In response to Paul Wood: Migrants and the French revolution

Alice Williams wrote:

Tragic.

LordOfMisrule wrote:

I last visited Saint-Denis and its magnificent basilica three years ago. It is a beautiful church and so rich in history. It is now surrounded by modern buildings and is a bit of an incongruous sight. As the late, great Ian Nairn wrote, it is like finding Winchester Cathedral in Tottenham. Those words are even truer now. The ethnic mix of the town is very striking, more so than anywhere I have been in England. The subway trains up there are always crowded and uncomfortable.

Mr Wood is right to say the France of church and crown is the true France. Anyone who believes so must visit Reims, the site of the Coronation. Has the republic really made life better for people? Have some of France’s Presidents really been an improvement on their Kings? After de Gaulle, they are a sorry and unimpressive lot.

Ravenscar wrote:

Quote: ‘It reminded me a little of Algiers, a city I love, but Algiers feels very much more French: the inhabitants are white, many men wear berets there and veils are illegal.’