Miki

Thanks to all of you, who have replied so far The kids have now gone home and I said I would tell them what I had found out tomorrow. Fabrice will go and see the dogs Vet, I will hopefully have time to contact someone in France and perhaps see Brittany Ferries. The DEFRA site is kind of vague and it worries me that they may have left something out or are coming from a British angle and at the exit port here, they will pick something up. I hope to see the dogs passport tomorrow and the carnet de santé. The fear I have nagging away, is that the dog has not had a 2nd rabies jab and I don't know if they have time or, as you say, getting to the port only to be told we are one thing short ! The dog has more chance of catching an Eagle as rabies, it is never out of their house except for a walk now and again but I quite agree the law has to be adhered to all the same. Any further help gladly accepted. I have looked all around the site but I just can't seem to tie it all up nice and tight as far as having a French dog and taking it to the UK.

That's twice you have answered a post of mine without any knowledge of me at all... Is that your take on life, guess guess guess......? You have no knowledge of the history behind my last post , as you yourself just said....and you accused me before of knowing nothing about mental health problems, when unfortunately I have had plenty of experience, you said nothing to that reply..Why do you feel it is right for you to bumble about the site and simply throw out accusations, without knowing the first thing about the cases in question? Maybe you are right, there would not be one single sole left on here if I was a Mod, perhaps just one, maybe two, does that now make you feel OK and pretty good about yourself. Turning my light off, is no guarantee that your light will shine brighter................ Edit....Thanks Katie, only need a couple more now to beat my previous thoughts on numbers, easier said than done ........

I completely back Dick on this. The email that Elsie sent to me was beyond description and about as ridiculously crass as one could possibly ever receive...And the sad thing, well to me, is that he may well have had the backing of the other Mods to send it out. If he seriously means to offer out any admittance to being quite wrong about anything he has done as a Moderator, he should be apologising to those that he has wronged, not offering out a soapy, willy nilly general post, as if that will make up for all his previous cock ups. As a Mod, I would make a start by getting get rid of all the egoistes...............not hard to spot, they often go by their other name............pub clearers [;-)]

I sincerely hope someone amongst all you animal folk will know the answer to my question. This year for family reasons, our Daughter wants to go back to the UK with us. Their problem being, that they have a little Pug, just over two years old. Pug has has had her rabies jab done around 18 months ago and has both pet passport and Carnet de Santé for the dog. So can anyone please let me know it it is possible for them to bring the dog with them (by ferry) and if so, please can they let us know what they will have to have done etc to enable the little pug (Lola) to spend 10 days or so in the UK. Kennels aren't an option, they won't hear of it !!! So it's stay here with Lola or ? Thanks in advance.

I think we have been here before peeps [;-)]

Yer 'aving a bubble but that would be cooshty Hoddy, I will send you our one  "Rabbit and Pork for Qeeens Park Rangers" I'll get me weasel..................

Nope, I definitely do not speak or understand the same English. Hands up, my fault, rarely went norf of Watford and now I am paying the price [;-)]

And I really thought I spoke and understood English...................................[:)]

If they simply called it Brian Clough airport,  perhaps that be welcomed more ? I am serious by the way.

[:D][:D] G'Day Wen, We sure are doing well in the Ashes, eh mate ! Come on Ozzie come on... sometimes it's pretty good being an 'onnery ocker... Go on Shayney, bowl him round his legs mate [:)]

[quote user="opas"][quote user="Russethouse"] Congratulation to MS Opas - it looks as if she is doing very well! But Opas, if your eldest daughter had got to 13 would have still have considered the move ? [/quote] No, as I said in my post, I would not have left it any later for her. I would be like a rabbit in the headlights if I was to be put in a college full of kids that spoke a language I did not understand! [/quote] [:D][:D] I felt like that, for the first 3 years at least. All the open nights, where everyone was gabbling away just made me turn off and I tried hard to concentrate on just one conversation. Even now, if the conversation between a few of us, takes a twist and goes miles off subject (Mmm heard that one before....somewhere) I have to ask questions as to, what the hell are they on about ! Back to homework and exams. I guess all of us who have kids go through exams, say from Collège upwards, are surprised at the toughness (to us anyway) of the exam questions. I have no doubt that "helping" the kids through endless nights of homework has rubbed off but even now, I am mostly at a loss when I see much of Daughters work and it's not as if I had bad education.....................just very different [;-)] ..............Well that's my, fairly good, excuse anyway !

Have a good trip, all being well, we plan to be in Spain again from around mid Feb. Hope the weather wll be as sunny every day as it was last year. Had a friend who lived near Mussidan, (Neuvic) nice area.

