Since 1986, the Convention has been held every five years, but Covid prevented travel and gatherings across the globe. The long-awaited 8th Convention was finally held in July 2023, to everyone’s delight.

Thursday 27th July : 

D Day : From early morning, Gilbert’s spirit is present and the village is ready to welcome the families: the flags of the expected Venables countries fly on the façade of the Cultural Centre, the mast of the feudal mound proudly displays the coat of arms and Norman lions, and the dragon and signposts are in place.

The 42 members of the CCGV and their friends, who have been preparing for these exceptional days for seven months, check the arrangements for the various venues and activities and finalise the decorations and lighting.

3 p.m.: The first Venables families arrive at reception. The teams dedicated to this mission welcome, embrace, comfort and share all the emotion of a first trip or reunion. To immortalise this unique moment, a photo of each family is taken: it will be the subject of a lovely surprise at the end of the Convention. A tea room is open, offering drinks and cakes, allowing for initial chats and unexpected encounters with new members of the large Venables family. The blue sky and sunshine were unable to join in the official welcome ceremony, and it was amid a guard of honour and applause from the Venables that the families were welcomed into the school buildings, which had been decorated for the occasion in Gilbert’s colours.

Patrick Lequette, President of the CCGV, welcomed the families to the land of their famous ancestor and declared the 8th Venables Family Convention open.

Jean-Marie Drouet, Honorary Mayor, gave a moving speech on the history of the Conventions, and Joris Benier, Mayor of Les Trois Lacs, affirmed on behalf of himself and the elected officials present the new municipality’s commitment to the cultural character and continuity of the event. A gourmet cocktail party, homemade by the organisers, allowed everyone to raise a glass to the success of this wonderful initiative, which has been running for almost half a century!

To round off the first day, a large buffet was served in the village’s large communal hall, where everyone enjoyed a festive and convivial atmosphere in the company of the patrons whose generosity had made the celebration even more wonderful. Everyone went home with their heads full of dreams and laughter, ready for a good night’s sleep under the sky of their ancestors.

Friday, 28th July : 

Friday 28 July A benevolent spirit blew over the village and the umbrellas were put away. The morning was free for leisure activities, but there was a fabulous heritage walk through the three villages of ‘Les Trois Lacs’. Many families chose to take this tour, which could be done in military vehicles provided by the ANMM (Association Normande de Mémoire Militaire). The tour was enriched by information panels, texts and photos, supplemented by details provided by our favourite local guide. Each stop featured charming stories from a bygone era in the villages of ‘Les Trois Lacs’.

The morning was marked by some wonderful donations to the CCGV: Brian Venables donated his father’s research. His father had been conducting genealogical research for four decades. This is a wonderful gift, and the CCGV is committed to doing everything possible to classify and promote this incredible work and share it with the Venables families. The second donation was from Mrs Christiane Lallemand: two letters and a photo that Dorothy Mary Faith Venables wrote to the Lambert family after her visit to the village in August 1901. The CCGV will conduct research to find out more. The CCGV is very grateful and warmly thanks these two people.

At 2 p.m.: Various workshops were open to the Venables families and the residents of Venables, and everyone could participate according to their preferences.

• How to make and bake bread in an old-fashioned oven. A look back at the process of making bread and baking it in a wood-fired traditional oven.
• Expressing oneself through writing, poetry, painting, and drawing on the name Venables, a fun and recreational session for young and old alike. Some beautiful creations were produced.
• Escape Game ‘In Search of the Yew Tree’. A first for Venables. An outdoor historical trail through the village of Venables, with numerous clues relating to Gilbert’s chivalrous era and an unlikely ending.
• Visit to the ‘Once Upon a Time in Venables’ museum: commentary and discussion on artefacts from the period of the first human settlements to the present day.
• Visit to an exhibition on the school and Norman costume, featuring everyday objects and traditional clothing from the last century.

All these workshops were covered by regional television crews, who also recorded emotional testimonials from the families, resulting in a report broadcast on FR3 Normandie.

