sue-J

[quote]Before I got Sky I used to have Telewest cable TV and it was amusing at 2am to watch their whole scheduling system go up the Swannee. Sometimes they didn't get it sorted until the next day - it always...[/quote] I blame the French:, "Benjamin Franklin, while a minister to France, first suggested the idea in an essay titled "An Economical Project for Diminishing the Cost of Light." The essay was first published in the Journal de Paris in April 1784. But it wasn't for more than a century later that an Englishman, William Willett, suggested it again in 1907. Willett was reportedly passing by a home where the shades were down, even though the sun was up. He wrote a pamphlet called "The Waste of Daylight" because of his observations. Willett wanted to move the clock ahead by 80 minutes in four moves of 20 minutes each during the spring and summer months. In 1908, the British House of Commons rejected advancing the clock by one hour in the spring and back again in the autumn. Willett's idea didn't die, and it culminated in the introduction of British Summer Time by an Act of Parliament in 1916. Clocks were put one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) during the summer months. England recognized that the nation could save energy and changed their clocks during the first World War." But it's still a pain in the *ss to walk round the house twice a year fiddling with timepieces. Multiply this by the number of people in the world fighting with their clocks tomorrow and you have to wonder why we can't put the er, time, to better purpose. I'm all for digital time - ten hours in the day, ten days in the week, ten months in the year , and so on. Can't imagine for a moment why it wouldn't work... Bah. Humbug! A sweet young thing thought she might have some fun with a stiff-looking military man at a cocktail party, so she walked over and asked him when was the last time he had made love to a beautiful woman. '1956,' was his immediate reply. 'No wonder you look so uptight!' she exclaimed. 'Honey, you need to get out more.' 'I'm not sure I understand you,' he answered, glancing at his watch. 'It's only 2014 now.' sue

[quote]The date on my computer keeps jumping back to January 1st, 2002. I don't know if it's its "birthday" or what, but no matter how many times I correct it, after a few days it jumps back. Therefore on ...[/quote] Yep, could be CMOS clock battery, a little round silver button on the PC motherboard, (if your pooter is a PC) often a CR2032 or similar, about the size of a a UK 5p piece.. Unplug the mains lead before you change it or take the case cover off as many motherboards are still powered even if the computer appears to be off. If it's an all-in-one-iMac of the Mk1 persuasion then you're in for some surgery.... The last one I had also had a "synchronise with a Time Server option", but that was years ago.... If you're running windows XP go to the Date & Time Control panel, click the Internet Time tab and then select the "synchronise with a Time Server option". This will at least keep the clock updated most of the time (with an internet connection) although it's rarely instant. If you're running Win 2000 or earlier you can download the Atomic Clock updater from here which is free and will also keep your time and date correct without a battery. http://www.worldtimeserver.com/atomic-clock/ If it is a PC and the CMOS battery is flat you may find your PC isn't running at optimum speeds as other information in the BIOS may be set to slightly slower defaults in order to keep the machine running. The batts are available at camera shops etc.

[quote]Bars in many countries are mainly occupied by the be-trousered, and some people (us) do weary of these tribulations, and of having unwanted attention pressed upon us, and go off in search of the compa...[/quote] Q: "Do you not feel that you will be missing out on a lot by sticking rigidly in the company of 'your own'?" Speaking for myself I don't stick rigidly in anyone's company. sue

