The Poultry Keeper

Big D · Joined: 06 Sep 2008 Posts: 361 Location: Cumbria

For once in my life I am going to ask a serious question Shocked

Why did you guys move to France? And was it the right move?

mojo · Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 11:16 pm Post subject:

cause we love the life style and culture.............judge for your self i have only visited UK twice in ten years by my choice........go back...NO WAY

NannyP · Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 12:09 am Post subject:

To leave behind a bullying NHS, fights for money from PCT's, stressful working life.

To gain, early retirement, more room for our joint (we're relatively new as a couple) furniture and belongings, peace, quiet, no structure and to live our life in the way we want.

We both had holidays here as children and then as adults, before we were together. We came again twice as a couple, and it has always felt like the right place to be. Whenever I holiday here, I felt at home, and feel a deep connection with France.

Finally, money....we are a 2nd time around couple, which means that we invested a lot of money in our first marriages, and both came away with little to show for it (during the last recession, properties were in negative equity). So, France gives us what we consider good value for money, and we live a very different lifestyle, more simple, and full of other riches.

newby · Joined: 11 Feb 2008 Posts: 147 Location: Dordogne

I totally agree with you both. We came out 4 yurs ago, both had stressful jobs, lots of travelling etc. We retired early, paid cash for a house. OH has had a blissful time making a 1 bedroom cosy house and barn into a 5 bed house with all the conveniences. I have room to breathe, acres of land deer in the fields, and a budding garden.People say good morning in the shops, have time to natter in the market. On the downside, we're poorer on only 1 pension at the moment, its getting more expensive to live, we occasionally drop some real clangers due to language. Go back...never.

mojo · Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 5:30 pm Post subject:

nanny and newbie just prove what i posted...........so take the plunge come and live life properly

spud · Joined: 31 Aug 2008 Posts: 5 Location: haute vienne

Totally agree Mojo, this is living life properly, being greeted in shops by the staff and customers, children saying bonjour and being well behaved and just having time to enjoy everything around us especially the wonderful scenery and the wide variety of wildlife. (oh and not forgetting the patisseries!). Pig

Big D · Joined: 06 Sep 2008 Posts: 361 Location: Cumbria

Oh no, not for me just yet. (If the wife has her way....... we go North!)

I just wondered as ,being a Chef ,I have worked with dozens of French Chef's who have all wanted to settle in Britain. And funnily enough most have come over here for more excitement and a faster pace of life.

With no insult intended, I wonder if It suits you chaps at retirement age better than people with young families!?!

I suppose it's also where you live in France as I expect city life must be similar where ever you live.

Also no matter how much I have tried or been beaten by some irate French Chef maniac, I just could'nt pick up the lingo Laughing

mojo · Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 9:11 pm Post subject:

living in a tiny hamlet for 8 years being the only english speakers helps

Big D · Joined: 06 Sep 2008 Posts: 361 Location: Cumbria

NannyP · Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 10:17 pm Post subject:

I think you're right D. For us retirees, life is a lot easier. And rural, is still slow and peaceful.
Coming out here, with a young family, to find work, is incredibly hard....especially as somehow it seems, the French don't encourage small businesses.

Lisleoise · Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 11:14 pm Post subject:

We're in our 7th year here now: me, my husband and children now 10 and 14.

My husband retired early (51) from a high level managerial job having accumulated a good pension and investments which allowed us to come here mortgage free (which we had been for several years anyway) but also with a good level of investments. Being 14 years younger I do work here, part-time as a registered childminder which gives us enough income to be in the health system (otherwise we'd have to pay handsomely to be in the system). The last few years have been a real headache & heartache for many brits over here who are living 'off of their savings' because of changes made to the way the health system operates. Some friends we know have had to go back to the UK even.

It's easy to live here with your rose-tinted specs firmly in place if you are retired with an E103 and can lead a quiet life, only watch UK TV, don't read the French papers etc. Everything can appear rosy.

