Charlotte3

Bugbear, You're an absolute STAR!  The perfect thing...excellent. I'll be ordering a pair next payday. Thanks everyone,sorry to be such a wuz, Aly

Big Mac, Know it well, I do lots of work in Pre en Pail and Villaines la Juhel......I'll keep an eye out for you. Aly

Sunday Driver, "Depends how far you want to go, Babe......."             Well....as far as my age and dodgy leg will allow!!!   The pad thingys sound like a good idea, had a look at the website but I'm not sure if you need to buy the trousers to put them in (if you follow me), oh why does everything sound wrong? I have to wear a protective support on the knee for work to protect the skin graft, so I wondered if that along with a fetching pair of fringed leather chaps would be practical as well as safe and also girlie???? The guys in work all have BIG bikes and they maintain that leather is very resilient if the worst happens. I have an expensive Macadam jacket which is meant to be made of very tough teflon reinforced fabric, but it tore very easily, which makes me wonder about any sort of fabric trousers, even with protection. By the way, I really do appreciate your help with this as I am nervous now and want to make sure that I am as well protected as possible. I know that people think I should just avoid bikes, but I don't like to let anything beat me. Aly

Lou, I only know about this because all the guys in work were talking about it one day. I said that I had never heard about it and like you, hadn't seen any reference to it anywhere ( even on my tax form). The problem is that they are convinced that the signpost at our village says 15kms to Gorron, but it actually says 13kms. Being French they won't be told however, and have said that they will help me fill in the appropriate part of my tax form when I get it. I will keep you posted, Aly PS. Apparently ALL the French around here know about this and exploit it to the full!

Hi there Big Mac, Where are you in Mayenne? We're between Gorron and Fougeres. Aly

Got it right, Sunday Driver......CM125, she's only little but I have to be legal nowadays being a grownup!!!! (for many years I drove a Suzuki GT380 while on a provisional licence, but I'm a good girl now). I do like retro things (bikes and cars) not the OH.....though maybe...! As far as I can make out this bike was the forerunner of the very popular Rebel we see so much of here in Mayenne, but looks a bit more substantial. She is a limited edition  however, and I have the tool roll, saddle bags, Harley Davidson (sp?) grips etc., so she is VERY pretty and just right for a lady of a certain age! Do you think I would be going too far with a pair of chaps though? OH says so, but I have to protect my damaged knee, and they have so much more character than leather jeans.....seriously folks, let me know what you think before I make a  total spectacle of myself!! Many thanks for your positive replies, Aly

Hi there, You can claim for travel TO work if you live more than 15 kms from your work. Any less and you're on your own.....this is for an employee, I don't know what happens if you are self employed. Aly

Hi there, Your photos can be signed by a citizen of any country, not just a British citizen, but they should be a professional person. Aly

  Look what I found hiding in the bushes!!!! [IMG]http://www.reposenfrance.com/private/Alysbike.JPG[/IMG]   Aly

Hello Bugbear, Thanks for your five-penneth,  it is very welcome!  It had never occurred to me that the wheel could collapse. (Logical really when you think of it). The rust is very much of the surface variety but every spoke is affected which is why I wanted advice before starting. It's chucking it down here today, so I'll have a go with the WD40 next weekend. My bike is an old CM125 Indian.......yes I know she's small, but when I'm finished restoring her she will be perfectly formed (I hope). When I agreed to buy her she had all her original bits and pieces and she was georgeous, but the garage decided to replace lots of parts with modern black plastic bits. I was horrified when the mechanic handed me a carrier bag full of broken chrome indicators etc., and explained that they had been broken when dismantling!  The sad thing is he couldn't understand why I would want a bike with lots of chrome instead of nice new black plastic. It's the same old problem.......the French have no appreciation of history! Anyway....onward and upward! Aly

.......just begging to be filled!! Cheers, Aly

Thanks guys (and girls), Great ideas both.....I'll start with the WD40 first, and then if that fails go on to Heath's idea. (Sorry Heath, I'm feeling really lazy this weekend). I'll let you know how it goes, Aly PS. I haven't a clue how to post photos.(I'm a bit of a technophobe)

