[Bad news for NRJ mobile users]

Can someone help me out here,

Am I right in thinking that if I've got credit on my phone on the 19th October  it must now be used up by the 19th April and if I put new credit on after the 19th October the credit from before the 19/10 and the new credit amount must be used up by a date given when I top up. (could be 1,2,3, months, does anyone know how long it is ???)

So if we put credit on before the 19/10 we've got 6 months to use it up as previous but it looks like after that the credit might expire perhaps every 2 months or so like sfr, (pain in the bum)

thanks

[Is there a good rent-through-the-post DVD scheme?]

I use cinehome and get one dvd watch it send it back and get another one sent out from my list. its 14.95 a month, luckily i'm at home all day so can easily watch a dvd on the day/night it arrives and get it in the post the next day.

My french isn't too bad so I can use their site quite happily but I usually know what the names of the films I want are in english and then order them.  Be careful to check that they say english and french on the review page of the site though as a couple of the films they sent through were french only (i hadn't checked) I'm using them as a means to better my french and My lo (2yo) and I are plugging our way through noddy at the moment :O)

hth

[Carnet de Sante - baby]

my baby was born in France but i've got a friend who just uses her book that the uk gave her and the doctor completes that.

There aren't health visitors as such but theres a PMI who usually are in the phone book, they are free to go and see and My little one has his check ups there and any questions I have I ask the doc, its not for emergency care though, for that it's the gp

[Question for the mums out there]

I never could wait and always had to wee just before my scan so I just drank a few cups of water inbetween and luckily didn't have too much problem although he was big enough to see anyway.

Good luck :o)

[U.K. Driving Licence]

My brother got his speeding fine a few days ago and as he only has a holiday home here I phoned up the helpline and explained his license was english and he didnt live here permanently and was told just to pay the fine and theres nothing to do for loss of points.

So now we wait to see if he gets a letter as theres no way to explain the situation on the form.

Perhaps they check to see if he completes a tax form and so is a permanent resident, god only knows....

[Having a baby in France.]

Hi

Congratulations !!!! and don't stress it's all fairly straight

forward.  You can go to your GP and he'll probably send you for a

blood test but you don't *have* to see him before 12 weeks, where he

will complete the declaration de grossesse or you can go to a gynae for

that.

I had my first child here 2 years ago and due to previous miscarriage

went straight to the GP as soon as I found out as I wanted to get a

blood test done and to book in with the hospital/gynae.  I had the

gynae fill in my declaration and give me all my obligatory checks (free

after I think 5 months)

The best advice I can give is to ask this question on the baby centre

forum, we have one for french parents in france and theres people alot

more clued up on things than me.

http://boards.babycentre.co.uk/n/pfx/forum.aspx?_requestid=159696&webtag=bcUKParFrance

well, thats roughly the link no idea if it'll work or not

but if you go to babycentre.co.uk and then bulletin boards and theres a parent in france one.

As it was my first and I wasn't really into a *natural* birth I just

went with the flow and went to the checks with the gynae, opted for

epidural, stayed in hospital for the 5 days after etc etc other people

do get a more natural birth but as I was in france I just went with the

french way.

HTH and feel free to email

Pippa

[No hand luggage on UK flights ...............]

My DH flew in to Limoges from stansted on Friday and did web online check in, he got through all of stansted security without showing his passport, he did have to remove shoes and belts (as normal with him, metal toe caps) but still got through passport control without showing it, finally at the boarding gate he did show his passport but this is one case ??? How many people a day get through the loop and this is without even trying, I'm sure a terrorist with the skills and knowledge that they appear to have can easily get through these lapse security measures.

However, Flying back from Poitiers on Tuesday, (also web check in) he was over an hour at passport control/security while they checked people thoroughly and made DH take shoes and belt off and went through his laptop bag. He also showed his passport at passport control and then boarding gate.

