Interesting post mate. We arrived last January and people have been great, it's just that now 'we're no longer Europeans' it feels a little different ... ... perhaps it's all in my head though.
We are still Europeans though. Anyone who forgets that just needs take a walk through a British war grave in France...
For anyone interested, hopefully both of you, we're now installed in the Cotswolds. It's a beautiful estate and much of it is used for the filming of 'Father Brown' ... ... they're here again, in a few weeks, so it looks like being full on. Hopefully I can keep my hands off the cast, especially that Cusack lass
Bloody immigrants coming here taking our jobs and now looking to take our women grrrr On a more serious note pleased to hear move went well and that you and yours are now settled in. Hope it all works out
Cheers mate, it was a nightmare over there and it's lovely to be home ... ... I've had a crazy life but it has to calm down sometime. No more flights back and forth for the matches and more time for the grandkids.
It's a shame that Brexit has changed things so much iirc it had even changed attitudes in the village in France. Perhaps it was for the best and that now is the time to return to the UK and potentially wind down to a happy retirement. Of course there will always be SAFC to cock up your plans
Here's one we've just been sent. https://jobs.lady.co.uk/content/guardian-couple-required-stunning-château-south-france?view It's a great retirement job if you want to live in a great wine region. It pays around 700€ net a week which isn't bad for part time plus there's a pool, gym, etc, you can use. We won't go back now though, the Cotswolds is better placed for away games now that flying is such a bind ... ... although we are suffering food shortages since Brexit, the CooP keeps running out of Stella!!!
@Smug in Boots Just noticed this thread, so you might have already answered this, but what made you think you couldn't live in France any longer ? Curious as I live in France myself
Couple of different things tbh mate. Firstly I wasn't comfortable with perhaps having to apply for a resident permit, work permit, being fingerprinted, having to apply for a French driving licence, etc. But we also noticed a change in people's attitudes, post Brexit, which we didn't like. Not a big change but enough to take the gloss of things. During the lockdown we were stopped by the gendarmes for a 'permit to travel' check. They were ruder than usual and finished off by asking 'so there aren't local people who can do your job?' That was the point where we looked at each other and thought, that'll do.
****, that's a bit off. I've had no attitude change around here, and it's a right wing region. Well, apart from people saying UK got it right and if I would support a frexit lol. At which point I say I didnt support Brexit so I'd hardly support a frexit. Silly buggers, at least a quarter of them work in Switzerland and live in France, and they wouldn't have that chance anymore (or at least as easily). Passed my licence over here, so no need to go through that for me, and Google knows where I am all the time so didn't mind getting my finger prints taken. Btw, I dont want to start another Brexit thread, so I'll ignore that argument if anyone tries to start one...
I'm happy to be back in the UK tbh so no moans really. What does disappoint me is that my grandkids can't now just decide to go to work in Europe. I was in France, for years, while we were in the EEC and I'd be asked for a carte de sejour even then, which was against the rules. As you'll know the French can be very protectionist and I think that'll become worse ... ... ironic as many work in neighbouring countries as you say.
Funny buggers the French especially the polis, clearly trying to make you feel unwanted there. I guess that's the time to look at your options, We've been lucky so far with the locals as we seem to have been accepted although we haven't had much contact with the Guardia Civil, fingers crossed it stays like that.
Not starting a get-at-you comment, but just to make it clear for everyone else. The Residence permit did need photos and finger-prints, but even French citizens have to do something similar for their ID card. So nothing getting at the "new foreigners", just having to do what everyone does. I did the license conversion a while ago. Easy, and everyone was polite and helpful. Got to keep all my special categories with no problem. Biggest issue was the time. The guy on the counter where I collected it was a UK football nut, so we held the queue for about half an hour