To France and back in 30 years

Château Notes​
​Memoirs, mishaps, and marvels from deep rural France and back to the UK.

Hail friends, fellow poodle lovers and fans of France

I've been a bad correspondent. Since the book some have kindly said more! I've been writing away but not quite got my head above the parapet with a D-Day landing return from France, sweet teenager and some rude shocks about the world.

A deluge is brewing. I have published 'articles' on Medium you can access with the link below.

In the meantime my life is quite simple.

Life in France now feels like an exciting bizarre of feasts, poodles, open skies and spending quality time with volunteers from around the world and travellers too however - there are advantages to a life sans building, exotic bureaucratic cultures and a little mini-empire to run. Not without an "Ooooph"

Back here in Oxford visiting colleges almost daily, and looking back at the chateau it occurs to me that James' dream was to have his own college with me as the bursar; Human Resources, the Butler, surveyor of works, compliance department, running the gites, running the tour biz, French bureaucracy expert and accountancy department.

Inspite of missing the colour, the people and the wonders of France I do miss the food, the people and of course the hounds.

Poodle News

I am not the proud keeper of a standard poodle these days. Kazak passed away this year loved and happy until the end. He spent some time with us here in Oxford but mostly with James' father.

I'm very sorry that my breeding programme took a dive with the divorce and its fall out. I missed a chance to properly register a litter the outcome of careful breeding with the wonderful Joy. Really sad about that. A loss of some wonderful poodle traits but last winter I went to help a friend take a pick of the litter near Pau and to my joy she found a cracker. I've also found a proper breeder near Bury St Edmunds in the UK so good to see that the wonderful poodle is not being totally eclipsed by the poodle crosses.

I observed to Guilhem that one hardly sees ordinary mongrels out and about these days. Most people had mongrels when I was a nipper. "That's because we're in North Oxford" he quipped. Perhaps so. The poodle cross mania is alive and kicking. Very occassionnally a beautiful standard will appear. Truly elegant, profoundly social. Thank you poodle people.

This newsletter is a way to stay in touch with the wonderful people and experiences from that exotic escapade to France. More will come of that but in the meantime below are some pointers to what I've been up to.

Preparing feasts and meeting the intellectually curious on tours is a bit of France I miss acutely and remember fondly but I have fallen into a similar business in Oxford where history is infinitely fascinating and the city sites solemnly to absurdly beautiful, minus the amazing flux of fine foods, seasonal harvests or the big open skies of my Aude, but easy to walk in a couple of hours!

My guiding colleagues sometimes make me think we are to the Dons, what the actors waiting tables in LA are to the movie stars. Enthusiastic, knowlegable and in someways more free.

Merry Christmas and general seasonal Joy friends. Here in the UK we are about to have our shortest day and the daylight has a rare magic. I am going to spend it on Dartmoor where I'm going to break into my next book which will be about less known things about Oxford which have cast a big light. Hoping to have it out in the course of the year.

Peace and love.

Sophie (and Guilhem)

Love to get your news.

Below are some links to have a look at mine

Most read article on Medium This is a favourite article from my blog on Medium. It reflects on what the French paysans might really think of the Brits and their château dreams... There are many other musings from me on Medium Read article

Navigating the French I was honoured to be invited on this podcast, navigating the French, my first ever so no academy awards there but the series explores layers of French culture by diving into the lives of people in it, from all walks of life, one moment impressively scholarly and the next moi! Read article

Still hooked on history Our son Guilhem is doing secondary school in the UK. In fact he's nearly done and is travelling to Australia for his gap year after A'levels. Meanwhile in Oxford I have found another history to love. Still getting to meet people from all over France and all over the world. Read article

Beyond Paris Beyond Paris - an insiders guide to rural France This is mt first book. It's had encouraging reviews. I think it's funny and true and has pictures. Read article

The curious differences between the French and us continue to offer surprising insights. You can share the news latter here here.

If you're curious about Oxford come and visit. It's gorgeous. Winter is spectacular but only on days that you can see the sky, and then only briefly but there is a magic of the Mid-winter skies. Sign up for news here?