'Little England' will you be watching?

[woolybanana]

try the other forum, they seem to have been on it

[Gardian]

I don't do the other one - this one's quite enough for me tvm.

[Rose]

[quote user="KathyF"]I've never visited the Dordogne, but it certainly looked very pretty indeed, Rose. I thought the programme was better than I had expected and I'll probably watch again. Nothing very deep or insightful, but a pleasant glimpse of people trying to make a living in a different country and apparently succeeding quite well.[/quote]

KathyF - yes it was better than I thought it would be too.  It's not all in the Dordogne but nonetheless very pretty. 

When we lived in the UK we spent all our holidays in France for many years but we never visited the Dordogne as we assumed it must be wall to wall Brits.  When we decided to move we had to choose a location within an hour of airports that flew to the SW of England... Bergerac was one.  We visited the Dordogne for the first time whilst searching for a short term rental and realised how wrong we'd been... we'd been tricked by the naughty headlines and the stories of 'Dordogneshire'.    There are of course some places that have lots and lots of ex-pats but the Dordogne is a large department so I guess folks just choose what suits them best. 

All in all I think that France is full of beautiful places to visit and I guess this is what attracts people to live in these places... I'll be interested to see what the rest of the series brings.

Guardian - there is another fish and chip van that goes to Perigueux - we've been a couple of times and they were very good, but as you say, not cheap.  The last time we went was last summer... my in-laws arrived with a pot of clotted cream so I made scones and jam for afternoon cream teas... and that evening we took them for fish and chips in town... not very french but they loved it [:D]

[idun]

For those of you who want fish and chips, make them. They aren't hard, neither are the mushy peas.

I have made sausages and pork pies and anything else I have got the urge for.

 

Sometimes my urges run to moules frites, or a curry or chinese food too, and I make them too.

There is nothing wrong with wanting food that you like and giving in to those urges.

 

Dordogneshire looked quite nice and pretty, I've said that haven't I.

 

 

 

 

[LEO]

[quote user="pachapapa"]

[quote user="LEO"][quote user="Will"]As far as I am concerned the problem is not so much that there are many British in France who eat fish and chips, frequent the English-speaking bars, play cricket, refuse to speak french and all the other things levelled against them and highlighted in programmes like that. My problem (and I am sure it is mine rather than theirs) is that the vast majority of these people are not the sort of people I have any desire to mix with or be friendly towards. I wouldn't socialise with them in England, so why should I be different in France? And before we open that other can of worms, there are plenty of French people I have no desire to befriend either.

I still think it could make an interesting programme though, as long as the producers don't let it all fall into stereotypical mode.

[/quote]

Hi Will, if we were neighbours I think we would get on like a house on fire!

However ,I like to eat fish and chips, frequent the English-speaking bars because , banter is very important in my life.

One cannot have banter with a foreigner!

ps.

I know a fellow in Glasgow who works for the council,reads the "Sun",only drinks Smirnoff and coke,holidays in Florida, watches football every week,and loves Chinese curries!

In his job with the council ,this fellow encourages wayward youngsters to a better life.

He is not working class! He is not middle class!

He is differrent class!

[/quote]

Definitely on my No No list...little scotchlanders...not as ubiquitous as little englanders maybe...fortunately easily identified though![:P]

[/quote]

You couldn't be more wrong!

[idun]

Rose, but there are so many brits there, how can you avoid them when you go to the supermarket or one of the fetes?

When we lived in France, we liked living parmi les francais, who never appeared to have a very relaxed life style, they worked hard and long hours and many were not well off. So yes, when we see expats going on about 'life style' I always look flabbergasted, because it doesn't look, I'm struggling for a word here, 'normal' 'real' just plain right. It is surely the other France and I am uncomfortable with it. Uncomfortable with many things on many levels really.

 

[LEO]

Bullshit , with rose tinted specs, on this forum ,springs to mind!