I go in to about 6 bars on an irregular basis. In a couple of them, the locals like to say a few poorly put together sentences in English.  Most of the bars have someone who knows I am a CFC fan and if we have done not so good (yes, rare I know [;-)]) they will rib me a little in French and try their luck in English. They mean no harm and as Dick says, if they start throwing rocks, watch out but it seems to me, you are suffering a few folks, who like to show they have a few words in English, in the same harmless way that I have to suffer at times.

[quote user="cooperlola"]And I probably wouldn't be allowed my American Muscle Car would I Chris?[:D]   Miki, this horse is going to be the one, isn't he?  Let's hope he just stays injury free. [/quote] I really do think so Cooperman, I mean I REALLY DO ! A  chunk of the holiday money has long been on the Star for Boxing Day. I have lost count of the number of horses that flattered for a while but.............................. well he just seems the part to me and not only me of course.

[quote]Miki You've completely misunderstood what I was saying. I wasn't trying to belittle your views at all. I genuinely meant that your knowledge comes from experience and is hardly won. I also genuinely meant that people moving over now can benefit from your and others' experience. You don't have to be so cynical as to think that everybody's posts have a snide message underneath. What I was trying (and obviously failing ) to get across was the fact that someone could honestly describe their experiences and how bad they were and somebody else could think that the description fitted the sort of education they wanted for their child. eg Person 1. "The education system is very rigid, they all sit in rows and memorise facts. They're beaten over the head with sharp objects when they're naughty". Person 2 "That sounds wonderful. That's exactly what I want for my child". Please see what I mean, I'm about to throw the laptop out of the window! [/quote] [:D][:D] Hold on to the lap top Kathy, We all know by now, that text can be fraught with poor communication and understanding. Reading it like you have done there is pretty clear and yes, it can be like that. I am not sure how Tina would have taken to that style though, let alone the kids !! Someone ? once mentioned serveillants, (school helper!) well they can be like little Hitlers and are simply what we might call snitches, some even being bullies ! The French have grown up with them, so it's just normal school life and then there's the class wotsit (the name escapes me at the moment) who is one of the pupils and sits on discussions etc about her/his fellow pupils, those two  people, I would think,  are unknown to British people coming over and they are hard to actually come to terms with. Not a big thing but another quite different thing for kids and their parents to come to terms with..................there's more differences of course....lots more but....................

Something a lot more simple from me I'm afraid. To own Kautos Star, injury permitting, this horse will win the hearts of everyone who enjoys the sport of horse racing.......

[quote user="KathyC"]Even if somebody's research was limited to internet forums it wouldn't seem difficult to find out that the French educational system is pretty traditional and formal, possibly rigid and inflexible even. If you feel that a system like that wouldn't suit your children and you would be out of sympathy with it, then surely that would be a reason not to move to France or to leave it until your children are older? [/quote] Sorry Kathy but that just wont wash. No one but no one will know how their kids will react, other than the education in a foreign land is bound to be different. How many times will we read how scared mothers were but then realised that it was unfounded and kiddie loves his new school in France ? And I have to say again, my own experience shows me that many parents bring kids here with fingers crossed that all will be well, whilst one simply knows that they came purely for their own want. I am not saying that is wrong but it certainly means luck will play an enormous part as far as education is concerned. I simply cannot see a significant percentage of families thinking along those lines you speak of, they are more likely to believe the TV programmes about France, than to believe me and any others. And as has been said a few times already, what use is experience anyway!! [quote] Luck doesn't come into it. For people like you who've been here for a long time, you had to learn by experience; others are now able to learn from you.[/quote] Now that is where I have it over you, believe it or not, I do know more about my family's long journey here in France than you. We had so much luck, I honestly thought  the bubble must burst at any time time and as an old golfer once said, the harder we tried (practiced) the luckier we got....believe me, luck played a huge part in any success we, or the kids have had here. As I have said a million times, we had no such thing as a forum or anyone around us to aid us for a long time during the initial perioid. We stumbled and we slipped all over the place, often it fell in to place BUT and here I say it again....luck played its significant part. [quote] When I say "others may feel", I meant that the aspects of the French educational system that you perceive as negative, may be perceived by others as positive. You seem to assume that everybody holds the same view as to what makes a "good education" as you do; that's not necessarily the case.[/quote] Whoah, I speak purely from my own experience of life here, I don't assume any more than what I speak of. If you want to attack my experiences as negative, then you do not know about me or my family. Our youngest (Daughter) is doing well, right the way from early Primaire through to this years Bac +2 with 2 redoubles for various reasons, one being a recent change of tack. So, you can see, we have one who thinks and is much more French than British and our youngest Son did as well but when it come down to further education here (that is Lycéee and beyond) he completely rejected the idea and went back to the UK. Now I think it fair to say I see two sides of the coin and that I can only speak, as I find. The problem here seems to be, some people will be speaking from a very early stage of knowing education here or in fact, some with no experience at all but feel they know something about education, so that will fit the bill here in France as well. Well sorry, read the posts, you will see decent, honest and intelligent people who have been astonished by the system here, even believeing before arriving that they knew what was ahead and that goes for a couple of teachers as well here, who see things first hand but then, that it will mean using that terrible word experience  again..................... So please don't tell me I know it all to try and belittle my views, I know what I know and have been through and will tell only that.

