JohnM

[quote]Interesting and please do not take any of my comments as being critical of individuals working for LF.However, you made reference to “was imposed upon us by Living France's publishers' IT people, who ...[/quote] Yeah, but.... very few people get sacked for choosing Microsoft.

[quote]Zo, your name vill also go on zer list, vot iss it?...........J[/quote] Don't tell him Pike!    

What are the rules on Christmas? If I turn up at my cottage late on Boxing Day am I still allowed to put the tree up? (Being that St Stephen's day is an ordinary working day) If I call it Boxing Day so that it is part of Christmas, do I have to do it that night or can I wait until next morning? :-) (Sod the rules, I going to do it anyway!)  

Things may have changed, but when I do this route (I crossed via Le Havre last time) I usually fill up at Carrefour in Calais and then again at M LeClercs petrol station in the Dijon services. I've found these two places to be the cheapest place to fill up! Be aware, everyone else seems to know that M LeClerc is cheaper than the others, so there is usually a long long queue, if you are in a hurry then consider paying more else where.  

I saw that programme as well. Yes, Sell By dates are all about stock rotation. Best by dates all about quality, and use by dates are for perishable goods (but because the supermarkets play safe things are usually OK after all of these dates). Supermarkets do not really want you to keep things after the "date" because you will buy more if you throw stuff away as it reaches the date.  

I'm going to assume that you've used the term "ring main" because that is the phrase that you will have heard banded about in the UK, but I'm also going to assume that you have spurs which is how the French do it. If you really do have a ring main then take further advice. For spurs 10amp is about right. With a ring main, the electricty can go both ways to get to a socket, so the power rating of the cable is doubled. However with a spur it isn't. With spurs you should be comparing the 10amp fuse with the 13amp one that you would have in your UK plug. Not much difference. If you do have a spur I hope that you have more than one, so do a check. Take a fuse out, plug a table lamp into all the sockets and see which ones it works in. Then do it for a different fuse. You should find out that (for example) sockets 1, 4 and 6 are on one spur, 2, 5 and 7 are on another etc. Make a note of this and ensure that you don't plug two heaters into the same spur. Does that make sense / help?  

I am interested, how do the online opticians position the lenses in the right place and adjust the prescription to suite the angle of you lens on your face? I've been out of the business nearly 20 years, but I still remember the troubles we used to have with lenses that were not centred correctly! Do you have to send your measurements or do they just hope you are average? By the way... Hypermetropia - Long Sight, Myopia - Short Sight, Astigmatism - Front of eye like a rugby ball instead of a football or lens not straight, Presbyopia - Old Sight, I used to find that funny 20 years back - not so funny now. Most people have a touch of astigmatism, don't let the optician tell you that you are unique and that your lenses need to cost lots more! (Oh, while I'm at it, a squint is not what you do when you look at the sun, a squint is eyes that don't look in the same direction).    

That's good news. As it is free on the Terrestrial Digital it should be free on Satellite as well.  

I think I had that email as well, however, I can't be sure because I didn't read it all...... :-)  

The good thing about McD's is that, on days when ones confidence on ones french is low, one can point at the menu and just say "uN, eT uN eT ducks, si vous plait" and be pretty sure to get something edible.  

I've only done News Years Day journey once, but I found it very good - aided by the fact that the lorrys were not running! Yes the service stations were open but it was difficult to get cash as all the machines were waiting to be converted to dispense Euro's..... Oh, that doesn't happen every 1st January then ???? :-)  

As mentioned above, Rail Europe are very good. They charged me a booking fee which I wouldn't have had on the internet, but the train I wanted was fully booked according to the internet, however, they found special offers, booked separate tickets and then combined them (or something equally confusing) and got us in first class for about £10 more than second. Considering first class included a meal and wine on the Eurostar, we were quids in. Well worth the booking fee. Only slight gripe was the time it took them to answer the phone in the first place, but when they'd answered it they went the extra mile.  

[quote]I am known for my excellent taste in fashion and I confess that the only designer label I will wear is Milletts and damn fine quilted shirts they are as well don't you know. If you see me in the Bric...[/quote] As a rule, I try not to buy clothing with the manufacturers advert on it. If they want me to help promote their company, then they can pay me (or at least give me the clothing). I did once get caught out with this stance..... I pontificated in length about the stupidity of buying clothing just because it had a "name" on it, to a young lad, then next day wore a shirt which happened to have a logo on the front.... in my defense I had bought it for about 8¬ (that should have been a euro sign but I can't seem to get it to work) in Carrefour - but he still wasn't impressed!   

I'm afraid it will be a matter of trial and error for you. Stoves seem to make their own mind up on how they will work (I guess they also discuss this with your chimney). My brother has one which gives a blast furnace effect on a tiny air hole, it really sucks that air in, but if you open it up full, it seems to slow down. However, on mine it only blasts if I open the air hole as much as I can.  

I know some of you will not understand this, but I fully support the act of remembrance and like the idea of wearing a Poppy to symbolise that remembrance. I also see the need to support the work of the British Legion, I don't mind gving money to help ex servicemen. But I do object to the fact that the two acts have become so inextricably combined. I should be able to give money to the RAFBF and still be able to wear a symbol of remembrance but I can't because the Poppy is the BL's property. As it happens, I've been using the same poppy for a few years and I just make a donation. I my mind I have separated the acts and I am happy. There, I said you wouldn't understand.  

Taking on board all the comments about breakdowns, I still wish that people of all nationalities "who can" (those with mental health issues being excluded), would desist from having their arguments in public places. There seem to be an increasing number of people who think that being loud is synonymous with being right.  

I can't agree totally with either Alcazar or Nicktrollope, but can see some sense in what both of them say (sitting on the fence or what). However, I find that too many bikers and drivers want to have fun while riding / driving and I am not convinced that the public roads are the right place to have fun.  

No matter which country, I do wish that people wouldn't air their dirty washing in public!  

Wasn't that Wendy Craig? As for Wendy James the singist, well jig around on Top of Popsist, if not exactly a singist... WOW. Phew... Phroar.... err... Don't remember her at all.  

I still find I use on line translation far too often, but today I have been reminded that I shouldn't rely on it too much. The following from AOL news, La religieuse de Castres est morte de coups violents portés à la tête (autopsie)Has been automatically translated by Google as The chocolate éclair of Castrate died of blows violent ones carried to the head (autopsy) Well it amused me (and acted as a timely reminder)

[quote]Dear Legal Forum, Calling all armchair solicitors! If one should lose a case of litigation in a UK court, could you avoid paying costs if you were living in France? I always understood that if it wa...[/quote] I would guess that you would get away with it as long as you never ever returned to the UK. But that is only a guess.  

I'm sure I've seen at least one, but now I try to think where, I can't place it. Certianly the level crossing in my village was changed to a bridge in the 60's or 70's.  

I think it depends where in France you are and the star sign of M Le Maire. My french friends certainly suggested that I should pop into the marie.  

Internal. Yes, I think it a lot cheaper and better in the UK. Worth taking. External - I have been told that UK paint doesn't cope with the higher french temperatures. I did manage to buy some very cheap Hammerite (stock clearance - £1.50 a tin) for my shutters, so, as long as I get permission from the Mairie to change the colour I am going to take a chance on it lasting.  

I expect you'll need permission because it will affect the external appearance of the house/barn, but I expect it will be a formality - but it depends on the department, whether there is a i in the jour etc... Ease of installation, that depends on the internal structure of your barn and where you want the stove. Do you want the flue inside or outside the house (inside will keep the heat in the house longer). Will it be near a wall that you can secure it to? etc etc.