... particularly if she finally had the sense to just consult some of the expat websites which provide a hundred times more information on the intricacies of expat settlement, which is something that a travel forum is not supposed to really do anyway.

I think if I was the OP I would certainly be wanting to know where all these negative expats currently live - so I could find somewhere else! Seriously though, consider the Limousin. We are 30 minutes from Limoges, with Ryanair and Flybe routes from several UK destinations. We have a very happy melange of Brits and French all around us - and in my opinion and experience it benefits both nationalities. Yes, of course, you need to get by in French, but that is not insurmountable. Go for it! You never regret the things you did as much as the things you did not and should have.

LimousinCottage: You are a bit late to the party. The OP posted this fifteen months ago and never returned to this or any other thread . . .

and is there any question as to why not? :-D Holy smokes!

OK, I know this is an old thread, but I wonder if any of you watched the 'Little England' series on ITV a couple of years Back:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_England_(TV_series)

It followed the lives of Brit ex-pats living in Dordogne-shire.

Some had genuinely made an effort, learned the language and made friends in the local community. There was a nice lady who was saving ex-police horses from the UK and putting them out to pasture, and a couple that were raring Alpacas.

Some however, were still getting their groceries delivered from Tesco's - a van drives Tesco products every week from the UK, including the frozen Turkey for Christmas, the white sliced pan (bread) and Kellogg's . :)

You may be able to pick it up on YouTube. Well worth watching for the wonderful scenery alone.

There are quite a few Brits in the northern part of the Dordogne, near Brantôme, which is about an hour from the Limoges airport (Ryanair flights), and quite a few in the western part of the Dordogne near Bergerac whose airport has flights to Gatwick and Stansted.

Oops. Overlooked the date of the original post.

I guess I should pass this way a little more often!