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tonyinfrance

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Posts posted by tonyinfrance

    Sanef - is it worth it?

    in Driving in France

    Posted

    Like napolean, we've used the SANEF tag for a few years - it's a relatively modest outlay and brings peace of mind if you're a péage user at peak times.  Wouldn't be without it myself even though we're only in France a few times a year........

    Newhaven - Dieppe Crossing

    in The Complete France Post Bag

    Posted

    Hello Ian - it's true it's a bit of a rubbishy service for private travellers (but handy for me as you say) but I'd always thought the commercial traffic would keep the service going.  Oh well..........

    Sue and I will be back in Carpentras the middle two weeks of  June along with goddaughter #9 - perhaps you might be kind enough to liaise with your stable friends to organise some riding for her again - I'll pm you nearer the time.

    Meanwhile I was sorry to hear about the deforestation near your house - damned nuisance I'm sure.

    Snatch

    in Other Topics

    Posted

    This is where we learn who reads Viz.............

    Off at a tangent, one of the best things Vinnie did (last year I think) was an ad for heart resuscitation - absolutely priceless

    A & E: How Far Away?

    in Health

    Posted

    who said there are lies, damned lies, and statistics?

    I believe practically nothing from the police on crime statistics nor the NHS on their performance since they mostly report/don't report according to what makes them look best.  The BBC recently ran a news item (this week I think) about a hospital which as has been hauled up for telling fibs about how soon patients are being treated:  it seems the managers obliged the number crunchers to actively misrepresent the position.....

    Want to get a screw on a Sunday?

    in House Renovations

    Posted

    The dilemma for France is how to become competitive in the international market to keep their economy afloat whilst maintaining their brilliant quality of life - no easy answer as far as I can see.

    Personally I like the "closed on Sundays" approach but then I don't do DIY or anything much else on a Sunday apart from a visit to the boulanger and perhaps a vide grenier.

    It's difficult to run a business in France which is why we see so many of their brightest and best in London but as Sid says above many of us like France as she is, warts and all........

     

    A & E: How Far Away?

    in Health

    Posted

    We live less than five minutes' walk from the main county hospital in Brighton - that's the good news.

    The bad news is an 8 hour wait is not unknown, especially at weekends when the drink/drug crowd is in evidence.  A friend recently had this experience and after all that time was shunted up to Haywards Heath hospital.

    Happily we have never needed A&E........(hope that's not tempting fate)

    Le Grand Bonheur----'appeeeeness :)

    in The Complete France Post Bag

    Posted

    Hello Quillan - my pal in Carpentras has renovated his large house single-handed (a remarkable achievement).

    However, the number of times he has had to go to three different stores to get technical bits and pieces which would have all been in one place in UK drove him bonkers.  An especial joy was to pitch up at 11:45am knowing the store closed at 12:00 only to find the shutters half way down already.  His other bete noir is the post office which is frequently subject to a fermeture exceptionelle:  no big problem if you're on hols but he runs a business in nearby Sarrians and he doesn't have the time to spare....

    In passing, the restrictions on Sunday shopping would horrify the average Brit but I like the idea that Sundays are for families...........

    Le Grand Bonheur----'appeeeeness :)

    in The Complete France Post Bag

    Posted

    I did not find RB's original post offensive, but I seem to be in the minority......lengthy perhaps, but not offensive.

    On the face of it, it's not an unreasonable question:  might one be happier living in France than in whatever country one is or was living (not everyone comes from UK).  I live in the south of England with awful traffic congestion and crowds of people at every turn.  I like the idea of space, which France has in abundance.  Having visited France on both business and pleasure since the 1970s I like it a lot.  But I do not (yet) live in France and there's the rub: I know how frustrating daily life can be compared to UK but I suspect a significant number will find it preferable to England for one reason or another.

    I believe it's mostly dependant on personal attitude:  positive people will integrate to some greater or lesser extent and be compatible with local life; others will remain on the fringes and will probably give up and return to UK sooner or later.  Each to his own........

