'Little England' will you be watching?

[Rose]

[quote user="Sprogster"]What stood out from the first episode was the limited integration, in that none of the Brits featured seemed to speak the language that well and their businesses were reliant on the expat market, or employers. Which must be a bit of a concern in the current economic enviroment, where Brits in France are generally either tightening their belts or leaving.[/quote]

Sprogster, I wonder what makes you say that?  I'm sorry if I'm mising something but I dont think that I could form an opinion either way on their language skills or the state of their business?

Also, I think someone mentioned earlier that this is a TV programme and there is a certain amount of 'poetic license' at play.  I met some friends today and we were talking about the programme - one of them visits one of the restuarants featured in the series... apparently (I'm quoting someone else so I cant swear it's true) they are shown as Brits playing bingo but they have never before played bingo there and it was only done on the request of the TV programme.  If this is the case then I suspect it's more staged than we thought?

And... just to say I agree with the comments about UK v France... there is no need to compare... I love my corner of Britain, just as I love my little corner of the Dordogne.

And... Idun... sorry, I think I've been spelling your name wrong for ages [:$]

[Catalpa]

[quote user="Charly"]...who was quoting someone else:

"If I had had the need fo (sic) brits, or to be near brits, I would have stayed at home in the first place"

"I couldn't imagine living abroad amoungst (sic) my own"

"It starts in about 10 minutes and I am cringing already"

"But there are so many brits there, how can you avoid them....?" etc etc[/quote]The thing that puzzled me years ago was that, when similar comments were often made by a fair few members here and elsewhere, these same members had thousands.... thousands!... of posts to their names. So while they were assiduously avoiding British people in their own little endroits they were sitting in their homes busily contributing thousands of comments to... Brits in France forums. [blink] Go figure...[8-)]

[quote user="Rose"]And... just to say I agree with the comments about UK

v France... there is no need to compare... I love my corner of Britain,

just as I love my little corner of the Dordogne. [/quote]And yet... [;-)]

Having very happily spent the first half of my life (I'm thinking positive there!) in

England, part of the fun of living in France is to compare and contrast

- not necessarily in a negative way but just in an "isn't that

interesting..." sort of way because the cultures are very very

different.

Whilst not wishing to ignite the whole DSK thing again, that is a quick and easy example of how two cultures, in general, reacted very differently to current affairs ([6]) and examining the foundations on which those different reactions were constructed was very interesting and I doubt I would have been as interested if I'd not been living here.

[Rabbie]

Charly, I have just reread your post and I must say I am baffled as to why it generated the reponse it did. The response was clearly completely OTT.

Clearly it wasn't the greatest TV program ever made and we could all make suggestions to improve it in our eyes. But we are all individuals and some of our changes might be mutually exclusive. We should remember that the program was primarily made for british viewers in Britain many of whom have little knowledge of France.

[sid]

Oh dear, so many upset people!

I watch most of the programmes on UK TV which are about France, whether it's that place in the sun, or not going back, or now "Little England".

The important thing is that you don't HAVE to watch. I just find the differing views contained in these programmes interesting, and of course the scenery looks good. The Dordogne is pretty and we had holidays there during the past 30 years. I don't understand all the knocking.

I have good Brit friends here, They're there when you need them, and from time to time who doesn't need them, but I'm also happy with my own company; I wasn't a great socialiser in the UK so why would I be any different here? My French is passable; this I know because I make myself understood. I doubt I'll ever be fluent enough to pass myself off as a Frenchman, even with my beret, striped t-shirt and string of onions hanging from the handlebars.

Oh, and I've imported the concept of a British brass band, so I'm going to get flogged now, it's probably worse than cricket to some! The French members love it, however, and I regard it as a success which has certainly helped make French friends. We don't sit around eating fish and chips after rehearsal, but there's a thought!

Chacun à son goût!

