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londoneye

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Posts posted by londoneye

    good web site to advertise a gite on

    in Gite Owners Forum

    Posted

    Owners Direct for UK bookings and for French   a-gites.     A-gites is incredibly cheap (as opposed to Homelidays) and the benefit is that if your gites are open during off season school holidays (ie October half-term for example), you will get a flood of enquiries which may help to fill those more difficult months.

    Other than that, as long as you are all registered and legal, make sure your local Mairie is aware of who you are/where you are and invite him/her to have a look.    We have had several thousand euros worth of custom this way, primarily from people wanting to book for a wedding party (generally out of peak season, so another bonus in those months which are harder to fill) and free !!

    Selling Shares in France

    in French Finance

    Posted

    Hi everyone

    I have some shares which were purchased in UK and which I (ever the optimist) hope to increase substantially in price within the next couple of months and which I might wish to sell.   I have been on several UK share-dealing sites but it appears that you can only set up an on-line account if you are a UK resident, which I no longer am.

    Could anyone point me in the direction of where I can sell the shares on-line as a French resident?   Preferably a site in English as I don't want to have to make a split second decision and not entirely understand anything !

    Thanks in advance for any advice.

    Hints about dog & cat accepting the other!!

    in Pets

    Posted

    Hi

    Just to add my quick thoughts.   We had a similar situation and I did find it very stressful (plenty of old posts on here somewhere where I whittered away about it !).    I have to say that it was probably about a year before I felt comfortable enough to leave the dog and cat together if we were out, but that was probably paranoia.     Now they get on fine, I don't kid myself that they will ever cuddle up together but the dog protects the cat like a fiend; she only has to hear a cat crying out and she races over to the cat, sniffs him all over to make sure he is ok and stands guard in front of him.    For which, she more often than not gets a whack across the nose, no gratitude there whatsoever.     However, occasionally she is rewarded by a little nose rub and this seems to be sufficient occasional reward for the dog to continue it's protection!    Which is not to say everything goes the cat's way.   If they both settle down at opposite ends of our old futon in the evening, the dog waits until she thinks we aren't looking, stands up, yawns and then jumps up and down a few times ..... exit cat !!!!

    Good luck, it will work out I am sure, but it may take longer than you think !!

    Auto entrepreneur - nil declaration

    in Earning a Living

    Posted

    Hi

    I am due to submit my second declaration under the AE scheme; however, as we are a seasonal business, we do not actually have any income to submit for this quarter.

    Could anyone tell me if I should go on-line and declare zero, or just not declare at all?

    I have hunted about but cannot see the answer to this on the forum although I am sure it is there and I have missed it.

    thanks in advance for any assistance.

    I seem to be in an annuaire that I don't know about!

    in French Artisans

    Posted

    Hi

    Just seen this thread as I rarely have time to peek in these days - I also received the 118 bill for 263 (or something similar).   Followed by several telephone calls during which a VERY persistent woman told me that it was obligatory to pay.   I asked her to write to me, registered post, outlining the exact law which stated it was obligatory to pay for something which I did not want and had not asked for.   Needless to say, no such letter ever arrived.   However a short time after I mentioned it to a completely fluent friend who has lived in France over 20 years and she decided to telephone 118.    Even before she had finished her explanation for the call, the woman she was speaking to said 'was it for xxx euros' (ie the 263 or whatever) and after my friend said it was, she said bin it - it's a con.  

    Slightly unbelievable that they know about it and are not warning people, but there you go - as everyone else has said, feel free to bin it and hang up on the pushy people that then follow up by phone!

    Low chlorine and ph

    in Swimming Pools in France

    Posted

    Oh lord, I am sorry to be a pain, but I dont have anything to deal with the  TA level.    I only have phH + and - and shock.    I didnt realise you needed anything for the TA.

    Back to my maintenance guide I think - clearly I have missed something .....

    Low chlorine and ph

    in Swimming Pools in France

    Posted

    OK thanks again.

    Sorry, next stupid question, as my pool maintenance books doesnt seem entirely clear on this one.

    I understand that i need to dissolve the PH plus in warm water, and it says to sprinkle over whole surface of pool.

    Can't actually take all of winter cover off at moment as its too time-consuming, etc.   Could I just peel a bit of the cover back and put the pH plus in?

    Also, it doesnt say if I should run the pump after putting in the pH corrector, or just leave it be.   It does say check every 3 hours and retest?

    Low chlorine and ph

    in Swimming Pools in France

    Posted

    Thanks all.

    My main concern I suppose is whether the low pH will do any damage to the pool liner in short term.

    I cant genuinely see the pool temperature going above 10 - 12 in the next three weeks until I am back; and then I can deal with it at that point.

    I have been checking it through winter (pool chemistry) and it has been OK, although understandably the chlorine levels have been dropping.   Its only now really that the levels have gone so low and the pH also.

    Unless absolutely necessary I dont really want to start pulling the winter cover away to put chemicals in; plus I am a little nervous as to what monsters may be lurking underneath after all this time.   No idea what I actually think I may find, but my mind tells me it will be horrible!!!!!!!!

    Low chlorine and ph

    in Swimming Pools in France

    Posted

    Hi

    I am sure someone can help me.

    I have been working in UK for a few weeks and am back this weekend so tested poool.

    We have waterair pool currently with winter security cover on, and filtered for 2 hours at night.

    Water is nice and clear (or looks to be if I lift skimmer lid and take a peek! so assume rest is same), but ph is low now (about 6.5) and chlorine levels are fairly non-existent (free chlorine) reads as about 1 (a sort of grey colour rather than mauve).

    Should I stick some shock in this weekend and then try to adjust the pH or will it be ok to leave it?

