Hi, I'm a new member here. I'm moving out to Narbonne at the end of July with my wife (it's her home town) and almost 3 year old daughter. I've obviously visited the area many times, but have never seen much in the way of an expat community ... are there any of you lurking out there?!

While keen to integrate into French society as much as possible, I would like to establish some kind of British 'network', for want of a better description. Are any of you from the area, or know of anyone who is? Naturally I have plenty of questions regarding work, schools etc (although my wife seems up to speed on most of that) but just to establish some/any contact for now would be great. And anyone else reading who may not necessarily be from the area, how have you found life in France, particularly those with young families? How quickly did they pick up the language? My wife does speak exclusively French to our daughter, although she appears to show no inclination whatsoever to try and talk it herself! She is still very young admittedly, but I worry that it might all be overwhelming for her at first (she starts at her 'école maternelle' in September)

There is a reasonable more localised forum which would be helpful and yes the region has lot's of expats and your not that far from Carcassonne as well which is full to the brim as is Aude. DMU is in the Herault which is not to far and she will be alone shortly....

Hello and welcome to the forum.
Not sure that we have many members in your area but if not then you could try a regional forum.
IMHO the key feeling "at home" in France is to speak French - even if you make mistakes. We socialise with a wide range of French friends and I find it difficult when after several hours of drinking wine their conversation becomes faster and less coherent.
I sometimes long for that little island of speaking English for a few hours just to let my brain relax for a little while.
Your OH is French and I assume with family in the area so you will have support and will get on just fine.
Your daughter will copy the other kids and will be speaking in no time at all.
Good luck for your new life.

My French tends to get better after a couple of drinks

The fact that your daughter shows no inclination to talk French yet is perfectly normal. Until she finds her own friends who speak it, she sees little or no need.
Don't in the least bit be worried about 'maternelle' being overwhelming for her, it won't be! And if you are concerned for her, don't let it show, treat this as a great adventurous holiday and she should be reassured. At that age a child's brain is like a sponge. We'd moved countries 4 different times before ours was 6 years old:- England/Paris/Madrid/Milan, and he just soaked up the changes, including languages without any difficulty whatsoever.
You have an interesting time in store. Enjoy it.
A shame about that evil wind in and around Narbonne though. That would be the major drawback for me living in the area - and the maddening crowds during the summer.
Good luck.

Snap...let's just say I don't care all that much about making a mistake after a few drinks!!

I am on the other side of Southern France near Pays Basque but there is a thriving International Club here in this small town. It embraces any nationality and we have a variety of activities such as monthly walks and visits, offer advice and help, buy and sell, and many expats use it to make up their own social group. It makes settling in much easier and like you I sometimes heave a sigh of relief when conversations and references to culture are in "British". It is a nice way to meet people.

We also have a website so maybe you could do search for such a club in your area. If you want to stat one you must register as an association under Loi1901. That defines the necessary officials , the accounts and tax situation and the rules and regulations. I was surprised that an association in France cannot raise money for a charity. I think you register at the mairie or if not they will tell you where.

Your baby will be fine. Soon you will be trying to encourage her/him to speak English. I have that battle everyday.

Question. Do you want/need to mix with other expats ? Is that really important ?

T. I can only speak for myself but even though I do speak fairly good French I found it much more relaxing at times to mix with those who speak my first language and who understand the back references to culture...ie humour, political events and people, sports history, which litter relaxed conversation. I can enjoy a drink and not have to concentrate fully on the derails of what a rapid fire French person is trying to explain, complete with those dreaded acronyms which stop me dead and fry my brain.

I don't think that precludes assimilation with the French but I see it as an addition to the process. I have found I use the club less and less but have made some great friends...One from South Africa, one from Sweden and one who spends 6 months in Texas. Fascinating people all and we met through the club. We have just finished an expo in the town gallery of our creative talents and we have received many compliments from the native population, and some are aleady members. It is truly International.

ALONE?
AFAIK there isn't anyone on the BE forum in Narbonne. You could try another regional forum (AngloInfo Languedoc) if you want to contact other expats. But wait until you've all settled down, got your child started at school, etc.... While you'll be keen to speak English, you've also got to integrate if you're planning to live in France forever more!
And, as mentioned, Narbonne must be the worst town for the Tramontane!
P.S. Welcome to the Forum, by the way! You mentioned questions about "work" - does this mean you and/or your wife will be looking for work? Have you sorted out your healthcare coverage?

Sorry you know my autocorrect gets me all the time, dyspraxia will get the better of me one day.