[cooperlola]

[quote user="Rabbie"]

the program was primarily mad for british viewers in Britain many of whom have little knowledge of France.[/quote]I think this is where I have a problem with this and other programmes like it.  They give the impression that all Brits live in little enclaves and cater only to other Brits, thus giving a completely false impression of the average immigrant.  That's why, imo, so many of us react /overeact to them in our various (and varied) ways, and maybe it's why this thread is already so long?

[Rose]

[quote user="Catalpa"]

[quote user="Rose"]And... just to say I agree with the comments about UK

v France... there is no need to compare... I love my corner of Britain,

just as I love my little corner of the Dordogne. [/quote]And yet... [;-)]

Having very happily spent the first half of my life (I'm thinking positive there!) in

England, part of the fun of living in France is to compare and contrast

- not necessarily in a negative way but just in an "isn't that

interesting..." sort of way because the cultures are very very

different.

Whilst not wishing to ignite the whole DSK thing again, that is a quick and easy example of how two cultures, in general, reacted very differently to current affairs ([6]) and examining the foundations on which those different reactions were constructed was very interesting and I doubt I would have been as interested if I'd not been living here.

[/quote]

Yes, that makes sense.  I've change my opinion on lots of things about France since living here... simply because I'm better informed... and have had discussions which have highlighted the differences between France and the UK.   Bad wording on my part I guess... as you say comparisons can be interesting, the conversations that Will/Idun/Coops (Charly[Www]) mentioned are unhelpful... [:$]

[Frecossais]

But if it's true, as someone told Rose, that people were set up to play Bingo in a bar, doesn't that show the slant the programme is taking? Little England indeed. That's very disappointing. I'm waiting for the first reality programme on British people in France, (not just the Dordogne), where the producer has no axe to grind.

And Bingo! (Groan) [:P]

[idun]

Bingo in France, yes, I have been to a loto session in France. My vocabularly is usually pretty good in french, but I just hoped and hoped that I wouldn't actually win as I had no idea what I was supposed to shout. Just one of the things that assoc's in our area would hold to raise money. I only went once, never again. Does that mean that it was the frenchest bit of the program?[Www]

[Christine Animal]

There was a programme on the other day in 100% Mag, not quite the Dordogne, but the Limousin in a village called Saint-Léger Magnazeix.  All the commerces had disappeared from this village of 537 inhabitants, a quarter of them being British.  But the dynamic mayoress is keeping it alive with a Franco-Britannic library, post office, maison des jeunes, a Rumanian doctor (as the French doctors don't want to set up in such tiny places) and a restaurant which is going great guns as they are doing as many meals in a week as they had hoped to do in a month!  70% of the customers are British and they have adapted some of their dishes to suit them and even have a jar of chutney in the fridge!

Maybe some of you know it.  Lunch menu 12 euros.  Video:

Leur restaurant a sauvé le village

 

[idun]

Sid we had a few 'Fanfare's' in our region, they were very popular. Aren't they brass bands, the music I've heard sounded like it.  

[5-element]

Very interesting link Christine - I had missed it on M6. The mayoress worked so hard at re-vitalising the village, what a great success! Fantastic how well the restaurant is doing, partly thanks to the British customers. Well worth watching, and it's under 7 minutes long!

[Clarkkent]

By "mayoress", do you mean the wife of the maire?

Or is this some "little England" thinking whereby anyone female has to have a "feminine" ending to their official title?  [6]

[NickP]

[quote user="Clarkkent"]

By "mayoress", do you mean the wife of the maire?

Or is this some "little England" thinking whereby anyone female has to have a "feminine" ending to their official title?  [6]

[/quote]

 So own up what nationality are you CK, or does your "stage name" give us a clue? after all a man who wears his underpants outside his trousers just has to be pedantic. [:P]

[sid]

[quote user="idun"]

Sid we had a few 'Fanfare's' in our region, they were very popular. Aren't they brass bands, the music I've heard sounded like it.  

[/quote]

Hi Idun

Anorak alert!!

