Columnists not Pilgrims

[Teamedup]

 

EDIT, sorry just noticed I mistyped the title so that should be Colonists not Pilgrims

 

 

What a statement from Tim Gilroy on the BBC this lunch time. He said he came to France as a pilgrim (what a bizzare idea) thirteen years ago........... the new brits he considers are more like colonists not pilgrims.

What shocked me was all the market stalls and 'english' shops selling brit food etc in where ever it was in SW France, (which might actually be SE France on this board).  but is it living in France? Is SW France at least getting like some of the Costas?

 

ps I admit I like my brit treats, occassional comfort food is reassuring. And I just cannot go out and buy any of it and it would feel strange if I could.

[Tresco]

Oh Tu, I was absolutely flummoxed before I saw your edit.

Columnists? 5th Columnists, or worse, people writing trite tales about life in France

The words he chose tell us more about him than he claims to know about us (not you TU, you would be classed as a Pilgrim

[Tresco]

ooops,

........  because you have been here several hundred years

[letrangere]

But if you're living permanently in France surely wanting to enjoy a food item from England is no different to wanting something French when living in the UK?  And no one ever criticises anyone for that.  And isn't it normal to want to enjoy other cuisines - be it Italian, Indian, Thai, etc. - when living in both?  M

[Russethouse]

Are the British stalls the only foriegn ones then ? I doubt it. Why is so odd or so sneered at to be able to buy British food in France when we can buy food from around the world in most Tesco's or Waitrose......?

[Anton Redman]

Original title suggested Brian Sewel versus Clive James. I have no desire to convert anybody and would only join a non evangelical religion.

[Richard-R]

[quote]EDIT, sorry just noticed I mistyped the title so that should be Colonists not Pilgrims What a statement from Tim Gilroy on the BBC this lunch time. He said he came to France as a pilgrim (wha...[/quote]

The British ( 1000's ?) are far more intergrated into France than the 4 million+ muslims who live in France. The British have a long history of living in various parts of France. You only need to look at Nice ( Brighton on the Med) and other Victorian resort towns.

[Teamedup]

I've never seen anything like those market stalls full of brit food.

At what point has the local population changed so much as to sustain such sales. Radically I can only imagine. The nearest comptoir irlandaise is quite some distance away and they have never have much food stock, far less than on those stalls. And there are brits around, but in spite of that, they still have little food in and a poor selection.

I wonder if it will be like the indian thing in the UK and it'll changed french habitudes, beans on toast will become a standard snack type meal, or marmite will replace dark choco on bread for a gouter.

Still can't work the pilgrim thing out either. Neither could anyone else at dinner tonight. Sounds weird.

[letrangere]

I've never seen anything like those market stalls full of brit food.

You never set foot inside an M&S when there were branches in France?  British food, especially their infamous crumpets, literally flew off the shelves and into the baskets of French shoppers at the branch in Paris.  And it was no doubt the same in Bordeaux, Toulouse and where else were they?  There are probably many French people very grateful for ready access to Brit food, in much the same way that we were to the Italian delis in Soho in the fifties and sixties.

May I suggest the writer feels he's a pilgrim because he worships France and regards moving there as moving to his own personal holy land/making a spiritual journey?

M

[Coco]

British food, especially their infamous crumpets, literally flew off the shelves and into the baskets of French shoppers at the branch in Paris.  And it was no doubt the same in Bordeaux, Toulouse and where else were they?

When we did an exchange visit with a family in Nevers (58) several years ago, we took several gifts of various types of typically "English" food, bought from M&S.  The response was that of sheer delight, saying that they always stocked up when they had to go to Paris or Lyon on business but that it wasn't often enough for their liking.

[Teamedup]

MWJ, yes you may be right about the pilgrim thing. Think it is a bizarre idea though, still takes all sorts.

And yes, when M&S was here I called in. It was a brit shop with branches here so I did expect brit food. And plenty of french shopped there. It's the market idea that go me. As I said the comptoir irlandaise that is closest to us obviously can't sell that much food or they would stock it.  And there are brits and irish folk in the region.

 

 

[Cerise]

When I was still in England our local market had a French stall which was always incredibly busy.  My French friends here pester me to bring back English goodies when I go to UK.  I don't even live in a town but in the deepest countryside yet still have ladies wanting marmite, lemon curd and shortbread - so why is anyone surprised by stalls selling different foods?

Maggi

 

[Teamedup]

LOL Cerise, I would be very very surprised if anyone asked me to get any of these things at all, as no one has ever asked me to in 24 years. If they were going to, and as I go back regularly, surely it would have happened by now.

And as it is so easy to buy a pretty full range of french goods, as well as goods from all over the world in UK supermarkets then I think a market stall would still surprise me.