After a delay of nearly a month and a half since I’ve written a blog, I am forced into writing this one as I had some great news recently.

I’ve been working in another village and got a call from my next door neighbour in St Frichoux. (The guy who disguises himself and goes on missions for the French Government!)
He’d been out in the courtyard  and saw some kids playing at the fountain, so decided to approach them about my key. The stolen key story is known in the village, and so is the fact that the police have been told, so he managed to ease some information out of one of the quieter ones – enough in fact to locate my missing key!

It seems that a group of local kids use my garden as a shortcut through some properties. I always wondered why it was, during the summer that the grass always seems to be trampled down. These kids were using it as a playground.
It appears that the key was ‘thrown’ onto a tiled roof, and that it had been spotted by this lad when he climbed across it whilst playing. My neighbour, Mr Bringuier, said he would get a ladder and would climb up and get it, but this lad insisted he could climb up without the use of one. He did so, and returned the key to my neighbour, who said that undoubtedly I would give him a reward. He insisted he had nothing to do with the original theft and was willing to give his name, Enzo, a local kid.

UPDATE/July17
I had seen Enzo at the village ‘pétanque’ competition in July, so was able to give him his reward. I didn’t think 50€ was too little, especially as the whole story didn’t quite ring true. The kid was so unappreciative that it sort of stunned me.

So, as Mr. B had to go off on one of his missions, he left the old castle key with his mother and I was able to go and collect it the same day.
She told me the detailed story, which I listened to interestedly, only really wanting to see the proof that my key was there somewhere. My eyes probed around the room for a key-shaped object, nothing – she must have surely put it in a drawer for safety?
Finishing her tale, she pointed to the mantlepiece of the chimney, and there I retrieved that old symbol back.

Its just a piece of iron to most, but to me it’s a really important piece of the house’s history, and its going to remain with me, and not be put back in the door!