Bonjour tout le monde

Now the diary has been fully installed on the web site, I can start the task of catching up with the past 13 years of life here.

I suppose the first thing to say is that we are both British, that is, Val and I. I was born and brought up in Edgware, Middlesex and Val hails from a large family in Plymouth, Devon. We have two grown up children, four grandchildren and one beautiful great granddaughter all of whom we see occasionally but all to rarely. We have spent several years living and working abroad (Germany, Holland, Algeria, Iran - and even Scotland!) and finally settled in our little bit of paradise here in Margon.

I know I said previously that we had been here for eight and a half years – and this is perfectly true. That is the time we have been RESIDENT here in the Languedoc.

However, we bought the land in 1998 together with our best friends and now next-door neighbours, Nick & Sue. Nick and I worked together in Algeria from 1974 – 81 and we have all remained the closest of friends ever since. Finding the plots was a question of right place at right time, for once in our lives. We discovered them by chance while visiting a friend in the village and were immediately convinced this was where we wanted to be. It just felt so right.

New 5 year plan
With the help of architect David Newton-Williams of Porthcawl, a mutual friend of the four of us, we set to, designing the two houses built and enjoyed today. I can tell you now that, if you ever think to do something similar, do not be surprised when your retirement plan flies out the window. Having completed the design and submitted it, locally, for planning approval, we set about doing and re-doing the budgets. Together with our retirement plan, I must have revised them a hundred times over the next two and a half years. I eventually managed to convince a rather more reticent Val that we could cut our ten years waiting in half. She eventually lost the argument; after all, hers was based purely on common sense for goodness sake – well, OK, a few financial considerations as well perhaps - and we made a new 5 year plan, then further shortened it to four.

Good decision...
This evening, dining on the terrace with friends, just arrived today from the UK, listening to the nightingales singing in the nearby wood, simply reinforced what a good decision it was to come here sooner rather than later. 

The early evening sun on the nearby River Orb

Lots going on around the place at the moment and with the summer coming there will be even more fun to be had with all kinds of wonderful festivals and traditions to be maintained – most of them centred around some form of gastronomy.

More of those anon. For now, though, time to catch up with a few e-mails.

A bientot,