Delboy

[quote]Rdkr The BMW staff are highly trained to identify unsuitable potential owners - and it works. John[/quote] Reminds me of a joke. Bloke advertises his beamer for sale.  Chap comes along and is very interested.  Vendor starts asking him questions about why he wants a beamer etc and many other things, and finally asks "By the way, are you circumcised?" Potential buyer replies "Well, I can't see the relevance, but, yes I am". Vendor says "Sorry, can't sell you the beamer as you have to be a complete pr*ck to drive a BMW" DB (Volvo driver)    

[quote]Note that the cost of timber for wood burning stoves is going up! We paid 25 Euros a stere 3.5 years ago, now the going rate in this part of Dept 79 seems to be 38 Euros a stere (Cut to 50cm and deliv...[/quote] For budget purposes only, how big/what quantity is a stere?  And is this for a soft or hardwood? Cheers Del  

I DO NOT HAVE 'CONTROL PANEL' I DO NOT HAVE 'RECENT TOPICS' I DO NOT HAVE 'MARK AS READ' BUTTON ANYWHERE I CANNOT CHANGE FONT, FONT SIZE OR STYLE, I CANNOT SEE WHO HAS POSTED A MESSAGE AS THEIR NAME IS NOT DISPLAYED All now OK - resolved by turning off 'Ad Blocking' in Norton. Del

Can I request the addition of a 'Mark as Read' button somewhere (or is there one that I can't see at the moment)? Although many topics are of interest, there are some which are of no interest to me at all, and rather than have to plough through all topics to get them marked as read, it would be easier to have such a facility (all other forums [fora?] I go to have this). Delboy  

Sorry Gay, I'm sober now, but I'm with ? (previous poster to your last post - No poster names are displayed on my screen!) - I still only see 'Active/Popular Topics' in the yellow bars, both at the top of the 'read posts' screen and at the 'post reply' screen.  Yes, it does say 'logged in as Delboy (logout)', but nothing else. I've changed the 'Check for newer versions' parameter as suggested, but how can I clear the cache.  Help came up with 'no topics' when I entered 'cache'.

I know I've just got back from the pub, but the only thing I see in the yellow bars above FAQ is Active Topics/Popular Topics. Assistance please!   Del  

Can't comment on the prices (not living in France yet), but can confirm that there are gas tanks that can be buried, at least here in the UK. One was installed at a house that I was doing some work on - the only thing visible was a manhole-type access trap in the ground. DB

I'm no tv expert, but I only have one scart socket on my ageing tv set, and the dvd player is plugged in via the digibox (Sky+)- it works a treat! DB

Hi Annelise I'm in the same situation with P & O. I have been in their loyalty scheme for years, but when I asked for a cheap rate for a 7.5 ton truck I was pointed towards the small-print which states "vehicles being used for commercial purposes and vehicles designed for commercial use" go at freight rates, which in P&O's case, from Pompey to Cherbourg, is 295 + vat single trip, whatever time of day or night you sail. Sorry, but I have reconciled myself to the fact that I will have to pay freight rates. However, this is mollified by the fact that I have calculated the removal will cost me about 1000 (+ 4 days effort), compared to over 3000 using a removal company. DB

I will be coming over in three weeks time (day after bank hol)for look around - we are planning for a move next year. We are travelling in a relatively lightly loaded car/caravan (it will be more heavily loaded on the return trip with wine & beer!), so if anyone is desperate for Marmite or whatever, Give me a post. Current plan is for 1st night near Bayeux (Martragny), then onto the Loire, probably somewhere between Tours and Saumur. After that, we MAY travel down to Cognac area - this depends on my back - I am currently recovering from a slipped disc, and we'll have to see how it holds up. We were supposed to be coming over early July, but had to postpone. DB

Well done Dannie, and thanks for the posting. One question I have - how long does the French licence last for? Does it have to be renewed at intervals? DB

Intersting comments re M Thomas' cds. I have listened to them 4 times now, and most things are sticking in the old grey matter (old being the operative word - 59yrs). I found that if you follow the instructions ie you pause the cd after the question and work out your own answer, things stick a lot more. In response to other comments, he is teaching you how to speak the language - he is NOT teaching how to say particular phrases, nor is he trying to teach how to to write it, although he does spell out some words. I first tried the BBC primer, which turned out to be a verbal phrase book, and only any good if you wanted to ask the way to the station or get a cup of tea! I found what I had learned from Michel very useful on my annual trip to Le Mans in June where I could ask my own (albeit simple) questions, and understand most of the answer. Obviously, in 8 hours, he is not able to teach the whole vocabulary nor all the grammer (tenses etc), but enough of a grounding on which to build. Regarding the comment about it being better if there was more pressure, ie you were in the classroom with him, if you read the smallprint in the booklet with the CDs, it says that the (sometimes very long) gaps between the question and answer have been edited out, so I don't think there was that much pressure. However, I agree that any classroom environment is going to be more conducive to learning than sitting listening to cds, and I feel sure that M. Thomas can make more money out of the cds than he could sitting in a classroom! I have just started the Language Builder, which does not use the students, and it is pretty fast and heavy going. BTW, I am learning in preparation for a retirement to 16 next year. DB

I am aware from posts on this forum about the differences between French and UK wiring cabling standards (different cable, double-pole swithcing, radial networks etc), but just caught the tail-end of a tv prog the other night about renovating a place in France. This house had been re-wired, and all the cables running above the ceiling were in individual soft conduits, ie what looked flexible plastic tubing about 20mm diameter. This may have been explained earlier in the prog, but I missed most of it. What, if any, are the regs in France concerning conduits for cables - are they mandatory? Thanks to all for a very informative and at times amusing forum. DB

I have been trawling this excellent site for a few days now, gleaning what data I can from the veritable mine of information. Anticipating I will need to do some plumbing work (amongst other things) after my move to 16 next year, I am confused about the practice in France of braising copper pipe joints rather than soft-soldering because of the high water pressure. I suggest this is a ploy so that you have to get in an artisan to do the work, as few DIYers will have the equipment or expertise. In the UK, we have used soft-soldered joints in all aspects of plumbing for years, including the rising main which is (sometimes very) high pressure. Any comments/arguments? DB

LAST EDITED ON 29-Jul-04 AT 12:36 PM (BST) Anyone know the procedure to import a (fully UK legal) 12-bore shotgun into France? I have read earlier threads on this forum, but my French is not yet good enough to translate the regulations. DB