I have a sister, a nephew and a niece (who is leaving permanently soon). Many of my friends have left or are dead, will be soon or we all will be in the foreseeable future anyway. I would have nothing to go back for beyond nostalgia, a bunch of people to sit around with as we dwindle to the last one, crap pension and little more. My family are all Swiss citizens, why would they want to go to my place of origin? If my wife got a job there I might have to seriously consider it but very reluctantly. I believe a lot of us moan or would wherever we are, so what is it really all about?
Veronique -- thanks for the warning. I'll stay where I am. By comparison, my little corner of France seems to be in some sort of time-warp. Maybe I'm in my own version of "The Truman Show"!
Mike Butler, I actually saved that for future use as sooo well put! Hit the nail on the head for me! Many thanks!
I actually wanted to go back in the early seventies after my divorce but I wasn't allowed to take my son out of the country and so I stayed,Now Iv married again and Im still here!!.No more family left in the UK now so its too late and I wouldn't even know where to go after all these years
Am I the only American?
My pension is in dollars, so as the dollar falls, I may have to move back. But that would be the only reason.
I can not imagine going back there, and I can't think of one reason (other than my family in England) for doing it. I'm going over there on Friday for a short visit to my ailing father and I'm not looking forward to it. For me, quality of life is a LOT more important than the price of groceries.
Home is where the heart is! Ten years ago when arranging our wedding we had a few issues with people who thought coming to France was too expensive, too far etc, my mum offered to rearrange the wedding 'at home'. I explained to that that I was getting married at home, why would I want to travel to the UK to get married, a place I left in 1989 and had never lived there as an adult!
I guess it depends on where you have family, perhaps a house still and how long you have lived somewhere, here or there before a place becomes home? Mind you, having just returned from a UK visit with so many goodies, boy, the things I need are so much cheaper there - butter was the only thing I found which was more expensive in the UK - interesting I thought!
We have been here permanently for 9 years, had the house 12.... love it here and NO would not want to go back to the UK.... hate even going for visits, We have been accepted into the the local community and our French Neighbours have been there for us through some difficult times, more than I can say for our so called English friends back in the UK. Our Daughter comes to visit often and also owns a little house near by... We are by no way rich, just in happiness...... Love living here!!!
Hi, we came 'home' in May, partly money but more missing the grandchildren. We were there for 5 years and I enjoyed most of the time there but the winters really got to me, everything shut down. Our village was like a ghost town most of the time...the coastal towns were empty except for dog walkers....perhaps we were just in the wrong part of France (Vendee)....I had one good friend who was Norwegian and many acquaintances but the other English people which I met at French lessons were very clicky and I felt they looked down on me and hubby as we came from London (and speak cockney) and they all tended to come from up North...now back home in Essex I have my friends and family and we all sound the same!!! Our house in France was large and open plan and I loved it, if only I could have brought that home with me!!! But I am still happier here in England with 24 hour shopping, traffic jams, and high council taxes. Now my Norwegian friend and her Scottish hubby are moving back to the UK, probably for the same reasons. France is a beautiful country but just not home for us.
Despite the very few locals who tell you to "go home" I don't intend to. Just where is home anyway? I'm half Welsh, 3/8 English and 1/8 German. I never lived in Wales but I have lived in 19 other places. In fact I've had a house in my village for 43 years next month so I reckon I am home anyway. Sure there are annoying things here but I'm retired so I don't have to worry about running a business here which could well be a nightmare but having run businesses in the UK they are a nightmare there too. My wife is from the Philippines were we have thought about living but I reckon that the lack of facilities there could well finish me off; anyway the family is on Leyte where things are even worse. All in all I reckon I have the balance about right. I have a nice house and garden and live in a Parc Naturel not far from the sea. We have had a few health issues in the family and found the health system here very responsive and believe me we have really used it. My late wife worked in the NHS but she was treated in France and frequently told me how much better it was here. Sure there are issues like high taxes but we are getting free education of our daughter. It's not all about sums but I have done them and I could not afford to life as well as we do in any part of the UK that I would actually want to live in. Had some great parts of my life in the UK but I'm here for good- I think. However you never know what's around the corner. Exit from the EU is a real problem looming large.
I wonder if its the right question. Is it the location of the person who is the problem. Remember NeW York New York "if you can make it here you can make it anywhere.." People take their problems with them. We live in three countries (Cyprus, France and UK - a little. Thre are differences but they are not substantially financial. Houses are cheaper in France but other things cost more, Cyprus property is very overpriced and set to crash (I think) but the sun shines in the winter and Italian wine is cheap and reasonably good. Gas is cheap in Cyprus but expensive in France and so on. Overall I don't think our "monthly spend" excluding "fixed costs" is very much different in any of the three countries in which we live. We prefer the quality of life in Cyprus and France but we are retired and our income and assets remain largely outside France or Cyprus where they are more secure. I accept we are fortunate but we have structured our affairs to provide maximum flexibility. Nowhere is perfect as others have said. You make what you will of the strengths and weaknesses of each country. We should never forget that we are guests in our chosen country of residence (or location). I observe too frequent complaints by UK expats that "they do it like this in UK". An offensive comment in my opinion best kept to your self if you are silly enough to think it matters. If France (or anywhere) was to become more like UK why would you want to be there. If UK is so great why did you leave? Come on guys "Get a grip". Make the most of the advantages of your chosen country and accept that there a re a few disadvantages but they can be overcome if you take a positive attitude. People complain of bureaucracy ion both France and Cyprus but would you get an official in UK to exchange your faulty ID card or expired NHS card for a new one in 10 minutes (Cyprus) or advise you that you could apply for a revaluation of part of your property but it would not be a good idea as it would end up costing you much more (France. "In a pig's eye". In my experience all you need to do is ask for help from the officials and they will be very ready to sort out any problem. It make take a little time but shouting at them is unhelpful as is the observation that "we don't have this problem in UK". Personal observation suggest that expats reap more or less what they sow. Why wouldn't they?
Home is where your heart is...I LOVE FRANCE.. :-)
It is a massive question indeed. I think a lot of Brits are stuck due to the financial situation be it here or in the UK.. I came to live here 23 years ago with my ex-husband but divorced 1 year later and bringing up 4 kids on my own has been a financial struggle but it never occured to me to return to the UK. I'm lucky in the sense that French is my second language so I never suffered from the language barrier but I know that quite a few people do.
We have a good school system over here and brilliant health cover which is not exactly the case in the UK with long waiting lists for operations and so forth which hardly happens here.
I thought about it for 5 minutes when I got divorced. Then I remembered that I have a full-time job here, my kids are happy, we have lots of sun and their father would create a stink if I took them to the UK. Job done.
But life isn't perfect here, it never is wherever to you are. Either you can make it where you are, or you can't in which case you have to go elsewhere.
Personally I'm worried about the chaos that's brewing in France, the wobbly Euro, and an unpredictable future (more than usual). But my job keeps me here and I'm thankful to have it!
Morning James.
That is a massive question.
How many of us will give a full and honest answer to that?
In facts and figures UK is making a healthier financial recovery.
But is it Monopoly money which is circulating?
Are the friends and family in UK ready and able to help with
the financial wows of those who set of to France in search of
a different way of life? Help them pick up the pieces?
Will the UK government give “RETURNERS” presidence over
those who arrive for their first adventures.
Like Catherine I came from London.
Could I go back?
Just for a day or so…