why or why make the move

[Just Katie]

[quote user="cooperlola"]The reverse is true, also, is it not, JK?  There seem to be areas of France where Brits congregate, don't there? - although I guess not quite as small as Kensington.[/quote]

Yes Coops, we know that, and have discussed it before.  But I don't ever recall discussing what attracts the French to UK, especially Kensington.

[cooperlola]

There were quite a few French living in my previous home town in Kent, also.  The main reasons for them moving seemed to be either a) they had married a Brit or b) they were in business and found it cheaper and easier to set up in the UK than France.  But I didn't know any who had retired to the UK as we Brits seem to do in France.  All, without exception, worked.

[Catalpa]

[quote user="Just Katie"]

Yes Coops, we know that, and have discussed it before.  But I don't ever recall discussing what attracts the French to UK, especially Kensington.

[/quote]

Probably the things we took for granted when we lived in the UK (or, for me, England) - ease of getting a job / changing jobs / switching industries / better salaries / higher disposible incomes probably especially if renting / cosmopolitan, tolerant attitudes... much less of a nanny state (even if people who live in England don't believe that!)

[Just Katie]

[quote user="5-element"]

The Lycée Francais in Kensington, opened in 1915 and has about 3,500 pupils. It has been around long enough to attract the French in London who can afford it, and who could afford to move into that exclusive area. It was quite natural to congregate loosely around their Lycée, I expect this is how most immigrant groups end up being in a particular area. Many French people who move to London now, to this day, will probably know about the Lycée. If they have children, they are bound to wish to send them there for their education, which AFAIK, is bilingual.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyc%C3%A9e_Fran%C3%A7ais_Charles_de_Gaulle

[/quote]

Sorry 5E, I missed your post. 

Thank you for the information but the French must have already been in the area for the school to open and meet their needs. 

[cooperlola]

Have a look at :

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7313521.stm

EDIT and

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/main.jhtml?xml=/property/2007/02/22/lpfrench122.xml

MORE:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/25/athome/afrench.php

[Russethouse]

 I think this should be the title [:)]

[Cat]

We need Odile to come back and tell us... but her first post in the thread repeats the same question (my bold)

 [quote user="odile"]....

So what are your reasons for considering moving to France (or having done it). Personally I feel that for some people, the move is to escape to greener pastures. Beware the pink tinted glasses though. If you are not happy with yourself, not happy with your relationship, or whatever - a move, like a holiday, can really exarcerbate things rather than improve them.

So why or why? Would love to know.
[/quote]

Why Oh Why, or Why or Why Not [blink]

[5-element]

 

RH has a good point about Knightsbridge and the French Embassy.

Also, many au pairs (incuding French), coming to learn English, would end up with well-off Kensington families - and were a group of immigrants (albeit temporary) meeting each other near their place of work.

Does anyone know why Australians gathered  in Earl's Court when coming to London?

And West Indians (as Afro-Caribbeans were then called) in Notting Hill Gate?

And Greeks in Wood Green?

And Hassidic Jews, and Turks, and and and....

[Fiona]

