peebee

I saw the original post before it was pulled and don't think Tony was actually 'Naming and Shaming',  he was stating a fact. To delete a post which could be of vital importance to somebody who was about to buy a house through these people IMHO is wrong. Three years ago we nearly bought a house through this company and I for one would have wanted to know facts like these. Pat  

Chris, I have paid travellers cheques into my Credit Agricole, (Britline) account and  not incurred any charges. Pat

We normally take out annual travel insurance to cover us when we visit our house in France usually about 5 times a year.  We have just received our reminder for the annual premium.  The cover includes flight delays and all the usual things about lost baggage etc. that travel insurance usually covers. However, we only want the insurance for the health side of things and wonder if anyone has managed to find insurance that just covers this? Thanks Pat 

This is marvellous stuff and we have used it on our oak floors in the U.K and on our old beams in France.  We brought ours over from U.K, costs approx £30 for a 5 litre drum.  We couldn't see it for sale in France Pat

The reason being:-  That the link is to another site and to Admin maybe classed as 'advertising'. I'm still not sure, like most people, what's allowed and what isn't.  Athough, may I add, that the site has nothing to do with me what so ever. 

'So if the slow decline and death of this site is due to the slowness of the forum software, that is a BAD thing. But if it is due to the tone of the forum changing due to a takeover by a small clique of vocal whiners, depressives and hangers-on who feel they own the place, that is FINE and the rest of us who don't like what we see should just p**s off?' I totally agree with your comments Hegs. It is for these very reasons that I don't log on to LF as aften as I used to. 

Stephen, I have sent you a private message with a link to a site which lists many French Building Terms.  We found it really useful when we were renovating.  Hope this is of use Pat

I rang Eurotunnel Points Plus this afternoon to get a 'definative' answer as to how long I had to use up my accrued points from my 'points plus'.  I was informed by them that we have until 13th January 2005 to book any travel with the accrued points and this travel must be taken by the end of 2005.  We are travelling over next week and he said that this will still attract 'points plus'. As my 'Points Plus' card expires in 2 days time I asked about its validity after that date and he said that anyone whose card expires between now and January would be given extended membership without fee. I said that I was disappointed that no-one had thought fit to email members and inform them of the situation and he said this was in the pipeline and would be done shortly also that there was a new scheme coming out after Christmas and ''there maybe discounts for 5 bookings or more''. Hope this helps Pat

Val, what an awful thing to happen to your friends.  In today's Daily Mail there was an article about a woman who was left nearly £20,000 out of pocket after her mother had a heart attack in Tenerife. I will definately be sorting out cover for MIL before we go. Many thanks for all the feedback Pat      

Thanks all for the replies.  I will contact the Post Office and check out their price. I will have peace of mind if I know everything is in order.....just in case.  I may be morbid but I have heard of a case where someone needed bringing home by air ambulance after suffering health problems. God forbid, but one never knows. Pat

We are bringing my mother-in-law over for a weeks holiday to our cottage in October.  She is 74 years and in good health for her age.  My husband and I both have annual health insurance covering our visits to France and I am worrying about the fact that she seeems to be relying on an E111 to cover herself for the week.  We are with Norwich Union and I rang them to see if I could add her to our policy for the week.  They said 'no' she would have to have her own cover and after asking me details about her they quoted £36.  I'm not sure if this is a reasonable quotation as I think it covers holiday cancellation etc. etc. which she doesn't need as she's accompanying us in the car and the price for the tunnel is the same, regardless of whether she comes or not. We just want basic health cover for the week.  I do realise that the E111 only covers her for emergency treatment and will pay for her cover to give us all peace of mind. Has anyone out there had a better deal than the Norwich Union one? Many thanks in advance

Hi All, I'm back , after a week of not being able to log on and trying to get my e mail address accepted!!  I've been emailing asking for help til I'm blue in the face with out any respose.  Thanks to Bill I'm now up and running and it now transpires that Forum Admin are on holiday!  The only reason I wanted to keep the same details is because I thought (mistakenly) that all my bookmarks would be resurrected and safe.  Can anyone recommend a site for downloading avatars? Preferably freebies! Pat

Monika, ours in 53 is open Saturday morning but is closed Monday morning. Don't know if this is any help to you. Pat

For anyone interested there is a report in todays Daily Mail entitled 'Holiday homes threat'. Quote:- 'Britons who own holiday homes abroad could soon face hefty new tax it has emerged. They may be landed with a bill for thousands every year on properties in France, Spain and other countries. The size of the tax currently being considered by the Inland Revenue would depend on the rentable value of a home even it is not being leased. Almost 1.5 million UK residents have properties overseas, but the proposed tax would only affect those who bought a home through a company, rather than in their own name. In the past, buyers abroad have formed Societe Civile Immobiliers (SCI) in France to avoid Napoleonic Inheritance laws operating in much of Europe which forbid people from leaving 100% of a house to a surviving spouse. However a House of Lords ruling in 2001 means buyers overseas who use companies are seen as having the same status as company directors, who must pay tax on benefits in kind including the use of a home. A decision on whether the property tax will be levied is expected soon after Wednesday's Budget. Simon Rees, of City accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers, said the firm was warning clients to the levy would be introduced. He added there is nothing to prevent the Revenue from going after the tax, and I expect them to do so. If you are regarded as an employee of an SCI, which owns and makes available to you a property, there is a taxable benefit each year. A large proportion of the estimated million Britons with Spanish or French homes are thought to use companies to buy them. Home owners are expected to be billed up to 40% of their property's annual rental value'. Pat