[B F " Economie " new service]

As I said before we were LD customers for many years and had no problems with the ship which was previously on this route and I am not anti LD.

Some of our issues with the Norman Voyager may be resolved by new management. In no particular order -

Even when booking months in advance we could not get a cabin for overnight sailings. ( I suspect they were reserved for the truckers).

The restaurant area is very small and it was touch and go whether we could get a table after collecting our meal.

The quality of the food was very poor.

Download a ships plan you will see that the passenger area is relatively small and everybody is crowded into quite a small area.

Seating is in long rows (like an aeroplane) and if there are more than two of you interaction with your travelling companions is difficult.

Due to the lack of space we found that if we as a family left our seats perhaps to go on deck or have a meal we would be lucky to find an area to sit together when we got back.

There is a single very long corridor which everybody must go down to reach the car decks. Many people push and shove wanting to get to their vehicles to be ready for the off. Not a pleasant experience.

[B F " Economie " new service]

Thanks for the tip off.

We were an LD customer for many years but our experiences of the Norman Voyager was the main reason for changing to BF a couple of years ago.

[Astra 2E/2F Technical Thread]

Thanks Sid. Just the advice I needed.

I did not measure the dish on my last visit. I'm in the UK just now & as it looked to be about 2 feet wide guessed that that was it's size. However it is an old standard southern England Sky dish & after a bit of research it seems that it could be 53cm. I'll have to measure it on my next trip & maybe get a new dish in place in the autumn.

Again Thanks for your advice.

[Astra 2E/2F Technical Thread]

We are a half an hour north of Confolens. We had a 60cm dish that stopped working in February. Is there anybody in this area who can advise on the size of dish that they find works for them.

Many Thanks

[Bottled gas problem]

I had this problem last year when it was very cold. Our bottles are kept in the garage below the house. I have since bought a reptile cage heating tape and an immersion heater cover. Not used it yet but it should give an improvement if the temperature drops too low.

[Polystyrene beads as insulation]

Maybe think of leaving the wall as is and cover with insulated plasterboard panels. The name escapes me just now but you can simply stick them on with an adhesive. You will gain additional insulation from the air gap behind the original boards. We used 75mm insulation and it works a treat. Possibly the least mess method.

[Colour of gas bottles]

The red / blue colour propane / butane standard is not followed in France. Our butane bottles are red.

[UKIP]

Nothing like a well argued and constructed argument is there:-)

[Shutters - aluminium or wood?]

Ours are a muddy brown and hence absorb the heat.

When you touch them when the sun has been on them you could burn your fingers.

Mac's white would do a far better job of reflecting the heat.

We also have single glazing, good windows so I don't plan to change them. So in my case insulation would be an issue.

[Shutters - aluminium or wood?]

We have steel stutters. In the summer they keep the sun out but act like radiators and radiate heat into the room. In the winter they provide no insulation properties at all.

They have a bit of rust and need painting but are in generally good condition so I don't plan to replace them.

If I was to replace them then I would probably go for wood for its insulation properties. If you use a quality paint system, perhaps marine paints rather than general household paint then maintenance should not be too onerousness, however I stand to be corrected on this point.

[Overhung Load]

Thank you all for the advice.

I was thinking about an orange flashing light so I am glad that I have been warned. If fact my question was prompted about a worry that there may be some compulsory marking that I would need to have.

I will be doing all my towing during the day so I think I will use one of those stripy signs that you usually see fixed to bikes on motor home.

A bit of a challenge to fit a flat sign on a pointy end.

Again thanks for all the advice.

[Overhung Load]

Thanks for that. The overhang is OK.

Can anybody give any advice on what the French police would consider a suitable end marker.

Thanks

[Overhung Load]

I hope somebody can help with this one.

I have converted a baggage trailer to carry a Canadian canoe. The Canoe protrudes over the rear of the trailer by 1.1 metres. The lights and number plate of the trailer can clearly be seen from behind.

What are the rules in France for such a load. Can I get away with a piece of rag or one of those stripy triangles on the end of the Canoe or do I need to somehow fix a towing board with lights to the end of the Canoe.

Any advice would be welcome. Thank You

[Newhaven - Dieppe]

I can not recall LD ever offering discounts apart from the car plus 2 for 5 days type of thing that they occasionally offer on their web site.

They do have a frequent traveller card which is free & worth having. After about 6 trips you earn enough points to book a free trip.

[Fresh eggs in hand luggage?]

I am travelling down to 86 at the end of the month by car. Maybe I can be of assistance.

[Brittany Ferries - Club Voyage?]

I regularly sail from Portsmouth and whenever I have done a price check I have always found LD cheaper than BF even with the BF discount. However I stand to be corrected.

[Where will the Greeks go to look for work?]

Except the Hotel owner who is 100 Euro out of pocket:-)

[Sash Clamps]

Ratchet straps are a really good idea. I have a couple of spare which are too fiddly for the roof rack. Better than risking being impaled by a screwdriver being propelled when the Spanish windlass slips.

[Sash Clamps]

For furniture repair when I don't have clamps the right size I use a Spanish windlass.

[Cost of Timber in France]

Can I have your advice please.

I'm returning to France in a couple of weeks to do a few jobs around the house and need a few lengths of 1x2 and 2x2 par timber.

I have room on the top of the car for these but is it cheaper to buy timber in the UK or is France comparable in price.

I have looked on the the Brico(s) web sites but I am not sure if the prices I see are for several lengths or just one.

Thanks for your help.

[Pregnancy - Old aged Tweeny - The Great Escape]

I think that is is much tougher for the youngsters nowadays since deregulation of the mortgage market. Although I missed out on the perks that Andy listed (apart from education) at least I was able to afford a mortgage at an age when most kids nowadays are still at college. I think that it is a case of necessity for two people to work to just afford a new mortgage. What mum or dad is likely to deny their children some help, after all your children's success will also benefit your grandchildren.

And yes we are caught in the same trap. Resentful no but maybe a little irked at times.

[Speed Camera]

Theiere

methinks you may be right:-)

[Paying the EDF by cash at La Poste]

In October 2010 when we moved into our house there was no requirement to provide bank details. We simply send a cheque when a bill come in. But perhaps thing have changed since then.

[Will the euro crash in 2011]

wow pachapapa I must admit that you lost me in the second sentence but pretty impressive all the same.

[Speed Camera]

Thank you for your kind remarks AnOther and Theiere.

It was not I that accused another member of being a habitual speeder.

Methinks that the personal attacks may indicate that the caps of hypocrisy may fit too tightly.