Hello Heath, Thanks for your prompt reply. I have today (first sunny day for weeks) been out in the garden with a beer and my good friend the tube of chrome cleaner and things are looking much brighter now! (on my bike that is). Unfortunately it's the spokes that are the problem. As you say, they are more difficult.  I wonder what would happen if I used a brillo pad type of thing - would I do some sort of irreparable damage, or do you think it would be worth a go? Sorry to be so thick, Aly

Hi Guys, Can anyone tell me the best way of refurbishing a rusty spoked wheel? The front one is OK but the back wheel is quite rusty and takes the whole look off the bike. I' m looking for something I can do at home rather than having to pay lots for it to be done professionally!   Thanks in advance, Aly

Brilliant news Emma, perhaps it'll work OK for you! Aly

Welcome Mo, We came here with 2 children, just 11 and just 12. The younger missed his last year at primary school and went direct to college. They have both done really well at school and although they found if very difficult (they were the only foreigners) the school was quite (not very) helpful with some extra language classes while the rest of the class had English lessons. Six years on and our eldest is doing very well at lycee and now speaks fluent German as well as French and English. She will do her Bac next year and frequently gets better marks in French than her French friends! Our son is at lycee professionelle (?sp) and lives away from home. He is doing as well as any male teenager with his studies, but his English language has suffered badly because he doesn't speak with English people very much. That is something to consider...if you want your children to be bilingual is is necessary to give them considerable help with their English language (particularly written) or they will fall far behind an acceptable level for future professional use. I am thinking of spelling particularly, also our daughter has now started asking the meaning of some larger words found in literarture etc.. All food for thought. Good luck to you all, Aly  

We have 7 vans in work, and all 15 employees have to sign each certificate! The secretary is forever stressing how small our signatures need to be! Aly

Hi there, There is NO problem having a british reg vehicle disposed of . The scrap yard are not interested in the country of origin of a piece of scrap metal! Our local "Ferrailleur" comes and collects from us, takes the vehicle for disposal and then provides us with a copy of an official form (the original of which he has sent to the Prefecture with all the relevant details on it. We then send it along with the tax book to the DVLA. No hassle, no cost! Aly  

Hi Billyo,   Sand off the tiles and then use "mapp" to stick plasterboard to the tiles. Support them while the mapp is drying, and bingo, new wall! Aly

Hi Will,   Clonakilty? Now there's a town I never expected to be mentioned here, haven't heard anyone else mention it in years! We used to have family holidays 8 miles from there at Rosscarbery back in the mists of time when I was but a slip of a girl, mother used to buy the best ever milk bread in Clonakilty. It is probably the most beautiful part of the world. Aly

Andy, Your first bike?  Without a bike test it has to be a 125cc (sorry).....if you like the classic style - sit up straight, low centre of gravity, pretty as a picture and not too common why not get hold of an old Honda cm125.  Lots of chrome, dead comfy to ride, cheap to buy, sounds great, and posey as f**k! You've guessed it..... I love mine! Aly

Cooperlola, Well said on all points! We too used such a company and I paid 10,000ff for their service. Now I come to think of it, their fee wasn't mentioned on our paperwork either. Having said that, we couldn't have done it without them due to work etc. We were right royally ripped off by the chap we dealt with (house not on mains drains as stated in their brochure, nothing connected as promised etc.etc.) , but we put it down to experience. We too considered legal action againts them, but being in France it would have been too complicated for us at that time (didn't speak French) and they were not legally registered in France we were advised it would be a waste of time.(Chap we dealt with was actually registered as a gardener).  We could have had the sale annulled, but we would have been left with no home, so that wasn't an option. Anyway, six years on, we wouldn't be anywhere else. (Still hate his guts though!!) Aly  

Thanks Dick, Thought it might be that. Maybe an accountant could advise. Aly

Hi Donny, You don't say whether the company involved actually did any work for you, but I assume they did if you paid their fee. Surely it's a bit "off" to accept their help to buy a property and then take them to court later because you found that the transaction was illegal. Neither is it moral (given the situation I hesitate to say illegal) to engage someone to do work for you and then not pay them. In your shoes I would have been miffed, but put it down to experience. After all you did get the house you wanted and presumably with their help. Perhaps you should have checked them out properly before you engaged them! It seems to me that in this argument one side is no better than the other. Aly

Sorry, What I am really getting at is that I think the laws are there to protect employees, not people driving around France in empty lorries  if you see what I mean. Too much wine taken unfortunately, Aly