David_Janet

Thank you sooooooooooooooooo much.  I was tearing my hair out trying to find the address and, although I had already discovered this very useful website I didn't realise they filled in the appropriate address. Very, very useful. So now it's just a case of finishing the packing ...................!! Janet

I'm trying to cancel our ADSL internet contract before moving back to UK and cannot find an up to date address.  We took out our contract with AOL in 2004, then it changed to Neuf and now it's been swallowed up by SFR.  Can anyone please help!  I've trawled their website and the one thing I can't find is either a helpline number or an address. Thanks  

1. 2009 FJR1300 AS 2. 2009FJR 1300 AS 3. Honda 250 Super Dream (Gutless) 4. A new FJR1300 AS  (gets boring, don't it...) 5. A Moto Guzzi Le Mans 2 6. I'm with Bugsy on this - the N85 the 'Route de Napoleon' 7. Previously owned: Yamaha 80 Step-thru Honda CB200 (cable operated disc brake which was useless) Honda CB125 Honda CB400 Superdream. (Great little bike) Honda CB500 Silver Wing (Screen like a barn door - no windblast at all!) Honda CB250 Superdream (gutless) Honda ST1100 Honda ST1100 ABS/CBS/TCS Faithful to Honda until the FJR, which I think is pretty damn good. Early bikes mainly for commuting - did use the second Pan for courier work for a year, but gave up because of the huge mileage I was putting on the bike. Now solely into touring. Moving back to UK next month after 9 years here. (so we can have touring holidays to France!) David, not Janet.    

Try and make sure you both learn French to the same level, if possible.  We moved here 9 years ago and as I already had better French than my OH I was the one who coped with all the admin etc.  and made social contact with neighbours.  My French improved at a rate of knots whilst OH began to rely on me and after a couple of years he began saying "I'll never learn French", "it's too hard", "I just can't remember words" etc. I joined a choir, made French friends and bit by bit our life set off on parallel lines.  So - beware!  The French dream may work out better for one of you than the other, and it is definitely linked to the ability to speak the language.  Since we've made the decision to return to the UK we're back on the same wavelength and enjoying the whole project of finding a house, coping with the move. Don't want to pour cold water on your dreams - and please don't think that we haven't enjoyed ourselves.  We've had a great time and will go "home" with wonderful memories.  Just be aware that there are hidden problems that you may not have thought of. Mrs Hoggie

Has anyone had experience of this firm?  We've had a bid on the Shiply website and all the comments appear very positive.  Am I just too cynical or can a company really be that good and reliable?? Thanks Janet

Hello RB Sorry I can't help with the business side of things but I hope the following might be useful. Before you start teaching music to the French, it might be an idea (forgive me if you're already au fait with all this) to buy a dictionary of French musical terms/ solfège etc.  Donkey's years ago I gained an English degree in music, with singing as my speciality so I was thrilled to discover a choir in a nearby town when I moved to France and rather naively thought it would be a doddle.  Reading the notes was no problem but I was completely unprepared for talking in solfège and not C,D, E etc.  Also the terms for notation, flats, sharps etc all took some getting used to.  Anyone with musical ability will be welcomed with open arms but they will simply assume you can instantly converse in French musical language. Forewarned is forearmed! Bon courage - I hope it all works out for you.  I now take the odd (and I do mean odd!!) choir practice when the choirmaster is away and I still struggle with some of the less well known terms but between us we get by and have a lot of fun. Janet  

Does anyone have any views (or knowledge) regarding availability of fuel at Autoroute Service stations? I need to travel from near Toulouse to Calais on a motorbike, and with a range of only 200 miles per tankful (before reserve), I need to plan carefully! Are Autoroute Services  more likely to be kept 'topped up'  than, say, supermarkets or town petrol stations?  Thanks David

This is what we really bought... [IMG]http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd24/hoggies-photos/IMG_2963.jpg[/IMG] and you're right.   sooo much cheaper in uk David

Well, Bugsy, Took your advice. Me and the missus flew back last week to collect it: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v468/FJREADY/hondacamping.jpg Just need a tank bag now. David

Hi, I know there are lots of info about bringing a bike to france, but can anyone help with info on doing it 'recto-verso'? (sounds disgusting... )[:$] We are moving back to UK in the not too distant future, and I am in negotiation to buy a  french reg 2008 Yamaha FJR 1300A.  (if the deal is right) Are the headlights 'flat-beam' or will they need changing? I understand that the speedo does not need changing. Will I need a CoC from Yamaha France? Is derestricting the power output feasible/expensive? Any other points I need to consider? Many thanks for any help. Regards David  

Have sent you a PM today.  Forgot to say that the Pyrenees are also within easy reach for skiing! Regards David and Janet

There's quite a bit of info on moving from UK to France, but I can't see anything about going the other way! We're about to do that in the not too distant future, and wondered if anyone can offer advice? Do we use a UK removals company or a french one? (I hope that's not a daft question, but there must be more UK lorries going back empty, rather than the other way round?)  Is there anybody who has moved back to UK, who can give us an idea of costs?  (using french or english removals). I know it's completely dependent on the load size/distance/volume etc, but any info would be useful. Thank you. David

"Thank you for your email regarding the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). The EHIC card covers you while travelling to and staying in European Countries. As the EHIC is UK issued it does not entitle you to UK NHS treatment,but as you are a UK pensioner and a UK passport holder,this will entitle you to UK NHS treatment." Now it all makes sense!!!!!  

