[freeseat channel 4 hd]

Broadly people who travel with caravan and motor homes say you can pick up the channels which pay for power and band width in almost all of France with 43 cms. However - south of say Paris 60 cms is worthwhile for for instance Classic FM. My experience was that 80cms gave better signal quality near Limoges than 60 cms and is definitely worthwhile once you are as far South as Bordeaux.

[Cooker hood.. ?]

The maximum number of sockets is 8 per disjointer on 2.5 mm. The hood will normally come with a two pin and earth plug attached. You could use a permanent cable connector which are thinner than a socket. The plug/connector is normally lost behind the chimney section of the hood. I would offset it either to the left or the right of the centre line as otherwise it can foul the tube. The socket / connector probably needs to be above 1.95 metres to clear the hood itself. Check the hood before installing the socket/connector. The lighting circuit should not be used.

Normally sockets should not be immediately above stoves but the is a dispensation for hoods.

[The trouble with 3-wheelers . . . .]

Ex Midas owner. Still recall the joys of having to reverse the trailing arm on a Lomax

[The trouble with 3-wheelers . . . .]

Why are they all like Reliants and Bonds ?

Why nothing like Morgans and BSAs ?

[Retiring in 5 years, From US to France, some questions]

Not sure what kind of city life you are after but I would be happy to live full time in Bordeaux or Lyon. I found Limoges comparatively dull.

[Changing to French Licence]

Sorry I read what you meant not what you wrote. Mr reading of the above is provided you hold a valid EEC license you can only only be forced to change to a French license if you incur French points

[Changing to French Licence]

Suggest the attached two links which show no change in the law :

http://www.permisdeconduire.gouv.fr/rubriques-transversales/conduite-a-linternational/conduire-en-france/

http://www.permisdeconduire.gouv.fr/rubriques-transversales/conduite-a-linternational/echanger-son-permis/

[Earning enough to get by gardening, changeovers, handyman, light building work.]

If you decide and have the neccesary rights to retire to Australia there is a big one off cost to enter their health care system.

However I have met enough bomerangs inmy life to know that it is not always a one way trip.

[Automatc cat feeders]

I think Auchan hypermarkets have them and Million des Amis which has chnaged name but is the big pet store you find on many centtre commercial.

Amazon have them mail order.

http://www.automaticcatfeeder.org.uk/

We ended up using a hopper for dry food and a water dispenser for the odd night away.

[Bromine]

Suggest read the attached. The extra costs versus the other benefits work for me.

http://www.villaservers.co.uk/SERVICES/POOLS/Bromine-vs-Chlorine.htm

[Full service history]

Suggest either :

le carnet d'entretien à jour or

entretien regulier

The latter came up serveral times in the Argus. French 2nd hand prices seem huge

[New Parking Discs]

The old style discs which show both time of arrival and time of departure cease to be legal on 31st December 2011. My dates back to the 70s so will have to pick up a new one this year

http://www.bison-fute.equipement.gouv.fr/fr/IMG/pdf/Le_disque_europeen_de_stationnement_cle27e2d5.pdf

[DIY book]

Self published as below :

http://www.wilsons-electrical.co.uk/electrics-made-simple

[DIY book]

Suggest :

https://www.eyrolles.com/BTP/Livre/electricity-in-your-french-house-9782212127126

[Washing Machines (Yes I know it's a boring subject)]

Before the next white goods purchase I will check out E spares to make sure parts are available.

I do not believe any European white goods are better or worse than the rest because they all seem to be badge engineered versions of the same products.

What used to be called Herrisons/Hedgehogs - the clock like connectors which revolved as the dial went round on the dishwasher or washing machine were fairly tough. Their solid state equivalents seem to be much more vulnerable to lightening strikes and power surges

[Plumbing advice regarding inadequate water supply]

" Static pressure measured at the house is just over 3 bars and drops to about 1 bar when a tap is opened. Open another tap and it drops to well below 1. Flow rates range from the barely adequate (10 litres per minute) to the abysmal (less than 4 litres per minute) depending on where on the system they are measured and that’s with only 1 tap open. "

What is the flow rate in the 18 mm or whatever size pipes immediately after the meter. If that flow rate is adequate larger diameter pipes in the house will help.

[18mm nominal OD?]

If the pipe is copper then I have only ever found round 12,14,16,18 etc sizes plus 1/2 inches.

If joint is on plastic then have no idea but will check this morning

[Lalinde Deviation Route]

http://www.sudouest.fr/2010/11/01/le-pont-de-lalinde-ferme-d-avril-a-juillet-227100-1889.php

Deviation routes are at the foot of the article

[Gaz de schiste]

Read the original posting and thought brain dead not in my back yard. Same kind of people who believed the air would be sucked out of your lungs once the train did 60 mph down hill in a tunnel. No rational arguments no scientific discussion

[Any news on SeaFrance ? Going, but not gone ?]

I think Speed Ferries got it wrong by not living up to their name. The day they launched they should have been target 'high net worth' individuals amongst their passengers to invest so they could lease the second craft. Nobody driving from London to Dover during the working day could or can predict their ETA at Dover well enough to not need a 40 minute cushion using SF. The result a service which could have been faster road to road than the tunnel was not

[selling a house in france]

Immobeliers should display their tarifs in their shop window and it should be listed in in the mandate you signed. It does not matter who writes the cheque it still comes out of the gap between what the purchaser pays and what the vender receives.

Depends on whether the figure includes TVA but it sounds like toward the top of 4% to 8% range but house is toward the bottom the proce range

[Any news on SeaFrance ? Going, but not gone ?]

How much are they cheaper than P & O ?

We have just bought on P & O becasue we fancy a look at the new ships.

I cannot believe the French Government would allow a state owned company to go into liquidation. A large estate of cards in a number of locations would follow very quickly

[Earth clamp for cross bonding?]

They do exist Leroy Merlin and Brico depot stock them. Some instalations use thick copper wire braized between the copper pipes.

http://www.bricodepot.fr/bordeaux/node/467795

[Missing Number Plate]

Just a thought - I think I would report the loss / possible theft of the plate to the Gendarmes as it may possibly have been taken by somebody with a similar car to fool radar traps.

[Any news on SeaFrance ? Going, but not gone ?]

Buy at least two and pay by UK credit card so you are over the £ 100 limit if they do go under.

Last news was that French Government could not sell the company so we seeking EU permission to refinance it.

http://www.lloydslist.com/ll/sector/ports-and-logistics/article357241.ece