    I am not back next until around third week April, and although OH is here, pool chemistry is even less of his thing than it is mine, and my knowledge is fairly shoddy.

    I guess all the rain has run the chlorine out and taken the pH down, does that sound right?

    PS:   First winter with pool so not quite familiar with process yet.   Haven't checked temperature of water because we are in Limousin and goes to say water is COLD at moment !

    Cost of living

    in French Finance

    Posted

    Actually I totally agree with Will.   Having just spent the last three weeks in UK (back for weekend in France now) I actually think the food is cheaper in UK, the special offers are better in the big supermarkets.

    The frightening thing is how much money you spend in UK each time you leave your house!   A coffee here or there, a quick sandwich - get home, try to puzzle out what happened to that £20 note !!     But the real difference is that in the UK I am leaving the house every day; here in rural France unless we actually decide to go 'out' or 'shopping' then we don't spend money, because to be honest there just isn't any excuse/reason to go out.   No point trotting out to the shops, because you will have forgotten its lunch time and they will all be closed (or Monday, ditto!; or bank holiday, or Sunday!)   Even when you do get there they wont really sell much that makes you want to put your hand in your pocket !   Hence, if you live in rural France you will not 'fritter' money in same way as you might in UK.   

    By the way, don't get the wrong idea its lovely to be back in clean streets, no neighbours breathing down neck, walkiing dog etc.    After only a week in UK the novelty of being able to go to the shops on a Sunday wore off, and believe it or not I did even get bored with sauntering around Marks &  Spencer by end of second week !

     

     

    Cost of living

    in French Finance

    Posted

    Actually I totally agree with Will.   Having just spent the last three weeks in UK (back for weekend in France now) I actually think the food is cheaper in UK, the special offers are better in the big supermarkets.

    The frightening thing is how much money you spend in UK each time you leave your house!   A coffee here or there, a quick sandwich - get home, try to puzzle out what happened to that £20 note !!     But the real difference is that in the UK I am leaving the house every day; here in rural France unless we actually decide to go 'out' or 'shopping' then we don't spend money, because to be honest there just isn't any excuse/reason to go out.   No point trotting out to the shops, because you will have forgotten its lunch time and they will all be closed (or Monday, ditto!; or bank holiday, or Sunday!)   Even when you do get there they wont really sell much that makes you want to put your hand in your pocket !   Hence, if you live in rural France you will not 'fritter' money in same way as you might in UK.   

    By the way, don't get the wrong idea its lovely to be back in clean streets, no neighbours breathing down neck, walkiing dog etc.    After only a week in UK the novelty of being able to go to the shops on a Sunday wore off, and believe it or not I did even get bored with sauntering around Marks &  Spencer by end of second week !

     

     

    Very Stupid Question ..

    in French Satellite TV, French Internet and Telephone

    Posted

    Oh dear - not working for me !

    I search Wanadoo and get the orange UK site.   No problem so far - in right hand corner is a little box which says email address and password.

    I enter my full email address and then I enter the password (mot de passe de messagerie).   It tells me invalid.   When I go to help and try to get them to send me a password or something I get asked for my orange mobile number (haven't got one).

    Am I filling in the wrong boxes ??

    Advice needed on stonework

    in House Renovations

    Posted

    I have repointed (most) of our large barn.    Once you get the hang of it, its not particularly hard.   It is, however, tedious, tedious, and even more tedious.   Your husband may also risk getting something like tennis elbow if he is not careful.    You could do it between you (I am a very small female).

    However, it will not look like the professionals have done it .... everyone who looks at our pointing is very complimentary about it.   However, I am not daft, they are just amazed that  I had a go at doing it myself and normally horrified when they see the scaffolding I was working from for the top (safe but high; if you are not keen on heights don't even start, and don't even think you can do it without scaffolding).  However, to my eyes it certainly could look better (and no I am not putting any pictures on for everyone to laugh at thank you).

    So, perhaps you need to think about how good you want it to look as well as the cost.

    There are many different mixes (so I hear).   I used 4 sand to 1 chalk, but no doubt lots of people will say that is not right (and they will probably be correct !).   However, it stuck ok and it still looks fine (well as good as it ever did !).

    Moral harrassment on the work place

    in Earning a Living

    Posted

    Frenchie

    As an ex-HR Manager in a large company I have seen many people go through this; of course it depends entirely on the person how they react, and how they want to deal with the situation, but I so know that this kind of victimisation/bullying, call it what you will, can be devastating for some people.

    In dealing with these issues, I would say that the best outcome has always been through the relatively informal mediation route.   In the UK, one method of doing this is for the person who is having difficulties to initially have time with the mediator, and then a route forward, which the person being bullied is comfortable with, is agreed.    Generally speaking the 'victim' does the work, in the sense of confronting or discussing weith colleagues the issues, but has the support of the mediator in the background.   At a later stage it is possible for the mediator to be involved with both 'sides'.

    The other two options are of course, go through a more formal route, or leave.

    I think you really need to ascertain what mechanisms are available in your work-place to assist you with this.   Do you have eg, a company handbook (sometimes incorported into your contract), which sets out the company's stance on such issues?    That should really be your first port of call.   Armed with that, you can approach the appropriate person in your company and request help, and they will have little option but to try to support you.

    Failing that you can turn to French employment law, of which I know little, albeit I doubt it is too different from UK employment law in its fundamentals (and I see someone has posted not far back  P ? who probably knows far more than I on this one).

    You do need to sort it out though; getting support on here is good and you sound a lovely person, so I hope it helps.   But it is not going to keep you going through day after day of stress at work.

    Good luck, and let us all know how you get on.

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