Very touched that so many contributors [plural, no apostrophe]!!! wish to know about our globe-trotting adventures since December 1975, or more to the point why it is that after 44 years, we decided to return to the UK. Believe me, the decision was not an easy one.
Both of us had necessarily and unfortunately had to be hospitalised in France {NB, we were only in France during the last 12 years, before that 15 years in Belgium, 5.5 years in Oz, and 12 years in South Africa}. My OH for the "nasties", needing a 4 hour extremely invasive operation, me with optic neuritis. Trying to cope with medical technology in one's own language is difficult enough, but in a foreign tongue is distressingly and doubly problematical.
We have two darling granddaughters whom we love dearly and whom we felt were growing up without their GPs. After careful reflection we started looking in their area, outside London, only to find the prices are outrageous. Ergo, it was essential to start looking further afield but still within striking distance of Hertfordshire. We found a delightful converted Barn and installed ourselves here in Dorset last September.
At first we had difficulty in understanding what folks were saying to us - language is ever-changing of course, but have now become used to the change in inflection. We have met with kindliness, helpfulness, and welcome but have quickly had to come to the conclusion that we are no longer "anyone special" simply run-of-the-mill residents. We were of course previously "les anglais" where we lived in France.
The moral of this {dreary}? story is NEVER LOOK BACK. Maintain a positive attitude and things should come right.
Any comments would be appreciated and welcomed.
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