Thank You

I couldn't have got this far without quite a few people.  Some are the craftsmen and trades who have done the physical work and others are friends and family.  So, in no particular order and please forgive me if I have missed anyone:

Thank you to the 'trades' who have done the paid work: 

Tony, John, Rob, another John, Sean and Blackie.

Thank you to my family who have lent me money at various times in my life and enabled me to get on the property ladder and who have been generous at Christmas and birthdays so that I could book vans and ferry tickets and pay for various things I needed. Thanks for the storage of my stuff and for being so encouraging.

Thank you to my friends:

Melanie (and Clive) who sent me the details in the first place and who introduced me to the area and sparked my passion for brocantes. Thank you for letting me stay with you when the barn was not ready and for meals and coffees. Thank you Melanie for YEARS of true sisterhood and friendship.

Grace (and Philip and Pippa) who have become a second family to me.  Thank you for everything.  For the nights you have put me up and listened to me moaning about my doors and crying about how slow everything was. Thank you for the great chats, the vide greniers, the dancing to Northern Soul and all of the amazing food.  Thanks for everything - there is too much to list here. I love you all.

Thank you to Anna for driving the van bearing all of my stuff over to the barn last year and for driving it back again.  Seriously, what would I have done without your skills on the road?

Thank you to Lyn for pulling down so much ivy, for driving me around, for lifting and storage and so much more.  To me, the barn was a dream, to you it became the 'effing barn' which was a bit annoying at times, but funny now.

Thank you to all of my dear friends who have encouraged this dream of mine and told me I could do it. To friends from my school days, university, teaching in the UK, The Box Theatre Company, Newport, the world of Photography and Switzerland.  You know who you are. My door will always be open for you.

And finally, to Laurent. Thanks for being a great and most useful translator, companion, cleaner of stinky furniture, log designer, provider of awesome courtyard lunches and someone to try to beat at cards. I need to find a game that I have a chance of winning.

Denise.