pitway

It's hard but you will know when the time is right I think, Just to answer one of your questions in your post (I don't think anyone answered it), yes, individual cremations are possible in France. Our vet made all the arrangements for us when we had to have our 14 year old German Sheppard put to sleep last year. He came back with a lovely condolence letter with a certificate. He is still on the bookcase!! Mrs P hasn't had the heart to scatter him yet!. The vet was very caring, she did the dreaded deed and left us alone with him for as long as we wanted, I don't know how they do it?? I suppose you get a bit immune to it after a while. I couldn't, not without completely embarrassing myself. Bon courage ! Tim  

I don't know the climate in your area but if you left the grass uncut until May here in the Vendee then the grass is likely to up to your waist!! So as suggested bu the previous poster you will be looking to use a professional paysagiste  that has expensive industrial equipment and they don't come cheap. Into the bargain your grass will look horrible. If you could find someone near you to go in once a fortnight and go over it with a normal lawnmower probably cost you about 25 euros a visit, if your grass area is not that big. probably cost you about the same but you should have a nice lawn instead of a field will also help to get rid of those stubborn weeds too. Little and often, better in my book. Tim

The same question comes up regularly on the rental forum laymyhat.com loads of discussion on which rental sites are working and the ones that aren't. Plus loads of other useful info too. Tim

The hospital clinic in Fontenay had a 2 month (a tiny bit less then) waiting list for an appointment, just had my test done last month. M Ballet there is happy to do the consultation in English or French. If you are near Fontenay any time soon just pop in hope you get the helpful receptionist :))

Where are you exactly?? if you state a location then perhaps someone would be better placed to advise or recommend.

Not quite sure I understood any of that!! think I understand the algorithm bit in as much as it gives you the encryption so for it to work the algorithm must be the same to come up with the correct result?? no doubt it is a very closely guarded secret and uses other clever techniques to stop illicit transactions. not sure that makes me feel safer or not[:)]  Not quite the same subject but my UK card has for sometime required a second follow up confirmation when used on line. Just got a letter from my french bank to say that starting soon I will be required to confirm any online transaction via a SMS message, if I don't give them a mobile number then I won't be able to use the card online?? Does everyone have a mobile phone ??, in my case I do, but reception at home is a bit dodgy so could become a problem trying to use it on line as I do to pay many of my bills. Sound like it is going to be a lot of hassle to me, but I suppose it is there for my security Tim

I too have seen my spam email reduce to practically nothing since the beginning of the year. I had occasion to send an email to a friend yesterday, it consisted of a quick one line note plus a link to a website that they were interested in, it got returned, here indoors wanted the same site so sent it to her to save me reading and spelling it out, that got returned too with the following reason <[email protected]>: host smtp.wanadoo.fr[80.12.242.53] said: 550 5.2.0     Mail rejete. Mail rejected. OFR_506 [506] (in reply to end of DATA command) It does seem a big coincidence with sudden disappearance of spam and an increase of rejected mail, I have also had read receipts to wanadoo/orange addresses returned.  Now don't get me wrong, I am pleased to be getting no spam, but I am a bit concerned that genuine email is getting rejected, fine if it is being sent by someone that knows you and has another adress for you, but I receive work related emails from unknown people, how much business am I missing out on????? Tim   

Just spoken to my sister (accountant) she has a client or two that present euro vat/tva invoices and yes they can claim it back, BUT!!, it is quite complicated to do apparently , so logically, as you are looking at the reverse of this situation it should be possible. however, if something like this is complicated in your native language I hate to think how difficult it is likely to be trying to do it using UK vat invoices in france ??????Gallic shrug et NON!!! springs to mind[:)]!! there must be people in the same situation who would be better qualified to advise. Good luck! Tim

[quote user="Patf"]Jo - not sure of the answer to your question - assume you mean a car, not a motorbike? But I do know of a 17yr old who had lived in France for several years, returned to UK to his grandparents for the summer where he had booked a few lessons, took and passed the driving test (car). So with his UK license he drove in France at age 17. He was stopped once by the gendarmes who were unsure of the legalities, but allowed him to continue. The driving age in France is 18, so he is disqualified by reason of age, the UK gov website states that you should check the local counties limits. His mother, a friend of mine, says it can be done but best to keep a low profile for the first year or two. could find himself in a lot of hot water if he was involved in an accident [/quote] Regarding accompanied driving, my daughter thought about this as a couple of her friends were driving with their parents, but she was told as she was not French and I had a UK driving licence she couldn't ??? that might have just been a cop out from the driving school though. 

