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Last Word LOCAL KNOWLEDGE YOU CAN TRUST chalet villa château farmhouse apartment vineyard gîte cottage coast country city If you were to visit my little village on a freezing Winter’s day you might well be forgiven for thinking it had long ago been abandoned. Sitting in a dip in the middle of the Seven Valleys of Pas de Calais, northern France, this small hamlet of around 170 people battens down the hatches when the chill weather arrives. Shutters are closed tight on windows and doors to keep out the icy wind that swooshes down the hills and rolls around the houses. But if you look just a little closer, you’ll spot puffs of smoke from wood stoves, hanging in the frozen air above the roof tops. And if you were to come into my house, you would find a hive of activity. This year we have a guest. Charlie the house hedgehog. We found him in the chicken pen, very young and very skinny. He missed his chance to hibernate as he should have done so now he has a maid with room changes and meals twice a day. Then there are the cats – Fat Cat, Loulou, Shadow, Tigger-the-cat-who-will-always-be-a-kitten, Winston and Mimi the Marmalade Moggy, Little Socks and Big Socks, a motley crew of strays of different temperaments who mainly get along but occasionally fall out like any family. And finally, we have Ronnie and Reggie the twins. Identical Labrador puppies who arrived as terrified creatures after being locked in a barn 24/7 – now boisterous and naughty and much loved. Often our neighbour Jean-Claude pops in to share the gossip, which though it may be of no interest whatsoever to the sort of newspaper that likes to publish sensationalised stories, to an ex-Londoner it is an endless source of fascination. Recently he arrived, pink faced with excitement to tell me that he had heard a rumour that a big film producer has decided to make a film about the French royal family at the height of Versailles’ glory – and that the Seven Valleys will be one of the main locations. “They’re looking for locals to be in the film” he said. “You could play a mute peasant, as soon as you talk they’ll know you’re not French! I could most certainly play the part of the sun king Louis XIV” and he patted his ample stomach and smoothed a whisp of curly hair that had escaped from under his ever present cap and turned his head slightly to show his best angle. “More like Burger King” said his wife Bernadette when I told her of his regal ambitions. Winters here are about good friends, good food, and sharing the good things that make you smile, even if the village does appear to be deserted when you first see it! Janine Janine Marsh lives in France with her husband and 72 animals. Her latest book, Toujours la France: Living the Dream in Rural France, is out now on Amazon and all good book shops. 118 | The Good Life France EXCLUSIVE Fairytale Setting Creuse €318,000 Ref: A06120 - Peaceful 8 bedroom property comprising 1 house and 2 gîtes. 6% agency fees included paid by the buyer. EXCLUSIVE Country Living Morbihan €219,350 Ref: A15421 - 3 Bedroom country house with gardens and room for a granny annexe. 7% agency fees included paid by the buyer. EXCLUSIVE Great Location! Vienne €149,000 Ref: A14369 - 4 Bedroom property with garden and barn, in a hamlet near amenities. 9% agency fees included paid by the buyer. Gers €320,000 Ref: A16923 - Lovely 4 bedroom property set in a pretty village, with over 500m² of land. 6% agency fees included paid by the buyer. Puy-de-Dôme €109,000 Ref: A16485 - 2 Bedroom house with a small garden, in a quiet hamlet close to amenities. 9% agency fees included paid by the buyer. Dordogne €203,300 Ref: A14688 - 4 Bedroom family house with gîte, in a dynamic village with amenities. 7% agency fees included paid by the buyer. EXCLUSIVE Income Potential Haute-Savoie €798,000 Ref: A15172 - 4 Bedroom house with established cattery business, Thorens-Glières. Agency fees to be paid by the seller. EXCLUSIVE Rare Find! Lot-et-Garonne €249,000 Ref: A16419 - Exceptional 3 bedroom village house with garden, in the heart of Gascony. 7% agency fees included paid by the buyer. EXCLUSIVE Stunning Views Orne €194,400 Ref: A16536 - 3 Bedroom stone house with mature gardens and countryside views. 8% agency fees included paid by the buyer. Start your property search today! +33 (0)5 53 60 84 88 leggettfrance.com info@leggett.fr The Good Life France | 119
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