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I'm not sure about cheap insurance, but one thing to be aware of is that he will have to register the car in France and also have a Control Technique carried out, that's the French MOT. To do that, the car would most likely have to have the headlamps changed.

Sid. That's interesting that you have antifreeze in your central heating system and probably a good idea. Obviously, cars and lorries etc, have it in all year round so presumably it will do the same job. My central heating has the usual anti corrosion additive but I don't know if that gives freeze protection. So, off I go to find out. Many thanks for the tip. Les.

I suspect that there will be a loud bang in the ceejay household if this goes ahead.

Hi Wooly. I had to use my large Renault tractor to remove 4 Bamboo that we planted some 5 years ago. The lady at the garden centre said it wasn't a spreading type! Anyway, I have hydraulic forks on the tractor with those steel spikes that lift hay bales and believe it or not, one of them snapped clean in half as the Bamboo was so strongly embedded. It was a tough job and the roots went down at least 3 feet. After getting them out I sprayed the area with Glyphosate just to be sure. I wish you luck. Regards. Les.

You should have done your shopping today, it's now 1.43. It's certainly better than when it went down to 1.02 a few years back.

A bit of journalistic licence there I reckon Frederick. That machine looks like a cattle feeder and the stuff being sprayed out is fodder. Look at the rear tailgate and you will see bits of fodder sticking out. My farmer mate has one just like that. Could have been worse though Eh!

Hi. It's not just you. We own a Chateau, well known in the village 1km away, but certain delivery companies seem incapable of finding us. GLS are the main culprit, even though some of their drivers have actually been here in the past. Despite the fact that we are on Sat Nav databases and having e-mailed maps to the companies, we still have problems. So now I simply await a phone call and arrange to meet the driver at the village Church.

The only advice I can offer relates to the new machine that my good lady bought a few weeks ago. It is an 'Acer Chromebook'. Very nice machine but, you cannot currently get 'Skype' on it. That was something we didn't know until it was too late. Of course, if you have no need of 'Skype' then no worries.

Thank you for all of the advice. Neighbours are not a problem as our place is on our own estate, closest neighbour is half a mile away. I will have to take a look at the description of the habitable parts from when we purchased. Fortunately we still have all of the adverts and paperwork, etc. Maybe I'll have a word with the Mairie first as we are on really good terms. Once again. Thanks.

In our main house, which is very large, the main stairs go all the way up to the attic area. This area is one open space and is large enough for at least 4 bedrooms and a bathroom. I am thinking of making 2 large bedrooms and a bathroom. This would involve stud walling. It already has dormer type windows. Has anyone carried out a conversion such as this and if so, what planning permission is required? Thanks in advance.

For those of you wanting technical info', here is a link to a TV viewing distance calculator; http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/Article/How-Far-Should-I-Sit.php I found this useful as I have a cinema room, lucky me! As for HD, it's definitely better on larger TV's. Surround sound is a must for watching action movies in my opinion.

The deadline for Greece is Sunday. They haven't said when the next deadline after that will be. To be honest, I thought that I would be getting a few more Euro's to the pound, but it seems to be hovering around 1.39/1.40. Maybe after Sunday!

In short. Nothing. In France you start with 12 points and have them deducted for offences, whereas in the UK, as you probably know, they are added. They are for UK offences so are not recognised in France. You will end up with a clean licence.

As someone who frequents over a dozen forums covering various interests, I have to say that this new layout is the worst of any of them. I really don't like it. I'm now going to take my Bentley engine to pieces and see if I can put it back together. Actually I won't, as it isn't broken!

I have 'Infosec' ones. I got them from a Brico' in Mayenne if I recall. One has 7 sockets and the other has 5. Not had any problems with either. One is for the TV, Freesat, DVD and Bose surround. Quite a lot of expensive kit in all but I haven't switched the socket off for at least three years. The other protects the main fridge/freezer and the livebox/phone. Just a point. Did you know that they don't last forever? There is a lamp that warns when it is no longer working as it should. I believe that they will take so many hits and then give up the ghost. Hope that helps a little.

We had an encounter with a similar sounding Snake a while back. It turned out to be an 'Aesculapian' Snake. It was black with yellow markings, around 5 feet long and looked quite threatening as it was ready to strike out at my missus. They are also called Rat Snakes and are the symbol used on Doctors badges. They are a constrictor and not venomous.

Hi Henry. I did get your e-mail thanks but it has somehow disappeared. Anyway, it just happens that we had a meeting with Valerie today and I mentioned that it was me that gave you her info'. So, I hope that she can help you as much as she has done us. Best wishes. Les.

Hi. We use the services of this lady in the Mayenne area; http://www.sosanglo.com She may be too far away from you, but I wondered if there might be a similar person in the area that you are moving to. She is certainly very good and very inexpensive too. Might be worth looking around rather than just opting for an accountant. Good luck with the move.

I have been doing the same for the past few years. My farmer friend takes what I don't cut for his dairy herd. He usually gets around 33 big round bales. If no money is exchanged I wouldn't worry.

Good job my car has double glazing then as my better half doesn't half like her tunes turned up loud.

ebaynut. Nice analogy. It just about sums things up in my opinion. The Bird feeder story reminds me of Green Finches funnily enough!

Nobody looks at cards these days really, nor asks for photo ID. You simply put the card into the machine and input the pin number. I often use my daughters CA card here and in the UK. I do have power of Attorney, but it has never been queried. Also, my better half more often than not goes shopping with my own cards here and in the UK. Don't worry is my advice, although you could perhaps take a signed letter of permission with you.

How come the whole of France are not on strike over this disgraceful situation. Surely it affects them all. Or are they going to roll over to the official line! I hear of one person having an extra 800 Euro's to cough up. Heaven only knows what mine will be, I dread to think as we have a very large place. Time will tell.

If you have internet access and an account with CPAM, you will be able to print off a copy. It's just the paper counterpart so to speak. You can set up an account online if you don't already have one. Good luck.

It was good to see his old flat mate Ray Terret get sent down for 25 years. Some justice at least, but a pity they couldn't share a cell. As for others, yes, there must be. Fortunately the proverbial has hit the fan and victims are speaking out at last. With luck, a lot more will get their comeuppance, regardless of their social standing.