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keithatbeaugut

Joined: 14 Oct 2007
Posts: 16
Location: Puy-De-D�me, Auvergne, France

Posted: Tue Oct 23, 07 2:16 pm Post subject: New facebook group
I have been persuaded to join facebook and have started a group called Brits in France. Intended as a discussion and self-help area for any and all issues faced by UK expatriates in France, entry to the group is available to all on request to the group admin (me). Let's see how far it goes. Keith

BahamaMama

Joined: 21 Sep 2006
Posts: 2315
Location: Away with the fairies

Posted: Tue Oct 23, 07 3:04 pm Post subject:
I would be interested pls.... currently living in the UK but intending to cross the channel as soon as circumstances allow.

keithatbeaugut

Joined: 14 Oct 2007
Posts: 16
Location: Puy-De-D�me, Auvergne, France

Posted: Tue Oct 23, 07 3:35 pm Post subject:

Hello BahamaMama. I hope you can make the move and don't think you will regret it. The only comment I would make is to do your homework first. Many couples move to France and Spain and find things they can't get on with. I was told that one in three return within two years.

I was made redundant in October 2005, and my wife was still working. From that point my "job" was to make sure that, when we moved, there would be no surprises. We moved here at the beginning of June last year and, so far, everything has been OK.

If I understand the Facebook system, all you need to do, provided you are a member of Facebook, is to attempt to join the group and a request will come through to me for confirmation.

The group area is empty at present, but I shall be putting an initial entry into it sometime over the coming days.

Best wishes

Keith

yelloh

Joined: 19 Oct 2007
Posts: 19
Location: Up North & sometimes way out west in Brittany

Posted: Thu Oct 25, 07 1:19 pm Post subject:

keithatbeaugut wrote:

We have a home in France but at the moment wouldn't consider going permanently. We have made many British (aswell as French!) friends over there and quite a few have had to return back to the uk and try and fight there way back on to the housing ladder. Unless you have plenty of money and or retired I wouldn't reccommend it - its great for holidays with a bit of money in your back pocket but can be bleak whilst trying to hang on there permanently.

keithatbeaugut

Joined: 14 Oct 2007
Posts: 16
Location: Puy-De-D�me, Auvergne, France

Posted: Fri Oct 26, 07 1:06 pm Post subject:

Yello

My understanding of the current statistics is that one in three families who relocate out of the UK - not just to France but also to Spain, Australia, New Zealand and so on - return within two years.

My understanding is that these are largely people who have expectations either of themselves orof their destination country that do not match up to reality, and may be related to the amount of preparatory work done or preparedness for cultural differences.

That two thirds stay happily appears to contradict your assertions. If anyone migrates to somewhere they have had holidays and expects it to be always like that, they will be in for a nasty shock - and that goes for England, too.

Blue Sky

Joined: 30 Jan 2005
Posts: 7658
Location: France

Posted: Sat Oct 27, 07 11:05 am Post subject:

keithatbeaugut wrote:

Many couples move to France and Spain and find things they can't get on with. I was told that one in three return within two years.

Heck we aren't doing so bad then. 4 years next month for us. There are always thing one can't get on with wherever you move. I suppose the language barrier is a biggie for some but for us it one of the main reasons we moved here. Learning more languages is a good thing.

I've not been on facebook, I might take a look later. Isn't it just pictures?

Well done Keith for making the move. Hope it goes well for you and you get past the 2 year barrier. Best of luck.

S

Tay

Joined: 08 Oct 2006
Posts: 2811
Location: Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Posted: Sat Oct 27, 07 12:11 pm Post subject:

We returned to the UK after 3 and a half years in France to go to university. Neither of us fancied struggling with degree-level French, and French uni's don't offer the course we wanted to do. We still have our house there, and intend to return once the course is over.

The hardest things to cope with are the long, depressing winters and remoteness. While we both loved living in the middle of nowhere, it made life difficult. The language barrier wasn't a problem, but trying to earn a living is very hard indeed.

Vanessa

Joined: 08 May 2006
Posts: 8324

Posted: Wed Nov 28, 07 1:18 pm Post subject:
Keith, can we have a sign-post to your group on Facebook? I've looked and can't find it!

keithatbeaugut

Joined: 14 Oct 2007
Posts: 16
Location: Puy-De-D�me, Auvergne, France

Posted: Sat Dec 01, 07 3:43 pm Post subject:

vanessa wrote:

Keith, can we have a sign-post to your group on Facebook? I've looked and can't find it!

Vanessa

Try this link.

Nothing really happened yet as I have been busy with a couple of ongoing website developments and trying to get my head around the CMU nonsense but I will get around to doing something before too long - honest.

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