A couple who spent most of their lives in the Bromley borough have found the different life and adventure they craved after moving to France.

Nick and Pippa Craig lived happily for years in Beckenham and later Shortlands, and described the area as a "great place to be".

But the pair bravely decided to move from their comfortable surroundings after work took over their lives.

So two years ago they moved from their home in Shortlands to start a new life in the south-west of France.

They now run a successful glamping business in the secluded Coutillard, located close to a small village in the Tarn-et Garonne region of France.

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Speaking of their big move, Pippa, 50, said: "We found ourselves working extremely hard as a lot of people do.

"It was a lot of stress. I was the manager of a dental practice in London and I would be out of the house from 7am until 8pm."

Nick, 49, had a building company and he also worked long days.

In the past few years they began thinking about making a drastic change.

Nick had spent some of his life in Austria and was keen to move abroad.

The couple spent countless hours planning and said that the decision to move to south-west France was not done on a whim.

They used their annual leave to visit places abroad where they could potentially start a new life.

Another consideration was Pippa’s son Henry, 22, who still lives in Beckenham.

"I wanted to wait until he was at an age where he was comfortable with it," his mum said.

The couple, who got together in 2006 having grown up in the same area, eventually fell in love with a small French village.

They bought eight acres of land that now offers visitors the choice of a cabin, three roulottes (camper homes), a gite (rented holiday home) and a shared pool.

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Pippa said: "We have settled really well. It has taken time because you drop yourself in the middle of nowhere in a foreign country and you have to learn the language."

She joked that the eight acres of land was overwhelming after moving from their 70ft garden in Shortlands.

They have been welcomed kindly into the small village, with their guests using the surround restaurants and bars.

Nick and Pippa will soon feature on Channel 4’s A New Life in the Sun.

Despite loving life in sunny France, home will always be Beckenham.

"I definitely miss it," Pippa said. "It’s an odd thing because I’m truly happy. It’s a much easier life and I spend a lot of time outdoors and I love that.

"But Beckenham is not that far away and at first I was homesick.

"We always think about Bromley and Beckenham and we now realise what a great place it is. I’m glad my son is still there, and he is safe.

"I love going back. We just wanted an adventure and a challenge, not to get away. We just wanted a different life here."