I agree Barbara,
I once watched a TV prog. about the selection process for getting to medical school…Ridiculous that if you don’t get straight A’s at A level, you can be rejected just on that basis…They must be disappointing and excluding plenty of perfectly good candidates who ‘just’ got B’s…how silly, just a few marks difference and nothing to do with whether they are of the right type of temperament, have sufficient compassion, patience and even insight, which wont be measured at A level.
Hilary I am sure that you and I agree on many things.
In another life we may have been good friends as I am sure that you
enjoy many of the good things which grace our region.
When we talked on here about Brexit I felt you were desperate to
see the old UK again…the very sad uk of the sixties and beyond
when poverty was very apparent.
Once again I bring everyone towards the work of the author of
“Kathy come home” and ask the leavers to remember those days before
UK joined the European unioun.
Reflect and see the riches which we have now…the family holidays and the
mass of material things we collect.The lovely homes we have with nice furnishings
and the restaurants we go to fairly often.
So I asked a question a few weeks ago…which I do not think has been answered.
That question was “what have you achieved from your vote?”
Is…and will uk be financially comfortable?
Will UK become less crowded…or be able to control new arrivals?
WILL hospitals create a better performance level?
will schools open and flourish?
will there be more affordable homes for people in uk…when the main idea of living
in UK is to generate profits from property and rising rental and sale incomes from them?
Will UK be able to abliterate this new wave of racism which has emerged since June this year?
Will there be new jobs created or will Europeans,and others disappear or be banished from
our creative and academic society?
Of course I know nothing about politics.
But looking at the wo.
rld around me…so to speak gives me a better insight and understanding
of what is evolving. So please tell me Leavers…about the good which Brexit is doing?
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We have and we couldn’t be happier, the healthcare my mother received there left a lot to be desired and was one of the main reasons we left France. She had dementia and the lack of compassion shown towards her was astounding and heartless. We cared for her ourselves with no support whatsoever, the doctors were even reluctant to diagnose her illness and told us it was old age !! I expect this meant she was kept under the radar and therefore out of the system of care for a dementia patient.
My father was heartbroken and we just couldn’t bear the thought of him becoming ill there so we left. Since we’ve been home he’s had kidney problems and the care he’s received here from the NHS has been wonderful.
The people here are outgoing, happy and cheerful, a smile and ‘good morning’ is so pleasant after the dour expressions a lot of people adopt in France.
Wild horses wouldn’t make me move back to France.
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I’ll second that! I’ve just returned from my first trip over to the UK for quite some time and really enjoyed the ‘banter’ and humour whilst out and about - something sadly missing in France but something that has a massive impact on how you ‘feel’.
I popped in to my local Intermarché yesterday - what a miserable experience! Sour faced cashier who looked like a bulldog chewing a wasp - it just about managed a ‘bonjour’ but after that - not a word. Miserable lot - generally 
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You’re so right, I went into the same shops for about 10 years in France and only a handful of assistants showed a flicker of recognition or a gave a small smile. After only a few months here in our small town I’m on first name terms with a fair few shop workers and we have a chat with laughs every time.
I can absolutely agree with your description…and it made me giggle 
Yep - that’s my experience as well! In fact some shop assistants / cashiers still say ’ bonnes vacances’ to me after 12 years - longest holiday ever!!
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I’ve not lived in the UK for 11 years. 2 countries since leaving. I’m happy to visit the UK and enjoy it but I could never ever live in London again or any big British city and I don’t really recognise the country I grew up in. It’s as if its heart has gone apart from rural places etc.
Justin why would we be force to return to england once the brexit is passed.for myself i am a french National since 1966 but i have not a british passport even though i was Born in Sheffield in 1943.would i be considered as a bi national.
All I can say is God No. if I had to leave france I would go to Canada
Brexit or no Brexit, I would rather live in France. No problem. Nothing to discuss!
Since this conversation began Nov 2016 nothing about Uk has become more attractive.
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The short answer is yes I would and it is our firm intention to go move back at some point. We didn’t come here to ‘escape’ and I can never understand the loathing that many expats now have for the UK.
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Well the prices have got slightly more attractive, the exchange rate was 1.17 / 1.18 in November 2016, Though that’s only an advantage if you earn in euros.
I would go back to the UK if circumstances made it the best option. I don’t actively want to, at the moment, but who knows what’s round the corner. I would live peacefully in rural Wales, much as I do in France now. The only difference I foresee is that there would be a number of things missing from my life that I enjoy at present.
Well the country side in uk is pretty.
Hopefully that will never change.
But healthcare is very important…is it not?
My French friends are great and, I am sure that they
would not be able to visit very often.
Some of us did, indeed, come here to “escape”… or… to achieve a dream.
We’ve achieved our dream…'nuff said. 
(thinking about it, our dream has turned into an adventure… so much to learn/discover here… )
yes apart from the endless paperwork…
Only in a box ! 
Actually… both of us want our earthly remains laid to rest in UK… although not in the same place. (perfectly amicable agreement, after much discussions). OH is going to be with his parents and I’m going to be with my Dad.
Everyone had different reasons for coming here I guess, we simply wanted to try something different whilst the children were young enough not to have their education affected. France was one of three options we had and with already having a house here and knowing people locally it made sense. There are things that we dislike but for now we’re happy, however should the other children follow their eldest sister’s example and leave France then it’s likely we will either do the same or certainly downsize and just keep a lock-up and leave type property and flit between the UK and here.
As you say… we all have different reasons for what we do…
What were the other options you considered ??