Miki

Jeepers Llwyncelyn!!! We all have our cross to bear. You did very well but there have been many worse off and better off, c'est la vie. The cardboard box was a simple throw away line. The original post was not intended as a kick off  for let's see who was the poorest and hardest done by. I am sorry you struggled, we were not exactly rolling in it either. My Father came out of the mines after another of his Brothers died down the mine and his Mother begged him to leave. So what happened next........well he joined the Army, then bosh, war broke out, so off to War..Dunkirk, in the water, in a boat, back in the water....shook for ever after the war and his time in the mines. You really must not act or think that you are the only one that knew about poverty, the miners stikes and anything else, in fact you have taken far too big a liberty in accusing me of knowing nothing and commending books for me to read. I am a socialist, ask anyone on here !! I knew very well about the strikes and I did my bit during the Maggie era, albeit from afar, due to where I lived at the time, A good friend of mine here in France, was totally involved it all, in a big way. Any questions I don't have the answer to and I would like to know, comes from someone on the front line, so to speak. Please, drop it, goodness knows why (the cardboard box I think !!) you decided this thread was the time to bring it all up after all, this was meant to be a thread about staying in France. Apologies to pink specs.

Alright, he's not but he does want to be Captain Slog..........

I think that certainly applies to gîtes (but not with some French companies) but it does not apply to B&B, which is what Jill originally asked about. Very few, if any guests will pay for B&B in advance. Many French would be astonished to be asked to do so. We have fairly strict rules in the Ch D'Hôte commerce, which apply as to how we take deposits and asking in front for full payments is not allowed. For one night bookings, many will now ask for full payment but from two night stays, it is really deposit only. If anyone wishes to pay on arrival, quite rare in our place, we would naturally take their payment but personally, we would never ask for it. I have seen on a few websites how some Brits act though. No French translation, all monies quoted in Pounds Sterling and running foul of the actual regulations in several ways. I notice on some of them, that they ask for a deposit by Sterling cheque, no worries at all about deposits in that manner but ask for cash for final payment on departure and no French cheque.............can't think why [Www]

I read the post and wondered when I wrote it.................and then realised it was Maggi !! But then being a fellow (is there a feminine fellow ?) B&B'er, who is also poor, overworked and in need of a lotto win, I understood it very well [;-)] So yes, give the lady a medal. Lucky it wasn't a while back, you would have been attacked by all and sundry (vicious family they were). Llwyncelyn, hard times !! Huh,  bet you never lived in a cardboard box on a roundabout  [:)]

It's a tricky one but Dick is a teacher. I know he won't thank me for saying so but he really is. He once had visions of becoming Captain Slog though but.....................[;-)]

Menu greedy 31 € What's wrong with that [:)] Cooked and believed asparaguses.................... Well at least they have owned up to being such Net of farm pig of Mr. Bouillon...........................Wonder if Mr Bouillon knows his pig has done a runner and left his net ? Jumped vegetables with vintage........................Is that an ancient tradition in Normandy, leaping over the veg ? Inspiration of the head.....................................Mmm, we've seen from Jamie Oliver what school meals are like. Seriously, it looks a nice place and if I were you Dick, why not offer him a proper translation or do you think they want it to come across funny ? I have always wondered about that [:)]

[quote user="Just Katie "]One eel of a cook. Right enough or we will turn into Miki and Diki.  Bagsy me be the one without the beard. [/quote] Bagsy, blimey, that was the alternative to pudding and beef wasn't it ! and yes, TU's recipe or similar with my chef (Tina !) is very nice And I consider myself bagged, well it's better than living in a box [:)]

[quote user="Will"]I somehow want to make a joke here about people organising a pi.. sorry, exhibition, in a brew.., sorry, vineyard. But I can't quite find the words [:D][/quote] Might work............... "Couldn't organise a degustation in a vinnery"

We always take deposits unless at short notice but just as importantly, we always ask clients for their telephone number. For deposits we take them in the following ways:- Nochex  (for any UK clients) PayPal    (don't really like them but....) Swift/Iban Bankers cheque Personal French euro bank cheque Final payments:- Cheque Vacances Personal French euro bank cheque Cash

[quote] I've come to the decision its better not to ask too many questions sometimes.[/quote] I once spent a fair bit of money a long time ago, to get what I hoped would be good advice. I  remember two main things from that meeting with the advisor/accountant "Don''t for goodness sake register, you will never be able to afford what you have planned" and the second was..."You haven't been here and I haven't seen you.....do what you need to feed and clothe the kids" That was in Provence, where a fair number know how to get by and the first word I learned there was Magouille !

