ONE of the most firmly established English couples in Villefranche du Périgord are Godfrey and Joyce Burger.
They bought a house that had an original stone sink in the wall, just two floors and a large barn attached to the rear.
That was in 1977 and they have seen the village change as well as become part of its fabric and society.
“The view out of the back of the house was one of fields which got quite boggy after heavy rain,” said Godfrey.
“And the house itself was a bit of a challenge, for example when you switched on a light sparks would come flying out of the wall.”
“Then when the roof collapsed on the barn at the rear of the house it allowed us to extend the rear of the house creating a kitchen and terrace.
The couple moved to France from their Kent home after getting married in the 1940s and working in London before deciding on retiring to the village.
Not surprisingly the couple have a deep affection for France, the language and its people.
“We often came across to France when we worked, our son is a linguist and married a French woman, so we had few problems with the language,” said Joyce.
“And I also joined the village choir to get to know people as well as learn phrases that no language book can teach you.”
They also have complete confidence in the health service and treatment they have received.
Something they think you cannot say about UK health provision.
“One of the things I like is that if you see a specialist you receive a report of your consultation as well as your doctor,” said Godfrey.
“It’s not right that you are kept in the dark like in the UK. I’ve a collection of my x-rays upstairs!”
Joyce said: “It is very simple to take a prescription from the doctor to the pharmacy and when you present your carte de sejour the fees are automatically calculated.”