Air Arms Owners Club

The reason I ask is because I have a penchant for old period literature particularly from the twenties and thirties. Timmytree also knows of my shared love of HV Morton, a travel writer and journalist from that period - probably the first, did you know, to travel round by car describing his journeys, the people and customs etc - nostalgic stuff.

Anyway I wasn't aware if he went to Southern France but another of my favourite writers did - one Dornford Yates. His 'Berry' books were sometimes set on the continent and one in particular described the building of a house near Pau and in the foothills of the Pyrenees. This house does exist and was lived in by Yates for a certain time. A very spectacular location. Using google earth reveals an enchanting part of La Belle France. It's en route to Spain so I could drive there and onwards to see my daughter............

Yates also wrote a series of books based round one of the Berry cousins - Jonah Mansel who was cast as one of those gentleman raconteurs etc so prevalent in stories from that period - eg Richard Hannay of Buchan's 39 steps fame and other books

By chance we were there a few weeks ago for a few days as I am trying to persuade HIH to relocate or purchase another property closer to some choice trout fishing (and indeed skiing). Pau is pleasant enough, like most French towns spoiled around the edges but, nicely preserved in the centre.
HIH's grandmother was born in Oleron close to Pau, the small town of Navarrenx is exceedingly pretty and sits beside a quite splendid river which maintains a healthy salmon run.
I like the area very much, a very civilised route into Spain and one which would facilitate a stay in St Emilion or the environs en route, which is making a chap a tad thirsty just thinking about it!.

Thanks for that.

Here we are a Wikipedia article on the House including a picture

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_House ... erry_Built