There is nothing like loosing out on a dream to focus the mind. The following year was spent rationalising our desires and concentrating on the most important factors towards making a potential life in France a success. A good working ability to speak French and a source of finance were imperative( with four children life is not cheap).

 We sold our house a year later, and rather irrationally bought a wreck to renovate in Nottinghamshire, but being an Architect, and my husband also in construction management we were glad of a project to sink our teeth into whilst we solved the French employment issue. Shortly afterwards my husband was gainfully employed by a multinational French construction company with an office in London  ( but more importantly for us, with several offices in France) and so began the formative years, with a daily 4 hour commute to London and the promise of a transfer to France in the near future.

Harry began intensive French lessons structured by the company, systematically passing through Oxford and Cambridge Business French Exam levels 1, 2 and 3, whilst I was lucky enough to have a native French friend in the village to give me conversation lessons.