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Description of Butterflies on Mimosa

This book has the sub-title "The pleasures and pitfalls of owning a gîte" and is about a couple who buy a cottage in Charente-Maritime as a holiday home. They decide to rent it out to holidaymakers in the summer so that the small amount of money raised this way can go towards the running expenses. Nothing is straightforward and they immediately learn to expect the unexpected.

Owning a gîte in Charente-Maritime has been a far from humdrum experience for the author and her family – though they love their charming house dearly. They have learned to embrace the unusual and expect the unexpected.

The purchase of their cottage took place around Black Wednesday, their money seemed to vanish into thin air after being paid over, they had trouble with caretakers and eventually became astonished onlookers as a tale of arson and murder unfolded. Wayward sewage and occasional difficult guests were the least of their problems...

Nothing would surprise them now, including finding summer butterflies on their winter-flowering mimosa.

If you’re thinking of going into ‘long-distance’ gîte-letting, read this first!

Title Information

ISBN:

9781901253238

Pages:

184 pages

Format:

Paperback

Product Code:

16552

Publisher:

Léonie Press

Published:

01/01/1970

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About Eleanor Francis

Eleanor Francis was born and grew up in York, where she qualified as a Radiographer in 1961. Shortly afterwards she moved to London. She worked as a Radiographer and Senior Radiographer at Guys Hospital from 1963-1970, and as a Senior Radiographer, specialising in angiographic and cardiovascular work, from 1970-1983. In 1975 she attained the Higher Diploma of the College of Radiographers.

She married a professional horn player, instrumental teacher and organist in April 1983 and they have one daughter.

In July of that year she was appointed Superintendent Radiographer for Bromley Hospital in Kent, and later Unit Radiography manager, Bromley and Beckenham Hospitals. Disillusioned by the various changes and reorganisations within the National Health Service, she took early retirement in 1992.

Hartford artist Patricia Kelsall has illustrated the book with a number of pen and ink sketches and painted the watercolour picture used for the cover.