Alan Zoff

Fair play to Credit-Agricole. I sent them a copy of the Trust Pilot review page, telling them I believed it was fraud, and they rejected the direct debit claimed by Easytrip. My statement shows 25 euros debited and recredited on the same day.

https://fr.trustpilot.com/review/easytrip.fr

Yep. I got the email, too, even though in a previous email they confirmed that I would not have to pay anything because they weren't able to send the promised return envelopes to the UK. They just said to dispose of the "badge" safely. If you try to contact them now to challenge it, they have effectively shut down as far as communication concerned. I have instructed my French bank not to pay it but getting French banks to play ball with cancelling direct debits is apparently not as straightforward as it should be....

Yes, it's a real worry, Idun. The virus itself hasn't changed one bit, of course. Just as contagious, just as serious as it was at the beginning, regardless of changes in regulations and advice.

https://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/travelling-with-us/latest/covid-19/ A health statement still has to be produced when travelling to France. A pro forma is supplied via the above link. It calls it a "sworn" statement but looks as though it simply has to be signed by the traveller.

Thanks again Pomme. I was getting info from friends and from the Eurotunnel site. I see the latter has now been updated and seems to indicate that all restrictions have indeed been lifted for travel to France.... for the time being.But sworn statement needed when returning to UK: Per Eurotunnel site today: Important Information Following the French governement's announcement, travel restrictions are lifted between France & Europe. Our Passenger service is still operating with a restricted number of departures for now. Before entering UK, a sworn statement needs to be completed.

Thanks Pomme. Despite my initial optimism, there still seems to be conflicting information, depending on where you look. Hopefully, all will become clearer soon.

Per Gov.UK site: Border controls From 15 June 2020, travellers arriving in France from the UK and wider European Area (EU, Andorra, Holy See, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino and Switzerland) are no longer required to demonstrate their travel is essential or hold an international travel certificate.

And wake up to find Wooly squatting in my barn? I think not.

"Nowadays, IF I am feeling particularly full of myself and in a mood to impress, I no longer protest that my French is not at all good. I just say Merci...." I still get caught out even by "Merci". I offered coffee to a few people who were visiting and they all replied "Merci". So off I went to make 5 cups and wondered why they looked baffled when I returned with the drinks. They politely drank it and it was some time later that I learnt that "Merci" in this context meant "No thank you".

Dammit. I think he's even older than me. I have sent a grovelling follow-up to test the water :)

Oo-er. I sent an email to the Maire earlier and used "tu". That's done it for me then.

I will now go and stand in the corner :)

I suspect that vous-ing might also confuse a lot of the locals in your part of the world, Idun :)

We have lost two dogs over the past year or so, both terriers and both having reached the ripe old age of 17. Although you know they have gone, you still half expect to see them waiting for you at the gate or door when you return home. Damned pets!

So sad that two unscrupulous, self-serving individuals should be allowed to cause so much heartache to so many innocents. So unfair that they will get away with it due to the gullibility and apathy of so much of the population.

I can empathise, Mint. We are in the same position with a grandson who arrived on 20th May. At least mother and son are well, which is more than can be said for possibly thousands who have suffered because Dickhead and Dom had other priorities.

A cartoon I have just seen - but am unable to post here - sums it up quite well. Boris is saying he can't sack him until Dom tells him to.

The sad thing is that Corbyn is probably the most decent of the lot in human terms, whilst being of no use at all to the country as either Prime Minister or leader of the opposition.Completely unelectable outside the far left. As for Cummings and Johnson, it is sad that so many people refuse to look into their backgrounds to see how they have got where they are, and how they have got us where we are. Cummings is a deranged professor with ideas coming out of his head left, right and centre - well, only right now. He had upset people in Brussels with his "I'm always right" attitude and his complete lack of personality. As a result, they slighted him instead of elevating him to the position he felt he deserved. This left him with a bitter hatred of all things Europe and a determination to show them what's what. Nothing at all to do with what might be best for Britain. Meanwhile, Boris had the sort of history that should have ensured that he could never take political office at any level, let alone become PM. Dishonest, untrustworthy, unfaithful - you name it. But he, too, had a mission. He believed it was his entitlement to climb to the top of the tree, again regardless of what might be right for his country. Both Cummings and Johnson had problems. For all his genius, Cummings would never get direct political power due to his inability to connect with voters. He needed a popular face, a spokesman, who would put ambition before principle and provide an outlet for his schemes. Despite - or perhaps because of - his bumbling manner, Johnson, a seasoned debater, was considered by many to have an engaging personality but he lacked the ability to plan and implement an effective campaign. They were exactly what each other was looking for. Make no mistake, Cummings is extremely clever, in a very dangerous way. If you wade through his interminable blogs, filled with theories, formulae and complex algorithms, you can see how easily his ideas would have fooled the average right wing MP - they may not have understood or even read half of what Cummings had written - who does? - but would see it as justification for their own prejudices. But where Cummings was really clever was in recognising that neither detailed economic argument nor pages of mad science would appeal to the masses. For them, the message had to be short and catchy. "Take back control", "Get Brexit done". Messages that would easily be taken on board by the media, including the right wing press and social media which Cummings studies with his usual zeal. In 2016 he was still concerned that the Remain camp had the better real case and he knew the Brexit vote would go down to the wire. Here he was helped by Corbyn's lack of credibility. Had a Keir Starmer been Labour leader in 2016, Brexit would not have happened. And when it came to the General Election, Corbyn was all too easy to demonise, with the gleeful support of the Tory papers. Boris, a one time Remainer, was willing to do or say anything which would get him to, and keep him at, the top. Lie low when Cummings thought unguarded utterances from his mouthpiece would be unhelpful, stick to the script when in front of a camera. But the time has to come when even the Tory MPs who have supported Boris and his Rasputin controller because they owe their seats to them, will have had enough of being impotent pawns, endorsing government policy decided by this unelected creature who treats everyone with contempt. Whether Cummings has over-stepped the mark with his recent hypocritical behaviour remains to be seen. Well, that's just my take on it. :)

