Various factors contributed to our move to the Hautes-Pyrenees. I was fed up with the job I was in, tired of the rat race and congested roads of the south east of UK and generally needed a change.
We came to the Hautes-Pyrenees particularly, because we both enjoy skiing and snowboarding. I am also a keen motorcyclist and the roads in this area are stunning and generally very quiet.
We live in a small village, without much in the way of facilities and so I do miss not being to walk to the local pub in the evening, but this is out weighed by the peace and quiet.
Love it here and have no intention of going back.
Quick question, may very well be a stupid one aswell!! What is an OH?!!!
Thanks Haley, glad you're settling in well ;-)
Why the Aveyron/Midi-Pyrénées? quite by accident! I'd travelled around France quite extensively, taught in St Brieuc in Brittany for a year and love Brittany but don't like the climate. I went to university in Aix-en-provence - love the climate but it's soooo crowded and expensive. So my plan was mediterranean but quieter, Languedoc for example but out of desparation to get out of a horendous teaching job in the UK, get back to France and give me a project at very little cost to get things off and running I bought something in the Aveyron, true south as far as the accent's concerned and the summers but as we all know the winters are a "little" fresher than down in the Med (something I knew before coming out here having studied a bit of meterology in a former life...!). To cut a long story short, I met a local girl, we've been together for over 6 years, now have two kids (who understand when I speak in English to them but only speak French but it'll come) and although I've had various projects to leave and go elsewhere I'm still here. We are moving in the summer and had looked for a business down by the Med but couldn't find anything "correctly" priced! OH's school will be closing soon and she's had enough, my university teaching has been cut enormously by the latest changes and the translation market is being killed off by the huge advances in computer translation so we're having a full on change and buying a tabac in Carmaux just the other side of the "border" in the Tarn. But still only half and hour or so from all my in-laws and still firmly in the Midi-Pyrénées! It's home, I've worked in various CCI, IUT taught in so many businesses, translated the entire Aveyron tourism website (9 months work with every hôtel, gîte, campsite, B&B description to be done too!) even picked up some of the local patois and accent and all in all it's not a bad place to live after all ;-)
I met a French lady when I was working in Scotland! She invited me to Toulouse for a summer holiday and fell in love with the climate, the cultural diversity in Toulouse and of course the food! That was in 1987 and I’m still here. It’s been a real roller coaster concerning the way I have felt about living here but now feel quite settled.
I don’t go back to the UK very often so would love to meet up with fellow Brits from time to time.
All the best.
Hi Martin I can believe it, we were once shown what can only be described as a dungeon the rear was enclosed by 25 ft high walls on all 4 sides to see the sky look vertical, we bought our house in the very hot summer of 2003 the owner sat aroung the table drinking beer with his sons refusing to open the shutters we needed night vision goggles to see, the place was a tip, on our second visit made for us by the agent his wife had tidied but still not opened the shutters until ordered to do so by the agent then we saw the true potential, what we didnt see were the carfully concealed bodges ,hopefully we will be there soon as we can sell our uk house.
John
HI John,
Still plenty of piles of rubble around here, only problem is, a lot of them are still occupied!! We saw some shocking properties when we were looking, complete with owner living in the one inhabitable room and if I am honest did not spend enough time looking. Having said that, I like the our property and its location, just need to get around to starting some of the work it needs!!
All in good time 
Martin
What brought us to the MP, it was accidental really, we had been looking for about 5 years in the AUDE around the Narbonne area after 5 years of viewing just about every pile of rubble the estate agents thought we were desperate to buy we were getting a bit disillusioned , my wife’s brother was over helping a friend to renovate a recently bought house near to Mazamet, as we were touring on the bike we called in one very wet day in late May, even though it poured with rain we liked the area ,3 years later we bought our house across the valley
John
You’re right. Producing the site is hard work, but not difficult. Just time consuming. Getting site members and then persuading them to post regularly is more of a challenge! I’m getting there slowly. It would be great if you could join in on mine as well as here. Glad to hear you like it - always good to get feedback.
What internet business are you working on? Good luck with it!
Hi David,
I don’t get out on the bikes enough at the moment, too busy trying to earn a living!! Once we get our businesses established, I intend to take some time out and get up in the hills walking, riding the bike and doing some skiing / snowboarding this winter. Last winter was the first for many years when I have not managed to get up on the slopes.
We have some biking friends in the area, so would be good to meet up and go for a spin one day.
Cheers
Martin
How my garage used to look!! Sold the Africa Twin now, but still got the GS1150 and the SV1000
