Welcome to the Blog part of the website. This is my attempt to make sense of Kate and I living in France, the lifestyle,the french, my home and animals and anything else that seems amusing to me. Sorry I have a strange sense of humour!! 

The blog is written on a monthly basis with regular  news of my adventures and those of my animals at La Godefrere.  You can now look us up on our new facebook page - La Godefrere.

This website can no longer host my blog so I have changed to using wordpress. This can be accessed through the following link:

Link to my blog

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Browsing Archive: November, 2018

I get through the big weekend; hens and the pecking order; les gilets jaune and the old rugged cross

Posted by Graham Parish on Tuesday, November 27, 2018,

Well, I managed to survive nearly a week on my own. The cats and the hens came through with no damage from a period under my supervision. Mrs. Parish has returned and all is back to something like normal here at La Godefrere. Mrs. Parish arrived back home late on Wednesday evening with a car laden with Christmas presents. So, a successful trip all round. The cats of course came out from their palace to greet her. I rather think that they could see the prospect of additional supper. 

While we w...

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The pressures of command as I am left in charge, the hens try to escape and we have a week of big boys and little deers

Posted by Graham Parish on Tuesday, November 20, 2018,
For almost the past week I have been in charge here at La Godefrere as Mrs. Parish has gone to England with a car load of French produce. I like to describe it as a humanitarian mission to take comfort and cheer for those poor Brits having to put up with Brexit. Mrs. Parish had a car full of 10 boxes of wine for the immediate family as well as presents for Christmas. The car was full. Thankfully our new French car has lots of room in the boot.

So, I have been fending for myself. Well, for some...

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A sad but very French farewell to Emile - while back chez nous - Owlie is back; we have new neighbours and the hens live dangerously!

Posted by Graham Parish on Monday, November 12, 2018,

We said farewell to Emile on Saturday at the Catholic church in Gorron. It was full and we estimated that there were over 300 people in attendance, a fitting tribute to the love and respect that so many had for Emile.

The funerals in France are arranged very quickly and in typical French style done in accordance with tradition. This makes things tough for the surviving spouse. Emile died on Tuesday and so for the rest of the week his body was laid out in the funeral home for friends and family...

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Au revoir, mon ami Emile et merci

Posted by Graham Parish on Tuesday, November 6, 2018,
It is with great sadness that I have to report that early this morning our dear friend Emile passed away, peacefully in his sleep after a short stay in hospital. He was cheerful and alert, with his customary good humour until the end.

In recent years Emile had had a triple heart bypass, then a pacemaker and finally a stent. In the end at the age of 86 his heart was worn out.

We first got to know Emile immediately after we bought our French house 6 years ago. I think it was the day after we had ...

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About Me


Graham Parish Graham Parish is a former UNISON Trade Union official who retired to France with Kate (a previous self employed gardener and now resident gardener here) to start a new life of wine, cheese, french bread and a vegetable garden on a large rural french farm with holiday gite, and associated animals.

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