18th August 2019

Yesterday, a Parisian shot dead a waiter because “his sandwich took too long.”  When I wrote Pensioners In Paradis, I painted an idyllic scenario, where oppressed British people could live out their lives in peace amongst the glorious French lavender fields and sunny vineyards. It’s a dream that many have emulated. However, it’s not real. Most UK residents in France still watch UK TV, and FB is awash with their daily comments about UK news, written in English. Will they ever be so tuned in to the French mindset and knowledgeable enough to comment daily, in French, about French news? Many are not even aware that French government is nowhere near as open as the UK one. Macron wouldn’t dream of showing live debates from within the Elysee Palace, nor showing the warts and all daily arguments from within. Irrespective of their newly-printed paperwork, it can take a decade or more for the British in France to realise they’re living a lie. That shot in Paris should act as a wake-up call.