We spent 8 years living in the Isle of Man, where we were thoroughly involved in the biking community from spraying / refurbishing bikes, to Ian being   Deputy Chief Marshall for Andreas Racing Association and a Deputy Sector Marshall for the TT and Manx Grand Prix races.

We even sponsored several local riders including Gary Carswell, who was the first Manxman to achieve a podium in the Senior TT race for over 30 years.

One of the main things we enjoyed was being in the homestay scheme in the Isle of Man, this is where visiting bikers find their accommodation with local families. We had one couple who came back five years in a row and we made some very good friends through the scheme.

So when we decided to leave the Isle of Man for pastures new, we spent a year traveling around Europe in a Motorhome with our two young children.  We visited Holland, Belgium, Germany, Italy, France and Spain, experienced many different cultures and environments.  We spent many months in France especially in the South West, after spending the winter in Spain on the beach we returned to the Ariege, at the end of January, and were lucky to experience wild camping in the snow.  We had seen the region in the summer but it was equally beautiful in the winter.

We then found our house in Belesta, which is on the edge of the Ariege.  This allows us to enjoy the ever so green mountains, in a region steeped in history and with the mediterranean coast only 1 hour away.

'Admittedly Ian's love of the areas twisty roads also had something to do with us settling here'-

'It is a bikers heaven'