Miki

Has there been anything quite as tasty as 'Peckham Spring water, from a natural and ancient source'   Certainly better than the tap water round this part of Brittany !! 

[quote]Surely when TU moves back she will be resident ? Isn't that the 'qualification' for receiving health care in the UK ?[/quote] Plus knowing a little about TU, she speaks rather good English as well as French, which was partly what she was speaking about in her post. The clue simply was in reading it.  

::laugh Hang on SB, you forgot one Oh and another one I am only doing this to make Dick's Sunday !!  Dick, ask the Mrs if you can have some woots and smileys for your birthday, she will understand. 

I know "TJ". The trouble is, I've just been put on a stronger varient of Viagra and the effects take longer to wear off So what in effect you are saying Boggie, is that you are now a  bigger pr--k than ever.  Bon Dimanche  

I can't answer that Dick, in so much it may incriminate me and the missus

[quote]I hate these hoax warnings, but this one is important!!! Please send this to everyone on your email list. If a man comes to your front door and says he is conducting a survey and asks you to show hi...[/quote] Ok, so I'll put my hands up to this one but I only ask the women, Tina asks the chaps !!      

Yes, fair enough, it cetainly is their choice BUT spare a thought for all the people these folk put upon. I get several calls or am stopped when out I am out by persons having lived here for yonks whose French is almost non existant, due to the fact they simply don't want to learn or speak French, "too much hassle" "too much else to do"  "too old to learn now?" just a few excuses one gets. TU's point, I think is, that there comes a point when, these normally very kind people, are not in control of their lives anymore in France and so, have to put on the already stretched public resources here. If not the public resource, they will need others to telephone whoever and even have to ask one to go with them as they can't go alone due to their non speaking or the language. Of course let people come here, it's a "free country" as they say (never fully understood that phrase!) but the point is, should you expect others to carry you when the time comes and you are in constant need of someone or persons to aid you all the time just because you haven't the taken the time and effort to speak French to a level where you can be understood? Lets be honest here, these can be the same kind of people who say just how laid back it is here and surely therefore have plenty of time to have lessons, privately or in a group somewhere. We have all helped others I'm sure but it can be a chore to have to do it too much, after all, we do have a life ourselves that take up much of our own, often precious time.

I will say it once more, I have bought and sold over many years in France and I have come across too many rogue agent commerciales and agent immo's themselves to even want to argue their case but what I will repeat is, I am extremely wary of those that feel the need to defend defend and defend again, their personal business. If one is not named, why ? Why? If  painters are accused of being rubbish, you don't see another painter come rushing in to defend his trade, same with Paul the electrician on our forum, same with a few of the builders on here. They rely on their good name and THAT is what one trades on, NOT on what other rogue workers do. If they do say anything it is to warn members of what to look out for, thereby  helping people on the forum, not looking after their own personal vested interests. Who's kidding who? To simply deny dishonest agents, either commercial or immobilier themselves exist, is ridiculous in the extreme. I know of at least 3 agent immos who look in on this site, not one ever says a dicky bird, why, well why indeed, they are good at their business, honest, tell it as it is (well for the most part !) have plenty of recommendations and have no want to enter in to something they feel is best left to others who wish to defend what for them has no bearing on their own business. A good name is a good name in any line of work, that is the aim surely, to getting your business seen as honest and professional? Will, you have the common sense to recognise the obvious fact that many rogues are around and I am sure Judy, who let's be honest does NOT advertise her place, really does not need to enter in to defending something she knows she does honestly. Hardly anyone knows her place anyway so......................... This site states some excellent points but it would be easy to simply nit pick the parts that affect anyone in particular, it should be judged overall and there are more serious points that should be heeded than trivial ones.  

Do you mean, you then get out the bread oven and upgrade to a porcherie or was it a card explanation? Banks not clever Dick ! They have been clever enough to rip me off (and plenty of others ) for donkeys years on both sides of the channel  

Actually, I am also covered for a lot of health care through my LloydsTSB Platinum account- Platinum Dick, no more talk of poorly paid teachers anymore then please, we haven't reached Visa Tin card status yet ! We had a couple near here who were living in a bread oven Bread oven.............sheer luxury, we had to live in a box............................ (haven't we been there recently? !    

