THE VILLAGE WHERE EVERYONE HAS ALZHEIMER'S

Instead of hiding away from the world, the residents of this French village are encouraged to socialise and reclaim the freedoms the brain disease has stolen from them

- ELEANOR STEAFEL

TWO loaves of bread, a lettuce, two brioches, one pat of butter, two bottles of milk, some soup, cheese, biscuits, a bar of chocolate, eggs, loo roll . . . Francis Lalane is reading out his shopping list.

It’s 11am and the small supermarket in the centre of Landais, a village in Dax in southwest France, is in the thick of the pre-lunch rush. Locals are arriving two by two, collecting a little red trolley from the porch and making their way at a sedate pace around the shop.

“We take it in turns to do the shopping,” says Francis, heading confidently for the fridge, his neighbour, Véronique, in tow. “You see – we have our trolley, our list, et voilà.”

Sunlight streams in from the square outside. The village is peaceful, save for the sound of singing coming from the restaurant next door, and the gentle bustle in the shop. The shelves are stocked with all the usual essentials and little luxuries, from crates of apples to a small fridge boasting some nice cheese and pots of crème caramel. A blackboard on the wall announces there are brownies available today should anyone be inclined to pick up an afternoon treat; stock cubes, prunes and kitchen sponges are on order, arriving next week.