Storm Eowyn didn't affect my two-day visit to the French in Scotland !
From 23 to 25 January, I travelled to Edinburgh to meet French people living in Scotland, and despite the storm, there were no losses or injuries in our community. Unfortunately, the weather conditions forced me to cancel the second part of the programme in Glasgow. But that's just a temporary reprieve.
Click on the link below for a short film recap of my trip :
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFVhbuPgqoE/?igsh=MXFjODA3eTk2bXNwaw==
As we celebrate the 730th anniversary of the Auld Alliance, an alliance forged in the 12th century between the kingdoms of France and Scotland, the links between our two countries have not aged a bit thanks to the French community living beyond Hadrian's Wall. It is this community that keeps our language and culture alive on a daily basis in Scotland.
These two days were rich and intense with a lot of encounters.
I encountered a number of committed French, including Manuel Maarek, representative of the small school in Edinburgh, Sarah Lachhab, co-founder of ‘Wee Ecosse’ and author of a book on Scottish cuisine, Valérie Laplanche, French teacher, Richard Bouglet, owner of ‘l'Art du Vin’, Christine Reynet, CEO of McC+R&D Consulting, and Franck Bruyère, CEO of the Royal Yacht Britannia. They all told me about their expatriate experiences and their inspiring projects.
Furthermore, this trip was a total literary immersion. I had the pleasure of visiting the premises of ‘La Belle Adventure’ bookshop, a true paradise for fans of comic strips and graphic novels. The project is the brainchild of Benoît and Anabelle Guilloux, two French based in Edinburgh. I also had a chat with Assa Samaké-Roman, author of Hadrian and the Unicorn, a book about Scottish distinctiveness and its foundation in antiquity.
I would like to thank Christian Albuisson, your President of the Consular Council, as well as his colleagues Véronique Miller and Brigitte Guénier, who shared with me the expectations and aspirations of our community.
I would also like to thank Stéphane Pailler, Consul General of France in Edinburgh and Glasgow, for his warm welcome and dedication to the French in Scotland. Finally, this trip was an opportunity to talk with all of you and to confirm that Scotland is a land of opportunities for French people.
I look forward to seeing you in October as we celebrate our oldest alliance !
