topcol

Thanks very much for the suggestion but I know about les pages blanches and have already tried with no success.

I'd be very grateful for any help in finding my mother's French relatives, surnamed Cook, who lived in Maisons-Laffitte in the Yvelines department. My mother's name was Margaret Florence Cook. She was educated at a convent boarding school in St Trond, Belgium. My mother's grandfather was Edwin Cook, a well-known racehorse trainer of that area. His wife's name was Mary née Armstrong.  Her father was Edwin's eldest child William Cook, one-time racing journalist on the Paris Daily Mail. He married Florence Hinton in 1918, my mother was their only child. My grandfather died in 1930 shortly after moving to London where he had obtained a post with The Sporting Life newspaper. As far as I know, Edwin had two other sons whose names I don't know and two daughters, one of whom married a M. Forge and went to live in Nice. They were connected to the Manby family who were also involved in horseracing. Thanks very much for any help you can give me. Topcol

Thanks a lot, NormanH, I didn't know about the carte vitale,I'll keep your very useful info handy for when we actually cross the Channel. All the best Colin

Thanks, NormanH, all advice gratefully received. I'd rather know the reality than be left to imagine that all is rosy. The rural we'd prefer would be in the northern part of France where there is generally more work for EFL teachers and I wouldn't mind commuting as long as it wasn't too far. I'd also hope to have the odd student/guest from the UK or USA. I only want part-time anyway. I don't know for sure but I have a feeling that Brit-owned properties could be at a higher rent than French-owned. Part of my pension is paid by the CRAM and I have a private pension, too. Colin

I'll be retiring Jan 2011 from my job as press officer with Kent Police, became OAP Jan 2010 but working extra year. Northern half of France preferred, must be rural, unfurnished preferably, with 2 beds, garden, parking. Husband has near-native French, fluent Italian, qualified ex-secondary schoolteacher plus 22 years EFL teaching in France, Italy & UK. Thanks a lot Colin