LOCKDOWN IS PANTS
Pair’s rental pad is a ‘house of filth’
A couple who have moved from Paris to Paisley to retire had to be rescued from a filthy flat they were quarantined in.
Rose-marie Dardelet Foulon and her partner Eric Dine swapped the suburbs of the French capital for a new life in the town.
But their dream start to retired life turned out to be pants... with discarded underwear left in the Neilston Road flat they were renting while searching for a permanent home.
The filthy flat they rented through Gumtree to stay in during a two- week quarantine, also had urine-stained rugs and dog biscuits stuffed into the couch.
Rose-marie, 68, gave up after spending hours trying to clean it and felt trapped in the mandatory isolation.
She said: “It really was the house of filth. We even had underwear hanging up.
“I don’t know how anyone would think they could let out a property like this.”
The French couple were disgusted after finding dog biscuits on the couch, a rug soiled with urine and cupboards over-flowing with junk.
When retired English teacher Rose-marie issued a plea for help on Friday night, her call was answered by restaurateur and chair of Paisley First Colette Cardosi.
Colette said: “I am here to promote Paisley and I had to do something.
“Rose-marie chose to come and live in Paisley.
“I had to show the couple that Paisley cares for people.
“My main priority was to make them safe and well.
“They were just so excited about a new home in Paisley and I couldn’t just stand back and do nothing.”
Colette helped Rose-marie deal with the French Embassy over track and trace.
She checked the situation with police as the couple feared the consequences of breaking the 14 day quarantine after arriving from France.
Rose-marie and 46- yearold Eric, an IT expert, are now spending the next ten days isolation in a comfortable flat in the town.
Colette said: “It was difficult, but we managed to get them into a nice rented flat in Paisley after two nights in emergency accommodation.
Rose- marie had been planning the move to Paisley for more than a year and has built up a following on social media.
It has been her dream since she was a teaching assistant in Dundee in 1974 to retire to Scotland.
They sold up everything they had and moved from the Parisienne suburb of Sevran.
But it was Paisley she fell in love with during an extended trip last year - snubbing Glasgow for being too busy and packed with tourists.
Colette said: “I think this was fate as she said they made the decision to move to Paisley after they stepped off the bus right outside my restaurant Pendulum.
“They looked at each other and said ‘ this is the place.’
On Friday the couple flew into Glasgow Airport and bought groceries before heading straight to the flat.
Colette added: “She tried to clean the fridge for three hours and got totally overwhelmed.
“Cupboards and the spare bedroom were full of stuff, the kitchen counters were filthy.
“I am just so glad we could give them a proper welcome - what got me is they are just so passionate about Paisley.”