READ ABOUT THE DREAM PROJECT AUGUST 2013
St Gauderic is a small village in the southwest of France. The nearest town is Mirepoix; Carcassonne is 30 minutes drive and Toulouse 60 mins.
We are 
Neil and Helen Taylor, currently living in Chadderton, part of Oldham, and we have had a holiday cottage in St Gauderic for more than 20 years, and are planning to retire there in due course.
As musicians ourselves, we have taken to promoting musical events in and around St Gauderic, using local musicians (both English, French and other nationalities) and also attracting UK-based musicians, professional and amateur.
The first St Gauderic Music Festival was in 2007, and was so well received by the musicians and audiences that we ran another in 2009, then 2010, 2011 and 2012.
This website is a record of the events that have happened and publicity for the next event. In 2013, there will be no festival at St Gauderic, but we are promoting a singing workshop and concert in Manchester at the equivalent time of year, and would welcome experienced choral singers to join us on 24/25 August. More info elsewhere on this website.
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR FESTIVALS AND EVENTS, PLEASE FOLLOW THE LINKS, WE WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO SEE YOU AT ONE OF THE CONCERTS.
Please contact us by sending us a comment. Click on the “comment” below.
Hi Neil and Helen
We are planning to buy a villa just up the road from the church in St Gauderic. Please would you give us some insights living there I.e. local walks, markets etc
Thank you for maintaining this site and maybe one day we’ll meet.
Kind regards
Sue and Steve
Hi Sue and Steve,
Thank you for your comment on our website. I confess that we have used the site more for publicity for our music festivals than for promoting the village itself. However, you will find some pictures and video clips on it from time to time. My son visited last summer and brought a drone with him; I will try to get his film loaded on the website shortly.
We have had a holiday home in St Gauderic for over 30 years, and we used to visit 3 or 4 times each year. Now we have retired, we can come more frequently and for longer, and we have built ourselves a bungalow near the village. The yellow house on the bend beside the church. We were there in October running our music festival, but we have since returned to the UK for the winter this year.
Congratulations in choosing St G as the place to live in France. The population of the commune is about 100. There are quite a few french villagers left, with varying occupations, a few dutch, and perhaps a dozen or more English, some of whom, like ourselves, spend significant time in England.
The centre of the village is the Mairie, where the business is normally transacted on Thursday afternoons. The Maire is Dominic Legros, but not for long; he has announced his intention not to stand for another term of office next spring. The Maire’s secretary of Virginie, also available Thursday afternoons, and she is brilliant if you have any questions/ problems/ crises with french bureaucracy.
Our local eating place is the Auberge de Balestie, on the main road towards Mirepoix opposite the 2nd turn to Malegoude, it is english owned and run, and we can recommend it. There is an excellent market in Mirepoix on Mondays, which is a magnet for english tourists in the summer and on feast days. It also has a range of shops and facilities, like banks, garages, supermarkets, restaurants, etc.
If you like serious walking, there are plenty of options in the mountains nearby. For those less ambitious, the GR7 locally goes through Fanjeaux, Hounoux, Malegoude and over the hills down to Mirepoix, and there are plenty of old railway lines, turned into walks crossing the countryside.
I could rabbit on for ever about the area, as we have been there so long! I hope your purchase goes smoothly, and we look forward to meeting you sometime in the spring.
Best wishes
Neil & Helen Taylor