Over the Garden Wall

Volume 3, Issue 1

January 2010

Front Page

Top of Page

The image of the perfect UK village resident depends very much on your personal perspective. If you were brought up in the village, you will have become accustomed to the ways of the country, the pleasure of knowing everyone and the closeness of the community. On the other hand, if you are someone from a city or a suburban background who aspires to life in a country village, things may be very different. Rural life is direct & demanding, basic and down-to-earth, and this may not fit the idyllic image that many would-be settlers have in their minds and the beliefs that their lives will be enriched, both physically & emotionally.

immediate crime to be an outsider. Often, personal details are effectively and efficiently extracted by the community and passed around like public property to the extent that their victims found only stress and health problems.
Roda is a small village and it doesn’t take long for the community to get to know any newcomer. The most significant difference is that you are judged more by what you do today, rather than what baggage you bring with you and rarely will you be quizzed about your background by anyone. There are arguments and jealousies between local families which may go back many years but, somehow, people recognise the need to live side by side as

part of a small community with common interests and personal issues are of secondary importance. In Greece, people with something to say come right out & speak their minds leaving the target of their tirade in no doubt as to where they stand. There is less evidence of backbiting & bitterness, at least not in the malicious sense that is so destructive. Grievances are often expressed in public and there is none of the embarrassment & shame that comes with ‘airing your dirty washing’, the important difference being that, with facts and opinions out in the open, a compromise can usually be reached that is accepted by all concerned.
How much of this stems from Greece’s democratic heritage is unclear, but it does seem to be

In reality, many newcomers to village life find that their chosen communities are fearful of their intrusion & breeding grounds for gossip. Bickering is rife, locals talk about them behind their backs and it is an

healthier and fairer to everyone than its British equivalent. Add to this the genuine Greek friendliness, tolerance & cosmopolitanism and it is easy to see how so many ex-pats feel there is nowhere else they would rather be.

Over the Garden Wall