[quote user="KathyC"]....................... However, I think that Roz is right in saying that surely this is an issue that should have been looked into before deciding to move to France. Many others may feel that the French have got it right.[/quote] OK Kathy and how do you propose to find all that out ? Sit in the class all day, all week, perhaps for a month ? Maybe ask French people, that lets out a huge amount of Brits, one through the language problems and two, the French just accept it all for the greater part and will offer simply "c'est la France" and just maybe, someone will assist in letting you know the better schools in the area but better for who ?....far too many equations Kathy and still luck will be the major factor. It's no win situation for people like me who will say it how they have found it all, same goes for SB, TU and others. Does anyone really take any notice, people are still cramming the car up and coming over with kids for a supposedly better education. How many folk do actually listen to something they seriously don't want to know the negatives about?  I hope just a few will but............ You say "many others may feel etc" in what respect ? I have never seen many come on and agree that, well not from the point of viw that they have had a child go from one end of the education and come out the other end and now through the education gained,  work in a good well paying  job. I cannot and will not say this doesn't happen as Brits coming to France with families, is virtually still in its early years. All over the forum,  people ask and people will answer and others, will only post how the person answering should have posted [;-)]

[quote user="Patf"]jpe - your last point - I too wonder whether longevity  of time in France necessarily qualifies a person to have a balanced and correct point of view on all things french Each individual and family comes here with varied potential and copes in different ways. The types of school the children enter are also varied, and things change. There are no absolutes. Why not let the optimists get on with their lives, as I am glad to let the pessimists get on with theirs. Pat. [/quote] Perhaps you are right and it doesn't qualify anyone to be 100% right, just because they have been through it all but, experience of a subject, is worth a thousand stabs in the dark...which really does cheese me off. Schooling here does not generally tend to vary that greatly. SB's child is in the Languedoc, TU is in the Rhone area, we had the Dordogne and Brittany for education. A lot more of us have talked about teachers, teaching methods and many differing criteria about schools in general, most is agreed upon. The ones that tend not to agree with a lot of what we talk about, are the ones who have kids at Maternelle and Primaire, or ones with newcomers with kids in early days in Collège where to be honest, "it all has yet to happen and be experienced" !! [quote] There are no absolutes. Why not let the optimists get on with their lives, as I am glad to let the pessimists get on with theirs. Pat.[/quote] We don't claim bragging rights, I for one, simply tell it as we have seen it all happen, strangely, it all seems to coincide with others who have trod the same road, now why is that do you suppose? What is your experience in this and do you think then, that those with experience should keep quiet and let the newbies with questions that they would like answers to, simply get the " cor it's just great here"  replies ?

Roz. I'll try to keep it short, there are still questions unanswered here but................ To drive two hours in the morning and again in evening, really defies logic, that to me, actually shows a lack of reasoning..or homework. Any problems with you or the car would surely lead to some pretty difficult times ! I don't know if people should look at what will happen to their kids in the longer term. As for how, all I can say is that from the experience I and others have, France offers very few opportunities to many kids, just read the papers, watch the T.V and the same stories are trawled out year after year "Why are our kids leaving France" it's obvious to people who come from more entrepreneurial societies  but change to make it reverse, will only happen if France goes through a kind of revolution, in the way its very structure in education and work afterwards are radically changed. Passing the brevet is difficult for many French kids, so for your child to pass, without ever redoubling and all in just two terms and not fluent, is definitely incredible. One does not have to gain the brevet to pass on to Lycée. The moyen is simply the average mark of the class. P.S Sorry, I don't want to appear rude but I don't think you are quite au fait with what being genuinely short of money really is [;-)]

[quote user="jpe"]I can't see how this post helps the situation at all, the poster was speaking from her own perspective and even it is privileged is there really any need to bang on about it?  It's her opinion which she is entitled to, this type of bullying is not necessary at all and only serves to kill off open discussions.  Who would now want to make any comment in favour of the system, which has worked well for some of us? Incidentally simply because a poster has been on the forum for some time does not mean everyone should therefore agree with them 'XXX is a well respected member of the forum , posted for sometime, just leaves me asking AND??[:@] [/quote] It's called Living France forum. We all speak from our own perspectives, are you saying therefore that none should ever respond because that's what you intimate. There was no bullying at all. You come in and post, not on the subject but on someones reply and it looks also that you have no knowledge of what many of us are debating. As far as killing off open discussion, this is one of the most legthy and better debates for a long time. It is a post like yours that hijacks the few posts that are of a lot of use to anyone thinking of doing what many others have already done. As far as SB...she in so many ways, earned her rights to be respected, which is a rare thing on ANY forum........

