I am one of the retired Brits who came to live in France and I do not regret my decision. However, there are areas of disappointment and surprisingly these relate to things which France does not do as well as the UK. And even more surprisingly, it is because we are now better than the French at things they have traditionally excelled in. For example, food and wine. In England, I can go to almost any major city and choose from a range of cuisine and wine styles from all over the world. But in France it is just the same old Magret de Canard and Vin de Bordeaux. And while this was great 45 years ago when I first started coming here, it now falls short of international expectations. Then in a completely different area, French bureaucracy stifles, infuriates and causes harm in a way that used to be the same in the UK, but has now to a very large extent changed. For example, a UK tax form is now as simple as such a document could be. But look at the pages and pages of small print in the French equivalent. No "road map" here! Even people whose first language is French have trouble filling them. In France some 60% of the population work for the government and this may be part of the problem. Of course the government does not have enough real work to keep all those people busy, so they spend their time cooking up rules and regulations for each other to impose and interpret. And every such "fonctionnaire" honestly believes that his or her bit of bureaucracy is at least as important as the medical treatment you are trying to access, the business you are trying to create, etc. And as for everywhere closing for two hours for lunch every day, with all major supermarkets and home improvement stores closed on Sundays, it really is like the UK in the 1950s. And that may be why so many aged Brits like the place. But it bodes very badly for the youth of France who will need to compete against the other 24 EU countries, most of which work harder and better. Name and address withheld

Life in France probably is better if you have an independent income and don't need to find work. There are mind-boggling bureaucratic obstacles in the way of anyone wanting to set up a small business with an obligation to start paying social security contributions even before one has earned any income. The French have a better health service and their small towns and villages look nicer, two things we could well try and imitate, but unemployment is high and not looking like getting any better. Peter Ryder, Middlewich

I have never lived in France, only travelled through. I have however worked in Germany, Holland Spain and Australia. I would prefer any of those to the UK and I suppose I would prefer France too. UK Governments since the 1970s have become "Gradgrind" in outlook to the extent that that people are overworked and stressed, our roads are choked, our towns look all the same and are generally litter-strewn, while the Devil and drink has half of our youth by the throat. Vive la France! Peter Day, Doncaster

The answer is, as always, yes and no. For the wrinklies, definitely yes. Services that you require are much more readily available if you have the time and patience to overcome the stifling bureaucracy and lack of choice; they don't have a national health sevice like in UK so you had better have private top-up insurance to add to the state one, but that is accepted here. But if I was a young French person, I would be off to England as fast as my legs (or Ryanair) could carry me. And to the person who said that good french wine is the best in the world, they cannot have lived there; without a doubt, the very best is not surpassed anywhere but you pay accordingly. There is a reason why the french themselves only consume 50 per cent of what they did 30 years ago - in general, it is overpriced and underqualitied. Colin Grayson, Marvejols, France

Chirac seems to be determined to make as many enemies as possible. It was just last week that he insluted the UK and Finland with his remarks about food. There is nothing to compare to a good French whine. Stanley Beck, Chalmette, Lousisiana

Perhaps Chirac speaks from the point of view of his taste buds; but if one looks at Britain's academic and literary history, well, one ens up being a complete anglo-phile. Rejni Nair, Gaithersberg, USA

Oscar Wilde once said: "A Frenchman is proud to be French, as a German is to be German, a Spaniard Spanish and an Italian Italian. An Englishman is not, however, proud to be British ... he is proud that he is none of the other nationalities. Isobel Marshall, Brockenhurst, Hampshire

Why are you British even thinking that life may be better in France? I can't understand why you aren't happy with where you already live. I live in Finland but I'm dreaming about living in London. You have the best capital of the entire world - I would be proud to be British. Veera Rantala, Kuopio, Finland

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