Hi,

Just wanted to tell you, that I really agree with you. I am French, have lived in Germany for 12 years and now in the UK for 7 years.

Last year, we had this idea of moving back to France and even nearly bought a house there.

But as you, we have done our homework before, with the result that we have decided to stay in the UK (which we like very much now, although it has been a long learning curve).

This does not mean that we don't like France. We still spend a lot of time there. But financially, economically, it makes so much more sense for us to stay in the UK.

Good to hear a british person having the same opinion. Around us, many friends and colleagues dream of living in France, and do not believe us when we try to warn them.

Your argumentation is sometimes a bit too exagerated, but on a whole, it is true and I appreciate you trying to help others, although I know that many of them will not want to hear: you're nagging at their dream, questionning it. People do not like that.

All the best

Veronique

Veronique later (very kindly) added the following:

Dear John,

No, I do not mind you quoting my email. Thinking about your website, I have following comments.

Don’t move to France section

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I think you are using too many subjective reasons. I would rather stick to the indisputable main facts :

 Bureaucracy - yes

 Economic Uncertainty - yes

 French property Exhibitions – yes

 Gites – yes

 Healthcare – yes

 State Pensions – yes

 TAXATION – YES YES YES. I think this is THE major point which you should highlight more. It is so easy to be misled or ignore the facts, but at the end, it hurts! When they read about income tax, and social contributions (the killer), people do not realise the impact and amount. That BOTH are levied on everything earned WORLDWIDE (income, interest gains, rents, etc) and that social contributions are increasing ever and ever, with no end in view… Also, filing a tax return in France, when you are not very good at the language must be quite a nightmare. There are so many loop holes, special cases which you have to be aware of and can save you money, but finding your way through is quite difficult. People would probably have to have somebody doing it for them (and pay them).

Some headings like “France is different” are out of place. Being French, I did not like the book you mention at all and I think it is here going into stereotypes and lieux communs. Cheap and easy. Of course, French are different, that’s also probably why so many Brits want to go there. And if not, they’ll have to adapt, as we had to in UK. I do not think, this should be a show stopper. Just the usual difficulties you have to master when you move to a new country.

Education and Schools – Well, I do not know. This being France, It will take ages before any of the changes you mention happen. I think education is good, and free. I would not dwell into why people push their kids into a new system: that’s their business. Would you say so if the parents had a great job in Dubai and were relocating there for a few years? I believe children have to be well supported by their family, but don’t think this is a major problem.

Holiday season effect & Isolated rural houses – Well… I think again this is something obvious, which people moving from London to some Welsh or Scottish village would face as well. Nothing typical French there. Worth mentioning, but not as prominently as you do.

Language – don’t know… People moving to France, know that locals speak a different language. It is just a problem at the beginning which might make settling in your new country more complicated, but to be expected.

Renovation costs - Nothing typically French there, again, worth mentioning, specially for the bureaucracy involved. So why not touch this subject in your bureaucracy section

Resentment to Foreigners - I am not so sure… I know many Brits who were quite welcomed in their new home country. French are not that bad. Also in villages, locals may be cool, on the reserve; this does not mean they do not like others, foreigners just don’t belong to the “core”. But wouldn't it be the same, when settling from South England in a Welsh village? Of course, some French moan at the surge in house prices caused by the amount of foreigners coming in their country, on the other hand, they are thankful for them to settle there and “revigorate” the local economy, specially in small villages. I think it is a highly controversial subject, where you’ll get opinions on both sides and all will be correct.

Rugby – probably English humor, I would skip that, makes feel that you have run out of arguments…

Television - Not convincing argument. Matter of taste. We are now in the UK for 7 years and still watch German TV by satellite, the only bit of BBC we are indulging being News at Ten. But this is normal; television is a link to YOUR culture, something deep in you, you have grown with. It takes ages, before you know all the ins and outs of the media scene. French TV is not that bad. Of course, BBC has great documentaries, etc. This is just an adjustment problem. Receiving UK TV abroad is like still having some links to your home country, completely natural.

Traffic Accidents - True, but I don’t see why it should impact a decision not to go to France. France is different, that’s why you go there. Brits used to drive us mad on the road when we arrived here, so slow and awkward we found them. Now we’re used to the driving style and feel aggressed when we go back to Germany. Just an other way of life. Nothing negative.