Hi, ok to go back to the original question I would like to give my very honest answer.........then I'll stand back and wait for the onslaught of criticism!  We intend to make the move to France in January 09.  We are both leaving the UK and coming to France.  We love France - have spent a great deal of time travelling around over the last few years.  We love the relaxed lifestyle that rural France has to offer, the variety of scenery.  We are moving to the Midi Pyrenees so having the choice of skiing in the winter and heading to the Med or Atlantic in the summer will be fantastic.  We love the food and the culture.  We are leaving the UK for the same reasons many others are - we have two young children and I fear for their safety and well being growing up in the South-East of England where we live.  We have a nice house but it's really too small - the garden is pretty tiny and my son in particular is very active and loves the outdoors. To move to a bigger house would mean taking out a mortgage (thankfully we are mortgage free now) which would mean I would have to carry on working, missing out more and more on my children growing up.  I work at an airport and I spend half my life stuck in traffic jams, having near miss accidents, rushing here, there and everywhere to get things done.  My partner is self employed in the building trade and has been for nearly 30 years - he struggles to get work now and if work is offered it is right in the heart of London and is paying the same or even less than he earned when he first started out - there are too many other cheaper workers out there, he is in his early 50's now and struggles to compete.  We haven't been getting on particularly well lately - but a large part of that is caused by the stress of managing day to day life!  We have been talking about this move since our son was born 6 years ago.  We now are in a position to do it - but we are doing it, I think anyway, the most sensible way.  We are renting out our house here and we are renting in France for a year to 18 months.  During that time we will see how we like it - if the children settle in school, if we can make a living, if we can get back to the way things were.  If we like it we will buy - but will still keep our house in England - if not we will return home and look to move within England (probably around Dorset) - either way, at least we will know we gave it a go!  So there you go - probably all the reasons you shouldn't move rolled into one.  But tell me, what have we possibly got to lose?  We have everything to gain - and we are doing this with the best possible intentions and attitude.  I did start off wearing rose coloured specs I admit - but have read this and other forums enough to have had them removed from me a long time ago.  I am still really excited about it and I really hope it works out for us.

Fi

[Polremy]

Good luck to you all!! Do let us know how you get on.

Which area of France are you thinking of?

[Polremy]

I mean where exactly in the Midi Pyrennees.

[Fiona]

Thank you! 

the house we are planning to rent near Lannemezan - borders of Haute Garonne and Haute Pyrenees

Fi x

[Burgundy Maid]

We had a second home here which we bought after my third stroke. I found that when in France I made progress and when I returned to the UK I slipped into a relapse. In 2004 we moved permenantly.

We are happy, not well off, but now have our daughter and her two children here too. The children are doing well at school, my daughter works and my husband and I belong to various committees.

I write, for pleasure, for the internet. I have written on this subject pointing out people usually make it in France, or any other country they choose to move to, if they do it for the right reason.

Running away from something, thinking a major move will mend a failing relationship, trying to escape debts etc  never works.

If people move after doing their homework, find the right area, right house, have the language skills or at least basics, have the will to integrate and learn the language and not live in British enclaves they will do well.

We live amongst the French, live with them, talk to them, attend things going on in the village and around us, my daughter works here, the children go to school and have loads of friends and now my daughter has a French partner. Members of our local website for expatriates tell us we are here for the wrong reason; although they seem to only like playing golf together, going to wine tastings, and do not seem interested in integrating.

 

[mint]

I have recently heard about a fair number of people near where we live wanting to move back to the UK.  These are folks who came out with the best of intentions and have been here between 2 and 4 years.

We have been here just over a year, so I suppose it's "too early to tell".  We are getting on reasonably well now with the language and have as many French friends as British ones.

We came here and hit the ground running, registering the one car and buying a LHD within 6 weeks (and it was only 6 weeks because we were waiting for the headlamps) signed up with CPAM within a fortnight and certainly informed the Mairie we were here permanently within a week.

I think it must make a difference if you got stuck in straightaway and not be here 2, 3 and 4 years and still drive a UK reg car and still not filled in a tax form or indeed know your local maire.

Sometimes it's a case of in at the deep end and start swimming and be absolutely sure in your own mind that drowning is not an option.

[newbiee]

[quote user="Fi"]

We haven't been getting on particularly well lately - [/quote]

 

Eek.... that sets my alarm bells ringing!  People so often think that getting married/having a baby/moving overseas etc ... will paper over cracks in a relationship, and it very rarely does.  I hope your problems will resolve themselves, but may I suggest that you both sit down and talk seriuosly about what you're both expecting out of life and your relationship once you get to France.  Imagine how awful it would be if you both think you're on the same page, only to get out here and realise that you both imagined things a bit differently.  Talk about how you expect your daily lives to be ... who is going to go out to work, what help will you expect with the children .... who's going to take responsibility for certain areas .. how often do you want visitors in France ... how often do you plan on visiting the UK.

make sure that small cracks don't turn into great big ones ... it's very stressful moving overseas, no matter how long you have been planning for and wanting it.