    Trying to recover an overpayment

    in French Legal Issues

    Posted

    My UK MasterCard occasionally fails in France (usually due to poor PoS terminal maintenance or flaky phone connections) but I have  a CA card as a backup.  Whenever the MasterCard fails the merchant gives me a "transaction failed" or "declined" printout.  I always keep these slips but so far I've never had a problem with being unexpectedly billed by the card company.  If your friend was not given such a slip it begins to sound like doubtful practice by the merchant but the card company should refund the charge if proof of an alternative payment method is to hand.

    joke-of-the-week

    in The Lighter Side

    Posted

    I just got a phone call from a representative from Google.

     

    "We're campaigning to get people to sign an on-line petition supporting our company tax arrangements in light of the government's plans for an investigation."

     

    "You can f*^k right off," I told him. "It's the law abiding tax payer like me who suffers because of bastards like Google. You're getting no support from me!"

     

    There was a pause before he added, "We know your browsing history."

     

    "It's about time somebody stood up to the Government. I'm logging in as we speak."

    Where do you start trying to fix France?

    in The Complete France Post Bag

    Posted

    Sprogster - we just got back from three weeks in Vaucluse:  the first week was unseasonally cool, windy and wet!  We met Gardian a couple of times who told us the locals in his part of the world (about an hour away from us) rcckoned it was the worst spring/early summer weather for 50 years!

    I'm not a believer in global warming but the experts who met in UK this week project that warmer Atlantic sea temperatures will bring another 10 years of poor summer weather to UK (and probably large parts of France too).

    As I approach retirement I don't want to think of every summer being a disappointment but I'd better get used to it or move a long way south!

    joke-of-the-week

    in The Lighter Side

    Posted

    Would you marry Again?


    A husband and wife are sitting quietly in bed reading 
    when the wife looks over at him and asks the question.... 

    WIFE: "What would you do if I died? Would you get married again?" 

    HUSBAND:  "Definitely not!" 

    WIFE: "Why not?   Don't you like being married?" 

    HUSBAND: "Of course I do.." 

    WIFE: "Then why wouldn't you remarry? " 

    HUSBAND: "Okay, okay, I'd get married again." 

    WIFE: "You would?" (with a hurt look) 

    HUSBAND:(makes audible groan) 

    WIFE: "Would you live in our house?" 

    HUSBAND: "Sure, it's a great house.." 

    WIFE: "Would you sleep with her in our bed?" 

    HUSBAND: "Where else would we sleep?" 

    WIFE: "Would you let her drive my car?" 

    HUSBAND: "Probably, it is almost new." 

    WIFE: "Would you replace my pictures with hers?" 

    HUSBAND : "That would seem like the proper thing to do." 

    WIFE: "Would you give her my jewellery?" 

    HUSBAND: "No, I'm sure she'd want her own." 

    WIFE: "Would you take her golfing with you? 

    HUSBAND: "Yes, those are always good times." 

    WIFE: "Would she use my clubs? 

    HUSBAND:  "No, she's left-handed." 

    WIFE:  --   silence -- 

    HUSBAND:   "shit."

     

    joke-of-the-week

    in The Lighter Side

    Posted

    Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams and Elton John were walking over a bridge.

    Kylie trips and gets her head jammed between the railings.

     

    With a sideways glance, Robbie pulls aside her G-String and bonks her senseless!

     He stands back and tells Elton, "Your turn!"


    Elton bursts into tears.

     "What's up?" asks Robbie.

     Elton sobs: "My head won't fit through the railings!!


     

     

    Teaching English (immersion) in France

    in Earning a Living

    Posted

    I stay with a French (bilingual) family near Mayenne several times a year and the whole area around Gorron is flooded with French students who come for english language immersion during the school holidays (they are only allowed to speak english for the time they are there).  They come from Paris, Lille and many other areas - perhaps this corner of France is so popular because there are so many English people living there.......
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