Post written by Hannah Elizabeth Wright (team member & media guru)

There are some evenings that remind us exactly why we do what we do — and our recent quiz night at the Salle des Fêtes in Verfeil was one of them. The hall was glowing with chatter, laughter, and the unmistakable buzz of friendly competition. It was the kind of night where neighbours became teammates and everyone came together for one shared purpose: supporting our wonderful oldies.

By the end of the evening, thanks to your generosity and enthusiasm, we raised an incredible 1415.31 euros. That’s not just a number; it’s warmth, comfort, and care for the dogs who rely on us every single day.

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If there’s one thing that can unite a room full of people before a quiz begins, it’s the smell of good food — and our chef for the evening, Dineke, delivered in style. With the help of Jill Gorman and Harrie, she served up steaming dishes of vegetarian and beef lasagne, each portion as generous as the last.

And then came dessert: a beautifully baked apple cake drizzled with raspberry coulis.

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Our dynamic quiz duo, Gill and Karl, once again proved that they know exactly how to get a room thinking, laughing and disagreeing with one another. Their questions covered many different areas and were occasionally delightfully/annoyingly tricky. The kind that spark whispered debates, triumphant cheers, and the occasional “I knew that!” 

A huge congratulations to the winning team, Give Karl a Wave, (Caylusian neighbours/teammates) who all walked away with a celebratory bottle of wine. A well‑deserved victory that resulted in Karl getting a wave from the entire room when they were announced as the winners.

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The raffle table was a treasure trove yet again, thanks to the wonderful people who donated prizes. Each item added excitement to the evening and helped boost our fundraising total. Your generosity made the raffle sparkle — thank you to Maison de Loups (25€ gift voucher a decorative mug); Elsa Beale (gourmet chocolates), Andrew and Jean Wright (bottle of wine and floral soap dispenser); Gill, Anke and Samantha (Ladies Basket); Theresa Wildsmith (Vase)

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Behind every successful event is a team of people who quietly make everything run smoothly. Our heartfelt thanks go to:

• Gillian Lindsay and Karl , our quiz orgainisers and quiz masters.
• Ali Stickler
• Hannah Elizabeth Wright
• Caroline Mills​
• Lesley Davies
• Samantha and Ian Moore
• Frédéric Passamant

Your time, energy, and kindness are the backbone of evenings like this.

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What made this night truly special wasn’t just the fundraising total — it was the knowledge that every person there came to help give our oldies the comfort and care they deserve.

Thank you for showing up. Thank you for supporting us. And thank you for being part of a community that believes in making a difference.

Thank you to team member Hannah Elizabeth Wright for writing our quiz night blog.

The dogs are looking forward to another warm winter, thanks to all who participated in last Thursday’s quiz in the Salle des Fetes in Verfeil.  With entrance fees, food, drink, our popular raffle and donations – including some that came afterwards from those who couldn’t attend – we managed to raise a whopping 1,096 euros – thank you!

We kicked off the evening with a welcome speech from Anke and D+D’s latest resident, Mr Q, who seemed very happy to be out and about. Anke did mention that he took himself straight to bed when he got in, but only after telling all the other dogs about how lovely Sarah Belcher’s tagine smelt and that he had very much hoped he’d get to taste it. Much to his (and Anke’s dismay), he had to leave before it was served. 

A fun night was had by all with two teams,  the ‘Top Dogs’ and the ‘Saint Projet Saints’ (with only 3 members!) claiming joint first place. A big congratulations to both teams who all came to the stage to choose a bottle of vino each to celebrate their victory.  There was one other team that also deserves a special mention – mine! I had entered us as ‘The Try Hards’ which proved to be the perfect name, as there was a lot of head scratching/disagreeing, which resulted in us coming last in part 1. For part 2, in a desperate bid to change our luck, we tweaked our name to ‘The (Must) Try Harders’ but came last again – it was a spectacular defeat which we all laughed about in the end. We had hoped there would be a prize for doing that badly.

On the last two quiz nights we have been blessed with the presence of chef, Sarah Belcher, who cooks everything from scratch in the kitchen at the Salle. This year we had the choice of a delicious chicken or vegetable tagine, with harissa sauce on the side. We got lots of ‘compliments to the chef’ and ‘the spices were perfectly balanced’ when we collected the empty plates.  Sarah runs the popular restaurant, the ‘Boui Boui’, near Arnac very kindly donates her time, along with providing the ingredients for cost. We are so appreciative of this Sarah – thank you! Our lips were licking for a second time with Ali Stickler’s legendary (back by popular demand) sticky toffee pudding and cream. I was so excited to eat mine that I forgot to take a photo of it, so had to go back for a second serving.

With our tummies glowing, it was time for our ‘Winter Evenings’ themed raffle, which was kindly organised by Caroline Mills. The winners were able to take their pick from a variety of prizes including wine, ginger cake, scrabble, books and chocolate.

