Scooby

Sorry CJlaws - not intended to target you - I just feel annoyed by those who retire early to France having paid contributions into the UK system during their 'healthy years' and then expect the French systems to look after them in their 'sick years' for effectively nothing.  Then winge when things go pear shaped.  Whilst I can understand the stress of those now ill and without cover - that is one of the risks of moving abroad.  Sounds harsh - but that is the way of the world.  As I implied above - you can always return to the UK. However - even married into french family you are still an immigrant!

[quote user="Russethouse"]I'm not sure what you are referring to re the USA. From http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/living/livingabroadin/living_abroad_in_france_moving.shtml :  You'll need to include three additional documents. If you are married and both you and your spouse are applying for long-stay visas, you must submit a copy of your marriage license. Proof of health insurance is also required. So whether it was 6 days or 6 months, its a health issue, you were required to be insured in the first place, no one tried to stop your access to care halfway through treatment ! [/quote] It is a requirement that the non EU immigrant has health insurance and it is a longer period of risk - that you may fall ill and so not be covered when your health insurance comes up for its annual renewal.[quote user="Russethouse"] Many Brits who live in France renovated their own house or paid for the renovation, buying materials locally and/or using local workers, some of those houses had been empty for decades........ [/quote] So what! [quote user="Russethouse"]Sarkozy isn't being asked to give priority to 'affluent British expats' He is being asked to treat those already there fairly and within the rules of the EU.[/quote]Sarkozy is being asked to apply a limited budget in the most effective way.  A minority group of 'wealthy' British ex-pats (who could go 'home' to get free healthcare) are going to rank pretty low down on the agenda.

Pour moi - Scooby aka Hastobe

Aww Tresco......we all love SB [:)]

[quote user="Bugbear"] I do have sufficient assets and a nice house thank you. [/quote] I'm pleased for you.  Really. [quote user="Bugbear"] How did I get it?...........Not that it's any of your business but  I'll give you a small clue, its called a lifetime of hard work. [/quote] I'm familiar with that Bugbear - done 30 years to date and I expect to do a few more! [quote user="Bugbear"] I'm not sure what second generation africans in Paris suburbs has got to do with any of this. [/quote] Not looking from your perspective - or mine, but Sarkozy's...

[quote user="Russethouse"](including the East Europeans that everyone on here seems to be so disparaging about).  Where ? Or is this another generalization ?[/quote] http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/672863/ShowPost.aspx [quote user="Russethouse"]as former UK residents you are, in fact, privileged by having the benefit of the E106 If you had been following the current debate you would know why many with an E106 do not find it much of a privilege at present.[/quote] Because it only provides 2 - 2.5 out of 5 years security as opposed to....nil.  What if a former US resident developes cancer 6 months after their arrival in France?? [quote user="Russethouse"]You have to be financially independent which means being able to provide your own health cover. Yes, have the goal posts changed for US citizens wanting to live in France ? I don't think so. Had that been a continuous condition then people would know just where they stood. [/quote] See comments above [quote user="Russethouse"]Most of you have enough assets - after all you own nice renovated houses More assumptions[/quote] But reasonable ones [quote user="Russethouse"]which is more than the second generation North African communities living in the Parisienne suburbs have.... Red Herring alert ! [/quote] On Sarkozy's radar why should he give priority to 'affluent UK ex-pats'

[quote user="Catalpa"] She was indeed at the Possum's place... but the P-world has been destroyed by inappropriate posters and is no more. [/quote] Sadly I agree [quote user="Catalpa"]'Twould be nice if Mme Bay arrived back here. She rarely makes a comment that isn't worth reading. [/quote] Agreed again

I believe she posted regularly on the P_o_s_s_u_mworld forums

Sorry Bugbear - but I'm not a troll I am simply stating a fact.  If you have moved to France from the UK you are an immigrant, the same as the other immigrants (including the East Europeans that everyone on here seems to be so disparaging about).  Just because you don't like the term doesn't make it wrong. As far as the point re the changes to health care are concerned, as former UK residents you are, in fact, privileged by having the benefit of the E106.  Sarkozy has simply applied the same rule to you as has always applied to US residents.  You have to be financially independent which means being able to provide your own health cover.  Being subject to changes like this is one of the hazards of becoming part of a minority immigrant community - you don't have the same clout that you have at home.  Most of you have enough assets - after all you own nice renovated houses - which is more than the second generation North African communities living in the Parisienne suburbs have....

[quote user="Benjamin"]Sticks and stones Scooby, sticks and stones. [/quote] Not quite sure what you mean Benjamen??  If you are an Englishman living in France you are an immigrant.

But the trend of the thread was that really, English living in France are not immigrants at all but the somehow, nicer 'ex-pats'.

