Another Brexit "benefit"

Ellianne

Ok migrants, sorry.
My doctor in France once asked me, "Why do all you Brits dislike and complain about your own country so much?" That was her perception from those of her patients who were from the UK.

That's one person. French people living in the UK aren't uncritical about France either. I actually think being able to look at oneself and country critically and satirically is a sign of human intelligence - unless one wishes to be a sheep.

Maizie I wouldn't feel any different if I lived in a different part of the UK from those with which I'm familiar. For the last 40 years European borders have been largely irrelevant, so I'd feel just as "foreign" if I were living in Northumberland as I would if I were living in parts of mainland Europe.

Yes <3

I think like anywhere Maizie, there are all sorts of different people living out of their home country for all sorts of different reasons. Some of us speak the language and are heavily involved in local life, others are not. There are things I love about the UK and things I love about France. Normandy never feels very far away from the south of England where I grew up.
Somebody once said that rural France is great for old farts who like gardening. That's us. ?

The question was for Maizie but I'd like to give my view.

I'm not answering. I thought it was extraordinarily arrogant and patronising.

I'll leave it to our Gnetters who choose to live abroad to comment if they wish to. They might not feel, though, that they are in any way obliged to defend their choice of country to live in or to defend their knowledge of the country they're living in.

growstuff

Unfortunately, some ex-pats knock the EU (including the country where they are living) from reading the Daily Mail online. It's all in the tradition of the people who used to work in the old Empire or, more recently in the Middle East or North Africa. They have no intention of integrating or even learning a foreign language.

Agreed. Some people would be the same wherever they ended up living/working.

Ok migrants, sorry.
My doctor in France once asked me, "Why do all you Brits dislike and complain about your own country so much?" That was her perception from those of her patients who were from the UK.

Unfortunately, some ex-pats knock the EU (including the country where they are living) from reading the Daily Mail online. It's all in the tradition of the people who used to work in the old Empire or, more recently in the Middle East or North Africa. They have no intention of integrating or even learning a foreign language.

Interesting and I concur that time spent abroad is invaluable, particularly when young. That is when we are open to new experiences, are less judgmental and soak up the culture more readily, (and even fall in love with the natives as someone here said, me too!!)
The more tricky situations arise with those who follow the dreams shown in the tv programmes. I have known expats knock the UK purely from their reading of the daily mail on line!

I also think that people who need to seek help to understand the country and the systems are maybe not representative of the whole group. In our experience there were some people who moved around when we did (2005) who did struggle to settle in, but to be honest most of them didn't stay very long. In my experience those of us who are still here are pretty rooted in our local communities. It may be different elsewhere.
We would always describe ourselves as migrants, ex-pats are people who work in another country on a temporary basis, surely?

Well said, biba.

I agree with you Alegrias. I did spend a year in Germany as part of my degree. My daughter, who studied history and economics, would have liked to have spent time in Germany or France, but her language skills weren't up to it, so she spent a semester in Dublin as an Erasmus student. My son, who can speak German, would like to spend time abroad, but sadly it looks as though he won't be able to. Living and working abroad broadened my mind and enriched my life in a way nothing else could ever have done.

The reason British students often can't study in an EU country is because they don't have the language skills, although some universities are now offering courses in English. European education systems usually mean that pupils study a foreign language (usually English) from primary school and they have to continue until they leave school and be assessed as part of the final exam.

Ellianne 'The irony of course is, that they know very little about the politics, history and culture of the country they living in, and therefore see it all through rose coloured spectacles!'

yes, there are some- perhaps too many. Most in areas where there are so many Brits, and where some, perhaps too many, tend to live parallel expat lives - so I agree- but only to some extent. You cannot lump all expats (immigrants) in one big lump - some of us moved because we know the politics, history and culture, and have come to love it all. And also know a lot about our own politics, history and culture- and languages. Just because someone chooses to go and live abroad for part of their lives, does NOT mean they have rejected their own (history, culture, etc). It is quite possible to love both, in their own way, not to wear rose tinted glasses, and to be critical of both, when required, and see the pros and cons in a positive way. Many of us have chosen to live in areas where there are very few expats (immigrants from UK) - because we want to experience the culture and history to the full.

Ellianne

I'm completely lost forpolitewords...

