Georgina

I paid a German euro cheque into our business account, it took weeks to clear and they charged about E38 - as a foreign cheque my nice bank manager told me. Georgina

 I don't see a logic to your argument here either, and this has nothing to do with England adopting the euro (although of course I wish it would as I have lost a great deal of money recently. Sorry.[:)] Perhaps because "je suis Anglaise" but in the tradition of my Englishness, I am prepared to agree to tolerate our differences.[:D]

[quote user="Frenchie"] You seem to all agree, maybe because you are English. Personnally I prefer to keep the number of the separtment, I like to see where a car comes from. Maybe it has to do with childhood games when my dad was driving us to britanny, from the cote d azur, and we had to guess where the cars came from,  it' s difficult to explain, it s a French tradition, I wouldn't like it to change.  I d like to know the other French members ' reaction to it . [/quote] Sorry Frenchie, but there is no logic to your plea. How can you justify hours of wasted time and the expense of the paperwork out of your simple curiosity.  It is documented well enough in the plate number (no matter what it is) all the details required to those that need to know (like the police and authorities).  Much as we love French traditions, when it involved this endless expense and form filling, I'm afraid, I prefer (and I don't think I just speak for myself) not to waste either. Plus think of the tax savings your department could make.[:)]  France really has to cut down on paperwork, for the sake of the environment too. Georgina

Also they would have to take in pupils from other faiths. Georgina

If you intend to do all four of those on a Sunday you will not be popular.  Really is this a joke post? Very funny.[:)] Georgina

The point being of course, that if every single devoutly religious person input literally (or the interpretation suitable at the time thereof) every aspect of their religion into their job, then they would indeed find life unworkable living in a multicultural society. Or could it be that some groups (nothing really to do with religion, have discovered that if they make a fuss about what they are being made to do as being in contradiction of their whatever religion then they are in for massive compensation payouts when being forced to carry out such tasks, even though that was part of their contract before they took the position, (could be working for a solicitors that has made me so sceptical??).[;-)] Georgina

Thanks for the advice Claire [:D]   But seriously I thought you could only get benefits here if you worked here first for a period. Do people get benefits before they have even worked in France then?

[quote user="Benjamin"][quote user="Georgina"] Re. the original post.. That is just so true....[:)] Georgina [/quote] Know a lot of French then Georgina?  [:D] [/quote] [6]  Ooh err.....I can't answer that on the grounds I may incriminate myself.[:)]

[quote user="Scooby"][quote user="Gluestick"] Not much evidence of real poverty in our bit of the Pas de Calais, [/quote] One of our neighbours was telling me her husband earned 'good money' - he takes home just over 1000 euros a month!  They live in a little one bedroom village house and, as the only bedroom is used by their child, the living room doubles as the parents' bedroom. Out of interest, a little while ago, I checked the salary rates for a role equivalent to the one I have here in the UK and was shocked.  Even commuting 2 hours each way (to our nearest major connurbation), I would earn much less than half my current UK salary.  I wasn't sure what we would gain by the move.  Everyone seems to cite rural living, good food etc as the big plusses of France, but here in the UK we live in a lovely rural area on the edge of the Peak District, we can walk from our house along pretty country lanes to good country pubs serving good food and great beer.   My drive to work takes less than twenty minutes along country lanes and I watch the cows go for milking from my office window (before anyone asks - I work for the head office of a bank not a farm [;-)]) Plus, we have regular farmers markets, my supermarket here in the UK sells a wide range of ethnic foods (kind of equivalent to the cheese shelves in France [;-)]),  there are loads of ethnic (and other) restaurants nearby and in under an hour, I can be in one of three major cities for fab shopping, theatre, music, museums, international sports venues, concert arenas....  And I can enjoy all of this and have a few weeks in France every so often whilst maintaining a salary which my French neighbours would think was astronomical [:)].  I can't think of a single reason why I would want to move to France permanently. [/quote] Lucky you.     Georgina

Re. the original post.. That is just so true....[:)] Georgina

If you received an email from your insurance company originally, can't you e mail asking for your documents? Although many companies do not respond well to e mails, can't you ring them and ask for them??? If they do not send you a renew SD has outlined your options exactly above. Just go and get another quote locally now.   Georgina