"Fanfare" is a type of band, and yes, made up of mainly brass instruments, but that's not a British Brass Band. I use this title, because that's how they are known the world over. The formation originated in UK and is popular now in Australia, Japan and USA. The BBB has a specific format of 9 cornets, 1 flugel horn, 3 trombones, 2 euphoniums, 2 baritones, 3 tenor horns, and 4 basses (2 Eb and 2Bb), plus up to 3 percussionists.

The "fanfare" band has trumpets instead of cornet; a much more straight, strident sound, without any of the mellowness associated with the BBB, and they tend to play the lively marches at national fete days etc.

If you liken the fanfare music to that of a BBB then you've probably never heard a good Brit band! (Black Byke, Cory, Brighouse and Rastrick to name but 3 ).

Alert over! I get carried away. Some people wish I was carted off.

 

[woolybanana]

You mean you object to actrice, gendarmette and pompettte? Surely they are simply polite.[6]

[idun]

Sid, I did not realise. Yes, I have heard good brass bands and have a couple of Royal Marines band music and had a Brighouse and Rastrick, which was 'kept' by someone. The Fanfares never played quite the same sort of music I have heard british bands play, but as it was France, I just thought that it was a different repertoire AND these have been little local bands, so my expectation of 'greatness' wasn't there either.

 

Never noticed a different range of instruments being played  as they all looked 'brass' to me. I wouldn't have known to count up.

 

And I use the word Fanfare, as that is what I was told and didn't question it. A friends, dirty dog of an ex husband plays in a Fanfare band and they told me it was Fanfare.

[Chancer]

Thanks for the clip Christine, very interesting, what was the chef saying in the kitchen about adapting dishes to the British taste? I could not hear, I am a little deaf and hence lip read, that part was the worts scenario for me, someone mumbling with their back to me with a load of background noise.

70% of British customers! I guess they must be appreciated, on a sad note even with a restaurant flambant neuf, livré clé en mains the commerce probably would not survive without the influx of immigrants, I hesitate to say rich inactifs but it is clear to see who has the money to spend and who doesnt.

Sad that it took the demise of all the village commerçiants before the place became the sleepy village that atracted the inactif immigrants but life is cyclical, problem is probably very few of them will be starting families to regenerate and dynamise the population.

What was interesting was their offer is exactly the same as that of the new gerants of my neighbouring brasserie, bien marché at midi but with a more expensive gastronomic offering in the evenings and weekends, I suspect it will be mainly the British in the evenings judging by the place next to me. I think that they did their planning very well, they took over from a couple that had gradually lost all their customers from their cynical abuse of them, despite their being 1500 ouvriers just 5 yards over the road. There is another routier up the road that was always packed offering exactly the same menu at €13.50 but they at least greeted their customers, not warmly but this is Picardie!

Anway the new guys wanted to offer something according to all budgets, at lunch you can dine for €9 for a plat et boisson up to the €13.50 for the whole blow out which is the standard price for the area, they are packed out every lunch time and I am very very pleased for them.

They took a brave step regarding the evenings, the old owners didnt even bother opening most nights yet when I arrived they were packed, the demand was and probably still is there but they just drove all the customers elsewhere. The new guys only offer a menu gastronomique in the evenings at €25 per head although that does include an apéro and coffee so is probably on par with any à la carte restaurant, after 8 months they are really struggling to fill one table each evening but do a bit better for the Sunday lunch service, I think if there were 25% British in the area instead of only one then they would be on to a goldmine, as it is I really hope it works for them, they are determined and i admire their decision to change the place from an drinking hole serving américains with the pastis and the occasional take away pizza to a proper restaurant.

[cooperlola]

Sid, have you ever heard Brass Monkey?  Something a bit different which, nevertheless, you might like.

