Around half the workforce in France is on the minimum wage. One consequence of this, and something we had already realised was another plus on the balance sheet of French rural life, was the peasant economy.

One evening in October, just as it was going dark, I opened the door to a man selling apples.

‘Vous voulez des pommes, Monsieur?

I thought a couple of kilos would come in handy and said so.

‘Non, Monsieur, ce n’estpas possible. Cinquante kilos minimum.’

And that’s the way it works, be it fish, fowl or just about anything that happens to be in season. Or, in the immortal words of John Sullivan: ‘no income tax, no VAT ...’

The peasant economy is as much an institution as the hunt. It also begins to explain why local fresh food (and the French place a premium on ‘local’) is relatively expensive in supermarkets. It is simply because the French believe it makes more sense to sell local produce locally than see it transported along the autoroute network.

Another compensation was beginning to filter through on the bills front. Our local taxes for the first year were going to amount to around £300 – a quarter of our previous council tax bill in Kent. As electricity is still cheaper than in the UK, the meter seemed to stroll rather than race which, no doubt, also had much to do with living outside. We expected to be harder hit by the winter quarter, but the log burning stove was already beginning to prove its worth.

Perhaps the greatest compensation was living amongst the French themselves. They have a genuinely high regard for intellect and education. They talk knowledgeably about nuances of debate in politics and religion. They are at the same time gregarious, yet have a dislike of too much formal or organised activity. These kinds of apparent contradiction make them elusive, infuriating, introverted, intriguing, beguiling, and most frequently, charming. Best of all, the children are respectful and well-mannered which bodes well for the future.

It is worth noting that when responding to questions about their motivation for buying property in France, the British are inclined to list priorities which include cost, climate and cuisine. All that, to a greater or lesser extent, may be true, but I have no doubt that the British may receive a more positive response, and give themselves a much better chance of settling in, if they placed the French themselves towards the top of the list.