Showing posts with label Brexit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brexit. Show all posts
17rh December 2017
Those of us who trained as dancers were all agog. Who would win the Strictly Come Dancing show? Who had the best dancing skills? However the winner was judged by the viewers. Similarly in the far more serious fields of politics and in the criminal courts. Should Britain leave the EU? Let's ask the general public. Never mind that the average man in the street couldn't possibly understand the intricacies and financial consequences. In the courts, back when we had the death penalty, a jury of ordinary citizens, completely untrained in the field of criminology, were handed the role of life and death over some poor person. Imagine if this happened in other fields. Picture the neurosurgeon about to decide which bit of the brain to excise to cure a terrible disease: should he then call in a 'jury' of complete novices to make the ultimate decision? In football, was it a penalty? Let's ask the baying, opinionated crowd. The general public will always choose the personality, be swayed by the current fashion/media, will tend to use emotion rather than raw facts. In TV programmes the result isn't that important. In more serious issues, it is. When important decisions must be made, ALWAYS leave it to the experts in the field.
26th November 2017
Continuing my look at the UK after 12 years away...
What does Britain stand for? In France many, like Napoleon, still look on us as a nation of shopkeepers. British old-timers still see their country as a flagship for the world, ruling the waves from its vast Commonwealth powerbase, an example to the world of a longstanding democracy, with centuries of the rule of law and traditional institutions. But today? The country is a patchwork quilt of an increasingly large population of black, Asian and Muslim peoples added to the indigenous Anglo-Saxon, all bringing different mindsets and cultural opinions to the mix. This brings an identity crisis. We're all confused and ill at ease. Added to this is the longwinded divorce proceedings known as Brexit. Elsewhere in Europe there is a sense of bewilderment and no-one really cares about us any more. The government is split, and if Corbyn's Labour gains control, he will lead the country into an equally stupid, socialist past where unelected unions rule the roost. SS Britannia is adrift in the waves, leaderless and rudderless unless someone somewhere marches up to the helm and takes control. My wish? An immediate second referendum before it's too late, this time giving the people full economic and other facts consequent on withdrawal. Otherwise it's a tragedy.
What does Britain stand for? In France many, like Napoleon, still look on us as a nation of shopkeepers. British old-timers still see their country as a flagship for the world, ruling the waves from its vast Commonwealth powerbase, an example to the world of a longstanding democracy, with centuries of the rule of law and traditional institutions. But today? The country is a patchwork quilt of an increasingly large population of black, Asian and Muslim peoples added to the indigenous Anglo-Saxon, all bringing different mindsets and cultural opinions to the mix. This brings an identity crisis. We're all confused and ill at ease. Added to this is the longwinded divorce proceedings known as Brexit. Elsewhere in Europe there is a sense of bewilderment and no-one really cares about us any more. The government is split, and if Corbyn's Labour gains control, he will lead the country into an equally stupid, socialist past where unelected unions rule the roost. SS Britannia is adrift in the waves, leaderless and rudderless unless someone somewhere marches up to the helm and takes control. My wish? An immediate second referendum before it's too late, this time giving the people full economic and other facts consequent on withdrawal. Otherwise it's a tragedy.
29th October 2017
The clocks went back today. Is Europe following?
A bad week for Spain. No, not just their football loss yesterday to England. Their country is breaking up. Rumblings from other groups too: the Basques, Brittany, Scotland, Wales, N. Ireland. Following Brexit, the Poles, Czechs, Hungarians are also muttering about leaving the EU. It's foolish to think all this is none of the EU's business. Its blundering inflexibility has already lost it the UK. No other country now dares hold an exit referendum. So, what exactly is the problem? Originally its '50's concept was for just a trade zone - hence the term Common Market - and to avoid all those past wars within its borders, but as usual the problem is....Germany! Its domination of the eurozone has blighted the Spanish and Greek economies and is mainly to blame for the present crisis. Hitler would be dancing a jig. The EU under Germany's rule cares not a jot for regional identity, nor for devolution. The EU concept should never have allowed one large country to dominate over all the others. It was meant to be an equal, round table, partnership just for trade. So, Catalonia is about Europe as much as about Spain. Europe: the warning alarms have sounded. Don't go back to sleep - do something about it before it's too late.
