This surprised me when I first heard it some months ago, so I thought I would do a little research of my own to validate the claims. Nantes is the regional capital of the Pays de la Loire region of France, has a population of just over 280,000 (many of whom will not be French, as it is a big University City and also popular with the British) and ranks as the 6th largest French city by population.
According to a BBC World Service report from a few years ago the number of French people living in London stood at over 300,000. I think that is quite staggering and would make London the “6th biggest French city” in terms of the number of French living there.
Courtesy of Wikipedia
I wonder which country gets the better deal here – or whether it matters. Most of the French living in London are likely to be young, salary-earning, tax-paying professionals, and so not a big drain on UK social care resources. I would imagine that a good many of the Brits living in and around Nantes will be a little older and so perhaps posing more of a strain on the French health system, but they would generally draw a UK pension and then spend the money in France. they might also operate a gite or other accommodation and so bring money into the area that way.
Any thoughts?
From Lynn Tulip:
Martin, Nantes is one of my most favourite French cities. At a tender age I left Brighton, Sussex and settled in Nantes for a couple of years. I worked in the Port Office [would you believe] as a bi-lingual secretary and then as an English Language teacher.
I have such fond memories of Nantes in the 1970s. A totally different city to how it is now. The transport links were non-existent, and the student population were very active.
When I was applying for jobs I was surprised that I couldn’t get a service job. I thought it would be simple to work in a bar or a shop, even as a chamber maid. But no, at the time the French were rather possessive of their jobs and it was pure chance that I managed to find an office based job which frankly I wasn’t really up to but with many a faux-pas, I kept for a few months.
I loved it.
I managed to hook up with a wonderful French girl, whose family took me into their hearts and home and we are still life long friends. She introduced me to so many French customs and ensured that I could cook, work and live as a true French person. Plus she translated and corrected my work in the office as necessary.
Sadly I had to leave and return to the UK via a short stay in Marseille, but I have never lost my love of France; and my French friends.