Donna Noble

My Aunt and Uncle Brexit went to stay at my cousin's house near Carcassonne in June as they do every year. Yes, last year they sent off their postal votes to Leave before heading off to enjoy a fortnight drinking wine and playing boules in the local village tournament. They can't get enough of it.

Anyway, Uncle Brexit, who meets the typical demographic of a Leave voter to a T (74 years old, white, middle class), and I have exchanged fairly lengthy and candid emails about the prospect of the UK leaving the EU. I think he secretly thinks I'm a traitor for having left the UK.

Anyways, he says that the general view in the village where they stay (and generally) in SW France is that the UK has done the right thing, and that he continues to holiday there with a lightness in his step, knowing that he voted the right way. He's heard nothing but that Brexit would be a great success ... and it appears they are behind Brexit 100%.

I have been to the area in France myself, it is a little similar to the place I live here in Italy, possibly the economy is more agricultural based, but here people tend to think Brexit will be a bad thing and that the Brits are a bit crazy.

My fellow expats in SW France - are you experiencing the same view points as my Uncle Brexit describes? If yes, does that make you feel less welcome?

Tweedpipe

No, quite the opposite. The neigbours I've spoken too, and also to a few of the 50 member club I frequent (where I'm the only Brit) tend to think the Brits must have been mad to vote out.
Had she been elected President, could M. Le Pen have duped the French people for a Frexit? I think not. In fact I believe it was that proposal for a potential referendum on the subject which was one of her major downfalls during the election.
Myself, I'd be the first to agree that that 'monster' in Brussels desperately needs taming, as it's way out of hand and the organisation desperately requires a complete re-think and financial belt-tighening. Imho a hard Brexit in the long term cannot make sense. But what do I know....?

EuroTrash

People round here seem to have switched off from Brexit, it's dropped off their radar. Or when they read about it in the news it's just another issue that's bubbling away but isn't affecting their lives. There are plenty of things closer to home, like Macron's proposed reforms, or immigration issues. I actually dropped it into conversation with my elderly, very lovely and very well-travelled neighbours the other evening, because they were talking about places they've visited and the world as it used to be when they were students and how good it was that the borders have come down, so I said "hmm but there's one border might be going back up again soon" and they didn't immediately click what I meant, so clearly Brexit had gone right to the back of their minds. But I know from talking about it with them at the time that they're very pro European and very open to other cultures, and although they tried to understand in their heads why people voted Brexit, they can't understand it in their hearts.

But TBH, even if people here think Brexit is crazy and will be a bad thing, there's nothing personal in it. Look at all the kerfuffle in Greece but they don't hold any of it personally against individual Greeks, likewise Spain. They seem to accept that other nations think differently and sometimes do things that are to their way of thinking, a bit crazy. I don't think they judge individuals because of it.

Chatter Static

Honestly....

Cad

Here in our commune they couldn't be more simpathetic with us expats and yes like the former post we have been called traitors to the UK for "turning our backs on it" by some Brits and that was a long time before brexit reared its ugly head.

Novocastrian

Here too (not in the SW). My neighbours and friends here agree with me that les anglais sont fou.

And I'm the only Gay Brit in the village.

Donna Noble

I'm wondering if Uncle B has misjudged what was probably a bit of French bonhomie!

Sorry to go off-piste but that line from Little Britain reminds me about the Dead Ringers show back on Radio 4 Friday nights. Gossipy Michael Gove morphing into Vicky Pollard is one of the funniest things I've heard in ages. Even funnier than Jack Dee!! I highly recommend it!