Meet the readers…
NAME: Julia Bristow
AGE: 53
JOB: Back in the UK, Julia was a senior nurse in
an Occupational Health department. She also
worked part time as a freelance photographer
and managed a barn conversion in Somerset
WHERE: She splits her time between Warwickshire
and Ventenac-en-Minervois in Languedoc
CONTACT:
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0777 320 6344
Château
CHIC
Julia Bristow juggles her life in the UK with a successful
business in France. Gina Dyer talks to Julia about her new
cross-channel lifestyle, and her château in Languedoc…
WHY BUY THERE: LANGUEDOC
■ The Languedoc-Roussillon region stretches
from the Pyrénées on the Spanish border to the
western edge of Provence and combines a range
of landscapes including beautiful Mediterranean
beaches, mountains, lakes and medieval towns.
■ Compared to the more established parts of
south-eastern France, the region remains relatively
undiscovered by foreign buyers, so bagging a
bargain is still possible.
■ The new links between London St Pancras and
Paris Nord means the area is more accessible than
ever before, with a TGV connecting Paris Lyon and
Montpellier. Many low-cost airlines are heading
south too, making access easier and cheaper.
GOT A REAL LIFE STORY?
LET US TELL IT! CONTACT US:
Email [email protected] or write to
French Magazine, Units 3 & 4, Riverside Court,
Lower Bristol Road, Bath, BA2 3DZ
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February 2008
W
ith two young sons to bring up,
in my life. Once I came to the Languedoc, I
moving to France had been a
realised that I wanted to live here – there’s just
distant dream for Julia Bristow,
so much variety, so much of interest and such
but as her children grew up and flew the nest,
a wonderful lifestyle.
Julia felt the pull of France once more and
decided to invest in a château in Languedoc.
What preparations did you make?
She now splits her time between the UK and
I did a lot of research into different areas
the château, where she runs various residential
and properties, but once I started looking
courses and activity holidays.
seriously, things moved very quickly. I came on
a house-hunting trip with my son and we saw
FRENCH MAGAZINE: What first attracted you
Château Ventenac within a week of coming
to life in France?
to the Aude region. It was love at first sight:
Julia: I’ve spent holidays in many parts of
the house we wanted in an area that we really
France and, like many people, I’ve always had
adored. From a business point of view, we
that thought of the ‘perfect’ French lifestyle
knew it was somewhere people would love
somewhere at the back of my mind. I had
to come and stay.
cousins who were French and often felt a pull
to be in France. It might have stayed as being
What do you do?
just a thought had I not felt the need, with my
The château is rented out as a complete
sons growing up, to move on to another stage
package for self-catering holidays in June,
REAL LIFE STORIES LANGUEDOC
The beautiful château is in an
idyllic location and it offers
plenty of space for guests
“Doing business in France is fine,
provided you understand the rules both written and unwritten”
July and August, and again in the winter.
Where do you live?
first sight with the area and the house – a
During the spring and autumn, the château
Ventenac-en-Minervois is a really pretty village
coup de foudre as they say around here!
becomes my home again and I drive back from
on the Canal du Midi, just 15 minutes from
the UK with my border collie, Teg, who goes
Narbonne and only a further 15 minutes’ drive
Did you have to do much work on it?
everywhere with me. During these months,
to the Mediterranean coast. The château has
Nobody had really touched it for the last 50
I organise and run residential courses and
seven bedrooms and five bathrooms, so the
years, so some of the grandeur had faded a
activity holidays, including painting, yoga,
house will accommodate up to 14 people in
bit, although the underlying elegance was all
French cookery and wine-tasting tours. I also
comfort. The château and the adjacent caveau
still there. The structure was basically sound,
provide chambres d’hôte accommodation.