[quote]Thanks Miki They've just gone out for the day but when they get back I'll ask if they're happy with one night of whether they want somewhere they can spend all four nights. BTW how long does it take...[/quote] Hi Coco, Sorry for the delay in reporting back but we have been rather busy with one thing or another, in the last 24 hours. Anyway, I would like to publicly thank you for sending the French couple here from your place, which they said to say, they enjoyed very much. They stayed for the one night we had available and also ate and drank here last night. Lovely couple but I must say, we do find that most folks from the "59 & 62" are really down to earth and we enjoy their visits. They have now gone on further to the west today.    

Why not mention his name then Miki? You weren't a tax inspector in your former life by any chance ( like somebody I could mention  )... Bill, the great man was only ever known on the track as the Longfellow or Yer man, sorry about that so here he is : Lester Piggott the greatest of them all.................... and it's about time the rules were changed and he is made a Sir or better still Lord Lester !! (He simply forgot the cash payments yer onner)    

Miki, I thought that christmas had only only hijacked the old winter sostice celebrations so the 25/12 (ish) thing is possibly as old as hallowe'en ? I read somewhere that Halloween is thousands of year old and Christmas can't be that old can it!  

[quote]Like Wise!!!! What "Nag" was it? Can't make it out properly.[/quote] It is the one and only Nijinsky ridden by the greatest jockey, the one they used to simply call "yer man" and you knew who they meant.      

[quote]Hey Miki. Do you still trade? What with the horse to support and all![/quote] Course I do Boggie, it's in the blood Not a bad "nag" that one, one of the very best horses ever. You wouldn't have needed to "support" that one, with the dosh it won, you could have another lovely Ferrari, in fact dozens of 'em    

Bill, Off to Rennes car auction next Monday. Tina wants a newer car as she thinks her car is getting on a bit now !! The auctions look OK, it's been a few years since I last went to a French car auction. Things are pretty similar but we shall see if the difference these days are worth the trip a few times to the auctions. Picked up a couple of good cars over the years in Provence and Dordogne, good savings but there is the extra work to do of course, compared to buying from a dealer. I remember very well the good days in the UK, before the public cottoned on in a big way to car auctions. Prices rose as more and more public entered the "fray" leaving the actual dealers with a bit less to "play" with. Friends still in the game in the UK, tell me that many 2nd hand car prices (not all marques) are pretty much on the floor and many cars are so cheap to buy in places like Loot and on ebay that it is certainly affecting the prices in general. Over 8000 cars are generally up for auction at anytime on ebay ! Be glad when France catches up on that score, French e-bay is terrible for cars but have looked at Germany and some good buys can be had but again, it is the time, expense and all that, that makes it barely worth the trouble.  

 HelloSorry to disappoint you Miki but it was a specified car to be delivered 1st week in nov with october u/dates on, plus chosen paint  ect. Why should it disappoint me? I really don't give a monkey's what motor you pick up or at what price. I must say though, you were very lucky that what you wanted was exactly the model they wanted rid of. That simple, hope that doesn't disappoint you. Been in the car game too long to know what discounts are about and what for Mik. 15% in France on a popular model is harder than putting Chirac in nick  

[quote]Well, 'tain't me, Miki. If I was half that lovely, I'd be..... ummmm, half that lovely, and I might even put a picture of me on then[/quote] Absolutely lovely. SB, Did you get my PM sent yesterday ?    

[quote]I'm told the French car auctions are a good bet, apparently they give a 6 month guarantee, & also it's MOT'd. I intend to have a look before I decide. Regards, Bob[/quote] Hi Bob, I am not sure about the warranty or the Controle Technique but sensibility would tell one that , yes an "MOT" should be on the car according to French laws. To drive any car home and to make things easier, there is a company at all the auctions who will insure the car for you short term (as little as a day). Off back to Rennes next Monday for a look about, Tina is on about the "Pug" now showing its age and maybe it's time to aim it !! 10.76 % for "the hammer" and another 53.35€ for preparation etc and a possible further charge for expertise required on certain cars (not a clue what that might mean !) plus in some commercial cases, TVA is added. The paperwork needed will be sent to you ASAP (possibly on the day) to enable a new carte grise to be sought. I will let you know what I find out but initial enquiries don't show it to be too different to the UK.  

