Description
We are an English couple, supposedly retired but working and playing harder than ever the the Dept. of Deux Sevres in Western France. This is a beautiful part of rural France, set among rolling hills in the heart of apple growing country. We arrived in France 28 years ago with our 4 children, who are now married to French nationals and we now have 7 Anglo-French grandchildren; the majority of them live fairly locally. Our home is a large old farmhouse on the edge of a quiet village. There is a very large garden with a swimming pool, thriving vegetable plot, chickens and a cat.
I am involved with many many activities in the community: a book group, keep fit, I sing in a choir, am learning mosaics and run a Supper Club with 18 members. I love French brocante and visiting vide greniers, collecting mostly vintage china and also furniture to repaint.
Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre
Jardinage
Entretien général
Aide à la maison
S’occuper des animaux
Objectifs de développement durable de l’ONU que cet hôte essaie d'atteindre
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Qu'est-ce que c'est ?
Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre
As we are lucky enough to have a French son in law and daughter in law, there will be the opportunity to speak French to them when they join us for family meals. There is also a local 'Franglais' group who meet once a week to practice their language skills. We also have an Anglo-French bar 5 minutes away by car, who are very welcoming and who have live music every other Friday evening. So, if you would like to speak French there will be plenty of opportunities to do so.
Projets impliquant des enfants
Ce projet peut impliquer des enfants. Pour en savoir plus, consultez nos directives et conseils ici.
Aide
We have just said goodbye to our first workaway volunteers and it was a superb experience which we would like to try to replicate next year. Ideally, we are looking for a couple, who are willing, energetic and fairly handy. We would like help initially from the beginning of June for 2 weeks. In the Autumn we would also like a couple to help us again, mostly to gather in the garden produce in order to make jams, chutneys etc. There is also some painting to be done in one of the two cottages on the property plus general maintenance and some help in the house. Your own transport would be an asset as this is such a great area to explore but, if not, we will try to give lifts whenever reasonably possible.
Langues parlées
Anglais: Courant
Français: Courant
Hébergement
There is a well-equipped cottage next to the main house. It has 3 bedrooms, (2 double and one twin). I suggest that you have breakfast in there (provided by us) and join us for lunch and supper in the house/around the pool for lunch and supper. I am a keen cook and you will not go hungry!
Autres infos...
There are lovely walks around here plus two bikes available to help you explore the surrounding area. Our friends run a very friendly riding school about 10 minutes away by bike. We have hundreds of books if you would like to read by the pool.
Informations complémentaires
- Accès Internet
- Accès Internet limité
- Nous avons des animaux
- Nous sommes fumeurs
- Familles bienvenues
Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?
Plus de 2
Nombre d'heures attendues
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week

N° de référence hôte : 277311447211

Feedback (1)

7 oct. 2019

Laissé par l'hôte pour le workawayer (stuartandteresa)

Well, this was our first experience as Workaway hosts and it was superb. Teresa and Stuart are such a lovely couple, with a strong work ethic and their workmanship is meticulous, with great attention to detail.
We asked them to redecorate a huge sitting room in one of our gites (52 square metres, with a double height ceiling full of large exposed… read more

(Excellent )

4 oct. 2019

Laissé par le workawayer (stuartandteresa) pour l'hôte

Where to start? Jackie and Nigel are 2 truly marvelous people. Their warm and welcoming family home, garden, swimming pools and outbuilding conversions have been renovated and converted over nearly 30 years and every centimetre of the place has been attended with skill, precision, and lots of love. It truly is a lifetimes work and their good… read more hearts are reflected in its beauty. Being here has been like being inside a huge hug. It has been fantastic.
We were Jackie and Nigel’s first workawayers, and we have been incredibly well looked after.
We have stayed in a gorgeous 3 bed self contained cottage, and been fed 2 delicious meals a day, as well as having all breakfast supplies provided, along with home-made cakes at elevensies and tea time. The cottage, which is beautifully decorated, has a wood burner, dishwasher and washing machine, not to mention heaps of white fluffy towels, a shower you could swing a cat in, top quality bed linen and a really comfy bed. We self catered at breakfast and at weekends, but Jackie asked for a shopping list of our breakfast requirements, and stocked the fridge before we arrived. At the weekends, even though we self catered, she provided a poached chicken and a chickpea salad and again stocked the fridge from a list I made. So unbelievably kind and generous.
In exchange we have prepped and painted a large vaulted reception room in one of their converted outbuildings (please see photos on our profile). We knew what we would be doing before we arrived and agreed on a 2 week stay. Nigel and Jackie had prepared the room for us, moving furniture and making sure that all the things we’d need to get on with the job were available. If we had suggestions, or needed extra supplies, they were receptive and forthcoming. We have never felt like we were working for them. We felt that we have been helping friends.
Our working day was left completely up to us, so we decided to start at 8.30am each day. We stopped at 10.30 and got ourselves coffee in our cottage, along with a bit of lemon drizzle cake, or coffee cake, or home made tea bread (yum!) we returned to work at 11, and then at 1pm we were treated to a delicious home cooked meal in Jackie’s kitchen, which we ate with Jackie, and Nigel if he was available. (He is busy renovating one of their children’s houses) followed by a homemade pudding. We would return to work at 2pm and work until around 3.30-4.00pm. This is entirely our choice. There was no pressure to work more than 4-5 hours a day. We just wanted to make sure we would get the task set done without hurrying, so we could give our generous hosts a really professional job. Then there was time for a swim, or a to catch up on emails etc., before dinner at 6.30. Another home cooked meal and dessert waited for us. Wine was always available with our meals if we wanted it. Jackie is an amazing cook. Every meal contains some elements from her fabulous garden. Jackie’s meals are made with love and care and are totally delicious and always as beautiful to look at as they are to taste.. We had our evening meals with Jackie and Nigel in their lovely dining room, and the conversation always flowed. We learned a great deal about the way France administers its districts, the French education system, what is good to see and do locally as well as exchanging life experiences and putting the world to rights.
We were able to have Jackie and Nigel to dinner in our cottage on the last night, to show our gratitude and give them a night off!
Jackie and Nigel are wise and kind and generous. There is plenty of work to do around their property throughout the changing seasons, from gardening, to wood cutting, to helping maintain the buildings. Although they have lived in France for nearly 30 years, and have children married to French nationals, and dual nationality grandchildren, they are still the most amazing examples of ‘the Best of British’. If you would like to experience true British hospitality, and get an insight into quintessential British homelife, all be it set in a beautiful area of France, this is the place to do it.
We will keep in touch with Jackie and Nigel and hope to really hope to see them again one day.

(Excellent )

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7 oct. 2019

Laissé par l'hôte pour le workawayer (stuartandteresa)

(Excellent )

4 oct. 2019

Laissé par le workawayer (stuartandteresa) pour l'hôte

(Excellent )

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Come and improve your French language here in La Proutiere, France

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Description

Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

Objectifs de développement durable de l’ONU que cet hôte essaie d'atteindre

Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

Projets impliquant des enfants

Aide

Langues parlées

Hébergement

Autres infos...

Informations complémentaires

Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

Nombre d'heures attendues

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