It's going to be a busy old week

In her weekly column, Maddie Grigg shares tales from her life in rural Dorset...

- Maddie Grigg

I APPRECIATE our good fortune in spending summers in France. It's not that I don't love my Dorset village, although places and the people in them do change. Nowhere stays the same.

It's good to ring the changes now and then.

It's not as if we are on holiday in France. We have a house to renovate and I'm still working part-time. Thank goodness for the internet.

Mr Grigg is still involved in Lush Places life as chairman of the community shop, which is a very active role.

We're both involved in the community pub and looking forward to seeing how things are getting on.

It'll be a revelation to see it up and running after missing the opening by a day.

When we get back to the UK next week, one of my key tasks will be to work with the friend of ours we call Ted Moult, because he used to run a doubleglazing company.

A joiner by trade, he's made the most wonderful oak frame for the village map.

This was the one created by an artist as part of a project that involved field names research, folk songs, poetry and art.