[AnOther]

Was out last night so just watched it this morning. Pretty much as expected I suppose however I was bit puzzled as to why a 30min program entitled 'Little England' chose to devote about 1/4 of it's time to a somewhat eccentric German couple whose lifestyle had precious little to do with the topic !

Hardly riveting or in the 'don't miss' category but nevertheless I have set a season pass on one of my Tivo's and will watch future episodes in my own time, as I do for most of my TV viewing in fact. I suspect the FF and 30 second skip buttons might come in handy though, and not just to skip the ads !

[Rose]

AnOther - it was also odd how they show the map of the

Dordogne but two of the three main features weren't filmed here... the chateau

is in the Gironde and the farmer is in the Limousin... I've also read somewhere

that they filmed a bit in the Lot-et-Garonne too... but that's only

hearsay.  I'll still be watching the rest of the series.

Idum - I was only asking why you were flabbergasted... I didn't see anything

that shocking so I couldn't figure out what you meant? 

Would I hear English voices in the supermarkets - it depends where I

go...

local to us I'd be hard pressed to find an English voice, my son is the

only English

boy at his secondary school, and there are no other English families at

the

local rugby club where he plays.  There is a retired English couple in

the

village so we're not alone here, but it was two years before we met

them... there is also a lovely Irish lady but she

married a French man 30+ years ago and has been here ever since (I only

met her when I was ill and she was having physio at the same time as I

was).  However,

if I was to go to Bergerac I'd hear more, and our local market,

during the

UK school holidays, has a very different flavour as the visitors arrive

(which

is a shame as they never get to see it as we do).

I know it's easy to joke about Dordogneshire and talk about the 1000's of Brits

that head to the Dordogne but are there really that many more than

other

beautiful parts of France?  Just how many Brits live in the Dordogne

full

time?  And perhaps how many live in and around Paris and the Ile de

France?  Or the Alpes?  Or further south?  I hear English voices

wherever I've been in France and I understand lots of places have their

enclaves of Brits... is the Dordogne really that different?  Aren't we

just talking about a difference of a few hundred people?  And,

how many live full time and how many have second homes or simply own

holiday

rentals, or how many live here and own more than one property?   I dont

doubt that there are are a lot of British who live here but I would be

interested to know how many, in comparison to other areas.

Sorry to harp on but does it matter if I buy fish and chips in a restaurant

once or twice a year rather than cook them myself?  What does that say

about me?  Not a lot I hope... apart from that I like the occasional box

of fish and chips, in a restaurant in the company of friends and family. 

Maybe I do see life as rosy - maybe I do see it with all its glorious colour...

it's not just pink you know... there are blues and reds and greens and

yellows... and sometimes there's even a bit of black and white.  Does that make my

life more sad?  Or does it just mean it's more full and more the richer

for the variety? 

Do you think that sometimes we can all take ourselves a little too

seriously... it was a light-hearted TV programme... intended to entertain... so

I guess that's what it will do... and if it doesn't well, we all have the option of

doing something else?

[Rose]

[quote user="idun"]

When we lived in France, we liked living parmi les francais, who never appeared to have a very relaxed life style, they worked hard and long hours and many were not well off. So yes, when we see expats going on about 'life style' I always look flabbergasted, because it doesn't look, I'm struggling for a word here, 'normal' 'real' just plain right. It is surely the other France and I am uncomfortable with it. Uncomfortable with many things on many levels really.

[/quote]

Blimey Idum, when and where did you live?  It sounds pretty dreadful!  You need to come to the Dordogne and meet some our of french friends and neighbours... perhaps you'd see a different kind of normal.

[Catalpa]

[quote user="idun"]My husband shouted out 'ah good god' after a couple of minutes and we kept glancing at one another, as couples do, looking amused and flabbergasted.[/quote]

Gosh! What so flabbered your gast? Please explain so I can watch out for similar incidents next week.

[Catalpa]

[quote user="idun"]For those of you who want fish and chips, make them. [/quote]

Why - in your opinion - am I required to do that if they are excellent, available and affordable elsewhere? That seems a remarkably dictatorial attitude... blinkered, even.

