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The man with the goatee beard whose job it was to confirm that the hotel complied with all the required standards, could have been my cousin's doppelganger. He was of similar stocky build with thick muscled upper arms, the same close set eyes and same shaped nose...
Saturday, June 11th, 2011
"Now look here will you Mr Epswort," instructed Captain Gilbert, the Fire and Safety Officer, on one of his many visits to the chateau, "this window is too narrow."
We were on the third floor in a room which I hoped would one day become known as Bedroom 8 but was...
Thursday, June 9th, 2011
If you live in the country and in a large chateau set in 25 acres of woods and water you have to have a dog, or two.
Claudette wanted a Westy, since the day I found one, a plucky loner called Lucy, in a Kensington street. I brought her home for...
Monday, April 11th, 2011
We kept hearing about the Guerre de Vendee, first from our notaire Claude and secondly from Jean, the count. He had told us of his Admiral’s part and of his horrific death as a result of his imprisonment..
I now know much about the war and of its horrors. Even so...
Thursday, March 31st, 2011
"Now where was I?" said Jean. "But of course. My Admiral. By now he was a very old war horse, damaged and far too weak though you can imagine how much he wanted to get in there and sort out that bunch of sans culottes. But unfortunately the Royalist foundered...
Thursday, March 17th, 2011
Bernard’s pre-interview briefing had included some additional information. He told us that Jean, the Count, his father, and his grandfather, had held the position of Mayor of the village consecutively for 112 years. And during that time, over all those years, the celebrate of Bastille Day had been totally forbidden.
Remembering...
Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011
Bernard, the estate agent, phoned us a few days later with a message, an order, some advice, and a little historical detail. For an estate agent who had done the deal, and had already cashed his cheque, this was distinctly uncustomary, though welcoming, behaviour.
"Joseph? Bernard on the machine,” he...
Friday, February 11th, 2011