brownie Posted October 10, 2006 Report Posted October 10, 2006 From the Guardian (source: Press Association) THIERRY FACTOR SCORES WITH BRITISH FANS OF FRANCE Press Association Monday October 9, 2006 Enemies on the battlefield through history, certainly. The butt of cheap jokes, perhaps. But despite the rivalry, many Britons secretly envy the French. According to a survey carried out for French Wines Week, a fifth would prefer to up sticks and move across the Channel, or to have been born there in the first place. It's not the cooking, spring in Paris, or a love of wines that is the source of the desire. Instead, Britons are said to have been charmed by the "Thierry factor" - the rise of French celebrities such as the Arsenal footballer Thierry Henry and his many high-profile fellow internationals who have come to play in the English premier league. The love of French culture was revealed after more than 1,000 people were asked for their views on Europe as part of the French Wines Week report. More than a third of British people (37%) would like to move to France in retirement, while only 30% would like to continue to live in the UK. Overall, 32% of Britons under the age of 50 said they would prefer to live in France, while only 23% chose the UK as the ideal dwelling place. Italy and Spain were the joint third most popular European destinations, with both countries gaining 19% of the votes. Experts think our fascination with France has grown steadily over the past decade thanks to the more relaxed way of life and the stylish celebrities. Nick Wall, editor of France magazine, said the "Thierry factor" was a major influence in how Brits viewed the French. Films such as The Da Vinci Code, starring Audrey Tautou and Jean Reno, as well as Russell Crowe's A Good Year, are said to have had an impact on the way we regard the country. The report, which polled 1,010 adults across the UK this summer, showed that Britons seemed to be more aware of French cultural and historic icons than their own ones. While 93% of British people could name the Eiffel tower, only 83% could identify Blackpool's equivalent. More people could name the Arc de Triomphe (69%) than London's Marble Arch (40%). When it comes to dinner, a glass of French wine goes down much more easily than traditional British ale, according to the survey. Four out of 10 Britons thought that wine was the perfect drink to accompany a meal, while only one in 20 opted for a glass of bitter. Mr Wall said French wines were difficult to beat. He said: "Every vineyard produces a wine that's unique. And French Wines Week is the perfect opportunity to discover the passion of French winemakers and their commitment to the quality of their wines. The sheer range of French wines guarantees that there's a bottle out there to suit everyone, whatever the budget or occasion." French Wines Week - billed as a seven-day celebration of the quality and diversity offered by the wine regions of France - runs until October 15. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 Quote
sidewinder Posted October 10, 2006 Report Posted October 10, 2006 This 1/5th are just a bunch of layabout freeloaders who think they'll have an easy time over there ! Quote
Head Man Posted October 10, 2006 Report Posted October 10, 2006 This 1/5th are just a bunch of layabout freeloaders who think they'll have an easy time over there ! and the remaining 4/5ths are ..............what? Quote
king ubu Posted October 10, 2006 Report Posted October 10, 2006 This 1/5th are just a bunch of layabout freeloaders who think they'll have an easy time over there ! and the remaining 4/5ths are ..............what? They're all those weirdos producing the british humour! Quote
Claude Posted October 10, 2006 Report Posted October 10, 2006 Other statistics show that British food is very popular: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/news/newsbeat/061010_fat.shtml Quote
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted October 10, 2006 Report Posted October 10, 2006 More than a third of British people (37%) would like to move to France in retirement, while only 30% would like to continue to live in the UK. I'm with the other 33% who don't want to live in either France or Britain. We'll manage it one day, maybe. MG Quote
Head Man Posted October 10, 2006 Report Posted October 10, 2006 More than a third of British people (37%) would like to move to France in retirement, while only 30% would like to continue to live in the UK. I'm with the other 33% who don't want to live in either France or Britain. We'll manage it one day, maybe. MG Where then.......Mars? Quote
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted October 10, 2006 Report Posted October 10, 2006 More than a third of British people (37%) would like to move to France in retirement, while only 30% would like to continue to live in the UK. I'm with the other 33% who don't want to live in either France or Britain. We'll manage it one day, maybe. MG Where then.......Mars? Namibia, if they can get their land reallocation schemes working without ruining the economy, as happened in Zimbabwe. MG Quote
mikeweil Posted October 10, 2006 Report Posted October 10, 2006 (edited) If I were Brit, I'd want to be French, too ...... Edited October 10, 2006 by mikeweil Quote
brownie Posted October 10, 2006 Author Report Posted October 10, 2006 If I were Brit, I'd want to be French, too ...... Exactly how I feel Quote
king ubu Posted October 10, 2006 Report Posted October 10, 2006 If I were Brit, I'd want to be French, too ...... Exactly how I feel Glad I am not German! Quote
mikeweil Posted October 10, 2006 Report Posted October 10, 2006 Why? Aren't the Swiss just another German tribe .... Quote
sidewinder Posted October 10, 2006 Report Posted October 10, 2006 If I were Brit, I'd want to be French, too ...... By becoming Canadian, one can achieve this ! Quote
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted October 10, 2006 Report Posted October 10, 2006 If I were Brit, I'd want to be French, too ...... By becoming Canadian, one can achieve this ! But the weather's even worse in that part of Canada than it is here! MG Quote
king ubu Posted October 11, 2006 Report Posted October 11, 2006 Why? Aren't the Swiss just another German tribe .... There were many who thought so, alas, and there's no way anyone here can be proud about that... Quote
mikeweil Posted October 11, 2006 Report Posted October 11, 2006 (edited) Well, I don't worry about Swiss future, considering the nation has survived the era of the worst German tribalists ..... p.s. using the Fast Reply feature has one disadvantage: if you don't recall the code for certain smilies, people may get you wrong .......... Edited October 12, 2006 by mikeweil Quote
king ubu Posted October 12, 2006 Report Posted October 12, 2006 I used the smiley I intended to use, as an expression of my anger about part of more recent (and current) swiss politics and construction of identity... anyway, that doesn't belong in this forum Quote
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