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Hi As there are old cars still using silver on black plates, they are not illegal for older vehicles. These changes are normally introduced for "vehicles first registered after XX/XX/XXXX". The problem is the interpretation of "first registered". Does it mean first registered "in France" or "with this No" ?. I've seen that the number plate maker in my local supermarket still has silver on black plates on display, although I've not seen him making any up. I think it is Mr Minute and they also do shoe repairs, key cutting etc. Presumably they have rare sales for replacements on older cars, as they do in UK. Worth checking out Mr Minute in your local yellow pages ? Peter

Hmm I guess we've all had our "caught short" moments ? Peter

Dog there is an alternative view ? "a man who is his own lawyer has a fool for a client" Peter

Hi I worked for a while with motor trade mystery shopping. It is all supply & demand : If they can't get something you want, they sulk and blame the manufacturer. If they've got too many of what you want - they'll treat you like a king ! Peter

Hi it is not worth renting these machines. If you search around you can buy them special offer for about Euro20. And they do make it much easier ! Peter

Hi Call me an old cynic, bit I think LF would prefer you to advertise in the magazine ? Peter

Hi The above advice covers areas that are likely to freeze. Here people just add hivernage (or keep adding galettes during winter) cover the pool and protect the filter. Either with blankets or a small heater with antigel setting in the pool house. I leave the filtration on auto for 1 hr at 04.00 in the morning (coldest time ?) so on the rare occasions we have temps below freezing, the ice cannot form. At this rate a galette lasts about 1 month. Some keep the pool open through the winter. Some claim to use them ! Peter

Hi it may well be worth checking the warranty coverage, too. Again it differs by country and specification. My local Peugeot dealer was happy to service my car. He had a lot of problems reprogramming the electrics to turn off the daylight running lights ! Peter

Hi I bought a new duty free Peugeot in Sweden for export to France. The car came on Swedish export plates that had a one month lifetime. No problem getting 1 month insurance through the dealer. Registration process was : Pay tax at current rate X invoice cost X exchange rate. Register with VAT export papers, tax receipt, certificate of conformity (don't take delivery without this document showing your actual chassis No.)and proof of residence. You don't need insurance for registration. French insurers will provide insurance based on the chassis No. Then update it once the plate is issued. There is a sizable business in duty free import / export of cars under various exemption schemes. Other than the private inter EU buyer the usual classes are military and diplomatic sales. You can read more about it if you search google for "volvo personal export" (or saab, or bmw, etc). This is only worth doing if the tax free cost is lower than in France. You need to check the specifications very carefully to establish the comparison price. Not all model designations are comparable across all European markets. My Peugeot didn't have under bumper driving lamps, but did have heated seats & mirrors when comparing the specs. Peter

Hi Yes, even small supermarkets carry it in the chilled section ......... and I've never seen a dairy cow near here ! The French don't consume much milk, but this is changing as the breakfast cereal market grows in France. It used to be a carton of cornflakes in the exotic food section, but now it is about half a row. Anyone know where the Sugarpuffs went ? Peter

Hi Well, I suppose I ought to put in my two penneth .......... We left UK end 1990, and lived in Belgium & Sweden. But me & French wife always intended moving to France (thought we were heading South, but somehow found ourselves in Sweden for 5 yrs). We've been here for 5+ years now. Are we happy ? I guess so ! For the first time in 15 years we've planted trees ............ and that must mean something ? We love the climate .......... much better than West, Central & Northern France. It is hard to re-establish a business here. We don't have the same income & lifestyle we enjoyed as globetrotting expats. But we enjoy the more relaxed lifestyle. Having said that, we miss the pubs, chinese food in Soho, Indian restaurants, etc. On balance, we prefer to be here And my wife prefers here to the Loire valley where she grew up. Why ? 300+ days of sunshine ! It should be noted we had no great dreams & expectations. As our 4th country we have learned that everywhere has its +'s and -'s. Peter

Hi in theory every number is unique and the people who make the plates insist on seeing the Carte Grise. Also, they told me that the plate must be attached with rivets : screws are not allowed. Peter

