'Little Britain':
Saving French villages
A community of expats in France are keeping the rural village they live in alive, but are now threatened by Brexit uncertainties.
Photo by Robin Pywell
Photo by Robin Pywell
Photo by Robin Pywell
Photo by Robin Pywell
Charroux, a rural village in the centre west of France, is as French as you could get with its ‘boulangerie’ bakeries, medieval buildings and… English run pubs?
Trying to escape Brits in France, especially the Poitou-Charentes region, where the British constitute 33% of the population according to France’s National Statistics Agency INSEE, is nigh impossible.
Having grown up there myself, I was never too far away from a British family with children my age, and despite a history of not getting on, both the French and British seem to have found a way of living in peace.
But rather than just retiring to the peaceful French countryside, it seems that this ‘Little Britain’ may be saving these rural villages from going extinct.
In the last hundred years, like many postcard-perfect villages dotted around Europe, Charroux suffered from urbanisation.
As younger generations flock to big cities with the promise of an easier access to jobs and a better way of life, it seemed their knights in shining armour had arrived under the form of British expats.
Mayor of Charroux, Rémy Soubirous welcomes the Brits with open arms.
Map of the Poitou-Charentes, region of France where many Britons retire (http://www.lost-in-france.com/images/regions/poitou-charentes.jpg)
“It’s been about 15 years now that there are more and more British in Charroux and I am very pleased to welcome them. They open shops, and renovate houses in villages that otherwise would have been abandoned so I can only see positives in welcoming the British.”
Mayor of Charroux, Rémy Soubirous
Bringing old houses back to life
Paul Sally and his wife Chrissie, from London, bought their house in “Charroux 25 years ago”, and remembers being “one of the first families” to inhabit the quaint town.
For the Sallys, like many expats in France, the push to cross the channel was urged by rising house prices in England and the promise of a "better way of life", but what is this quality of life?
"In the country, it’s fresh air, it’s open spaces… People generally have larger houses with lots of land because they can afford it"
Paul and Chrissie’s impressive 7 bedroom house is just one of the amazing renovations available in rural France, but more than property hunters, they echo a general sentiment of people fed up with the smog and noise of the big cities.
Like my parents, and many others, they were trading the convenience of 24/7 shops and good transport for a life of peace, quiet, and cows.
As more and more expats bought houses across France, they were actually breathing life back into houses that had once been inhabited by families who, generation by generation, would leave the village and head for the cities.
But also creating jobs by relying on local artisans to renovate their properties.
Chrissie Sally holds art classes for retired brits in Charroux, taking advantage of the towns natural beauty.
It may all seem like the 'Darling Buds of May', but once the houses are bought and families are settled in, the English have to deal with the dreaded process of integration.
Maeve Sally talks about integration, community and Brexit
Maeve Sally, 21, Paul and Chrissie’s daughter was, like myself, brought to France at an early
age, and is an old friend of mine.
When her family decided to move permanently to France, Maeve was only 6 years old, but
children are known to be adaptable: “I think it was easier for me to integrate because I was
young, when you’re that age you don’t need to speak the language to make friends and
people were always really nice and accepting.”
Maeve and I met in the same middle school in Charroux and have been friends ever since. By the age of 13-14, we already had quite a big group of young English friends as by then, the number of English families had risen hugely.
This was good not only for the English, but also for the village. Mayor Soubirous “It’s good for our little middle school; it only has 160 students, so if there are 10% of Brits then that’s already something that’ll keep the schools open”.
When urbanisation occurs, not only do houses empty, but shops, bars and even schools do too, so without a new generation who want to bring up their families here, things are forced to close down.
Charlotte Greenland tells us more about The Green Man Inn, Charroux's new local
“Animating the village”
Just in front of the medieval tower of Charlemagne, a restaurant and bar called ‘La Charrette’ was one of these businesses which suffered from urbanisation.
In 2013 a young couple from the south east of England bought the place which had been closed down for a few years and turned it into an English pub.
