Are There Too Many English In Our Hamlet !

[RumziGal]

Sounds to me like a brilliant opportunity to learn Polish!  

[Charlotte3]

Our eldest daughter works for the CAB in rural N.Ireland. She works particularly with immigrants who are experiencing problems. She tells us that our little market town is now over run with immigrants from the Balkan states.

We find this fascinating because when we left, 6 years ago, there was only one foreigner in the town and he was a Turk who married a local girl after a holiday romance in Turkey.  I have to say he wasn't at all well received.

In another town the predominant language is now Portugese!

10 years ago no one in their right mind would have considered immigration to Northern Ireland...my how things have changed!

Aly

[TreizeVents]

[quote user="Charlotte3"]

Our eldest daughter works for the CAB in rural N.Ireland. She works particularly with immigrants who are experiencing problems. She tells us that our little market town is now over run with immigrants from the Balkan states.

[/quote]

Interesting story.  Must have been repeated throughout, or perhaps not, Northern Ireland.  I guess we have to wait for publication of some kind of data that is actually accurate.

But on the down home level, how does a town get "over run"?  I assume that all,or nearly all, the residents stayed there in their own houses.  How was there enough empty housing to accomodate enough new immigrants that would "over run" a place.  Where do they live?  I presume some of them must work?  Is this the case in all the surrounding villages?  Maybe just that one?  I do know that it is quite normal historically for immigrants to go where they have a mate, a fellow villager, a member of the family, etc.  So they are never spread out evenly throughout a country.  But where do they live?   Was there that much unused housing?  Do they squat?  Live in tents or caravans?  How does it work in a small village?  In a big country its hard to figure it all out, but in your daughter's town, it must possible to see things clearly.

Thanks for a response.  I always wonder about this use of "over run" and how it can happen.

[Logan]

[quote user="chessfou"][quote]In some successful countries such as the USA regulation is relatively light.[Logan][/quote]

Ha, ha, ha. This thread was getting a bit serious but that brightened it up.

Have you ever tried importing stuff into the USA?
Have you ever incorporated a business in the USA?
I have and I reckon the US bureaucrats could teach the guys in Mumbai a thing or two (let alone here in France) about how to make life impossible ("Catch 22" is, after all, an Americanism) and that was all before the advent of Sarbanes-Oxley!
[/quote]

Yes I can answer affirmative to all your questions. You are still wrong.

[cooperlola]

In your opinion.

[Alan Zoff]

[quote user="RumziGal"]Sounds to me like a brilliant opportunity to learn Polish!  [/quote]

I doubt she will have to. From my experience, the Poles will soon pick up the local lingo. But - whether for better or for worse - it does indicate the effect that an influx of people from one foreign country can have on a small rural community. 

[Logan]

[quote user="cooperlola"]In your opinion.[/quote]

Well yes. Most of the posts on this thread are subjective. It’s the nature of the beast. If I said constantly after every statement “in my opinion” would it not be very tedious? A post is an opinion. There should be no further need for clarification…. err.. in my opinion.

I think this thread has shown how narrow and inward looking most of our horizons really are. I  personally really see no difference in the peoples of the world. For me the planet is a global village. I hate barriers and frontiers. They are erected by vested interest groups to halt human development and progress. They are also there to imprison a population in an ideology. Be it sophisticated or primitive. Likewise economic and social barriers are there for a similar effect. That is the protection of a status quo and a system of belief for the benefit of a few and the subjugation of the majority. If freedom is to mean anything at all the rejection of barriers is a first step. Distinctions of nationality, colour, race and religion needs to become meaningless. I feel the EU is a brave attempt to at least try and bring about that change for perhaps more enlightened future generations. We Europeans are actually united in a shared culture of religion and human values. We have to begin somewhere to tear down these barriers that divide.  I am often accused in these forum posts of idealism or ‘rose coloured views’. Well that maybe so but I would rather be optimistic about the future development of our societies than any of the alternatives. So what on earth does it matter if your small French village is populated by British, Hollandaise, Irish or folks from Papua New Guinea? Cultural diversity is good for you. Too much French can make you very inward and insular. Embrace the changes and help to make a brave new world!![:D]

 

[cooperlola]

Dress it up however you like but just saying "You are wrong" seemed a bit off to me.  That is all.  I didn't say that I necessarily disagreed with you.  It's actually very rare that I disagree with people totally.  (Mostly,yes, that happens!)

