‘I was having a midlife crisis – so I moved to France’

Aubeterre-sur-Dronne is one of 150 listed villages in France. My missus is French, from Macon. Her name is Colette but she’s called Coco. We met in a town called Chinon, where Joan of Arc met the Dauphin. I was 40 at the time, having a midlife crisis, living in a lovely village in the North of England that I felt was too good. At my 40th birthday party four of us boys decided to buy a cottage in France. When the time actually came to buy I found myself on my own and I wanted to buy a farmhouse that needed a lot of work. I bought it. That was when I met my missus.

For 17 years, until we moved here to Aubeterre in 2007, we lived half the time in France, half the time in the Lake District in England. When we first came to Aubeterre we lived in the village itself, right in the square next to a bar and with the terraces outside the door. Coco had a shop in the square; she sold paintings, antiques, furniture - all the nice stuff. She did great. It was a good business, but hard work and long hours and she became unwell. The doctor said she would be better off working, but that she was doing too much.

Begging her to sell

By then I’d already bought this house. We bought it from the woman whose great-grandfather built it in 1830. She’s a really nice old lady and people had been begging her to sell for 20 years. When she and I met at a wedding she took a shine to me and over time we got the sale done.

We bought in 2008, moved into the house in 2011 after doing a massive job on it. It’s pretty good, what we’ve done! I’m an engineer, but I’ve been renovating houses for 30 years.

It’s in a great place, just 2km from the village, a lovely 20-minute walk through the woods. We ran a Chambre d’Hotes for a while; it’s a great thing to do but you’ve got to like people. There are views across the river to the Dordogne, Bordeaux centre is an hour away, Bordeaux vineyards half an hour. It’s quiet in winter, then the season kicks off at Easter, like someone had thrown a switch.

Space all around

The way of life is gentler here than in the North of England. It’s like the difference between Westport and Dublin. There’s space all around and fresh produce; local meat, vegetables, wines and good climate, food, wine, pace and space. That’s it.

People have been good to us here. I understand the place and people because of having a French missus. We entertain a lot, inside and outside; we’ve a whopping big diningroom. I cook. In Lancaster, years ago, I had a wine bar and bistro.

We like walking around here, and we're looking forward to walking in Westport now we've decided to move there. I've been taking Coco to Ireland for 20 years, two to three times a year. My father came from Tuam, my mother from Ballyhaunis. We were talking about the meaning of life and retirement and all that and Coco said she'd love to live in Westport. So we tried it out, living in a flat in Westport for seven weeks at the back end of last year. At the end of it she said "I'd live here tomorrow."

So we’re selling here and going to live there. You can eat better there than anywhere I know. We like walking, music in scruffy pubs, good restaurants. Westport will suit us fine.

In conversation with Rose Doyle

Vincent and Coco Hearne are selling their French home for €1.26 million (plus notary fees) See besthouseinfrance.com