HoneySuckleDreams

The train ticket collectors are going on strike tonight until Sunday morning. This will affect , SNCF, TVG, TER ...well, they have to do their Xmas shopping some time don't they ?

But from today in Luxembourg diesel is now down to €1.07 a litre....cheaper than Listerine

good point WB - however, at the moment I am tax resident in Luxembourg. I will still need to look into the tax impact here though.

Many thanks for the feedback, some interesting points. I will ask Scottish Widows what sort of costs are involved in moving the funds if I do feel it necessary. However, as has been mentioned above, the rules are changing next year. So I will sit and wait for now. I actually like the idea of removing the money and re-investing, there won't be much, but I could make better use of it. Even putting it into Premium Bonds would be better than where it is at the moment.  Or just blow the lot on a night out on the Reeperbahn.

I use this site a lot.  Like you, I work on short time contracts and finding accommodation at short notice is difficult.

While not strictly France related, I have a question about moving funds from a UK pension.   I have two UK pensions from two different employers. The 1st pension was contracted out and I get yearly updates (from Scottish Widows) about their worth. Basically, the contracted out bit will give me a yearly pension of 5quid, the main portion a yearly pension of 1500quid....sod all basically.  They both have a transfer value. So...questions...in case someone out their in forum land has done something similar. do I 1) leave them untouched (my thinking is that there could be some sort of  "death" benefit to the Mrs if I do push off earlier than her 2) transfer them into the 2nd employers pension in the UK (which is slightly better). My simple thinking is that the bigger the pot the better the investment will be. 3) move them to a private pension in France or Luxembourg I do admit that I don't really plan for the future too much but as I've now turned 50 I thought I would dig out some paper work and add something else to my list of "things-to-sort-out-over-winter"  

interesting reading the comments on this thread. I've just been looking into this as at the moment I listen to the BBC via the slybox thru the telly. So I am looking at internet radios and the Avox Indio looks like the one I am going for (next month when I get paid....it's always next month though isn't it ?) One thing to be aware off is that Radio 5 live, and Test Match Special (on Radio 4LW) are blocked (rights restricted) for some of the big sports events....if they are something you listen to. They are OK via satellite but not via the t'interweb.  

Telegraph Report    

[quote user="Chancer"] Did they take €30 off you or the €2.70? [/quote]   Chancer : it was €33

and this just in from the Daily Mash 06-10-14 FRANCE has hit back at John Lewis, claiming the store treats its customers as if they have rights and feelings. Following John Lewis boss Andy Street’s attack on France, French retailers said Mr Lewis was an ‘Uncle Tom’ who may as well ask his customers to thrash him with a belt. A spokesman for the French Retail Federation said: “Look how John Lewis degrades and humiliates itself by assuming the customer’s complaint may be even remotely valid. “John Lewis offers refunds and exchanges as if it was some kind of shop. In France you only do that after ignoring the customer for two months and even then you’d always make a point of setting fire to their car.”

[quote user="CSV"]"nothing works and worse, nobody cares about it." [/quote]   He wasn't wrong though was he ? About Paris Nord that is. It is literally a cess pit.  I had an even more disturbing time last Tuesday and I'm normally quite calm about travelling but this was almost the last nail in the coffin. The first impression you get of Paris Nord (this is the east entrance down to the Metro) is that it is a Pissoire. After 5pm on a hot day you have to hold your breath and jump over the rivers of p!55 outside the entrance. They installed big fences outside to stop the locals from peeing up the building as it was leaking into the café. Now, they have had to install big stainless steel plates as the filthy sh1tes were peeing between the grills further up and it was leaking through into the main concourse.  They just do it up against La Poste next door now. The whole area is extremely intimidating. Rather like Kings Cross 20 years ago. This time, none of the ticket machines would accept cards..and I mean out of 10...not 1. CB Non Acceptee on all the machines. The queues were horrendous, many tourists milling about not having a clue. Non of the guichets were open and there was zero staff present to help. So we had to use coins (they don't accept notes...and I only had 2€ on me). No worries I thought, I will change at Antony anyway and get the 2nd part there. And don't get me started on the youths who push right up behind you when you are going through the barriers so that they don't have to pay. However, when I got to Antony (the exchange to get the little automatic train to Orly) there were 6 or 7 controllers and a couple of security men on the tiny platform. I got jumped on the moment I stepped in the station. It turns out that in my haste (and I go thru there at least 30times a year) I paid for a metro ticket (€1.70) and I should have bought another ticket for Antony (€2,65)....I will do the maths for you...that's 95cents.  I had 2 controllers pin me against the machine whilst some witch kept screaming "amend trente-trois euro" "amend trente-trois euros". I was petrified. For the sake of a simple error and 95cents difference they wouldn't let me on the train until I handed over a card to pay.  The cynic in me thinks that it was an Arnaque, well planned to scam as much out of the unsuspecting tourists as possible. The thing that really made me angry though is that there were a couple of French girls who had made the same mistake and they got let thru. There were only a few of us on the train to Orly, but at least 2 other couples said that they would never ever come back to Paris. I didn't stop shaking until I got home. So, is France finished?  If that is their attitude to customer service then it will be "will the last one out turn off the lights please". When there are no tourists left to fleece, then France will be finished. I unfortunately have to go through the Metro to get home, but believe you me, if I didn't need to I wouldn't go back thru Paris if you paid me  