Roz, Firstly,  it is abundantly clear that money has been no object, that in itself takes most of the pressures off. The large percentage of others, will not have had the advantage of having a holiday home in France for many years before arriving, plus, you already had knowledge of  the area and also had  friends already in place. You are talking from a very, very priveleged position indeed. You even have a house back in Dorset as the supreme escape route. And as one who has dealt with a vary varied spectrum of folks arriving here, I can assure you, any pressures you might think you have, are extremely miniscule to say the least to 99% of other families arriving.. You are indeed very lucky, that's for sure. Secondly, you had very little choice of where to put the girls in to School, the defining issue, actually was where your house in France was, so apart from moving, you were lucky that the education you were happy with, was local enough for the girls to go to…so NO real homework as far as schooling was concerned there, sorry. You even narrowed it down to college/lycée, so now, even less choice on your doorstep !! How lucky your choice was actually awaiting on the doorstep for you !!  Now add on the music requirements and it gets even narrower, sorry but your house all along has been the factor, the rest fell in to place through sheer good luck. Otherwise you would most certainly would have had to move and that wou;ld certainly have meant a lot more leg work (take that as getting in the car and driving many hundreds of km's and spending an awful lot of time searching) if you were to go by your own criteria to find the right school. Not quite so simple now !! Now perhaps, you see why I say having large slice of  luck has to play the major part. Whatever way luck happens to arrive, it needs to be there or........... [quote] As I said on an earlier post, after just 2 terms my eldest passed her Brevet and also obtained above the moyen to go ahead to Lycee [/quote]  Two  terms !!… incredible, surely she simply had to be fluent for her age when arriving in France and passing the brevet (passing the brevet and gaining the moyen are one and the same thing, just the average minimum to pass that’s all)  and no redoubling, just two terms and straight on to Lycée……………forgive me if I do feel something is missing here ? Roz To SB [quote] Surely, you looked into the schooling system in detail before you came here?  You have to - in order to be fair to your kids.  Otherwise you are ALL in for a great shock and how unprepared is that???? [/quote] That was spoken by someone, as already stated, in a very highly priveleged position, it was pretty simple for you but for many others who may have had to come here due to work, to leave the UK for whatever reason, it is not so easy at all. And the main factor here about kids, you talk as if education here will be for their benefit, well you say you don't want a shock...so how far did you look as to what was available to them after Lycée/Uni....not much, no one does, so don't worry, you are not alone but, speaking on behalf of just a couple or so of us on here with that kind of experience, the odds are, they will do far better elsewhere and that includes their actual education ! As I have said before, look where 300,000 kids have gone to work now ! So why not cut out the middle man and stay in the UK, seems to be the bottom line now...Unless of course, it is the parents that are really the ones that want to come to France and use the kids education as the "reason". Not aimed at you or anyone in particular, merely another point of view ! This thing about the Dordogne and the Charente has me shaking my head, so many folks living on the Charente border have issues with the Dordogne but when it comes to telling friends and especially the owners of gites, they will invariably say Dordogne/Charente border…!! Sorry again,  that was not aimed at you, it was just your comment about the girls not wanting to go to a school with any British kids (that is bizarre that kids should say that but still.....) and the Dordogne never fitted the bill, so to speak.

I went out with a Strumpet...well I say I.................. it was actually me and 12 others  [:(] So nice to see me old chat up line back in vogue Betty [:)]

[quote user="andyh4"]Sprouts, lightly cooked and served with lardons and chestnuts - that is what Christmas is all about.[/quote] Mmm, nah, don't think so Andy You forgot about being forced to go down the pub in your new jumper/shirt/trousers etc puffing the only cigar of the year and having a large whisky that you never drink all year. Now that's Xmas...............oh and Kempton on Boxing Day [:)]

[quote user="Bugbear"]Nothing to do with stalagwotsits, I'm afraid and what are you doing up at 0200 hours ?   (crikey, 100 posts in 20 days, I really must get out more.........[8-|] ) [/quote] Me hours are out of kilt. TOH is away at the moment and I am a little lost as to what to do [:(] It kinda looks like it should have something to do with stalagdodahs though, doncha fink ?