Idun, I love your Lotto comment.  Blimey, talk about boring!  I played bingo once, years ago, in a working men's club in Berwick and that didn't exactly light my fire but was huge fun in comparison.  As I said earlier, our very small expat community in the Sarthe has a quiz once a month in the summer and I do go to these when I can, but then I did pub quizzes from t to to in the UK and admit they're one of my weaknesses (Uni' Challenge and Only Connect are must watch programmes chez les Coops.)

[Will]

Coops - That's a really interesting band whom I remember well from the early 1980s (by the way, the correct link is here). They should really appeal to the French as they include an accordeon - in fact its my accordeon hero.

Pub quizzes, now that's another memory from the 1980s. We do have them not too far away from us in France (British-organised) but I have to confess I have never been. Maybe because the regular participants include some of the whingeing Brits-in-France whom I dislike so much as well as one or two really good friends.

[Christine Animal]

[quote user="Clarkkent"]

By "mayoress", do you mean the wife of the maire?

Or is this some "little England" thinking whereby anyone female has to have a "feminine" ending to their official title?  [6]

[/quote]

I have nothing to do with "little England" and no I didn't mean wife of the maire, but Madame le Maire, and put mayoress for those who might not understand what was said on the clip and see that the maire was a woman.

I also hoped the petty bickerers would not pick me up if I put maire and then they saw a woman.  But you just cannot win on here can you.  No wonder so many have stopped posting.  I was just trying to get the thread back on to something a little more interesting, never mind.

 

Chancer, same as you, I couldn't quite get what he said exactly about les plats, only that he adapted some.  I'll try to listen again!

 

[cooperlola]

At least Madame le Maire (I think we should maybe call her Marie, Christine[Www]) has the gumption to understand that money is money, no matter what its source.

 

The same is true, Will, of the quizzers here - some certainly are of the whingeing expat variety but when they're occupied answering the questions, they don't have time to tell me how cr*p the UK is!  Thanks for correcting the link.  John K, eh?  Brilliant musician.[:)]  I saw both him and the band several times in the 80s in the days when I had decent folk clubs round about.  Great stuff.

[5-element]

[quote user="cooperlola"]

At least Madame le Maire (I think we should maybe call her Marie, Christine[Www]) has the gumption to understand that money is money, no matter what its source.

[/quote]

It's funny, I distinctly remember as a child, hearing Madame le Maire being called "la mairesse" - just like the instituteur was called "le maitre" and the institutrice "la maitresse" - but it's true I haven't heard the term "la mairesse" for some time.

Hence the use of "mayoress" here, although now I am unsure (and too lazy to go back to it) of what she is called in the M6 clip.

 

As for brass bands, we have a fabulous one here, called "l'Harmonie ***cienne", and many of the musicians there are also part of the Big Jazz Band - both are rather classy, as bands of that kind go.

 

[idun]

[quote user="5-element"][quote user="cooperlola"]

At least Madame le Maire (I think we should maybe call her Marie, Christine[Www]) has the gumption to understand that money is money, no matter what its source.

[/quote]

It's funny, I distinctly remember as a child, hearing Madame le Maire being called "la mairesse" - just like the instituteur was called "le maitre" and the institutrice "la maitresse" - but it's true I haven't heard the term "la mairesse" for some time.

Hence the use of "mayoress" here, although now I am unsure (and too lazy to go back to it) of what she is called in the M6 clip.

 

As for brass bands, we have a fabulous one here, called "l'Harmonie ***cienne", and many of the musicians there are also part of the Big Jazz Band - both are rather classy, as bands of that kind go.

 

[/quote]

 

And a lady Notaire? Sometimes french confuses me completely, could I call her Maitresse?

[cooperlola]

[quote user="idun"]

 Sometimes french confuses me completely[/quote]Me too.  It's personne that I still have a problem getting my head around!

[idun]

Mine used to be 'plus' meaning none. Took me a while and some very confusing conversations to get to grips with that one.

I don't like personne when it is used on forms, like insurance forms, when it says personne morale, I have no idea why that is said, is someone going to say that they aren't?