A bad week for Spain. No, not just their football loss yesterday to England. Their country is breaking up. Rumblings from other groups too: the Basques, Brittany, Scotland, Wales, N. Ireland. Following Brexit, the Poles, Czechs, Hungarians are also muttering about leaving the EU. It's foolish to think all this is none of the EU's business. Its blundering inflexibility has already lost it the UK. No other country now dares hold an exit referendum. So, what exactly is the problem? Originally its '50's concept was for just a trade zone - hence the term Common Market - and to avoid all those past wars within its borders, but as usual the problem is....Germany! Its domination of the eurozone has blighted the Spanish and Greek economies and is mainly to blame for the present crisis. Hitler would be dancing a jig. The EU under Germany's rule cares not a jot for regional identity, nor for devolution. The EU concept should never have allowed one large country to dominate over all the others. It was meant to be an equal, round table, partnership just for trade. So, Catalonia is about Europe as much as about Spain. Europe: the warning alarms have sounded. Don't go back to sleep - do something about it before it's too late.
13th August 2017
Immigrants....Years ago we were used to Pakistani and Bangladeshi immigrants. In France we'd read about EU immigration but not experienced it. Back in the UK the builders sent several workers to our new house. Couldn't quite place the first one's accent. Russian? No. Polish? No. Bulgarian! And when another builder came round, he sounded a bit similar. You must be Bulgarian, I said. No. Albanian! Oh the changes here post-war. From '48 to '62 the UK saw a wave of immigrants from Britain's imperial family. 500,000 arrived, mainly from the Caribbean, India and Pakistan. In Mirpur you earned 50p per week, in Wolverhampton £33. A no-brainer. Everyone thought they were here just temporarily, but it eventually turned the UK multicultural. And now the latest EU wave. After 2004 it was impossible for the government to control numbers, so Brexit was born. My conclusion? We must all learn how to deal with neighbours of a different culture.
...Hence the new published edition of my non-fiction book Pensioners in Paradis: French Notes from a Broad. How did Him indoors cope with dealing with a different culture? And how did the French cope with him? Now available for pre-order: click on the image on the right.
...Hence the new published edition of my non-fiction book Pensioners in Paradis: French Notes from a Broad. How did Him indoors cope with dealing with a different culture? And how did the French cope with him? Now available for pre-order: click on the image on the right.
4th June 2017
My patience is wearing very thin. Transport and bank problems. First: whether to sell the car Him indoors prizes. Decision: yes, as future problems of driving, insuring, registering and selling a left-hand drive vehicle in the UK are numerous. So, how to get there with a mutinous Him indoors and 2 old dogs? No, you can't hire a car in France and drop off in the UK. Eurostar doesn't take dogs. By air then? No. Cargo costs £1500 + expensive new lockable dog crates + harnesses + even more regs. Step in Folkestone Taxis. The only service offering one-way pet transport through the tunnel from the Calais end. Just need to hire a car from Albi to Calais then. Just catching a breath when in comes our English bank. They're going to freeze all our accounts from 16 June, held with them for 50 years(!), unless we walk in to a branch with our passports. Can you extend the deadline to 3 July? I asked. No, because of new money-laundering rules. Can I send a copy? No, must be the original. How to pay final balance for new house from a frozen account? Help. Must be thousands of weary British expats in this position, confronted by inflexible banks. And, this whole sorry saga was forced on us by Brexit - for which many expats weren't even allowed to vote, and if they had, there wouldn't be a Brexit! Very tired....
