Westministenders: Don't forget to stockpile. Again.

[RedToothBrush]

The government is telling pharmacists and drug manufactures to stockpile drugs ahead of the end of transition on 31st December.

In the middle of a pandemic.

What could go wrong?

@missclimpson

The thing is DGR that round here the regiments are remembered. The next village up from ours has the graves of five Welsh soldiers who were tended all night by the villagers until they died. When they referred to English soldiers I was just pointing out that many of them were not. I did a session with my U3A students last year when I asked them to ask their oldest relatives for memories of the arrival of the British in 1944. The stories were extraordinary and very moving. My oldest student is in his eighties and he just told us what he remembered. There is a real sense of shared history here.

And do you fell it's slipping away ?

feel

v belated PMK
(goes back to read 403 messages)
thanks @RedToothBrush and all contributors

DGR Not with the older generation, no. My students range from 37 to 83, but the vast majority are old, like me. As a U3A we still have lots of people signing up to do English and most of them have visited the UK many times. Twinning is still going strong. There are still commemorations every year in June and the war graves are lovingly tended and that is definitely not just older people.
We have certainly had nothing but sympathy and kindness over Brexit. I think most people see it as a temporary aberration. I can't tell you how many times I have been told, "if we ever thought leaving the EU was a good idea, we have changed our minds now (on a vu la merde qui est Brexit)".
For younger people I can't really say with any confidence as I don't kniw many outside of our village.

DD pointed out to me today that she started her degree with the Brexit vote and ended it during COVID

I do worry what the future holds for the young

Unsurprisingly the London marathon has been cancelled, due to Covid. Although won't be on until October. This maybe an admin thing or they may have info we don't- that things won't normalise for quite a while yet.

My Mother in law is in France. I am assuming she has her paperwork up to date. Although she and her partner were going to be doing an intensive French course before all this kicked off. Which they have not done. Although they have lived there for over ten years and not thought to do a French language course until now.

As for immigration to here, the French won't be stopping people from January. They will probably give them better boats.

Also just seen. Brexit backers Tate and Lyle will be 73 million pounds better off after Brexit. (Tory backers apparently)

Just renewed our EHICs - who are these lucky people who "will continue to be entitled to an EHIC after the [sic] 31 December 2020"?

Should have attached the photo!

I believe that EU citizens currently resident in the U.K. will continue to benefit from the EHIC after 31/12.

I cannot get my head round how you can live here without some grasp of the language.

Many have just a few words and rely on British friends with a slightly better grasp of French. My tenants, who have been in France for at least 10 years, have virtually no French. They are far from unusual. This is why most Brits in France cling to English speaking community support - because they cannot navigate the system without help.

Even among British people who have some French, understanding of French culture, administration and education is pretty dire - this is why so many send their kids to expensive UK universities! (Less so this year - COVID and Brexit have led to a definite trend away from accepting UK uni offers).

I cannot get my head round how you can live here without some grasp of the language.
I met squaddies who had lived in Germany for over 20 years and it was a badge of pride that they spoke no German.
English exceptionalism
same as the folks who move to Spain to eat English food and drink English beer and vote for Brexit

@quiteathome unless we see a complete change in government policy .... a change to driving the number of infections down to as close to zero as possible (which would require effective test, track and trace) - Covid is going to be very much with us and a problem in October...... which I am really fucked off about.... as it will probably mean schools closing again..... but hey, it was really important for those pubs to open....

@ListeningQuietly - I read a reference to some analysis of the brexit vote today that said it was the postal votes that swung it..... I have to say I did curse all the Spanish expats..... but then I didn't think that if you lived abroad you got a vote?

I cannot get my head round how you can live here without some grasp of the language.

And yet,. ironically...

I get that some people think they can live in a country without learning the language and on the Costas you can, but I don't know how you do it in rural France unless you live in an area with lots of migrant Brits.

mrslaughan you lose voting rights after 15 years outside the UK.

[quote mrslaughan]@ListeningQuietly - I read a reference to some analysis of the brexit vote today that said it was the postal votes that swung it..... I have to say I did curse all the Spanish expats..... but then I didn't think that if you lived abroad you got a vote?[/quote]
It would be interesting to know if there was a correlation between UK-bound relatives of ex-pats and Brexiteers.

DGR
The cleaner at my gym has been in the UK for about 6 years.
She speaks / understands enough English to do her job but little more.
She smiles and nods and says "yes, yes" if I ask a more complicated question - but there is no comprehension in her eyes
unlike when I ask her about her son who she left behind in Poland

To get complicated information through to her it is ESSENTIAL that its done in her first language.

If the person you are speaking to does not understand, you need to explain better
as they used to say in "train the trainer" sessions

@HilaryThorpe

I get that some people think they can live in a country without learning the language and on the Costas you can, but I don't know how you do it in rural France unless you live in an area with lots of migrant Brits.

It would almost be simpler to learn the language ....

I mean next October as in 2021. (London marathon usually April. Wondering if they are still expecting disruption in Spring 2021)

@Mistigri

I believe that EU citizens currently resident in the U.K. will continue to benefit from the EHIC after 31/12.

This is interesting. So DH can keep his because he’s an EU citizen? I wonder whether DD will still be able to use hers, considering that she has dual nationality and has a Dutch passport?

I think it's difficult to learn a language well though - but having said that plenty of other nations manage. One of the frustrating things I have found is that you try out your French, Spanish or German and get a reply back in English. But still, if you say you are trying to learn the language, most people are happy to support you.

English is also used as a 'lingua franca' which doesn't help us.

She smiles and nods and says "yes, yes" if I ask a more complicated question - but there is no comprehension in her eyes

Maybe, maybe not. You'd be amazed how little my DF undertstands on occasion.

Sorry "understands".

As a kid, I used to take great pride in helping my DF with his English and customers. It took me years to twig that it was simply to make more money.

There's a scene in "The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3" (the original, obviously) that sums it up.

HilaryThorpe
In a village I know very well, I was told years ago by French friends about a British couple who had bought a very ramshackle house in a tiny nearby hamlet. They spoke no French at all and the husband caused some hilarity by turning up at a joiner's brandishing a bit of wood and talking very loudly in English, in the hope someone would understand what it was he wanted done.
I can't remember what happened next wrt the renovation of their home, but they stayed around for at least 15 years, returning regularly to the UK to buy a new secondhand car and drive it back, because overtaking combine harvesters on narrow country roads is so much more thrilling if the driver is on the wrong side.

Another family built a huge (and v ugly) house in a field on the outskirts of the village, with a big pool. Shortly after it was completed, a huge barn/cowshed was built directly opposite it, and from their poolside they are treated to the daily to-ing and fro-ing of a herd of cattle and a flock of sheep, as well as agricultural machinery. I presume they failed to check planning applications and thought they were getting a great deal buying that field.
They've been trying to sell the house for a small fortune (c €600k) for about 2 years now, possibly due to Brexit. In a rural area with few job opportunities, the only market for that kind of property would have been other British people, I reckon. Less so now...