[quote]Hello I have just bought a Ford C-max for my company and got 15% off. Regards Mik[/quote] To make things a little clearer here. A few makers eg at the moment Citroen, Ford, and some other "foreign" cars are offering discounts. Citroen especially, as they are still clearing the decks with some of their older ranges and now the C series are being updated soon, you will get good deals there, same goes for Ford who are bringing in new models all the time. Peugeot and Renault appear to be holding up rather well and getting discounts on their popular ranges are tougher than getting a drink out of Lester P. !! It really is a different case entirely with all models that are good or even average sellers, then getting a discount is a pretty hard task, nigh on impossible. So Mik, sorry, the odds are you got that car due to no one wanting that particular model and they simply wanted it off their hands          

No, but they have imported Halloween from America – which is about as culturally relevant as Japanese knot weed. ..................but a lot more fun than trick or treating with a weed I would have thought and anyway, what is culturally relevant about Xmas? Halloween is seriously much older than Xmas and in fact is very relevant to our part of France. The Celts celebrated their New Year on November 1st. It was celebrated every year with a festival and marked the end of the "season of the sun" and the beginning of "the season of darkness and cold."...... I have to add, Xmas here is a lot more "in the face" than it was over 15 years ago and come to think of it, so is Easter, never seen so many eggs in the months or more leading up to Pacques! France always finally catches up with the UK who in turn catch up with the USA,  it is a natural kind of pecking order..........  

I think Dick is probably nearer the answer. The way I have read it on these things, I think that it is a person who is more of a legal expert, I suppose an avocat would fit the bill but not neccessarily, also it can be someone who often assists or makes changes in legal rulings. I read that it was "jurists" who were responsible over many years of changing human rights bills, not just here but in other countries. I only know this much as it was a question posed many years ago in a book I was reading, funny, I knew then it might come in handy years later !  

Coco, Rennes St Gregoire (Geant and Brico Depot) is at most 25 minutes. Rennes South (Chantpie area) is about 35 minutes and Rennes Centre is around 30 mins. We would of course recommend you for any guests who want to go to Normandy after staying here (or before) and who have no place pre-booked. The "Overspills" we get are generally people who specifically want to be in a certain area. So of course we have locals who we "network" with. I suspect you have a group who you "interact" with for "overs" in your area ? It is positively encouraged with G de Fr but one would do so without their encouragenent anyway wouldn't they. I wonder though if the locals give "les anglais" the nod only after all other local chambres have been asked about availability ? Cynical, well we give many "overs" to the "group" and only get a handful back each year but then again, when we are rung, we often have to tell them we are full, so....................

We've recently reinsured our elderly Rover in France, with UK plates.  However, the policy does not include Breakdown cover which is quite important with an elderly car! Why didn't you ask your insurers to include it on your car insurance ? I am surprised it is not in your policy anyway. Normally there is a section in your car insurance that tells you just how much you are covered for in case of breakdown or accident. It varies depending on your type of cover but I think you can increase the cover of breakdown etc. Ours cover us for breakdown. Once, it was as long as it was over 30km's from home.  Now we have it start from a lot nearer but without digging it all out, not sure exactly where it starts from. Any accidents are covered from doorstep. Go to your insurers and ask them to include it or if not, where you can get cover for such. Having looked again at your posting, you say it is an elderly Rover and are you planning on staying in France with the car?  If so, don't forget you will have to re-register the car on to French plates within 3 or 6 months (depends on who you believe!) Will the car be worth all the trouble of doing that ? Also, the way many of us read the situation, if you insure the car through a French insurer and have an accident after the legal time set down for keeping the car on original foreign plates, you may well find your insurance nul and void and therefore no payout.    

So who is the Avatar then SB ?