21st May 2017
I write a regular blog called Obviously Olga on the online magazine englishinformerinfrance.com, which catalogues my weekly trials - especially now in limbo between France and the UK. Last week they kindly published an extra article on this topic, written a few weeks ago, reproduced below for those who haven't yet seen it. Hope you enjoy it.
As I look out of the window, the Mediterranean sun is shining down and the trees are awash with white and pink blossom. The air is still, early season butterflies flit from leaf to leaf and the bees are busy, busy gefährlich. Chains of processionary caterpillars weave along the path on the perilous journey from their pinetree home. Are these tiny creatures warning me of dangers on the road ahead? Why would anyone want to move from the South of France to Birmingham? That’s what everyone asks us. Ah, if only they knew. What a year it’s proving to be. The number 7 is considered a lucky number in some religions. For us, 2017 is, PG, the year that we each hit 70 and it’s the year where in July, the 7th month, we hope to mark both our Golden wedding and our return to Birmingham. So, where did it all start? For those who read the earlier version of Pensioners in Paradis, we moved to France in 2005 following a disastrous fire at the indoor market in Birmingham where Him indoors had his DIY market stall. The full story of our French adventures is detailed in the new, published edition of Pensioners in Paradis, released by crookedcatbooks.com later this year. (Full details will be posted on my weekly blog olgaswan.blogspot.com.) Certainly we’ve enjoyed the last twelve years. But slowly, slowly cracks in our French idyll have started to appear, coinciding with Brexit. Much has been reported in the UK press, but little on the actual implications for British expats living in France. The biggest issue for us is future health care provision. The French health system is the best in the world, but our access to it as pensioners is via reciprocal arrangements between the UK and France. Already many are warning that, post-Brexit, we may lose this and be required to take up mandatory, private health insurance. However, after a calamitous year when Him indoors required a prostatectomy due to cancer, he is unlikely to qualify. Additionally we would probably lose the annual index-linking of our state pensions. Following his operation, we briefly considered convalescence in the lovely seaside resort of St. Annes in Lancs. However, a large fracking company’s proposals were approved by government, and drilling for gas (with the potential for carcinogenic radon gas leaks) is due to start imminently. So, that put paid to that idea. Additionally as I write this there’s the possibility of a certain Mme Le Pen of the Far-Right Front Nationale becoming the new French President. Already she’s won through to the second stage, but there lies the rub. Whoever wins, should any rational person consider living in a country where a large part of the population will vote for a fascist? So, in the end, it had to be Birmingham – the place where we both grew up and where we belong. As I’ve written about in Lamplight (authl.it/4q0), it’s where we, my parents and grandparents were married. It’s something that is meant to be, but how to achieve it? Nothing comes easy as we struggle to unravel our lives in France, reversing the process of twelve years ago. Someone old said to me recently: if you’re going to do it, it has to be while you’re still fit and relatively healthy. If you wait too long, it’ll be too late. Following Brexit, there were basically only two choices for British expats: take up French citizenship or go back home. Him indoors knew his French would never be good enough to pass the hour-long interview test, so the die was cast. Others we know contemplating returning have discovered to their dismay that they’ve fallen off the housing ladder and will have to face renting in the UK. Certainly our new home in Birmingham will be nowhere near as nice as our French property with its acre of land and four bedrooms, but a decision had to be made. A realistic selling price was advertised via several local French immobiliers. Result? Zero interest. The French are canny. They don’t want to pay the exorbitant agent fees of 8% of the selling price, nor the ridiculous notaire costs of c.16,000 euros! I knew this so put our house on the LebonCoin internet site (like Ebay), advertising zero agent fees and splitting our property into separate house and land plots. Result? Voila. Both now sold. One in the eye for our unfriendly neighbour (see my blog for the full story – a man whom none of our other neighbours like either) when he realises a new house will shortly be constructed right next to his fence, but by then we’ll be long gone.Where will we live in Birmingham? Will we have to rent? Fortunately we’ve found somewhere for a modest price not too far out, en route to the Lickeys – and with a lucky number 7 on the door. Of course, nothing ever runs smooth. Did I mention our two difficult rescue dogs? Couldn’t possibly leave them behind as they’re old and a bit crazy – like us! Are they bilingual, I hear you say? There’s a joke in French – oui, ils sont bilangue; ils n’ecoutent ni en anglais ni en francais. (Yes, they’re bilingual; they listen neither in English nor in French.) But what can you do? We love them and they’re now part of the family.With a shake of my head, I turn away from the beautiful scene outside the window and contemplate all the packing boxes everywhere. Yes, the sunshine, tranquillity and good food are nice here. But, for complete peace of mind, don’t ignore the inner self. At the end of the day, it’s mixing with like-minded people in a community where you feel at home (and not forever foreign) that’s the most important. And for us, as we approach the final quarter of our lives, this seems like the right time to return to our roots. Brentrance – here we come!http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B013IBD4PU
From Brexit to Brentrance: an important year
2nd April 2017
Mad dogs and Englishmen....
