BJSLIV

I think the Ferryto website needs a bit of updating. That page is a real mish-mash of old and current news.  It has the Norman Spirit on both the Ostend and Boulogne routes, while the Norman arrow is supposedly covering both Le Havre and Boulogne!!!!!  

Isn't the benefit of the Frequent traveller scheme that you can get (relatively) cheap prices, even if you book at the last minute? An FT ticket for next Friday would still be £59 , whereas the cheapest single would be over £100. The cheap prices you have quoted are for non-flexible tickets booked in advance. If you need to change your plans you have to pay a supplement and possibly an admin charge.    

I know that the Arrow was moved from Boulogne to increase the freight capacity, but with what is basically a freighter at Boulogne, and access to the Ostend route perhaps the freight imperative will be slightly reduced. Incidentally I hope this Irish Sea  ship doesn't encounter the same reaction that the Norman Voyager created at Portsmouth with regards to cramped  public facilities though it's probably less of an issue on the short crossing. I share your fears that the Norman Leader will never arrive in Portsmouth. In any event Arrow seems underemployed at Portsmouth  but I suppose it all depends on how the freight and tourist market shapes up this year. Somehow with the gloomy economic outlook I can't see the increased volumes that Pierre is hoping for materialising in 2010.

it has limited passenger capacity (sources suggest 250 people maximum But it would make to be an ideal companion for the Norman Arrow. The Catamaran could be sent back to Dover/Boulogne when LD Lines additional capacity arrives at Portsmouth  in the shape of Norman Leader which is supposedly arriving this summer........If they don't divert it to Brittany /Spain.[:(]  

Looks like anyone with bookings Dover-Boulogne after mid March can expect changes to their reservations. Its rumoured that the Norman Spirit is being chartered to another operator from Mid March, but no announcements have yet been made. Perhaps the Norman Arrow ,the  catamaran  will be returning. It seems to be underemployed at Portsmouth I suppose there were always going to be changes at Portsmouth with their new larger  ship due to take over in early summer.

Looks like we will soon know how many buses/planes  Ryanair will be running for us this year. http://www.charentelibre.com/article-11-region-ryanair-replique-avec-mepris.html?id_article=308133

Well RA is still reporting a loss so they are not ripping off anyone. Instead they are putting pressure on the authorities to increase the level of support.

Ryanair are taking bookings on the flights they are currently planning to fly. If their plans change refunds will be made. That's the deal with low cost airlines.

Its an "arobase"   sounds like arrowbaz    

The normal risk of being surcharged if you don't use both halves of the Day Return will apply.

UK to France £15 day trips http://www.eurotunnel.com/ukcP3Main/ukcPassengers/ukcTickets/ukpnausicaafifteen?utm_source=eurotunnel_website&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Nausicaa15&utm_campaign=email_1001MidweekSpecialKIDS

Coliposte v Chronopost In fact they are both subsidiaries of Geoposte, which  in turn is a subsidiary of La Poste! Quelle est la différence entre ColiPoste et Chronopost ? Bonne question ! ColiPoste livre sous 48h. Chronopost livre sous moins de 24h. I think the more significant difference is that Chronopost uses contractors to do the deliveries , mainly to businesses, whereas Coliposte uses directly employed postmen who know their domestic patch better.  If you look on the internet there are dozens of complaints about Chronopost, in particular their drivers dislike of delivering to individuals. regular complaints are the  refusal to use the phone to check addresses, non delivery to blocks of flats,  false nobody at homes, or  leaving signed for goods on doorsteps etc etc. Its unfortunate that M&S are suffering in this way. They have tried to open up this international market,and they have no doubt sourced what seemed to be the most economical delivery route. Unfortunately their chosen partners Royal Mail are tied to La Poste. If they have to go to an alternative carrier such as DHL  it might make the whole thing uneconomic. Can you imagine what  Service Level Agreement discussions between Royal Mail and La Poste must be like? PS I believe that Chronopost drivers are supplied with satnav equipment. I can imagine that if you have an address of the type Blogs, Hameau, 99999 France Then that won't help either.    

Seems that a decision will be made around 30th January. The likely outcome is that the budget will be maintained at the existing level, but Ryanair will reduce the number of flights to London, and scrap the Birmingham and Edinburgh service.

Not directly a French matter, but P&O have today announced that the Portsmouth to Bilbao service will end in September. This is yet another sign that the ferries are not having an easy time at the moment.

More New Labour spin! Why would anyone believe what the HSE have rather than The Oracle aka  The Daily Mail.......

To make things even more confusing Transmanche now operate the Portsmouth routes for LD Lines, but the discounts only apply  to Newhaven!

Whether you ask in English or in French, its unlikely that anyone will reveal the airport's strategy with regard to Ryanair's demand for more money. The negotiations will continue and eventually we will find out if Ryanair will stay or pull out.  

I don't think that the airport is going  to close it's just that they, like Poitiers and others, are currently under pressure from Ryanair. In essence "Increase the money you currently pay to us or we will pull out"........... http://blog.charentelibre.com/journal/index.php?post/2009/12/12/4368-le-non-au-chantage-de-ryanair

Never mind, if Bernanke was right, there is going to be so much supervision and oversight from Brussels, thanks to the new Sarkozy/European  consensus,  that there won't be any scope for things to go wrong in future.

Its in all the local newspapers http://www.lanouvellerepublique.fr/dossiers/journal/index.php?dep=79&num=1464740 The feeling seems to be that Ryanair have the owners over the proverbial barrel so they will be forced to hand over the Million Euros demanded.  

Yes, it certainly seems to be keeping itself busy shuttling back and forth to Ireland since it gave up the trips to Portsmouth!

Well, after 25 mins of waiting But that's all part of the easy going lifestyle that's supposed to be so attractive in France.

I have had similar problems with a BT Internet Radio. It will connect straight away to one wireless router that we use but refuses to connect to my Neufbox (Trio3c).  

Looks like regular travellers on LD Lines are going to get used to new routines. The Norman Spirit is leaving Portsmouth in the next few weeks to take over from the high speed craft on the Dover-Boulogne route. That means that they will be able to carry more freight on that route and have fewer problems with cancellations due to high winds. However that leaves the recently arrived (Transmanche) Cote D'Albatre to cover Le Havre. It will be the old leaving Portsmouth at night, returning from Le Havre at teatime timetable. But no more sleeper seats, hardly any more cabins than the Spirit, and little place to kip on the floor. Who knows what will happen if C d'A has to return to Newhaven to cover that route! Next Spring the High Speed Norman Arrow will be added to the Le Havre route for six months of additional capacity. Presumably it will then revert to a one boat service during the winter, until the new large boat Norman Leader arrives in 2011. I'm sure we will get used to it!

You would declare the gain in the UK on the return for whichever tax year the gain arose. So if you made the gain in August 2009 it would be shown on the forms completed late 2010. You would use the rates of exchange at the time the purchase was made and the relevant rate of exchange at the date of the sale. If you had proof that you had hedged the deal by advance purchase/sale  of the currency you would have evidence to support using those rates instead.