we were sure we are moving to France

[cooperlola]

Yes, stumpy, I think that small rural communities have a comfort factor all of their own.  I also lived in a rural area in the UK where we all knew one another at least by sight.  In the 27 years we lived there, our key remained on the outside of the door whenever we were at home (even overnight).  If you are used to the country life and don't mind and are used to the isolation, then it does have a really friendly feel which large towns lack.

We went to the AGM of our local ramblers' group on Friday, the usual speeches and voting etc.  In the introduction, they actually thanked "Les Anglais" for joining the group, and everybody clapped!  So lovely to be made so welcome.

[opas]

We too live in a lovley "quiet " village.

We have been here for 3 and a half years, one car vandalised and swastikad, another deliberatly scratched on a supermarket car park `cos I can reverse into a place quicker than a woman in a big Merc. One child deliberatly hit with a brick and unable to walk for a week. A more sreious situation that I will not discuss as it is under investigation with the gendarmes etc, oh and my garden tools knicked!

I could start to feel paranoid if it wasn't for the fact that we had been burgled twice in uk whilst living in quite a rough area and had stuff knicked from a car that was being brought home on the back of a tow truck in UK.

Its down to individuals, now if everyone was like me the world realy would be a better place[:-))]

 

[Teamedup]

Pun, let's face it, most of the posters on here seem to live nul part. I live in an area where french people go when they leave nul part,  as they have to move to places like here, as there is work.

Where I live is perfectly normal for most french people, as places like mine are where most french people live.

And it isn't just chez moi. As I said my youngest was threatened in Metz. We parked the car in Laon up at the citadel and a local came running after us warning us not to park there as our car would probably be nicked or broken into. Incidentally, we are one heck of a drive, maybe 6-7 hours, from both Laon and Metz.

France is just a country, I am not paranoid about it and have no illusions about it either.

 

 

[cooperlola]

T/U are you just unlucky?  I have lived in Colne, Leeds, Malta, Shoreham by Sea, Dorking, Penge, Strood, Cranbrook and now in the rural Sarthe and I worked for nearly 30 years in various parts of London - often walking or taking the tube late at night.  After nearly 52 years I (or my parents when I was living with them) have been burgled twice (just cash stolen) had my purse stolen one (I didn't notice it was gone - a non-violent theft), had one car stolen (and returned to me) 1 car broken into (thieves caught and made to pay the costs of the stolen items by the local - Medway towns - courts) and had some tack stolen from my stables.  I have never been physically threatened with any violence of any kind in all my life.  Perhaps my turn will come.

[5-element]

Living in small town (6,000 inhabitants) in sunny Herault - a gendarme came to my door this week, he was  making enquiries:  3 cars were burnt just down the road from us by the river, a few days ago. And another four cars a little while ago. I don't feel too safe going out in the evening, as there are lots of fights (gitans vs. others mainly!) and some serious drugs and alcohol problems. Funnily enough, I feel safer in the big city than I do here!!!

Having said that, we also got burgled twice while living in N.E. England (Lancaster) - both times we were IN the house too, the first time it was a solo young heroin addict, who even came into my bedroom upstairs... The second time, who knows!

[Teamedup]

LOL I haven't personally been threatened either but 'mine' have. The first time I came to France with the car, bringing the first of our stuff over the car was broken into a few days later and they nicked a few things, there wasn't much in the car only my hiking boots were, they took one. I did curse them.

I have had my purse nicked from my bag on the tram too.

I haven't had anything to me in the UK as yet. 

I don't think that we are unlucky, I know of far worse things that have happened to other folks in our entourage.

[Teamedup]

5-Element, I think that you'll find that Lancaster is in North West England. I'm from the North East you see.

[AnOther]

[quote user="Teamedup"]...only my hiking boots were, they took one...[/quote]Narrows the search for the culprit then..............[:D]

[Ford Anglia]

[quote user="stumpy"]

But as of yesterday when a guy who assulted me with a cricket bat  left me with a broken leg nose and ankle,and my  kids seeing counsellers .And all he got for pleading guilty to GBH is ...........£750 fine and told to behave himself in future .

