Published by Leonie Press as one of its many titles on the experiences of British
homeowners in France:
BON COURAGE,
MES AMIS!
Thoughts on restoring a rural ruin
In 1994, primary school teacher Sheila Wright suddenly had the means to buy a house
in the Creuse department of France but the amount of her legacy meant that she was
looking at "the bottom end of the market". She found herself falling ridiculously
in love with a very old stone house which had been abandoned for years and had an
alarming 20ft crack up the front. As she looked round, the smell of damp stone and
ancient dust was all-pervading. In the gloom, shadowy alcoves and battered wood frames
were barely visible on the rough granite walls. Mysterious bits of string dangled
from the immense beams above, and between these beams were dark, narrow boards through
which light filtered where rain had rotted them away. One wall of the room was taken
up by a vast fireplace with a huge hearthstone. Up the wide chimney, past various
sinister blackened iron hooks, a patch of bright blue sky was visible. The wall separating
the adjacent cellar-like room from the adjoining barn had crumbled and fallen, covering
the earth floor with tons of loose granite. The jagged top was now only five feet
high and over this, the neighbouring cart bay, cow shed and stable were all visible.
From these inauspicious beginnings, Sheila and her family worked hard to create a
habitable holiday home full of happiness, music and peace. Along the way she developed
a passion for building with stone, constructing two granite staircases herself over
a five-year period. French neighbours seeing the Wrights tackle the enormous task
fervently wished them "bon courage" which could perhaps be loosely translated as
"Good luck - you'll need it!" This book traces the story of the ongoing restoration
in a series of chapters giving Sheila's thoughts on many other aspects of Creusoise
life and her own experiences in France.
ISBN 1-901253-30-9 184pp A5 Numerous illustrations Price £8.99 (plus p &
p)
Post & Packing Costs UK 2nd Class £1 Surface (Europe) £3 Airmail Worldwide
£4
"Bon Courage" is published by Leonie Press. See website www.leoniepress.com for full
list of their titles and how to order from them. They specialise in books for "francophiles"
and local history (mainly Cheshire) or contact the author Sheila Wright on 01449
766392
