26/10/2025
For Monique's ceremony to be made Honorary Townsperson of Bridport Mike Farmer our chairman for many years prior handing over the reins to Jonathan shared below speech.
Monique's engagement with St Vaast goes back to at least 1972 when, as a newly qualified French teacher, she helped organise the annual primary schools visit to St Vaast. These have been started in 1969 by Len Starkey, headmaster of Burton Bradstock primary school, with the object of introducing leavers from local primary schools to each other and to some of the staff from the colfox school while encouraging an interest in French and France. When Val Elliott stepped down from leading the visit, Monique and Phil Clements took over. With her culinary background. Monique decided that the meals during the trip should be sourced locally. This was no small undertaking as there were some 65 students and 25 adults on the trip. She would take the students with her when shopping from St Vaast's market, which soon became one of the visits highlights and gave the students real links with the local people. She would then cook the meals to everyone's delight! She performed this annual miracle for six years until she retired in 1996. Her enthusiasm and skills vastly enriched the experience of the young people. Her dedication and hard work underpinned the success of these visits.
Monique was a founding member of the Bridport/St Vaast twinning association in 1978; one of my strong memories of that occasion was Monique declaiming the French version of the twinning charter to the Anglo French crowd in Bucky Doo. She has served on the committee continuously ever since and some 10 years ago on the retirement of Ray Everly as president it seemed only natural to ask her to take over. She fills this role with diligence and distinction. During her time on the committee, she has worked tirelessly in the interest of the members both here and in St Vaast. With her restaurant and culinary skills she has supervised and often cooked the meals we offer to our members and our French guests on their biennial visits. these meals have long since convinced our French friends that the art of cooking is not dead in England!
She has led our French conversation group on many occasions where we have enjoyed and learnt from her enthusiastic interest in French and French culture. The conversation group is free to all. The association also offers two annual bursaries that have helped over 50 local pupils with their French studies.
Among her many talents is a fine singing voice and on many occasions we have been delighted with her renditions of 'Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien' and the 'Marseillaise' all the verses!
I often think of her as the soul of the twinning association to which I would now add the backbone if that's not too bizarre concept!
Monique has given up her time, talents and good sense for over 45 years which has insured the success of the Bridport/St Vaast twinning Association which is, with others, a tribute to her many talents and an expression of her service to the people of Bridport
Monique's creative spirit led her to start Bridport's own wine bar; a process which in those days was no easy task; her application for a new license was hard fought and took persistence and stamina to but in the end she triumphed and became a licensee, the first new license in Bridport for many years. She created a thriving and popular venue enjoyed by all Bridportians. I like to think of Monique's wine bar as being in the Vanguard of Bridport's current success as a 'go to' destination.
There are so many sides to Monique's contribution to the life of Bridport over so many years; above are just a few of them. Monique is very modest about her many achievements in Bridport contribution can only be said to have improved the lives of all us lucky folk of Bridport and make a worthy recipient of this honour.
Mike Farmer.
