THE elegant north Hampshire country house of Tylney Hall at Rotherwick was the venue for a Basingstoke Chamber lunch which had a distinct French theme.

Solicitors Charles Brooks and Sally Osborn from the Basing-stoke office of Penningtons, who also sponsored the lunch, gave a presentation on the pitfalls and possibilities of buying a home in France, where buyers are faced with a very different legal system compared with property purchases in England.

The French theme will be followed up on March 23 with a North Hampshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry seminar to give firms wanting to do business in France some insight into market awareness.

And from June 2 to 4, members have the chance to go to France for a business matching event in Poitiers.

The chamber has also organised a trip to the Haymarket Theatre in Basingstoke for a performance of Thrse Raquin, a psychological thriller of sexual passion, murder and revenge set in 19th century Paris.

Tylney Hall will also become an artist's garret in Paris when Opera Box performs Puccini's tragic love story La Boheme on March 28 at a black tie event, which finishes with a gourmet dinner in the hotel's Oak Room.