I couldn't even watch her as a news reader without shouting at the TV during her "performance". Just read the damned news! It's supposed to be about other people and events - not you!

ALBF and Trump expert medical opinions - both equally trustworthy

I suspect that a UK car registration would be a killer blow, or at least would be the start of the end, if you get my drift

I could think of another use for one of those extra long ties, provided they were strong enough for his bulk

All is well. I was reassured by these very clear guidelines sent to me, presumably by Boris, although he forgot to sign: As we enter the next 3 weeks of lock down here is a summary of the advice: 1. You MUST NOT leave the house for any reason, but if you have a reason, you can leave the house 2. Masks are useless at protecting you against the virus, but you may have to wear one because it can save lives, but they may not work, but they may be mandatory, but maybe not 3. Shops are closed, except those shops that are open 4. You must not go to work but you can get another job and go to work 5. You should not go to the Drs or to the hospital unless you have to go there, unless you are too poorly to go there 6. This virus can kill people, but don’t be scared of it. It can only kill those people who are vulnerable or those people who are not vulnerable people. It’s possible to contain and control it, sometimes, except that sometimes it actually leads to a global disaster 7. Gloves won't help, but they can still help so wear them sometimes or not 8. STAY HOME, but it's important to go out 9. There is no shortage of groceries in the supermarkets, but there are many things missing. Sometimes you won’t need loo rolls but you should buy some just in case you need some 10. The virus has no effect on children except those children it affects 11. Animals are not affected, but there is a cat that tested positive in Belgium in February when no one had been tested, plus a few tigers here and there… 12. Stay 2 metres away from tigers (see point 11) 13. You will have many symptoms if your get the virus, but you can also get symptoms without getting the virus, get the virus without having any symptoms or be contagious without having symptoms, or be non contagious with symptoms... 14. To help protect yourself you should eat well and exercise, but eat whatever you have on hand as it's better not to go out shopping 15. It's important to get fresh air but don't go to parks but go for a walk. But don’t sit down, except if you are old, but not for too long or if you are pregnant or if you’re not old or pregnant but need to sit down. If you do sit down don’t eat your picnic 16. Don’t visit old people but you have to take care of the old people and bring them food and medication 17. If you are sick, you can go out when you are better but anyone else in your household can’t go out when you are better unless they need to go out 18. You can get restaurant food delivered to the house. These deliveries are safe. But groceries you bring back to your house have to be decontaminated outside for 3 hours including Pizza... 19. You can't see your older mother or grandmother, but they can take a taxi and meet an older taxi driver 20. You are safe if you maintain the safe social distance when out but you can’t go out with friends or strangers at the safe social distance 21. The virus remains active on different surfaces for two hours ... or four hours... six hours... I mean days, not hours... But it needs a damp environment. Or a cold environment that is warm and dry... in the air, as long as the air is not plastic 22. Schools are closed so you need to home educate your children, unless you can send them to school because you’re not at home. If you are at home you can home educate your children using various portals and virtual class rooms, unless you have poor internet, or more than one child and only one computer, or you are working from home. Baking cakes can be considered maths, science or art. If you are home educating you can include household chores to be education. If you are home educating you can start drinking at 10am 23. If you are not home educating children you can also start drinking at 10am 24. The number of corona related deaths will be announced daily but we don't know how many people are infected as they are only testing those who are almost dead to find out if that's what they will die of… the people who die of corona who aren’t counted won’t be counted 25. You should stay in lock down until the virus stops infecting people but it will only stop infecting people if we all get infected so it’s important we get infected and some don’t get infected 26. You can join your neighbours for a street party and turn your music up for an outside disco and your neighbours won’t call the police. People in another street are allowed to call the police about your music. 27. No business will go under due to Coronavirus except those businesses that will have already gone under.

The science is with you on this, Idun. Fresh bread degrades rapidly, in terms of both taste and structure, especially once the first slice has been cut. So if you want it at its best, use the day it is baked; thereafter, in our household at least, it is toast - literally.