anotherbanana

L’ Hermione? Saw her being built at Rochefort, fascinating process.

I have kept to the strict rules of no publicity decided by the owners of this forum and removed the last post. If you do want to refer to specific products or whatever please do it by personal messages.

‘Treasure hunting’ on river banks at low tide, often enough very muddy!

Here is one group which seems to be behind the violence: https://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/mega-bassines-a-sainte-soline-gerald-darmanin-annonce-avoir-engage-la-dissolution-de-soulevements-de-la-terre-20230328

Anyone know the French for mudlark?

Norman, nice to hear from you again; I do hope the barrel has not been infested by worms or invested by strikers. How are takings in these difficult times? Your health good? I do take your point about renting but my cultural conditioning is such that I would feel chronically insecure if I did. Would be constantly worrying about being made homeless for whatever reason. And I would resent doing anything to the place or the garden. Do keep posting.

The argument of the original objectors who were largely small farmers is that water should be for everyone not just the wealthy few, big farms. Such debates have been going on as farms get bigger and the smaller, family farms get squeezed, less able to make a decent living on their own without substantial subsidy which is being phased out. So,it is now being seen as a class argument. The protestors now probably do not remember the original issue as most are there simply to casser du flic and are well tooled up for the job. I would not be surprised if their German cousins have popped over to give them a hand as, no doubt, they have been doing in Paris and other towns and cities.

I hated having a mortgage which felt like oppression so I went to Kuwait for three years, did three jobs and paid it off. Bobo, what a burden had been lifted. When I gave the building society a cheque for the total amount they were horrified and spent some time trying to convince me of my error, of the advantages of having a mortgage etc. But they could not answer my simple statement “I am free”.

It seems that the troublemakers have decided to give the major cities a day off and go to the country to continue their fight against les forces de l’ordre. It is the turn of Les Deux Sèvres to get it as the mob turns out to oppose the mega bassines that are being constructed to save winter rainfall and use it to water agricultural crops in the summer dry periods. For some reason that I dont entirely fathom these big ponds have aroused the ire of the holler than thous despite the great need for water in many areas in the summers that seem to be getting drier. The Vendée, for example has little subsurface water so is obliged to rely on dams; their problems are exacerbated by the huge annual influx of tourists. They have even gone so far as to install pipes so that they can pump water between the lakes as needed, a huge investment. Farmers often dig their own lakes, some quite large, to survive the summers; a few are big enough to be commercial fishing sites as well. https://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/en-direct-mega-bassines-manifestation-sous-haute-tension-ce-samedi-25-mars-a-sainte-soline-20230325

I have access to your email addresses which I use to weed out the commercial pests but there is no way that I could see if an account had been hacked, provided that the email address remained the same.

Macron has taken a very difficult decision and is being pilloried for it; whichever, someone had to do it, the Socialists are too lily livered and Le Pen wouldn't dare. Time the far left unions grew up. Oh and perhaps their links to Moscow might be investigated?

Please name these millions.🥵

As usual, the nutjobs are out in force; their first target is fuel depots so fill up folks. My local supermarket is not sure what deliveries it is likely to get so maybe fill the basket at the local market. Apparently electricity supplies were hit in some areas but not much information as yet. ALBF, keep us all posted svp.

Neighbours out slaughtering their gardens and, and, Paris Nice cycle race. Bobo is back in his Heaven

Been beachcombing, guys? https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/03/french-narco-tourism-alert-as-washed-up-cocaine-draws-beachcombers

Others will know better than I but I think le fisc is the right place.

As I only live an hour from Calais I find it easy to take either the Tunnel or DFDS. But recently my credit card has been refused for payment for Eurotunnel; it is a Nat West Mastercard. Never any problem in the past and it has plenty of time to run. Any ideas?

Sounds as if the internal administration and registration procedures have not been completed. Probably seriously sclerotic!

Another problem seems to be the sudden demand for an increase in the width of the track; could this be a try-on by those claiming rights who want a hand out? This the notaire could not have anticipated.

Thank you Dave, we do seem to be picking up a bit and members always seem to turn up at appropriate moments. But I would like to see more chat about France and French issues if possible. Moderating is hardly onerous! I shall be looking for a new moderator after I have had a chat with the Gods.

I am deeply saddened to have to inform the membership that my fellow moderator, Jean Eckersley, known as Hoddy has passed away after a short illness. She had been associated with the Forum since the early days and was a good person.

Why did the scorpion bother? Ryanair were stinging everyone anyway!🤪🤢

Thank you betise, I completely missed it.🤢

Eh?

Thank you, betise. Finally some welcome legislation.