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Gastines

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Everything posted by Gastines

  1. Perhaps some of the vitriolic comments should be directed not at the pension receivers but at the pension investment managers? We do not have the worry of pension funds but we are not without our losses too. Interest  drop on our savings pot has left us virtually £200 a week worse off. In about 6 months I expect we shall have to start digging into our capital as well as digging our own veggies. Regards.
  2. Thanks for that Clair,I will get the clever half,my wife, to go over the details. Regards.
  3. A FRENCH aunt of my wife's called in complaining that when she went to the bunshop it was closed and the Post seemed to have changed it's hours. This was a week after the clocks went on!!! Unfortunately she also phoned us early one Sunday morning to say we had won 50.000Francs on the GROLLO.she kept the tickets for us. She turned up an hour later,crying, saying she had made a mistake with the numbers!!! We have found it's better to wait untill the cash is in your hand before you make any plans. Regards.
  4. Asking a bit tongue  in cheek as it has radically affected a friends finances and future plans. They are no longer residents here so we need to find out all available info before we take up the problem for them. They have a piece of land which was given a CDU 18 months ago.This was aparently renewed without any problems. However a potential buyer has dropped out of a purchase as some ruling by the PLU, brought in on Feb 1st, has now prevented a build on the site. We are awaiting copies of all the paperwork and details from UK but although we have tried ,via Google etc. have been unable to find any reference to PLU. Any forum member out there come across this? Obviously we will tackle Immo/ Maire and DDE but forearmed etc. Regards.  
  5. Just reread my old posting,2 above, and it shows how quickly rates change.What was offered on £50k per 6 months is now down to 2 1/2 % from 5 1/2% .
  6. But do the Offshore accounts have the same guarantees? When HSBC were suggesting we banked via Isle of Man, I noted in the small print that only £15K and not £50K was covered. It does seem as though these tax havens are about to get a sort out as the Governments realise how much tax they are losing. I expect a lot of Bankers and M.P's will be moving their money shortly. Regards.
  7. Yes but do you think anyone in power is ever likely to amend things? Perhaps they might spare a thought after they get their £40.000 EXTRA that they are after. After all it appears that M.Ps pay is first and they make the decisions that affect the rest of us. Regards.
  8. On Teletext this morning it said that G.Brown.P.M. is off to "Charm" WallStreet. To try and charm them into accepting his Global Cr-p! Charm isn't an expression I would think most of the UK would use.He seems to have been nothing but an unmitigated disaster for UK. Funny how Lord Taylor and G.B. have suddenly woken up to the fact that the Banks and Bankers have been doing what they like for the last 10 years and now want to impose regulations etc. Pity they didn't do the job they were being paid for over the last 10 years.I try and think of anything positive that the Government have actually followed through on since they've been in power.Apart from the Iraq Fiasco about to be followed by the Afghanistan Fiasco,ther is the loss of the 10p tax/the pensions raid/the extra fuel tax/extra commercial taxes,shortage of funds to local councils so that the local councils raise taxes and get the blame. The huge financial drain of their ill thought out computer schemes,none working and billions over budget,etc. etc. If the Queen is supposed to ask G.B. to form Her Government can't she speak up for once and get him to disband it,please.? Going to the greenhouse to plant some veggie seeds so we can eat this summer. Regards.
  9. No Skip diving over here unfortunately. Years ago re-furbing a Mews house off George Street W,I.  I had a skip on site and returning after the weekend noted someone had dumped a load of bags and boxes. My son worked with me at the time and had the pleasure of beating me to the discovery of a pair of Art-Deco wall plaques,styled as lady's heads and very sought after. Some builders were ripping the insides out of a pub around the corner and dumped all the interior doors with cut-glass and leaded glass panels. I bought 5 for the grand sum of £20. The door with "Office" in coloured leaded glass is now in "The Cricketers" in Springbourne  Bournemouth.In the gerden here are 2 chimney pots off my old school St.John's Boscombe. bought by my wife off the demo men. I used to read the local paper watching out for the old retailers closing down,Tailors/Ironmomgers/Chemists and used to buy all the old shopfittings/counters/advertising material. Regards. .