For once, the weather where I am, has been fantastic. Albeit just over the border in Luxembourg. I walk or take the bus to work and I've been wearing short sleeve shirts since the beginning of June. However.... the family in the Pyrenees have been damp since the start of summer.

Quelle surprise !    

Around here, money changing hands is normal (20€ seems a bit steep for a single hen though, unless it lays golden eggs!) You can complain to the mayor if said dog is a regular chicken killer and the owner does nothing to stop it. We had one neighbour who's dog regularly escaped and killed chickens for fun, but there were enough complaints for it to be chained up all day. (It helped that it was the deputy mayor's dog so he had to do something really). There is a big problem with unsupervised dogs running around the place. Technically they should be under control but no one really gives a stuff.  

From a kids point of view. They would qualify for family allowance in France (no2 child only), but they would have to clarify the situation with the UK. If they continue claiming it in the UK whilst living in France they might be in for a shock if they have to pay it back. I do know of one family who had to go back to the UK to face charges and had a hefty (000's) bill to pay it back, but they weren't up front about it. Check before they leave...or leap (into the deep dark chasm that is French life). Kiddy insurance is a must, not expensive, but necessary. As an IT bod I did a bit of travaille a distance when I moved to France, however, that was below the radar (I know...I don't feel good about it but there was a lot going on at the time).  Working (and earning) in France, even for companies based outside of France raises a whole barrel of fishy worms.    

I flew Airfrance from Lourdes to Paris this morning...7am flight. Lourdes are working OK, Pau and Toulouse are not. However, the flight was delayed for an hour, not because it wasn't there on the tarmac but because the ATC weren't at their post until 7:30...they had a lie in. It made crossing Paris for my train from Paris l'Est a bit squeaky. It could have been worse as the other ATC syndicate decided not to go with the strike.

Isn't next year supposed to be when the inheritance laws change, where you can decide under which country's law you can use ? (in this case French or British law). Inheritance Tax will still be under the French rules though.

I like your enthusiasm but I would be absolutely astonished if you can get someone to help this year. Above ground pools are DIY, although you might find a local builder who could help build you a slab for you I doubt anyone would be available now until after the summer. It would be quicker (and cheaper) if you bought your own cement mixer and had a go yourself. 

I feel sorry for those people who have a slavemeister, someone who forces them to watch TV that they don't want to watch. I'm lucky, not only do I not have a slavemeister, I bought a TV that has the ability to change channels, and even better, has an on/off button. I'm sure these are available in most major outlets, I can't be the only one to have bought one. I sometimes watch TV, mostly I listen to the radio, but the other day I bought something called "a book" . "a book" is amazing I can pick it up and put it down whenever I want, I find it very engaging. I don't even think about the TV when I have my "book" After 4 years, finally, FINALLY, there is something worth turning the TV on for. All those sh1te programmes on strictly this and celebrity that and endless cooking and gardening and "selling tat for cash" programmes, there is something that will be fun to watch. For those people who have no interest in the World Cup™ just turn on French TV.

I would also like to know if you can buy it in France. The only place I have seen it is the English Shop in Luxembourg (even Auchan don't sell it)

Thanks for that. I think it may be useful as a very last resort for some people. I've just checked for our Suzuki and they quoted 179€ (hors TVA) so that would be 215€ with a deliver of .......wait for it.....80 days (but that is Express)    

The French National Championships are happening 28-29 June at Albi. There is other stuff at Castres and Rodez throughout June but nothing over two days. If it's over 2 days and national/inter-regional you get athletes arriving the Friday night as well as they have to travel a long way. You should be OK in finding something easily enough.

If I remember I will have a look at the schedule coming up as Albi. Castres, Rodez and Millau all feature heavily in the athletics competitions over the next month or so

when are you thinking of going ? If it's the weekend after next I suggest staying clear of Millau itself as there is a big athletics competition going on and accommodation will be scarce

it may be coincidence for us as we had a massive storm last night. We only have CH5 at the moment (150cm) dish     Edit: Lots of channels have come back but no HD. It seems that things are wobbling a bit at the moment