On the occasion of the end of the year, we spent twenty-four hours with friends in Cayeux-sur-Mer, a town of 2500 inhabitants located west of Abbeville on the Picardy coast, south of the mouth of the Baie de Somme,
After listening to the wishes of the President, truth, dignity, hope, we exchanged among friends. Then, on the pebble beach, where the summer beach cabins are located, we went to spend midnight. On the bench facing the sea, we improvised a sumptuous buffet.
It was cold, which did not allow us to think about dragging on. Nobody even considered a midnight swim …
When we returned to warm, we passed one of the two butcheries of the city.
And this message posted on the window, which I leave with his spelling errors:
“Dear customers
Following an activity too low in winter, I must close the butcher definitely
the charges, the competition of three markets a week and the current conjuncture, make it too difficult to continue
I thank the small minority of cayolais who have been faithful to us all year since 4 years
Thanks to the residents of the secondary houses, our Belgian customers, the residents of the campsites during the season to have trusted us and appreciated our products
The proximity between traders with whom we created a true friendship, thanks to them for this good atmosphere during these 4 years
Happy New Year celebrations to you
THANK TO ALL “
The population of the municipality, tendentially declining, is relatively old: according to the 2016 census, the rate of people aged over 60 years (30.9%) is higher than the national rate (21.6%) and than the rate of the department of the Somme (21%). And more feminine than elsewhere: 53.4% of women, compared to 51.6% at the national level. A small fifteen shops I would say …
I do not know whetherf it’s normal or not : maybe the city does not need two butchers, maybe it is also necessary to eat less meat. I do not know whether it’s right or not. What do I know about the management of this butcher, the quality of its products? …
But to this shopkeeper of Cayeux I do not know, I wish a happy new year 2019. Through his message so touching, so elegant, he will remain my first encounter in 2019.
Iconography : on the beach of Cayeux-sur-Mer, December 31, 2018, midnight (personal collection)
After working as an international banker for emerging countries, Laurent Lascols became global head of country risk / sovereign risk (from 2008 to 2013) then global director of public affairs (from 2014 to 2019) for Societe Generale. In 2021, he founded Aristote, an advisory firm and training organization dedicated to environmental economics, sustainable finance and impact finance.