I've been rummaging through a big box of old photos. I think this one (below) must have been taken not long after I bought our first farmhouse in France. I'm afraid they're a bit dog-eared.
(Left to Right) Me, my lovely dog Hamlet, my father-in-law, mini-Kimbo, my mother-in-law, and Lady M.
We are sitting on the steps up to the house, and no doubt my in-laws had come to see what a disastrous purchase I'd made.
Here is another one (below) showing the barns, etc, and the 'fledgling' vegetable patch, with me putting up a rickety structure to hold the ancient vines I'd just discovered amongst the brambles. I suppose, it must have been taken in Spring 1973. Our first Spring in France
It was all such fun. Everything was new, my French was very limited, yet we were really enjoying ourselves. It was quite a big property, with plenty of outbuildings and land. Just what I'd been looking for! What happy days they were, and lots of hard work.
And here is Cro (below) driving a horse and trap just outside the entrance to the house. The horse was Joe, and the dog d'Artagnon (Dart). It also looks as if the road had yet to be tarmacked. We did have a car as well.
I love rummaging through boxes of old photos!
33 comments:
Photos from the olden days of 1973 what treasures. Those were the good old days ! Looking back from today they really were good times and you, and me, were young.
I was 25 when I moved to France; young and fancy free!
In 1973 I only thought about girls´boobs and Jimi Hendrix music. I was 17 years old.
Good old times.
I probably thought about those as well, but I was already married with 2 children.
While you have them out please soft pencil who, where and when on the backs. The grandchildren may end up sorting them out and might like to know.
A day of planned chores can grind to a halt on the discovery of a box of old photos.
My wife has been saying the same thing.
Lady M spent from lunch until supper delving into boxes. She was enthralled!
I love looking through old photographs …. funnily enough, this week I’ve been going through the massive drawer in the dresser that holds all of our photos, getting rid of out of focus and meaningless ones. In the ‘80’s, when you got your photos developed, they went through a phase of giving you doubles so I’m getting rid of those too ! Will put them in albums when I’ve been through them. You were so young to have stared a life in France and with two children ….. such an adventure. XXXX
1973. I had just dropped out of school midway through my A Levels and left the family home to live in a tiny bedsit. Your experience seems much more enjoyable!
Yes, on reflection I suppose I was quite young. But I had the means, and was adventurous. I never saw 'barriers', but it wasn't easy getting through all the pre-Common Market paperwork etc.
It was all good fun, and remained so until quite recently. A few oddballs have recently moved into our tiny hamlet, making it less pleasant for everyone. Sad; but that's life!
Definitely.. our plan is to put ours with a piece of paper with all the details and history , using acid free paper and permanent ink so that they don't fade and place papers and photos together in albums
1973... Cardiff Art College doing Ceramics
A small bedsitter..twice termly train visits to Paddington to see galleries and museums in London
That sounds pretty good to me!
I like seeing some of your old photos. I used to visit the Dordogne area with friends at that time. One had a house and land and buildings she purchased for less than £5000. It was pretty basic but fun for us.
In 1972 mine cost £11,000. Compared to what a similar property would have cost in the UK, it was for peanuts. It was quite a big property, it came with a hectare of land, and had water and electricity.
Hers had a large garden and an outbuilding. She worked for the Daily Express and used a £5000 bonus to buy it and had change. That was 5 times what I was earning in a year in 1972. The house was big enough for three families for a summer holiday. There was running water and electricity but no bathroom so we went to a local municipal swimming baths nearby to take a shower now and again. There was an outside toilet. It was near Brantome I think.
Do you save the negatives?
Wonderful photos. Very fond memories. There is nothing better than a big project. (No risk? No gain.) The house and land was lots of work but an excellent investment with great returns.
Quite possibly, but finding (and using) them would be a nightmare.
By the time I sold it, it was very beautiful. Rather 'gentrified' I suppose.
When I first started looking into the idea of moving to Southern France, I had details of WHOLE VILLAGES that were being sold for just a few thousand.
Sure you haven't got your years mixed up? That first picture looks like 1873 to me.
Those are delightful photos of exciting times. Wonderful keepsakes. I've daydreamed about living on a farm my entire life. I'm entranced by the idea of walking into an old barn and seeing barn swallows nesting in the rafters, and barn kittens playing in the loft. Instead, I content myself with my old cat curled up on my lap while I watch sparrows feasting at my feeder. Thankfully, gardening season is only 10 ish weeks away when I can pretend I'm farming once again.
Wonderful photos of simpler days. I love to show our teenaged grandchildren pictures of us in the 70's. Their reactions to his long hair and my miniskirts are hilarious!
That would make me about 174 years old. Thank you!
In our huge barn was a Citroen 'Traction', some ancient farm implements, lots of hay, and Chickens.
Long hair was obligatory. Yes, they were wonderful days; far less to worry about than today.
Those were the days.
These are lovely pictures, I do like seeing big old farmhouses with all the outbuildings etc. Was the swimming pool already there or did you put it in later?
Young and carefree!
The pool is at our present house which is a totally different affair. I bought it as a one room ruin (no water or electricity), and built it to what it is now. It is about 150 metres away from the one above; we can see it from our front lawn.
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