Category: Interviews

IF you have spent a few hours strolling around a vide-grenier or brocante and thought ‘I bet these sellers have some tales to tell’, then author John Dummer can provide the inside track.

Having lived in France for more than 20 years he has come to understand and love the country, whilst his time as a brocanteur introduced him to the tricks, tips and characters of the trade.

One of those characters was Serge, who filled the title and tale written by John in his book Serge Bastarde Ate my Baguette.

Here John talks about his French life, writing and the best way to get a good deal at the next vide-grenier you attend.

Craig McGinty: What were the reasons behind your move to France?

John Dummer: My wife Helen and I moved to France with our three Staffordshire Bull Terriers and two cats in the eighties. I had been managing a rock band, the Screaming Blue Messiahs for three years and have to admit I was burnt out from all the craziness of touring in the US.

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EVERYONE knows Alfred. Well, everyone in the handsome city of Montpellier at least, writes Jeremy Josephs.

Situated within a stone’s throw from Richard Branson’s swish and spanking new Virgin Mega-Store, Alfred the hatmaker stands out more than the odd kilometre or two because of its faded 1930s facia and fittings – evidently the last time a single centime was spent on the shop.

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MANY people move to France to rest up and chill out, not to become a property developer and begin overseeing the creation of five villas with views of the Pyrenees.

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GIVING your holiday home website that something a little different is key to making you stand out from the crowd.

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THE internet has allowed many people to head to France and still carry on their work with businesses back in the UK.

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ALTHOUGH many people head to France hoping to get away from the stresses and strains of life this sometimes does not happen.

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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.

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THE landscape and villages of the Dordogne are an inspiration for many artists but for one businesswoman they are key to her plans.

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IF you want to get your hair cut in Villefranche du Perigord you have two choices.

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