Mrs Trellis

Yes, I realise they are not IMS but contact requests. I would be happy for people not to be able to find me on Skype! Especially if it would mean losing these annoying frauds. I only want friends and family to be Skype contacts and I am in in contact with them anyway.

We need to change our headlights for the first CT. Local garage thought it ridiculous when he found our RHD French car (Berlingo) doesn't have the facility to switch over - most German ones do. Quote for 2 headlights 445 euros plus fitting (special offer this month). Other garage 560 including fitting. Bizarrely , the right headlight costs a bit more than the left! I got an online quote from a UK company which would save over 100 euros, postage included. OH is doubtful. Has anyone bought headlights this way? (Oh, and the garage man mentioned putting in an insurance claim for one light, but I don't want to go there.)

ooh dear! Looks like there might be more than one visit.

I am going to help a Brit friend apply for his first French driving licence. What does he need to take along? (I know, blood sample, grandma's birth certificate....) Just wondering if there is anything we might forget.

The Queen, surely? But that means communicating with these morons and accepting them as contacts. I confess I have done that a couple of times, to tell them to get lost. Just because they are so obviously contacting people at random with no idea who or where they are. I then immediately remove them from contacts.

Yes, it is a big company but, as I said, she telephoned them to discuss it and they insist on sending a cheque. Seems so old fashioned.

I have set the privacy settings on Skype to 'only receive IMS from my contacts' but constantly get spam messages popping up from 'generals' in the USA. Also some begging ones and one archbishop! Is there any way I can stop this? I block each one and 'report as abuse' because they are obviously con men.

Posting on behalf of a British friend resident in France and receiving a monthly annuity cheque in dollars from the USA. She is charged 46 euros for depositing each cheque and the payment she receives is not large. She has phoned the company who say they will not do an inter-bank transfer. Mentioning 9/11 and money laundering! Has anyone any suggestion for reducing these charges?

Wish I could help but have 4 cats. Have sent info to local dog rescue just in case.

A person in the village has taken to dropping in on us. It can be several times a week, the worst being 9.30 a.m. Christmas Eve two days after I came out of hospital after a fairly serious op. He is epileptic due to a childhood accident, stutters and forgets words and conversation topics are limited. I feel mean but it is getting a bit much. Sometimes I just want to watch TV in peace, or bake a cake, whatever. When the doorbell goes and we are not expecting anyone, my heart sinks. I hesitate to say anything and he just doesn't get any subtle hints or notice if I fail to muster a smile sometimes when I answer the door. He has a coffee and sometimes requests another one. I just feel I want to be peaceful in my home. The car is there and the dogs bark so I can't pretend we're out!

Do we pay less when we have a fosse? Our first house, in Lincolnshire, many years ago, had a septic tank and at some point we got a refund as the water board realised we didn't have mains drainage.

She did in the end, but of course lost the sale. This person required various repairs, which were done, wanted an English speaking notaire, and a hefty price reduction, (having saved the agent's fee and the price had already come down 25%) all before making formal offer. She looked at our house but I'm rather glad she didn't choose it!

We are need to sell our old house - then we can improve the new one. When selling the UK house in 2007, I got valuations from 3 agents and sold in 3 weeks at 1% commission. Those were the days! Here there is a lot of property for sale, some for years, and the village agent closed. She used ask what price people wanted rather than giving a valuation and was the opposite of dynamic. When next door sold it was with the village agent but sold via an ad on the door. OH wants to try that as the house is right on the (traffic free) street and tourists go by. Also we'd try Leboncoin. I noticed a local notaire was advertising properties there. Is there any advantage in using a notaire as agent? I assume they get the legal business but don't know what extra they'd charge or if they do more than advertise in Leboncoin.. A friend recently had a very demanding prospective buyer who did not come via an agent. It was so stressful the friend said she'd always deal via an agent. I don't want stress and I guess an agent would deal with all the reports that are now required. Any helpful advice would be gratefully received. Apologies if this has been dealt with before - I searched but couldn't find anything. And how do you put paragraphs in these posts?

Mystery solved! I phoned Brittany Ferries today and, unknown to me, Gmail now puts emails from companies into 'Promotions'. I never look in that; I do check spam just in case any emails have gone astray but I never even noticed the Promotions tab on the top line. So if you have Gmail and are missing emails - they might be in 'Promotions'.. And when you go to 'move', Inbox isn't an option! Ridiculous. Now I know why I stopped getting the Lidl newsletter.....

Thank for the link. It's there! I looked at the website yesterday but couldn't find a 'manage my booking' or whatever. Still nothing received from them. I gather they will take a deposit and the rest later in the year. All the other travel I've booked has been paid in full at the time of booking.

Please, please! It's not important. Sometimes people accidentally press the shift key.... It reminds me why I don't often look at the forum these day, people can be quite nasty! Shame, because most are lovely and I've had many helpful responses.

Luckily I did print the on-screen confirmation and checked the spam box. I'll check again tomorrow.

I booked a Brittany Ferries crossing a couple of hours ago and a confirmation came up on screen but no confirmation email arrived and the money has not gone from my bank. is this normal or should I panic? (Unfortunately we need to go in August and some options are already full.) Another unrelated payment via Nationwide today showed up on my account almost immediately.

Housework is not something I spend a lot of time on! It is only really noticed when it isn't done. Especially with a lot of rain and 24 muddy paws. I have a postcard saying 'A tidy house is the sign of a wasted life'. I was thinking a smooth backing - not shiny glass - would be easier to wipe clean and with no grouting for splashes to settle in.

Thanks Sue, yes we will, it's only about 45 minutes to Casto. The stuff I saw went from worktop to wall cupboards, looks very neat and easy to clean. I was thinking of just having it part way up, like the tiling in our previous house, that way it would go below the wall sockets so no careful cutting out required.

I didn't think the stuff I saw was glass. The local glass place might not have the right colour. Judging by what the quincaillerie charged for plain glass for a door, it would be very expensive. Now I know what it's called, I found it in Castorama in 3 metre length, so I think we might have a look there.

I've seen a couple of posh kitchens lately where the walls behind the worktops are covered with smooth material, like splashback but all round, instead of tiles. I realise I don't know what it's called, (in English or French) to search on websites. It would be neater than tiles, especially as we have some tricky bits, but don't need a huge amount.

Stop it! Sorely tempted but we have a somewhat difficult dog, plus a rescued poodle, plus 4 cats... We have to go to UK in the summer for a family do and cattery + kennels will cost a fortune. Where is the rescue place? Or would the dog be brought from Spain to a rendezvous somewhere?

Exactly Jouals, I would love to adopt a whippet but not a greyhound this time. I loved our greyhound but even though he was small for a male racer, I could not lift him. And I'm 10 years older now! We currently have two elderly (as far as anyone can tell) rescue dogs so will probably wait till they pass on before taking on another dog.

I'd love to have a whippet but don't want a puppy. We had a retired greyhound and have had other rescued dogs. I got the impression that whippets are popular so not many are in rescue centres. I fear there might be a problem getting one from the UK - they couldn't do a home visit to see if we are suitable!