" I wasnt offended, just surprised that she was so blatant in front of us."
It isn’t rude or malicious, just descriptive, could have been britanniques/ecossais/gallois/irlandais though 
Les anglais ont débarqué & les anglais sont là also has another meaning but I doubt the garage receptionist would have been announcing it to the world, or maybe they are very modern 
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I imagine it’s your most distinguishing feature. I’ve always been the “short blonde one” in the UK and “l’anglaise” in France.
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My trench neighbours description of me was ‘ wears pretty tee shirts and trousers
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We’re collectively, les anglais & Mrs Wozza l’anglaise though she is french ? Try working that one out?
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@vero if the garagiste was very modern would she use a euphemism at all? But made me laught thanks as not one I’d heard for a while…
Doesn’t bother me to be called l’anglaise as long as the tone of speech is not nasty, our new neighbours are referred to as les nords as that’s where they come from too.
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My wife and I came back over two years ago, not particularly voluntarily as family demands called. We miss France very much, but I was pleased to read somebody with a positive outlook on life in the UK. I get very fed up with those emigrants who run down their native country. There are advantages and disadvantages to both countries. Make the most of both if you can.
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As you say Ronald, positives and negatives no matter where you are. I love being back with my family and everything is easier without the language barrier (even though I can get by in French). It’s just… I guess my heart is still in France 
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Mandy your points 2 and 3 have often made me wonder how I would cope driving back in the UK, I drive a RHD and never found it a problem here and can fully understand your point 13, I have a good friend on Canvey and for a while was a member on her FB group, but found a lot of the members comments about Brexit very offensive so left.
Just to say around my commune I’m known as “the English lady with the horses”
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(((((( Huge Hugs )))))) Mandy…hubby is always with you but like many of us I know how difficult it is…many hearts are with you…
Yes my first year here since the first time I got in my car and realising I was totally alone in France…it was a case of saying out loud every time…DRIVE ON THE RIGHT…! I finally got over that but had a similar spell of cognitive dissonance when I changed my uk lhd for a French rhd…!
Coming up 3 years and I don’t think I’m sufficiently settled yet that I don’t still have days where I’ve not “absolutely made my mind up”…that I’m going home to England and just gonna keep my place as a holiday home…next day I’m over it and out walking my Collies and I can’t believe I ever thought that…!
I know though that the English siren song that sings in my head is because my family are all there…
As for what to say in French…maybe there’s something here…??? x 
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It’s surprising how quickly you adjust, especially as everyone else is driving on the correct side of the road and there is usually so much traffic it’s hard to go wrong. After 3 weeks I’ve just about got it although I still have to think at junctions if there are no other cars.
It’s difficult to be totally alone as I know only too well. At least I had some support from a close friend nearby. I understand completely the pull from family and that is one of the positives of being back in the UK.
Sending love x
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Unbelievably, my UK driving licence arrived today. The DVLA accepted my marriage certificate without a translation (I didn’t wait for the translation as they did not ask for one) so it has my married name on it.
I sent the application form, French driving licence and marriage certificate on Monday 28th January so that’s just 5 DAYS. After nearly 12 years of French bureaucracy this is outstanding.
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Think I would have to think twice at roundabouts
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Mandy ???
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Damn it! Didn’t realise someone was filming me!! 
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The road directs you so it’s hard to get it wrong.
I was really fortunate that I had an hour’s practice with my sister-in-law, a driving instructor, in her dual control car. After that I was much more confident.
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It’s not just the French back in 2013 I bought a house on the Isle of Skye. We travelled around the island and were always amazed when people kept referring to us as “agh yes your the new English gay lads from Earlish” people we had never met or knew” we eventually had to ask some people how they knew! Turns out it was the postman who operates basically as the island local newspaper 
. Even when we went to open a bank account the the lady behind the counter asked how our chocolate Labrador was even used his name! She knew everything about us! Turned out she was the postman’s sister!
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[quote=“Brian_Wheeler, post:37, topic:24328”]
bought a house on the Isle of Skye.
You should be singing Donald where’s your troosers?
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Come on Mandy, own up …how many times have you got in the ‘wrong side’ of the car and sat there feeling like an idiot?
Happened quite a few times when I had my first LH drive car, I would sit there pretending that I was looking for something and then stroll ‘casually’ around to the driver’s side ! 
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Mandy - just a thought - get yourself sorted out with a dashcam - wouldn’t be without mine here but I bet they’re pretty essential in the UK . I think insurance companies in the UK give premium reductions for those with a dashcam. 
I have this one - dead easy to set up and works a treat with continuous loop recording.
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