I now feel as though I see things very differently from when I did 7 years ago. The country has changed, violence in schools is in the papers frequently at the moment. For example the other week a teacher committed suicide after a pupil accused him of violence. The pupil, it turned out, actually lied, and the teacher hadn't laid a finger on the pupil. Suicide in France is much higher than the UK generally. Rurally unemployment is very high, wages are very low rurally, if you can get a job, the minimum wage (SMIC) is just 6.84€ net per hour, that works out at just over 1000€ per month net. Most people are on SMIC or just above. The average salary in our village is just 12k€. Those in employment, including teachers are regularly on strike. I attended a manifestation today against the privatisation of La Poste due next year. Rural schools are being closed too. The bank in our village is now only open if you have an appointment. In the cities there is quite a bit of graffiti. I'm painting a bad picture I know, but to be honest, if you actually get to know what is going on then it really isn't that different to the UK. Even the sacred day off on sunday may change with parliament looking into sunday trading (at the moment there are very strcit rules to adhere to). When everything is balanced out the living costs are roughly the same as in the UK, even though house prices are cheaper to begin with (might have to correct that the way they're going in the UK!).

However, the majority of Brits in France live in the rural countryside, maybe in a hamlet with only a few houses and don't see the wider picture.

March this year I am very proud to have been voted as one of 15 councillors (I came 7th out of 32 in the polls) in our village of just under 1000 people. So I get to see and hear quite a bit of what is going on. The Départements and regions and cantons and communes (in descending order of authority) are planned to be pared right down - cost-cutting everywhere. I am also on the committe of three associations in the village so I really do get to know what's going on.

At the end of the day, life here isn't that different from the UK really. France is an enormous country, twice the size but with roughly the same population, so more space to go around, on the downside you could find yourself a good drive away from your nearest DIY store (only to find they're shut for lunch!). Weather wise where I am we have long hot summers, short but very cold winters (-15 the first year and I'm the the Dordogne), spring and autumn can be fantastic. The food is wonderful, we can eat a five course lunch in a restaurant including wine and coffee for 12€ ahead at lunchtime, which we often do. On the whole the people are very welcoming, if you make the effort to get involved. I've just got back from my 3rd meeting this week having also spent loads of time putting together the next edition of our 28 page full colour Bulletin Municipal which I have found myself to be the editor of (love it really Wink

).

Anyway, enough rambling. Life is what you make it over here, you can be as involved as little or as much as you want. I would change a thing and plan on staying here forever, I love my village and the area generally, oh and did I mention that our everyday bottle of wine costs us 1.79€ Razz

Sylvia · Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 5:22 am Post subject:

Heads - Anglesey
Tails - France

I lost - Laughing

james419 · Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 7:25 am Post subject:

Like NannyP we are recently married and having lived in the rat acce for too long and being away nearly all week every week -we decided that the home we had bought down here was beckoning - we both wanted time together - a small pension at the moment - we manage - however we have 4 dogs 2 cats 4 pigmy goats numerous ducks, chicken and geese as pets and a goodly number heading for the freezer over the next few weeks.

Cost of living as Lisleoise says possibly the same but we definitley eat more fresh food, quality of life is vastly improved, we have made new friends in France both French and English and also thrugh this forum,

I agre if you have to work it would be a tough time to get established, we have some friends in their late 30's who decided 3 years ago to make the move, have they any doubts - none at all - life is lived on a shoe sring - he works (legally) building - ood jobs and repairs cars, she makes jewellry and is building a good customer base and reputation. The children are totally bilingual - would they move back - NO!

The life here can be great but it is still a real world with all the problems that go with it.

For us to have time, space, friends and our animals it is pretty close to bliss

mojo · Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 12:02 pm Post subject:

all the above makes intresting reading.........i honestly think if you intergrate with your neighbours life is so improved but each to their own .we know folks who have been here 5 years and still dont use french(bournmouth in bordeux?) and dont mix at all but they love their life...wouldnt suit us ........but then i am glad to say we are all differant...............excuse me off for 5 course lunch with wine for a tenner.....what a terrible life??

Hilarysmum · Joined: 20 Sep 2008 Posts: 17

To answer the original question, I have forgotten all the reasons we came, they dont matter now anyway

Would I/we go back. NO. This is home.