[/quote]

I had my nose broken in an unprovoked incident outside my house several years ago. The attacker got bound over to keep the peace, despite having done the same thing several times before to others. All he had to do was plead guilty. Then HE appeared in court, trotted out some sob-story, and hey presto![:@]

However, HE had no kids. I have two, and get on well with the other local kids. Took them about a year before he and his mrs moved out![;-)]

There IS justice, then...........just don't hope for much through PC British courts[:(]

[5-element]

LOL... Of course TeamedUp, what was I thinking of - just goes to show how much out of touch I have got in the past 6 years....[:D]

I now can't even think of a single place in N.E. England[:D] Better go and look at a map..

I loathed Northern England anyway, just couldn't hack the weather - bottom of dustbin weather all the time, real SAD land...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Teamedup]

The first time I visited North West England when I was grown up I was shocked by the weather. I had never ever seen rain like it in my life. I really realised why the cotton mills had been built where they had been built, sometimes lessons in school don't quite get the point across.

I have seen rain as bad since I moved to SE France though. Rain falling in so hard and in cords, I'm used to it now. Wish we could have some more at the moment, we need rain in these here valleys and they REALLY NEED snow in the moutains, I think that we need rain and snow now for next summer.

[cooperlola]

We Lancastrians just know it's (the rain's) the price you pay for all that beautiful lush countryside.  Just take a good mac' and dubbin (that dates me) your boots on a regular basis!

[stumpy]

[quote user="cooperlola"] Just take a good mac' and dubbin (that dates me) your boots on a regular basis![/quote]

Whats dubbin  [:D][;-)]

[5-element]

Cooperlola, so you're a Lancastrian! I agree that on a really good day, Morecambe could look quite spectacular - MOH  I think, pines for N.W. England where he has left so many old friends - he was born abroad, yet always seemed to think of himself as a Lune Valley boy...

I hated lying in bed in the morning, seeing the sun coming in through the window, planning to go for a walk, and by the time I'd had breakfast it was grey grey grey again. And walking through countryside was mostly wading through mud. (Yes I do know Dubbin... gave up using it, that's for walking shoes, in the end I only used wellies[:)].

I hated having to use a torch every morning to find matching socks in my chest of drawers.

I hated wearing (or at least carrying) waterproof and fleece summer and winter. And I did find it hard to cope with people who would announce they were sweltering every time the temperature went above 18oC[:D] - although I do admit that Northeners were (are!) really nice and cheerful people! And when I said I wanted to move back to France, they would say..."Oooh I don't know, all that sun, doesn't it get really boring?"

 

[stumpy]

one of my best friends is French and he loves hunting with his brothers when he's back home .My question is do the French have Hunts like the Brittish do with horse and hounds ,or do they just hunt for the hunt and the  food [8-)]

[TWINKLE]

They hunt for rabbits and grouse on foot and quite often end up shooting each other instead of the wildlife.

http://www.antichasse.com/chasse_france/chiffres.htm

 

[cooperlola]

[quote user="stumpy"]one of my best friends is French and he loves hunting with his brothers when he's back home .My question is do the French have Hunts like the Brittish do with horse and hounds ,or do they just hunt for the hunt and the  food [8-)][/quote]Yes, they do.  My farrier hunts. Mostly bore and deer round here.

[max]

Stumps we can't beleive that somebody as intelligent as yourself would quote a website which doesn't know the truth if it bit them in the leg. Since when has us hunters in France been aloud to shoot at night like the English can. I await with anticipation.

Happy hunting.

[max]

Hi stumps.

There are several big forests near us who have chasse a cour they are very organised and generally hunt stags and sanglier, the biche are controlled by guns. General public do have limited access while hunts are in progress.

Happy hunting![:P]

[stumpy]

[quote user="max"]

Stumps we can't beleive that somebody as intelligent as yourself would quote a website which doesn't know the truth if it bit them in the leg. Since when has us hunters in France been aloud to shoot at night like the English can. I await with anticipation.

Happy hunting.

[/quote]

I havnt a clue what your on about ?My question was do they hunt with horse an hounds ![8-)]

[max]

Hi stumps,

sorry if i gave a missleading answer but i was refering to something i saw on a web site  Twinkle was quoting.  www.antichasse.com/chasse_france/chiffres.htm

hope this helps clear things up

j'y vais

Parisien [:D]