Monday 7 November 2011

écovallée on Little England

Last Spring, écovallée got a phone call from ITV asking if we’d be interested in being filmed for “Little England” - a 12-part prime-time TV series scheduled for broadcast later in the year.

Four and a half years ago we’d have said no.

We’d just had the BBC round to do a piece on the Daughter’s school in Brighton. A very well-dressed, well-spoken guy showed up at our house at 7.30 in the morning. He did all the filming himself, and the sound recording, and the interviewing, filmed some more at the school, and even more at a political party conference, then cut together a few minutes for the lunchtime news and a longer special report for that evening. He was incredible - and incredibly nice - and I guess he worked that hard every day.

But for us, once was enough. It was a strain having to edit what you were thinking before you said it out loud. Her Outdoors did brilliantly, producing amazing soundbites from nowhere (and I’m supposed to be the writer), but afterwards she said: ‘Never again’. I had to agree - even though we were about to leave the country for rural France.

We didn’t want cameras in our faces when we were screwing up, exposing our total ignorance, shouting, crying, bleeding and everything else we expected to experience as we went from suburban family to yurt-dwelling smallholders. We wanted to enjoy it all privately.

OK, I’ve blogged the whole thing. But Her Outdoors has always said these posts lack emotional content. Having re-read them as background to a book I’m writing, I see what she means.

I’ve always tried to make light of what we’ve been through in “Dordogneshire”. But for far too long, it was hell. We lost a load of money, were ripped off, lied to, misled, exploited and punished for being English - and we discovered this is normal. I read recently that 18 out of 20 ex-pats who move here return to England, broke and broken by the experience. It sounds a lot, but it’s possible. Most of the people we know live in some kind of survival and they all have horror stories to tell.

It would make great telly. But that’s not what Little England is about.

Little England is about the sunny side of the Dordogne, which is one of the reasons we said yes to doing the show (not just because the producers are so nice - or for the free publicity). It’s gentle, feel-good TV with beautiful scenery. As a viewer, I think some shows have worked better than others. As a participant, I hope Geoffrey Palmer goes easy on us. But as someone who’s made the move, I want to warn people who might be tempted to follow the thousands of people who have made this part of France their home.

Yes, it’s a beautiful place (we didn’t know quite how beautiful until after we moved here). Yes, you can buy a large property for a relatively small amount of money (still well over-priced, as French and English alike attempt to take advantage of newcomers’ ignorance). Yes, the sun shines a lot (which is why we chose this part of the country to live under canvas). But as the occasional comment in Little England reveals, making a living here is unimaginably hard.

We haven’t done it yet. Last year’s money from the yurts went back into the infrastructure, buying the solar shower, gravel filter, new canvas and more. We’ve only survived at all thanks to the overwhelming generosity of what I call the English mafia, our friends and family, and the eventual backing of our mayor.

From next year, depending on the economy, we will move from survival to thrival (Her’s Outdoors’ expression - see what I mean about sound bites?). It feels like we’ve gained many lifetimes of experience over the last four and a half years. It’s been a genuine emotional rollercoaster, with elation, horror, fear, love, pain and joy - and our world’s been turned upside down many times.

I don’t know what exposing ourselves to an audience of several million people will do (we’re due to appear on November 14th and December 5th on ITV1, at 8pm), but it felt right to say yes. Whatever happens, we’re determined to enjoy the ride.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Looking forward to watching it, hope your all well. Niki X

the devolutionary said...

We might be on the last few seconds tonight, too. Eek.

Hophead said...

Good luck from Nick ( in Brighton) and now a happy Ex- TV person!

the devolutionary said...

Ex-TV person? Tell me more!

dND said...

Well, I'm looking forward to seeing your valley on TV :-)

As you say, their aim is to have a feel-good show so I hope it doesn't encourage people to move over with unrealistic hopes; as you say, it's tough to make a legal living here.

It is quite an interlinked community here though. I've always thought of myself as outside the expat circle but I've known either directly. or indirectly, someone on each programme!

Anyway, I hope they've done a good job editing and that you see a boost in bookings too - you deserve it for all the work you've both done.

the devolutionary said...

Thanks Deb. I said a few inappropriate things. But then again, I always do. In my old job, many a suit refused to have me in client meetings 'cos they didn't know what I was going to say. Which worked for me. Never been a big fan of meetings. It'll be very interesting to see what they've chosen to include...

Hophead said...

Aged and frail Parent ( not me!) meant work wasn't an option for at least a year and now it's too late to get back in really. Also my big fat 60'th ( great TV Cliche number 5!) is next year so it's time for a change. I saw your trailer last night. I think yours will be by far the most interesting - not too bothered about English blokes flogging steak and kidney pies to the French in the rain or yet another couple setting up a Gite. But that's me being a TV 'purist' after 32 years! Yours is different and worth watching. Plus you win!

the devolutionary said...

Thanks Nick! You nearly made it into this post as a TV producer I met at the bus stop in Brighton, but you got left on the cutting room floor.

Very appropriate in the circumstances.

You did well to stick at something for 32 years. Blimey. What's the plan for the next 32? Or are you going to do a bit of everything (highly recommended)? Come down and see us sometime.

misterkelvin said...

Is there any way I will be able to watch this in SE Asia?

Like uhm, an illegal link on youtube???

the devolutionary said...

Um, eventually. I'll put up a link when it's done...

Hophead said...

How brutal to be left on the cutting room floor ...again! I may surprise you and turn up one day...by the way you should offer land-skill courses in the Winter. All the best for now.

Kalba Meadows said...

Wish I could watch you next week, but we only have French TV ... roll on that YouTube link! Grand chapeau to you both for doing it - we once took part in a tellyprog when we had the resto in north Norfolk - it was a bloody nightmare! They wanted us to do all sorts of completely (to us) out of order things involving criminal wastage of food and wine just to get camera bites. I refused, of course, which as you can imagine went down like a brick shithouse. I was - erm - oddly edited as a punishment! Happy days.

the devolutionary said...

Hophead - that's always been on the cards; we'll get the courses up as soon as possible - got to ride the bureaucracy merry-go-round first.

Kalba - very interested to see how they portray us. All the words will be ours, but in what order I wonder.

Hophead said...

We are terrible us TV people. Sometimes we even ask people to do things twice just to get different camera angles and- God forbid - make it more interesting. Sorry I know it can be a pain but sometimes there are good reasons. Don't despair!

the devolutionary said...

The consensus is that they were very kind to us. Huge relief all round - and one booking! Not a massive response from a prime-time show I'll admit but they're an enthusiastic guest and that's what counts.