annie1

Has anyone any suggestions on why our telephone which works in conjunction with our free box is now not working.  It was perfectly alright last night but this morning no dialing tone nothing!!! Our French telecom phone is fine, just expensive, so we know there is nothing up with our line.     Also, sorry there is always an also isn't there, when trying to email a friend with an aol email address my email kept getting returned by the postmaster, I followed the link and cannot make sense of the message it says "the IP address on your ISP's network has generated a high volume of mail to AOL and has exceeded our rate limit.  Possible causes include a compromised or virus infected personal computer or a non-disclosed server relaying mail within the ISP's network - what does all this mean, sorry I am rather technically challenged.   Any advice would be great. 

Hi there,   Sorry we do not know anyone in the Somme or Oise who could do this.  I know its not helpful but did not want you to think your thread was being ignored.  Have asked around our friends out here but nobody can think of anyone, most used architects from the UK and only for house stuff not industrial.   Sorry

Have a look at www.moulin-epinay.com or email Lynn & Duncan Birtles direct on [email protected].  Their B&B is in department 76 in Seine Maritime in Normandy close to the Picardie border.  They are friends of ours and have hosted many of our visitors and we would really recommend them to anyone travelling in the area.   regards Ann

Sorry do not know of any airports that do direct to Edinburgh, although Glasgow Prestwick do Beauvais (Pairs direct) and of course Glasgow International go to CDG.   Rynair who do Glasgow Prestwick to Beauvais are really reasonable, what about car hire and drive from there?

There is also an article in this month's French News concerning commuting which is very pragmatic in its delivery, pointing out the pros and cons of crossing the channel for work.

Sorry do not know anything about Vend'huile nr. Cambrai or the Unicorn cemetery so cannot help there.  There is heaps to do in Amiens itself and of course the surrounding areas,  it really depends on what your interest are and how long you want to spend travelling around. I would make a stop at the tourist information office in Amiens centre, it is close to the catherdral ,  they are really helpful they will have information on all of the Somme area, or visit their website which is also very good, and in English.   

Have replied to your posting in dare I say it the other Forum (Total France), please check it out may be helpful

Have replied to your post in the total France forum, hope it helps.[&]

[quote user="Moulin Neuf"] After two years in France, on an E106, we have filled in  all the necessary forms and because my husband and I are not of retirement age, we have been refused medical cover through CMU/CPAM.  Has any one else encountered this?  What are we supposed to do?  Apparantly we have no cover since 31 Dec 2005.  We thought we would simply pay 8% of our revenue.   Jan [/quote] Read your posting and wanted to ask, did the CMU/CPAM contact you by letter and tell you that you were not entitled to cover?  My reason for asking is that we too have no cover from Dec 2005 and we too have filled in all the various forms including copies of the required documents, to date we have heard nothing from anyone.  We also are French resident, tax paying, and have had our letter from Newcastle saying our cover has run out, and we are now wondering if we should be looking out for a letter or should we be contacting CMU/CPAM to ask for confirmation?  We visited the CMU/CPAM main offices in Amiens rather than using our local offices in the hope this may hasten the process, but in the end we had to go back and forward three times as the forms we were given originally were the wrong ones.  At our final visit the young lady we spoke with assured us that the forms would be processed, but to date, as I said, we have had no confirmation, no demand for payment nothing. [*-)]

Hi, here in Picardie just a little further North we are not snowed in but it is freezing cold with a light dusting of snow, and so far the roads are not effected.  Not crowing though because winter is not over yet and last year, end of February beginning March, we were snowed in for 5 days.    

Before we became permenent residents we too had this worry over security.  We bought a solar powered alarm system from B&Q in Kent, the kit came with a system which when the alarm was activated would ring you, mobile or land line, and alert you.  One of our neighbours in France offered to have his number put in the system so we did not have to drop everything and get over to see if it was a real emergency or a false alarm.   The kit was not that expensive and you can add various options to the basic kit as you go along.  

Thank you for the suggestion Mozman, what a great excuse for popping into the local bar!!!! We also are in the sticks, but there are a couple of bars in the two nearby towns.   Cheers!!!

Hi Opalienne,   We do not get freesheets, we get the usual publicity once a week but nothing that advertises any small businesses.   We have not tried our local mayor yet, so that maybe something we could do.   We had just hoped that someone would take over our regular suppliers rounds but that has not happened.    Thank you for the suggestion anyway.

None of our supermarkets Auchan, etc have anything to do with wood, coal yes if you ask in time.   Local papers do not have anything in the petite announce, neighbours very cagey about where they get their supplies.  Guess its back to the yellow pages and paying over the odds!!!