So the Brexit button was finally pushed. Could have been worse - better than the nuclear button. But still the US and EU inwardly implode, the UK starts to fragment and next week Mme Le Pen comes to the fore. Meanwhile, we went to our local French vet to get our two rescue dogs microchipped in time for the customs inspection at Calais. The UK government site is clear: microchip then rabies vaccine. The French vet said Non, vous n'avez pas compris. The procedure order doesn't matter, it's the 21 days after the vaccine before travel that matters. I knew I was right, but let him go ahead with both procedures the same day. Only then did he discover that Tina, our 2nd rescue dog, was never registered to us, nor even to the alcoholic who originally left her at the rescue kennel. Tina's a pedigree dog and still registered with the breeder! This means that the Customs may not let her travel with us. Disaster! Well to cut a long story short, finally we've managed to change ownership to us via the French I-CAD system (similar to the Kennel Club in the UK). But still I worry because they could interpret this new chip change as being performed after the vaccine and leave us fuming in Calais.
..go out in the midday sun.
So the Brexit button was finally pushed. Could have been worse - better than the nuclear button. But still the US and EU inwardly implode, the UK starts to fragment and next week Mme Le Pen comes to the fore. Meanwhile, we went to our local French vet to get our two rescue dogs microchipped in time for the customs inspection at Calais. The UK government site is clear: microchip then rabies vaccine. The French vet said Non, vous n'avez pas compris. The procedure order doesn't matter, it's the 21 days after the vaccine before travel that matters. I knew I was right, but let him go ahead with both procedures the same day. Only then did he discover that Tina, our 2nd rescue dog, was never registered to us, nor even to the alcoholic who originally left her at the rescue kennel. Tina's a pedigree dog and still registered with the breeder! This means that the Customs may not let her travel with us. Disaster! Well to cut a long story short, finally we've managed to change ownership to us via the French I-CAD system (similar to the Kennel Club in the UK). But still I worry because they could interpret this new chip change as being performed after the vaccine and leave us fuming in Calais.
..go out in the midday sun.
26 March 2017
This week marks a number of events: 84 years since Hitler assumed full dictator pouvoir powers via Reichstag decree; 60 years since the Treaty of Rome, the founding of the EU; on Friday Trump lost his chance to improve on Obamacare; yet another brainwashed terrorist ran amok in London killing and maiming innocent civilians, and this Wednesday is the day the UK PM presses the Brexit button. So, where to start with all that mess? For Americans reading this, I can only direct you to read my blog of 19 Feb 2017 and tell the President what he should have done. In France the health system works, so why not copy a winning system? Re Hitler and Europe, I know what my late father would have said: keep away! Today's EU is moving too far towards an all-consuming federal state. The problem with the Muslim terrorists, unlike murderers of the past, is that they are doing what they do in the name of a widespread and burgeoning religion: Islam. That is what innocent Muslims around the world must deal with. What do I think? Life is never simply black or white, but a melange of things. The world must learn from the past and pick and mix the things that work, like the French health system, and the overarching goodwill of so many good and kind people around the world.
