UPPING sticks and moving your young family to France can pose many challenges, both at home and in the schoolyard.
Graham Downie settled near the town of Cognac last year with his wife and two young daughters – escaping the exhausting world of the property business in the UK.
THERE are many charitable organisations set-up by British property owners that work alongside their French counter-parts.
ONE of the pleasures of countryside life is the purity of the sky at night; free from the light pollution that blights many towns.
And this evening a full moon hangs in the night sky with just a few clouds for company, its glow lighting up the darkness.
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ALTHOUGH many people head to France to bask in the sunshine and enjoy a relaxing time, things can and do go wrong.
Flooding, strong winds and heavy snowfall can be just some of the natural disasters that may put a brake on your plans.
But by using the internet, and if your French is not too bad, you can find a wealth of useful information on the government’s environmental website.
One of the biggest fears for people moving to a new place is the risk of flood water filling their home and ending their dream.
Heavy rainfall at the end of last year caused problems in the south east and near the Loire region.
There is a page on the site that provides information on the risk from natural disasters including floods, forest fires and even earthquakes.
Elsewhere on the site there is a section that deals specifically with water and biodiversity.
There are also monthly reports (Le bulletin hydrologique mensuel) that provides an insight to the regions.
ONE of the best ways to learn a language, French included, is to spice up your study with something a little different.
THE landscape and villages of the Dordogne are an inspiration for many artists but for one businesswoman they are key to her plans.
IF you want to get your hair cut in Villefranche du Perigord you have two choices.
THE Auvergne is set in the heart of France and is a region of rolling hillsides and extinct volcanic peaks.
LE BUISSON on the river Dordogne opens its market square twice a year to the ‘marchés aux bestiaux’.
WORKING out the cost of electricity use in your holiday home can be a bit hit and miss but the Électricité de France (EDF) website may help you out.