Is france changing?

[jen]

After several years of searching we found our ideal location to relocate to, and have spent the past 3 summers house hunting in the Dordogne, staying in a tiny hamlet for several weeks.  Absolutely idyllic! That is until this year, we have just returned and our totally dismayed with things.  The peace and quiet we have grown to love was shattered most evenings my youths on motorbikes continually driving round or cars with boom boxes tearing through the area in the early hours.......... and on six evenings we were kept awake till 4 or 5 a.m. by local parties - we enjoy parties and having a good time, but it was continual shouting and screaming and deafening music which must have woke the whole valley. 

On driving round we also noticed that several of these tiny hamlets had introduced speed humps, hmmmm?  We have always been so impressed with the French way of life but are wondering if  this was just an isolated problem to the area we were in or is France changing? 

 

[Logan]

I think perhaps your experience was due to the summer holidays. (ie: July/August). The locals tend to come alive and folks from the cities (especially Paris) and towns come to the country to rip it up and p**s it up!

I suspect that if you go back to your hamlet in late September onward it will be as you prefer. The townies will have fled, for any other year anyway. Avoid tourist France in the vacation months. It's always too hot. Paris is more agreeable, everyone is away. 

[Will]

Change is inevitable, anywhere. It is often said that France is like Britain was 25 years ago, and there is a fair bit of truth in that. But what it means is that in a few years time France will most likely have many of the problems that people see in Britain today - and your observations seem to bear this out.

That's one reason why it doesn't really make a lot of sense to move to France because you don't like something about Britain - rather move to France because you like France. The two countries, though different in many respects, are close enough geographically, politically and culturally that they stand a very high chance of developing along similar lines.

People also tend to not notice things when on holiday that become very evident when you are there full-time. Logan's comment is also valid in that in summer you are probably not seeing things at their best.

[Meg]

[quote user="Will "]

 The two countries, though different in many respects, are close enough geographically, politically and culturally that they stand a very high chance of developing along similar lines.[/quote]

I agree that France will possibly become more like Britain, but, due to the fact that there is a similar population to the UK in France, it is spread over a much larger area. I wonder if some of the problems in the UK are due to living so closely to others. Maybe it won't get as bad over here for this reason.

Louise

[Rob Roy]

Perhaps the problem is where you staying - in Dordogneshire [;-)] Are you sure these were not UK residents/visitors?[Www]

[Norman]

Sleeping policemen, chicanes and other types of speed restriction measures are being put in all over the place in villages and towns. A lot of money is being spent trying to reduce vehicle speed in built up areas and make things safer for pedestrians and motorists alike.

France changes all the time, maybe at a different pace to the UK, but it does evolve. It also has, and has had for many years, very similar problems to those faced by the UK and other european countries, unemployment for example.

I believe, though I maybe wrong, that the rate of change could increase quite substantialy over the next five years but it will depend on who gets the presidency....... I`ve got a funny feeling in me waters about that one...... mais c`est à voir :)

Norman.

[The Riff-Raff Element]

As Norman says, France continues to evolve.

I don't, myself, think that it will become ever more like Britain.

Britain has been the closest follower of trends in the USA, but I

suspect that France and the larger European powers are increasingly

reluctant to be associated too closely with US policy (it can be bloody

dangerous for one thing) and may well choose a united, but different,

direction.

How this will leave Britain I cannot say. Certainly recent events have

illustrated that the "special relationship" is one sided and (from

Britain's standpoint) rather worthless. But I can't see Britain

cuddling up closer to Europe either.

One adavantage of being 25 years behind is that it allows other people to make the mistakes for you...

[Deimos]

I agree with Jon. Quite a few people I talk to recognise the need for France to change but can see what has happened to the UK with its following of US trends (not just politically with wars, etc.). Quite a few seem keen to avoid going the way of the UK. They seem aware of what aspects of UK life they want to avoid. Maybe the "not going down the same road" might be slowing the change a bit.

Ian

[Tony F Dordogne]

I don't know why you would think that British yobs on mobile hairdryers or boy/girl racers would bother to come to the Dordogne Mary, doubt that their parents would let them bring their toys away and use them in such an anti-social way.

Of course they are to be seen here but then I've also seen them all over France so it's not a problem for this area in particular especially when most of the hair dryer/screaming minnies are locally plated.

[Anton Redman]

For most of my life I have been to French Parties with people of my now age being up there and drinking slowly till 5 am. The Ardeche at the end of the vendage, in the early 70s, so tired I had to go to bed at 16:00 to get up at 22:00, translated and taught the words to "Pictures of Lily" asked for something else by the Who and did Squeeze Box. French Show Band could play the Stones, Johny, Garry Glitter

[verviale]

For the first time in 15 years we had to put up with several evenings of Quad Biking,we have never heard it before but it was several nights inAugust, in a farmers field,of rip roaring stuff.

[mattjazz]

Surely France is going to become more like England because so many Brits are moving there and not integrating,imposing there own standards and lack of respect on the locals

[Cassis]

I think the two-wheeled buzz-boxes have been in the towns for donkey's years so are nothing new.  Haven't noticed them in the village, other than as an occasional means of transport to get from A to B, and there are no boom-wagons either.  But we aren't a very up and with-it area.  There may be more in Alençon but we don't get out much!

[SaligoBay]

[quote user="mattjazz"]Surely France is going to become more like England because so many Brits are moving there and not integrating,imposing there own standards and lack of respect on the locals[/quote]

LOL, you have an inflated sense of British importance, dear Mattjazz!  [:D]