Back in the 1960’s, a schoolboy from Birmingham who had never been abroad, had an exchange with his pen pal from France. By train and ferry, he arrived at the “Joly” family home in Paris.

His senses were awakened by the new surroundings; the rambling house; five brothers and one sister for company; meals in the garden; the Metro; the smell of Gauloises, and the taste of real coffee, croissants and baguette in the morning.

After one week, the family left Paris at 6am, in the Citroen DS, driving south. Following “la route du soleil”; passing through Moulins, Nevers, crossing the Loire, past Lyons and then down the Rhone valley. Stopping for a picnic lunch under olive trees. Montelimar, Avignon, Aix and then…. the Mediterranean.

The azur sky, the smell and colour of the pines and the sea. The way of life. You get the picture? There followed two weeks of bliss for that Birmingham schoolboy. Impressions of a place and way of life that were to last a lifetime.

And that, dear reader, is how it all began…