If I were in the UK I'd eat Chinese, Indian... I could make those but I doubt a Chinese person on a forum would be telling me that if I wanted a Chinese meal, I must make it rather than buy it.

[quote user="idun"]There is nothing wrong with wanting food that you like and giving in to those urges. [/quote]...just so long as we don't pay someone else to make the dish for us? And, of course, turning the proposition on its head: French immigrants paying to eat French food in restaurants in the UK should be firmly told to make the dishes themselves because they aren't hard...

[quote user="idun"]Rose, but there are so many brits there, how can you

avoid them when you go to the supermarket or one of the fetes? [/quote]Why would you feel the need to? [8-)] So you can pretend to be the only Brit in the country...? Or more specifically, that you are the only worthwhile Brit in the region? Should other non-native nationalities be avoided too? German, Spanish, Italian... all to be avoided because they aren't French?  [blink]

Sometimes, Idun, I think you're on a massive windup exercise...

[Pommier]

Anyhow, what's so wrong with British people? Most on this forum ARE British, so do you dislike yourself?

Weird!

[Jay]

[quote user="Rose"][quote user="idun"]

When we lived in France, we liked living parmi les francais, who never appeared to have a very relaxed life style, they worked hard and long hours and many were not well off. So yes, when we see expats going on about 'life style' I always look flabbergasted, because it doesn't look, I'm struggling for a word here, 'normal' 'real' just plain right. It is surely the other France and I am uncomfortable with it. Uncomfortable with many things on many levels really.

[/quote]

Blimey Idum, when and where did you live?  It sounds pretty dreadful!  You need to come to the Dordogne and meet some our of french friends and neighbours... perhaps you'd see a different kind of normal.

[/quote]

I agree, if I felt like that I would move and never return! The Dordogne looks like a splendid area, we have lived here 9 years and only just passed through. Time for an extended visit I think!

[Hoddy]

Like Rose I feel I must spring to the defence of my beloved Dordogne.

Idun wrote 'but there are so many brits there, how can you avoid them when you go to the supermarket or one of the fetes?

This simply isn't the case.

I think the first thing to remember is that this is a huge department; I'm guessing that I live about an hour and half's drive from Rose and yet my experience is much the same as hers. I looked in my local phone book and found that about 4% of the names could be English/Irish/Scots. I haven't met any of them and I suspect that many of them are, like me, holiday home owners.

In the next village there is an English couple who run a small business. They came here some years ago when their daughter married a Frenchman.

Another point to make I think is that the locals here are fiercely proud of who they are. They consider themselves to be Perigordians first and inhabitants of the Dordogne second. If British enterprise brings money into the region they are, for the most part, pleased.

Hoddy

[just john]

I thought it was a nice piece of feel good PR for those looking to escape to another nice part of France, even if not, so far, completely representative.
[quote user="Keni"]We prefer King Long in Angouleme, when we get there! Actually, Geoffrey Palmer always sounds like that! Interesting so far! Not just Brits - but French/Germans and more besides. In our village we are a mix of French, Dutch, Brits, Germans, Portuguese and Belgians.[/quote]

I'll be in Angouleme next week, where is King Long[:)]

 [quote user="Rose"]  the farmer is in the Limousin...  [/quote]

If only I knew where his market is, once in a while I fancy trying a bit of organic, pork and beef, husbanded and butchered by the same small producteur where is he.? 

[quote user="Rose"]  Idum - I was only asking why you were flabbergasted... I didn't see anything that shocking so I couldn't figure out what you meant?  
I know it's easy to joke about Dordogneshire and talk about the 1000's of Brits that head to the Dordogne  
does it matter if I buy fish and chips in a restaurant once or twice a year rather than cook them myself?  What does that say about me?  Not a lot I hope... apart from that I like the occasional box of fish and chips, in a restaurant in the company of friends and family.  [/quote]

Ditto moi Rose, I do the rounds of the surrounding towns at the weekend for a little light relief, including Fish & Chips in Verteillac (don't keep a deep fat fryer, saves having to clean it!) Each to their own, none as blinkered as those that are hunkered down in their bunker[:P]

[Rose]

[quote user="just john "]

If only I knew where his market is, once in a while I fancy trying a bit of organic, pork and beef, husbanded and butchered by the same small producteur where is he.? 

