Expats Who Serve Their Adopted Village: Sue Ingram

I have made reference to the villages accepting us English speaking residents and offering opportunities for social interaction. The fish and chips and bbq nights at the PMU and the quiz night at the Terminus are great examples. However, one of the best examples is that in both Quillan and Campagna, expat women serve as representatives on the village council. Sue Ingram who was originally from England and Ineka Van Mackelenbergh of Dutch heritage who hailed from Canada have or are presently serving terms on their village’s council. My original plan was to combine their stories into a single blog post, but that format would not do them justice. They deserve individual recognition.

Sue Ingram and her husband Chris were the first English speaking people we met and we remain good friends. They arrived in the Aude quite by accident sixteen years ago. On their way to the Mediterranean they passed through Quillan, liked what they saw and decided to stay for a couple of days. The views of the mountains drew them and the Aude was the clincher. During their stay the drive across the old bridge into Campagna made the impression of “real France”. Three days later they purchased their present home-obviously they are not afraid of making decisions. She still loves to sit on the terrace and stare at the mountains.

Sue was a pharmacist in the Brighton vicinity. From the age of 22 to her ‘retirement’ because of the stress of the job at 48, she was the manager of a doctor’s surgery. The first three years the home in Campagna split time with one in Britain, but as Sue related, “The draw of France became stronger and the ties to England diminished.” In January of 2009 they committed to full time French living.

At a party a friend told Sue that the mayor wished to speak with her. The topic-a position on the council. She was at first appointed and later won election for a six year term. One of her major contributions was as a liaison between the English speakers and the various departments within the village, a role she informally maintains. The council members remarked, “You are British, you can do the flowers.” She has taken great pride in this duty and enlists the help of her husband. She proudly points out that the new gymnasium was built during her tenure and that money was raised for the church from two ‘tea parties’. Sue remembers this time fondly. “You become very much part of the village.”