Can anyone recommend a decent wood supplier here in Picardie.   Our regular wood supplier has retired We would need someone in the Poix de Picardie/Aumale/Hornoy Le Bourg area.  We did try  someone from Picquiney but he was really expensive.  We would like a regular delivery but if that is not possible we could take a large load and stack it ourselves.   Any help or suggestions much appreciated, thanks

I am generalising, but most of us living in the North West of France have no difficulty in getting British groceries due to our close proximity to the various ferries and the tunnel.   Although we are finding excellent French substitutes for most of our "can't live withouts".   regards 

Dear Sheila & Peter,   Have sent you a email.   regards  

We too suffered from break-ins, the first was not to serious but, the second was devastating as they really cleared up.  They must have had a large van, but nobody seen anything. We now live here permanently but in the few years before we moved we installed alarms, video cameras, put up stout new gates, and spent a small fortune on strong bars for the shutters.  Our nearest neighbours were very good and promised to do a lookout every time they passed which was every couple of days. Our insurance company Groupama were not at all helpful, they paid out eventually but needless to say not the full amounts.  We now keep the receipt and sometimes a photograph of any new items that we buy.  We have changed insurance companies and are now with Axa. It is really sad but apart from being there it is very difficult to stop the determined thief.  However if you follow some of the earlier advice it is sure to make your property more secure and give the thieves a harder target, which means they may move on to somewhere easier.

[quote]Like you, I am hoping to retire to France in 2 years time. Where to live? I would like anyone who can advise me as to where there is a largish contingent of ex-pats. More for conversation and occasion...[/quote] We live in and love Picardie, there are still bargains here in Northern France, but they are going quick mainly being bought by the Dutch. Picardie like many other areas in France is experiencing a rise in prices in most types of house.   However a word of warning there are not a great number of Brits living in this part of France, part of its attraction for some, but if you need the support of expats perhaps Northern France is not for you.   A good idea would be to spend us much time as possible researching the area, we had a holiday home here for years before finally deciding to settle.   regards good luck    

We are planning to return to the Uk shortly with our dog for the first time.  We have had all the usual vaccinations and blood tests done, and think we have to visit the vet 24 hours before we are due to leave, for the tick and flea injection. We have been following with interest some of the threads on taking your dog to England and I know we may seem thick but what is a pet passport?  Is it a special book like a human passport, or is it just a collection of the various certificates in a wallet? Any advice greatly appreciated:

Hi, just an idea but as you are travelling from the west coast of Scotland have you not considered using Ryanair from Prestwick to Beauvais.  My mother is coming over to us in Picardie next week, £62 return and only takes 1 and half hours.   We have used this route several times to visit relatives and found that flight plus car hire was far cheaper than channel crossing, fuel, food, and an overnight stop on route to Loch Lomond.   Sometimes Ryanair do deals with Hertz, but you can shop around for better deals.  Beauvais is in the Oise department of Picardie and to drive to Normandie would take no time at all.   good luck and enjoy your trip

Hi ruedeleglise   Takes a long time to stack 6 to 8 stairs, we usually do it over a few days, or even better and a bit more crafty  wait till we have some family come for a visit, puts the kids to good use, we tell them its much cheaper than the gym !!!!!!!!!!!!   Do you then cut to size or do you have the wood delivered ready for the fire?   We are getting to be dab hands with the chain saw, safety goggles and thick gloves, not a pretty sight.   regards Annie

Hi ruedeleglise   Takes a long time to stack 6 to 8 stairs, we usually do it over a few days, or even better and a bit more crafty  wait till we have some family come for a visit, puts the kids to good use, we tell them its much cheaper than the gym !!!!!!!!!!!!   Do you then cut to size or do you have the wood delivered ready for the fire?   We are getting to be dab hands with the chain saw, safety goggles and thick gloves, not a pretty sight.   regards Annie

Hi   35 euros for a metric cube?  If it is a metric cube that is a very good price, we pay around 38/40 euros a stair as our French neighbours call it, another name for a metric cube, although have to admit with the weather being so wonderful we have not been thinking much about wood, but it is a good time to get stocked up for the winter when demand is high.   regards

Hi try the Picardie/Picardy tourist office web site, the one which covers the Somme is brilliant, some parts of Picardie are only about one and three quarter hours drive from Calais.  Picardie has heaps of beautiful places to see and wonderful restaurants, try some of the local specialities like ficeille picard ( a pancake filled with mushrooms and ham then covered with a sauce although each resteraunt has its own recipe)  also the selection of shops is very good.  Enjoy