Keni

When we bought our place over five years ago, the report threw up that our roof tiles were made of amient (asbestos cement) and are called crysotile. We have had no problems with them, we do need a new roof, mainly because of adjoining building problems, we have had a couple of quotes, which appear to pose no problem. Also a surveyor has said as they are 'stable' and in good condition there are no problems with them. There certainly does not seem to be any hysteria in our area regarding asbestos tiles, I presume as long as they are stable. If you get a quote for a new roof, they will include the cost of removing the old ones. good luck.

Ikea do some as well - we got ours in Bordeaux, they do cheap and not so.

Thanks to all of you who offer good words - I know we are not alone out there and there are those far worse off than us, at least Chris is in employment!! We will be over for Christmas - must sort out some heating for the house though - it gets mighty cold and a couple of electic rads don't usually do much, however the electric blanket is another matter altogether, no wonder there are so many children with birthdays in autumn in France!! The stock market seems a tad more stable, the bad news is estate agents are closing down in our town already! I hate housework at the best of times, but ErnieY, thinking I gotta keep the place clean and tidy for around eight months . yuk!

Believe it or not, haggis, with mash (tatties) and swede/carrot mash (Neeps), a real winter warmer! (especially with the wee dram in the haggis).

The OH is one of the people that always knew where old cars were from by their registration numbers in the UK. Being a Yorkshireman I always found it strange that Leeds plates were subtitled MCP!

I have only just received it - The fact they mention all the roads is great, how many people in the area are trying to figure out who wrote this version?

I hope this story is putting smiles on everyone faces - I know I crease up each time I read it.

Sorry Frederick, Don't you mean plugs and 'o's?

The problem spg is the little'un. She has decided not to go with us - her epilepsy is being managed at present and her love life and job mean she wants to remain settled. We needed to rent a small place out for her for the year, to make sure she is settled. Once we have paid off the mortgage, the remainder will be our extra living pot - the interest that is. With just a rental income, we can only pay the mortgage and not get somewhere for the sprog or have the extra as out top up! Don't you want to kick some bankers!!!