I'm glad i'm not travelling with my small son at the moment, the thought of an 11 hour flight without books, toys, dummies, doudou's and numerous other distractive things would fill me with horror, although security measures as these are in my opinion completely necessary in these times

[CONCRETE PUMPING MACHINE]

We had 7 cubic meters delivered for our garden and would advise anyone to pay the extra for the *tapis* otherwise they just dump in where they can and you have to spread it before it sets, not easy, we had the tapis and it got *aimed* in little piles as people spreaded it round, it does dry fantastically quickly so make sure you explain to the company exactly what you want it for and maybe ask for it to be extra wet if it's going to be a hot day or its going to take a while to spread.  We had sprinklers on ours as it was being spread and levelled and it still dried v quickly, although was late july.

Look in Yellow pages as suggested, I phoned 3 or 4 companies although actually it all came from the one main supplier and then was farmed out to individuals, I went with the main supplier in the end to get a decent delivery time.

[Gall bladder removal]

During my 18 month wait for my op after a serious bout of pancreatitis at 21yo I was told a fat free diet (pork pies and lamb set me off but DH was pizza) and no alcohol.

In Australia there are many cases of gallstones and there was some research that I read that said they thought there was something in Lager that they attributed the numbers too, more likely is the bbq's that go with the lager and the amount of fatty meat !!.

[weather forecast this weekend]

Damn Hot !!!

[Gall bladder removal]

Since I had the top up we have had our little one in hospital for outpatients numerous times and have had brain scans for him and I have had 2 crowns and glasses which I still had to pay over 300E for in total so I don't think it is short sighted of me, I have not recouped the top up value, far from it.  For 5 years in france I have never spent the 800E per year on medical stuff that I have this year paid for my top up and that's with suffering miscarriage, gone for liver scans and giving birth in france.  I only had the top up because the hospital said his stay would be alot of money (very misguided admin staff) and I plan to put the 800E per year away and use it for any medical costs.  I am only 31, dh 35 and our lo 2 so Hopefully we won't get too ill and the money ive saved from the top up will most probably pay for it.  If i'd saved it for the last 5 years I would be at least 3000E in credit.

[how do I register a van in france]

The previous link is very good, it's a very easy process if you have

the right paperwork and the van goes through the controle.  My DH

registered a RHD Renault Master and realistically the rust wouldn't

have passed an english mot but it flew through the french controle.

You must take the van for an emissions controle each year

[Ladies only!]

Careful about taking St John's wort and the pill,  it can make the pill less effective.

I pay about 86cts for 3 months supply of the pill, mind you one the doc

wanted to give me was not reimbursed at all and was 15E per month !!

stuff that

[Gall bladder removal]

My husband was admitted as an emergency at 2am on a wednesday morning

(actually a year ago last week) in immense pain and then was operated

on on the Friday morning after scans and fever being monitored.  I

got a phonecall from the hospital at 9am on the the thursday to ask as

we didnt have a top up how I was going to pay the difference and that

it was likely to be expensive.  Panicking I quickly phoned and

managed to get a top up that day.

Anyway DH was operated on and allowed home the following Tuesday I

think (hes diabetic so they wanted to keep him in longer and they

*missed* some stones with the keyhole and he had to pass them)

The CPAM statement came and the op cost 3000e+ of which all was paid

for by them !!! and none by my top up company, so it was a total waste

of money for the next year, I've just cancelled it.

I'd ask the hospital for a price. they should know and if your really

worried phone up the cpam and ask them how much will be reimbursed by

them.

The care was excellent and much better than the 18 months of constant

pain I had in the UK while on the waiting list for the same op DH had

within 2 days.

HTH

Pippa

[Above ground pool with a split liner]

Hi All,

My parents above ground pool (4 years old) has developed about an inch split quite near to the bottom *typical* and then a much smaller one nearer the skimmer basket. The liner has also bagged quite a bit.

Is it worth trying to repair it ?? If so does it need emptying or can you use this underwater glue I've heard about or what ??

Is it better to take the tops off and try and refit the liner so it's not baggy or just replace the liner ??

thanks in advance

Pippa

[BCG jab for children]

Your local PMI (see phone book) will usually do vaccinations free of charge, my little one has had all his jabs and it didn't cost anything.  Otherwise go the a french doctor and get them done, if you just pop in and ask the secretary for a prescription, then go to the chemists to pick it up and go to docs for him to give the injection it'll be cheaper than having two appointments with the doctor and one just for a prescription.

