Ken

I don't know what PSCI is but it is obviously deficient if it doesn't cover head injuries!! Wait for the Pompiers and you could be waiting for death! Learn some basic treatments yourself!! Obviously PSC1 isn't good enough!!

I simply can't agree that the emergency reception at your local hospital would keep you (and your child). waiting for any time if the injury were to be serious. I understand that to be defined as 'serious' would need an examination. This would have been done straight away given it was a head injury.. The health system, emergency and otherwise is very good. Always needs 'tweaking' but is very good. Parents are always 'panicking' when it comes to treatment for their children and their judgement cannot be relied on!!

It was your decision of course but I would have acted differently had I thought it was an emergency. Incidentally, I wouldn't have strapped the child in a seat where it can 'wobble' about but held it firmly in someones lap. I have been (unfortunately!!!) to the emergency department a couple of times and found that they will do an assessment quickly, if needed. A child semi conscious with a head injury would fall into that category. We make choices and make decisions and have to stand by them. My advice about learning some basic first aid still stands , it can be a life saver if you decide you are going to wait for that bloody ambulance!!! Glad your child is o.k. no doubt it was very worrying.

A very good result that your child is well. What I don't understand is why did you not take the child to the hospital yourself?, particularly if it was only ten minutes away? Any ambulance service is really just a taxi service anyway. The procedures the personnel can administer are fairly limited. Quite honestly I would advise anyone at any time to learn some basic emergency procedures and become less dependent on the state!! Quite obviously there is a need for an ambulance service but in many cases an individual is better served by acting quickly and independently, if they can.

At 8.5% I doubt anyone needs to shudder at the prospect of Pecresse becoming President. I have found the polls in France to be amazingly accurate so Pecresse is, in reality, a non starter. For me I'm disappointed. I would have wanted her or Zemmour to become President but really that has always been wishful thinking. The hard truth is that it was always (is) La Pen and Macron in the final round with a victory for Macron. Anyone with scant knowledge of French politics will know this. The French electoral system, I find, is to blame for France repeatedly electing a President it doesn't want!!!

Visited the submarine pens about thirty years ago. I don't know about now but but back then you could just stroll in and have a look around. I do recall that some work was being started into making parts of the pens commercial. there were also preparations for a concert, of all things. Massively constructed and no wonder they couldn't be destroyed by air attack. The crews enjoyed their free Time in La Baule that's for sure!! A slight aside but as you enter La Baule there is a small, very small; plot where a, I think, a Wellington crew, are buried. So long ago I can't remember exactly but I was quite moved by how well it was kept and even that it was there! The pens, as you say, are worth a visit just to get a feel of the work involved, and the misery, of constructing them.

Painting ships, planes and even tanks pink as late as the 60s was fairly common. Even the Germans tried it during the war. The USA used up a lot of pink paint too! It really was down to Mountbatten though any evidence of how effective it was is purely anecdotal. The S.A.S. also tried painting some of their vehicles in the Oman war in the 60s. No record of how effective it was though!!! The Cambeltown raid was a huge success despite the colour scheme! St Nazaire was the only dry dock big enough to take the Tirpitz and other large ships which had haunted British tactics for a long time. The pens are still there and are quite incredible. A visit well worth doing if you are interested In in 2nd WW history.

The NHS has been a failure for a very long time. This is just another example of its incompetence. I do have personal experience regarding how 'efficient' it is and it's quite horrendous. trying to be objective though it is quite plain the whole system is poor. There are many individuals who are good and very professional but as a whole it needs throwing in the bin and starting again. I wouldn't mind betting there are even worse disasters waiting to be revealed.

So Decathlon have been forced to withdraw from the Russian market. That only leaves Leroy-Merlin and Auchan!!! It's quite disgusting that the French family seek to exploit the withdrawal of other companies. Then again Macron doesn't want to upset the Russians, and bring pressure to bear. Putin's useful idiot is a disgrace though he is not alone in the E.U. In fact the whole E.U organisation is a disgrace regarding assisting Ukraine. Yes he will get another term. The French public have little choice I suppose; they probably feel embarrassed at his posturing.

My lemon tree has been giving lemons throughout the year for over 22 years! Most productive. I have even taken a couple of cuttings and they are doing well but still at the small pot stage! I think it will be a few years before they start producing fruit. Gin and tonic anyone, with a British lemon of course!!

Can the French enjoy watching Macron make a fool of himself? Surely even the strongest supporter of Macron must feel embarrassed at the way he keeps contacting Putin! It almost smacks of collaboration!! Given that France hasn't helped Ukraine militarily one has to wonder if indeed France prefers to trade with Russia rather than oppose its actions in Ukraine. French companies are still operating openly in Russia with no sign of let up yet not a word of criticism from 'Jupiter'! No doubt he will claim something from his 'phone calls' to Putin should there be a ceasefire before the elections but will the French public fall for it? Probably!! It must really irritate him that Zelensky has praised the U.K. for the help it has given and slated France, not much of that mentioned on French news either!! Such a shame there is no opposition here, he would be out if there were, unfortunately he will strut his stuff again!!!

The solution, get rid of the unions!! Problem solved!! Anyway who wants to go to the Dordogne, with all those other Brits? What a terrible thought!!!