Also available to buy on the night was some of Theresa Wildsmith’s charming pottery. She has very kindly donated this to us to sell at events such as this with 100% of the proceeds going to D+D. Thank you Theresa!

A big thank you also, to Jo Castelli who helped to set up, serve, wash up and tidy away and to those who participated in the quiz, then helped put all the furniture away at the end. 

Last but not least, un grand merci beaucoup to Gillian and Karl for organising the entries and creating a very (challenging – for my team  anyway) fun and memorable quiz. We couldn’t do it without you at the helm.

This year’s ladies’ afternoon was a resounding success, a testament to our collective efforts. The use of a private home overlooking Najac provided a stunning backdrop, and the perfect weather allowed us to enjoy our afternoon tea outdoors, with only a few spots of rain. It was a truly memorable experience.

With twenty-eight ladies participating and ten therapists, Corrine started the proceedings with a whole group ice breaker of laughing yoga. Each participant had an individual 20-minute session, with a choice of therapy. Massages on offer included an anti-stress seated massage by Samantha Moore, facial massages from Corrine, Hand, foot, or face massages by Janet Whealan and Nadezda Neva. Reiki sessions performed by Mikayla Mitchell, Reflexology by Rose Dodd, and flash makeup given by Laury gave each lady a enjoyable experience (contact details are below.) We thank them so much for giving their time for free. Many of the ladies said this was the most enjoyable part of the afternoon, as we often do not take time out to give ourselves a bit of a pamper, do we?

We were lucky to have three small group workshops run by Lisa, Irena and Melissa. Lisa took chair yoga, Irena a session on Cooling the Inner Storm, Reclaiming Your Spark and Melissa 5 steps to happiness.

After everyone had taken part in all the sessions, we sat down for a traditional English afternoon tea of savouries, including sandwiches, scones, and biscuits, as well as scones with jam and cream, and a lovely selection of cakes made by our baking gurus, Caroline Mills and Amanda Irvine. Prosecco was sipped if chosen while Elsa sold raffle tickets.

As part of fundraising, we had a selection of wellness books and fiction, Andy’s inspired pawprint tea towels and tote bags and items that had been donated, which are for sale in our Vinted store.

Once the raffle had been drawn and afternoon tea was consumed, everyone made their way to the large hall for a relaxing session of Nidra yoga led by Mikayla. Nidra yoga, also known as yogic sleep, is a form of guided meditation that induces deep relaxation and a sense of calm. After the session, thank-you’s and goodbyes were said.

An excellent way to spend a Wednesday afternoon and raise 1,100.00 euros for our residents at Dawn & Dusk; Cheyene, Mabel, Dolly, Mitch, Quatorze, Pompom and Andy. All who have become accustomed to a lifestyle of good food, an endless supply of natural chews, comfortable beds and vet care when needed.

The Dawn & Dusk team worked tirelessly to organise, run, and clear away the event. Gill, with her culinary skills, made the delicious sandwiches, while Hannah added a touch of elegance with her flower arrangement with tables set Jo served the sparkling elderflower cordial, welcoming all. as goodie bags were handed out to take home. We all rallied around serving tea and cleared up at the end. A special thanks to Gill and Elsa for returning on Thursday to help me tidy away.

It was such a perfect venue, setting a standard to reach for next year. The search is now.

therapists contacts

Yoga with Lisa 06 52 64 32 49

Reflexology Rose Dodd 06 73 78 64 65

Massage & sophrology Corrine Quinonero 06 23 33 62 85 www.lebienetrefeminin.com

Focus wellbeing Irena Marie Makowska 07 69 17 51 25 https://www.irena-marie-mindcoach.com/

Wellbeing & lymphatic massage Nadezda Nave https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100054576904960

The mind retreat Melissa Martyn 07 68 17 41 44 https://mindretreat.uk/

Hairstylist and Make-up Artist Laury Chocron 06 14 14 21 24 https://www.instagram.com/maison.june.hairstylist/

Massage, Reflexology, Reiki …. Janet Whelan 06 32 51 12 80 https://www.solistic.fr/

by Hannah Elizabeth Wright

We were blessed with perfect (not too hot, cold or wet!) weather for our al fresco, dining concert chez Gillian Lindsay and Karl Billington last Saturday. A big thank you to them both for allowing D+D to use their garden and for driving all over the place on Friday to collect enough furniture to seat up to 83 people! We had a fantastic turnout and would like to thank everyone who came and supported us. With our two latest arrivals, Mabe the Babe and Quatorze, on special diets for their delicate tummies and skin issues, it is events like this that allow us to cater for their needs and get them back to health.

