I have written here about two specific British families (and a French one) in relation to a house near me. I wanted to share some of the wider interactions we have with the many British visitors we get here in the Dordogne region.

This area has long been popular with British

British tourists have been both welcome and popular here, they contribute to the local economy and some have made the jump to ownership for either holidays or retirement. I would say the overwhelming majority do their best to integrate, they learn some French, ....

.. they understand and appreciate local cultures and traditions. A percentage do not.

The two families I wrote about are an example of that minority. For us we are now able to spot the signs and mostly avoid them but our local shop keepers and restaurant owners cannot.

There are the warning signs, the style of clothes, the volume of the voices, the copy of the Daily Mail that if often seen on the cafe table. Their attitude to the French language and its use in France and of course UKIP or Brexit party stickers on the cars.

Behind their backs they are being laughed at, we compare stories about them over dinner, there are social media messages between families and friends discussing a new 'sighting'. In France supporters of Brexit are now openly mocked, I have heard questions such as....

"What is sovereignty"
"Do you have control now?"
"What did you win?"
"Do you regret voting for it now?"
"Do you still trust your newspapers?"
"Did you really believe Nigel Farage"
"Why did you vote for Boris?"

and perhaps most telling,
"Why are you here if you hate Europe?"

I have written about speaking French and why it matters. No French person expects an English speaker to be fluent but a good understanding, an ability to order a meal, ask directions and have an average conversation is all that is asked for.

Just like we do in English

This minority I have written about. I hear them every day

They want the life here but they don't want to deal with French people
They want Brexit but they expect FoM for themselves
They want English food
They don't think rules apply to them
They blame the EU for their problems

My wife has just returned from local shops. There were two British families discussing the 14 day quarantine when they return to the UK,

"We're not bothering with that, John needs to be in work on Monday"

"Same here, besides I don't think the virus is around anymore"

Brian and Audrey have made an offer for the house.

The offer was accepted

<sigh>

The remarkable adjunct to this story is that Brian and Audrey intend to spend around six months of the year at this property. I explained to them that under the new rules this will not be possible but my comments were dismissed with a wave of the hand,
"They will never check"

I have seen similar comments from British people. They intend to simply ignore the EU visa rules and carry on as before in the belief that they will be fine. On French TV a little while ago a man in Spain said the local economy was too dependant on them "for any problems"

In Portugal they spoke with a retired couple who despite living there for many years had still not bothered to obtain residency. As the man said,

"Can't be bothered with all that paperwork"