I do agree profit is very much the point. Which does bring us back to the passenger side of the business. It's making a loss, why keep it? I would do as the owners are doing, perhaps with a bit more tact and tenderness but the bottom line is if the workforce won't work for a wage that is comparable with making a profit then we close! The Union though would never tolerate that and as a result its members are out of a job!!

Who would run a non profitable business? A madman perhaps but not any sensible person in business. The ferries, like any. business has to ; at the very least, pay its way and they are not. The Union Barons, as usual, will blame everyone from the Tories down to management and the owners but the reality is that the ferry workers are a huge liability when it comes to wages. People in the west are suckered by this minimum wage nonsense and the power of the unions. This is the outcome! No jobs!!! Sensible negotiations, what are they!!!! Every job has its true worth!!

I spoke to a friend in Moscow yesterday. She is a professional person and her salary has just been cut in half! She said , as 'diplomatically' as possible that things are getting difficult and people have to be very careful!!! I didn't push her with delicate questions as quite obviously she was being careful with her words. We were on the telephone but she said the vast majority of Russians can only get state sponsored news, again without being too critical or elaborating!!! In other words messages like Arnie's are not getting through because of censorship. My impression given her understandable reluctance to speak openly is that Russia is hurting and hurting quite badly. Whether that hurt will transpose to a removal of Putin or a withdrawal from Ukraine remains to be seen and I daren't ask her what she thought about that! I didn't want to see her marched off the the local 'nick' because I was indiscreet!

Another Trade Union success story!! The mines, the Docks, The Railways the list is long and distinguished! Easy to deflect the problem by asking to check who the owners are but it is more a question of whether something is viable or not and that applies to any owner!

Not another 'link' mad zealot who posts them simply to support their view! As for the rest, absolute rubbish. Just another utter remainer; you lost; go vote Liberal at the next election!!!!!

Well perhaps I'm the only one who doesn't think Russia influenced Brexit, I wonder what the other 17 million think!! Cummings, the leader of Brexit! That snake in the grass couldn't lead a dog on lead! I think you have a bad case of 'I hate the Tories because they got Brexit done'! No doubt some here will believe your rubbish. By the way Buddy Holly is still alive somewhere doing duos with Big Bopper!!!

In the U.K. the press has always been very powerful. Often it does overstep the 'mark' but overall it is , I think, an excellent 'regulator'. A free press should always be argued for. The press in the U.K. covers the whole spectrum from extreme left to extreme right and serves to keep all sorts of people, particularly politicians, in line! I do believe the media in the U.K. is far better than coverage in most, if not all countries. Murdoch, incidentally, though very powerful isn't as powerful as perhaps is thought. He 'only' owns the Sun and Times plus some dealings with the press association. I gave up with the Times years ago when , after he acquired it the political comments changed dramatically. towards the left. As for the Sun! Well it is very popular. Do they still have a page 3 girl I wonder,

No, I'm afraid not. If, what I said isn't what you meant perhaps you could clarify for me. I don't know why you specifically mentioned France anyway. I do understand a French forum may be critical of France, but I wouldn't really know. I do know that people here criticise the U.K. and this isn't strictly an English forum, there are French nationals on it!!

You are possibly right. Though I'm not at all sure why anyone would want to read about anyone knocking any country! I don't! Presumably you mean that as this is an English (language) forum then it's o.k. to knock the U.K.!

ALBF 'Why do peeps living in France beat the UK down ?' Well you have asked a question! As you have pointed out, Britain is a great country, has its problems of course but essentially it nurtured everyone here so it can't be bad! So what is the reason ? My belief is that those who continually knock Britain are, in the main, embittered 'remainers'. Oh! I read of all sorts of reasons as to why Britain is poor at this or that but it is always Britain, rarely France or any other country. No doubt feelings here will be 'Brexit' again' he can't leave it alone! The fact is there has to be a real reason for the continued criticism of the U.K. They don't like it but I feel that is the reason. Rule Britannia!

In what way should I be looking at myself? I only have one passport. I have not said countries can't be criticised, of course they can though It is extremely rare for me to criticise any country, Macron yes but that is usually in defence of Britain as he is intent on doing it harm. As for patronising and being insulting, well you don't do such a bad job yourself and you are quite selective when it comes to accusations! Dual nationality is, as I have said, something people use to their advantage as Draytonboy has pointed out. Presumably, claiming to be both French and British also gives you the option of a safety net should one be required!!!

My comments are patronising and insulting! You look at one side of this 'discussion' and opt Oh! I think I have touched a nerve! Again, you have said nothing other than to try and be insulting. I didn't have to give guidance, I was perfectly clear in what I meant. Someone with a modicum of intelligence would have understood it As to whether you have given up your passport or not is of no interest to me. In fact I never named you! A guilty conscience perhaps!! As for links, again I prefer to give my thoughts rather than someone else's whose thoughts are the same as mine anyway,!which is exactly what you do. Why provide a link ion it simply supports your view? Still carry on it ,obviously makes you feel good!!

I seem to have touched a nerve! I know it's a little difficult for you but "go the whole way" means once naturalised , give up the original Passport. Cutting links, in the official sense with the original country. There, that wasn't too hard to understand was it? As for 'links' you appear to be obsessed by them. Do you not have any thoughts of your own, other than insults of course!