From the community centre to the village hall

The Rural Hub

A young teacher from the Collège de Normandie and local lad, Placide Alexandre, wanted to bring a bit of life and culture back to his village after the First World War.

In 1922, he got a team together to build a harvest float that absolutely wowed the locals. Over the following years, he got the villagers dressing up for a massive "Norman Wedding" celebration. The schoolmaster, Mr Bachimont, started a choir singing regional tunes. Every other Saturday, he opened the school to everyone for talks with slide projections. The association, "The Old Students and Friends of the State School," was officially set up in 1928.

Activities were held in the classrooms. The Prefect and the Academy Inspector even gave the nod for dances to be held inside the school. Everyone dreamed of a dedicated hall for the club, but in those post-war years, the money just wasn’t there for projects like that. However, André Marie—a MP and personal mate of Placide Alexandre—helped the village secure a grant from casino tax revenues, and a public appeal for "voluntary donations" was put out in the papers. To keep costs down, the architect, Gilbert François, suggested attaching the new building to the existing school.

The Department’s First Community Hub

On Sunday, 26th February 1933, the village saw a parade of fancy cars carrying national, regional and local dignitaries: the Under-Secretary of State for National Education, the Prefect of Seine-Inférieure, the MP, the local councillor, and the Academy Inspector.

They all got to admire the murals and the stage curtain painted by Léon Régnat. The scene showed a Norman wedding set amongst blossoming apple trees. The public also got their first look at the library, the museum, and the meeting room.

Theatre and Television

On the hub's stage, local performers put on "field theatre" plays by Camille Robert Désert—a Norman author from Bretteville du Grand Caux and an Académie Française award-winner. That first performance was titled R'fée sa vie.

Thanks to the Collège de Normandie lending the association a "Pathé-Coq" projector, film screenings were held every fortnight. Mr Alexandre would put up the official poster, handwriting the date and time of the show. The local bus company would drop the film reels off at the grocer's. The screenings were a massive hit, as Mont-Cauvaire was the only village in the district showing films.

When the Second World War started, the association stepped up to help those called to arms and refugees, sending parcels to prisoners of war. Plays were staged specifically to fund this relief work.

The hub is, of course, a member of the Seine-Maritime federation. In April 1978, it had the honour of hosting their Annual General Meeting. Around that time, the hub grew its table tennis club, linking up with many other hubs across the department.

In the late 60s, a seniors' section was formed. From 1977 through to the 90s, the hub published L'Echo du Mont-Cauvaire every two months, sharing news from the council and other local groups. A twinning arrangement with a Breton rural hub in Garlan led to plenty of lively and successful visits.

In 1995, the centenary of cinema was celebrated with an exhibition and screenings, including a short film made by the village school. There was even a competition between students from two neighbouring secondary schools.

"Local History" evenings have helped gather stories and memories from the elders. In years gone by, an art exhibition was held every autumn to showcase the work of local artists.

Nowadays, the hub organises sports and cultural activities, as well as day trips for the elderly in partnership with the CAS