  10. About 30 years ago when in my carpet fitting days, I was fitting an upstairs bedroom carpet when I noticed clouds of smoke drifting past the window,looking out I saw 2 chaps throwing picture frames onto a grden bonfire.Having a small Victoriana/Junk shop at the time I rushed next door and asked if I could buy the frames. Apparently the son had returned from America where he had been on some gospel trip to dispose of his recently deceased father's possesions.He did say thay God will provide etc. but eventually accepted my offer of £100 for the remaining pile of frames, one or two of which contained pictures. I said I had to go to my Bank at the end of the road to get the cash,leaving my old J4 van outside. While away he and his friend loaded the van up,packed to the doors!!! It appeared his father had a studio t the bottom of the garden and the son just wanted to get shot of everything and return to the States. When I eventually sorted things out I had 2312 pictures, I kid you not. There were a few watercolours,a few chalk drawings and hundreds of etching and engravings piled up like newspapers. It turned out his father was Leslie Moffat Ward. Member of the Academy of Etchers and Engravers.He was also head of the Art Dept at Bournemouth College and they did a special exhibition and sale of his works at Russel Coates Museum.I still have the catalogue. Most of his drawings were of Old Poole Docks/ Dorset and London Docks with old sailing ships and Thames Bargemen etc.etc. Also a friend of Graham Sutherland and Dame Laura Knight, they used to send each other small drawings to each other at Christmas instead of cards,so a few of these were also in the collection. I had them for about ten years always hoping that I would be able to do some sort of exhibition with them.However, following the usual financial restructuring after a split,I had to sell my remaining share to buy a flat. About the only regret I've had but you have to live and eat. My wife managed to buy 2 back for me for my 65 th birthday and they grace our lounge wall. There is a large showing of his work at the Poole Maritime Museum  I did get back the same day to finish laying the carpet without the customer complaining. Regards.
  11. Just had to replace our 300ltr tank,failed on Monday,phoned local plumber for quote,job done on Thursday. When placing a tank it is worth considering the weight of the full tank. Regards
  12. And the politicians wonder why the majority of the UK population is getting fed up with the scroungers that thrive on the benefit society. Why do they queue up to get into UK and not the rest of Europe. One day G.Brown and his motley crew will wake up. Mind you  he  must be a bit like Rip Van Winkle. ten years asleep and now he admits he should have acted earlier. Regards.
  13. Pity you are so far away,always a big show of Harleys at Cancale on a Sunday plus some very snazzy sidecar jobs. Regards.
  14. There must be a few people around this area with a few bob. A small house ,virtually derelict but on a plot overlooking  The Rance by the old mill has just sold after only 4 weeks on the market at 423000e. Blocks of flats and new houses being built everywhere and 10 new stores being built by Carrefour St.Malo. Not moving into empty units. Quite a few new commercial estates being developed and Brico-Depot moving into the area although they are at Rennes and St.Briuc.The flats being built at the Sillon,on the old EDF site realized the highest price per sq mtrknown in the this end of France. On a personal level I'm trying not to think too far ahead but we are downsizing on the home front.2 people don't need 6 bedrooms. Regards.
  15. Wooly by name but not by nature.Yes ,your idea makes more sense. I cannot understand how the banks make any profit or headway the way they deal with this problem. Saying that the majority of the problem seems to have been caused by Bankers and their lackeys trying to earn the available bonus. I still don't understand what G.B. and his puppet Darling are getting for the taxpayers cash? Adding to the Banks pot so the Bank can balance their books have enough funds to lend so the Banks earn the interest and bonus? Still I suppose if I understood the finer details I wouldn't be asking where has it all gone wrong? Regards.
  16. I'm amazed that the Gordon Brown Empire didn't pass a few of the Bankers Billions to the local councils to buy up these properties. The families could have stayed in situ,rent received from the now tenants would be greater than interest for the council. At least it would deter the councils investing in Iceland.A huge increase in social housing stock would have been created and last but not least ,the ordinary folk in the UK might have least have an asset for the at present invisible,billions.  I presume all the families repossesed are having to be re-housed or put in B&B at the councils expense?This I can foresee as another problem causing a rise in peoples feelings against all the handouts available to immigrants to the UK,legal or otherwise. Regards.
  17. I notice that the police in UK are about to get the power to impound any foriegn registered car if the driver tries to take the vehicle  out of the UK with unpaid fines. I can see a significant increase in ferry foot passengers. Regards.
  18. My last bet was on Red Rum in the National. After the  bet was put on, , my brother informed me that in the previous year's National he came in last. This time he won at, I think, 60-1. I was  about 15 at the time and had a weekend job in an engineering machine shop and my small win cost me a round of drinks for 7. I.m not even sure if I broke even. As I lived next door to the local pub,The Horseshoe at Sywell, I used to get into the back skittle room and was served through a hatch into the bar. Never won anything since. Regards,
  19. We get a regular phone call from my elder brother in UK about any big race meetings. Being in poor health he watches all the meetings on the TV and has studied form for years. Not a big better but often has the 50P and £1 bets,Zooming up the bookies on his mobility scooter. He phones my wife and tells her what he is going to back for her and this week ,depending on the going,some technical term,he says "Monet's Garden" He always bets on "Cream Cracker" for her as well. His bit of fun and at the moment I think my wife is in credit for about£3. Regards.