An extra special thank you to ‘Cod en Bleu’ who very generously contributed 50 portions of Fish and Chips http://www.cod-en-bleu.com/LoadPage.aspx?PageId=0, and to our resident bakers, Amanda Bakhtiar Irvine and Caroline Mills, for their ever popular (we sold out) doggy and apero biscuits. And to Mandy Govey, Karl Billington and Keith Hurley who serenaded our diners with an eclectic mix of Jazz and light rock and pop, click here to see a snippet https://youtube.com/shorts/rmb4lz6Nt1Q Look out for them at other events this Summer, as the Two Bad Wolves (Karl and Keith) and Retro Kandy (Mandy and Karl).

I was most impressed with how Cod en Bleu made sure that everyone had fresh, piping hot fish (or a faux chicken vegan pie, along with mushy peas and curry sauce) and chips and didn’t have to cue for ages to be served. Thanks to Gillian’s pre-planning, orders had been placed with Tony and Resa in advance, and when our guests arrived, all they had to do was check their names off the list at the van and take a bleeper that would let them know when their meal was ready. Gillian set up a condiments tables next to a van, which, courtesy of Cod en Bleu, featured a very nice bottle of traditional malt vinegar – yum!

Wild flowers and lavender from Ali’s garden were placed in vases on the tables, along with bunting and fairy lights in the trees. It was a feast for the eyes, as well as our ears and tummies.

Organising an event like this requires a lot of behind the scenes work for it to run smoothly: pre-planning admin; sourcing, collecting, washing and returning of furniture; decorating; shopping; parking; bar tending and the cleaning up! We couldn’t have pulled it all together without the help of our wonderful team members: Ali, Caroline, Gillian, and Lesley. I, (Ali) am adding Hannah too as she put in as much effort as us all but won’t blow her own trumpet.

Thanks to everyone’s efforts we managed to raise a fantastic 1338€! The evening was a great success and we look forward to seeing you at the next one.

Our next fundraising will soon be upon us on Saturday 19 July, 6pm – 9pm, in a garden in Ginals (82).

Cod en Bleu have very generously teamed up with us to offer this fundraising event, offering fish & chips or vegan pie & chips, sides of mushy peas and gravy can also be ordered. Price is 18 euros per person for fish & chips and pie & chips 15 euros (sides extra) which includes entrance to the garden and music. A selection of drinks will be on offer by donation, including beer, three colours of wine and sparkling, non alcohol beer and sparkling wine, Coke, Diet Coke, lemonade, elderflower cordial and fizzy water.

Music will be provided by Retro Kandy (Mandy Govey and Karl Billington) and Two Bad Wolves (Keith Hurley and Karl Billington) offering a selection of Covers, a bit pop, blues, and a little jazz for you to dance or foot tap along too. Saturday 19 July, 6pm – 9pm, in a garden in Ginals (82)

An evening not to be missed! Book online now:

https://forms.gle/T4G7LzesBmiY7TZB8

Post written by Caroline Mills

A BIG thank you to Caroline and her team for their day spent at the village vide grenier (boot sale)

Last Sunday morning the alarm went at 6.15 and I hauled myself out with my dogs before leaving to meet up with Jo Stephens, the first of my much-appreciated volunteers. We made our way in convoy into the centre of the village where a lady with a clipboard exclaimed “ah oui, Dawn et Dusk” and directed us to our space near the church. We unloaded, set up our table, and displayed our bric-a-brac. Jane Robinson joined us, and armed with coffee, we sold quite a few things.

Amanda Bakhtier Irvine had made cookies and dog biscuits, and there were a few bags of chocolate brownies left over from the Quiz Night. Once I’d decided to allow a tasting, the dog biscuits sold very well. Hard to resist the sales patter when your dog has just devoured a cheesy biscuit. One lucky border terrier got three packs! Mid morning I was joined by Sue Sherratt who generously donated some pieces of her work which sold well.

At lunchtime, Andrea White took over, going off to find us delicious burgers to keep us going. Linda Walsh joined for the afternoon slot which saw a bit of sunshine, and a swell of people who had gone to Laguépie for plants in the morning. By 4.30 the stalls were beginning to pack up as the skies clouded over so when Sue Bedford and Maria Murphy and her helpful small niece arrived, I retrieved my car and we loaded up. Later at home, armed with a fortifying G&T, I added up the takings. Including a few bits sold afterwards, our total was 227€. That’s not bad for a vide grenier.

Thanks to everyone who donated items, cakes, or their time. Very much appreciated. In many ways this was a public relations exercise. As was my hope, we met lots of locals who were aware of D&D and pleased to see us there. It was an opportunity to chat about our elderly dog family and how they are unadoptable, but lead a good life with good food and healthcare, access to open fields and a comfortable barn furnished with rugs and old sofas. It’s the Dawn and Dusk way.

Come and join us for an afternoon of you time.

