French neighbours?

[Seastoke]

I find that the inhabitants of large cosmopolitan cities everywhere, while operating at a different pace, exhibit far greater courtesy and consideration than will be found in small town or rural life anywhere.

What a load of crap , if you say good morning on a tube on a London weekday , peeps just look away.

 

[Roberto]

Some funny advertising for the Paris newspaper ''Le Parisien'', text for all of them ''A Parisian? Better get him on a newspaper''

 

[colind3782]

I was just learning to love the French but the Easter holidays have started. Went for a shower this morning, the showers were flooded and every drop of hot water was gone which happens every time they turn up.

 

[stranded]

What a load of crap , if you say good morning on a tube on a London weekday , peeps just look away.

Why do you think they would want to say good morning to you?

 

[johnalison]

What a load of crap , if you say good morning on a tube on a London weekday , peeps just look away.

That is not something I have ever attempted outside my own village. My impression of Londoners in modern times is that because cities are such god-awful places to live, the occupants have decided that the only way of making it tolerable is to learn to live in a civilised fashion, presuming that this will be reciprocated. I would say that this especially applies to young people of vaguely foreign extraction. I commuted to London for five years as a student and can only remember it being pretty grim, so my impression is that things have actually improved.

 

[Seastoke]

Why do you think they would want to say good morning to you?

Well I never feel stranded, for one.

 

[stranded]

That is not something I have ever attempted outside my own village. My impression of Londoners in modern times is that because cities are such god-awful places to live, the occupants have decided that the only way of making it tolerable is to learn to live in a civilised fashion, presuming that this will be reciprocated. I would say that this especially applies to young people of vaguely foreign extraction. I commuted to London for five years as a student and can only remember it being pretty grim, so my impression is that things have actually improved.

There is a lot in that - people from all corners rub along because the alternative would be intolerable. My experience of 30 years in the city is that it is very far from grim - grim bits, for sure, but also so much that is positive.

 

[Momac]

Why do you think they would want to say good morning to you?

Why would you think folks would not wish to return a ''good morning'' in any country and in the language of that country ?

 

[stranded]

What, even if it’s Stokeish?

 

[Frogmogman]

They call them Parigot, tête de veau

The complete couplet being

Parisien, tête de chien,
Parigot tête de veau.

Have to say, my neighbours in Saint Quay are delightful.

To starboard is a retired couple, Luc is well into his 80s. They take their Oceanis 38 out for a sail for a couple of hours every day if the weather is nice. When we are there he urges us to go out and race him. Luc and I enjoy joshing each other about Franco-British naval engagements (my boat being called BENBOW is a particular delight to him).

To port we have a friendly young couple from Tours who have a thriving small business, and essentially use their stinkpot as a country cottage. He’d really prefer a sailing boat, but his wife isn’t keen and they enjoy the space they have.

 

[Bandit]

The complete couplet being

Parisien, tête de chien,
Parigot tête de veau.

Have to say, my neighbours in Saint Quay are delightful.

To starboard is a retired couple, Luc is well into his 80s. They take their Oceanis 38 out for a sail for a couple of hours every day if the weather is nice. When we are there he urges us to go out and race him. Luc and I enjoy joshing each other about Franco-British naval engagements (my boat being called BENBOW is a particular delight to him).

To port we have a friendly young couple from Tours who have a thriving small business, and essentially use their stinkpot as a country cottage. He’d really prefer a sailing boat, but his wife isn’t keen and they enjoy the space they have.

Frogmogman is I assume you acquainted with the 7 Years War, the Battle of St Cast, La Colonne and the Cimtiere des Braves at St Cast?

 

[Frogmogman]

Frogmogman is I assume you acquainted with the 7 Years War, the Battle of St Cast, La Colonne and the Cimtiere des Braves at St Cast?

Oh yes.

 

[Poignard]

We sailed across to France every summer from 1998 until 2014, and then we kept our boat in Brittany from 2014 until we sold her there in 2025.

Apart from one grumpy restaurant owner and a motorist who [understandably] took vociferous exception to my carelessly forgetting the give-way-to-the-right rule, we never found the many French people we encountered anything but friendly and helpful.

 

[ashtead]

Never found the sailors anything but helpful but some marina staff seem to forget they are a service industry for visiting guests.