Get more


inspiration from readers’ stories


Hostess with the mostest


A stroke of serendipity led to Christine Greenwood running a B&B in Eymet, Dordogne, as she explains to Paul Jack


I


t has been quite a journey from treading the boards at Blackpool’s famed Winter Gardens as one of Ken Dodd’s


Diddy Men to being the owner of Eymet’s newest chambres d’hôtes/B&B but for Christine Greenwood this journey has a sense of inevitability. After 25 years working in the


UK for one of France’s most iconic drinks brands, it seems only right that Christine should end up living in the country and loving the lifestyle she did so much to promote throughout her career. And, as a Blackpool girl born


and bred, what could be more appropriate than owning a B&B in a hugely popular tourist destination? In May of 2022, Christine opened Serendipity B&B in the heart of Eymet’s historic bastide. Her journey


from Blackpool to Eymet reflects her colourful character and charismatic personality.


PEOPLE PERSON Attracted to Dordogne by is warm climate, rolling countryside and fruitful vines, as well as a noticeably more relaxed pace of life, Christine didn’t at first see herself as a B&B owner. Like many Brits who move to France, she hoped to purchase a property, part of which she could let out to holidaymakers as a gîte in the summer months, and for longer stays over the winter.


Her first property (bought in 2019) fulfilled all these aspirations, but the pandemic hit tourism hard and, despite all its attractions, an isolated property was not ideally suited to a single woman newly arrived in France. “The countryside here is


beautiful but, living a good distance from a town and being dependant on a car was not for me,” says Christine. “ People I met encouraged me to move to nearby Eymet where there is a real sense of community and a vibrant social life. When I moved there in March of 2022


“From a dream, to an all- year-round B&B business in a matter of months”


76 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: March/April 2023


I came to life. Living in this environment is good for you.” As somebody who thrives


in social situations Christine is a true ‘people person’. She worked as an events and promotions manager for over 25 years with Pernod Ricard, dealing with people on a day- to-day basis. She helped launch Pernod as a brand in the UK back in 1979, bringing a special piece of France to the UK before leaving to run her own B&B in Cornwall. Returning to Pernod in 1989, she managed their corporate hospitality, travelling the world including making countless visits to France on behalf of Martell and Dubonnet, all under the Pernod Ricard umbrella. A quiet life in an isolated


farmhouse was just not going to be enough for Christine!


frenchentree.com/ living-in-france


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148