seb47

I'm with your OH on this one. In the absence of other posts (and there may be some to the contrary) you may be better off forgetting tax year 2008 for French tax purposes. It is very late, especially in your circumstances, to be rushing around trying to get everything together for the French return and then trying to claim back overpaid tax/tax on interest in the UK. I've even heard of similar circumstances where the french taxman has suggested you go away and leave it until next year. Make a clean break for tax year 2009, then you have plenty of time to submit an FD5 and P85 and get all your ducks in a row by May 2010. Peter

Thanks Parsnips - very kind. Let's see what happens!

Thanks SD - I've forwarded your reply to them - hope that works!

 I remember reading a post last year from someone who had successfully persuaded their tax office that social charge had been mistakenly levied on their UK state retirement pension, and they had been able to reclaim from previous years' overpayments. I can't find the message now after a long search and am hoping that someone - or that person - can help. Our neighbour is in exactly the same position, following bad professional tax advice and incorrectly completed tax return. Cheers,

Thanks SD - all clear now!

Please could someone translate/explain the following phrase from our 2007 Contributions Sociales notification? "Montant de la CSG deductible (9) pris en compte pour l'imposition des revenus percus en 2008". Am I right in thinking that this figure needs to go in box EE of the tax declaration? Many thanks,

We have a multi function gadget (Instrument de mesure de L'energie) that measures amps, watts, mains voltage etc of anything plugged into it. We bought it at Lidl though they are not available all the time. It can be programmed to calculate the cost of electricity used in kwh of dual tariff electricity (heures pleine and creuse).  Not sure how accurate it is but it can be used for comparative testing in the kind of circumstances described here. Google "wattmeter" - no doubt these are available at Maplins or similar outlets. Peter

I must admit I would prefer ITV to have their own dedicated HD Channel like BBC Channel 108, but until they do I check out the Freesat "Whats on HD" site on the web. Not always wholly accurate, and you can only see one week at a time but better than nothing. http://www.freesat.co.uk/index.php?page=whatson.HDschedule Peter

All the best for when you arrive in April. Most standard insurance policies restrict the number of days a house may be unoccupied during any one year period, though there are specialist companies who give cover in these circumstances, Try searching "insuring house unoccupied in UK" and you should find a few alternatives. Our experience of claiming against French companies - see other threads on the Forum notably http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1560699/ShowPost.aspx is such that I wouldn't recommend them at the best of times and certainly not for a house in another country! Peter 

Just heard a First Sea Lord on BBC news state that the collision didn't affect the submarines' nuculer(sic) capability! Even President Obama pronounces it "nuclear" unlike many of his predecessors. Peter

Yes that's true Clary. It is an excellent website - answers all your gardening questions. No good, I had to put the t back in 'rotation'.  

The EDF Tempo website is showing white today for the "Couleur du Jour" whereas our plug-in indicator says blue. The meter is charging us at the blue rate, so yet again the web site is up the spout! Lets hope EDF actually count it as one of the 43 white days this year. Peter

I see that the next General Strike will take place on 19th March. Did anyone have delays/cancellations flying from Bergerac during the last strike on Thursday 29th January?

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/grapevine/growing-techniques/ Hello all. The above link (4 year crop rotation plan) contains some info I posted on the 'Growing Fruit & Veg'' Forum a few years ago. They converted a table layout to a text one, so it is set out very badly, but the info is all there I think.

Just returned following a holiday break in the UK and the multiscreen option is now working! Not sure why but am very pleased! Peter  

Ernie Y, Aaaargh!!! I've been waiting for someone to reply with the one about the pop singer in the 60's with a regular monthly booking (Tom Paxton). College humour I know but fun. Seriously these sound a great idea for anyone with a fosse, especially if you have forgetful visitors. Peter

Good to hear your HDR is working OK Tim. Could it be the HD model is waiting for a software download that the HDR has already had? Peter

I have posted the same query on  "notonyourtelly" (thanks Anton) so we'll see if anyone else can shed any light on this problem I find the multi channel text option excellent when watching Wimbledon etc as you can chooose which match to watch. I didn't realise Freesat could be quite so complicated. Peter

Tim, Thanks for this. I would like to buy the HDR version eventually but it's a little outside my budget at the moment. It took me all last year to persuade the OH we needed to change the telly for a Full HD LCD one! Then I bought the Freesat box just before Christmas. AR Thanks for the comments. I have just tried to select option number 2 which is supposed to be the snooker highlights. Nothing happens. I'm beginning to think there is something wrong with the remote, though the munber keys work fine when selecting TV or radio channels. I'll try the links you've provided.   Peter

Yes. Unlike Marvin - with a brain the size of a planet and who is trying to calculate the chances of survival, I'm trying to look on the shiny side. What goes around comes around. I'm not trying to disparage Woolybananas and AR's comments but we've been here (probably in negative equity) before. Lets not get too depressed.   Peter  

Frenchie, I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "produced in a way that is correct" but the following is my experience of how foie gras is produced locally. We love foie gras, but I decided to assist my neighbour as he helped regularly with the "gavage" at the local duck farm, to see exactly what happens. The ducks (not geese in this part of Lot et Garonne) live for most of their lives in an open field and are very content, with ample food and drink. However for the last few weeks of their lives they are "force" fed mais (corn) mixed with water. Each duck was kept indoors in a cage and seemed content to have a nozzle inserted into the gullet and have the corn/water mixture fed to them. The food goes into their crop and is then digested. My neighbour described this as "un petit cruel". The process is quite mechanised and up to 300 ducks were being fed this way, twice a day. This is supposed to represent the (historic) natural eating activity of the birds before they migrate. Their livers swell and they can then survive off the excess for the period of time it took to reach their winter habitation. This may or may not be true. I didn't see them being killed so cannot comment on whether this is "humane" or not. However I've seen my neighbour kill his own chickens by cutting their throats with a very, very sharp knife and it's as though they go to sleep.They bleed to death quickly and don't appear to suffer. If you are a carnivor, and eat meat I think you should know how animals are treated from birth to death. You then have a choice. I can understand why some people decide not to eat meat or meat products, but hope they take this decision based on informed choice. Peter  

I am very happy with our Freesat box but in the BBC1 text "Sport Multiscreen" option (3001), if I select any of the number options nothing happens.Does anyone else have this problem? Any suggestions of a cure? I've tried the usual Google search but with no luck. Other than this glitch, the quality of the Full HD (1080i) transmission (on BBC HD and ITV HD)  is superb. Peter   

Reading between the lines it seems to be stating the obvious. Or maybe not........ The first ten million years were the worst. And the second ten million: they were the worst, too. The third ten million I didn't enjoy at all. After that, I went into a bit of a decline. Anyway the answer is definitely 42. Sorry Peter 

I was just going to ask the same question Scooby. Anywhere near our neck of the woods in Lot et Garonne?

Many thanks Pickles. I have now added one checked in bag at a cost of 60 Euros including card fee. I have also re arranged the return flight - total cost 47.50 Euros. No comment about the overall cost - it's still a much cheaper return flight for 2 than in the "old days" before Mr O'Leary. Thank goodness that is all over - we can look forward to the holiday now! Pete