[quote]Surely between places like Le Touquet, Montreul (sp) Boulogne and Calais you would find some people with common interests no matter what they are ? They are hardly rural outposts ? Or is my geography ...[/quote] I think that the problem lies, if you'll forgive a clumsy analogy, in being mainly interested in tennis, but having to spend ninety percent of your time in a golf club. Unfortunately, for we 'ladies in comfortable shoes', the social aspects of rural France are rather minimal. Bars in many countries are mainly occupied by the be-trousered, and some people (us) do weary of these tribulations, and of having unwanted attention pressed upon us, and go off in search of the company of our own. So the original question posed by Claudine is a valid one, and is at least as pertinent as 'where do I go to buy a decent lawn-mower in Cherbourg'? Alas, the word 'lesbian' will wrinkle the nose of many an ex-pat, but, at long last, being queer is no worse, (in the eyes of the EC) as being a hettie. Even China (God bless its human rights record) stopped executing 'those of alternate preferences' in 2001. And being queer sure is cheaper than joining a golf club - you don't have to wait until Thursday to get a round in. I therefore applaud the sysadmins of 'Living in France' for their bold and noble stance in upholding the notions of 'Vive La Difference' (and current EC legislation), and look forward to this thread not being pulled by the sysops, becuase it's 'contentious'. And, perhaps at the risk of being 'divisive' I personally would be very pleased if the magnificent Admin Persons of 'Living in France' could give us an LGBT (try Google) forum of our own to frolick in, unmolested. We do after all, Live In France. Some of us even buy your magazine, contribute to your forums, and what remains of the French economy. You could call it 'Gay France' or something innocous. It would at least be more interesting than the current 'Marmite' thread. Thank you very much. Please join me in some community singing. How about 'La Marseillaise'?. Come on now, sing up. It worked in 'Casablanca'. "Arise children of the fatherland The day of glory has arrived Against us tyranny's Bloody standard is raised Listen to the sound in the fields The howling of these fearsome soldiers They are coming into your midst To cut the throats of your sons and your wives. Chorus To arms, citizens! Form your battalions! March, march Let the impure blood of our enemies Soak the furrows of our fields What do they want this horde of slaves Of traitors and conspiratorial kings? For whom these vile chains These long-prepared irons? Frenchmen, for us, ah! What outrage What methods must be taken? It is us they dare plan To return to the old slavery! Chorus What! These foreign cohorts! They would make laws in our courts! What! These mercenary phalanxes Would cut down our warrior sons Good Lord! By chained hands Our brow would yield under the yoke The vile despots would have themselves be The masters of destiny Chorus Tremble, tyrants and traitors The shame of all good men Tremble! Your patricidal schemes Will receive their just reward Against you we are all soldiers If they fall, our young heroes France will bear new ones Ready to join the fight against you Frenchmen, as magnanimous warriors Bear or hold back your blows Spare these sad victims That they regret taking up arms against us But not these bloody despots These accomplices of Bouill? All these tigers who mercilessly Ripped out their mothers' wombs Chorus Drive on sacred patriotism Support our avenging arms Liberty, cherished liberty Join the struggle with your defenders Under our flags, let victory Hurry to your manly tone So that in de

[quote]Just so you know, heterosexuals are people too. Can you only travel in whatever the collective noun for lesbians is?[/quote] 'Heterosexuals are people too'. Eva Braun described Hitler as 'a nice man who liked children and dogs' but I wouldn't want to spend all night in a bar with him. Anyway, you don't have too much to worry about, I think your chances of being invited out by Claudine are fairly slim. sue

[quote]Hi everyone I am looking to takeup a IT contract in the UK, but I am a resident in France. What is the best way to setup a company, or can I declare my earnings at the end of the TAX year in France....[/quote] You may fall foul of the relatively recent changes (late 90's) tax law in the UK where if you're contracting for one client the UK IR will decide you are liable for N.I. and PAYE at source as you're effectively an 'employee'. (IR35) Many larger companies now stop these payments at source, even if you're a Limited Company. If you're registered in France only, then you may have to register in the UK. If tax is not stopped at source you can arrange to have it paid through one of the 'umbrella' companies that do just that, most of which specialise in IT contractors. But first talk to your clients HR people, even if it's only a short contract to clarify their preferences. However, I know of at least one contractor with a Swedish Company, who invoices his UK client (of five years standing) who pays no UK tax or NI, but of course pays tax in Sweden.... If you need an 'umbrella' company to take care of tax matters at source for you these people are well known in the IT contractor circles and I have used them in the past, very easy to use and relatively cheap. http://www.contractorumbrella.com/ If you set up your own limited company you will have the added inconvenience of Companies House accounts etc, and you'll still have an involvement with the UK tax people and prefearably a book-keeper or accountant..... As I see it you'll still need to declare to the French tax people, but if you've paid tax in the UK then you shouldn't pay twice. The National Insurance situation is a little less clear, UK voluntary contributions (Class 2) are quite cheap, but you may not need them if you 'live' in France. Here's some IR35 news: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1723430.stm sue ( ex IT contractor)

Well, as any six-year-old knows, Marmite is made from recycled Wellingtons, and Bovril is made, er used to be made, from tadpoles.. I'm off now for my morning pint of Wincarnis, and a bag of Werthers Originals.... We ex-pat Daily Telegraph readers have to keep our end up when living abroad. :-) My neighbours in France are cow-farmers, I was tempted to take them a small basket of English (ec)centric foods, Marmite, Bovril, Frank Cooper's Terribly Fierce Olde English Marmalade, Cadburies Smash, Ovaltine, etc, but I don't want to insult them. I think I'll just make them some vegetarian Toad in the Hole. How does that translate into French? 'Crapaud dans le trou?' sue