Many thanks to all for your replies. I will certainly try one of the more localised forums, but I appreciate all the general advice.

In answer to Touraine's questions, no I don't necessarily 'need' to mix with other expats, I just feel that as a starting point it might be useful. I don't yet have work lined up (which I'll come onto shortly) so this was very much a fact finding mission to try and seek out fellow Brits in the area, primarily for advice but also as I suggested to establish some kind of network. And I don't necessarily think 'mix' would be how I'd describe it either, just someone, or a group, to sit down and have a coffee with every month or two perhaps.

Appreciate all the advice regarding my daughter and getting her integrated. When suggesting I was worried about her being 'overwhelmed' I should have also added that she's due a little sister at almost exactly the same time - maternelle starts 3rd Sep (ish) and my wife is due 30th August. An awful lot of change for her at once - new house, new country, new language, new school, new sister! She's resilient enough however, so I'm confident that any backlash will blow over quickly. It's very reassuring to hear of others whose kids picked up the language quickly though.

Work ...! Yes, this is my biggest issue. My wife has retained her job so that's no problem (although she will obviously be on maternity leave for the first 5 or 6 months) and financially we can cope if I wasn't working for possibly up to a year, although obviously we'd prefer that wasn't the case. My wife's family are all nearby and every single one of them has worked or is working in local government. They have plenty of contacts and I know are trying hard to find something for me, but the reality is that until my French is of a certain standard, there's zero chance of anything within that realm for me currently. The loose plan is to (within reason!) do whatever's needed for a year or so to bring some money in and help me integrate and improve my French, until I can confidently classify myself as bilingual. I don't think that's an unrealistic time frame, my French is certainly passable and I know it will improve hugely with a concentrated period of time out there. Bearing in mind that I'd prefer not to work unsociable hours as home/family time is extremely important, what might be my options? I'm probably asking the impossible here, but is there anything obvious that would fit that criteria? If it really boils down to stacking shelves in a supermarket then so be it. My current line of work is account management although I am also a fully qualified personal trainer. That has been a strong consideration but obviously an integral part of that is the client / trainer relationship, so I don't suppose there'd be many French queueing up for my services if I can't hold together more than a few minutes of basic chat. Unless of course there's an expat community to dip into, but as I mentioned in my previous post, I've seen very little sign of that in or around Narbonne so I think that's probably a non starter too...!

Sorry for the long, rambling post. The whole thing is very exciting - I love the area, and always have ever since I first visited. I know we'll have much greater quality of life and it'll be a fantastic place to bring up a family. Just that little issue of work that's nagging away at me..! My wife and her family are terrific though, all very supportive and helpful so I'm sure it'll sort itself out.

Thanks again to everyone who replied, much appreciated

In all honesty you're lightyears ahead of the average family becoming expats here having a French partner and moving back to their ancestral area means you will probably land on your feet and not look back, it will be an enjoyable experience.

I agree with 'Chatter Static'. The fact that your wife is French and you have French family support changes everything. You will be integrated before you know it.

In terms of expats in your area. Go onto the 'anglo idiots' website for 'any region of your choice' and look at the discussion threads. There are expats and there are expats. Half (if not most) of these people that ask questions/answer questions don't live in 'reality' France. They live in an expat bubble which I strongly recommend you avoid if you are to remain sane.

Finding a job is going to be tough. Even with fluent French and being integrated it is still going to be tough. You may want to think 'outside the box' on that one.

What is a personal trainer ? Is that fitness ?

True about the expat bubble but I wouldn't write them ALL off...Some have done very well in life and have travelled quite a bit...they do quietly join French activities and entertain French friends and some will surprise you. Others will reveal their "bubbleness" quite quickly. IMO the trick is to avoid categorising people by their nationality and being a tad arrogant about how long you have been in France. Good and bad are found in all situations.

Can you confirm that your wife's healthcare coverage will cover you while you are searching for work? Her family may be able to find contacts in the private sector, but I don't think you'd find employment as a Fonctionnaire, as you usually have to be a French citizen.
Spend as much time as possible with your in-laws, speak as much as possible with your daughter's maternelle teacher, with the other parents, etc... (not to mention your wife!), and get your French going!
Your wife may not be aware of the relatively recent "Réforme" which has changed school hours since her day. Days are shorter but the children have school on Wednesday mornings now. An upheaval for parents who work "normal" hours....
Otherwise, I agree with CS and Touraine, you are way ahead of your average British expat, having a French wife and in-laws, and a clear head without rose-tinted glasses!