Tourism expert Michelle Riby has swapped the glamour of the French Riviera for the chic of Cornwall’s Helford River as she takes up the role of managing the high-end self-catering cottage agency Holiday Cornwall.

Michelle spent more than 20 years in France and had a successful career as a dancer and actress, before turning to work with UK visa applications centre and then managing the large holiday company Nice Pebbles on the Cote d’Azur.

“My husband is a musician/composer and we and our children had an amazingly diverse and cultural couple of decades in France,” said Michelle. “We know Cornwall will give us that same mix of cultural energy and stimulating environment in a glorious part of the world – and it will be a privilege to share all that with our guests at Holiday Cornwall.”

Managing director Peter Berry said: “We can’t believe our luck in finding someone of Michelle’s calibre and experience just as she was planning to come back to this country.

“We work very closely with the owners of our mainly waterside properties and Michelle is the perfect person to liaise between all the parties who ensure our guests have a wonderful, relaxing experience during their precious holidays.”

Alongside her work with Nice Pebbles Michelle became a keen photographer and chronicler of life and landscape of the beautiful Cote d’Azur – an occupation she will make good use of with Holiday Cornwall’s collection of cottages, studios and apartments in and around the Helford, The Lizard, Maenporth and Falmouth.