Hobbies Exhibition arrives at Bellocq

ExhibitionFollowing a successful exhibition at the Hall of the Moutete, the Festi-Hobbies will be on show at Bellcocq from 13 to 14 July.

Originally launched at Moutete in 2009, and shown again in 2010, the Hobbies and Collectors Exhibition returns this time albeit with a different theme. Michel Borderes, the main organizer, a man who never runs out of ideas, it would appear, decided to revive the exhibition by rotating it each year, in a different place in pais Ortes’s territory. As a result, the new 2013 edition will take place at Bellocq in the sports hall and also in the surrounding countryside. The event which will be called “Festi-Hobbies” will be a National celebration, and as such there will be a large spotlight shone on the history of France which will include the involvement of historical military re-enactors.

New Event

Actors Partisan Guard is an established historical re-enactment association who will preview their new show at this years event. The recreated Pyrenees's battalion includes the 70th half-brigade of General Jean Joseph Amable Humbert who disembarked in Ireland in 1798.“This was the only successful landing on Irish soil by French soldiers hoping to liberate Ireland” says Patrick Charlot who hails from Aydie in Vic-Bilh.An author and keen student of Humbert’s life, Patrick Charlot is also a passionate historical re-enactor. Furthermore, Patrick has forged great links with Ireland and because of this, he and 15 of his comrades in “Partisan Guard” have been officially invited to Ireland to participate in a huge historical re-enactment of Humbert’s 1798 expedition titled ‘In Humbert’s Footsteps’ which takes place in county Mayo in late August.Following the invitation, Patrick Charlot and his comrades began meticulously identifying and recreating the exact same uniforms worn by the soldiers of Humbert’s army. While the buttons had to be manufactured in Italy, all the uniforms were made in Charente, and all the leatherwork was done manually by members of the association. The first time that these new uniforms will be worn in public by members of the partisan guard association will be at Bellocq. The group will also set up a typical military camp of the day while their naval member worker (who incidentally bears the name of Chauvin- hero named) will revive to the public, traditional crafts including forging and woodcraft.

According to Michel Borderes, there will be 50 exhibitors in the Bellocq sports hall each one selected “for their originality and the quality of their expertise”