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Got sorted to go our nearest big town to pay some bills as off to France Sunday, got my bus pass ready then looked for my wallet, could we find it anywhere, no. looked in the car as its about fully loaded, not there looked all over the house. but I could remember putting it into some bag, looked through all the bags that might be used, then thought I might have to cancel the cards as we will be in France for 6 weeks and wanted to make sure they couldn't be used just in case the wallet was mislaid outside. Phoned Barclays to cancel, they don't want you to speak to humans, they asked for the debit card number, but I don't have it, in the end I put the phone down frustrated. Got on bus and went to Staines, visited Barclays there, it has just become a large room with loads of self service machines with one poor receptionist trying to sort out all the visitors. They are a joke, when this is sorted I'm changing banks. Got home and swmbo said look in the fridge, well on Wednesday we purchased a large pack of bacon to split and try to smuggle some into France on Sunday, you guessed it wallet was in the bag we put the bacon in. Where is that darkened room.

Having only arrived to our current home in December 2022, we don't have lots of years of experience with weather here. However, I will say that Winter of 2023/2024 was FAR wetter than the previous Winter. In fact I think the rain started n October 2023 and it was a rare day between then and March 2024 that it didn't rain. Everyone was talking about it. Really does a number on your mood. And like Menthe, we like to walk each day but not in the rain. So, we miss being outside. We have managed to get some plants in the ground, but then the freeze came, so we are keeping an eye on everything. Put some tomato, cucumber and pepper plants in the ground and so far, they are still alive. Miracle after that last storm that brought small bits of hail. Now we have the same risk for tomorrow.. Be a miracle if it survives. The grass got mowed and strimmed yesterday while a light rain was falling. At least it got done.

Glad to see it back. 😀

Well, we have the Saints de Glace which is a cold spell in late April to sometime in the first week of May so big drop in temperature and some frosts. But the Gods of Weather seem about to give us warm southerly breezes. Finally I sill be able to finish getting thengarden into some sort of shape; there are queues of plants waiting to go in and they are beginning to mutter. Plus I have grandson for a week so will have to go out more than usual.

It's the weirdest weather I have known in my umpteen years here. Planning to walk with friends this afternoon as it's been sunny and only a bit cold this morning but I made the mistake of looking at the météo. It says, orage and grêles this afternoon! So it will be lunch at home and perhaps I'll make some bread. I am no domestic goddess, moi, so this does not seem like an attractive alternative to a walk and perhaps taking some pictures on my new phone and see if they come up upside down like Noisette's.

Good tip, kingfisher, except that I'll probably mislay the stylus.......now you have reminded me that I am forgetful as well as clumsy, thanks!😜

Well, fingers crossed and long may we last. The return is down to the technical chaps who are part of the new set up. But it also shows the interest that management have in the Forum for which many thanks. Now, guys and gals, just keep posting, even overposting, squabble, offer help, even albf ( we can always ‘modify’ his posts!), plus your own take on France, property and the rest.

Try a quick search on ebay.fr or similar and grab a "stylus for phone". Just over a euro from China. I use one a lot as my chubby fingers were not designed for precision typing on a smartphone😉

Good to see it back

I tried Dave's suggestion of saving a photo upside down, then posting it, but it stayed upside down 🤨 I've found an (old) explanation of why it happens on Google, but no solution yet...

Looks PC on a PC - picture of France, not Australia

Have pity....it's a bit early in the morning for looking at upside-down photos 😁 Perhaps after a coffee.....😂

Couple of weeks ago it was 30 degrees then it turned on a dime. Just had a week of wind and now forecast for a week of rain. Happy for the rain ( might get to run the pool this year ) but the grass could certainly do with a cut.

Morning Noisette, I use a mac & just done a test & it was fine. Hopefully someone else will come along soon with a PC. Can you save a copy upside down on the Asus first?

Could some kind person explain why the photos I attempted to post all appear upside down? Uploaded from 'Images' on an Asus laptop running Win11....I've had problems with them uploading on their sides, elsewhere, but this is a new variant 😂 No option for whizzing them around in a drop-down menu, either....TIA

Is it me or is this the coldest, wettest spring for at least 15 years? How are your gardens doing? From what I can see of mine from the windows, the early flowers are certainly lasting longer due to the low temperatures, and the paper wasps are getting knocked back a bit, but that's it for the silver linings 😁

Fingers crossed that it works out OK, I've even missed Norman. 😀

dept71, you could be spot on. Still, we can at least let it go out with a bang and not fizzle out like a damp squib?

No, don't want to change keyboards. It's just that these on-screen keyboards do me no favours as my clumsy fingers keep tapping the wrong key. I could touch-type and OH says that's my problem right there and that I just need to type with one finger at a time. Yes, everything does get larger if you put the phone on its side or use two fingers to stretch the text. Anyway, I chose a pretty blue phone and my battery has died on my latest wrist watch so I tell OH I have bought the phone so that I could tell the time. A lot easier than trying to change the battery on the watch!

I think it's genuine too though I wasn't offered a choice. There was a code on my letter and, when I entered it, it took me straight to the offer.

Menthe, I presume you can change keyboards (ie French or English, or something else) I find that helps .. also if you turn the phone on its side, the letters get larger!! At least they do on mine! Good luck.

And even if it goes west, we can at least let it go with a bang?

I used 1.15, as advised by my financial advisor, who by chance, I talked to last week.

It was good, but sadly, I could find ways of improving it .. more seats, and a café, for example! A tiring place to walk around. Totaly agree, come on folks, POST!! Keep this forum alive!!

dept71, indeed you may well be spot on. But isn't that all the more reason to make the most of it while we still can?