British Expats In France: Brexit Boost For Eymet, Idyllic Village In 'Dordogneshire'

-'Britons Give Brexit Boost To Idyllic French Village,' BBC New, Jan. 29, 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dordogne

- Wiki, "Dordogne has earned the nickname "Dordogneshire" for its thriving British community. The region counts between 5,000 and 10,000 British residents and 800 British entrepreneurs, drawn by a laid-back lifestyle, warm climate, and lower cost of living. The village of Eymet is at the heart of the trend, with 200 British families among 2,600 inhabitants."



- The Dordogne River in Southwestern France.



- About 17% of Eymet's residents are from the UK

Defiance doesn't sit easily in the pretty Dordogne town of Eymet. It's a place of quiet countryside and gorgeous crumbling houses - a place, in other words, of many British dreams. Karen Webb and her husband, Howard, came here to find a lifestyle they say Britain has lost. But they've become part of an unlikely pocket of defiance in this part of France, as the Brexit deadline approaches.

With the share of property held by British citizens across France falling, Eymet - where they make up 17% of the population - has been experiencing something of a Brexit boost, as Brits race to find a home in the EU before Britain leaves.



- Leave voters who left the UK: Karen and Howard moved here with their 12-year-old daughter Emma last April to run kennels.

The Webbs moved to the Dordogne in 2019 to run kennels. They told me they felt British more than European, but were nevertheless determined to stay on this side of the Channel after Brexit, even if it means becoming French to do it. "England is my home," Karen explained. "Deep down, I'm British. But to live here, for a better way of life for my daughter, I would become French, yes. If I had a crystal ball, and [knew that] three years later we'd be in France and Brexit's going to happen." For Howard there's an added bonus: "We'd have a team that had won the World Cup recently." Either way, it's quite a change of heart for a couple who, back in 2016, voted to leave the EU.

You just go with the flow, and what you hear on the news, and you think maybe it'll make Britain a better country. Howard says that, in terms of his own personal situation now, he'd vote to stay in the EU. "I still think leave could be beneficial to the UK," he explained. "But for ourselves, I want to be part of Europe." The family were keen to move to France before the Brexit deadline, and they're not alone. It's not yet clear what the residency rights, or healthcare arrangements, will be for Brits who arrive after the transition period ends.

- 'Busiest year ever': Long-term British resident Terrie Simpson owns nine estate agents in the region. She says there was an initial dip in interest from British buyers after the referendum, and more people do now seem to be opting for smaller properties in order to keep a foothold in the UK.



- There are plenty of British goods on offer at the village market, catering for a sizeable British population

But, she says, no-one she knows has left the area because of Brexit, and that it has actually been good for business. "As time's gone on, people have either got used to it, or frustrated with it, or have actually bought despite it," she told me. "A lot of people have tried to work to the deadlines around Brexit. So last year was the busiest year we've ever had."

- Frieda Parlett has just moved here from Scotland at the age of 80 to be close to her daughter, Joanne. She has just bought a small house in Eymet. She's about to move in and planning where to hang her paintings - far easier than planning for her future healthcare and residency rights once the transition period ends. Joanne said that whatever the uncertainties, they were committed to staying in the EU. There is no way that we would go home," she said. "If France didn't want us, we would look for another European country to go to. I don't blame the government for this. I don't blame anything that's happened recently for the situation we're in."...

MORE, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51294308






- Sunrise over the vineyards in the village of Eymet in the Dordogne River area in the southwest of France.

BBC Links:
◾French petition for Briton denied citizenship
◾Mavericks to mainstream: The long campaign for Brexit
◾European Parliament approves Brexit agreement
◾A really simple guide to Brexit

Also: https://www.euractiv.com/section/uk-europe/news/brits-of-frances-dordogneshire-fret-over-brexit/