paulingrams

Hello I'm an Englishman, 64, divorced, living in Wales with my well-bred Border collie, Ianto - hoping to sell-up, buy and semi-retire in France, where my father spent the last 30 years of his life - or any other country that isn't about to quit the EU. I speak reasonable (revivable) French, some Italian, a little German and, now, Portuguese (learner), I can sing several Welsh hymns and have been the leading bass-baritone in a local choir, but my ambition is to be a jazz singer, to which end I have attended several summer workshops in France. I recently spent almost seven years as the manager of a historic country mansion and 30 acres, in the almost permanent absence of the owners abroad - including their hospitality and weddings business. There is a review on Tripadvisor that says I cooked the best breakfast the guest had ever eaten, anywhere! Plus, I have several years' experience as a jobbing gardener and maintenance man-Friday, and as a small farmer; although my background was originally London in various corners of the media (editorial). I'm also TESOL-qualified. So, if you're looking for a helpful long-term gardien, resident gardener/handyman/housekeeper, B&B manager or gite turner-around, or just a faithful family retainer in the gatehouse, I genuinely do know how to prune roses and I'd be pleased to hear from you.