In 1965 while on holiday, Ken and Chris Davies bought a two acre property on the small feudal Island of Sark, in the British Channel Islands just off the coast of France. Leaving their jobs as district nurse and advertising executive in London, England they set up a guest house. It was a steep learning curve, as they had not done anything like this before. Chris had to learn to master a solid fuel cooker, cook for up to fourteen guests, and cope without motor transport, as cars were forbidden. Guests were met by horse and carriage and cycling was the main means of transport.Eventually Chris and Ken developed a smallholding as they had prime land, and it was a good idea to be as self-supporting as possible. So much had to be imported to this tiny Island, just five kilometers by three, with a population of just 500. They had to learn to drive a donkey and cart; milk goats and look after 200 hens and hives of bees. Many were the amusing incidents before they became proficient.Chris also practiced as a private district nurse, helping the only doctor on the Island. She had to visit her patients by bicycle or tractor and we meet several local characters like the farmer 'Hap' and his daughter Annie.'So You want to Live on Sark' is an entertaining true story of Chris and Ken's struggles to survive. It is full of incidents; some funny some sad and we meet many characters as we follow their progress from new arrivals to experienced residents of this unique island.Chris has illustrated each of the chapters with a 'cartoon-type' sketch, and there are one or two drawings of local buildings as well as many black and white photos.This is a second edition as the first is almost out of print: it has proved very popular.Since the first edition, Chris Davies Curtis has written two other memoir books; 'From a Feudal Isle to Aotearoa, ' where the family travel to New Zealand by ship, buy a Bedford van to live in. They tour both the North and South Islands, getting jobs when the money runs out.'From Queen's Nurse to Godzone' Tells of Chris' earlier days as a district nurse in London in the 60s and in New Zealand in the 70s.Both these books are also illustrated by the author
About the Author: Chris Davies Curtis was born in Yorkshire England, and spent her school years in Stratford-upon-Avon with her parents and elder brother David. Her father was a writer of short stories and so she grew up in a literary world, although she only started to write in earnest much later in life. She trained to be a registered nurse, meeting her future husband Ken on a pony trekking holiday. Chris spent several years as a district nurse in London after they married. Holidays were spent exploring Great Britain and then they discovered the tiny Island of Sark in the British Channel Isles. Four years after marrying, they moved to Sark to build up a guest-house and smallholding business. After about seven years, they decided to travel to New Zealand by ship, via Cape Town. They bought a Bedford van and toured everywhere for two years, taking young son Roy with them. Various jobs paid the way. At first Chris was the Matron of a small hospital in Auckland and then Ken and Chris had an unusual job of working in a Motel and driving guests around by horse and carriage. They fell in love with New Zealand, so decided to return to Sark to lease their property and emigrate back to New Zealand in 1976. Here Chris became a rural district nurse in a large country area north of Auckland for seven years. Sadly the marriage ended and Chris returned to Sark in 1984. She had re-met an old friend on Sark whose marriage had also ended and she fell very much in love with the man who was to be 'The Love of her Life, ' Peter. They lived happily together on Sark for seventeen years, spending holidays in exotic places like Kenya: Tanzania: South Africa: Tobago: Canary Islands and becoming involved with Island life. Tragically, Peter developed a brain tumor and Chris' experience as a district nurse was called upon to care for him in their re-built lovely house. He died comfortably at home and Chris stayed on for several more years, as son Roy and family were living in Sweden, and she wanted to be near. To reduce the sorrow, Chris sold her house and bought a derelict 400 year-old cottage and renovated it, doing much of the decorating and carpentry herself. In 2009 Chris packed her bags again to return to New Zealand as her son had also returned with his family. It was then she started to write about her eventful life. The three autobiographical books will soon be joined by a fourth, and she has tried her hand at an adult 'Medical Romance, ' which is available on Amazon Kindl