funny that this should have been mentioned, a few years ago I was travelling to Spain driving an artic, encountered an accident on the auto route, held up in a queue for ages eventually being chucked off the motorway at the next peage, so after passing the toll booth one of the other lorry drivers was waving at me basically to rejoin the auto route it was now clear , so basically I left the AR drove to the roundabout and rejoined at the same junction, when I did the calculations for my expenses I found by doing that my toll bill was less than it would have been if I had not left the motorway, mind you it was, from memory, just a few centimes/1 euro max difference, but there was a difference. Took me a while to work it out, as I had travelled the same route for a number of years and knew the normal tolls between booths, so yes there is a possibility that there may be a bit of truth in that, but the cost is very minimal, probably used more in fuel with the delay and diversion than the toll though!!, but it has always made me wonder. Have spent many a happy hour getting off the motorway looking for fuel, and buying fuel in the UK or France was  (unless urgent) was strictly off limits.Always had to buy in Spain or if in the east of france Luxembourg, never a problem ciggys and baccy was cheaper too (for my own consumption of course)[Www]

[quote user="woolybanana"]Somehow I understood that the patient has a right to have them these days. Ask the UK GP and see what s/he says[/quote] Mme pitway had a knee replacement a few years ago in the UK (one of which was badly done), it is now giving her problems, doctor here would like to see her original xrays for a comparison, efforts to gain copies have been met with they are lost and we can't find them, bye bye!! so don't hold your breath!! Tim

who mentioned cold turkey at this time of year!! good luck, happy new year.

Not sure how much help this is but there is a coffee liqueur made here in the Vendee (85) called Kamok it is much stronger than Tia M at 40%vol. Not sure if it is widely available throughout  France though. T'iz very nice mind you!! Tim Link to piccy

4 litres of wine or jus 1kg sugar 1litre of Eau de vie 60%vol You can put many other things in as well, a couple of oranges chopped into quarters , plonk the ingredients into a suitable bucket with a lid stir daily for a couple of weeks leave to settle and then bottle it off. You need to make sure your eau de vie is a good strong one though, or it could start to ferment and if that happens it's only fit for the drain [B]

[quote user="just john "][quote user="dave21478"] Seemingly I went purple this time. By chance I was still holding a large knife I had been chopping mushrooms with, and I screamed a string of obscenities at him, culminating in English with GET THE FUCK OUT OF THIS KITCHEN.     – the customers must have enjoyed the show.[/quote] I can't think of anything scarier than a purple scotsman with a knife telling someone to GET THE FUCK OUT OF THIS KITCHEN -  unless he was wearing a kilt at the time  -  were you Dave?[:D] PS if ever you need to know what the asterisks are, just hit quote and then you get to read the original text[8-|] [/quote] Well fuck me I never know that[6]!!

A link I found on completefrance forum about the use of roundabouts and the odd occasion when the old rules apply plus some diagrams of how to use and change lanes on a roundabout etc. short of it all is it is basically the same as the UK but as french drivers probably have never driven in the UK they just make up thier own rules [:)] all in french sorry but the "normal roundabouts" diagrams don't need a translation, basically, the natives have absolutely no idea how to use them properly or safely Explanation and examples for French roundabouts

One other thing, am I the only one in the world that can't make out the word "remplace" in their jingle Sound like carglass repare , carglass hopeless ??? probably just getting old and deaf[:(]

Cool! Talking of cool how about this one for air con in a Toyota http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHUUDHufeN8&NR=1 [:)]

Don't forget that if it is the first time you have tried to connect to the live box wi-fi you need to press the pairing button on the bottom of the livebox, you should only have to do this the one time, you can disable this function on the livebox too I think by switching off the MAC filter in the security bit somewhere, but don't hold me to that! Tim Ohhps edit typos