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20080103/CPINSOLITE/80103085/5406/CPINSOLITE   Could not get that one Clair but here is a tabac giving customers jackets to go outside.  Well that helps with advertising the business I suppose.  It could catch on.  !!!![:D] Georgina

Oh that's awful.  Don't be disheartened.  There are people like this all over the world, it's just a shock when it happens to us isn't it, it's merely prejudice.  I must say being back home this week, I have noticed more that the British have a similar attitude to the foreigners there.  It's not nice to be on the receiving end.  I hope you get sorted out, and the New Year is better for you.[:)] Georgina

Are you sure it's not the French's answer to a kebab in your garden after a few late drinks.....[:D] Seriously though, does not look like a plant at all.

Thanks Anton, yeah really I have to tread through a quagmire of filth before I can read my emails. Georgina

[:'(][quote user="cassis"]All drivers have the right to occupy two parking spaces - three if the bays are ridiculously narrow, as they frequently are.  If I am towing a trailer then I often occupy three bays.  The car is so crap that it is not worth keying. [/quote] Sorry don't understand, what have you done with Cassis!! Have you kidnapped him.  Where is he???  Why have you stole his identity???[8-)]

To be honest, I am uttlerley sick to the guts of these perverts every day, sending me unwanted e mail intended for men mostly.    I have blocking but they know a way around it.  They just use the same words, including just putting digits in between the sick words they use. What a sad world it is.[+o(] Georgina

What I really have difficulty with, are the smoking mums (six or more every morning) standing at the gates where the kids go in.  I really have to bite my tongue, do you think this will stop next year??? The kids complain that they throw the tabs in their direction sometimes without even looking.[:)]  Well if I were in England ......[6] grrrr Georgina  

Why are you using Rosie's post to send emails?  Have you not heard of PM???  We all do not want to read this, don't you think? Georgina

I have seen many white vans with British number plates with Company names on at Brico stores.  I have also seen them working on properties here. They get away with it, because they can and maybe they feel that with a British number plate, they won't be easily detected. Does anyone know a sole who has been stopped for this - me neither? Georgina

[quote user="timki"] How bizarre - we too are moving to Languedoc - and my girlfriend is also 6 weekd pregnant.  We have bought a salon du the/restaurant in a new development called Port du Roy (walking distance from Aigue Mortes).  Port du Roy is a copy of Port Grimaud, if you know it, only a lot smaller, 400 houses as opposed to Port Grimaud 4000)  The property is not due for completion until end of next year and in the meantime we have bought a boat and have been sailing around the med (in Ibiza at the moment). We are going to Aigues Mortes next week and are staying in a hotel whilst exploring the local area and looking for a winter rental if we decide to stay there for the winter rather than here on the boat. More than happy to share any contacts/experiences as we appear to be on parallel lines!! Email me and we can expand the conversation.How wierd! [/quote] Are you sure that's not your girlfriend's posting then ....[:)] Georgina

You could do with some kids to do their maths homework, that gets the old grey matter working again somewhat. I will send them round.   Georgina

Check your receipts too. Not crime but in genuine errors  I have been over charged by about E10 this week in three separate incidents.  So always check your till receipts.  Twice in Lidls and once in Geant.  Last week in Leclerc too - Geants and Leclerc have trouble passing through their special offers and Lidls just put everything through twice because they have to stress you out by doing it so quickly. It strange that Lidls have stopped getting you to sign your receipts suddenly,  They were going through a phase of getting id with your carte bancaire, don't know what that was about. And what use it would have been to them anyhow?    

It's not definite but they are supposed to be striking on 12th too but these are all dependent on negotiations. I have not heard anything since. Does anyone have an update on the New Year strikes planned at the airports in England? Georgina

  Yesterday I was stopped by the Gendarmes doing their routine checks.[blink] I gave them all the documents (I thought) until I got home and found the carte gris in another place, I guess they were not that bothered to check properly as I was not French, they liked the dog though.  Lucky for me I could have been done on not having my driving licence on me too. They could have added some money to their coffers but they were really nice, contrary to other reports I have heard. Georgina PS my point obviously being that they probably don't even check foreign cars properly too