[/quote]

JJ - not sure if I'm allowed to post a link to his site?  But I have no connection with him, no idea what his produce is like ... so I guess it's ok?  He seemed a lovely chap... I'm tempted to place and order [Www]

http://www.boucheriealaferme.com/index.html

[Keni]

Just John,

King Long is on the 'sheds', above the 'Gruffalo Bill', as we call it. The area is called 'Gond Pontouvre', off the ring road the N10 on the north side. There is another one before it on the roadside, but it's smaller and with not so much variety.

This one is right on top of the sheds 'hill'. On the way down, on the top right - go past Mr.Bricolage on your right, keep on going down, but look up once past the Gruffalo.You swing off a roundabout and climb up off the right hand side to it.

Good variety - sushi as well!

Mind you that says it all - two Chinese restaurants on the same road, within a block of each other!

[bettyboop]

enjoyed the programme,have enjoyed a few holidays in the Dordogne.

Hubby and I would love to move over and enjoy our property (owned for 10 years), for the ladies on the forum.... would you stay in a gite (either with friends or strangers,up to 4) for a few days and learn some floristry?? If your daughter was getting married and you wanted to do your own flowers,would this appeal??

For couples.... would you stay in a gite and hubby learn some carpentry/joinery whilst wife learns some floristry??

Dont want to leave the men out.... so would any men be interested in carpentry/joinery in France??

Just ideas at the moment

[pachapapa]

[quote user="Rose"][quote user="just john "]

If only I knew where his market is, once in a while I fancy trying a bit of organic, pork and beef, husbanded and butchered by the same small producteur where is he.? 

[/quote]

JJ - not sure if I'm allowed to post a link to his site?  But I have no connection with him, no idea what his produce is like ... so I guess it's ok?  He seemed a lovely chap... I'm tempted to place and order [Www]

http://www.boucheriealaferme.com/index.html
[/quote]

Salers Beef! Now that's a laugh...you mean one of those moo cows that live around Salers and are traditionally hand milked in their upland pastures to make Salers Cheese AOC.

So now I know what they do with the clapped out old milkers!

Let me pass on that one; I'll keep to a proper "viande de race" like Limousine, Parthenaise or Blonde d'Acquitaine.

All available close by.

Next thing there will be a prog on little englanders and skotchlanders on the Cotentin chomping through clapped out Jerseys and Gurnseys imported by an entrepreneurial brit from Belsize Park.

[Sprogster]

I have struggled to watch this on ITV player, as the programme keeps crashing and reverting to the beginning!

The estimated figure of 20,000 Brits living in the Dordogne was a bit misleading, as this includes second home owners and is not that large a number for such a large department.

If one had a criticism, these type of programmes by nature are superficial as they totally ignore the high return rate and many challenges expat Brits have in France, such as making a living if they still need to work, and of course the new health care rules, to name but a few.

Have to agree with an earlier poster that it was a bit odd they mainly featured on the first programme a German couple living in the Gironde, with the British couple being their hired help!

[Fenman]

[quote user="pachapapa"][quote user="Rose"][quote user="just john "]

If only I knew where his market is, once in a while I fancy trying a bit of organic, pork and beef, husbanded and butchered by the same small producteur where is he.? 

[/quote]

JJ - not sure if I'm allowed to post a link to his site?  But I have no connection with him, no idea what his produce is like ... so I guess it's ok?  He seemed a lovely chap... I'm tempted to place and order [Www]

http://www.boucheriealaferme.com/index.html

[/quote]

Salers Beef! Now that's a laugh...you mean one of those moo cows that live around Salers and are traditionally hand milked in their upland pastures to make Salers Cheese AOC.