(small cellar) were built at the end of the
but the interior needed a lot of tender loving
19th century, overlooking the canal and the
care: rewiring, plumbing, new bathrooms – a
How have you found setting up a business?
surrounding vineyards. The caveau was taken
total refurbishment. The spirit of the place was
Since most of my clients are British, and
over by a co-operative of local wine growers
important to me and I wanted to be sure that
because I spend more than half the year in the
in the mid-1930s. The co-operative still makes
we didn’t change its essential character.
UK, I was advised to register the business there.
wine, winning prizes for its rich reds and,
Running it in both countries is working really
unusually for the region, its characterful white.
well, but you do need to use professionals
It has taken nearly three years but the house
is now restored so that it combines modern
facilities with what I hope is the charm and
who understand the cross-border situation.
How did you find your home?
style of a bygone age. We designed the
Doing business in France is fine provided you
I spent several months doing research prior
renovation of the château so that it retains the
understand some of the rules – both written
to coming over and looking seriously, but we
atmosphere of a family home, so visitors can
and unwritten.
found the house within a week. It was love at
enjoy the relaxed Languedoc lifestyle.
french
■
»
February 2008
85
REAL LIFE STORIES LANGUEDOC
“My sons were a little worried at first that it would be too much for me, but now it’s
actually working out, they’ve told me how proud they are of me for doing all this”
Could you speak the language?
part of the château has been restored
main thing I like is that people seem to
I think you’d say my French was good
to something like its former glory.
work to live, rather than live to work.
willing to learn. Working on a building
How have you benefited from the
How have your family and friends
project in a foreign country is a great
move to France?
reacted to your move?
way to learn all sorts of new words
I’ve benefited on several levels. The
They’ve been utterly supportive. My
and phrases! Living in a small village,
main thing is that I’ve proved to
sons were a little worried at first that
even one like this, in which there are a
myself and others that I could take
it would be too much for me, but now
few other British people, is a good way
on something this big and finish it
it’s actually working out, they’ve told
of getting into the habit of speaking
successfully. I’ve also made some very
me how proud they are of me for doing
French regularly.
good new friends, both French and
all this. My brothers and the extended
English, and I’ve learnt a lot about
family have also been very helpful, and
myself and my capabilities.
I have a succession of friends coming to
‘school’ standard, but I was really
What have been the main challenges
about the move?
I love living part of the year in such
a wonderful area of France, and being
but when I first started the project,
able to share it with friends and family
I felt that I needed to be in the UK
is a real bonus. I love French markets –
Is your move permanent or do you
quite a bit as my two sons were going
the food here is more real somehow
plan to return to the UK?
through the end of their schooling
and I’ve rediscovered the joy of cooking.
At the moment, I seem to spend just
and on to university, so it was never
Above, left to right:
Julia Bristow on the
steps of her new
French home; guests
enjoying lunch in the
grounds of Château
Ventenac; Julia’s
painting holidays are
proving very popular
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■
stay – I always have a job saved up for
I still live over half the year in France,
them to do when they get here!
the right amount of time in both
going to be “one day UK, next day
Have you found it easy to integrate
places, so I really don’t know. The split
France”. And, of course, the house was
in French life?
is perfect right now: promoting the
pretty uninhabitable for periods, so
In general, yes, it’s been very easy. The
château in the UK to a British audience
the challenge was in juggling the usual
Languedoc has historically been very
and then delivering on the promise in
things in family life, and having to do
welcoming to outsiders, and the people
France. What more could I ask?
that in two countries.
in this particular area are especially
As with any major project, I can
Ask me again in a few years when
friendly. The pace of life is much slower
I want to slow down a bit and do less
look back and think of things I could
than in the UK, so you need to adapt
travelling. I think France might win out
have done differently, but I’ve always
to the fact that everything stops for
then. However, I do have another self-
thought you should look back to learn,
two hours at lunchtime. Apart from car
catering property in Cornwall and that
not to regret. I’m really pleased that our
drivers, no one rushes anything. The
occasionally calls, so who knows?
February 2008
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