Hereford

Nick P: Miss Thunberg is not a schoolgirl - she may look very young and be tiny but she is an adult and I have read more than once (sorry no link) that she writes all her own speeches. No, it cannot change overnight but we can all do a little bit to help things along. The little things in our case are: a small car that is very economical of petrol, and lots of trees/bushes/hedges planted in our garden. We try to buy local, recycle where we can. We are not young so way past demonstrating.

Ken: Looks very nice indeed but does it in fact go downhill - as it looks in the photos? We had a neighbour (in the UK years ago) who paved his slightly uphill, very small, back garden which had a lower terrace. When it rained the water whooshed off the paving like niagara falls straight onto his lower terrace! Amazing to watch but not a good idea. Our gravel drive is in need of, at the very least, a new top layer. Good luck with the joints.

Ghastly...

EU perspective:We left northern France yesterday morning, drove to Valenciennes to overnight - hotel scanned our passes (which are in our phone) as did the restuarant we went to. No checks at all at two motorway stops although a notice said we should have the passes!Drove on this morning across Belgium (no checks at the border) and into Germany (again no border checks). Hotel in Cologne checked passports and asked to see passes, then asked for date of second jab to show up - slide across the "border mode" button, which shows when on full screen - and dates appear. Did not actually scan the passes though.  No query at all about maiden name on pass not matching passport.Onward north again tomorrow to another hotel.

I have not used vanilla extract for years. I bury a vanilla pod in a jar of caster sugar. Use sugar and then top up the jar as needed. The pod lasts for a year or more. Mrs H

It will not help Chessie I am afraid, but my car refused to start about three weeks ago. VW "UP!", lovely little car, automatic.Thought about things, phoned nearest VW garage where we have it serviced - "phone your insurance company". Er, no thank you, have heard about them just taking the car to the nearest garage and the VW one is 30 km away.So:  I phoned ADAC which is the German equivalent of the AA or RAC. I have ADAC plus so they will help at 0 km from home or anywhere in Europe. Spoke to very helpful English speaking lady (in Munich) who checked my membership number etc.Right, she said, "if necessary which garage would you like the car taken to". Followed by "it is 11.30am so too late for this morning as they will be at lunch soon, so I will organise a breakdown truck for 2 pm", Phoned me back 10 minutes later to say "a man will be with you between 2 pm and 2.14 pm" - at 2.06 man arrived!Sadly my car needed a new electronic brain for the automatic gearbox so not a cheap breakdown, but the rescue was free.When times are normal we go to Germany to visit family and it was them that suggested ADAC. It is the person not the car that is insured so I could be in someone else's car and they would still rescue me.  About 97 euros a year for one person, cheaper for the spouse. Good luck Chessie, I hope you find that once rescued a local garage can help.Mrs H

The Elle & Vire cream with mascarpone is briliant. It does not taste of cheese at all and whips in a few seconds.  Up here in Normandie we can buy creme crue which is very thick and could be spread on the sponge cake but it is not available all over France.

To go to our empty house and pack I shall indeed tick box 2 - thanks for the push in the right direction. Take care, stay safe

Very odd. The one I printed early evening yesterday had it all correct as far as I can see  ???: Déplacements pour effectuer des achats de fournitures nécessaires à l'activité professionnelle, des achats de première nécessité 3 dans des établissements dont les activités demeurent autorisées, le retrait de commande et les livraisons à domicile. What I need to do is go to an empty house (where a relative used to live before he died) in order to pack stuff up as we have a buyer! Still working out which box to tick! The house is only 3km from us and we will see nobody. Take care.

How would you say in French the English saying please: "He would turn in his grave if he" (e.g. heard that)...  Thanks a lot

We will get our done by the pharmacy in early to mid-November.We have used the Nurses in the past but the amount of paperwork they have to scan and or fill in as we are not regular patients of theirs must negate any very small fee they get for doing them.The pharmacy are doing them by appointment which also has the benefit of avoiding a crowded waiting room.

We have Permanent (10 year) CDSs and have used them at La Poste and other places where they need ID. We have a buyer for a house we own (not where we live) and the Agent asked to see and copy our passports. I offered the CDSs and she copied them but then said she still needed the passports (plus birth and marriage certificates...? er we are the sellers). I asked if a French seller would have to produce a passport plus other ID. She looked very sheepish but insisted that the Noptaire wanted them.I give up.

Mutuelles for health cover: As we have just found some will not take you if you are over 80... They cannot ask questions on your help so they go for age instead.

Indeed: not reassuring at all! We still own a small commercial property in the UK and the rent is paid in to our Barclays account so we hope it is not closed. We never transfer money to France via the Bank.

Our Linky is in the kitchen, so no problem reading usage. My Dad's however is in an ancient metal "cupboard" down near the road. Door cannot be opened: how useful is that!!!