Dordogne alias England
 

I'm just back from 3 weeks in the Bergerac area of the Dordogne. I could not believe how many English people were there. As we drove around almost every 3rd car on the road had British registration plates. We heard English acccents everywhere and saw a restaurant in Eymet serving full English breakfast. A sight I thought I would never see in France. <BR> <BR>We spoke to an English man now resident in Bergerac. He said that there are aroung 2,000 permanent English residents in Bergerac and that swells to 10,000 in the summer months. <BR> <BR>You may wonder why this should bother me. Unfortunately I think the French in that area are sick of the English. They feel snowed under by a wave of middle class moneyed little Englanders who have names like Jeremy and Camilla and kids like Oliver and Chartlotte who act like they are second in line to the throne. <BR> <BR>I wish I had known this before visiting the Dordogne. The area was beautiful but I did feel that there was a sense of tension in the air towards the English purely because there were too many of us in one place. <BR> <BR>I realised from looking in Estate Agents windows that many of the properties are sold to English people. This can only be bad news for the French and must cause a lot of resentment. English people are obviously driving up house prices and driving out the locals in some areas. <BR> <BR>Has any other person English or otherwise had the same experience in this part of France. <BR> <BR>Brenda

My Dear Brenda, <BR>One must disagree. Oneself and ones travelling companion Camilla have always found the French of Dordogne most charming (Though it is a slight annoyance that the French of this area are not more English in their ways, One nonetheless puts up with the natives and their strange habits). One has never acted as though one were second in line to the throne. <BR>HRH (Charles)

This has happened in many places as ludicrous house values give more people access to large amounts of capital. <BR> When they visit somewhere they like they notice how cheap property is compared to the South of England and cry "let's buy an arse!" <BR> Also, being able to say Dordogne,Dordogne,Dordogne while playing with anything springy is irresistable. <BR> Prices did not rise in France as profits on house sales are taxable. <BR> We see many "white settlers" here in Scotland, they have been filling the Argyle area (sell a terraced house in London, buy a castle in Scotland.)and have now discovered Barra. <BR> Yes it does make it difficult for young couples to find homes in hard-pressed rural areas, yes it does cause resentment, unfortunately they (often) regard the locals as backward yokels who should be pleased at the "prosperity" they bring in. <BR> In Wales they used to burn doen the holiday cottages, but the incomers still didn't take the hint - they seem to a pretty thick-skinned lot. <BR> Most English people respect the peace & local culture of the places they visit.They know that a large influx of incomers would destroy the very thing they love about the place, and do no more than visit. <BR> Most of the ones who ignore this factor & move in anyway are not the type of people you would choose as neighbours, IMO. <BR>

Yet another tedious, half-witted TROLL... and Frank, why not do us all a favor and take your bigoted political diatribes somewhere else. You might find more like-natured angry folks over at the Thorn Tree.

Our family visited the Dordogne area this May and found the French people to be most kind. We are American--have found the French to be friendly everywhere but Paris.

<BR>Brenda <BR> <BR>Did you notice the official road signs throughout the Dordogne that say in english: <BR> <BR>Drive on the right <BR> <BR>PS: why must most of you either like the french and not like the english or like the english and not like the french or like the french but not the ones in Paris? <BR> <BR> <BR>

Charles, I've told you before about your spelling and grammar. That is one's . . . companion. Remember the apostrophe? <BR> <BR>Love, Mum

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<BR>It's not trolling. There's indeed an amazing number of english people spending holydays or living in Dordogne. <BR> <BR>However, for what I heard there, I don't think that the locals are sick of them (by the way, IM ( very limited)E, english people going there are usually fine persons. <BR> <BR> However, as you pointed out, some resent the fact that they buy a lot of the available houses, farms, etc... Prices did rise, indeed. At first, it has been considered as a blessing (and it's still like that in some of the surrounding "departements",where english become to appear too) since it was easier to sell a house and at a better price. Now, it seems it is ressented, but only by a limited part of the population. <BR> <BR>People in Dordogne tends to be very friendly, IMO. I hope they will stay like that in the future in spite of the increasing number of tourists (not only english people). A town like Sarlat, which used to have a "provincial" athmosphere all year long is now really crowded during summer.