From Lin, France, October 2019

01 October 2019

Lin, Bretagne, France

1) Following a very successful but stressful career in UK... but resulting in a nervous breakdown... my escape became my camper van... in 2003 I came for the first time to Bretagne... found my space... knew I had to live here... In 2004 I found my Home... enabled me to come off antidepressants... recharged my life... worked hard in UK to renovate my Home... I still had a flat in the UK but, that was just for work! Home was Bretagne!! Moved here permanently in 2012, working as a Gardener... no stress... but it wouldn't last... 2014 year of cancer, 2015, year of house fire, 2016 year of Hospital pneumonia! But life was good... I had many new friends lots of support, felt part of the community. 2) I had built my life here, self sufficient mainly, work for international clients but after cancer had to revise my life reduce my workload... I am supported by a UK charity based in Paris so I'm not a burden on the State but life was good, then came the house fire and consequential pneumonia...  3) The day I came out of hospital Cameron announced the Referendum... my heart sank... but it would be ok... UK would vote Remain!! Luckily my soulmate arrived in March... Bertie... we sat together on the night of the referendum... we sat up all night... when the result became obvious I sobbed... devastated... distraught, betrayed, what was all my fight for if I would lose my home... my life here... Bertie saved me! ... 4) Since the referendum I have been campaigning to save of Citizens Rights, help others get Carte d'sejour residence card... for myself this is difficult after cancer and lower income... 3 refusals but with support of RIFT and ECAS I have to go through a court case to stay in my own home, to be able to continue to recover and rebuild my work. I have lost clients who have sold their holiday home... I have clients who have taken another citizenship... German and Dutch and Irish to be able to continue their lives here... I'm determined to stay...

Lin

This postcard is one of several collated as part of collaboration between Dr Michaela Benson and the Migration Museum. A selection of these appears in the Postcards from the British in Europe installation in Departures, the museum's current exhibition exploring four centuries of emigration from Britain, bringing Britain’s emigration story and its emigrants into the national conversation about migration

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Lin in Bretagne