  20. Have been dabbling for 45 years and had 3 shops selling various antiques/collectables etc and used to buy "Millers" as soon as it came out but in all those years I have only had 3 things that were illustrated.One a display cabinet,made up from various other bits that I sold to the trade and was then sold by Christie's South Ken as a quality Edwardian display cabinet on stand,About 2 months old and illustrated.!!! And Art -Deco car teapot,  a Burleigh Ware Pied Piper of Hamelin Jug. Illustrated and priced at £375 and sold last year in a UK auction for £22. Don't believe all you read. In general I used to have the greatest pleasure in finding the odd bit that was missed and best of all when I used to buy all usable bits from Demo Contractors. I used to have to pay up front for everything and then it was down to me to remove what I wanted,any damage,my fault. Great buys where a painted glass ceiling in a 3mtr X 2 mtr iron frame depicting the sun/moon and the Nordic gods,Thor,Rimthusa etc. Also removing 3 very basic cast-iron fireplaces that had been boarded up and papered over,then finding that the panels were tiled with hand painted Cantonese enamel  tiles depicting various European figures including one with an umbrella and bowler hat.With the loss of all the quality houses in the Bournemouth/Poole area those days are long gone and over here they seem to value the buildings a little higher and with more respect. However I will admit to visiting a V.G. this morning and buying 2 kitchen pots,as in Cafe/Sucre for 2 euros to add to the 250 I have collected over the years and never found a buyer for, My wife,obviously keener eyed than me,bought a silver brooch of a bumble bee for the price of 1 euro!!! We are selling at our once yearly V.G.next Sunday, near us and in a hall so weather doesn't ruin the day. We usually manage to have a good clear out of all the unwanted and have quite a good day out as well,apart from 6.00am getting ready. Regards.
  21. Interested to know what your freind specialises in? I never liked Susie Cooper as I thought it was too much like mass produced  rubbish,I thought the main reason so manycollected it was because it was hyped up and buyers could get a book price to compare,a bit like Glass's car guide. I prefered Charlotte Read but that seems out of fashion now. I used to do quite well on my Demo stuff,particularly fireplaces and stained and leaded glass. Living in Bournemouth,there were plenty of quality old houses being demolished to make way for blocks of flats ,so I used to have large quantities to show buyers. Not available anymore though. The DEpot Vents seem to be played out with just pretty grim furniture plus new and very little in the interesting field. Regards.
  22. I understand your point Dog but I put the posting on more in the line of a discussion. Obviously peoples collecting/investing habits depend on their finances. I am thinking more in terms of pleasure without any loss and hopefully a little gain. To Russethouse, I;m pleased to hear that someone is still surviving .I suppose quality sells but the quality buyer seems to have different tastes to ours. Too old to change how we view Modern Art and the prices that go with it. We used to deal more in the general line of tables/chairs/upholstered chairs/cabinets and general interior pieces.Nothing new or the dreaded re-pro. I do like old carved ivory,netsuki etc but a bit taboo now.Still like marine paintings and old wooden boats.I did have 69 from galleons to pond yachts but being in St.Malo area  they soon sold. Very awkward to transport was their main problem. Regards.
  23. As well as being a jack of a few trades and perhaps master of one,  Carpet fitter 35yrs + ,I used to have an Antique/Junk and Architectural/Garden ornament  Shop. Anything from £1 -£500 with an occasional,very occasional, piece of four figures ,pricewise that is. My wife and I sold our last shop in 2002 just as the general trade seemed to go very quickly downhill. We were lucky enough to buy all our stock from private sources and the regular visits to Brittany. Poole/Cherbourg overnight,down at St.Malo by 10.30 am and about 10 calls to Depot Ventes on the way back to Cherbourg to catch the evening ferry back,cost about £35-car +2. Never had to buy at Auction and avoided their horrendous premiums+ VAT. Having rid ourselves of the majority of our stock and other collectables,the market seems to have tired of " Collectables" we are looking for inspiration so that we can enjoy the looking and searching element and hopefully make a few bob along the way. Any members any views on the subject? Cash in the bank seems a poor option as interest falls behind inflation ,plus there is not any fun in waiting for the statements any more. We do one V.G. a year but generally it's a clearout and not anything special.good fun and we do get to meet the locals. Regards.  
  24. With Gordon's grasp of facts, he's probably got the wrong Kennedy!! Regards.
  25. Whenever either of us is prescribed a new medication,out comes by wife's medical books. I had a heart attack some years ago,no problems since, and my wife said no more grapefruit/apple juice with those pills. After taking them for about 8 years, there is now a label attached to the pill packet advising the same thing. By the way.Edwina say's it's now safe to eat eggs!!! Regards.
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