Evianers

[quote user="Pommier"] Can't say I'm struck on their choices of names, but it's only fashion after all.[/quote] Yes, point taken, but the poor kids are stuck with these names for the rest of their lives

[quote user="gardengirl "] Maybe Mrs Beckham was reading it just before the birth?! Could be she was rushing to get it finished ready for her book club meeting the next day?  [:)][/quote] Nearly fell off my chair laughing.....

We are willing to offer two bedrooms and one bathroom, on a separate floor, with breakfast during the Evian Masters Golf Tournement - starts 22/23 July for three/four days

We read today in our local bulletin that if there is sufficient demand, the TGV from Paris through Geneva might come as far as Evian. Whooppee!

AFAIK three should normally be the maximum. But who said the Beckhams are normal?

Hope it doesn't become shortened to "Harpie" or transmuted into "Harpoon". Those poor 4 children with those names. Wonder what the next one will be called...... Space Outer perhaps?

Just finished reading a fascinating book regarding the history of the English Language by Mervyn Bragg. Super reading. Interesting fact is that Geoffrey Chaucer probably came by his name due to the profession of his grandfather, who was a shoe/boot producer-mender....... as in "chausseur" Just thought yaw'll would like to know that.

Just returned from our Sunday afternoon constitutional. Never, ever thought we would actually see a house in France called..... yes...... you've guessed it : Mon Repos!!!!!

A great many South Africans, of all hues, are used to dealing with adversity of one kind or another. We lived there for many a long year and the populace, by and large, are the salt of the earth.

[quote user="Val_2"]I do not understand the wording "christian names" clearly. Do you mean christian in the religious sense as against a name from another faith or christian in the sense of the first name of the english system (in France the first name is the surname). Why is Savannah not a christian name, I have heard it many times given to girls,usually american or canadian.[/quote] Christian names are just that: names of Christians - most noticeably those of saints, like John, Mark, Luke, Catherine, Agnes, Felicity, etc. Savannah is not a "Christian" name, but a first name.

The Queen is Head of the Church of England: perhaps it is very old fashioned to think that her great-grandchildren might therefore be baptised with Christian names. We were somewhat surprised therefore when we saw her newest great-grandchild is called Savannah Kelly

I haven’t seen this problem mentioned on the forum before so here goes…. On Monday we lost our Internet connection – the @ light on the LiveBox started blinking rapidly (5 times per second) and rebooting etc  failed to fix it. Orange tested the line and could find no problem. The cause was eventually traced to a faulty power supply to the LiveBox. Apparently these Chinese power supplies can develop a fault which still permits power to be delivered but also generates a frequency that cancels out the ADSL signal. According to the technician who came to sort it all out, this is a known issue and he carries a supply of new power units (of a different type!) in his van. Our LiveBox is about 4 years old and is a Sagem model. If you have one of these with a black power supply then it may cause this problem eventually. However, I don’t know if the same problem applies to the Inventel model. Hope this helps.

Thanks to both of you for the informative and fulsome answers. My mother is 95 and has had a long life: only just before Christmas did she have to go into a home; prior to that she was still in her apartment.

My mother is dying of cancer and does not have long to live. My siblings are the executors of her will. They live in the UK, we live in France. Does anyone know for certain pleasure, how long after her demise the will has to be read? Are we sure to obtain a copy of it? Although I trust my siblings to a large extent, neither are not very well off, so...... Hope there is someone here who can give relative information and if so, many thanks.

What is this 10% abattement? I do not think we get this. There is a 10% abatement on gross pension income before tax, as along as one is resident and paying tax in France. But the abatement has a minimum and maximum and the maximum for 2009 income year is €3606 [that is the abatement, not the income]. Hope this clarifies what you were asking.

I shall possibly have an opportunity to start working in a while after an absence of 3 years, during which time we are, for tax purposes, retired. The question is, how will this affect our current status? Are we likely to lose the 10% awarded to us as pensioners? It is not yet clear whether this will be a full time or part time position. For all knowledgeable answers, many thanks in advance.

[quote user="Clair"][quote user="Evianers"]I would hardly call offering your services to work as "Advertising".[/quote] As a mod, I consider offering services which involves a financial gain in any occupation (translation, typing, dealing with French administration, pet-sitting...) as advertising. Have you considered volunteering for Restos du Coeur or for another association? [/quote] Thank you Clair Just clicked on the website for volunteers that you suggested and guess what ? Aucun resultat!!!!!!!!!!! Oh well, will try again under another category later.

[quote user="Clair"]I believe it has to do with the "NO ADVERTISING YOUR OWN SERVICES" mentioned in the forum code of conduct. The forum is owned by Archant, who publish  magazines which sell advertising and I guess they prefer to receive some form of payment in exchange for publishing adverts. [/quote] Moot point, but I would hardly call offering your services to work as "Advertising". As said, other forums allow this, it's a pity EF do not. Would love to find a stimulating part-time occupation..............

Understandably, there are rules and regulations pertaining to any forum and one simply has to abide by them. But as other forums [fora?] permit the advertising by persons seeking gainful employment, why not this forum? There must be a valid reason. Could the mods please explain why?

We hereabouts have been told to expect at least 20cms tonight and that it would start snowing again at 22.00. Well, we have a complete white-out already, which started in earnest ca. 16.00. Wonder what we will wake up to tomorrow? Only been as far as the compost bin outside the back door because it's so darn cold!

Sorry, should read "hate to have him suffer"

Thought about posting this request for information under "Pets" or even "Gardening" but as the matter is somewhat urgent, hopefully some kindly folks will respond under this much-looked-into section of the forum: A baby hedgehog arrived in our garden a few days ago. He was sluggish and tottery on his paws. We gave him some milk which he drunk. OH put him under some bushes on the edge of our drive where he has been ever since, not having moved. He is still breathing, we check regularly, but the question is, if he is supposedly hibernating, should we cover him up with something/anything. We are situated at 450m and already at 800m there is snow on our nearby mountains. We would have to have him suffer or even die. Thanks in advance to all concerned and helpful animal-lovers.

Stimulating, enjoyable part-time occupation.

[quote user="just john "]then of course there is Piddletrenthide on the River Piddle in Dorset[/quote] A dozen years ago, almost bought the old bakery in that village. Wonder how different our lives would have been if we had in fact gone ahead with the purchase?

Not here in France, but not far up the road in Switzerland, actually in the beautiful Gomsertal, there is a little village called Bitsch. Many English-speaking folk stand at the entrance of the village where the sign is situated and have their photo taken. Not me though!