Looks like I moved to Lille at just the right time. This week the city has been named as the best place in France to find a permanent job and…
Our first guest has come and gone. Lille shared with us its delights – from the street markets to the Grand’ Place – and our visitor left suitably impressed. Our…
Families torn apart, friendships damaged irrevocably and shattered hopes for the future proved common themes at a Brexit life-writing workshop I arranged at work this week. The workshop was part…
Someone asked me last week what I miss most about living in England. I didn’t have to think long or hard. “T K Maxx,” I replied. Yes, the discount fashion…
If the north of France has its own distinct smell, I blame Maroilles. It’s the oldest, best known and most popular of the cheeses from the Hauts-de-France region. It’s also…
With so many friends putting in their requests to come and see us in our new home, we’re feeling the pressure. It isn’t about whether our home will meet with…
Having the removal company pack up our belongings for us was the best £300 I have ever spent. It took so much stress out of moving. I hadn’t imagined we’d…
Nothing quite prepares you for the craziness of the braderie in Lille. This weekend’s annual street market traditionally stretches over a whopping 100km throughout the city. The braderie has been…
To quote the Maureen Lipman BT ads of the 1980s, I now have an ology… in oenology. This week I found out that I passed my French Wine Scholar exam.…
Our move to France has been organised with almost military precision. Even an operation on my foot this week has had to fit in with our schedule. With just over…
We may be in Italy this weekend, but we’re celebrating French style. It’s Damon’s 50th birthday today – and, frankly, only Pommery will do. We’re devotees of this brand of…
The countdown checklist now has lots of ticks on it. We’re making definite progress in getting ready for our move to France later this month. Apartment rental agreed? Yes. Removal…
Lille has a restaurant devoted to cheese – when I saw it, I knew then that the city would suit us well. Instantly it felt like home. Damon (pictured) is…
Au secours! There’s a 2-bedroom apartment in Lille in need of urgent attention. I know Channels 5’s House Doctor was syndicated around the world, but maybe it didn’t make it…
Keep your fingers crossed for me that I have passed my wine exam. In a month’s time, I hope to hear that I can describe myself as a qualified French…
“It’s been a while – good to see you again.” That was how we were greeted when we went into a wine bar we know in Lille on Saturday. I…
Our new life in France starts today. By lunchtime, we’ll be in Lille, our new home town. After years of planning for a future life in France and then, as…
Plans for our new life in France are moving ahead at quite a pace. I’ve now been offered a self-contained flat for the 2 nights a week that I’ll spend…
We’re packing up and moving to France. This isn’t some idle fantasy: our new life in France is happening – and it all starts in just 2 weeks’ time. Excited!…
When is wild garlic not wild? When it’s a bear, of course. If you’re looking perplexed, you’ll know how I felt scanning a restaurant menu in Monbazillac recently. L’ail des…
