In Huelgoat, two new French people with English accent – Huelgoat

“Now I’m going to vote what I can.” On Friday, December 16, 2022, Mark Luxton and Helen McKenzie, two Holcotines of British origin, were admitted to the French territory of the province of Quimper, together with about thirty others, in the presence of Mélanie Thome, Vice-President of the Sixth Constituency. Finistère and Philippe Mahé, Prime Minister of Finistère.

A full life in France

For Helen McKenzie, it was the culmination of a beautiful love story that began in 1976. “I came to France with my parents when I was a child, so I have always considered myself French”. After spending most of his life in the south of France, he arrives in central Brittany in 2020. “I got tired of the concrete of the Côte d’Azur, so I sold my apartment, took a plane and landed here. I immediately felt something, and now it’s my home.”

A solid life choice

From studies

For Mark Luxton, the insanity with Brittany began 25 years ago. “I did a French degree in England to become an English teacher in France. I arrived in Huelgoat five years after I took my caps in Brest in 1997.

One who now teaches English at the Tristan-Corbière high school in Morlaix already knows Brittany well. “My parents had a second home in Huelgoat. That’s why I came here. Since then, they have sold their house and squatted in mine when they came.

A journey

of the fighter

Studying for French citizenship is a real hurdle. After the development of a large file, it must be completely at risk of restarting, the waiting period varies from two to three years. “I’m lucky, because I’m a civil servant, I only waited a year,” rejoices Mark Luxton. One fine day, the exam call letter arrives. The person is then quizzed about the French language, history or geography. “I was a bit stressed and I had edited well,” Helen McKenzie recounts. After passing the test, the applicant waits six months before re-entering the country. “The day I got the email saying I’m French, it was the happiest day of my life… after the birth of my daughter”, now a French citizen.

Find the passport

European

In addition to symbolizing the consolidation of a long-standing relationship with France, Brexit is, for Britons, tantamount to a return to the European Union by acquiring French nationality.

“We had less freedom. It’s much easier to travel in Europe now,” says Mark Luxton. Both French citizens regained the right to vote.

For Mark Luxton, already a candidate in the municipal elections, in Huelgoat in 2014, a role in long-term, local life is possible. “I need ideas and time.” For Helen McKenzie, the next column for the referendum will be her first. “I never got to vote because I left England when I was a child. So my first vote will be here and I’ll vote everything I can from now on. I’ll even be in front of the town hall when it opens,” he promises.