A PEEBLESSHIRE group for French speakers has been meeting for five years, and is looking for new members to join.

The Peebles French Conversation Group was created by Simon Ritchie in 2017 as a space for French speakers of all abilities to come together and keep building on their skills.

Despite meetings being put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, the group is hoping to welcome new faces.

Mr Ritchie said: "I'm really proud of the group we've set up in Peebles. It's inclusive and welcoming to anyone with a love of French.

"We have people of all ages in the group, from folk in their 30s to folk in their 80s, all from different backgrounds and professions.

"All they need in common is a love of the French language, and ability to speak at least a little bit of it."

The group doesn't offer French speaking lessons, but is a space for French speakers – who may not get the chance to speak the language very often – to meet and enjoy friendly conversation.

To join the group it doesn't matter if members only know what they learned in school or if they're native speakers.

Mr Ritchie added: "We recently marked our fifth anniversary as a group. Sadly, due to the lockdowns and various other life commitments, we've lost a few members in the last couple of years and we want to grow our membership again now to ensure the group doesn't fade away.

"Our group meets every Wednesday from 7.30pm until later. We meet in the Bridge Inn, which is a cosy, central location. The group is totally free of charge, and we just encourage members to buy themselves a drink at the bar and join in the conversation.

"We talk about everything - from what people have been up to, to news and current affairs to hobbies, books, films, and more. It's very relaxed - if you are struggling to find the words, others will help you... and nobody is getting kicked out for slipping into English! It's first and foremost a social group, and lots of friendships have developed from getting to know one another."

The Peebles French Conversation Group is open to anyone aged 18 and over.

To join the group's mailing list, email: peeblesfrenchconversation@gmail.com.