Nantes, in north-west France, was not an obvious choice for Briton Sue Alouche, 66.
Her French husband originally hailed from just outside Paris, and neither of them knew Nantes when he received a job offer there in 2004.
The pair, who both worked in design, visited the city to see if it might suit their young family.
“We liked the atmosphere and vibe and thought, yes, why not?” she says.
“We didn’t want to go to a busy city like Paris – we wanted to bring up our kids somewhere quieter, greener.
“It’s on the river, not far from the sea, with lots of vineyards and green spaces. I felt like it would be a more relaxed way of living than the UK.”
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Family challenges
Moving with two small children was not easy, however. While her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter soon settled into the play and colouring-focused maternelle (kindergarten), her older son, six, struggled with the very different structure of primary school compared to the UK.
“He started school in England and loved it, and then we came to France and I just couldn’t believe the way small kids were taught; it was so regimented and serious. It was much more creative in England than it was in France.
Sue Alouche: ‘We liked the atmosphere and vibe in Nantes’Sue Alouche
“In the early days they both used to say: ‘Mum, why did we leave?’ And that is really hard. But they got on with it and they made good lives out of it eventually.”
Soon after arriving, Sue set up Knowing Nantes, a network for the anglophone community in the city that has just celebrated its 20th anniversary.
“I set up Knowing Nantes to bring anglophones together and I was so surprised by the reaction,” she says.
Now a thriving Facebook group, Knowing Nantes is where English speakers can connect, ask questions or join offshoot clubs, from parenting and social groups to book clubs.
“There’s also Knowing Nantes Business, which is interesting for people who want to set themselves up as a freelancer, start their own business, or get a job in France.”
Two decades after moving, Sue still loves the city.
“As a family we found lots to do here and met nice people. And it is French – there is this traditional aspect of Nantes as well as the modern places to go, which is great.”
Nantes essentials
Her local tips include a visit to Butte Sainte-Anne. “It’s an area of Nantes that is elevated, it’s very villagey and it looks out over what they call a jardin extraordinaire, which is a new garden they have built from nothing – it’s amazing.
“There’s a nice gallery and bistros, and in that area there is also a really big pub, the Little Atlantique Brewery.”
She also enjoys visiting friends in Trentemoult, “a lovely fishing village on the River Loire”.
Soon after moving, Sue got a job at the Ecole de Design in Nantes, and has since taught marketing and branding across the region.
Her job has even led to meeting people in very high places.
“When I first arrived it was really hard to be freelance, and then Nicolas Sarkozy set up the auto-entrepreneur status in 2009. This was a revolution because it meant that people like me could suddenly be independent.”
Sue was one of the first 500 auto-entrepreneurs and was invited to the Elysée Palace to meet the president.
She might have missed out had she listened to her husband, who was sure the invitation was fake when it arrived.
“It’s my claim to fame,” says Sue. “My in-laws were so impressed!”
