JohnM

I'm not particularly interest in vehicles either so can't give you a definitive answer, but my house is near the bottom of the Col De Madeliene, one of the "Great" cols of the Tour de France and I can't say I have noticed many 4x4's... I think I've seen more in 'mountainous' Swindon.  

Well, my vote goes to a nice stove every time. They tend to be far more economical than an open fire and with a nice big glass door you can still see the friendly flames. French friends have just had a very efficient solar system with wood pellet central heating system installed.... but they still have the stove going if they are in for the evening. OK I know this is off topic, but has anyone here got one of these wood central heating systems? The wood, the size of maggots, is automatically drawn into the boiler and it trips in when the sun isn't bright enough, but how do you automatically relight the wood if it goes out? (I should have asked my frineds, but didn't think of that until I was on the ferry on Saturday) John  PS My friends reckon that it is cheaper to run than town gas.

[quote]We have a ED’s near us (don’t know who owns them) and they offer reasonable veg but the selection of other goods is somewhat limited. One of my clients was one of the large supermarket chai...[/quote] It's not just the supermarkets that grade locations. I worked in retail for a while (in a Head Office IT dept) and I was (initially) amazed at how much was dictated by Head Office. We (the company) graded the shops. We analysed the content of sales by transaction to see what people bought with what. We looked at what time of day certain things were bought and stock levels were adjusted accordingly (mind you, we can't have done it very well as the planners got a rollocking after every Christmas). When done right, this works very well, a supermarket in the US discovered that they sold lots of nappies in a particular 2 hour period on a Friday, so they watched to see who was buying and found it was the young Dads on their way home from work. So the shop put a stack of beer next to the nappies, only to help the Dads through the weekend. Good customer service if you ask me! Yes, beer sales shot up!  

I put off tiling at home for years and years... once they are up, the only way to sort out errors is to take them all off and start again - it filled me with such fear. About 3 weeks ago I bit the bullet and it was so much easier than I feared, hey it's not perfect but (to quote my Grandmother) "A bind man would be pleased to see it!!"  I think I'll leave a nw roof to the professionals purely because of the time constraints, but I'm trying everything else. Go for it and all the best.  

I'm not 100% I've understood quite what they are saying on this (they seem to be using a lot of words to say very little, I guess I'll have to look at their web site). But I've just had this email from Speedferries.... some of you might find it interesting. --------------------------------------- You are receiving this email as you have purchased a ticket from Speedferries in the last 7 months. If you would prefer not to receive marketing communications of this type from Speedferries in the future, please click on the unsubscribe option here. http://remove.cminteractive.com/?i=2979&c=11&a=30353 speedferries.com http://click.cminteractive.com/?ckYt9y=2979 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SuperTickets™ the most unique offer for cross-Channel ferry tickets ever. Book your SuperTickets™ now to secure fully flexible super low cost ferry crossings for next year. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cheap tickets for Channel crossings normally offer cheap conditions. All sorts of restrictions apply and usually the traveller’s money is lost if the sailing is missed or if any changes have to be made in relation to a planned trip. This has never been the case at SpeedFerries where tickets are always amendable for a fee of £10. Now we are pushing the limits for low cost ferry tickets even further by offering SuperTickets™ at no extra cost for our customers. As an introduction all tickets sold during the month of October will be issued as SuperTickets™. The SuperTicket™ offers great value for all, at the same time as being a unique offer for frequent travellers: Fully amendable * Tickets can always be amended for a £10 fee, giving e.g. a price of £60 if a SuperTicket is changed once to any sailing including peak season sailings. Fixed price £50 Return for standard car + 6 * The fastest Channel crossing at high quality and low cost, bringing the traveller closer to France via a superior destination. Valid from October and all through 2005 * SuperTickets™ can be amended to any departure (which is not sold out), irrespective of the future price of the new selected sailing, including peak sailings. * No restrictions on the duration of stay Valid for all lengths of trips No restrictions on the available sailing * Valid on all not sold out departures, including high season peak sailings Book on-line at http://click.cminteractive.com/?ckYt9y=2979  or through our call centre* – Tel: +44 (0) 870 22 00 570 *a call centre supplement of £10 pounds will be applied If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list please click on this link here. Although you have the option to cancel, please note that this is an automatic operation. ------------------------

[quote]We drop a couple of twigs in the toilet bowl. If the water should freeze it shouldn't crack the bowl. cheers[/quote] I've been known to drop a couple of logs down.  

When I was young I wanted a cricket set, I got a strick with a hairless tennis ball.... and the stick was broken, y'know on that Christmas morning when I opened it I was.......         well P*****d off.  

That is the most fantastic mask I have ever seen. Where are they selling them????

The firm I used had "Brun Netoyage" plastered along the side of the tanker (I think Mr Brun runs the firm :-) )

Many thanks TU. Out of interest, do you have any recommendations? Do you know of any that are closer to La Chambre? It's OK, I don't hold people responsible if I don't like their choice of restaurant!  

Hi Belinda, No, at the moment mine is just for holidays, but I got it at about the same time as you (October 2001). The bill I have just had (moan moan moan... OK, sigh of relief) is a tad more than you...197€ (T'other one [that I can't remember how to spell] was 202€).  

May be this should be in food and drink, but it's pertinent to the South East only, so may be it should be here..... When I was over in the summer I saw a Restaurant near Aix les Bains with an Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi sort of name and also a sign in Albertville indicating that a restaurant with a similar name was close by. When I return in 10 days I am taking my brother in law who adores a good curry. Have any of you good people experience either of these establishments? If so how well did you rate the experience (and do you think either will be open when I get there) ? Oh, if you know of other similar establishments that are in 73 or south 74, please feel free to suggest them. Cheers  

Would you "Adam & Eve" it, the bill was on the mat when I gort home last night. Just for this year no arrears or anything, I expect they will catch up soon . I am quite relieved that they've found me now rather than in a few years times, when the arrears would be astronomical but, being a hypocrite I had a good grumble about it last night.  

