speak very much French and had 'phoned us because we lived nearby. I explained the family were worried the young woman was unwell. They said no, everything was fine. They were on holiday and out for a walk along the stream at the bottom of the garden/field (there is an official but forgotten public footpath there) and when they'd realised it was someone's garden they'd found the shade to lie in for a while. I asked if they were sure everything was OK and they said it was all fine. We chatted about the lovely weather and how pretty the walk is and I said I often walked my dog along the path etc. etc. They asked if I was English. Just chit chat.
We left them to it and told Mr. & Mrs. Guest the gist of the conversation. It didn't seem, to us, there was any cause for concern and that if the couple were up to no good they now knew we knew them and that Mr. & Mrs. Guest had an eye open so they would have to be pretty bold to make mischief.
The young couple in shorts and t-shirt didn't seem to fit the story of "two men, immigrants" nor the woman in full Arab dress .....................
Whilst I can understand Mr. & Mrs. Guest's concern I'm not sure what they really expected/wanted us to do.
Back home OH and I discussed it and he made me promise that if something similar occurred here, at another place or on our own property that I would not get involved if he was not around. Fair enough - I probably wouldn't.
Just really wanted to share an interesting incident and ask if others get involved in odd, unexpected situations - the strange things we have to do ....................
(We're in France - not sure that's relevant!)
500 metres up the road from our home is an English-owned house. The family had it built about 10 years ago, lived there but didn't get on with France or the French so returned to the UK. They come out a few times in the year and rent it for the Summer to help with costs. They have a gardener and a cleaner/pool lady for visitors.
The cleaner/pool lady this year is a friend of mine - Jean. Jean has mentioned a couple of times that the current set of guests are being a bit of a pain: they keep ringing her with questions, said the pool pump wasn't on even though it wasn't scheduled to be, ask for local information, help etc. etc. Jean is a helpful person and does her best but her patience is being stretched.
Jean lives 20 minutes from the property.
So, yesterday teatime Jean 'phoned me to ask a favour. Could I go to the house she looks after because Mr. Guest had 'phoned her and said he was worried about two men around the property. They had, apparently, been into the (unfenced) garden, approached a locked shed and were loitering around in the next door field. Mr. Guest said they seemed to be 'immigrants' and he was nervous about it all. I agreed OH and I would go up and see what was happening and report back.
We approached the house and Mr. Guest came out. We explained who we were, why we were there. Mr. Guest took us around to the back of the property and indicated where the 'immigrants' had been walking and said that when he shouted "Private Property" at them they had turned and gone to the neighbouring field and were there now lying in the shade of a tree. Mrs. Guest then appeared and said the woman (woman?) had on the full, long black dress Arab women wear and had seemed to be being held up/supported by the man when they'd approached the shed. Mr. Guest thought the 'men' were looking for somewhere to sleep. Mrs. Guest was very unhappy that "you never know about these people" and that when the family were at the pool the house and their belongings would be very exposed. Mr. & Mrs. Guest were worried about what would happen "after dark".
OH and I could see the couple. We asked a few more questions. OH and I agreed to walk down the field on the pretext that the family who 'lived in the house' were worried the young woman was unwell and did they need help. OH and I started to go down the hill and Mr. Guest followed at a discreet distance. I agreed with OH that I would go first and do the talking as it would be less threatening. We called out a "Bonjour" and they replied and raised an arm in greeting.
They were lying down, in the shade, relaxing and chatting. Two young people in shorts and t-shirts. Very smiley, very happy. I explained that the family who lived in the house didn't speak very much French and had 'phoned us because we lived nearby. I explained the family were worried the young woman was unwell. They said no, everything was fine. They were on holiday and out for a walk along the stream at the bottom of the garden/field (there is an official but forgotten public footpath there) and when they'd realised it was someone's garden they'd found the shade to lie in for a while. I asked if they were sure everything was OK and they said it was all fine. We chatted about the lovely weather and how pretty the walk is and I said I often walked my dog along the path etc. etc. They asked if I was English. Just chit chat.
We left them to it and told Mr. & Mrs. Guest the gist of the conversation. It didn't seem, to us, there was any cause for concern and that if the couple were up to no good they now knew we knew them and that Mr. & Mrs. Guest had an eye open so they would have to be pretty bold to make mischief.
The young couple in shorts and t-shirt didn't seem to fit the story of "two men, immigrants" nor the woman in full Arab dress .....................
Whilst I can understand Mr. & Mrs. Guest's concern I'm not sure what they really expected/wanted us to do.
Back home OH and I discussed it and he made me promise that if something similar occurred here, at another place or on our own property that I would not get involved if he was not around. Fair enough - I probably wouldn't.
Just really wanted to share an interesting incident and ask if others get involved in odd, unexpected situations - the strange things we have to do ....................