Southern Times

Most recent articles

The Good Ol’ Boys
1 October 2003, by Patricia

Every village has them. The good ol’ boys who congregate in the village square or in the bar, gossiping and swapping tall tales and passing comment on the world as it goes by. Our village is no exception.
We are particularly blessed in good ol’ boys. There must be 10 or more to be seen of a morning, whiling away the time till midday, when Madame calls them in for lunch. It’s always midi on the dot, of course - an hour which, in honour of the local accent, we call ’l’heure du paing et du (...)
FRUIT OF THE VINE
1 October 2003, by Patricia

HOW DOES an English accountant from south west London end up on the shelf at Marks and Spencer?
Tony Roberts came to this part of the world some 20 years ago, like so of us many did, on a simple three-week holiday. He picked courgettes for a local farmer. He enjoyed the sun, the wine, the people and the lifestyle.
Naturally he came back again - and again. By 1990 he decided, again like so many of us, that a holiday cottage wouldn’t be such a bad idea. When he went in search of a little (...)
Frequently Asked Questions About Living in France
7 September 2003, by A correspondent
Buying a car? Selling a house? Getting children into school? Opening a bank account?

Let us have your questions and trawl for answers here.
Market Days
1 September 2003, by A correspondent
A village by village calendar of market days.
The Herault Region Weather
12 August 2003, by A correspondent
Thunder and lightning can be very frightening - we’ll tell you when to expect it.
HAVING THE BUILDERS IN
21 July 2003, by Patricia

There is a sickness that afflicts those of us who dwell in the Midi. It is rarely fatal, although sufferers tend to become suicidal. We have almost all contracted it at some time or other. It is known as Having the Builders In.
As sufferers go, we are perhaps the luckiest: we have Reliable Builders. That means that if they promise faithfully to get the job done they will probably do so. In their own time, true. After much nagging, certainly. But our builders do actually build, and (...)
LIKE YOU WOULD
14 July 2003, by Patricia
On buying a house in the Midi
Medieval Pezenas
9 July 2003, by A correspondent
With knights of old, jugglers, varlets and valets Pezenas comes to life once a year in its medieval pomp and glory.
Currency Converter
7 July 2003, by A correspondent
Currency converter using live bank rates
LE BOOK
7 July 2003, by Patricia

Are you a bookaholic? Is the first question you ask your visitors "What books have you brought" rather than "How are you?" If so...
LE BOOK is the answer to the English-speaking bookaholic’s continual search for something new to read. It’s a just-for-fun bring-and/or-buy book sale which, since June of last year, has been taking place in Gabian on thelast Sunday of the month.
But it’s not just for the Brits: any student or amateur of the English language in quest of reading material is (...)