Fifteen years ago I moved to France with my husband and a burgeoning baby bump, lured by low property prices and the chance to quit our jobs as teachers.
After years of cuts, austerity and Covid, I’d begun to worry the place I’d be returning to might feel as alien as France did when I’d first arrived, with its unfathomable bureaucracy, shops that closed on Mondays and habitual lunchtime (and sometimes morning) drinking.
I was concerned about poor public services (with councils in England absorbing a 27% real-terms cut in core spending power since 2010, who wouldn’t be?).
I’ve noticed worn flooring and thoroughly chipped paintwork across the buildings in my children’s schools, and can’t help but worry about the effect this must have on pupil and staff morale.
Having arrived at my local surgery to register seven new patients, I was worried I might be given short shrift – the last thing overworked staff need is an increase in demand.
Using an app for medical care (unheard of back in 2009, when nobody I knew yet owned a smartphone – and still not routinely used in France), I’ve had to ask for clarification several times on how to get a repeat prescription.
The original article contains 1,016 words, the summary contains 203 words. Saved 80%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Fifteen years ago I moved to France with my husband and a burgeoning baby bump, lured by low property prices and the chance to quit our jobs as teachers.
After years of cuts, austerity and Covid, I’d begun to worry the place I’d be returning to might feel as alien as France did when I’d first arrived, with its unfathomable bureaucracy, shops that closed on Mondays and habitual lunchtime (and sometimes morning) drinking.
I was concerned about poor public services (with councils in England absorbing a 27% real-terms cut in core spending power since 2010, who wouldn’t be?).
I’ve noticed worn flooring and thoroughly chipped paintwork across the buildings in my children’s schools, and can’t help but worry about the effect this must have on pupil and staff morale.
Having arrived at my local surgery to register seven new patients, I was worried I might be given short shrift – the last thing overworked staff need is an increase in demand.
Using an app for medical care (unheard of back in 2009, when nobody I knew yet owned a smartphone – and still not routinely used in France), I’ve had to ask for clarification several times on how to get a repeat prescription.
The original article contains 1,016 words, the summary contains 203 words. Saved 80%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!