The opposite here :p
Exactly the kind of family I was talking about. The biggest family I have known come over is the parents (both second marriages) plus seven children combined, all of school age. The father said he was in 'light engineering' and the mother didn't work. The first question after the Acte Authentique was signed was words to the effect of " Where do I need to go to see about claiming benefits ?" No french was spoken by any member of the family and they lived in a pretty remote charentais village so, needless to say they didn't last long. They had to re sell at a lower price and with very little savings remaining. Sadly this is not an isolated story.
The stereotypes researcher ? (a bit like a trainspotter - or even a genealogist ?...)
That is a n
the gardener who can grow all the plants to perfection that did very little except survive in his english plot
A few of those around here in Brittany- mind you plenty of French ditto. We've even have Brits arrive here with fairly young children, the main breadwinner not realising he would find it difficult to get a job without French qualifications. School proved to be a catastrophe for the children too on one occasion. After a few months they push off back to the UK leaving unpaid bills and disaster properties. To be frank I have seen some great successes too so one is full of optimism!
Why any list such as this? There's a caricaturist inn Brittany (French/very Breton) called Tramber who has done a very funny book with animal caricatures of people in Brittany- might go down well in the expat community? Yes is the answer to the query am I one or indeed more of them! I like the suggestions by Jane, Barbara, Louise, Bridget ( back in the 60s I used to smoke Disques Bleus and drive a Citroen, and was known to recite poetry on Brighton Beach) and Heather. Does anyone know a good caricaturist? Scarfe would be great!
The young british family of many who come here thinking they can live off french state handouts....
...until they realise that isn't the case and try to sell up having lost all their money...
Where's "the person who is the only one to get it right"?
Are we not all in there somewhere?
Luckily most of them seem to stop at, or before, Bordeaux.
I fit into several of those categories, but, I'm absolutely the only person I know in one of them. Are there any other British expat yachtsmen on Survive France?
The retired teacher - they are everywhere!
No point to the list but it is fun. I know an awful lot of those catedories.
So which one (or more) are you, david?!
Not sue what point you are trying to get across, David
Your point being?
The British wife of a Frenchman
Reads like a cross-section of life anywhere which is not a bad thing.
The Bon Viveur who is disappointed by the same thing on the menu every time he visits a restaurant!
the ex policeman who is searching for his integrity.