Although stereotypes are not the be all and end all, I think the reputation of a car does attract a certain type of owner. I used to know a guy who really thought he was the best driver in the "crowd" he bought an Audi and told us "I need a Car which is technologically up to the standard of my driving". He wasn't (probably still isn't) any better than a number of other people (****head) Volvo's reputation was of sturdy, strong and safe inside. It attracted the sort of people who want to be safe. However, because many of those drivers felt safe, they drove a little less carefully than others. (Nb NOT ALL) (Off topic, but appartently cameramen are more vulnerable in war zones because they see the action through a lens and somehow feel that they are detached from the reality so they take more chances). The BMW, it's the trendy "I have arrived" car, so will attract reps and middle management. The Merc has a reputation for being a status symbol - the cheaper ones tend to attract a lot of people who feel the need tell the world that they really are somebody important (even when they are not). Me? I drive a Clio, I bought it new in 96 and hope to get another couple of years out of it, I bought it because I hoped Nicole came as a standard fitting… what does that say about me??? Easily impressed and a cheapskate perhaps! :-) Just a thought but perhaps BMW dealerships get more wheel kickers than any other because so many of the eventual drivers will be in company cars, they will go to the nearest dealership to suss it out, but the leasing company will buy it where it is cheapest?  

I don't think they send you with anybody. There is no reciprocal agreement with the other carriers, so you get your money back and make your own arrangements. If ensuring that the journey is stress free is the primary concern, then speedferries may not be the best option, but if you can take a chance on a bit / lot of hassel and (like me) cost is of primary concern, then they are fantastic!  

[quote]Taxe d'habitation is NOT based on income. It is based on the rental value of the property (valeur locative). It is payable by any person who resides in a property with a rental value that exceeds €460...[/quote] Interesting... I have never had a bill for my Tax d'habitation -  I've asked at the Mairie, the Tresor Public and I've written to somebody (I think it was the impots but I haven't got the letter to hand).  I even tried to pay it on-line despite not having been sent a bill. I wonder if they think the rentable value of my place is too low?????  

Annecy is indeed a beautiful place and the pavement / canal-side cafes are great. Being right on the lake, it has some great Beach Lawns etc. When I take people over to my place I usually include Annecy into the guide tour. If it's running while you are there, do take a steamer trip down to Talloires, once described as being one of the most beautiful places on earth by Winston Churchill. However, Old Chambery is very nice too, but hasn't quite got the same cafe culture.  

This is off topic slightly becuase the topic concerns people who are obviously incapable of driving safely. Although I agree that driving a vehicle whilst under the influence needs to be addressed, I think the authorities have to be prepared to give some guidance on when one is safe after drinking. If I have a 6 glass of wine at lunch time, when can I drive again? I really want to know, common sense says it will have left my body by this time next week. But what about tomorrow morning? Tomorrow night? When I asked the local (British) Bobby for guidance he refused, "Can't say" he said. Well if they can't say, how can we make a rational decision whether to drive or not? There is unofficial guidance around, so I usually think of that and then err on the side of caution... but the authorities ought to be publishing some guidance (and advising that we err on the side of caution).  

I paid via the internet yesterday and it was a doddle. (Had to use Google translate a couple of times to reassure myself that I was doing it correctly and I've printed a number of screens just to keep convincing myself that it's all OK).  

It's not just money though. I know of a (UK) situation where most of the money / property was left to the new wife (In my terms it was a fortune). The kids didn't baulk at that particularly, but they wanted some of the "things". Even though she didn't want many of these things (as they held no memories), she grumbled that "The Vultures" had been round, so they backed off and later bought back many of the things they wanted from the charity shop.  

[quote]LOL. No, not nuns, but I have been tailgated by a combine!!! Really scarey! I had all these really gory visions flashing before me, when it swerved down a farm track and disappeared. Bit like that...[/quote] I don't think I've seen "Damn! Senile Moment". Who is in it????

[quote]Yes, Townsend Thoresen were good. The only trouble is, through cutting corners, their ferry sank! The problem with being on the ferry, apart from it taking a lot longer, is it's too much like being i...[/quote] I was told that P&O had just bought Townsend Thoreson and were in the process of rebranding their boats as TT when the accident occurred, so they rebranded back to P&O as fast as they could. I think Will is a shipping expert, is that right?

It's not a stupid question. Sometime back, some kind soul posted a link to a bank web site that had a picture showing what to do. I keep a copy of that picture in my cheque book!  

[quote]John wroteBet I'm grumpier than you. (But I bet Dick can correct me on loads )Bet you aren't. My current bugbears are the male and female bimbo newsreaders on BBC24 and Sky asking appallingly trite/i...[/quote] "have to have a reporter (or correspondent) standing at some site where something happened two days ago spouting on, often just repeating what the bimbette just told us". Tell me about it. On Monday afternoon I went down to rig up a conference room at the local cop shop so that a Press Conference could be broadcast live. They postponed it just before we got there. So the reporter called base and we set off back. Half way through the conversation I heard the words "Do you want us to go back?". "An important development" thought I. It was just before the 4pm news so I drove straight back to the cop shop, wacked the mast up, rigged the mics and switched the transmitter on while said reporter was still on the phone. She came off the phone and told me all she had to do was an update into the 5pm news. No interviewees just an update. We would have been back at the studio in 3 minutes! Why? Why? Why?  

I was gobsmacked last night in French class, reading a piece "so say" written by a french youngster... he said he was "cool"!