Thanks Weedon.  We visited Oradour last Christmas with my brother and his family (it's only an hour or so from us) and we found the place disturbing, moving and poignant.  Unfortunately, as our visit was over the Christmas period, the main museum was closed so were are hoping to return this summer with our (french) neighbours.  Our neighbour's mum (still alive and living in the village) had friends in Oradour at the time of the massacre.   The most poignant part of our visit was visiting the parallel town (alive and bustling) and seeing the same names over the shops that we had just seen on the memorial - clearly son, daughters, grandchildren etc of those killed in the massacre.  It takes a strong character to live alongside such a tragedy but still move on with your life.

So the expression 'immigrants' offends???

[quote user="groslard"]No. An ex-pat is someone working away from home who will return at the end of the contract An immigrant is somone who has settled permanently. Do English people speak of  Pakistani or Polish "ex-pats"? or do they say we are leaving the UK because it is being taken over by immigrants? And why do you quote an English definition for people resident in France? Surely what counts here is what the French think? [/quote] Bang on groslard!!  Sorry you are immigrants - period.  To suggest that as 'ex pats' you are somehow superior to immigrants is arrogance.

[quote user="Normandie"] I guess if I had the same property/land in the UK I wouldn't have thought of buying abroad but that would be impossible here so I'm enjoying the French experience instead, and loving it along the way. [/quote] I think you summed it up Normandie, buying a place in France often allows people to live the rural life and have the space at a price that they can afford.  We are lucky enough to have an old stone cottage (with all the beams, flagged floors, land etc) here in the UK so the pull to move to France is not the same.  I also think there is a difference between rural France and rural UK.  Life in rural France can mean being a distance from large towns / centres of employment which means that living the rural dream is often incompatible with holding down a decent job.  In the UK, because of its relative smaller size and higher number of cities, it is possible to live a rural life and still be able to commute to a large town / city to work.  Here in the UK I can get to three major cities in under an hour and yet I am on the edge of a National Park with little windy lane, lovely rural views and more horses going past our house than cars.  In France, to get to a city of equivalent size, I would have to drive upwards of two and half hours. It also means the type of people living in the two rural communities can be very different.  Both of these were big factors in our decision to stay put in the UK and only use our French home for holidays etc.

I'll add myself to the band of dieters.  I've had four months off work (surgery * 2 to reconstruct my knee after an accident) which has meant too much eating (boredom) and not enough exercise (knee like a melon) and I'm now showing the effects.  I still have to have regular physio for another 6 months which should help but still need to cut out the choccies, booze, biscuits, more booze etc

Seems weird that the restriction has been lifted for some airports and not others.  You would think that, if it is a necessary security measure, it would apply everywhere - or not at all?

If you need to visit in person Cathy, there is British Consulate in Bordeaux.  My husband got a replacement passport from there when he lost his while we were in France a couple of years or so back.

[quote user="Dick Smith"]Really nice. I love old industrial landscapes. Lots of character. [/quote] I was trying to find the industrial landscapes in the links above but can't?  Have I missed something? [8-)]

I keep this page in my bookmarks as a quick aide memoire.  Unlike other lists of 'Alt keys' for characters, this one only gives the accents for French - which saves trawling through a long list of characters most of which I will never need!

[quote user="Grecian"] If we choose to rent in France, as opposed to the UK as we are at the moment, at least we will be experiencing the French way of life, without any ties if things don't turn out as we have hoped. [/quote] To be frank - if I was advising anyone re a move to France then that is what I would recommend.  Rent first to see if it's for you.  It's a darn site less expensive if you decide France is not for you.  Even if you do decide to settle permanently in France it gives you the flexibility to move area for work etc. without incurring expensive transaction costs.

Sound advice Alan - life is not about money.

At the end of our lane (less than five minutes walk from our house).  Imho - just as beautiful as anything in France.  More pics

[quote user="mark224"]Jon Welcome to the site , You will soon get used to the odd few posters that just like to shoot most people down . Could be that they just got out off bed on the wrong side or that’s just how they are, you will soon learn to recognise them on this forum and others. soon be Spring . And this is not my first post I have been posting for some three years or so ,but for some reason I could not log on . All the best    And be lave it or not  you can get some good advice on this site [/quote] Call it a baptism of fire - most newbies get one.  When you get to 4,365 posts and are an accepted member of the 'in crowd' things settle down a whole lot more and people can be quite nice [;-)]....but for heavens sake don't try and do intelligent or intellectual or you'll be dead meat [Www]

Post somewhat backfired as 15 year old son and heir has just pointed out that I spelt grammar incorrectly... ....Scooby now slinks off in disgrace to have spelling and grammar lessons from her children....[:$][Www]