Gastines

Any offers on "Why" the pound is dropping like a stone at the moment? I just hope it will continue for a few more weeks,just might have to ring Soros Esq. and see what he is up to.

With the advent of "Cloning" I'm hoping that some day soon they will manage to clone cats and dogs to crap on thier owners territory and not on everybody elses.

Plus if you don't already know.... It's an advantage to ensure your account is Mr OR Mrs, not MR AND Mrs. for several reasons, one of them being ,any problems,inheritance etc.etc. if the account is "and" it is frozen.

Unless they were behaving like Lemmings I find it odd that so many have the same marks. Is it a possibilty that it's those nasty jellyfish with the killer sting that appear to wrap around a body to kill it?

There seems to be no logic to it apart from charging it's clients the maximum at school holiday times and at weekends when changeovers for Gites etc occur.I do understand that any business has to maximise it's profit but their system of fares seems to almost a discrimination against travellers from France. I always book trips midweek as it used to be cheaper Tuesdays/Thursdays but not any more. After several changes of dates I have now booked another trip mid-August for Cherbourg-Poole return for £165,with H.O. discount. No logic to it that I can see. I have always found L.D. Lines dearer on every trip!! On some days it is cheaper to travel St.Malo tp POrtsmouth. 9 hours on the boat all day, than Cherbourg to Portsmouth or Poole. I prefer Poole as it's only 10 minutes from home.Pity they didn't keep the Barfleur.

In answer to Russethouse,"Yes". Lots of reasons but thankfully not financial.We've had 4 houses in this area,selling each and moving closer to St.Malo,over a period of 20years.Resident for the last 8. In many ways we will miss the area as it has so much to offer but age,family,particularly grandchildren have decided us to make a new start. Definately out with the old and a completely new start. We have seen tremendous changes over the last 20 years most for the better but I do think costs have spralled a bit. I've no doubt we will have a bit of a culture shock when we return to the UK,the same area where we have had 10 different houses.Have to keep ahead of the Bailiffs doesn't one. On the finances note ,perhaps this tells a story. Advertising all our furniture on another well known site at what we believed to be very reasonable prices,we had 50+ enquiries,mostly for photo's. 3 buyers turned up who cleared the majority but the others couldn't even be bothered to say" No thanks".We look forward to re=modeling our latest purchase to suit our needs with family and visitors in mind and look upon it as a new start and adventure. As "Arnie" said "We'll be back".but not permanently.

Just tried to book a 2day return on B.F. FROM France car+2 without home-owners discount nearly £500!!!!!!!!!!!! The same routes from UK car+2+3mtr trailer £260???? Same trip 2 weeks ago £163. The amazing thing is that I tried to book several trips at the end of August and most sailings were fully booked.I must admit that I will be glad when I don't have to use them any more.

Think of it as a chance to embark on a new life. We have moved 14 times and usually to something big enough to accomodate friends and family on visits. However,being at everyones beck and call for many years we ,as OAP's, have decided that it is time to do less housekeeping. Now moving from a 6 bed Longere to a 3 bed bungalow which after I have finished knocking it about will be a 2 bed en-suite with a decent size lounge and dining-room plus the needed kitchen and loo etc. We are selling/giving and disposing of 95% of everything so that a completely new start can be made for a new life. Safely say we are looking forward to it.I would add that although the children/grandchildren and majority of our friends will be nearer to us we don't have to consider anybody but ourselves and do not have any animals to worry about,

TJ thanks for that. I got there in the end. My wife denies all knowledge of pressing the Mirror Image button so it must be my fault,but should I ever go into the T-shirt printing business ????

After the help received previously for the problems with our stress making printer,can anyone solve this? Our printer has now decided to print letters etc in Mirror image????? This may be useful to certain MI6 employees but to us it is a bl--dy nuisance. Any help gratefully received. Urgently.I may add that these problems always seem to occur after attempting to print Brittany Ferry tickets???

Having watched a BBC prog. last night I'd say if they want to take any excess food for lunch, the best of luck to them. My original posting was aimed at the arrogance and ignorance shown but I suppose it could be put down to a fear of other nationalities.Put on a brave front or plain ignorance and ill manners.Speaking very little French,even after 20 years, I find a polite approach works wonders whether asking for a toilet or dealing with the Hotel des Impots,when you might need a toilet!!

Stopping for a coffee at a village Cafe' on our way back from UK yesterday we spotted the difference that means living in France. THe Patron brought our coffee over to the table and we watched as each workman arrived the shaking of hands the kiss to the lady serving.2 UK registered cars parked outside,both families of parents and teen age children,9 in total, came into the Cafe'when given the chance to order a wave of the hand, the only word spoken was "Toilet"? The patron directed them to the public toilet across the square. Not a word of please or thankyou and a noisey departure leaving both doors open.Yes it is different here.

