Roger and Linda Higgs FRANCE Christmas Missive December 2011 |
Amazingly, it’s that time of year again and as always no apologies about the “round robin” nature of this missive, it’s like the paint tin – it does what it says a communication at Christmas to tell you what we’ve been doing – without it you might not get to know!! Sadly, we had hoped that this year would be free from bereavements, but at the very end of last year Linda’s Auntie Eileen died quite suddenly and another good warden friend also sadly died.
But, I guess the really big news for us this year, is that we have finally bought a house (above, view of hamlet below), dint of the house in York being sold and me becoming a pensioner!! Early, I hasten to add with a useful lump sum attached! Since signing the initial documents for the house back in March and being given permission, by the vendors, to start work on the garden – a veritable jungle with a multitude of chicken and rabbit sheds, constructed with wire netting, concrete slabs, corrugated tin, rolls of wire (some barbed), staples, bent nails – a cross really between a Heath Robinson construction and Fort Knox and certainly not designed to come down. After about 10 weeks of solid work on the garden, sometimes in temperatures of over 30˚ and with the odd large snake for company, and a little time off for good behaviour, we completed on the deal at the end of June. We then spent the next couple of months having the electrics and plumbing renewed by local artisans, whilst we proceeded to make as much of it habitable as possible. We then moved in at the end of August, somewhat wistfully leaving La Loge behind – we had had a great 2 ½ years there. Since moving with the odd day off and a holiday in the UK, we have continued with what is probably a 2 year restoration programme on house / outbuildings / garden 350 sq m and as often happens in France another large plot of land (1000 sq m) about a kilometre (about 0.6 miles) from the house, next to an enormous flooded quarry and a small beautifully tended vineyard, unfortunately our plot is a long and narrow jungle, untended for many years! So we’ve had a very busy year and learnt a variety of DIY and hard-labour skills we didn’t know before as well as finding various muscles that we didn’t know existed – it seems that every job uses a different set of muscles and just when you hone one lot you change jobs!!
We have also had three visits back to the UK, on one occasion flying in for a party, as one does! Well, actually we were also meeting the latest addition to the family – Maisy, Philip (Linda’s nephew) and Cheryl’s new daughter. We managed three weeks away in the caravan in February, going south to Biarritz, Lourdes and Perpignan (from where we got to visit Salvador Dali’s amazing house at Portlligat just over the border into Spain) to chase the sun and had amazing early spring weather. Then there have been the usual visitors, including my Mum and Dad who came back with us from the UK on two occasions and then flew back to the UK afterwards, most of which came after we had started the purchasing process, so were able to see the house at least from the outside and some of the more recent ones have been set to work!! My Mum and Dad supervised!! And, “Le Tour” de France came very close and caused much excitement and was over in barely the turn of a bicycle wheel!!
Briefly, the rest of the family: Daniel and Lisa joined us last Christmas in France for a brief first visit and continue to live in Stroud and lead very busy lives with work and St John Ambulance – Daniel is now the Unit Leader for Stroud Division and Lisa runs the Badgers (Cub Scout age!). Daniel is now trying to get on a Teacher Training course next year, as when all said and done, he is, without the planning and marking, already doing a very similar job.
Victoria and Dermot are still in Plymouth, he has just had an extension for a year on his current submarine and Victoria very successfully completed her Teacher Training, getting “head hunted” for a job at the school she was doing her final placement in. The job is going really well, and she is sorting out the Geography Department (something the Head of Geography wanted her to do!!) and working with an Assistant Head who used to teach at her secondary school, Archway, in Stroud who knows many of our friends from Stroud – isn’t it a small world!!! She also, has got involved with D. of E. and various Outdoor Activities. They’re off at the end of term, with Tyler, to Disneyworld L.A. for Christmas, having visited us back in the summer. Victoria’s wanderlust continues, she also managed to visit Iceland on a Teacher’s visit and their trip list for next year is looking quite impressive!!
Well, Joyeuse Fêtes as they say in France, cuts out the Christmas and New Year greetings and quite simply means Happy Holidays! As before this is a brief Family Christmas Missive for “more” visit the blog http://ithappenedonethursdayinfebruary.blogspot.com/ and find out about the changes that are happening.
 Love fromRoger and Linda  |
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