This might get edited, but I have printed it eactly as it arrived with me as it is so funny... > Subject: Police Complaint - just brilliant! > >     This is a genuine complaint to Devon > & Cornwall Police Force from an angry member of the > public. A true email sent to the force, lengthy > but brilliantly written      Dear Sir/Madam/Automated telephone > answering service, >                  Having spent the past twenty minutes > waiting for someone at Bodmin police  station to pick up a > telephone I have decided to abandon the idea and try > e-mailing you instead. >                  Perhaps you would be so kind as to pass > this message on to your colleagues  in Bodmin, by means of > smoke signal, carrier pigeon or Ouija board. >                  As I'm writing this e-mail there are > eleven failed medical experiments (I  think you call them > youths) in St Mary's Crescent, which is just off St > Mary's Road in Bodmin. >                  Six of them seem happy enough to play a > game which involves kicking a  football against an iron gate > with the force of a meteorite. This causes an earth > shattering CLANG! which rings throughout the entire > building. >                  This game is now in its third week and as > I am unsure how the scoring system  works, I have no idea if > it will end any time soon. >                  The remaining five failed-abortions are > happily rummaging through several  bags of rubbish and items > of furniture that someone has so thoughtfully dumped beside > the wheelie bins. One of them has found a saw and is setting > about a discarded chair like a  beaver on ecstasy pills. >                  I fear that it's only a matter of > time before they turn their limited  attention to the > caravan gas bottle that is lying on its side between the > two bins. >                  If they could be relied on to only blow > their own arms and legs off then I  would happily leave them > to it. I would even go so far as to lend them the matches. >                  Unfortunately they are far more likely to > blow up half the street with them  and I've just > finished decorating the kitchen. >                  What I suggest is this - after replying > to this e-mail with worthless  assurances that the matter is > being looked into and will be dealt with, why not leave it > until the one night of the year (probably bath night) when > there are no mutants around then drive up the street in a > Panda car before doing a three point turn and disappearing > again. This will of course serve no other purpose than to > remind us what policemen actually look like. >                  I trust that when I take a claw hammer to > the skull of one of these throwbacks you'll do me the > same courtesy of giving me a four month head start before > coming to arrest me.  >                  I remain your obedient servant > >                  ??????? -------------------------------------------------------------- >                  Mr ??????, >                  I have read your e-mail and understand > your frustration at the problems caused by youths playing in > the area and the problems you have encountered in trying to > contact the police. >                  As the Community Beat Officer for your > street I would like to extend an offer of discussing the > matter fully with you. >                  Should you wish to discuss the matter, > please provide contact details  (address / telephone number) > and when may be suitable. >                  Regards >                  PC ??????? >                  Community Beat Officer ----------------------------------------------------------------- >                  Dear PC ??????? >                  First of all I would like to thank you > for the speedy response to my original e-mail. >                  16 hours and 38 minutes must be a > personal record for Bodmin Police Station,  and rest assured > that I will forward these details to Norris McWhirter for > inclusion in his next Guinness book. >                  Secondly I was delighted to hear that our > street has its own Community Beat Officer. >                  May I be the first to congratulate you on > your covert skills? In the five or so years I have lived in > St Mary's Crescent, I have never seen you. Do you hide > up a tree or have you gone deep undercover and infiltrated > the  gang itself? Are you the one with the acne and the > moustache on his forehead or the one  with a chin like a > wash hand basin? It's surely only a matter of time > before you are head-hunted by MI5 to look for Osama. >                  Whilst I realise that there may be far > more serious crimes taking place in Bodmin, such as smoking > in a public place or being Christian without due care and > attention, is it too much to ask for a policeman to explain > (using words of no more than two syllables at a time) to > these twats that they might want to play their strange > football game elsewhere. >                  The pitch on Fairpark Road, or the one at > Priory Park are both within spitting distance as is the > bottom of the Par Dock, the latter being the preferred > option especially if the tide is in. >                  Should you wish to discuss these matters > further you should feel free to contact me on > <???????>. If after 25 minutes I have still failed to > answer, I'll buy you a large one in the Cat and Fiddle > Pub. >                  Regards >                  ????????? >                  P.S If you think that this is sarcasm, > think yourself lucky that you don't work for the > sewerage department with whom I am also in contact !!!

In the vein of the four Yorkshiremen ..... 5 degrees you are lucky,  here in Worcs its wet, cold and rainy, about to turn into freezing ice. Pics on the news have been showing snowball fights in Scotland, Tomorrows forecast starts at -2!

We had thought that one out, unfortunately, renting will only cover the mortgage on this place in England and will not allow enough capital to rent another place and then allow us to move to France to do the renovations on our place. With the capital locked away plus pensions we should (ha!) have enough to cope with all, but with just a rental income we would have to continue working to pay the rental for our property in England, if you see what I mean.

Just heard on Radio 2 that it's snowing north of us at the NEC - that'll really sort out the traffic!

So after our holiday we did what they all say on TV, painted the house to refresh it, cleaned it from top to bottom and then put it on the market, with the OH hoping to put in for retirement November. The day the house went on the market the credit crunch starts!!! Apparently, the estate agent says, they have so many repossessions being sold for silly money that it is dragging down all the other prices - which means our dream is starting to recede - if we drop more than £10k now we will have to put our dream on hold, after waiting all these years, frustration doesn't come into it. I have spent over a month really working on the house, doing all those jobs that you promise you will do one day, and now the house is immaculate, we are ready to sell but will have no buyer. is anyone else in the same boat? Pass me a bottle of wine someone!!

The OH says if he had seen it was red he would have just stayed put, but in Worcester where he was, there are two low bridges by the lights coming up to Shrub Hill Station on a funny bend and he is adament the light was not red when he passed it. But, you don't argue with the law round here, nearly as bad a Manchester.