Abi, You don't know just how true that is ! C d'Hôtes are under pressure from Hotels/Restos and Campings, almost monthly. Any downturn in the turnovers from those commerces, will see more calls for tighter regs for all of us. Please note,  that wherever one looks, as far as as regs go, Table D'hôtes does  mean signing at the Ch de Commerce.

Like Phil, we have had no notification and to be honest, talking for myself, I don't really keep up with the new rules for new entrants but can try to look up these things when asked. We keep our kitchen clean and tidy, simply because we do, if you see some of our neighbours, no............you don't want to go there !! We are certainly not   taken in the same way as full resto kitchens, otherwise we would look like a hotel'/resto kitchen. Plain and simple hygeine rules apply though. All I can see and to be honest, it was a brief look, was this http://www.inforeg.ccip.fr/fiches/act_regl.htm http://www.inforeg.ccip.fr/recherche.asp?recherche=chambres+d%27h%F4tes&option=0&nbcount=10 Phil, I think if you surf through those, you might see the "rules" about carbon copy notes etc. I also looked at a couple of French forums and not any more there, than the usual regs. So not sure how one can have a table d'hôte kitchen like a hotel/resto kitchen and if the people telling you, can't explain, well.......................

What was that..............................no one there, strange, thought I saw a soz  [:D]

[quote user="Clair"]I'll read any books that I find gripping, regardless of the supposed target audience. I'm currently re-reading DH Lawrence, Alexander Soljenitsyne and Tom Clancy.....! very eclectic [:D] [/quote] Supposed [:)] [:)] As Meat Loaf said, two out of four ain't bad (OK little bit of licence there [;-)] )

Why do Adults want to read a kids book ?

On our last purchase (here) the Iban transfer was 30 days late !! It finally got sorted out OK and we were awarded a very nice sum from the bank that completely mucked it all up ! Notaire was OK and the sellers were happy to wait (luckily!). We just kept them all in touch, including giving all parties, the pathetic and regular excuses from the bank.

[quote user="You can call me Betty"]Now I'm less keen . Being discovered pantless behind the bikeshed is normally the preserve of public schoolboys and women of dubious repute. I think I may opt to hang on to what little reputation I can claim to have, and give the puffin pants a swerve. Damn.[/quote] Excusez moi !!  I can recognise myself in those harsh words. Puffin pants were all I had to offer, well I had me Sturmey Archers and a padded crossbar but it was the sight of the aforementioned that gave me the edge on the charms of Dolly Burton from 3b [:)] Happy days..............

Yes Kathy , I think you will. You are now inscribed in to the French health system. You can either go down to your local CPAM and order them, or order them online from their website.It is simple and takes anything between 7-14 days to come through the post, well ours have done, before anyone posts to claim the record time [:)] As TU states, French ones last one year only. Other EU countries vary in times of validity.

Where there's a Will there's a way [:)] Obvious innit !

[quote] I also thought that once you are no longer resident in the UK you cannot just "go back there" to get treated. To re-enter the NHS you have to convince the UK authorities that you are really resident in the UK and not just "home for health treatment". Not sure what is involved in that though. [/quote] Easiest fiddle ever to do. They, like many here in France, simply keep an address in the UK and that is all they need. It means they don't register in Spain or France and that way, they believe they are saving money.....until....................

Had me worried then Phil, had me wondering if I had done me homework  [:)]

If no one posts the legal route to health cover in Spain , I have emailed two early retired (but years from getting their E121) family members in Spain, to ask them what they do, as regards health care and costs. Puzzled, you are supposedly legally obliged now (for a while now) to have health cover if resident in France (this can in certain cases, mean private is allowed apart from the CMU) I am not sure this is law in Spain. All EU countries will see EU laws as for someone else and not actually for them [;-)]

And me but gave a UK address. Is the top up like those in the UK where the money in, never runs out ? It just seems a good idea at the moment to have a UK mobile phone when in the UK, rather than our usual French one. We have a couple of spares mobiles which are unblocked. They are the old steam type [:)]

Oh that Lemon shoes, why didn't you say. No idea where she is [:)]

I don't think the Spanish have a version of the CMU though and that appears to be the stumbling block for the Brits, they have to take out private cover and many don't. We know of plenty out there who are simply taking a chance with their health, believing they will simply go home, if they need health care and get it all sorted out there. They, as stated on the programme, simply hold on to a UK address, normally family, which allows them normal access to a Doctor and hospitals. In that respect, there are many Brits here in France who rely on such a thing as well. But for others in Spain who cannot get home and the roulette wheel of health finally stopped on their number, it is awful but as we always say on here, do your homework, many do but care to ignore what might happen and then blame Spain (and naturally the UK) for their problems.