Home Sweet Home - May 2017

We moved to live in France in 1990 from the Channel Islands. This is our second home in France and our second in Masquières.
The village is still the same, although it has grown from 150 folk to nearly 600. Vil­lagers refer to each other as Mon ami and we are proud to be party to this.
Our first house proved too big, with six hectares of land, so 20 years ago we downgraded to a bungalow with two hectares of land and we are likely to die here.
Pamela was born in Jersey and I was born in south Wales but moved in 1945 to Guern­sey, aged nine. We met in Jer­sey and married 46 years ago.
We were self-employed, dealing with security on expat properties and I retired 10 years ago at the age of 70.

When I stopped I did not have enough for a French pension but we still prefer to live in France, rather than return to Island life, with all its lifestyle limitations.
People here have taken us in without question and just weeks after moving in, we were invited on the annual ski trip and were the only expats.
This kindness has been shown throughout our years here and neighbours are just that, neighbours/friends; a fact that has proved itself with various snowed-in winters, cut off from the outside world.
They are typically French and enjoy good food and wine and it is shared with strangers.

We have been here 27 years and would not change it for any other way of life. After most holidays it is a pleasure to drive back into the 47 department on ‘empty’ roads.
The space in this country is one good enough reason to live here, but add to that the space, food, weather, wine, free speech... I can safely say we are here to stay in freedom, peace and contentment.

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