Alan Zoff

Many thanks for your efforts. Lots of useful advice there. It's a bayonet mount but I seem to recall it not being compatible with other cameras when I bought the original lenses. 

Fuji (bayonet mount). I will make enquiries of camera shops to see if I can buy a Fuji digital SLR body, or a mount adaptor to allow my lenses to fit other make bodies. Thanks for suggestion.

Thanks Cooperola. I rather suspected that that might be the advice. I have an old (35mm) SLR which has served me well combined with a good zoom lens (and several others!), so I may go for a (second-hand) digital equivalent, as you suggest. Unless, that is, someone knows of a slightly less cumbersome alternative. Ps I take if from the pics that you have a minor interest in sports cars. I would be more than happy with similar results.

It's clear from the number of references to digital cameras on the forum, and some decent pictures, that there are some serious users so I thought I would see if I could get a few recommendations for free. I appreciate "best" is a subjective term so I will list a few personal priorities. I will take it as read that I would like sharp images with natural colours. Optical Zoom - preferably 6x or more A decent viewfinder (i.e. not just LCD panel) Proper manual focussing, rather than autofocus only (or "manual" focussing that is so fiddly that it's not worth having) Robust construction -  something to grab hold of. SD memory storage, if possible (simply because I already have some large capacity SD - rather than XD - cards) I might add that I have just sent back to the supplier a camera that I thought would fit the bill, the Fuji S5700. It had an impressive 10x optical zoom, a great LCD screen and takes both SD and XD memory, but everything else about it was a disappointment (poor colours, inaccurate auto-focussing with no practical alternative, and a horrible red-eye problem with flash, despite having a - completely useless - red-eye reduction setting). I may have been unlucky with a rogue example, of course, but I intend to try something else. I am not too bothered about looks, size, etc, as anyone who has seen Mrs Zoff will testify. (Only joking dear.) I might be expecting too much for the money, but it's worth asking.

As has been said many times before, you have to be a bit thick-skinned using any forum to allow for the "nothing better to do" brigade (thankfully, a minority) who seize any opportunity to show off, rather than simply try to help. I think the questionner will have got the message that it is not a legal requirement. However, as with any important legal document, it has to be in your best interests to make sure you understand the acte. Although the Notaire has a duty of care to you, do you really want to be faced with a legal battle with him if things turn out not as you expected? Much better that you avoid this risk by making sure you understand exactly what you are letting yourself in for before you sign. If your French isn't up to it, make sure you have someone there you trust who does understand it, whether or not the Notaire has insisted on this.

That sounds like a headline from the past he would prefer wasn't revealed. But perhaps we could see a revival of "The Glums"!  Gordon Glum. Perfect. I think we're onto something.  

The ever-so-prudent Gordon is not going to miss a trick either. He has apparently already signed an exclusive deal with Ladybird Books.

...and the 10 DS tenant only gets to sign up his/her 12 million dollar autobiography deal after he/she has vacated. So spare a thought.

Isn't it great when you get "expert" advice that says exactly opposite things? Has the Foreign Office been taken in, too?

They have to get elected first. I noticed also that they said they have to cost the plans out fully before they become official policy. So if they do get in, they haven't actually promised anything.... Well there's a surprise.

The town of Vichy is not really typical of the northern Allier. It has a quite cosmopolitan feel. The river makes a pretty "lake" feature there and some of the shops are of Parisian quality - with prices to match. Renowned of course for its spas and for horse racing. It is also that bit closer to Clermont-Ferrand than we are, so nearer to the volcan parc region, and will also benefit when UK flights expanded at C-F airport.

The top end of Allier (ie. above Moulins and close to Burgoyne border) very much fits the "rolling countryside" description. Rather lacking in tourist attractions and you need to be close to Moulins or Montlucon (or Nevers just over the Burgundy border) for sophisticated entertainment, but the small towns and villages try hard to provide friendly alternatives. We have been surprised just how much there is going on in and around our small, rural village. The French grand prix circuit is nearby at Magny-Cours and while it looks as though it is losing the grand prix franchise, it will no doubt continue to host plenty of events. The area has some nice small forests with large oaks rather than acres of just pine. The river Allier gives the region its name but is not as picturesque (at least in the north) as some other French rivers, largely because the locals seem not to have bothered to make much of it, in terms of riverside roads and villages. For a large river, it can be easily overlooked! We have not spent a continuous year there but visit regularly in all seasons. The weather has seemed to track the British weather quite closely during the 3 years we have owned the house, with slightly colder winters, hotter summers, marvellous springs and pleasant autumns. And, as has been said, - just like Britain - it has been unusually wet this year. We have found the people friendly. I would not say "welcoming" but that seems merely because they see no need to react and can't really be fussed whether you are French, English or from outer space. Just as long as you try to fit in. Which we do. And love it.

