Margaret began her love affair with France when she worked as an au pair in Paris in the late 1950s, while also studying at the Sorbonne. She returned many times, either on holiday or working in summer camps - 'colonies de vacances' - as an 'animatrice' (co-ordinator). Her last trip to France was to Montpellier in the summer of 2012 along with her daughter Nicola and son Michael. A fluent French speaker Margaret also read and studied French literature and loved French cinema, music and food.