Smiley

Hi Hillsider, I've sent you a PM with a usefull link

I haven't been on the forum for a while and just picked up on this thread. I'd like to offer my best wishes to you both. I hope that Deb's recovery continues to go well. 

Hi Sharpy, If you intend to live in the UK while you do the work, you may be able to use the same insurere I use. I'll PM the details to you. 

Thanks Chipie, I'll get in touch with them.

Hi, we are looking for a camp-site not too far from Poitiers For 30th July-1st August. Anyone who help, can you please let me know.   Many Thanks

Hi Dinks, Pamiers has lots of  brocantes and at least one large furniture store that sells good quality wooden furniture (new not antique). Troc 3000 ( a large depot-vente at Pamiers) has a web-site http://www.troc3000.com/ I believe from memory that there is a brocante on the old Foix - Pamiers road at Foix. There is another at Mirepoix on the Foix road (on the first island after leaving Mirepoix), another on the Mirepoix road at Lavelanet. Then of course there are the vide greniers. This site will tell you where and when they are on: http://vide-greniers.org/agendaDepartement.php?departement=09 I hope this helps to get you started. If you need more details PM me.    Tony

"What really pisses me off is when I lose electrical work to obviously unregistered lethal crooks, mainly because their "clients" are, or prefer to, remain, ignorant of how it "works", here. One day, I am going to start reporting illegal workers around here and the people that employ them - it is so easy to find them via this and other sites. Do you beileve that the authorities don't use AI-B to trace black workers? I do."   Nick, no one is implying that they want to employ, or indeed work, illegally.   I am a fully qualified spark myself (in the UK) and realise that the French regulations and methods are completely different. I for one would not consider carrying out any work without complying with the countries laws. The reason I am asking personally is that we now live in a European Union with completely different work treaties to the old days. It would be interesting to find out what is allowed and what is not. I fully understand your frustrations about people working on the black but that is not what this thread was aimed at.   I've just found this little bit of information: There are two types of permit for France: Temporary Secondment: This is for a non French company which needs to place their employees on it's client's site in France. This can be applied for by the foreign company but needs the full co-operation of the French client. The seconded employee must remain in the employ, pay, and line management of the foreign service provider. The maximum duration of these permit is 18 months and may then be extended for a further 9 months. Full Work Permit This is applied for by an established French company who wish to directly employ a non-EEA national. The candidate must be a full time employee and paid in France in Francs or Euros. There is no time limit on this permit.   So it seems that there is nothing illegal on the employment front provided you have the correct permits. It looks like a real minefield. There seems to be very specific requirements to qualify for the permits including a minimum wage. I doubt very much if it would be worth all the hassle unless it was a very large contract. I cannot find anything about actual qualifications but it is part of the application for a permit.  

[quote user="nicktrollope"][quote user="Smiley"] There seems to have been a lack of definitive answer here. [/quote] Eh? The OP mentioned a roofer and that is what I was talking about - definatively. Sir Norman Foster is not a roofer - as an Architect, he can (and does) design things wherever he chooses - the regulations are completely different. However, the company who built the Millau bridge was Spanish (I believe) - but they must have had a French "arm" to enable them to carry out the work. And don't start going on about "free movement of goods and services". Read the appropriate treaties and then come back to us. If you want more definative, talk to the French authorities. There is no confusion or lack of definition here.   [/quote] Nick, I don't see the need for a stroppy answer or telling people to off and read up on something, this is a public forum where people can ask for advice. I think if you look back at your previous reply, you quoted someone who referred to living in France and putting work through the UK, this is not what Abbaye or my posting referred to.      

I'd just like to say thank you to Poolguy for his consistent and valuable contribution to this forum. I find his postings valuable information even when I haven't asked the question. Please keep it up, this is what the forum should be about. Many thanks.

There seems to have been a lack of definitive answer here. I have a long established company in the UK.  Surely under European law I can carry out short term contracts in France or for that matter anywhere else in the EU?. Just because I may not have recognised French qualifications does not mean that I am not qualified to carry out the work. ( I can understand the need for French qualifications for full time or long term employment)  Equally being taxed in the UK does not mean you are attempting tax evasion in France (If you're ligit).  I realise that warranties/certification etc, especially now may be a problem. Maybe that is why France has just introduced this for any major works.  I'd like to say I haven't and don't intend to do work in France - It's just Hypothetical I would have thought that there would be a restriction of trade issue here. For example how would  the architect who designed the Millau bridge have got round it - he has UK based company? I'd be interested in hearing from someone that can give a definitive answer to this.

[quote user="Danglar"] I can show you posts where there were more than just one "biker" - by which I mean a member adopting a bike as avatar - replying in support of ferry liners' crazy prices. Must be a coincidence.... What  I am saying is : how much is genuine in the identities of  many of  those partecipating to the forums  ? 1600 posts in less than 2 years for "Sunday Driver" !  That is more than 2  message a day, every day since 2005. [/quote] I'd say that's the sign of a good contributor to the forum.

Therfore Roger you need to get your house electrics checked. If there was a fault to earth, albeit a small one then for your guest to feel the shock he/she would need to be making contact between the heater and another grounding source and have to have a resistance path lower than your house earth. (path of least resistance)Taking into consideration resistance of skin etc, this would mean that your house earth resistance must be quite high.  Having said all that it is best to get everything checked as you are a commercial business.

[quote user="ChezTinns"] We travel regularly into Toulouse airport, and in the past I have got quotes from all the major car hire companies, plus trying Avis who partner Flybe, and every time - without fail - Holiday Autos comes up cheapest, and has the better selection of vehicles as they tend to use more than one company.  We've only had one dirty car -  the ashtray was full, there was no water in the windscreen wash and we got some (albeit not much) compensation after complaining direct to Holiday Autos when we got home.  As they tend to use Europcar and National Citer the queues aren't too bad either.  I would definitely suggest getting a quote next time! JT [/quote] Unfortunately holiday autos also had no vehicles available same for europcar and National. It was a case of beggars can't be choosers I'm afraid. It was Hertz or walking !!

[quote user="P"] When we were flying in to Carcassone I found it slightly cheaper booking via Ryanair than direct with Hertz - or using booking sites and the Ryanair prices were lower than using other hire companies. The disadvantage of booking Hertz is that there are many other people on the flight that have a booking with Hertz and quite a queue builds up outside the cabin. Our trick was that I would rush ahead, leaving the OH in the 'baggage' hall and be one of the first at the cabin. Having got the car keys, located the car, would normally have time to go back to the baggage hall and get the case (security seems to be very lacking there). Having got the cases we would walk to the car and see the mile long queue outside the Hertz cabin - not the way to start. Paul [/quote] Hi Paul I do exactly the same at Carcassonne. Also the last 2 times I have booked with Hertz the cars have been dirty and both had damage that they had not pointed out. Thankfully I always check but then you have to go back to the portacabin to inform them-and rejoin the end of that blasted queue. Unfortunately I was unable to book the car till the last minute and Alamo etc did not have cars available. Also much more expensive than before even with my Club#1 discount.

Our crop was not so good this year. Unfortunately whitsun fell a little later this year and by the time we got to the house the blackbirds had eaten a lot of them. Only got enough to make 3 bottles of Cherry brandy. The rest were either split, half eaten too old. Last year we were getting bowl-fulls of them. On the other hand I hard cropped the ancient grapevine back in our garden last year thinking it would probably die. It seems to have come back stronger than before. Hope I'll be down to enjoy them this year.