Tower and Town, June 2022

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Saleha, Originally from Paris, France

I will never forget when I first arrived in Marlborough in January 1999. My first thought was, 'What have I done?'. I could only see a wild-west-like High Street surrounded by nothing. I hadn't chosen Marlborough. I had only contacted a work-placement agency and 'voilà', I landed in 'Sleepy Town', at the wonderful Ivy House Hotel.

My name is Salèha. I am originally from Paris and I had never lived or been in the countryside before. Now, Marlborough has a special place in my heart. It is also where I met my husband Michael.

I was only supposed to stay one year in the UK to learn English, but fate and love decided otherwise. After meeting my husband, we moved a lot before deciding to come back to Marlborough to settle as a family. After Enzo my son was born, it seemed the right place to be.

Marlborough has always been a very welcoming place. I remember people saying, 'You look so French', and 'Your background is so interesting. Tell me more'. This was so different from France. Being from an Algerian Kabyle (Berber) background meant that growing up in France was not always easy. Between the constant questioning of my origins by the 'Français de souches', or white French, and the heart-breaking attitude from the Algerians, not wanting anything to do with the French-born Algerians, I always felt that between the two countries, I was never accepted. Marlborough was the only place where I was welcomed open-armed, and I am proud to call it home. It is where I belong.

I am not pretending it has never been difficult. Being from a French, Mediterranean background, our attitude towards life is different and culturally at odds at times. The most challenging for me was the playground. When my son started primary school, I did not have the best experience. I clashed a lot with some parents.

My take on English culture is, 'Always look on the bright side', because here, I have made long lasting friendships and I would not change a thing. This is my home. I proudly retain my French and Algerian citizenship, my husband keeps his Anglo-Austrian roots, and religiously we nurture our mixture of three religions, Islam, Church of England and Jewish. I feel patriotic towards the United Kingdom and have adopted the Queen. This is our cultural gift to my son and a precious identity that we cherish as a family.

I don't believe there is a recipe to finding happiness as a foreigner. One must adapt, be open minded, be prepared to learn, discover and adopt others' traditions and ways of living. But one must never refute, neglect and compromise with their own origins and culture. It's a fine balance and the result is amazing.

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