Starting up a new school in the year that Covid 19 struck was perhaps not the most fortuitous of choices but the fact that we are now about to start our second term points only to God's Providence. I thought that following on from my last post on the subject I'd provide some more background of our exploits at St Peter's College in St Pierre de Maillé.
The College is up and running and taking students. See the website to request a prospectus.
The three photographs below show the grounds on the day we arrived. The grounds were a little overgrown - only ten years worth of weeds to get rid of.
We rescued some of the roses along the border.
I think the pink one is the variety Queen Elizabeth II.
Quite appropriate for an English speaking school!
As well as the myriad of professional trades on site, we tackled some of the work ourselves, pitching in where we could. This one must have been fairly early on, as I'm still looking cheerful. However there was plenty of major work to be done. The heating system, the electrics and the decorating. I say decorating, but it was rather more than some light repainting. The rooms for the boys needed completely reworking to include en-suite facilities for each room (based on two sharing). So while tackling the gardening and cleaning and repainting the shutters could be done, putting in new plumbing was certainly beyond my DIY skills.
Neither priest nor headmaster was spared from the physical work,
although it was often a welcome break from all the office work and dealing with the bureaucracy.
We were fortunate to have help from a number of friends as well who pitched in on various occasions.
Some of the walls in the classrooms
before and after!
Before and after again.
What is now one of the games rooms
before and after.
You may notice in the last photo the square paneled lights.
All the classrooms and boys rooms had to be assessed for lighting and along with a myriad of other very particular specifications, these were inspected in great detail by various departments of the French State.
On their final inspection fifteen inspectors for lighting, heating, fire, police, disables access, the mayors department, schools department, etc came for a whole day of inspections, sometimes measuring out the millimeters!
Fortunately, we had expert advice and everything passed.
One of the things we had to change was making an extension to the railings down the steps to the present refectory. Fortunately, we managed to secure the service of the same talented blacksmith who has done much work at nearby Fontgombault Abbey, which is just 15 kilometers away.
The school is ideally placed for groups wanting a base in this beautiful and historic part of France in the summer months. All rooms are en-suite.
The local people in the village thought we had worked a minor miracle in getting French firms to carry on working on site during the month of August. Four different firms on this particular day. Apparently, it is a usually unbreakable rule that August is for holidays (Covid times notwithstanding), so we were fortunate indeed.
In true Benedictine style our work was sustained by prayer,
although at first the setting for Mass weeks was less than ideal.
Fortunately our beautiful chapel is now in full use every day.
Along with Fr Lawler, the resident Chaplain, we were at Mass with the Archbishop, His Grace Pascal Wintzer, who was in the neighboring village with the Daughters of the Cross, celebrating their 200th anniversary there. (Having left the convent of St Pierre de Maillé, where the school now continues their tradition of education.) At our meetings the Archbishop has been most welcoming.
Now looking a little tidier
and ready to accept our pupils.
An aerial view shows the school's proximity to the beautiful views afforded by the River Gartempe.
We've also been fortunate, through investors and donations, to be able to purchase extra properties adjoining the main site. This one has been named "Sacré-Cœur", where we are placing a statue left by the nuns, which will function as staff accommodation as well as extra public space for the boys and - separately - a music practice space.
St Peter takes pride of place in the Refectory.
The tennis court, which is next to the playing fields.
And finally...
some random shots about the place, including the Chaplain's cats.
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