MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Settling in the Falklands
Good publicity about settling in the Falklands has appeared in an English newspaper, the Sussex Argus, which interviewed a couple who emigrated ten years ago.
In a two -page feature article, illustrated with pictures of life in the Falklands and of the 1982 Conflict, Graham and Jane France explain how much they enjoy life in the Islands since leaving their home in Lancing in Sussex, in Southern England, ten years ago.
Former civil servant Graham, aged 67, was based in Saudi Arabia during the 1982 Conflict after which he went to the Falklands to work as a building control specialist. He was so "enchanted" by the islands, he persuaded his wife, a Seychelles-born nurse, and his son, Ian, an electrician, to emigrate with him in 1990.
The reaction of friends and family was mixed. ""We were either very silly to want to go and work in that awful place or we were extremely fortunate to see that part of the world with all its wonderful wildlife".
His wife worked in the hospital in Stanley where the acquired a plot of land in Snake Hill and erected their house, from a complete kit imported from Aberdeen in Scotland, "complete to the last light bulb".
He tells the newspaper: "We have an excellent quality of life in a near-crime-free environment with a friendly population where you look out for each other. ..Never have we been made so welcome... I have no desperate wish to return to Sussex.
"We enjoy a wonderful view over Stanley Harbour and have a good sighting of the cruise ships ... Schooling is free and the schools in Stanley are up to United Kingdom standards ... a first-class health service is free to residents.
"The islands get more sunshine hours than southern England and less rainfall than the UK average...After the pictures of the conditions of the fighting in 1982, it is difficult to convince people who don't live here that we have some excellent weather".
Jane France says she would rather spend a winter in the Falkland Islands than on the Sussex coast. They enjoy professional shows provided by the Combined Services Entertainment Group from Mount Pleasant. Graham France spends much of his leisure time at the golf course which he helped to design.
Harold Briley, London
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