Charlotte Greenland, who runs ‘The Green Man Inn’ with her husband Nat was “surprised” at the amount of English who turned up shortly after its opening: “It was a massive shock, we had no idea”.
Maeve, who goes quite regularly believes “it’s bringing more and more Brits out of the woodwork, so it’s made us realise how many English there actually are who are around the pub and go to music nights”.
Now, like any good English Soap Opera, the Green Man Inn is the centre of the town.
Though many integrate into the French way of life, Charlotte thinks it’s nice for them to
have somewhere they can meet other English speakers:
“I think it’s somewhere nice you can go, where you can relax and not have to think about speaking French”.
The Green Man Inn, photo by Robin Pywell
Mayor Soubeyroux, who is very supportive of the pub, thinks it’s bringing life back into the
village: “It animates the village, they do little events on the Saturday which can only be a
good thing! One thing I may have to say though is that they don't open till midday!”
Despite these culture shocks, Charlotte tells me that the French “are gradually coming in more and more often” but “don’t always know what to do with themselves”.
For the love of music!
Differences aside, one thing that the French and British have in common is a love for live music. Since opening the pub, a few weekends every month the pub hosts live music on a Saturday, and this Saturday I played with my band, Palm Tree Police.
Despite living in London now, whenever Nat or Charlotte know I’m coming home they organise a gig, and to our surprise, quite a crowd of people turn up.
“It’s always a good way to round people up and people love to listen to live music”. Charlotte tells me.
But music is changing Charroux on a bigger scale than just supporting local musicians.
Playing at The Green Man Inn, Photo by Robin Pywell
Paul Sally was also the President of the Tourist office for a few years:
Though it may seem slightly unusual, it is not “unique” as Paul tells me that he knows thereare even several English Mayors around France.
Whilst in office, Paul organised a music festival called “En Roue Libre” (Which translates to ‘freewheeling’; a play on rhyme in honour of the village’s name) to bring a bit of life into the small village. The festival is usually at the end of July or August and brings together an eclectic mix of local musicians, food stalls and of course, craft beer!
In the last four years, the numbers of tickets sold has risen to up to 400 people in one day,
not bad for a town whose population is just a bit more than double that figure!
Trouble in paradise..
Paul Sally talks about being elected as President of the Tourism office and organising the Festival 'En Roue Libre'
Drinking a pint of IPA on The Green Man Inn’s sunny benches, I look around at each care free, freckled Brit, and though everything seems right with the world, I spot deep lines of worry on their faces which seem to spell a new threat. Brexit.
Many are shocked at Britain’s decision, some seem uninterested or don’t feel concerned by the nation’s decision to leave the European Union, while some even voted Brexit themselves. Paul Sally wasn't convinced of their reasons : “Some said they were voting for their children's future, but it's like shooting yourself in your foot though isn't it? I find it slightly hard to believe as we who've lived in Europe know the benefits"
His daughter Maeve is one of the many who are now applying for French nationality to avoid an uncertain professional future working abroad. "I think Brexit will affect health cover out in France, jobs.. You know everything that goes with the protection of being a eu citizen goes away"
And it seems for some, though the UK is still in the EU, repercussions are already being felt.
Grace Nairn, 22, has been working for French train company SNCF for a year and a half now.
When she spoke about her future with the company though, Human Resources told her "it was most probably going to be complicated for me to find a job in France, especially if I wanted to stay in a public business because England will no longer be part of the EU"
This would be due to a "tax the company would have to pay to employ someone outside of the EU". Grace, like many others, is counting on the UK to negotiate rights for people to work abroad. "It's just upsetting really, I hope they manage to sort out an agreement between the UK and France".
Despite all these uncertainties, the Anglo-community of Charroux have shown that whatever is thrown their way, be it a new culture, foreign language or even Brexit, they'll thrive anywhere.
Tuesday 9 May 2017 19:41 GMT
Kaine Pieri, London
City University