One of the great traits of the French is their total lack of awe for authority.

If the government says it is going to do something with which the majority disagrees, then the people react. This usually means bringing the country to a juddering halt but they do get listened to and the government of the day knows it has a fight on its hands. Nine times out of ten it is the government that gives way to the overwhelming popular clamour.

The last time this happened in Britain was the tanker driver’s protest a few years ago that nearly brought the country to a standstill. The government was in a flat spin and promised to respond to their grievances in order to get them back to work.

When all had quietened down they brought in legislation banning such a re-occurrence and the great British public, having been almost in a state of euphoria at the driver’s cheek at rattling the government, sat back and did nothing.

This is probably why France does not have intrusive cameras on every street corner, nor a ‘jobsworth’ around every bend telling people what they can and cannot do, and why the numbing culture of political correctness now exists on a widespread basis in the UK today.

In short, France is not the ‘nanny state’ that Britain has become and visitors to France experience and enjoy an almost tangible difference the minute they arrive in the country. 

Fraser Blake, 70, author of 'Dear Chips' and 'A Rant Too Far?' grew up in Africa, was at school in Scotland, and worked for the British South Africa Police in Southern Rhodesia. He has taught English in Saudi Arabia and sold and renovated hundreds of properties in Northern France.

In 1998 Fraser was selling houses in the Mayenne department of the Pays de la Loire region and so was the obvious choice, when Cle France was started, to be their first agent on the ground in France. In retirement he writes, blogs, cooks, drinks wine, and hosts to dinner unlimited numbers of ex-pats.

Always on hand with a viewpoint, Fraser is going to share his views on France, the French and the British, and other people who buy in France. Sometimes informative, sometimes funny, painfully true, outrageously opinionated but always entertaining so we hope it adds a slightly different dimension to the usual normality of searching through the fantastic properties for sale on the Cle France website.

If you want more? then follow the links above where you can buy Fraser's published books.