28 September 2023 , 07:43
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A new documentary has revealed how a French village has turned into a "little Britain" with English shops opening and people not taking up the language.
The series, which airs on French and German channel Arte, is called Little Britain in the Dordogne and follows the journeys of Britons who've moved to towns and villages in France's southwest. French locals have reportedly been deploring the infiltration of British culture and the show highlights the tensions that have crept in between the two groups.
Steve and Helen Robbins, originally from Oxford, who run a butcher stall at the market (Arte)One former Norfolk handyman, Graham Parker, speaks about his frustration with the French drinking culture. He says, the local workers he's tried to employ on his estate take two-hour lunch breaks and return to the job "half-drunk." Graham says he hasn't had much success getting workers to adopt British hours, saying: "I just don't get it. Noon - everything stops. They stop, doesn't matter what they're doing til 2 o'clock. And then they can't work because they're half-drunk!"
Another British couple, Steve and Helen Robbins, originally from Oxford, moved to the small Dordogne village of Eymet eight years ago. Now they own a traditional English butchers at the local Thursday market, selling Cumberland sausages, back bacon and pies. They said they tried to learn French but they operate the stall in English, as most of their customers are English.
A trader selling French baked goods at the stall next door said: "There are English shops, an English barber. You're often among the British in the shops here. Some people are happy about it, others lukewarm." Another villager said: "They learn French slowly. They would need more lessons but they keep to themselves. So we have to speak English or there is no sale."
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Post-Brexit laws mean Britons living in France have to prove they can speak A1 level French to be able to keep their working visa. Nicola said finds the local accent adds an extra layer of challenge. She says if you fail the test, you get between 200 and 600 free French lessons to bring ex-pats up to speed but claims they can be up to a 90-minute drive away from their home.
Graham tells the documentary the welcome hasn't always been warm for the couple. He says: "You've got the British coming over with their money and buying up all these old houses and renovating them. A lot of the French couldn't afford what we've bought, and that's where the divide comes."
Little Britain in the Dordogne, an ARTE.tv documentary is available to watch on YouTube