Why Maizie, what is your experience of those who move abroad? I was employed in Europe to settle ex pats into the country and the system, so I am speaking from witnessing their hopes, dreams, expectations, disappointments etc. Can I not justifiably make an observation?

The question was for Maizie but I'd like to give my view. I've lived in other several countries, both EU and not. I've never been considered by people there as an "ex-pat" and in my experience it's only UK people who use this misleading term. Ex pat if you're British going there, migrant if you're coming here.
I've also observed that there is a general perception that those labelled expats are the ones who live in a country but never engage with it, for example those who live in UK enclaves in Spain.
It should be remembered that many people, including it seems many Gransnetters, move to other countries to experience a wider world, and are certainly not disappointed when they do that.

Spangler it's good that you are content but millions upon millions of people want to engage with world in different ways from you. If you've never seen a Euro note, I assume that's shorthand for never having been in a Euro country? My life would be missing something if I hadn't experienced their cultures.

I’m holding my head high. Sorry.

May I suggest the Metro Bank and I agree with varian post. Leavers should hang their heads in shame.

Bodach

"Really? I never knew!"
Dear Ashcombe, your response reminds me of the old tale about the Free Church of Scotland minister preaching to his flock about the Day of Judgement: "Sinners will be cast into the Eternal Fires of Hell, crying, 'Oh, Lord, Lord, we didnae ken!'; and the Lord in his infinite mercy will look down on them and say, 'Ah weel; ye ken the noo!' "

I am delighted that you, at last, ken the noo.

It’s interesting that you pretend not to recognise the irony in my post.

I'm completely lost forpolitewords...

Why Maizie, what is your experience of those who move abroad? I was employed in Europe to settle ex pats into the country and the system, so I am speaking from witnessing their hopes, dreams, expectations, disappointments etc. Can I not justifiably make an observation?

Curioser and curioser. Barclays have been closing accounts for residents outside the UK for at least 6 years so is Brexit just a handy excuse for something they were going to do anyway? Computer technology enables them to quickly trawl through though addresses to siphon out and send cancelling letters to those who live outside the UK.
Barclays sold its credit card business in Portugal 2 years ago as part of a company wide overhaul. Before that It started pulling out of the EU as early as 2014 when it sold its retail banking
Business to Caixa bank for 800million euros. In 2015 they were closing bank accounts for UK accounts with a foreign address unless the balance held in the account was £100,000+

Hetty58 you say banks really want customers? Really?!!! how come so many local branches have shut then leaving many customers unable to access their nearest branch 6 miles away? How come interest rates on saving accounts are so low as to be non-existent? It’s all the fault of Brexit? I don’t think so.

Ellianne

^Am I the only one that finds the OP astonishingly arrogant?^
Not necessarily arrogant Missfoodlove, but there is a certain smugness amongst those who have gone in search of a better life abroad. The grass is always greener! The irony of course is, that they know very little about the politics, history and culture of the country they living in, and therefore see it all through rose coloured spectacles!

Good God!

I'm completely lost for polite words...

Furret

Ignorance is bliss.

It certainly is, I don't even have a credit card and I have never seen a Euro bank note, yet the world still turns and the sun comes up every morning.

Hetty ' I just wouldn't expect to live abroad and use a UK one.'

not sure if you are not reading posts- those of us who live abroad, in the EU where our conditions were previously garanteed- use UK bank cards as our Pensions, for our lifetime of work and contributions IN THE UK - are paid in the UK, in our UK bank accounts- hence then need to be able to do payments and transfers via UK account and ... cards.

It is not really difficult to understand, really, is it?

Am I the only one that finds the OP astonishingly arrogant?
Not necessarily arrogant Missfoodlove, but there is a certain smugness amongst those who have gone in search of a better life abroad. The grass is always greener! The irony of course is, that they know very little about the politics, history and culture of the country they living in, and therefore see it all through rose coloured spectacles!

I just took a look in my wallet and I found my American Express card. I don't use it often but it is brilliant around the world and I had no problem using it with various addresses I gave when living abroad. The fees are a bit steep but well worth it for us.
I also had a Saga credit card which had favourable rates, but as that was Bank of Ireland they stopped it recently.
As one bites the dust there will always be other options coming into play. As Hetty says, the banks won't want to miss out. France has its own alternatives.