Good luck  *hugs*

[Gastines]

I see the subject has come up again about the percentage of people wanting to return to UK after being here 1-3 -5 years.  I expect that they have quite a shock how things have deteriorated in the last few years,and how prices have shot up. I appreciate that prices have risen here as well but think the quality of most of the food you buy is much better whether meat/fish or veggies. We have made several trips back to our original area and have visited several places to see about buying a place in UK. Last trip to Salisbury was a definate eye opener, absolutely filthy,from car parks to streets and many of the cafes and restaurants were not much better. I shudder to think what overseas visitors must think of some of the places they visit.My old home town of Bournemouth is now known as the drug ,club and sex mecca ,specialising in Stag & Hen weekends, with the Town centre area actually shut off to traffic because of all the problems outside the clubs. A recent article in the local paper is an example.----Lady goes into a Cafe on the Pier. Pot of tea,2 slices of cake. Bill £16.90. I kid you not.

Hopefully the only move we'll be making is to get the Daughter/granddaughter over here.

Regards.

[Fiona]

Exactly Gastines!!  Your description of Bournemouth etc is why we don't want to live here anymore!!.  However, I knew that if I mentioned we were not getting on particularly well that would spark a reaction and I totally appreciate the concerns shown.  However, have no fear - we are on exactly the same page with regards to this move and what we want to get out of it.  A lot of the issues we have are caused by our current lifestyle.  My partner has had enough of the UK, the final straw being when we heard that someone was murdered on our little high street barely half a mile from our house.  I do object to the term "running away" - we are not running away like two teenagers with no plan and no direction.  We made a conscious decision 5 years ago that we wanted a better quality of life and that is what we are striving for.  I don't see it as running away although make no bones about it - we do want to leave this crime ridden, manically busy place behind - but we know France very well, we know the area we are moving to.  And we have a "get out jail free card" in so much as we are not buying straight away, we are renting out our house here which will cover the cost of our rental in France.  I for one can't wait, and if we find that our relationship does completely flounder (which I honestly dont think it will - we are just extremely tired and stressed right now), then at least we gave it our best possible go, que sera sera etc

Thanks all

Fi x

[Alan Zoff]

Sounds to me as if you have got it exactly right (if there ever is such a thing). You are giving it a go, without being silly about it.

The very best of luck.

[Patf]

So many reasons for coming to France. Fi - it's well worth coming for the adventure and new experiences, so here's hoping it works for you.

I've told our story before, so briefly, we had a holiday house in the scottish highlands, sold it and bought one here in 2001, during the foot and mouth outbreak. Spent more time here and now settled fairly permanently.

We still have our very tiny house in the UK and may well return. At the moment the poor exchange rate is causing financial worries and this could be a reason to move back. But I would like to stay here as long as possible because we both love it.

[Fiona]

Thank you so much Alan :-)

And Patf, I really hope the exchange rate improves soon - it would be such a shame if you were forced to move back for that reason alone when you clearly love it there.  Good luck

xx

[Monika]

I unfortunately can not take part in this very interesting discussion (holiday cottage) but I have sent you an e-mail Odile regards retiring in the Swiss mountains, one of my dreams!!

[Russethouse]

One of my early 'food hero's' has just moved to Switzerland - Michel Roux senior. Of course he says the tax advantages were secondary, he just loves it there.

[odile]

ooops Cathy - just a typing error! Just back from hos, Jura + Provence + back to Jura - bliss.  Thanks for keeping the thread going whilst I was away - fascinating.

One of the reasons often quoted by French living here is that the UK system allows for enterprise without trillions of qualifications. The French system is so hierarchic (sp?) - nobody want to give you a job unless you have experience to lots of bits of paper - whereas in the UK if you've got b**ls you can do very well - and of course if you are French but Beur, nobody want to know in France- whereas in UK if you are bright and hard working, you can get on irrespective of name, colour or family origin. My friend Rashida, born and bred in F., with a degree, couldn't find a job, so ended up doing telesales - was requested to call herself Claire Martin!