The French in England

[Jo53]

Did anyone see the programme on BBC4 on Wednesday about French people living in England? It was really amusing how the French people featured said exactly the same things about England as the Brits do about France. Some examples:

'It's a gentler way of life. I'm much less stressed since I came here'

'I feel more free.'

'People are more friendly in England'

'English people are more civil'

There was one couple where he (French) was really enjoying living in London and she (English) was dying to up sticks to France.

I guess it just proves that everyone (OK, lots of people) enjoys the adventure and novelty of living in a foreign country, and that many of us think the grass is greener in a new place, whatever that happens to be.

Jo

[Liz]

I agree.  There were many parallels, including the company owner who said she must really make the effort to improve her English.  I was also intrigued by the woman who had been in England for 20 years and, although she spoke English very well, still had a marked french accent whereas her husband could almost have been mistaken for a native speaker. 

It makes a change, after so many programmes and articles about British living in France, to have the other point of view.

Liz (29)

[Miki]

Like several of us have said for yonks, we are all of us, just simply trying to live in another country, for whatever reason. Not utopia at all but, of course to many, it may feel like it after their way of life in the UK (or elsewhere of course).

It is quite different (probably why vive la différence is such a a popular phrase ) but at the same time, many similarities are there if one judges like for like in the different countries.

When you scratch beneath the surface you will often feel the old "plus ca même"... and the longer you live here and the deeper you get involved, one finds that the gripes one had before are still there, mainly by the locals and also by the Brits who have long discarded their proverbial lunettes and seen France as just another place to live and one simply has to try to do their best to make it work.

One should never judge that as someone who therefore shouldn't be here and hear the usual cry of "well if yer don't like it, then get the boat home" because as I have said before, I would have a possee of French travelling with me if being eternally joyous was the criteria for living here. Have no fear, the day Madam or I, are totally cheesed off and it gets that I or her, would preferliving elsewhere, we would be off but for the moment we are quite happy to live where we do.

I said sometime back, that over the years our son and daughter have brought back many friends to the house(s) and at least 6 or more of them have made a life in the UK. When we see any of them, they all, to a person, say they are more than happy to continue to work in the UK and love the stress free way they have clicked in to. The monthly way the UK do PAYE (yes, they like that! and how the NHS is taken out as well! although like many, they woiuld prefer it all to be free !) how for the moment they can find work with good pay (compared to here) without spending long periods on the chomage etc etc. They are just finding a way of life that they prefer, who is right ?

Well I guess we all are, until one of the parties falls out of love with their way of life and in to that equation comes a multitude of whys and wherefores, as to which folks will stay and who will go back or on somewehere else and all or most of the reasons for doing so, have been well recorded over the years on LF.

[Teamedup]

Drat, I missed it. I really want to see it.

 

I am swopping between both countries a lot at the moment and the strangest thing, when I make that effort to stand back and look at my life, is how I slip in so easily to the rather different ways in both. It is all so natural to me being in either. I can definitely live in the NE of England again, I had only suspected I could, but I now know.

[Mistral]

I missed it too but apparently it's being repeated tomorrow evening and again in the early Sunday and monday mornings

[Baz]

French Exchange will be repeated on BBC4 on Sat 3 December 19.55-20.55 (UK time) and again on BBC4 on Mon 5 December 02.35-03.35.

A very good site to get details of TV programmes for all UK,French and many European stations with the further details available by clicking the programme. To get French stations click on the "More Channels" button on the top right hand of the page

http://www.tvtv.co.uk/cgi-bin/WebObjects/EPGen.woa

Baz

[Evianers]

It is a great pity that living in Belgium as we do, we can only obtain BBC 1 and 2. We often miss out on interesting programmes because they are shown on 3 or 4.

However reading through all your comments, and having moved not only country, but continents three times [we are about to achieve our dream and move to France within one year] we find it is most often an attitude of mind: if you are really anxious to make it work, then despite the difficulties and drawbacks, you will succeed.

Only on one occasion have we made a disastrous mistake, moving from one country in the southern hemisphere to another, but in order to avoid any conflict, these shall be nameless.

[Tom]

What made me laugh was that the English father-in-law of the Frenchman living in London had  more or less tha same prejudices against the French, as the French father had against the English.

 

 

[Patf]

I watched this programme and got the impression that to these french people their stay in UK was temporary and they intended to return to France sooner or later.Whereas of the british people we know - 20-30 families - all except for one, and us, intend stay " for ever". I didn't watch the first programme so don't know whether this applies to those people. Pat.

[Teamedup]

I agree Patf, the program did infer that french people intended to return to France one day. Which may or may not have been right, but a sentiment I understood as we never emigrated either.

And I agreed with the french about France. I found that it was so different and in no way calm, from montrous arguments at table to just about anyone being loud and opinionated about anything. I used be quite fearful in certain situations as where I was from if any one started gueuling like that, someone would have been bopped. However, it was certainly different and rather exciting too, felt like living on the edge and that isn't even talking about the driving when we first arrived....which is  calm now in comparison.

And brits staying for ever and ever, can't remember the figures for those that don't last more than a couple of years, but it is quite high whatever ideas folks move with.