James and Steve worked on the farm ran by the Fouilland family, near to the city of Roanne in the Lyon region. James was there during the summer of 1985 and Steve in 1986.
This opportunity came about due to their French tutor in the Department of European Studies, Michel Cornette, making an appearance on the national radio station RTL, on a show called ‘et pour vous, que’est-ce qu’on peut faire?’ (and what is it we can we do for you?), appealing for summer job opportunities for the students studying French in the Department.
James and Steve helped with a variety of tasks during their stays on the farm, including herding, milking, mucking out, haymaking and even helping to sell the cheeses on the local markets.
They eventually lost contact, but James decided to track down the name of the eldest son, Christophe, who was around 13 years old at the time of the work placements. Christophe, now 52 years old, currently works on the technical side of livestock agriculture and was therefore easy to trace through articles published in French agricultural journals.
In early August 2024, James and Steve travelled back to the region, where they were able to reunite with Jean and Denise Fouilland, the original farmers, along with their 3 children, Christophe, Stehpanie and Caroline and their wider families. They also had the opportunity to revisit the goat farm, now called Les Chevres de la Forest, and meet the current owners, Jerome and Aurore.
Christophe explained to James and Steve how hosting English students had enriched their perspectives and expanded their horizons. In addition, James and Steve also both said how they had benefitted massively from the experience around 40 years ago. It helped with their French language development and gave them what they both describe as ‘character building’ experiences!
The whole family was delighted to see James and Steve again after all these years and a wonderful few days were spent together reminiscing about the time on the farm and catching up on all the lost years.