Weather – Yes, I do agree. English weather, at least in the South in not as bad as people tend to say. Though, I would not like to live in Scotland for that matter of fact…

Grass is not Greener

===============

I like your comment about the weather. It is so true. We love this way the Brits deal with their weather. Here you are, hiking in the Welsh mountains, it is a dreadful day, but still, people wander around, keep cheerful and enjoy themselves, because they know, that better weather is never far away. That’s the good of being on an island. Also, summer being so “precious”, I feel that the Brits enjoy it more intensively, it is something special, with all those events and outings, very nice feature of UK (Henley, Hyde Park festivals, Globe theater, numerous outdoor performances, pique niques, etc)

Values, Accents, Sports – yes

Pub - Being Foreigners, this is something we never grasped. But we feel it is a very important feature of british life, for us unfortunately not relevant

Humour – YES YES YES. We love the way Brits deal with life and themselves. It makes life so easier, as nothing could be too serious. They can laugh about themselves, and believe me or not, we find them very tolerant. It is difficult in France and Germany to be different, here in UK, everybody is a little crazy, and accepting other people’s way of life. This may be such a big thing for us because we are foreigners, something like “unclassified” in the English society: we do match the class mould and therefore enjoy the freedom of the fools maybe. But we find it so nice. UK people are more open to “excentrics” or other ways of life.

Driving – Was right, but situation has greatly changed in the last years. French seem to have forgotten how to drive. They are so cautious, so slow, afraid of being caught by “Sarko” and his speed cameras. Driving has really changed in France.

History – What a blend comment you have there. Better skip it! Of course, British history is great. What I find amazing is the way Britain has succeeded in dealing with its ex-colonies. Of course, everything is not so rosy, but the Commonwealth is a fantastic concept, and it is working. It makes the integration of foreigners from those states easier in UK, maintains the contact between UK and those “new” countries, promotes a certain UK way of life and governing. Very clever. And there you have also a point to link onto sports: yes, Britain has invented and exported many of them, and you can feel it in all commonwealth countries.

Look in comparison at the mess France did when they were forced to leave their colonies, the difficulties of insertion from people from those countries, the so-called “Francophonie” and their attempts at creating kind of a Commonwealth feeling there. But you don’t do this only through the language…

Culture – yes. And for us, access to a wider range of publications, films because everything is in the English language. Foreign authors, artists, musicians are more likely to be published in English than in French, you have a much wider offering, opening on the world. Being in France, you limit yourself to what is offered in French Language. Difficult to make my point, but it really makes a difference. Of course, French are highly cultivated, but this is the sheer mass of knowledge, material which you have in UK which I find amazing. And we do love those British second hand bookshops so much!

Education, NHS, tax and social charges – yes, yes, yes

An other point is working life. British people never believe me when I tell them so, but I find working life here is not as stressful as it is in France or Germany. Of course, if you have to commute to London everyday, this is awful, but the same for Paris and the Banlieue. No, what I mean is the atmosphere at work, the hierarchy not so heavy, the “empowerment” level higher. Women have better chances to succeed and have higher positions as in France and Germany, they have less hurdles to take, they are better “recognised”. The social pressure on them and motherhood is not as high as in Germany for sure, France to a lesser level. More doors are open to them, also in a “male” environment. In UK, it is easier to be a woman: difficult to convey but true. Your looks do not matter as much as they do on the continent, you are taken for what you are worth - by the way, I am looking good ;-)

And of course, currently, the economic situation of Britain delivers a lot of arguments for staying there. It is so: young French professionals come to Britain to earn their living and “old” British (and other European) pensioners come to France to spend their money. With time, France will become the Florida of Europe: mainly populated by seniors or rich people (nothing against them).

And UK is a nice country: as you may have gathered, we love Wales, but the whole country is scenic. We have tremendous memories of hiking in Scotland, walking along the cornish coastal path, Dorset, Devon. Well, you name it.

And YES!!!! ENGLAND IS CLOSE ENOUGH TO FRANCE. That’s the point. We needed a bit of time to realise it ourselves, but that is so true. With ferry and plane prices decreasing, what keeps you from going there when you feel like it and continue to have your home in the UK. It is so true.

Well, that's it, I hope you'll find those comments helpful and feel free to reuse them on your website.

All the Best

Veronique