[egger]

OH DEAR,

Just thought i would look in and came across all this!

Wow, this is strong stuff.

Too many English,too many French, too many People, and i would not dare to think what some people would say if a guy person moved in.

People are people, if they good neighbours, they good people, (is that not correct).

We moved into a hemlet, 1 French, 1 rented, 1 English and us, where is the problem. Ok our French could be better, but our French neighbour says hello, asks how we are, and even dare i say it, nodded to my husband to give him a helping hand with his 1 dead ewe.

Rented people moved in, and yes very nice too.

English couple seem fine, (have we just been lucky).

The local village is mixed, but we all get along fine, ok there are some English i dont like, but thats normal, and i dare say there are going to be some French people i dont like, but i bet there are going to be some people that dont like us, (i think that is called village life).

Still i guess its got us all talking x

[Tresco]

[quote user="egger"]People are people, if they good neighbours, they good people, (is that not correct).[/quote]

It should be.

I had a terrible neighbour once, who then became a very good neighbour, but theoretically he was still a 'bad' person.[;-)]

Anyway, I hope it all works out. Why are you absent so much?

 

[egger]

I hate to say this, but i am out all the time, and having the time of my life, (and no i dont mean drinking all the time [:)]).

Oh yes and the visitors, oh how i love having them [+o(].

Funny that, mmm now thats when i do tend to drink, (decided it was better to drink than scream).

But hey, look on the bright side, i love my neighbours xxxxxxxxxxxxxx[6]

[Tresco]

Egger, I'm a big fan of looking on the brightside.

But where do you go out all the time?. And don't you have floors to clean, or summat?

[egger]

Floors to clean, well yes once a week, if their lucky [;-)].

Some times i go the pub [B], or out for lunch with friends (ha ha turning into a lady that lunchs), erm friends for coffee, oh and of course shopping.

I do work as well honest [6], painting the house, putting new doors in, oh and my most pleasent past time, filling forms in [8-)].

[egger]

I clean my floors, well once a week anyway [;-)].

I dont really know where i go, friends, shopping, lunch and the pub. Im now a lady that lunches ha ha, well forget the lady bit.

I paint the house, put new doors in, and by the time i finished all that i very tired, but promise to come on more x.

[egger]

oh it said the page had expired, so i wrote it again, now its on twice, stupid comp, or could it have been my fault [:$]

[cooperlola]

This keeps happening at the moment!

[chessfou]

[quote]Rented people moved in[/quote]

Errm, who they? Is that like Rent-a-Crowd or a mixture of rent-boys & gals, or what? Surely not nationalité: locataire.

[chessfou]

[quote]Yes I can answer affirmative to all your questions. You are still wrong.[Logan][/quote]

Interesting.

(1) Which state (and year) did you incorporate?

(2) I'm not very impressed by the logic of your argument; perhaps I should respond with "I'm not wrong, YOU ARE!"

[egger]

Errm would not know anything about rent boys chessfou, or girls for that matter, would you care to enlighten me [:P].

[cooperlola]

[quote user="chessfou"]
(2)  perhaps I should respond with "I'm not wrong, YOU ARE!"
[/quote]Equally valid, one has to say!

[Charlotte3]

Yes, lots of empty housing (mostly over closed business premises), now done up by unscrupulous landlords and crammed full of immigrants!  For some years it has been difficult for local people to find decent housing in the town, but immigrants when they first arrive are not often fussy. I shouldn't think many of them work, the locals can't find work!

The town has suffered at the hand of appathy both from the local council and older people of the town who are not prepared to invest time, money or enthusiasm in regenerating the town. (I was actively involved with the council and on  all the relevant committees and always we ran into the same wall of appathy)

I would doubt the situation is as acute in heighbouring towns...all the immigrants there are from Belfast who have bought their cheap houses there and either work locally or around Belfast, Lisburn etc.