We're both retired so each have an E121 so techically we're independant.  But TBH I think my OH is dependant on me and always will be but then maybe he thinks the same!  

Ours arrived two weeks ago, unsolicited, although we did know about the changes beforehand.  My only gripe is why oh why did the UK authorities in their all-powerful wisdom, send two separate envelopes to a married couple living at the same address.  Twice the paper and twice the postage! Anyone think of a reason why they can't put both forms in the one envelope?  

Anyone see the first of the new series last night?  I thought it was supposed to have been re-vamped so as to claw back disenchanted viewers?  OK, they came out with a few more facts about each topic, but did we really have to be shown how to push a sweet pea seed into damp compost over and over again?  I think we got the drift! I still can't stand condescending Toby - they just need to get rid of him and replace him with someone who doesn't patronise. I decided to give this series one chance and I'm afraid they've blown it - I shan't be watching again until they announce a new presenter. Happy gardening to all Janet

This link may provide some ideas for rides in your area:   http://www.bestbikingroads.com/europeanmotorcycleroadsfinder.php   Regards David

Having read the post suggesting it was advisable to have car insurance in joint names to avoid losing no-claims bonus, I went in to my local AXA office this morning and asked about this.  The lady told us that the no-claims bonus automatically passes to the remaining spouse and insurance cover remains valid.  I suppose this is where the French system of insuring the vehicle rather than the owner makes a difference. She also said that it wasn't possible to change the policy to joint names. Happy driving! Janet

Yes, it will work perfectly. Don't forget, you will need a dish with a twin (dual?)  LNB (and therefore twin cables) to feed the Humax box, if you want to make full use of it's capabilities. We have a Humax Foxsat HDR and it is excellent. David

.... me again!  Just a final thought.  The kind of heater I was talking about was the fan assisted (ie plug it into the mains) type.  They do cost more initially but they push out the heat toot sweet and they're also programmable so if you don't like getting up to a cold house you can set them to come on when you want. That's it - my fountain of wisdom has run dry. Janet

.... and another tip.  Don't try economising by running them below 18 degrees.  We have a friend who thought she would turn her stove down to try and save a few pennies but then complained that it was smelling.  They don't seem to operate so well at very low temperatures and are thermostatically controlled so we found that keeping one in the hall ticking over at 18 during really cold weather kept the whole ground floor cosy.  For an instant burst of heat then 20 or 21 will soon do the trick. Janet

Until we had central heating installed we had a couple of modern petrole heaters and they were very, very efficient.  They do smell a bit (but not badly) when they are first fired up and again when they are turned off but once they are up and running they don't smell at all.  Also, if you decide to go down this route, don't believe all this guff about "non smelly" paraffin.  We started off buying the most expensive brand but when the price began to sky-rocket we tried the cheapest we could find.  Quelle surprise ..... no difference whatsoever so we stuck with the cheap stuff. The big supermarkets like Auchan and Leclerc often have promotions on paraffin so it's worth keeping your eyes open. Stay warm! Janet

We've just discovered the exact same problem - all because muggins here didn't understand the phrase on our CPAM statements "hors parcours coordoné".  I queried the 30% reimbursement when we were at our local CPAM office last week and the lady checked our files and said they'd never received our "medicin traitant" forms.  I assured her we had sent them way back in 2005 and our doctor's receptionist confirmed the date we filled in the forms.  The lady at CPAM said if we filled in new forms, wrote a covering letter explaining what had happened then they would revise our records for the past 2 years and pay us back some money!  This time I took photocopies before posting and will be checking our next CPAM statement to make sure they've sorted things out.  In fairness to CPAM it was my fault for not picking up the problem sooner and the lady was most apologetic that their system means they can only go back 2 years. A hard earned lesson!  

Hope your Picardie vent is heading south!  We were only saying the other day when shopping in Aldi (or "Fortnums" as our friends have nicknamed it) that we wished they would bring back those beans.  Very nearly almost as good as our favourite UK version.  Janet

O M G!  I thought you'd stolen my dog! [IMG]http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd24/hoggies-photos/IMG_0889.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd24/hoggies-photos/IMG_0890.jpg[/IMG] This is Lucy - rescued from the local SPA and classed as a 'Labrit /Griffon' cross by our vet. What an amazing likeness! David