• At 4 pm, there was a gourmet break with afternoon tea for everyone under the marquees in front of the presbytery. Guests enjoyed slices of bread baked by the Venables families that morning with homemade jams made by members of the association. It was a real return to tradition and country-style gourmet food.
• An evening themed around Normandy, with decorations and a menu reflecting the colours of our province, served in good spirits by the Cultural Centre team, followed by a concert and stage show at Notre Dame Church.
• A cultural moment of harp, cello and singing with Pauline and Clément, who had some wonderful surprises in store for the audience with a repertoire known beyond our borders. After delighting the ears, light and a text awaited the families on the church square. An original historical text on the origins of the name Venables, created and recorded in English, accompanied the illumination of the church’s stones and stained glass windows.

Saturday, 29 July :  

Saturday, 29 July: The free morning allowed a second group to take the fabulous heritage tour of the three villages of ‘Les Trois Lacs’. The Venables families were particularly impressed by this heritage discovery. They enriched their knowledge of how our villages have evolved since the departure of their glorious ancestor. The interest and choices made by the team members made this activity a great success.

At 2 p.m.: Various workshops were open to the Venables families and the Venablois, and everyone could participate according to their preferences.

Cooking workshop: Working in pairs to make the famous camembert tart, with the recipe and a small personal notebook provided.

Escape Game for all those who had not been able to do it the day before… Gilbert’s companion was still there to point everyone in the right direction and take some nice photos.

Sharing a dog training session at the Champ de l’Eure club. A demonstration by a dog and its owner, this activity chosen by the children delighted young and old alike and proved to be a wonderful discovery.

Museography: Once upon a time in Venables reopened its doors to share its knowledge of the events and various items in the temporary museum’s collection.
The rooms of the presbytery offered two lovely exhibitions: one on the school of yesteryear, with many examples of schooling from the past that are so similar to that of today. The second featured beautiful items of clothing for day, night, parties, babies and women, where visitors could admire the needlework of our ancestors, as well as tools and accessories from Norman households.

For the Convention, a pop-up shop opened its doors to the Venables families and the people of Venable, offering them the chance to purchase some lovely souvenirs. The members of the association and their friends created and produced accessories based on the theme of travel.

Craftsmen were also present to offer original, handcrafted creations.

A tour of the Renaissance castle of Gaillon, built by Archbishop Georges d’Amboise, was also offered and attracted several families. The tour was led by a guide from the Agglomeration Community Tourist Office. This castle is an essential part of our region’s heritage.

A tour of the Renaissance castle of Gaillon, built by Archbishop Georges d’Amboise, was also offered and attracted several families. The tour was led by a guide from the Agglomeration Community Tourist Office. This castle is an essential part of our region’s heritage.

Saturday evening’s theme was Guinguette. A recommendation had been issued regarding the dress code for the evening, and our families competed in elegance and originality. To make this evening unforgettable and in keeping with the guinguette atmosphere, the decoration was worthy of a guinguette by the water’s edge, a delicious meal was served at the table by the Cultural Centre teams, and Dominique’s orchestra provided entertainment and kept everyone dancing until the end of the night with an introduction to the famous French dance ‘la Java’. On this occasion, and given that everyone looked magnificent, we took the traditional souvenir photo of all the participants in this 8th convention in front of the Cultural Centre. It was also an opportunity to give each of the families a gift to commemorate their stay in our village. During the evening, we shared an emotional moment when several members of the Venables families thanked the organisers, expressing their happiness at being reunited and, above all, at the warm welcome they had received, which made them feel like family, giving the organisers a standing ovation. At the end of the night, everyone went home with fabulous memories already in their heads and hearts.

​Sunday, 30th July : 

Brunch was laid out and the tables were set for breakfast. Everyone was happy to be together, exchanging emails and phone numbers, making plans, arranging visits, filling out the guest book, and receiving a personalised set of photos of each family taken during the welcome. Everyone was smiling, but already the shadow of departure was looming. After promises, endless hugs and eyes filled with tears, each family left to return to their homes far from the village of Gilbert, where we had been happy to welcome them. The bell rang, and one family left to applause, then another, and another, and another.

It’s the end of an adventure that makes us nostalgic. We already miss these families with whom we develop stronger and stronger bonds at each convention. But we’ve shared such incredible moments that we’re eagerly awaiting the next convention.