Article: Power cuts, floods and despair... I think I'll get my hair done; A river streams through the barn and drink flows freely next door, but the laughter has all but dried up in our stormy house in rural France.(Column)

Byline: LAUREN BOOTH

Listening to the brutal wind, I lie awake as it seeks a way in, a pane to rattle, a tile to loosen. This seemingly endless storm wreaks its havoc on trees and shrubs. Driving into town is hazardous - the road is a branch graveyard.

While writing this the electricity has failed, temporarily, three times.

Worst of all is the cabin fever. A mix of boredom and claustrophobia has us at each other's throats.

Grandad has decided to go home. 'I'll come back for a summer holiday,' he says after another silent evening spent watching a DVD, 'when it's warm.'

Craig and I shrug a little jealously - even a deserted ...

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