[Places of interest]

Theres a fairly english (french and english spoken) bar/restaurant near eguzon *the Cottage* all around Argenton there are nice restaurants and a good kebab shop.

Lots of the little villages around Argenton/Eguzon will have brocantes and fairs advertised locally in June.

Usually drag racing in Argenton in the summer, err venture to Limoges and see the potteries and go shopping.

Visit the Georges sands museum etc etc. St Benoit du Sault isn't too far and is fairly medieval and has alot of fairs in june/july/august

Depends what you want to eat/drink really as most places are better than the UK equivalent.

hth

pippa

[French name wanted!]

it's most definitely a Courroie de Distribution, we have many vehicles and DH tends to replace them as a matter of course and goes to the parts place for them but the one time he didn't replace it on my own car and the cambelt snapped, needless to say another engine :( and a new cambelt .  I had to go in the garage and ask them to order my cambelt and it was a Courroie de Distribution

hth

pipps

[Pool Opening]

we test the water every day and apart from not getting the chlorine levels high enough last year the readings we're fine.  That's when we put the gallettes in, my dad bought a new pump/sand filter and I was wondering if it was that which wasn't on long enough to filter the pool sufficiently.

[Pool Opening]

Hello,

We've opened up my mums above ground pool today, it's had a good 1/3-1/2 emptied over the winter and hivernarge put in, its a 25 cubic meter pool and it looks the same water quality as last year,  Its not perfectly clear and we had problems regulating the chlorine levels throughout the season.

The PH was at 6.8 so we've put ph + in and its now more at 7.4, there arent that many leaves or debris in the pool and I wouldn't say it's murky its just not crystal.  We've filled it up and dad will have pump circulating for the next 24 hours, do we need to shock it and if so whats the best kind of shock, because one year we bought some shock and the chlorine levels were too high all season.  Then we put in  4 in ones once the pool is opened and clean , 2 every 3 or 4 days.

The water in there is now on it's third year although it gets backwashed and filled back up every week.

Any help to get the pool back to its crystal clear water

thanks

Pippa

[Fixed IP Update]

Hi All

After much investigations I found that Free give fixed Ip addresses free of charge once you are connected, it's an option or with degroupage it's given automatically.

So Ive saved myself £300+vat this year :o)

[Loan/Mortgage with Credit Agricole]

My brother got a mortgage with credit agricole, the offer was in the post within 4 days although the mortgage was small and a decent deposit paid so not much risk to them, but no problems with the notaire and a very good fixed rate.

[Fixed IP Anyone ??]

    We haven't got a web enterprise solely and my husband is an IT professional so we have all the necessary kit and knowledge, it's just that I keep being told it's not possible to get a Fixed IP as an individual.  What I asked was, has anyone a provider that gave them a fixed IP, How to get one is the main thing.

[Fixed IP Anyone ??]

Hi

Has anyone managed to get a fixed IP with their broadband provider.  We want to try and reduce our hosting bills and host ourselves but need a fixed IP, everywhere I go they say its not possible unless your an enterprise, well we're an enterprise in the uk but not france.

Any help ???

Thanks

Pippa

[Having a baby here]

I had my first and only baby here in August 04 and the care I received

was second to none.  After suffering a previous miscarriage and

having bleeding in this pregnancy at 6 weeks, I was sent for scans

every other day, had blood tests, extra scans just to put my mind at

rest.  I had my weight, bp and general well being checked

regularily.  The doc did assume because I am vastly overweight

that I would develop diabetes and sent me for a day of monitoring, only

to be shocked that 1, I am not and wasn't during pregnancy diabetic, 2,

my blood pressure was textbook througout and 3 that I was able to walk

quite happily. 

During delivery I had an epidural and 15 people in the room as I was

giving birth to the biggest baby born in the hospital that year. 

not huge either just 4.03 kilos, unfortunately had to have forceps and

the worst part was being stitched up after the epidural had worn off.

The food was good, room good for a learning hospital and apart from my

mothers concerns that anyone could walk off with a baby (no security at

all) my experience of childbirth in france was favourable.