It all began with an Olive Grove

' I refuse to become an Olive Farmer if we go to live in Spain' I said to my husband. 'Never he replied'. So in December 2004 we packed our bags and children and moved to our summer house in Southern Catalonia for good.

Both my husband and I were involved in eduction in the UK, and both of us had become very disillusioned with the state of the system in the UK, as well as the education our three children were receiving.

So now we are here what to do; well plenty to get on with making the summer house into a full 365 day a year living space. Then the husband reads the local paper and finds an olive grove for sale in the local national park. 'Ideal he says for a small camping site' We view it and as you do fall in love with it and buy it.

Then we start with the bureaucrats, who still seem to be living in the inquisition still, we need this paper, that paper, this technico to do this, that technico to do that, and so on, and on and on.
Two years later do we have a small camping site - no. We have an olive grove. Do we know how to look after the trees - no. but we have the solution in a local man with all the knowledge and some spare time. So here we are today, 4 years on with our own virgin olive oil every year, and guess what I love it. We are still learning how to look after the trees though.

Some of our trees are over 1000 years old, and still crop heavily every year, but looking and working with these trees, do tend to put your own mortality in perspective.