Isn't it a relief when the music stops!

[Hotrodder]

It's 11:10 am on Sunday morning and the music (?) has finally stopped. Since late afternoon yesterday it has been banging away relentlessly in the woods a few hundred yards away. Thump thump thump thump all bloody night. Impossible to get any sleep. Some sort of rave I guess. We sometimes get one in mid summer that goes on all night, only in the distance, and they usually stop at first light. This one was different, much closer, impossible to ignore with a car parked across the road with constant yapping and doors slamming shut. I can only assume it was a drug dealer dispensing from his car to the stream of yoofs attending the mindless rave. When the noise didn't stop this morning I decided to have a stroll down the road to see just what was going on, and exactly what size of crowd were still in attendance this long. I got close enough to see from the road there had been tents set up in a small clearing in the woods. I suspect to shelter the expensive amps and huge speakers that were causing the row. Only a dozen or so people I could see. When I turned to return to the house I was challenged. I ignored them and carried on. Then five of them followed me back to the house and while there one of the had a dump and the other followed me up to my door. I told him to bugger off and it looked like he fancied a confrontation so I said I would be phoning the gendarmes, which I did. Half an hour later the cops showed up. They came along to speak to me and I told them the story. They made notes and took my details. Very amicable and tried their best to help me bridge the language barrier. They said the event was finishing and would stop in an hour. It more or less did. Twenty minutes later now and the alleged drug dealer's car and its hooded minder is still across the road.
We will be expecting reprisals so if/when they begin there will be a partially renovated cottage new to the market in Brittany.

[hughnique]

My sympathies are with you, this is one of the main reasons we left the UK, mindless violence and disturbance by adolescents even 20 odd years ago, you didn't feel safe going anywhere, and look where it is nowadays. They all carry knives, suitable to butcher a carcass, only when someone is killed does a very short reaction take place, 15 years minimum for carrying anything resembling a murder weapon, better still bring back the death penalty, then you would not have the expense of looking after them ad infinitum

[curtis]

Did the gendarmes speak to the people in the car across the road? From what you have written it sounds as if it didn't move.

[Hotrodder]

No they didn't. And it is still there.
There has been a stream of bods pushing equipment (on casters) away from the site and they are leaving it here next to the house. I hope they are waiting for some sort of vehicle to take it further up the lane. If they are planning to set it up this close I shall have to dig out my can of petrol and matches.

[L Austin France]

This is when you need a large, angry acting growling dog tugging at the lead to get at 'em.
Our Mutt Jess would certainly do the lead tugging & I certainly wouldn't let on she only wanted to play
I wouldn't be unduly worried about repercussions as I doubt the yobbos come from your area & rarely crap in their own nest.
Maybe a re-think about a phone with a camera?

[Lori]

If the stuff is still by the house in a couple more hours, I'd call the Gendarmes back. I don't understand why they didn't speak with the people in the car.

I hate this kind of crap.

Hopefully they will move on today and that will be the end of it.

[suein56]

Hopefully they will move on today and that will be the end of it.

Certain aspects in life can be so ugly. This behaviour is one of them.

[Hotrodder]

Yes, Sue. I agree. This has certainly unsettled us. In my 23 years in France at three locations we have been lucky to have no such experiences, although I have read about a few "bad apples" elsewhere that seem to be found that appear to carry on ancient disputes. We shall see what transpires. Hopefully peace will return. If not, we may be on the move again.

[curtis]

Was it legal or not. Seeing the gendarmes seemed to know when it was stopping, perhaps yes. A visit to the Mairie to see if it was agreed might be interesting.

[L Austin France]

A lovely horsey friend of Mme is married to a Flic Motard. The Flic is not well liked by some locals as he's 'done' a few for speeding etc, but seems a decent sort of bloke.
We were at their house for aperos & I was talking to the guy about how everyone seems to have accepted 'Les Anglais'. He agreed but gave us his personal mobile number to call if anything untoward happened.
Not needed his help so far