Our Francophile teacher came home, spoke about this to an equally Francophile friend and it was not that long afterwards that WEVA was officially born: and it was born because five motivated people believed in the value of cross- cultural exchanges as a means to understanding people rather than ridiculing them and as a way of experiencing a different country and way of life in a way completely barred to the average tourist, or even traveller. On an exchange you are personally invited into another person's life - and if you start to analyse and philosophise about that, you will realise what a very great honour that is and of how potentially vulnerable that makes the host. Then there is the food, of course - French cuisine en gros/overall still has to be the best in the world - and the wine! As a guest in a French home, you may be served the most superb wine you've ever tasted, one which is neither to be found on supermarket shelves, nor even en vrac (wholesale) from the vintners whose adverts line all the main roads and many of the minor ones through the wine-growing areas.

WEVA organises trips to France for those who would like to stay with a French family and hosts a programme of trips and events for the French when they come to Cumbria. In a nutshell, that really is it, but the essential point of WEVA, or more appropriately its raison d'être, will be explained in the next paragraph.

On 20th October 2007, during WEVA members' second visit to France, a solemn, yet grand ceremony took place in the Salle des Fêtes, or Village Hall, in St Martin d'Auxigny. The ceremony was to formalise the Constitution and give all those present a real sense that WEVA and its French equivalent le Comité de Jumelage de St Martin d'Auxigny, (CJSMA) was not a nine-day, or even a two-year wonder, but was an organisation that was here to stay.. This is what the English wording of the Twinning Charter says:-

"The communities of St Martin d'Auxigny in France and the Western Valleys of Cumbria in England resolve to foster and maintain links with each other in the interests of European understanding and friendship. To this end they will jointly promote a variety of home to home exchanges and visits - cultural, sporting, educational, social and personal. The communities will support meetings and projects with a view to maintaining links, developing international friendships and contributing to peace in Europe - now and in the future."

One copy of this document hangs in the Mairie, or Town hall in St Martin; the other is in the Old School at Nether Wasdale, a small and beautiful Lake District village.

St Martin d'Auxigny has a different type of location. It lies right in the geographical centre of France, about half an hour's drive from Bruyère Allichamps, where a stone marks the spot. It is in the département, or county, of Cher and the province of Berry, neither of which are places which spring to mind as soon as France is mentioned and are certainly not in the same league as the Côte d'Azur, the Mont St Michel, Paris or Bordeaux: and this makes them normal, quiet, relatively undisturbed places where ordinary life is not overshadowed by the demands of the tourist market and where every other house is a B&B. Visiting France with WEVA, you are received not as a tourist, or even a guest; but as a friend, welcomed into the home and made to feel wanted. How do the Cher département and Berry compare with West Cumbria? Well, compared to the Western Valleys, the area, although gently undulating in parts, is flat. St Martin itself is a typical small French town, or bourg, aware of the attractions of Bourges about half an hour away, but largely self-sufficient with its own independent shops and services.

The main industry of the area is apple growing, sweet apples for apple juice, not cider apples, and the country roads are lined with carefully planted, well-tended orchards. The other beverage produced in the area is wine - well, it is France, after all! The name of Salers may be familiar to some people, that of Menetou Salon probably less so. These wines are not to be spoken of in the same sentence as those of Bordeaux and Burgundy, but they go down very well with a meal and are much in evidence on virtually every table. Many of the vineyards are small(ish) family concerns, whose proprietors are more than happy to take you round their cellars and, hopefully, sell you a bottle or two. Again, if you're taken by a local person, it's much more likely that  you'll be given a more thorough tour, more generous samples and, possibly, even a complimentary bottle of wine as well.

A WEVA visit to France obviously entails getting there. Travel is usually by plane from and to whichever airport offers the most convenient flights that year. Most participants travel in a group, but some take their own cars and extend the holiday on French soil. If the pattern of the last decade is followed, on arrival in St Martin, there'll be a "vin d'honneur" or welcoming reception with local drinks and nibbles. You'll meet your hosts and be taken home with them. The four full days normally spent there will be a mix of group visits, time with the host family, a semi-formal meal (but no need to dress up) and a more informal gathering where a few people say a few words and gifts are exchanged.

In addition to travel, there is the question of cost. For a visit to France, you will need your travel costs and travel insurance and, whilst it is customary to take a small gift for your hosts, this is not compulsory. Some people like to treat their hosts to a meal by way of a thank you too, but this is not compulsory either. Otherwise, everything, ie meal costs, transport, entrance fees etc is normally included, but, naturally, we reciprocate when the French are over here.

WEVA aims to pay the visitors' expenses from funds, but does ask the hosts to pay their own coach travel, where applicable, car transport costs (but not to and from the airport) and organised meals out. Personal arrangements are left to hosts' discretion and may well depend on whether or not the visiting is reciprocal.

A third issue often of concern when considering a personal visit to another country is language. Believe it or not, language skills, or even lack of them, are not a big issue. It's amazing how much communication can take place with plenty of goodwill, a small dictionary, mime and drawing. (It's like playing Charades and Pictionary for real!) In addition, two or three voluntary basic language sessions can be arranged at mutual convenience prior to visits, so it's really not a huge problem. Of course, you may not be able to converse in depth about the pros and cons of Britain's leaving the EU or have a meaningful philosophical argument about Jean-Paul Sartre's existentialist views - but would you want to any case? Asking for a coffee or beer, knowing where the bathroom is and finding your way to the shops is quite sufficient for most people!

Well, after that, doesn't it make you think you'd quite like to be part of it? So if you're humming and haaing, wondering what to do, WEVA's advice to you is Oui, Va: Yes! Go!