Roadworks in Catus, Jan-June 2024

Catus - plan for roadworks

Major roadworks have started in Catus consisting of three different project phases. Phase 1 and 2 are very close to completion. On completion of all 3 phases by the end June 2024 many of the traffic problems Catus has suffered over the years should have been solved.

Roadworks in front of the Mairie

Route de St Denis

Rue principal

Rue principal

Mi-Carême (mid-Lent) festival in Catus

The Mi-Carême is a tradition that goes back to medieval times and is widely celebrated in many parts of France, with the participants dressed in a variety of festive costumes.

On Saturday the local school organised the Mi-Carême festival in Catus. Residents of the village and surrounding areas were dressed in colourful costumes and paraded around the village accompanied by lively music and dancing to celebrate mid-Lent, the half-way mark of abstinence before Easter.

Parading in colourful costumes and music

Parading down the main boulevard in Catus

Passing the war monument at the end of the boulevard

Hog Roast (Cochon à la Broche)

On Wednesday 21 June the traders of Catus held a Cochon à la Broche in the Place de la Halle as part of the week-long Fête de la Musique. A great time was had by the large crowd that attended.

Refurbishment of Lac Vert, Catus

The refurbishment of the Lake (Lac Vert) on the outskirts of Catus started about a year ago and is expected to be completed by the end of February. The work involved

• draining the lake completely, 
• building a dyke alongside the internal roadway, 
• creating a sluice to control the flow of water into the canal and lake,
• building a new beach area and
• reinforcing the main dam. 

The drained lake bed

View across the drained lake bed before the building of a
dyke on the right

The canal with the completed dyke to the left

Sluice gate across the canal to control water flow into the lake

New Roadworks in Catus

New roadworks have been completed at the entrance/exit to the village along the Cahors road. This has helped to ease the flow of traffic and created proper car parking spaces in front of the Post Office and cemetery gates.

Fire Service Open Day

The Catus volunteer Fire Service had its Open Day on a lovely, sunny spring today. There were demonstrations of fire services skills and the kids had lots of fun dressing up in firemen gear and having drives around the village in the various vehicles.

Communal emergency backup plan (Plan Communal de Sauvegarde - PCS)

Current law requires that the mayor in municipalities provides a prevention action plan to deal with foreseeable natural risks, such as floods, explosions, exceptional heat-waves, terrorist threats and so on. To this end a number of local communes, including Catus, held drills on Friday 6 February between 20:00 and 23:30.
In Catus the drill was based on the simulation of an exceptional flood in the village, with volunteers in teams doing house-to-house visits to buildings and property on both banks of the river Vert to ensure that occupants were made aware of the problems and action to be taken by them. The mayor and councillors were based in the town hall to direct the exercise.

Remembrance Day in Catus

On a beautiful, sunny, autumn day a large crowd turned up in front of the war memorial in Catus to honour those who fell in the First World War and other wars since. Children from the local school sang La Marseillaise and other songs and a Ginko tree of peace was planted to commemorate the occasion. (Ginkgo has become a symbol of peace because some gingko trees survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima).

The mayor, aided by schoolchildren, planting the Ginko tree

Mi-Carême (mid Lent) festival

On Saturday the local school organised the Mi-Carême festival in Catus. Residents from the old peoples' home (EHPAD) were invited along to join in the festive occasion in the village hall. A procession around the village ended the occasion on a beautiful sunny day.

The Mi-Carême is widely celebrated in many parts of France, with the participants often dressed in a variety of festive costumes.

Christmas Fair in Catus

The Fair was held at the market hall (le halle) in Catus and attracted a large number of visitors of all ages. The stalls had a number of seasonal items on sale and there were games and a special train ride for the children. A great time had by all!!

Remembrance Day in Catus

On a beautiful, sunny, autumn day a larger crowd than usual turned up in front of the war monument in Catus to commemorate the centenary of the 1st World war on le jour de l'Armistice or le jour du Souvenir. Unlike in the UK, in France the day is a national holiday and the blue cornflower, Bluet de France, is used symbolically rather than the poppy.

Fête de la Châtaigne - Chestnut Fair

Early autumn is the period when the annual Fête de la Châtaigne is held in many villages and towns in France. Cakes, breads, cream spreads, drinks and many other products made from chestnuts as well as other locally produced items are available at these Fairs. These are scenes of the Fair held in the lovely village of Saint Caprais in the Lot on a bright and sunny 11 October.

Concert in Catus

As part of the Journée Européenne du Patrimoine on Sunday 21 September, the local Association de Sauvegrade de Monuments et Sites organised a concert in the church of St. Astier, Catus. The concert featured songs in Occitane (the old local language of the region) as well as other languages sung a capella by the Quatuor 2B2R, two couples who met at the School of Music in Cahors.

Completion of "la Verniere", Catus

Major renovation works at Le vernière, the site of the weir along the river Vert in Catus, has now been completed. It is once again becoming a focal gathering point for people of the village and our visitors.

Work in progress

Same view after completion of work

Seating area with steps down to the river

General view across newly-planted grassy area