So now I know what they do with the clapped out old milkers!

Let me pass on that one; I'll keep to a proper "viande de race" like Limousine, Parthenaise or Blonde d'Acquitaine.

All available close by.

Next thing there will be a prog on little englanders and skotchlanders on the Cotentin chomping through clapped out Jerseys and Gurnseys imported by an entrepreneurial brit from Belsize Park.

[/quote]

According to this site Saler beef is good eating: http://www.associationsalers.com/php/en/salers_breed.php

Ray and Sophie Hicks attend the Monday night market in our village of Segur le Chateau in July and August and sell online and from their farm.

The filming of them producing their pies and selling them on Saturday nights in Segur was done around Easter time. The pie nights in conjunction with the cafe in the village proved very popular. Much to my amazement there were a lot of French locals who regularly came for the pie and chips.

Nice people and hard working - good luck to them.

You can see the village on my site giving info on the summer events each year: www.segur-prior.eu

[Chancer]

First of all I have not seen the program nor will be able to as I dont want to risk loading ths Expatshield thing however I think I understand what Idun was saying about lifestyle, what has been described is certainly light years removed from the lifestyle of people around here, is it really like that in other areas, for the French I mean?

The thing is many many people say they moved to France or want to move to France for the lifestyle and as I said the lifestyle around here is lightyears removed from what is projected on the television on programmes like a place in the sun which I have seen and yes was taken in and influenced by.

I saw and spoke briefly to an English couple who live in the area a fortnight ago, I dont think that I am exaggerating to say they are the first Englsih people that i have seen in what, two and a half years? It was certainly the first conversation I have had in English.

Needless to say there are no fish and chip vans around here but they would need to sell the meal for less than 4€ to get any takers.

[just john]

[quote user="Keni"] go past Mr.Bricolage [/quote]

Thanks, I know the area, didn't know King Long, can't promise to go past Mr.Bricolage though !

[pachapapa]

[quote user="Fenman"][quote user="pachapapa"][quote user="Rose"][quote user="just john "]

If only I knew where his market is, once in a while I fancy trying a bit of organic, pork and beef, husbanded and butchered by the same small producteur where is he.? 

[/quote]

JJ - not sure if I'm allowed to post a link to his site?  But I have no connection with him, no idea what his produce is like ... so I guess it's ok?  He seemed a lovely chap... I'm tempted to place and order [Www]

http://www.boucheriealaferme.com/index.html
[/quote]

Salers Beef! Now that's a laugh...you mean one of those moo cows that live around Salers and are traditionally hand milked in their upland pastures to make Salers Cheese AOC.

So now I know what they do with the clapped out old milkers!

Let me pass on that one; I'll keep to a proper "viande de race" like Limousine, Parthenaise or Blonde d'Acquitaine.

All available close by.

Next thing there will be a prog on little englanders and skotchlanders on the Cotentin chomping through clapped out Jerseys and Gurnseys imported by an entrepreneurial brit from Belsize Park.

[/quote]

According to this site Saler beef is good eating: http://www.associationsalers.com/php/en/salers_breed.php

Ray and Sophie Hicks attend the Monday night market in our village of Segur le Chateau in July and August and sell online and from their farm.

The filming of them producing their pies and selling them on Saturday nights in Segur was done around Easter time. The pie nights in conjunction with the cafe in the village proved very popular. Much to my amazement there were a lot of French locals who regularly came for the pie and chips.

Nice people and hard working - good luck to them.

You can see the village on my site giving info on the summer events each year: www.segur-prior.eu

[/quote]

http://www.associationsalers.com/php/en/salers_breed.php

 www.segur-prior.eu

As a gesture of solidarity I have activated your URLs that said I am mildly surprised without in any way approaching flabergastation that there is no criticism on Salers and somewhere called Ségur.

Congratulations on your first post and welcome to the forum.