What could be better than fulfilling a wish you have had for as long as you can remember – to buy a barn in France, with a garden, surrounded by fields with cows grazing and town nearby to get your daily fix of French stick loafs.

We chose a very rural part of France, the idea to really get away and focus on what we loved to do.  We needed space, inspiration and freedom to develop our businesses.  The red tape in France, although daunting was flexible and enabled us to convert a smaller building on the site into an office where we could later build our working studios. Back in England, with property and premises so expensive to mortgage or rent, we couldn’t find the funding and business came to an abrupt stop. Time to think differently and make some changes.

 Just up the road, the barn would be home, with a huge open plan space to cook and relax in the evening with a good book and a glass of wine. Heaven. In progress here with our recycled shutters made from an old lean-too and painted in my favourite colour,  It needs pointing next year and guess whose job that will be?

Here are The Boys.  These two year olds are curious about everything we do.  Every day without fail they will stand in a long line and watch us garden, eat lunch under the silver birch trees, or take a walk, often following us along the field edges in a hierarchy of who is the bravest leads the herd.  Brave ones push and shove to get a front seat view, whilst the more timid ones hide behind their brothers at the rear and lower their heads to try and seem smaller, little eyes peering out all nervous and yet too curious to not run away.  On a stressful day when the inspirations low, or too much paperwork, I go and watch them and within minutes I have relaxed, return back to the office, put on the kettle and then I can tackle the world again – therapy on four legs!