Hi, Don't think I help you directly with your question, but are you aware that you can declare to the Pole emploi that you intend to start up as an independent worker, this should open up a couple of things for you 1, you will qualify for 3 years of reduced cotisations depending on what you are doing but your fist year should be about 5%, 2nd 10% 3rd 15% (figures not precise just an example) 2, You should  then be asked if you would like to take 50% of your "allocation chomage" for start up costs, I suppose the idea being for equipment for you to start your business. for example if you had an allocation chomage of say 20.000 euros they will give you 5000 when you sign off and then six months later you send them a letter on your honour to say that you are still self employed and the business is still current you will get the second payment. Alternatively, you also have the option of not accepting that and continuing with your chomage and you just declare your earnings on a monthly basis which will be deducted from your chomage payment in some way, I not sure about how this works and for how long you can do it for, I didn't follow this route as it would have not been beneficial to me!! I seem to remember being given a leaflet explain exactly how bot these situations worked with an example of each. As for how it will effect your CRP I don't know sorry, best thing to do is ask at the PE, I never had that option as part of our redundancy agreement was "congee de reclassement" which ment I stayed on full basic wage for 6 months and paid for by my ex employer (which I made full use off :-)!!!) then signed on at the PE and once all the paperwork was done declared that I was going self employed (AE). In my case I was employed by the company for 7 years and albeit part time I had still knocked up a pretty good allocation chomage. Hopefully you will know all this already!! but if not don't miss out you are entitled to the assistance if needed Good luck hope all works out for you Tim

so new email address, new name, start again, or are they cleverer than that?? think they might twig if you used patter pitter though[:)] but is it worth the bother? T

Thanks for that but going back to my question is there anyway an employer can end the contract early? That I am not sure of, but I would guess that if you have a definitive start date and end date then I would say they are committed to honour those dates. Judging by the amount of effort put into them making sure you have (both) signed a contract would indicate that you should be pretty safe for that period, obviously you must read your contract carefully. I have only had very short contracts so far so as long as I didn't commit a "faute grave" (think that is the expression) then they are stuck with me and would have to come to an amicable arrangement for you to finish early, the exception being trial period (in my case 10days). My Daughters boyfreind (french) has just signed a  CDI but there is a clause for trial which is considerably longer, 6 months I think, where they can get rid if you are not up to or can't perform your duties. Tim Pambon where are you when we need you ?? :-))))  [:)] oopps might be on the wrong forum !!!

[quote user="Mareille"][quote user="Ladoix"]In France it is actually illegal to start work without a signed contract in effect, the opposite to the UK whereas when you have started work you are deemed to have accepted the terms of the contract. [/quote] That's worrying Who is the one liable the boss for not handing over a contract or the one working for starting early? [/quote] That's an interesting angle, from my, (the employee)  point of view I am working in good faith (what standing that has in French law I have no idea! insurance, accident at work??) but I would hazard a guess that the employer would probably be in bigger trouble than you if the "inspecteur du travaille" did a spot visit My contract was signed (although a week or so late) but with the correct dates etc. but for me being English I have grown up in a working environment where no contract was issued although you were entitled to ask for one if your wished so it doesn't ring alarm bells with me, perhaps it should!. Tim

[quote user="Mareille"]Its actually an extension to a 3 month contract the first was signed I was wondering if the second contract can be ended early if the employer finds it neccessary I just didnt word the question very well [/quote] In my case it was clearly stated in the contract start date and end date, in actual fact mine stated that the contract would run until the return of the sick driver I was covering for, so it didn't have an exact end date, as soon as the sick driver came back I had to go into the office and sign another contract as they wanted me to stay on for a couple of weeks more. That one had an end date, guess what another driver went of sick so yet again another contract to sign!! went there for what should have been 2 weeks ended up staying for 3 months. Just had my call up papers again and start back there sometime in September date yet to be confirmed, good for the bank account though! Tim

I had an extension to a contract earlier this year, as the contract is drawn up at the head office it was a week or so before all the paperwork arrived, then the boss was away for a few days, when he got back he called me straight into the office to sign as he said at that time is was working illegally. My daughter started doing a bit of work in the local old peoples home and used to get called in to cover sick staff and those on holiday, every time a contract had to be signed, even if it was only for 1 day or a weekend!!! Tiz no wonder the french companies don't like employing people, I know it is protection for the employee and the firm but a simple assumed contract/letter like the UK would make their life much easier wouldn't it? Tim