BJSLIV

Unfortunately, the only record of the points on a Carte U card is the card itself That's not strictly true, as I just logged on to the System U website and checked my points balance. So what shall I spend my 528 points on?????? I think it will have to be the bath towel with Dolphin pattern or the blanket with puppies..

We seem to live in an age where everyone is unhappy Someone earlier had suggested that lots of young people seem to be unhappy ,and trying to find satisafaction outside of their hard earned careers. i was just offering my thoughts as to why that might be.  

We seem to live in an age where everyone is unhappy Or to put it another way. we live in an age when everyone assumes that they have a right to be happy. Until recently this was not the case, the majority of people expected life to be pretty grim, and that it would probably fairly short and brutish. Today young people go through the education process avoiding difficult subjects, not being required to do household chores, muttering boring at anything that displeases them. Suddenly they arrive at the other end of the education system and are confronted with a 40 year long tread mill, with little chance to avoid the boring realities of day to day life; student loans, 52 Year Mortgages (Today's financial innovation!), etc etc. No wonder the thought of doing something different has superficial advantages, whether it be carpentry, plumbing or running a gite......

 I expect many people who come from rural Wales would be able to say the same thing. I've often wondered what a survey of the geographical origins, within the UK, of  Brits moving to France would reveal. I've always suspected that it would reveal some kind of exaggerated "White Flight", IE the movement of the more prosperous away from the larger conurbations. I don't think the inhabitants of rural Wales, Shropshire, Herefordshire or similar places would top the list of those heading for France.

I  think the "Place in the Sun" programmes illustrate the problem. They travel through some "undiscovered" part of France and marvel at the wide open spaces and the huge houses they can buy for the price of a flat in West London. The  victims arrive in some obscure village and learn that its the home of the largest poitiron jam making fair in the world, and are asked if that would be of interest. "Oh wow, that would be great" they reply.  Unfortunately they haven't got a clue how to make jam of any sort, wouldn't know a poitiron if it jumped out and bit them, and don't realise that anyone who hasn't lived in the area for forty years won't be invited. Nevertheless they buy, and the festival really is lively. All the old ladies demonstrate their jam making skills, and  welcome their distant relatives down for a weekend in La France Profonde. These ex paysannes congratulate themselves on how lucky they are to live on Paris, and remark that its nice to see how Aunty is looking after their inheritance. Soon our home-buyers begin to realise the jam competition is  the social event in the village, which in fact only come to life for that one weekend of the year, apart from the monthly celebration of Mass. After eighteen months of huge heating bills they realise  that their initial "Wow, its so quiet here"  really should have been " Wow what a dead alive ........."

If it is licenced you can you it on surfaced roads/tracks that can be travelled by an ordinary car or van. To use it on any other public tracks, forest fire breaks, or footpaths is illegal. You can of course use it on private property with the landowners permission.  

I think the original source is probably the NO2ID website.

tant pis? Too bad!

Tony says that nuclear will go ahead despite the court ruling today. Sounds the most likely outcome to me. So why is he a liar?

I think its just a case that there really isn't the demand for a quich hop accross the Channel. one of the first routes that Buzz dropped prior to their takeover by Ryanair was Stansted to Rouen . That was alos beacuse of lack of demand. I suppose people are happier to drive rather than fly to Normandy because they don't face the long drive South.

They announced that it was dropped due to poor advance bookings. http://www.infoceane.com/journal/070208-ryanair.html

Sorry, this is simply not true Which bit isn't true? Cold weather slower effect  or Breaking down in the soil?

The programme is repeated at 1:20 on Wednesday morning, just in case there are any insomniacs amongst us.

Having checked on the French customs site the EU cigarette limits are Up to 5 Packs (1Kg) No restriction Between 6 and 10  Packs (required to complete a simple form at the first customs office after the frontier) More than 10 packs Illegal, can be goods can be seized and a fine imposed. http://www.douane.gouv.fr/page.asp?id=47#1

There are no limits on a reasonable amount from Spain. Don't try it on with  a lorry load. Non-EU limits apply to Andorra. Its worth filling up the car with fuel just the other side of the border on the way in and on the way out.

