Our family has lived in this region of the South of France for nearly 20 years since we moved from the UK.

Six years ago, we bought a very large house, bit enough for a commercial guest house, but also, importantly, large enough for my mother to come and live with us and have her own private and e-secluded apartment and garden.

My Mum will be 90 next year and, thanks to the climate and wonderful services here, as well as her active mind, she is a valuable member of our family – her Sunday roast lunches are a highlight of the week and the kids always seem to be around for them, so we have traditional family lunch – perhaps this year with five generations around the same table.

Recently Mum has been writing about her life – she kept diaries and has edited these into an auto-biography for us – I only know the story since around 1951 when I was taken to the Festival of Britain – so reading about her schooldays – the land army – joining the navy – the war in Egypt and Palestine – is fascinating – she was a communications officer in the WRENS and took the signal as it came in about the sinking of the Bismark, evacuated from Tobruk, many fascinating scenes

She met and married my Father in Palestine and along I came 9 months later – but that is another story.

My Mum is keen for me to make a blog about her memoirs from the writing she is doing and publish these online – it is a real living snapshot of history and I am part of it in a small way.