19 March 2017
There's a new word in the dictionary. Cyberia....
I'm reminded of an early episode of Star Trek in the '60s where two warring peoples had stopped conventional war for centuries by peacefully choosing random people to voluntarily eliminate themselves. In today's real world the horrors of WW2 and subsequent fighting remind us every day of the horrors of war and the killing of millions - usually initiated by the pride of a single dictator or brain-washed, deranged groups constantly seeking more land to aggrandise personal motives. One reason why many Remainers voted to stay in the EU was to avoid such wars. But now we also have cyber warfare where warmongers are much more subtle, using the silent web to further their aims. Deterrence? You'd need to stop everyone using a computer - impossible. If we can't stop the proliferation of conventional wars, how on earth can we stop Cyberia?
....No point calling on Scottie to put up his defence shields. There are none yet for Cyberia. Come on Sir Tim Berners-Lee, on the anniversary of your invention: we need you. Otherwise we're all out in the cold.
I'm reminded of an early episode of Star Trek in the '60s where two warring peoples had stopped conventional war for centuries by peacefully choosing random people to voluntarily eliminate themselves. In today's real world the horrors of WW2 and subsequent fighting remind us every day of the horrors of war and the killing of millions - usually initiated by the pride of a single dictator or brain-washed, deranged groups constantly seeking more land to aggrandise personal motives. One reason why many Remainers voted to stay in the EU was to avoid such wars. But now we also have cyber warfare where warmongers are much more subtle, using the silent web to further their aims. Deterrence? You'd need to stop everyone using a computer - impossible. If we can't stop the proliferation of conventional wars, how on earth can we stop Cyberia?
....No point calling on Scottie to put up his defence shields. There are none yet for Cyberia. Come on Sir Tim Berners-Lee, on the anniversary of your invention: we need you. Otherwise we're all out in the cold.
20th November 2016
Theresa May felt bad enough at being 11th on Trump's arbitrary phone list, but Francois Hollande and Angela Merkel were even further behind! Now, if this had been the careful and thoughtful Obama, I'd have been worried. But it's that out-of-control new President-elect we're talking about. Don't suppose for a minute he'd thought about the importance of priority here. To my mind, the UK should have been first. Who stood behind the US in all their travails in the past? Yet he rings Turkey and Saudi Arabia before us?? My worry here is that we have a 'shoot first and think about it later' world leader. Just don't let him near that nuclear button..
In France it may be possible for British citizens to become 'associate European citizens' after Brexit, giving them free EU movement, according to an MEP. And today French voters head to the polls in the 1st round of the centre-right parties to pick a candidate for the 2017 elections. As long as they remain centre-right and don't get pushed to extreme-right wing. Will the bling candidate Sarkozy win again or a man called Poisson, who - like the NF Le Pen - was the first to congratulate Trump? It all sounds very fishy to me!
In France it may be possible for British citizens to become 'associate European citizens' after Brexit, giving them free EU movement, according to an MEP. And today French voters head to the polls in the 1st round of the centre-right parties to pick a candidate for the 2017 elections. As long as they remain centre-right and don't get pushed to extreme-right wing. Will the bling candidate Sarkozy win again or a man called Poisson, who - like the NF Le Pen - was the first to congratulate Trump? It all sounds very fishy to me!
13th November 2016
For many today is the day of remembrance. Below is a poem I publish every year in the hope things might change around the world.