The Barfleur is running now, and will be back in March. I don't know exactly when its away, but while it has it's annual holiday (service) its replaced by Bretagne. Don't know precisely when you are looking at , but I was getting a return at about £240 (7 Days, Seats,  Car, No discounts). Seems par for the course. If its a van, it needs to be booked as a van, albeit a small one.

From Yellow Pages....... Cyberbase Pyramide 1 pl du marechal Juin 31800 Saint Gaudens .05 61 94 66 45 fax : .05 61 94 66 46 Mail :   info@mjc-st-gaudens.org

You shouldn't be using two pin sockets for anything other than lighting. In an ideal world you would probably get rid of all the two pin sockets anyway. Firstly two pin  means no earth! Secondly it probably means light-weight cable which will overheat if you plug in anything which needs a lot of power. Thirdly Its probably old and leading back to an inadequate fuse board.    

You don't escape that easily from the grasp of National Insurance! Anyone earning £97 a week has to pay NI. Anyone earning over £84 a week is credited as if they had paid. As far as the married women's stamp is concerned I think both sides of the argument are right to a certain extent. Women certainly were fully aware that they were saving money, and were pleased to have a bit extra cash in hand. Those who had to pay full rate were equally peeved when the option to pay reduced stamps was withdrawn. There was similar disappointment when the right to cash in their superannuation payments, the so called marriage gratuity, was withdrawn. What they weren't aware of was the forthcoming turmoil as regards marriage and job economic security. Up until the seventies the majority  of women expected to be able to depend on their husbands income whilst he was working, and his pension after that, perhaps picking up a little pin money along the way. I think the same shortsightedness may well apply today to those who do not join employers pension schemes, especially schemes such as the civil service and local government.    

I was born in Cannock. Went to Cannock Grammar School. At the same time as someone who currently teaches at Great Wyrley. And used to buy bits (regularly)  for my Hillman Imp from Bonds Garage. Oh and I still go to Smiths Dentists in Cannock. Unfortunately I haven't got a motorbike.      

I'm afraid its a terrible warning to anyone tempted to translate from English to French using Google. You can guess what has happened. The website creator translated an initial  menu for them, and they now  keep the French menu up to date, but the English menu is preserved in aspirin, or should that be aspic? Some of the errors are quite easy to work backwards greedy menu  (menu gourmande) inspiration of the head (L'inspiration du Chef) jumped vegetables (Sautee..... ) But I'm a bit worried about click on the pictures for an enlargement, its a bit too close to all those dodgy emails I have to delete every day.

This calculator works out  the UK State Pension date for ladies born after 5 April 1950. In effect the age it becomes payable  increases 1 year for each year between 1950 and 1955. http://www.thepensionservice.gov.uk/resourcecentre/statepensioncalc.asp  

The DWP website summary of the proposal to reduce the number of years contributions that are required says This single contribution condition will come into force for those people reaching State Pension age on or after 6 April 2010.   So in effect it applies to women born after 6 April 1950 and men born after 1945.   See http://www.dwp.gov.uk/pensionsreform/pdfs/RIAChapter2.pdf the link also gives some details of other ways in which a few pennies will be saved. Of course there is the other change to which PatF refers which is the gradual increase in the retirement age for women.This gradually increases to 65 to equal men, and then further increases to 68, by a date by which time  most of us will have left the forum.[:)]      

If its an article in the Murdoch Times you will find it at www.timesonline.co.uk But its down at the moment for work over the weekend. The reduction in the number of years contribution required is an equality sop. Its supposed to benefit women who have a reduced record due to child care etc. It will be funded by gradually increasing the  retirement age to 68(?). Some of it will also be saved by offsetting what would otherwise have been paid as pension credit to those lacking a full record. More savings will be made as a result of people paying contributions into new compulsory schemes, which for many will again simply reduce their pension credit.  

why not offer him a proper translation Yes if Dick were to offer his services, the chef might suffer sauces that split, but his infinitives would not.