A LIFE in the countryside, where manners and respect hold sway, are the main reasons people are keen to live in France.
Often people will say that they moved to France because they felt it was like 1950s Britain, where neighbours have time for each other and that there is a real quality to life.
These feelings have been backed up in a comprehensive report produced by Marie-Martine Gervais, researcher and doctor of economic science at the University Montesquieu in Bordeaux.
Many readers of This French Life will have completed the online survey designed by Marie-Martine (see, survey spots archetypal Brit in France) and her findings have been presented to government departments in both the UK and France.
Her research found that both Aquitaine and Poitou-Charentes were the two most popular areas amongst Brits looking to buy a property in France.
And somewhere in the countryside, close to a village, was high on the list of many with the French lifestyle and quality of the environment being paramount in the choice of a home.
Phil Voice writes about this feeling that the French way of life is so different, looking back to his grandparents’ days when “they left their door unlocked at night”, pointing out that many in France still do.
Almost two thirds of people looking to live in Poitou-Charentes said that the appeal of an authentic, rural setting was strong, with many making reference to what life in Britain was like 50 years ago.
Marie-Martine has been kind enough to make her report available in .pdf format, which should open on nearly all computers, that you can access from the following link.
Download British in France Report
What do you think? Is the appeal of France one of nostalgia and what does it mean for the future? Will the British breath life back into rural communities? Please leave a comment below.
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Your survey is spot on!
We have been here 8 months and have not seen any graffiti,vandalism, serious crime and "the family" is the core of the community. Children are polite and yes, I remember when England was like this!
Posted by: Gordon Meilack | 24 January 2007 at 11:42
Hi Gordon
Many thanks for your comment. And your point about the role of the family will ring true with many I feel.
Regards
Craig
Posted by: Craig McGinty | 24 January 2007 at 15:35
I agree entirely. Nowadays I hate having to go back to the UK ... but love returning to our home in France. There's more 'time for living' here. It's a very 60's feeling.
Posted by: Roger | 25 January 2007 at 02:30