旧市長の家

Originally from Buckinghamshire, We moved to France in 1990, our boys were 6 and 9 . Kids were dispatched to the local school and became Frenchified in no time but It took me a little longer. After almost 30 years I'm getting there. The accent remains firmly in place and apparently, my use of the French language can at times be rather imaginative.

We fell in love with the house right from the start. The fact that it was the only one we saw that had a roof, bathroom and central heating (kind of) helped. Looking at old photos now I think we must have been mad. It was the neigbours who clinched it for us. There is a great sense of comunity here and I guess because we are all rather spread out, people makemore of an effort. This time of year is especially neigbourly with the great exchange of garden plants and produce.

We didn't realize at the time but the house has a fascinating history. We are only the second family to have lived in the house since it was built at the turn of the last century. We still have visits from people who want to see the hand stencilled walls or just see inside. Monsieur et Madame Messiere were the last owners. Monsieur was a Mayor of Thuboeuf and Madame had a reputation for being a little strict and few got further than the kitchen door in her day.

It's a fabulous house and I try not to forget how lucky I am. It's so peaceful but when you need a bit of life we have a little gem just 10 mins away, Bagnoles deL'Orne. It's not to everyones taste, very old Parisienne and Poodle, but it's great for people watching and a lot closer than Paris.