I was surprised to see the army so much in evidence in Tewkesbury and around Gloucester, driving water tankers and dishing out bottles of water. (Bit easier than life in Iraq or Afghanistan.) I still wonder just how much the GCHQ factor influenced things around here. By contrast, the Severn Trent vans, emblazoned with their logo "Your Water - Safe in our hands" seemed to have taken cover.

Now that's what I call a proper result. If only more people had the guts to resolve matters that way. The red coats (blue coats?) option would have simply caused you more grief and you would still be left with the damage to fix yourself. Good luck with your UK problems.  

Makes you wonder how the human race got this far, not being able to consume anything unless it has been washed, cooked or heat-treated.  Perhaps the dictinction between early man and modern man should now be pre-Tesco and post-Tesco.

I think they do accept it with good grace. I just said I wouldn't!

I can only speak from my own experience, which is perhaps of some relevance as my own work has brought me into regular contact with provincial solicitors over a period exceeding 30 years, as well as with accountants, bankers, estate agents, etc. Despite individual failings, solicitors remain the single group of people in whom I would have general confidence. That is not to say of course that they are all without fault but I would trust more of them than I would be prepared to trust any other one group of professionals who spring to mind. On the whole, I have found the solicitors I have encountered to be intelligent, hard-working, conscientious and fair people. They are also very poor at selling themselves, which I think helps to explain a lot of the criticism they attract. Their clients simply do not realise how much they do for them. This has brought to mind an incident a few years ago when I was doing some work for a smallish (4 partner firm) who then relied mainly on residential conveyancing. The property partner was rushed off his feet from morning till night, the telephone ringing constantly. I once fielded a call for him from a client who had already spoken to him about 6 times that day and who was miffed to find that he was now engaged with another client. "I have just spoken to the estate agent who seemed to have plenty of time to speak to me immediately." This particular estate agent occupied an office across the road from the one I was using and was in my clear view. When he was not repositioning his sports car (PAD 1 or something similar) parked outside (I never did understand why he saw the need to do this), or nipping over to the wine bar, I could clearly see him sitting with his feet on his desk, reading the paper or a magazine. He must have been the most relaxed guy I have ever met. His "helpful" advice to the client was to speak to the solicitor. His only calls to us were to ask for his commission on completion of the sale (almost 6 times the solicitor's fee). My guess is that the client had no idea about the difference in effort expended by the people involved in his expensive transaction and what terrific value he was getting from the solicitor. If I had been the partner, I would have made it damned clear to him what I had done, but for some reason many of them seem reluctant to do this. Of course, no one forces solicitors to do conveyancing work, but it does help to bring in other work. Fortunately for them, that particular firm has changed emphasis and now derives most of its income from matrimonial and personal injury work. Otherwise, the firm would have ceased trading (no exaggeration - I was privy to their accounts at the time). It might be good sport to attack people who make themselves easy targets, especially intelligent ones (no one likes a smart alec). But, as has been said, tarring everyone with the same brush isn't fair - or reasonable.  

Difficult to comment on the rights and wrongs of a particular case, based on information given on a forum without the input of the solicitor himself , especially if the facts have been misrepresented in the initial post. However, it is true that High Street solicitors often make little or nothing out of residential conveyancing. It is often seen as a necessary service to generate other more profitable business for the firm. It nonetheless represents one of the riskier (particularly on the purchase side of the transaction) areas of their business, involving them in high insurance expenses and stressful situations. (I  have worked closely with conveyancers and, believe me, there is no way I would do it for the "rewards", especially on Fridays when most completions take place and the solicitor is absorbing the stress from all parties.)  