There is a "new town" about 30 miles away which was built with public funds to house "refugees" from Belfast during the "troubles". This was meant to give families the opportunity to leave the ghettos and have a new start in the country. It is really a series of housing estates and groups of small shops. Many of the houses have never been lived in, some families moved there but decided they preferred city life, missed family etc. Consequently now many of the houses are boarded up and there are extensive ghettos. Even our quota of Vietnamise boat people wouldn't live there!

About 20 years ago the government was offering garnts to anyone who would rent a house there and even then there was only a small take up rate. Of course, many of the families applied for a housing transfer as soon as they collected their money!

I have an Indian friend who's family came to NI at the start of the troubles. When he was born, and indeed for many years, his was the only coloured family in Portadown. He was hugely amused to be named Brendan by his parents!

In my experience, being over run happens when large groups of people are encouraged to converge on a town which has no facilities to deal with them. In our case lack of jobs, schools, local shops and especially public housing. Private landlords are not often the most scrupulous of people when it comes to maximising rents.

The pity of it is that it completely destroys the ambiance of what was a peaceful and pleasant if somewhat shabby little town.

But then, I am biased!

Aly

[Charlotte3]

Treizevents,

Well said!

I thought I was the only person here who thinks that capitalism is the most evil, perniscious(?sp) thing in this world. One of the things I love about France is their constant fight not only against capitalism but also to keep their own identity and France French.

Well done,

Aly

[Alan Zoff]

Biased, perhaps, but at least living in the real world.

I don't disagree with the sentiments expressed in many of these posts but I think it is rather naive to expect that (proportionately) large influxes of foreigners will not cause problems in small communities. The attraction for many of rural life is its stability, customs, tradition. In my opinion, something worth preserving.

[RumziGal]

[quote user="Charlotte3"]

One of the things I love about France is their constant fight not only against capitalism but also to keep their own identity and France French.

[/quote]

Who fights against capitalism?   I think it's just talk.   People stampeded to find the cheapest phone operators when the phone system opened up.    They'll do the same with electricity, and with everything else.    Up till now I think they've been very controlled, but as soon as they have the choice, the vast majority will base their choices on their purse, just like the rest of us.

France is perfectly good at globalisation.   There are Carrefours all over the world, there are French jets and weapons all over the place.   They're as keen on exporting as anyone else is.   When they stop eating McDonalds and shut down their foreign supermarkets, I'll believe the talk.  [;-)] 

[cooperlola]

[quote user="Alan Zoff"]

Biased, perhaps, but at least living in the real world.

I don't disagree with the sentiments expressed in many of these posts but I think it is rather naive to expect that (proportionately) large influxes of foreigners will not cause problems in small communities. The attraction for many of rural life is its stability, customs, tradition. In my opinion, something worth preserving.

[/quote]Well, there's the rub.  You come along looking for something and by your very presence, you change it.

I went to lunch on Sunday with a couple of English friends.  About 20 people turned up, all of whom were Brits.  Now, I think that I'm probably right in saying that they probably represented the entire UK community in a couple of villages, so the area is not exactly over-run with us.

However, the main topics of conversation all seemed to centre around how to get out of contributing to the community.  "I'd like to get the locals to do job x but they rip us off;  if you go back to the UK twice a year and use a family members address, you don't have to re-register your car; if you work in the UK for a couple of months a year, you can pay your taxes there" - that sort of thing. It is also interesting, that apart from Mr C and myself, and the three families who work and earn a living here, none of them has more than a smattering of French.  Whenever they get together, not one native French person is invited.

And yet, to a man - and woman - they all say how much they like living here and how pleasant all the locals are.  But I cannot help wondering - and I say so over and over again to them but to no avail - if the patience of the locals will soon, quite rightly imho, begin to wear thin if they do not join in a bit more?  All (except the employed) are in the "first flush" of being here.  How soon is the pleasure of being here going to wain if their social circle never grows beyond this tiny group of ex-pats?

 

As an aside Charlotte, no, you are not the only person who would like to see the capitalist system rather less dominant in the world.  How frustrating that I can't vote here yet....