At early morn' I had a dream
that man would cease his futile scheme
Fighting battles, suicide missions
Murder, hatred, blazing seditions
What man needs is re-appraise
in eyes of beings not so fazed
Yes, don't fight tribe v tribe
as if nothing else but diatribe
But see with eyes afresh from birth
that we're all one tribe - that of Earth!
by Olga Swan
So now we have a Disney character called Donald in the White House! The year 2016 isn't over yet. Brexit was deemed improbable, President Trump extremely unlikely and in a few months here in France the unimaginable prospect of the Front Nationale leader, President Marine Le Pen. That's one of the reasons we're leaving. Even if she's not elected, it's the fact that such a large percentage of the French endorse her policies. I've raged against racism and extreme nationalism all my life, epitomised in my two noir wartime thrillers. Why can't we learn from the past and recognise those early, dangerous steps towards disaster so that people in power can stop it in time? Don't forget: in the '30s the crowds cheered for a man called Hitler. After this week's ringing endorsements from far-right people like Nigel Farage and Mme Le Pen for a man called Donald, the world can only duck....
At early morn' I had a dream
that man would cease his futile scheme
Fighting battles, suicide missions
Murder, hatred, blazing seditions
What man needs is re-appraise
in eyes of beings not so fazed
Yes, don't fight tribe v tribe
as if nothing else but diatribe
But see with eyes afresh from birth
that we're all one tribe - that of Earth!
by Olga Swan
So now we have a Disney character called Donald in the White House! The year 2016 isn't over yet. Brexit was deemed improbable, President Trump extremely unlikely and in a few months here in France the unimaginable prospect of the Front Nationale leader, President Marine Le Pen. That's one of the reasons we're leaving. Even if she's not elected, it's the fact that such a large percentage of the French endorse her policies. I've raged against racism and extreme nationalism all my life, epitomised in my two noir wartime thrillers. Why can't we learn from the past and recognise those early, dangerous steps towards disaster so that people in power can stop it in time? Don't forget: in the '30s the crowds cheered for a man called Hitler. After this week's ringing endorsements from far-right people like Nigel Farage and Mme Le Pen for a man called Donald, the world can only duck....
6th November 2016
Remember, remember, the 5th November...I've always hated Guy Fawkes Night. Why commemorate burning someone live at the stake? There's been explosive action around the world this week. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have been sparking each other off in the most malicious way. Is this how politics should be run? I don't mind special artistic events such as the one in Montreal or Le festival l'art de pyrotechnique held in Cannes each year. But, even then, it's not worth the very real danger to spectators. These are explosives of the sort used in war zones. As a child in the '50s I could buy packs of these explosives from our local tobacconist's shop. Madness. And just look at the explosive action in the seat of the English parliament this week, when the judiciary had the temerity to cast aspersions on the actions of the government. In days gone by this would have been treason. Just ask Guy Fawkes! Should we eat rocket salad and bangers and mash before sending the judges to the stake, commemorating burning them alive for centuries to come?
30th October 2016
Why are the French and English so hostile to each other? Entente cordiale? Don't think so!
The sang froid was palpable at the Calais Jungle this week as, with a Gallic shrug, the mini-pelles arrived effectively to shovel the Channel emigration border over to Kent. Why do they hate the English so much? You only had to see the fury in Hollande's face that the UK had the temerity to reject all that he and Merkel had manoeuvred so artfully in their favour! His face captured perfectly the distrust that has haunted Fr:Eng relations for 8 decades. As I wrote in Vichyssoise, even De Gaulle - who was welcomed by Churchill in London during the '40s Vichy era - did a volte-face 20 years later with a categoric Non to the UK's entry to the EEC. We seem to be connected yet divided by old historic hatreds.
Brexit or no, the French and English are geographic neighbours. Isn't it time they shook hands? Wish our neighbour here would shake hands with us......
The sang froid was palpable at the Calais Jungle this week as, with a Gallic shrug, the mini-pelles arrived effectively to shovel the Channel emigration border over to Kent. Why do they hate the English so much? You only had to see the fury in Hollande's face that the UK had the temerity to reject all that he and Merkel had manoeuvred so artfully in their favour! His face captured perfectly the distrust that has haunted Fr:Eng relations for 8 decades. As I wrote in Vichyssoise, even De Gaulle - who was welcomed by Churchill in London during the '40s Vichy era - did a volte-face 20 years later with a categoric Non to the UK's entry to the EEC. We seem to be connected yet divided by old historic hatreds.
