Circle Of Friends

Moving to an area of France where you have no personal connections can be daunting, but can also provide a great opportunity to make new friends, as Gillian Harvey finds out

- Gillian Harvey

Serial expat Shona, 53, moved to France in 2011 when her daughter Molly, now 19, reached secondary school age. “My husband Phil, 53, had been working in Dubai, Hong Kong, and India, and we’d moved around a bit, but we wanted somewhere where Molly could settle and learn a second language properly,” explains Shona.

With Phil’s job as a management consultant taking him to different locations, the family had a wealth of options for their permanent home. They settled on France as both Phil and Shona have family in Scotland, but didn’t feel tempted to move back to the UK.

“Once you’ve been a permanent expat you find when you go back people think you’re a bit odd!” explains Shona.

Initially, the family moved close to La Réole, with Phil and Shona sharing the task of driving Molly to school in Bordeaux. However, when Phil took another contract in Hong Kong, Shona made the decision to move closer to the school to make the journey easier. She found herself renting a house next to fellow expat Nicky, 40.

“Nicky’s husband is English and an international rugby player, so like Phil, he was often away,” says Shona. “We struck up a friendship and she introduced me to Gwen, 46, who is also British with a French partner. He’s an ex-international footballer who now works as a TV and radio presenter in Paris, so he is also often away.”

The trio became close with another woman, Laura, 49, whom they met while chatting at the school gates.