Our ladies’ afternoon is for a small group of thirty ladies. It is an opportunity to connect with others, indulge in afternoon tea, participate in our wellness sessions, and experience a one-on-one therapy session.

In addition, we will have a raffle that will include prizes for a 1:1 session with Irena-Marie Makowski, an animal communication session with Colleen Kersey, Jo Malone’s room fragrance, a bottle of gin and all that is needed to drink it, and more.

Finally, we all have gifted items or items that we no longer need or use stored away in our cupboards, so we will have a (small) area for you to browse with an honesty box.

If you have any (good condition) clothes, accessories, jewellery, bags, or any items that would interest our female attendees, such as books or crafty bits, we would greatly appreciate your contribution. Please let us know if you would like to donate.

We hope you can attend. As this is a small event, places will be given on a first-come basis. Once we have your R.S.V.P. (contact@dawnandduskfrance.com) and payment to secure your place, we will send you an online form to fill in for the sessions. (Please note that we will try our best to allocate your first choice but ask for a second and third.)

Tickets are 28 €, payable via cash

Cheque, payable to Dawn & Dusk which should be sent to Ali Stickler, La Singlarie, 12270 Najac.

Paypal (friends & family option) donations@dawnandduskfrance.com.

HelloAsso https://www.helloasso.com/associations/dawn-and-dusk/formulaires/

bank transfer please contact Ali Stickler for details.

We envisage it will be popular, so don’t sit on the fence if you wish to come. xxx

Hello, I’m Cheyene, I’m the latest addition to the Dawn and Dusk doggies. I have been speaking to Caroline Mill’s who has translated my message for me for you all to understand.

I’ve been here for nearly seven months now. I was living in the woods after my owner became ill, so I love all the comforts and regular meals I get now. They sometimes call me the Bossy Bitch, well, I wasn’t going to let Colin, Primus and Mitch boss me around was I, but I’m a sweet old lady really. You just have to let them know who is in charge, so I told Pompom that I was taking over his diary this month, because there’s an important message to deliver to you, our very kind supporters. I mean, you can’t leave that to a terrier, can you?

Very soon we are moving to spacious new premises, and you wouldn’t believe the costs involved. Just fencing us in for safety is costing five thousand euros. I’m allowing the three boys to share my barn. There’s a new floor going in, and the walls are being tiled so my housekeeping team will be able to clean it easily. There are so many things to be done, and the ladies who run Dawn and Dusk (Anke, Ali, Elsa, Gill, Lesley and Caroline) are very determined to do everything right first time so they work closely with an official animal protection inspector lady who tells them what has to be done. Of course all this costs a lot of money. Usually it costs about a thousand euros each month to keep all of us comfy, healthy and well fed, but this move is going to cost about 20,000€. So we are launching a Go Fund Me appeal https://gofund.me/1cddcf1d to raise this money. I understand that not everyone can afford to make a big donation, but everything you can give will help us reach our target. Will you help us? Please click on the link and help us reach our target.

We have two fundraising channels Go Fund Me https://gofund.me/1cddcf1d which accepts Bank card or PayPal and HelloAsso, our French platform which does not take any commission from you or us (it will ask you to donate a % but you do not have to) https://www.helloasso.com/associations/dawn-and-dusk/collectes/fonds-necessaires payment is via a bank account.

Should you wish to donate the old fashioned way we have other options. Please could you mention ‘ projet’ with your payment. Our Paypal account is donations@dawnandduskfrance.com (option friends & family, please) or Euro cheque payable to Asso Dawn & Dusk and send to Ali Stickler, La Singlarie, 12270, Najac or by Euro Bank transfer account details below.

Thank you so much.

Your very loving bossy bitch Cheyene

Our first online dog photo competition was a big success with 117 entries in 8 classes it raised 527€ for our oldies.

Judging was between our vet Oona Van De Gucht (Mas de Cazes, Parisot), Award-winning local photographer Lynn Emery and our web designer/ illustrator Freya Stickler. And boy, did we get some great photos, making judging hard.

First prize was donated by Dutch artist Suzan Visser, an illustration of the winners dog and her book filled with her artwork. Mutley, dog in motion won, his guardian kindly donated his prize to be auctioned raising another 175€ the highest bidder. Second prize was donated by photographer Lynn Emery a photo shoot of the winners dog or if not local a basket of dog goodies. It just so happened we had joint seconds so Susan Bedford won the photo shoot of Toby the goofball while Senior winner Buddy’s guardian, Rachael Finch kindly donated his prize to our oldies. Third prize went to scruffiest dog James, who hopefully is sharing his box of natural dried animal parts with his two housemates. (if guardian Tanya Cullinane can face opening the box).

Congratulations to everyone who entered here are the great photos of 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd places. If you did not enter this year why not start flicking through your phone and save those best shots ready for next year.