Brexit or no, the French and English are geographic neighbours. Isn't it time they shook hands? Wish our neighbour here would shake hands with us......
Sunday 21 August 2016
For 2 weeks in Rio the Olympic flame has shone brightly. Superb athletes from most nations have shaken hands in friendship and goodwill...
But in Europe it's chilled, despite the summer heat. No handshakes in the banlieues of Paris, where over the last 3 months, 13000 newly-arrived immigrants speaking Arabic, Pashto and Farsi were quickly handcuffed and served deportation orders. NE in Calais it's worse, the Jungle now completely out-of-control. SW, on the outskirts of Marseilles, wild fires rage. And, France's Hollande - in his government-funded Lanterne holiday residence, several kilometres from the gleaming Elysée Palace - is also in a rage. Terrible terrorist atrocities have necessitated the deployment of armed guards everywhere. Alarmed, many Communes have cancelled the very summer attractions that boost his ailing country's vital tourist income. And, following Brexit, the 2017 French elections loom, with the scheming Mme Le Pen poised to strike, along with most of the French workforce it seems!
...... but the lights in Paris are flickering alarmingly.
But in Europe it's chilled, despite the summer heat. No handshakes in the banlieues of Paris, where over the last 3 months, 13000 newly-arrived immigrants speaking Arabic, Pashto and Farsi were quickly handcuffed and served deportation orders. NE in Calais it's worse, the Jungle now completely out-of-control. SW, on the outskirts of Marseilles, wild fires rage. And, France's Hollande - in his government-funded Lanterne holiday residence, several kilometres from the gleaming Elysée Palace - is also in a rage. Terrible terrorist atrocities have necessitated the deployment of armed guards everywhere. Alarmed, many Communes have cancelled the very summer attractions that boost his ailing country's vital tourist income. And, following Brexit, the 2017 French elections loom, with the scheming Mme Le Pen poised to strike, along with most of the French workforce it seems!
...... but the lights in Paris are flickering alarmingly.
7th August 2016
August already and it's not been a good year for British expats in France. Terror attacks and anti-Semitism increasing exponentially and a growing realisation that France's security is not all it should be. Talk of a cover-up in Nice to hide their shame: CCTV camera footage of the recent attack has been destroyed! My solution? Call in the Israelis. They know a thing or two about national security. They have to in order to survive. And Brexit worries continue as we wait for the start button to be pressed in January. As well as the 2 main options (return to the UK or take up French citizenship), for those having difficulty in selling their home in a dormant market, they might consider applying for a carte de sejour, giving them a measure of residence security in the meantime. Trouble is there's the dreaded French bureaucracy to deal with, e.g. they ask for your original birth certificate but it must be issued during the last 3 months!! So, the original certificate I've held for 60+ years is somehow not authentic enough? Words fail me.
24th July 2016
49 years together. Amazing. 11 years since we moved to France. Challenging. Our early hilarious mishaps (see Pensioners in Paradis paperback (www.amazon.co.uk/Pensioners-Paradis-Olga-Swan/dp/1847994156?ie=UTF8&ref_=asap_bc), contrast with our wonderful French experiences, as they unfolded, on this blog. However, the first turning point came 8 years ago when my brother was dying. Despite frantic efforts to reach him in B'ham in time - and nobody but nobody would have our dog urgently (and the kennel woman was in Morocco!) - I was too late to speak to my brother before he died. Then, soon after, my sole remaining sibling (both parents having passed away 50 years ago) also passed away. I'm now older, but wiser. Never say you'll never change your mind. Life, age and politics can change everything. The Brexit button, despite a legal challenge in Oct, is likely to be pressed Jan 17. So, that's my target too. We, and the UK, may well be leaving France behind over the next few months. But, still keeping an open mind. Who knew 49 years ago that our lives would evolve like this. You never know what's around the corner.