Many thanks for assistance. After several hours of plugging/unplugging/swearing etc etc. all seems to be;dare I say it;OK. The trouble with being old I suspect,our granchildren ,early teens, are not intimidated by pressing the wrong button.

Windows XP .Hewlet/Packard+PSC1317 printer/scanner. Prints when it feels like it. Checked all leads/plugs. Starts printing, a few lines of print.stops. Lump hammer next!! Regards.

I would appreciate any advice regarding the problem 'My printer won't print!' For some unknown reason my printer refused to print out a ticket yesterday, today I wanted to print out some photos, so duly selected them as usual, some 12 I think but the printer would only print out the last 2????? I have tried all the permutations I know to fix it but to no avail, I might add that I know nothing about computers/printers but the tricks which usually work have failed miserably. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks, Mrs Gastines.

Just imagine if the chap was a terrorist. He seems to be running rings around hundreds of police/army +20 armoured vehicles/helicopters etc.etc. Reminds me of the book " Rogue Male"

I think the main protection these "people" get is that the majority of their victims feel personally ashamed and do not want to have to relive or retell the events. They know how to pick their victims and if you are shoved in a church run home/hostel in a closed community at a very early age,it is nigh on impossible to convey the problem to anyone . The position they hold gives them an aura of respect and if you rock the boat in any direction they can make your life unbearable.The boys with me were all about 9-11 years old,away from home and families,in many cases didn't even know why we were there and had virtually no contact other than the Nuns and House-masters. Many things that weren't questioned at that age ,have given some of us plenty to think about later in life.

The only good idea to come from Lawyers which they should apply to the overpaid ball kickers" No win, no fee".

Some things never change. The subject was a schoolboys joke in my early days. I've always thought it was an odd"Calling" to be closeted {can I use that word?} in a dressing up society. Having been in a Church run home for over a year when I was 10, if anything occurs ,who do you complain to? Luckily I avoided the night time wanderings of our housemaster and it was the normal practice to tuck the sheet and cover in around yourself ,very tight. A fellow"Patient/Inmate" contacted me from Australia that i have had no contact with for 57 years and he remembered the same problem. The "Home" now a residential school has a web site and when I fleeting put a reference to his wanderings on the site ,it was removed. No names mentioned of course. Hopefully the b----- is now pushing up daisies or in his case weeds. I think the problem is almost like a self protecting club still in operation today and jobs are farmed out to suit these individuals. Only my personal view of course.

Having bought 4 and sold 3 houses here if you decide to sign anything the agent will ask for all or most of those papers to verify who you are,marital status etc.etc. As pointed out the mains things to be aware of os that although the Agency fee is included:usually; You are liable for the Notaires fee of 6-8%.Also pays to check the Cadastre figures at the local Mairie and ensure that what you think you are buying in terms of land,is actually what you get and not what the agent waves his hand at. If you require more than the 7 days get-out clause normal after signing,you can always add one or more "clause Suspensive" especially if your purchase depends on a mortgage or you want to change the use of the property. It pays to find out all the details before you sign anything. On 2 occasions agents have pointed out areas of land that were not included in our purchase and one forgot to tell us the farmer had a right of way by the front door to bring his tractor/feed and cows. Caveat Emptor I think is the expression. Buyer beware or in France be Wary. Bonne Chance

On visiting the FranceTelecom shop in St.Malo I was advised ,Phone one days notice,Computer on wanadoo/orange one month.

I don't want to speak too soon but this problem is another reason for not buying out in the sticks and seems to affect some areas more than others. We have had 4 houses in this area by St.Malo over a period of 20 years and before becoming resident for the last 8,used to leave our house unoccupied for 4-6 months at a time. Each house had to have fairly substantial renovations and we used to leave timber and other materials in view from the road in 2 of them in an open fronted building. the Garden tables and chairs where left out and al the tubs andpots etc. Never had any trouble and never heard of any from neighbours.In some cases the neighbours,all French, were a field away.Mind you we had no UKers living near us!!

Must have a hell of a lot of washing?

Now that the French State is about to sell off 1700 properties to pay for new expenditure with a percentage going towards lowering the national debt,I hope that Mr D. Cameron and his pal can see an idea that might help in the UK. A close look at the portfolio of the Crown Estates and the ever-growing National Trust for starters. You never know perhaps Prince Charles will throw in The Oval cricket ground and the Scilly Isles,freehold included.I don't think he ever paid for them.

Plus a Museum in Chile has just paid £192k for an old dress of Princess Diana. I would have thought Chile could have put the money to better use. Perhaps the Indian steel magnate with his thousands of billions will start putting a bit back into the sanitation industry in India?