Nothing Like A Good Wedding

'Just Married' plaque and tin cans tied to a vintage car.

Will a French wedding proceed smoothly when a British bride and groom are involved? Mark Sampson finds out.

The Golden Age of Weddings is when you're young and all your friends are at it. Then comes a hiatus while you wait for offspring to marry, during which you rely on late-blooming romances.

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The Postgraduate House-Cleaners

Mark arranges the music for his friend's wedding

Our ex-pat in France visits some ex-pat friends to organise the music for their wedding.

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Alone Again, Naturally

Our ex-pat lives the single life for a week.

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Many Unhappy Returns

Mark Sampson finds the French tax office even more formidable than the Inland Revenue.

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The Wrong Good Friday

Our ex-pat in France muses on the traditions of Easter.

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Taking The Piste

Mark Sampson experiences the highs and lows of the Alps.

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Slipping Into Fifty

Mark Sampson's wife turns fifty, and they celebrate in style.

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Ding Dong! The Guns Have Gone

Mark finds life in rural France tainted by the hunting season.

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Sheepless Days & Nights

Sheepless Days & Nights

Mark Sampson muses on the joys of having sheep in his back garden.

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Mark Sampson On Living In France

A photo of Mark Sampson

The author, Mark Sampson was born in 1954 in London and raised in Belfast.  He has lived in Southwest France since 1995. His family’s straw-bale house was featured in Grand Designs Abroad and his latest book, Essential Questions to Ask When Buying a House in France, appeared earlier this year. He writes a fortnightly column for 50connect as an ‘ex-pat’ living in France.

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From relationship advice to environmental issues; life as an ex-pat living in France and the highs and lows of going back to study; read the latest from our regular contributors.