the example of Mo and Mark in Montcuq

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The Lot is a department which appeals to many British people by its natural setting, its quality of lifeits heritage and its attractive cost of living. It is a destination ideal for a quiet retirement or the acquisition of a second home in a peaceful corner of France.

HAS Montcuqthe British community is important, and plays its part role in village life. Mo and Mark Newman are in some ways the leading figures, they have been able to immerse themselves in local habits and customs while retaining their very British style and humor! A couple successful integration model.

Mo and Mark, residents of Montcuq

Maureen, simply called “Mo”, was born on January 10, 1948 in Bradford, a town in Yorkshire, England. She comes from a family of weavers, spinners and dyers, the Yorkshire region being known for its sheep wool factories. As far back as she can remember, she has had this passion for textiles transmitted by her seamstress grandmother with whom she spent most of her time.

At 16, she became an accountant in her father’s garage, where, despite her young age, she acquired all the skills necessary for the financial management of a business. But working locked in an office doesn’t make her dream.

She then chose to study to become a teacher, with geography and Arts and Crafts as options. She can thus learn the crafts that fascinate her: weaving, dyeing, spinning, but also pottery, ceramics and photography. At 21, she has her teaching certificate in her pocket.

After a 3-year period in Africa in Zimbabwe, she returned to England where she made a career in teaching in primary schools, specializing in classes for children with difficulties who today are called Dys, which is i.e. neurodevelopmental disorders that affect certain cognitive functions, such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysorthography, dysgraphia or even dysphasia.

She moved from the level of teacher to that of primary school principal. When she is entrusted with the budget of half a million pounds sterling for her establishment, she realizes that her experience as an accountant will be of great use to her.

The meeting

She met Marc in 1986 at the teachers’ union where she was elected delegate and he secretary.

Everyone then talks to her about a Mark Newman who obviously she is the only one who does not know. He plays guitar all over the place and his role in the union is important, but they have never met before.

At this time, he wears long curly black hair and boots. They greet each other during a meeting and it’s love at first sight.

From then on, they never stopped finding things in common: they were both vegetarians, they liked the same music, they shared the same interest in geography and the same passion for photography, in fact their cameras were of the same brand! It was definitely a sign!

Both teachers in England

Their life journey also has many similarities.

Mark was born on September 14, 1942 in the suburbs of London, where he spent a few years until his civil servant father’s career took the whole family to Africa, not to Zimbabwe but to Sudan. His great passion, since the age of 11, has been the guitar.

Unfortunately, his father doesn’t see it that way: studies must come first. This father-son misunderstanding will be the great regret of his life because his father died very young following pneumonia, at the age of 47, Mark was then 19 years old. The same year, the director of a school presented Mark with three choices for his future: he could continue playing the guitar but without much hope of making a living from it, earn his living by working in the factory, or take a qualification which would allow him to allows you to become a teacher in one year.

Mark chooses the latter route because it seems almost ridiculously easy to him. But once immersed in the reality on the ground, he realizes the extent of the difficulty of this choice. However, he achieves a balance, with the feeling of having found his way: his job as a teacher leaves him enough free time to continue playing the guitar, whether with his students or in folk groups. In 1969, he changed his style and began playing in blues groups.

Mo and Mark married in 1990, and on their honeymoon trip to Spain they passed through the Lot. They fell in love with the region and promised to buy a house in Quercy Blanc.

In the meantime, they continue their respective careers. Just like Mo, Mark goes from primary school teacher to school principal.

They even worked together for a year, when the British government decided on a vast plan to equip schools with computers. It was the time of the unforgettable Amstrads, and Mo and Mark traveled the country to train the principals of 352 schools in computer equipment. “It was a very pleasant, interesting and fun time, despite the mountain of work that it represented” they remember together.

In 2000, retirement time came.

Retirement in the Lot

They are restoring a village house in Montcuq. Mark created a folk club in Cahors which was very successful and which still exists today. It was in 2006 that they came to settle permanently in Montcuq.

They make a point of perfecting their French, making the effort to speak the language at every meeting. They always ask to be corrected for their mistakes. They set up English-speaking groups two mornings a week to allow people to speak English while practicing their respective passions: the guitar for Mark, weaving for Mo. They also created a photography club with other enthusiasts from the village and participated in numerous exhibitions. Mo continues to weave and also exhibits.

In 2013, Mark photographed all the traders and artisans of Montcuq, with the help of young Julien Bacou. A work of memory of the village which still constitutes a real archive today. Moreover, a new work is currently being designed and will soon be published, which will make it possible to visualize developments, closures or new businesses.

In the life of Montcuq

“It was important for us from the beginning of our installation in Montcuq to be part of the community. We wanted a house in the heart of the village to have neighbors and benefit from the proximity to shops. »

Almost 20 years after their arrival, they have become figures in Montcuq. They are an inseparable couple, and we rarely see one without the other. Moreover, they are nicknamed “the lovers”.

Among the many friends met here, many have disappeared: Yves, Christian, Paul, Madeleine… but they keep their memory in their hearts.

What they like about Montcuq, Mark describes it in a very beautiful way: “It’s superb here. It is an extraordinary ordinary village. » Mo adds: “We learned a lot here, about the local and French culture, and met many people who became excellent friends. »

Mo and Mark’s story demonstrates their ability to integrate and embrace a new culture without giving up their identity. This couple thus embodies a bridge between two nations, illustrating how France can become a true second home for those who decide to settle down there, build memories there and fully blossom there.

Mo and Mark symbolize the successful union of two hearts, two nations, two cultures with the same love.

Cécile INGALLS

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