Having lived in a village a few miles away from the town in uk and in France we will be in a small village a few miles away from a town, we have got used to just getting what we need at the time we are in the shop, so should not be too bad the ATac at Cussac seems to have good prices as does Leader at St.Julien. One thing I am toying with buying to bring over to France is one of the Tho***son electric pushbikes, although I have my own bike, there are a lot of hills between us and Piegut Pluviers and that Wednesday market means I should be able to stock up the freezer, so rather than use the car all the time I was thinking about getting  one of them, however, I can see me spashing our and getting another motorbike, now I do not have to worry about taking the junior member of the household anywhere these days. That alone is saving me a fortune here in Uk, thank god for boyfriends with cars! Our local independent petrol station in Evesham is selling petrol today at £109.90 and is undercutting all the supermarkets. He says he has just paid off the mortgage on the business and it is his way of saying thank you to all the customers who have supported him. He also adds that he has never taken so much money in all his time trading! There is often a queue for his petrol and he often runs out during the week.

My OH has just been fined and got 3 points for jumping a red light - he could not see the lights as his view was impeded by the big artic in front, so when it started off, he followed. They were behind him and said he has jumped a red light - but they did not stop the lorry! They knew he could not see the light and just followed the truck. Ok, as he says if he jumped it, he was wrong, but why stop him and not go for the truck?

Dave, you can use lettuce and blitz it with other veg for soup - which you can then freeze. In our veg patch here in uk I have managed to freeze the broad beans, caulis and broc. I break them into smaller florets and use them in stir frys and other things. Courgettes can be cut, blanched and frozen as well, or added to soup mix. The lettuce though is really great for soup - any old veg you want to lose, plus poatoes etc. It really does freeze, then when friends come you can just get it out freezer, warm it through and by adding a bit of chicken or something to the basic veg soup, have anything you want! Summer veg = winter freezer stuff!

We are in quite a rural area with not much in the way of facilities, a small terraced house in a village. In the Uk we are in the touristy area so for our small terrace here we are paying well in excess of £1000 and set to rise again. UK prices are not geared to what can be paid, more how much can we fleece them and get away with it I feel.

We've actually worked out that we could not afford to retire in the UK - mainly because our Council Tax is five times the amount in UK than France and that is for a small 2-bed terrace house. Once you calculate heating etc, in France we have a log burner plus a bit of land, so can cut our own trees, we can have chickens and grow veg, Hubby is a bee-keeper. Here in Uk we have to work to pay mortgage and insurances on house. Have no land so buy everything. Answer, sell house, pay off bills. House in France mortgage free then live off pensions. For us the sum means we are ok, not flush but can manage. I know too many elderly British who are not looking forward to this winter, tax credits or not, they still find it a struggle to survive. The answer is France- friends, something to keep active and healthy, England, watch tele and talk to no-one cos they can be too miserable from trying to survive!  

Added to the fact that she doesn't speak any French - there used to be near us a lady from Birmingham and her family who had bought a hotel. When we spoke to her one day she confessed that none of the family spoke French and didn't see the need as they were going to aim the hotel at the British market. When we asked her how she was going to deal with suppliers and services she said she would get by and use the British where she could. The last we heard she had been fleeced by a so-called British workman big-time and had sold up as it was not working. It is now run by a French family and it is a success, catering for the French and British. So even without the veggie bit, as we all say, you must try and learn the language.

The shin-kicking bit is from here, Dovers' Hill Olympicks outside Chipping Campden.  We have a load of very unusual sports including the shin-kicking. It is great. Afterwards, we have a torchlight procession from the hill down to Chipping Campden where there is a night time fair etc. Great when it's not raining!

Clair, that one will tie in then with the local council charging more for council tax by seeing the improvements to your home. They are going to photograph homes around the Uk to see what improvements have been added so they can increase the council tax (loft windows, pool, etc.) So now most people are deciding to improve inside not outside!

Sorry Jude, I was chatting to another subscriber called Cowoman, she too is a Jude I believe. As to the Emmaus, is that really the only charity 'shop' in the whole country, do not the French have a local animal charity or hospice shop or something? I find that strange considering the size of the place - or does that again come down to beauocracy/burocracy/paper chasing?

Thank you for that bit of information about the new self-employed status, that might just be the niche I have been looking for. Will be researching that one in the next few months, all I need now is a translation of some of the technical stuff - my french is ok, but we never seemed to be taught the technical stuff. I would rather have been taught to ask questions in the lumberyard than the pen of my aunt, oh well that's another thread.