Brexit means Brexit means Doom and Gloom

I believe the way to counter that is to double the effort to speak French and absorb more in to the French way of life. I think you have already done (are doing) that Geof.

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I completely agree with that, Graham. I have never really encountered any anti-Brit feeling here, although I may just be lucky I suppose, but increasing one’s level of French and becoming inculturated is the only way forward. When we were able to join the local choir, it made a massive difference to our understanding of how that aspect at least of society worked here and we were met with enormous kindness. From everything I’ve read from Geof on here, I am sure he is so much further down that road than I am, but we’re working on it :smiley:

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Which is so difficult to do at the moment as we only dare venture out of the house twice a week.
Once for essential shopping, and once for French lessons.

I’ve personally never encountered any anti-Brit feeling here either - and have encountered the opposite many times - both French people going out of their way to make us feel welcome, and the odd real anglophile.
There were a couple of minor incidents with the kids when they were at school here though, so there are (of course) some anti-Brit feelings around - no doubt in a small minority of particularly insecure French people - but if the brexit debate proved one thing it is that some people can’t distinguish between loving your country and hating foreigners.

I suppose it depends where you live in France. There are examples of anti-Brit feeling in areas where the locals felt they were being “swamped” by foreigners. And that was well before Brexit. The south of the country can be particularly anti “immigrant” - that includes ANYONE who isn’t French, and not just British people (but especially if you have a north African heritage). I don’t think the French are any different to the British in that respect.
Edit: I left France in 2017 - so whether the situation has changed post brexit I couldn’t say. I do recall that our local baker laughingly refused to give me his sourdough recipe as “I didn’t want to be european anymore”! Given I had never expressed an opinion to him about politics, perhaps there is an perception that the British do wish to remain apart - and nothing could be further from the truth.

Yes indeed it is - and this is so very frustrating! Heaven knows what will happen to our choir :cry:

I so wish this wasn’t true…

However, I am carefully not getting involved in political discussion as I don’t cope with it and have to back off quickly. Some of the rest of you are a lot more robust :smiley:

And they can’t listen to sensible debate and warnings believing the utterances of Project Fear, which have turned out to be true.

One of the things I have appreciated about living here is the sense of community. And that has really helped over past year as people have stopped at the garden gate to wave hello. We have a dog, so have to walk through the village every day and get the opportunity for daily chats. It took a while, and we made big efforts to start with, but now I feel we arecompletely accepted. But speaking French is vital…

Disappointed that you lower the quality of discussion by making comments like this,

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and I thought you were more robust and had (at least) a sense of humour :roll_eyes:
Only concerned for your health John…

At least it s not my lack of a sense of humour he’s having a go at, which makes a pleasant change.

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We have ours on Zoom. Before moving to Brittany permanently 18 months ago we had lessons in York with a French guy from the Vendee who taught in schools and privately. With covid restrictions he developed Zoom lessons and so we were able to resume with him…strange how adversity can throw up unexpected opportunities! He loves to hear our French gossip,!

sad but true …more anti Fench feeling in UK than anti Brit attitudes at least here in N. Brittany…

OK, but the ongoing Brexit animosity and squabbling really concerns me so I was trying to make a serious point

John, a number of people cautioned me about getting over excited by goings on outside my control some time ago and I have now calmed myself and taken those comments on board. That said, I suffer the incurable and often misunderstood disease, the acronym for which is GSOH :wink:

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I honestly think he was just joking and lightening the mood, good for all our mental health, and particularly from Grahame as he loves being a grumpy old bugger (and I love pulling him up on it so will defend him being funny :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:!!)

OK you got me what does that one mean?? :smiley: :smiley:

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Good/ Great Sense Of Humour :relaxed:

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For goodness sake!!!

It’s called having a sense of humour.

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BREXIT gift thar keeps on giving! From the FT yesterday:

From October, Visa will charge 1.5 per cent of the transaction value for credit card payments made online or over the phone between the UK and EU, and 1.15 per cent for debit card transactions, up from 0.3 and 0.2 per cent respectively.

…and Mastercard recently announced similar,
And its of course because the card processors now don’t have to follow the EU cap. Apparently internal domestic charges are being raised too.

What makes you tink this is because of Brexit?
I see it as the CC companies cashing in on the boom in on-line transactions particularly if

is correct.

I have a Master Card CC and have had no notifications about a change in fees. It’s seldom used these days and any balance is paid off in full so for me (and I guess many others) it’s no big deal.