A Bull by the Back Door: How an English Family Find Their Own Paradise in Rural France [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Talented friends join forces
About the author: Anne Loader started in journalism in 1965, with East Midland Allied Press in Lincolnshire and Norfolk. After her marriage she worked as a reporter and education correspondent on the Southern Evening Echo at Southampton. She was the feature writer on Northwich World from 1980-84 and was editor of the Crewe Guardian for ten years until 1995 when she was made redundant. She now runs a business publishing short-run books on autobiography and local history. Anne wrote the book to amuse her elderly mother, who had lived in France and had instilled a passion for France in her daughter from her earliest years. About the illustrator: Patricia Kelsall is a professional artist and a part-time art lecturer. She has exhibited in various parts of the country including the Royal Academy, and also in France. The two friends, who both live in Hartford, Cheshire, share a love of France and have been involved with the Hartford-Mornant twinning since it began ten years ago. A few quotes from reviews: Enchanting... Those who find Peter Mayle's books about life in Provence somewhat patronising of the locals will consider the francophile "A Bull by the Back Door" in refreshing contrast - Living France Magazine (who published extracts of the book throughout 1998) Stunning illustrations - Northwich Guardian, Crewe Guardian Rival Peter Mayle - Evening Sentinel, Northwich Chronicle Simply takes you there - superb value for money - BBC Radio Stoke "Couldn't put it down"; "I feel as if I've been there"; "Wonderfully readable"; "Beautifully written"; "Just like our own experiences"; "Thank you for writing this book, I look forward to the next one!" - Readers' comments A Bull by the Back Door starts with an account of 'A-level house buying' and many readers will recognise the false hopes and near-misses at the beginning of their search. The family's wholehearted acceptance by the villagers and their efforts to renovate the beautiful stone house will ring bells with anyone who has attempted the same thing and will act as encouragement to others just beginning. - French Property News

How we adopted France - and France adopted us!
Two Cheshire women have joined forces to produce a book which they hope will rival "A Year in Provence". Writer Anne Loader and artist Patricia Kelsall have produced "A Bull by the Back Door", which describes how the Loader family find their own paradise in rural France. The 65,000-words paperback chronicles how the Loaders to buy an old house in the Limousin region of central France as a holiday home and base for future retirement. It has been empty for years but its character and sound construction are immediately obvious. Their new neighbours welcome the family and help them to feel at home. They learn about the history of the house and the sad story of the late owner, Marguerite. It is not long before they become aware of her presence in the farmhouse and her approval of the renovations which are taking place. Indeed it almost appears as if she has chosen the Loaders for this task as she begins to show them the house's "treasures." "We are very practical and down-to-earth and have never had any paranormal experiences before," says Anne. "But Marguerite seemed to intervene so many times in the early days that it got a long way beyond the realms of coincidence." The family have tackled all the house restoration themselves - plumbing, electrical work, land clearance and carpentry - thanks to the skills of Anne's husband, ICI research scientist Jack and their sons Alex and Chris. The decorating is Anne's domain. When they bought it the building was in a timewarp. It had been unoccupied for many years and apart from lethal electric wiring - installed perhaps in the 1930s as the height of modernity - was essentially as it had been at the time of the First World War. "There was one cold tap, one electrical socket and a septic tank," says Jack. "What more could you ask for?" "A Bull by the Back Door" traces how the Loaders face what they describe as "A-Level Housebuying", complete with charts and copious documents, and how they nearly fail. It describes life in the village of St Paradis* and how the family are assimilated, as well as detailing what they do to bring their beautiful stone house back to life again. "I liked Peter Mayle's book about Provence, but I was disappointed that he only seemed to write about his relationship with French tradesmen, whom he made objects of fun," says Anne. "I hope that my book shows what it is really like to live as a foreigner in the French countryside - where the inhabitants are the wise ones and the English need all the advice they can get. The heroes of my book are our much-loved and long-suffering neighbours who have made us feel part of their community. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts." Following the success of this book and to satisfy the demands of readers who wanted to know what happens next, Anne has written a sequel, "The Duck with a Dirty Laugh" which will be published in late December 1998. *The name of the village and its exact location have been disguised to protect the privacy of the neighbours.