I today received a letter from the 'amendes'. So, I'm guilty of something , but haven't paid the fine. It was for a parking offence in Montpellier in December 2003 ; apparently I didn't pay the fixed penalty parking ticket. But this is on a road I've never parked on. And I wasn't in Montpellier on that day. The police court ordered the penalty in July of this year ........ time obviously just flies by ? Now here is the interesting thing : This parking offence was committed by someone using a Citroen with my registration No. Even more interesting : this isn't the first time. But the last three times he has been driving a Renault. And my Carte Grise (and the badges on the car, chassis plate etc.) clearly say this car is a Ford. So, what is happening ? Has the same No been issued twice ? Did the man who makes the plates make a mistake ? Is someone slipping plates on with my number every time he parks ? Dyslexic parking warden ? Sticky tape over part of the plate to disguise the true No ? Each time I've sent a photocopy of the Carte Grise to the police and heard no more. However it does suggest to me that there are ways to avoid paying for parking in Montpellier ! Peter

Hi There was a local scare a few years ago when it was discovered that there were significant residues of radioactive material being discharged into the Med from the River Rhone. There is a current from the Rhone following the coast Westward at about 2 knots. It has created the Camargue delta and causes the sandy beaches running to the Pyrenees. Scary ? And this is even more scary : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nuclear_accidents Peter

When to drink it! Just after breakfast ? Peter

Hi You may not believe this, but ............ Same problem getting water into a bucket from a boat. Chandlers sell buckets with a swivelling bottom. It acts like a simple valve : opens under its own weight, closes when lifted. Peter

Hi I've got a searchable link to "whats on?" here : http://tlp.netfirms.com/tour10.htm Peter

Hi call me an old fart (will this be auto deleted ?), but ......... I think the ferry companies made a mistake when the tunnel arrived. They immediately announced, new bigger, faster, more profitable boats. In fact they are too fast. For many people, the benefit of the boat is that you should have time for a relaxed meal to break the journey. Otherwise use the tunnel ? I'm afraid it works like this : Journey time = say, 75 minutes Queue for restaurant 25 minutes Getting served = 15 minutes Relaxed meal = ? So why not just take the tunnel and eat in France for less money (and probably better quality) ? I should say that I've been crossing the channel for 30+ years. Best service was Townsend Thoreson (and they did a great waiter served breakfast !). Peter

SB Even better, once you know the rules, you discover actually paying the rent is optional too. Doesn't work if you have assets in France because the Huissier will try to seize them. But that could take 3 years. And expulsion by the gendarmes is almost unheard of. Not trying to be negative : speaking from experience ! Peter

Hi Easy way is to get a female to write your cheques. I find they pick it up very quickly ! Peter

Hi I've made some notes on this here : http://tlp.netfirms.com/pool.htm Peter

Hi I still don't understand ............... Why do parents take their children to the supermarket so that they can hit them in the queue for the checkout ? Peter

Hi I am a profession liberale, but I can't give you the absolute %. It depends on various factors .......... your income, some are then fixed costs, some are a %. I've got a couple of points to make : 1)The deductible expenses are pretty generous. Get an accountant for the first year to point you in the right direction. 2)I had one year spent renovating a property, and after allowable expenses could show a loss. The loss was deductible against other income, and the social costs were only a few hundred Euro. Not the answer you asked for, but maybe useful ? Peter

Hi We've recently been trying to help people connect up UK apple laptops to French ADSL. It was a struggle. My first PC was a Wang PC. In 1981, the IBM PC was eagerly awaited. Well, I've got it wrong pretty consistently ! Wouldn't have windows, didn't like using a mouse, and would never have a laptop (low spec, funny keyboard, monochrome screen, etc). Recently I've bought a laptop to use for work. Yes, the keyboard is a bit awkward........ but to be able to work outside in the shade is a great benefit. And I know when I arrive at a client it will work, whereas memory stick & CD may be thwarted by wrong software, language settings, screen settings, etc etc. And these days laptops have fairly equivalent specs, and are much cheaper than previously. But I still plug in a mouse (got converted to windows, mouse, etc around 1988 !). So I'd say : think about a PC laptop. Peter

hi we had the same problem. He tends to jump up with his mouth open, rather than bite. It's not completely cured, but better. A friend who had several dogs said : 1)Ignore the dog when he jumps up 2)Turn your back to the dog when he jumps up 3)If he takes you by surprise, push him firmly in the middle of his chest so that he loses his balance and topples over backward 4)If all else fails : immediately he jumps up and nips - bite him gently on his ear Our experience is that 1 - 3 are treated as part of the game. 4 is very effective : he sulks and goes into his kennel for a few minutes, then comes back quietly. Apparently mother dogs nip naughty puppies on their ears to calm them ? Peter