[I'm a pro gambler, what are my tax liabilites if I live in France?]

Once you move to France, even if you continue to use a UK credit card, you'll need to change the address for that card to your French residence. Once you do that, you'll notice you are not allowed to enter bets into online gambling sites as gambling in France is illegal unless you go through the state owned gaming company "Francais des Jeux". Don't really see a way around this..

[DVD Recorder and TNT]

As with all technology, 'wait and see' just doesn't work. At some point, digital terrestrial transmissions will move over to Hi-Def. Then all TNT tuners would be useless (at least for HI-DEF, so perhaps useless is not the right word!). This might be next year, or in 10 years time...or perhaps never. I guess you have to decide if you need and want something now, and if the answer is yes, go for it.

[Air Conditioning]

Is there anyway of realistically hiding the outside unit? Ours would have to go on the front, and that would spoil the whole feel of the house!!

[Internet acting up?]

It seems that the Wanadoo dns servers are down? A DNS server basically translates www.bbc.co.uk to 212.58.240.110 for example....try it, type that number into a browser, and you should get www.bbc.co.uk. Ususally, the DNS server is given to you automatically by your isp. All I did this morning to get me up and running again, was to replace the Wanadoo DNS server with the neuf telecom dns server, which seems ok.

[help needed to install satellite TV]

I'm too far away from you to help you, but a few questions :

1) Why the double headed dish? They are set up for Astra and Hotbird at 13 and 19 degrees east. I guess you could point one of them at 28 degrees east, where you'll find BBC and ITV, and ignore the other head.

2) Since you already had a dish, why not just turn that one in the right direction. All you really need is the receiver.

3) Tuning it, is fairly easy, heights is another matter. But since it's already fixed, if you can easily get to it, unscrew it a bit and turn it, you should be able to tune it without too much difficulty.

[French digibox + French tv set with existing dish]

make sure the receiever is digital (numerique) and not Analogue, and you'll be ok. You will not get C4 and five though, but BBC and ITV are FTA.

[Whatever Next!!]

I hate generalising, but that is the picture most of the world has of Americans, and they don't seem to be doing anything to dispell it! (Having said that I know some lovely Americans....)

[World Cup Footie TV Schedules]

All games are either on M6 or TF1 except those games that are on at the same time, and then they seem to have chosen the best game. If you have a satellite, german channels such as ZDF and Erste are showing all games and are FTA (Hotbird) and BBC and ITV are also showing all games..

[Laymyhat]

Anybody know where the laymyhat website has gone? Seems to have been hijacked? Does Paolo read this forum?

[Does anyone know the Wanadoo ADSL modem connection settings?]

No technical reason why dialup won't work on a line which is ADSL enabled. (I go back to dial-up when I have problems with ADSL). They may have closed your account though!

[Small windows]

how about a fixed window(can't open) made to measure!!

this is what we did!

http://www.afrenchdream.com/PIC02200605.htm

Steve

[Easyjet to La Rochelle]

just phoned the airport, apparently charging will start tomorrow 2 May, and will start off at 8 euros per day, and getting cheaper for more days. That's all the information they had!

[Grass Cuttings]

I don't want to sound unsympathetic, but it is only grass cuttings, and it is a garden. Is it worth arguing with a neighbour over such a thing? I guess the washing getting dirty is annoying, and a compromise could be found for that, but the french will probably think you are being over fastidious if you complain about grass cuttings on your grass!

I wonder if there is something else that is bothering this neighbour? Improving overall relations would be a step in the right direction methinks!

[Astra and its many satellites]

I've just bought my self a motor for my dish for 99 euros inc postage from ebay (brand new). I haven't put it up yet, but if your reciever is diseqc 1.2 or USALS compatible (check manual), this could be a solution to your problem!

[Reducing cotisation payments]

You can't choose where you pay tax and social charges, but it depends on various factors such as where you are resident and where the work is performed. If you are resident in France, and do the work in France, then I'm afraid you pay tax and social charges in France.

[advice on surgery needed]

Cycling was advised to me pre-op, as you will have lost muscle bulk after your accident. as long as you do not do any lateral movements, you should be ok (hence cycling!) Post op, you'll start rehab immediately. You'll cycle very soon after op, but jogging will take around 4 months. After 6 months, you'll be ok to bend fully, and depending on how seriously you took rehab, you should be ok from about 7-9 months to restart your chosen sport. Depends also on the type of operation you will have. Mine was done using pinhole surgery, so less invasive (and no whacking great scar), so quicker to heal.

[advice on surgery needed]

ACL is Anterior Cruciate Ligament. Basically keeps the knee together.

[advice on surgery needed]

You could wait a little. As long as you don't ski, your ACL should hold out. Speaking from experience, as I had my ACL done in the UK 3 years ago. (for what it's worth, long rehab, but knee is as good as new, and no scar visible!!!)

[Hay loft opening - now with Window]

I think the fact it is a loft, means it was not a habitable part of the house. If you are putting in a window, and it is to become habitable, the authorities will want to know about it!

[swimming pool and D.A.S.S. regulations]

These regulations do exist, and in our department, DASS will check the pool once a month for compliance, and charge you 150 euros for the privilege.(high season only). We are not ready with our pool yet, so can't comment on whether they do this or not!

[Nègre]

I play handball with a local team, and one of the opposing teams has a very good player who happens to be black. When the other players of my team are talking about said team and more specifically said player, they refer to him as 'le black'. I don't feel they use it in a deragotory way, more it's something he has different than other players, and so it makes it easy to distinguish who you are talking about in a conversation. I think perhaps it's more important to see what context the actual word is being used in. 'Le black est un bon jouer' doesn't sound deragotory to me! He may not agree though. I don't know!

[Visit France has changed it's package]

Can you not renew, and then just start again from scratch? 10 new photos free?

[Reducing cotisation payments]

Keith,

it's uncanny, but I'm exactly in the same position as you. I actually had to check my passport to see if my middle name wasn't Keith!!! I, like you hate the fact that I have to pay around 60%. At least I know I'm not the only one! I was always afraid I was paying too much, and there had to be a mistake. If you have any ideas, please let me know!

[Swimming pool Permis]

A pool for a gite is classed as semi-public. As you state, it needs footbaths, showers extra filtration etc etc. I'm sure lots of people go down the private pool route, but do you want to take the risk? If you have to add a few skimmers afterwards, or a footbath...would it not be more expensive?

[Tax claim on house renovation]

I doubt very much that you can reclaim from the French taxman anything if you are not tax resident in France. I'd also say 70% sounds very high even if you were resident!