I joined this PEI in 1980 from Grenoble. I was on substantive leave from MoD. I decided to stay for a longer period and got married here. At that time we were the first to come over with the EU agreements of that period.
There were already ex-patriot UK people with huge benefits living here, there were the UK EU adventurers with no objectives but work was abundant, there were the first student exchanges, and some had married into French families. I did not meet any UK people who simply came here to live and work at that time.
Most of us found the difference between the UK and France as difficult as between the UK and China. They just did not live, eat or drink like us.
I was advised by the first UK settlers to just join in and enjoy myself, which I did.
I first met French culture when I organised the “entente cordiale” between the Concorde R&D groups of UK RAE and French ONERA. It was unbelievable, when the opportunity to have a job and career change came, I took up nuclear engineering in France.
I returned to the UK which had drastically changed – Thatcher, strikes, riots. My name was plagiarised in my work. I had to leave the UK after my employers failed to protect me. I returned to France.
The first time every one talked of the quality of life in France, the second time it was the Iraqi wars and crisis.
So what do you need to work and survive in France now and how can the IET French Community help.
France is huge; it is not realistic to travel from SE or SW France for a meeting in Paris.
Maybe we need a newcomers guide such as most French towns give to new arrivals.
France is still totally different from the UK.
We have different categories of IET members who are at least engineering & technology related.
-Ex-patriot, UK enterprise sales & marketing staff, Erasmus students, Enterprises from the UK that have delocalised with their staff, those that have married into families, entrepreneurs and SMEs in IT technology and those that now just want to work and live in France etc.
What would you advise
- Should we have a MIET arrivals’ guide
- Should we have guides to French language courses
- Should we have guides to CPD in France
- Should we give advice on French administration
- What about the dos and don’ts of French culture.
Or should we just mind our own business and keep it to ourselves?
I recommend reading : Stephen Clarke – 1000 years of annoying the French and other titles and most of his references. French English history is not as taught in schools.
- Out of season hotels in France are cheap, maybe one or two visits with IET families or friends to E&T venues could be affordable.
And the French Community AGM & voting should be on line and at distance.
I’m retiring from E&T have fun in France
Give Rob McCann some help
John Gowman MIET (ex ITEME Grenobl 1980)