15th May 2016
Democracy. A wonderful thing. Yet it's only now we're seeing the risks. The possibility of someone like Donald Trump as US President, and potential war and global economic meltdown with a Brexit. It's the last few days to register to vote in the referendum and in a few weeks I'll be posting my vote, but as with everything it's not easy. Morally, academically, globally the obvious thing to do is to vote In. But economically I have 2 choices. Shall I vote, as I should, to maintain the status quo in Europe? Seems clear, doesn't it? Yesterday the Bank of England set out its Brexit assessment: a sharp fall in the £. However, nothing in life is clear. For personal reasons we have our French house on the market to move back to the UK, and looking at the euro:£ exchange rates at present (with money rates' uncertainty) and the likelihood of even parity with the £ after a Brexit, we'd get more pounds for our euro if everyone voted Out!! Some people use songs to register their opinion like Ukraine did in the Eurovision last night. But, like Topol in Fiddler on the Roof, I've always been a '..but on the other hand' kind of person. It's all too difficult. If I were a rich man, just think what I could do.....
3rd April 2016
The media has been slow to report on British expat anxiety. You have to wonder at the PM's commitment to staying in the EU when he has done little to facilitate the promised end of 'no votes for nationals outside the UK for 15+ years'. Of the 13 million UK people with state pensions, a full 10% live abroad - most of whom would vote In if they were given a vote. The build up to the June referendum is having a huge impact on currency markets too. The pound has fallen to its lowest in more than a year against the euro. It's social media that's reflecting the panic the most. There's a closed group cataloguing the miseries of those wanting to go back to the UK. Such high hopes when they first set out, enjoying the sunshine and retirement, then petit a petit - usually after 10 years - the dawning realisation that 'real' life had been put on hold and it was time to go home. Will everyone sell in time to benefit from the current 1.24 euros:pound exchange rate? Or, in the event of a June Brexit, will they suffer frozen pensions and no state health care? Current poll of polls: In: 44%, Out: 42%. Too close to call. No nails left here.
21 February 2016
So, it's confirmed. The referendum for a potential Brexit is 23rd June. No worries there then! As Cameron was ducking and diving around today's Germany, my new blockbuster Lamplight reminds us of another C, Churchill, defending the realm against the same country some 70 years ago! What's history all about if we don't learn from the calamities of the past - so they never happen again? In Lamplight and its successor Vichyssoise, I've attempted to show all the stupidities of the lead-up to WW2, both in Britain, Germany and the horrors of Vichy France. Do come to my online Facebook Launch Party this Thursday. It's free entertainment all day, including historic pictures of old Birmingham, film clips and wonderful music of the era - from ragtime to swing to jazz. Quizzes and prizes too. Simply click on the Lamplight picture on the right on Thursday and it'll take you to the event page. Enjoy it all on the day and type Hi to let me know you're there. See you Thursday! a bientot.
14th February 2016
Valentines' Day. Noticed that David Cameron didn't come back from Hamburg yesterday with red roses from Angela Merkel; rather, waving a piece of paper Chamberlain-style. What do Ladbrokes say re Brexit? The odds of Britain voting to stay in the EU have fallen from 4/7 to 1/3, while the chance of Brexit has risen to 9/4, from an all-time low of 5/4. So, I asked my local bookmaker, i.e. Him indoors, what all this meant since as a boy he used to scrawl the odds on a blackboard in his uncle's betting shop. He says it means the chances of the UK staying in the EU are now 71%. Will this change once the politicians get their campaign in full swing, as with the Scottish referendum? And, what do Ladbrokes say about the likely referendum date? June 23rd this year. Are bookmakers ever wrong? What do other British expats say? Some demand answers now on matters which will have a direct impact on our lives, whilst others insist no-one can negotiate anything until an Out vote is actually confirmed. And me on this Valentines' Day? The only thing my heart's all aflutter about is this stupid vote and why Cameron ever agreed to such a dangerous thing for the UK in the first place.
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