ASSISES NATIONALES

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We weren't long arrived in Brugge when a trip was organised to the Assises Nationales (Ard-Fheis) of the Gaullist party in Lille. This was the French town in which de Gaulle had been born and it was only an hour's drive from Brugge.

I don't remember how the trip came to be organised. I have a vague recollection of having had something to do with it but I'm sure the actual organisation must have been undertaken by the College.

I have some recollection of being apprehensive about it as our Polish student, Zdzislaw Nicinski, came with us and I'm fairly sure his papers did not entitle him to enter France. Fortunately he was not challenged. I think the coach crossed the border smoothly both going and coming back.

I was lucky to get an interview with Bernard le Calouc'h who was the Gaullist party's publicity man, as far as I remember. As well as discussing the party and the Assises, he gave me some posters and some ephemera, including a gold coloured pin of the party symbol, the Croix de Lorraine, which you can see at the head of this post.

My attention was immediately drawn to a set of cards, about 4"x6" which explained, in very summary form, the party's policies under 14 headings. You can see the two sides of the intoductory card above.

I complimented him on these and said that they would be very handy for candidates canvassing from door to door or making speeches. He immediately made it clear that he found this observation completely out of order and grossly insulting. I was very taken aback at this reaction to what I thought was paying a compliment to the party's foresight and thoroughness of organisation.

But no!

Every member of the party knew exactly what it stood for and had absolutely no need of cog cards, thank you very much.

A bit touchy there. Think I rumbled him.

You can judge for yourself from the description on the introductory card.

The Assises ran from the 24th to the 26th of November 1967 and on the very next day de Gaulle scuttled the UK's (& incidentally Ireland's) attempt to join the EEC. I have referred elsewhere to one of the reasons he adduced for his refusal: "Ils boivent du thé".

We all watched his press conference on the college telly. The picture was chronic and the only good thing I can say about it was that it was not necessary to bang the set to stop the picture rolling. The shot above is from a movie clip I took at the time.

The following year was the famous 1968 and les événements when de Gaulle himself ran into bit of trouble which led to him retiring in 1969.

1968 was also the year of the Prague Spring when Alexander Dubček came to power. I have a vague recollection that our Czech student, Vratislav Izák, returned home early in connection with this, but I may be mistaken in my recollection. The Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia took place in August 1968, well after the end of term.