Iceni

Fbw (Lee?), we have only 6kw and probably enough electrical stuff to start a shop but have managed not to overload since 2003. Just remember it's not like England where you have enough kw to run everything at once, you have to work out what can go on together. I guess that you don't have "off-peak" in which case the main culprit may be an electric hot water heater (big power sucker) being on for much of the day as you wash up, hose down the children etc. You didn't mention this as being on at off time so I'm probably wrong. John

[quote user="woolybanana"]Is gravedigging so much more complex in the USA?[/quote] Oh yes, the graves are so much bigger that hydraulics are needed to keep the sides apart. And a permit to create a new mountain range with each grave. John

We fancy a short holiday near the sea and would prefer the money to go to a member of LF if poss. Unable to be more specific on the dates at the mo, it will have to be after the damson and vine peach harvest. Accommodation needed for 3 or 4 nights for 1. Grumpy old *** 2. Long suffering wife 3. Small, loving dog. He is fairly well behaved, does not shed hairs but, as a fan of Napoleon and Sarkozy, has a need to try and impose himself on other, usually much larger, dogs with excessively loud barking. Reasonable proximity to the sea with good walks is more important than kulcha. I guess that the sea and the walks will still be open outside high season but we need to eat as well as having somewhere to hide when it rains (does it rain there?). TIA John  

[quote user="cooperlola"] .... but anybody is welcome to have a fag in my home whenever they wish.  [/quote] Well, coops, this is a fine display of tolerance on your part. Do you also have a fag on standby in case a guest is unable to bring his own? John

Llantony, I suggest that you send a personal letter to Michael O'Ryanair. When he learns of your needs I am confident that he will rearrange his business model to fit. Or you could move to another part of Europe where you do not have to use an airline you hate. There, 2 constructive suggestions early-ish on a Sat morn, the pills must be working. John

So the white powder floating on the surface of her coffee might not be artificial sweetener? John

[quote user="velcorin"] One pertinant figure, is that France, does have the highest level of personal insolvencies in Europe. Which has always suggested to me that the level of personal debt is many, many times higher than officially acknowledged. Considering the ease of access non-bank credit, it would seem people, eventually, cannot meet all their obligations. [/quote] Perhaps this just means that the lenders in France are even more stupid than the lenders in UK. It must be a very thin line between lending to people who choose to borrow from a very high interest source and from whom you can make oodles of money in interest and fines versus a higher that average risk of default and write-off. Remember that there are no bad debts just bad lending. Either way I must consider setting up a payday loan company. At an APR of better than 2500% this may even render my printing press in the sous-sol redundant. John

Anyone following this forum will know that everything apart from a house is cheaper in UK than France, cars, insurance, food, clothing, DIY stuff and so on so why then does every man, woman, child and domestic pet in UK have trillions of non-mortgage debt? John

Some years ago I recall seeing a Red Hot Chili Peppers wall poster where the band members each wore only one sock. Not sure whether it was on a foot or not, anyone seeing me measuring might have misunderstood my motives. John

When we first arrived here in 2003 our local Leclerc (a modest little dump) closed at lunchtime on Mon - Thurs. After a year or few it stayed open every lunchtime. However Sunday opening stays very French, mornings only for 4 days a year, mid-July to mid-August. For those who must our Leader Price is open every Sunday morning, including most bank holidays (if you know what I mean). Though shopping between 12.30 and 14.30 is still a pain as all cashiers except one take their lunch breaks at these times. Aldi , a new store that opened a couple of years ago closes every lunchtime except Satuday. As regards H&S it is a shame that they don't have that refreshing attitude to swimming pools. I await the day when every yard of beach and shore around every sea, ocean, river, lake and stream is fenced - but of course children and drunks can only drown in swimming pools. John

[quote user="Quillan"]Sorry, I forgot to say thanks to those that helped. Didn't go today, it was 41.3 deg in the shade so I have stayed in doors.[/quote] Wimp. John - in the frozen N Lot it only reached 38 yesterday

Boring life history coming up. We arrived (permanently) in Oct 2003 and both joined the French system on E106s. Di then opened her business in France and I became her parasitic other half. Di reached retirement age in Jan 2007 and retired on an E121. I took over her biz so I entered the French system in my own right. At this point we both had CEAMs issued in France. Last year when the rules changed Di had her 5 year EHIC issued by UK. Mine is still annual from France, ordered online from RAM. When I retire next year I will get a UK EHIC. You can wake up now, I have finished. John  

[quote user="Gardener"]Well yes, I can remember the bad old days when my UK mortgage went up every week it seemed and having to find the extra money was hard. Now if it goes up , it will take longer to pay off and less if it goes down, but at least  my repayments are static every month which is better for me.[/quote] The extra cost of extending our mortgage in this way was something that terrified us, having done the sums. We increased the monthly repayment when necessary but never reduced when rates fell. We never put ourselves in a position where we were so stretched that an increase was a disaster though if we had borrowed as much as they wanted to lend us we would have been. John

coops, some people expect so much, my remembering to send a card and why, and sincerity too - At least now I don't feel so bad about not sending you a get well soon card - but I am glad that you seem to be as well as you were before the dreaded day. John  

Aaah, but I didn't make a mistake, I was truthful. Subsequent events seem to confirm that honesty is not necessarily the best policy. John - or perhaps that is not the name I mean

Send an e-card, e.g. Jacquie Lawson, cheaper, no postal delays and less personal. John

[quote user="Gardener"] I don't know if ours is typical but rather than the payments going up everytime there is an interest hike, we pay the same but the repayment term increases. [/quote] And you agreed to this ? John

Have just been informed that a V5 has arrived at my UK address (I posted the application for an export cert yesterday). Whoever hinted that DVLA Swansea was populated by a bunch of useless sheep ********? John  

Our local CPAM office has a CEAM card issuing machine (it may do other things as well, of course) - ok, it first issues a paper attestaion but the card follows in not very long. Perhps your office has one as well. HTH John    

ixy, in the Driving in France section there is an FAQ about taking an ex-uk car back to uk. Though this is dated 2005 I am confident that between it and the DVLA website you could work out what to do. I have been told that re-reg will cost £55 plus annual tax but I have not read this for myself. If true why would you sell your healthy car and buy a new one ? John  

Oh dave if only life were that simple. The export fact is "in the computer" and as any fule kno once it is "in the computer" let no man rent it asunder. Why "they" do what they do or don't do, whether they are justified in doing or not doing it is irrelevant - it is life. John - trying to adopt a fatal (?) attitude

That's it. I found the answer in Clair's "How do I ......" in Forum Technical Support. John

[quote user="Clair"]  I do as Coop does, using a timer to get the dryer on during the cheap rate. [/quote] Sadly on our drying machine we have a clockwork timing device. Luckily we have HC during the afternoon. John

[quote user="Will"][quote user="Iceni"]Help pls, how do I get rid of this stuff? A. Technophobe[/quote] Use a browser that is compatible with the forum (e.g. IE or Firefox)? [/quote] But I am using IE8, will try Firefox. John

Help pls, how do I get rid of this stuff? A. Technophobe