When were you contracted to complete? Does the contract indicate "or sooner" or some such term? You are entitled to retain possession of your property until the contractual completion unless both parties have agreed otherwise. If your solicitor has broken the terms of your agreement, make a formal complaint. If solicitor doesn't respond with adequate compensation, take it up with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (who - rather than the Law Society - now regulate solicitors).  In any event, a conveyancing solicitor should be well aware of the diffficulties that would be caused by bringing forward an agreed completion date and should not do so without the agreement of his client.

Last year's cool August perhaps?

I'm working in Tewkesbury at the moment. The A38 is still flooded but there are limited ways into the centre now which is drying out. Local people are grateful for the effort made by the services, voluntary organisations, etc but the more sceptical among us wonder if this area would have received quite so much attention without the GCHQ factor. Clearly, Gordon is trying to prove to everyone that he's the right guy to be in charge, but whether he received a call from George to instruct him to keep GCHQ in operation we will never know. At a more practical level, the main problem ahead concerns - ironically - the lack of water. The authorities (including army and voluntary organisations) have responded quickly to supply drinking water to the 350,000 people affected but Severn Trent themselves seem surprisingly low-key and almost laid back about the failure of their pumping station. First it was going to be "at least 72 hours" before supplies would be resumed, but that quickly changed to 2 weeks... And that's about it. Some are wondering if the repair effort might have been greater had the water supply still been in the hands of a public utility rather than a profit-motivated company. No doubt some will argue things would have been worse. So we won't die of thirst. But at the end of 2 weeks without water for washing either people or clothes, perhaps the only ones able to bear the smell of locals will be other locals. The loos are going to pong a bit too. (Dare I say, a bit like the France of old....)

If you have a reasonable map covering the east side of Paris, you can follow the "Francilienne" - a series of roads making up the outer ring road. It adds some distance but is usually fluid. (This may be the route being suggested by SD.) I've noticed now that the TomTom takes me through a new route between the Francilienne and the peripherique but I don't think it would be helpful to you if I tried to work this out and explain it in text. On my last trip, it worked well going south but on the return journey north I seemed to be held up as badly as when using the peripherique. Luck of the draw, I think. Of all the routes I have tried, the fastest trips have in fact been via the peripherique, which works very well on the odd occasion that traffic is light. But when it goes wrong..... If your French is up to it, it's worth tuning in to the traffic radio station to give you an idea of routes to avoid.

About 10 years ago, I attended a presentation made by the Environment Agency to a few business people in Cheltenham. The speaker demonstrated quite graphically the effect of replacing soil in areas near to hills and rivers with concrete footings and roads in response to the increasing demand for houses. Extreme flooding. Good to know that planners and developers take notice of the Environment Agency. They have even named a new housing estate in Tewkesbury "The Watermeadows" (or something very similar). Now, doesn't that suggest a potential problem....?  

I was surprised, given the amount of dairy produce in France, just how little fresh milk people seem to use, in this area of France at least (Allier). The village shop sells only sterilised milk. Not for me, thanks. The supermarket in the nearest town does sell some fresh milk (semi or entier) but, whereas it will stock hundreds of cartons of yoghurt, creme fraiche, 15 types of creme brulee, etc, there will be just the odd litre of milk, if you are lucky. It seems to keep well enough in the fridge so I can only think this is due to low demand rather than poor shelf life.

The question arises: As the property will remain subject to IHT in view of your parents' continued occupation, what is the point of the immediate gift as opposed to a gift by will? Your parents may be putting themselves in a vulnerable position without anyone really gaining. If it's to avoid the house being counted as part of their capital should they have to go into care, bear in mind that there is a provision known as "deliberate deprivation of capital" which the local authority will throw at you if Social Services are asked to meet the care home fees. That is based on intent. In effect (much like the Inland Revenue's stance for IHT purposes), Social Services might treat your parents as still owning the house even though they don't. And going back to the domicile point, although you stated earlier that you have no assets in the UK, you will of course own a valuable one there - your parents' house - if the gift proceeds. Apart from IHT considerations, will that ownership have any French wealth tax implications? No need to answer any of the above as no business of anyone else. Just throwing a few extra points into the pot for you to think about.