Bovril beef-based? Tut-tut. Do the research, Will: "Tony Bishop-Weston from Foods for Life said today "There have been dramatic changes in the last year - this is just the latest in a long line of examples of manufacturers moving towards veganism " " The fact that many tasters could not tell the difference and many preferred the vegan version just proves what vegans have been saying for the last 60 years- Why not?" From The Guardian Fri 19th Nov 2003 The hot, gooey drink that claimed to put the beef into Britain delighted vegans yesterday by abandoning its most famous ingredient. The celebrated winter-warmer Bovril has ended more than a century of boiling up beef extract - after rigorous blind-tasting found that savoury yeast went down better with most regular drinkers. "It wasn't an easy decision," said a spokesman for Unilever Foods, the makers of Bovril, which began life in 1873 as the by-product of a Scottish businessman's contract to supply a million cans of beef to the French army. "There is strong affection for the Bovril brand." But there has been a steady decline in sales, particularly overseas. Concern about BSE has coincided with a rise in vegetarianism and concerns about the religious dietary requirements. "We think we can grow sales for the new, non-beef drink in the export market, particularly in Asia," said the spokesman. "In Malaysia they stir it into porridge and coffee, but the government there has been becoming quite restrictive on non-halal meat. Overall, our export market used to account for 20% of sales but it has dropped to seven percent." The new Bovril apes rival Marmite in using yeast extract, which is vegetarian in spite of its meaty taste. Unilever found that 10% of blind tasters could not tell the difference and more than half preferred the new product.

I don't think the area itself is anything like as bad as Sue suggests, though what she said did make me laugh [Big Grin] It was a bit tongue in cheek - I live there myself, nearly. The area is very beautiful, but the social life looks a bit limited, unless you learn to moo in French. And who knows? If you persevere you might get a pretty one! But heaven forbid, now I've bought my place, I don't want hundreds of ex-pats to flood in next door. I'm going to invite Claudine over for a mug of luke-warm cider and some of that awful goats cheese they flog in the market at Hesdin. The last one I bought, I had to get a vet in to despatch with a humane killer. It was wandering about in the fridge at night, trying to dig an escape tunnel with a stick of celery. I'm sure that cheese is a Francophobe plot to rid the area of English. Hesdin is too close to Azincourt for comfort, and the cheese-makers of the area have long memories, if not long-bows. sue

Judging from the number of people who've read your mail but not responded the entire area around Hesdin is a seething mass of closet gays! I think tho, you're in for trips to Paris, Brussels, Antwerpen etc, as Hesdin is a market town remarkable only for its sugar beet, a sprawling and vile market selling tat and dangerous cheeses, and Brit retirees seeking cheap property. The huge sugar beet factory is painted a rather vile shade of green, and might thus be considered a little gay, but for the rest, there isn't much in Hesdin to entertain anyone. The Hotel Les Flandres has a good if brisk restaurant, but a poor bar, the rest of the entertainments in and around Hesdin are a little, er, agricultural. Why people buy houses there is absolutely beyond me! sue

I used a recent Motorola flip-phone with Bluetooth. Bluetooth on the laptop connected easily for surfing, but the cost of running it for more than a couple of minutes on Orange was ludicrous. So I sold on Ebay for ten quid more than I paid for it. sue-j

[quote]I've never heard of running my diesel car on veg oil. Where can I find out more info on this? A poster in the thread mentioned he sells the kits.. can you give me a website? Thanks![/quote] You pour it in the diesel tank in the normal way, mixes with the tank fuel. Can get thicker in colder weather. Heater kits are available. Terrific fuel, better lubricity, more power, better particulates, smells nice, eco-friendly. Do a google for more...... A lot of peeps in the Uk were caught out a couple of years ago buying Tesco rapeseed cooking oil by the trolley full - Tesco responded by limiting supplies to two bottles per person. It was about 30p a litre. I ran my brand new RAV4 on it for a while, found better power, smoother engine, and a strange smell of chips following me everywhere. The only downside seemed to be the prospect of Customs and Excise doing spot checks on the vehicle and impounding it. So I stopped. And you can make your own fuel by recycling cooking oil from food outlets. What a pleasant micro-business that could be for the impoverished ex-pats on here! The other diesel scam was marine diesel from the chandlers at 26 p a litre. Cooking oil from Tesco illegal in the UK... :-) unless you sign up with the Excise people to use the stuff in bulk and pay tax on it. Still worked out cheaper though. And veggie oil is carbon-neutral. Unlike LPG Land-Rovers... :-) sue-j

With house completion looming I have an HSBC Euro Account, a Moneybookers account, but no French Bank account yet although I've applied for one. I can pay my util bills from my HSBC Euro account pro temp but that incurs vast and TERRIBLE charges for standing orders and cheques. I wonder if I can pay my util bills from Moneybookers? (EDF/phone etc? sue

Had a similiar problem with Britline, opened an account ten years ago with e500.00, never received a statement, never used the account. Emailed them this year about closing the account after sending a fax stating the same thing. Account balance at closure was e188.00 - with no use. The cheque for the balance never arrived. Emailed them to ask where it was - got no response. Sent two faxes, no response. Phoned up to say to ask where my money was - they could do nothing as the account was closed. Goodbye five hundred euros, goodbye Britline.. Have resolved to keep as much money as possible out of the French banking system. Currently investigating using Belgium banks to handle my French current account needs... sue

Sue has given good explanations but there are others points which could be VERY important I'm sure Gert enjoys being patronised as much as I do..... sue