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Thinking of moving back to the UK.


alittlebitfrench
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@ Nick P

No, I love Tours. I would not move anywhere else in France personally. The best region in France for sure.

@ Wooly

I am worried very much for the kids and their future.

I don't see much future for them in France. I don't see much furture for any kid in France.

France has become too violent. That is before we talk about schooling.

I dunno.

UK house prices are a tad expensive.

We will never afford the same.
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Whatever you decide Smeggie, just don't sit on the fence too long because your deadline for moving back to the UK without having to apply for a visa for your wife (which would require Smeggie to be earning a good salary), is the end of March 2022.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/returning-to-the-uk#bringing-family-members-to-the-uk

I'm not wild about prospects in either the UK or France to be honest. Frying pan and fire but the question is, which way round is it.

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Are the wee ones in public or private schools?

Our neighbours improved their kids outlook on life by threatening to move them into private (catholic) school where the supervision was much stricter!

Leave open web pages on the computer for houses in the north of Scotland in your price range, helps focus the mind.
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One is in private and one is in a state school. I rate the state school higher. The catholic school is a disaster.

The kids have been through a lot of schools over the years (rural and Paris and where we live now) They are all the same.

The problem with catholic schools is that the kids that go there tend to be 'problem' cases. Which stems from parenting.

The problem is not the teachers. I think French teachers are brillant. It is the system.

But you know, personally I can't endure another 4 years of Macron. But his likely replacement wil be MLP.

The furture does not look to great. Four years of MLP ? Jeeesus. But she can't worse than Macron.

Then of course, the EU have just proved why the UK was right to leave the EU. I am sure the idea will catch on with other countries.

What a mess.
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"The problem with catholic schools is that the kids that go there are tend to be 'problem' cases. Which stems from parenting."

We just dodged that bullet. Had thought about putting our two at that age into the local Catholic school as they had a skiing holiday scheme. Left it too late to get them in only to find, as you say, all the problem kids from their public school had been enrolled.

I am saddened that your experince of schooling has been negative. We still have one in the French education "system" which overall has been (from a parents) point of view a real plus.

From a longer view point, UK University education is no picnic, especially compared to France. Eldest is just coming to the end that experience. He has studied in both systems.
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[quote user="alittlebitfrench"]   ...................UK house prices are a tad expensive  ...............[/quote]

Quite an understatement ALBF.

The house in Cornwall we sold in 1980 for £40,000 is now valued at £541,000 [:D]

EDIT: BTW, that's roughly a steady 14% per year increase, so you'd better hurry, it'll be another £80,000 or so next year.

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ALBF, life is different in the UK. Not everywhere is expensive either. You say you wouldn't have what you have now. Well, that is the thing isn't it, in a great big country like France there is the space for bigger properties and more land per property. With some exceptions ofcourse. ie when we moved to the Alpes we could not afford to live close to work, so ended up 40kms away, but not too far from a motorway and it was ok. Lots of staff ended up doing the same.

In fact our house in the UK is bigger than the one in France, but we have a little garden, no kids who need the space.......... and I hate gardening and didn't need 1100sq metres of land again, or at all, ever.

We had always planned to retire in the UK. I have no regrets at all.

I didn't fancy juggling with two languages in my dotage although we still have to sometimes. And yet with brexit, we may have to move back, if our lives get too complicated. I would rather not, but we would just slide back into french life, because we can.

I could write pages about french education, if one is 'normal' it is fine and can be good, deviate from that and I just hope that it has changed a lot, but do not know, not when I see some vile vile profs who are still teaching and I would not trust them to sweep the roads, never mind with young minds.

From what I can gather, UK schools are OK, my youngest ended up in one for some time and he was welcomed and it went quite well, his previous five in those four years of secondaire had not. AS I said, I hope that french schools have improved for those who do not 'conform' and are not the ideal student.

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Then of course, the EU have just proved why the UK was right to leave the EU. I am sure the idea will catch on with other countries.

Really? Please explain? If you are talking about the Irish border incident it just shows how little understanding you have of the situation. That or your blinkers need adjusting or removing completely.
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To be fair BiB a number of nations are currently restless within the EU, eg Italy, Sweden, The Netherlands, Denmark, Greece..... Not sure any will actually leave but it may lead to a revision of the structures and policies.

Now, if Marine le Pen were to win the French Election, another story might be told!
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I reckon...bare with me here (well not literally) lol.

The UK creates a European 'union' with other European countries that allows free trade and free movement across Europe except for Germany and France.

There is no headquarters and everyone can have their own currency. There are no MEP's. No expenses. No idiots running the show and everyone can fish where they like.

Germany and France can have their own union where they can argue between themselves about wonky bannas.

I reckon it would catch on personally.
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[quote user="alittlebitfrench"]I reckon...bare with me here (well not literally) lol.

The UK creates a European 'union' with other European countries that allows free trade and free movement across Europe.

There is no headquarters and everyone can have their own currency. There are no MEP's. No expenses. No idiots running the show and everyone can fish where they like. I reckon it would catch on personally.[/quote]

Was that not what the original EU concept was about, if it had stayed like that I don't think the UK would have left.

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[quote user="alittlebitfrench"]I reckon...bare with me here (well not literally) lol.

The UK creates a European 'union' with other European countries that allows free trade and free movement across Europe except for Germany and France.

There is no headquarters and everyone can have their own currency. There are no MEP's. No expenses. No idiots running the show and everyone can fish where they like.

Germany and France can have their own union where they can argue between themselves about wonky bannas.

I reckon it would catch on personally.[/quote]

Well it is a very good idea. But it did make me smile, Germany and France........

Since we moved to France we always heard the following..... and often from french people. The french mock the belgians, show respect to the swiss and are afraid of Germany.

No idea how those two would get on, alone[Www]

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