Beryl

I have bought a cheap French introductory magazine on how to crochet , I am a sucker for free gifts [:$] . There are some nice patterns in it, but it is all in crochet code  which would be hard enough in English. Is any one able to recommend a idiots guide to teaching yourself how to crochet please ? I could probably find one on Amazon but could also end up with a white elephant.[:)]

[quote user="Cassis"]Dog walking - most are never walked, though there are plenty stuck in people's gardens. [/quote] Here they get out and about, usually in other peoples gardens !

On the website that you mentioned RH there are downloadable templates every step of the way for reclaiming bank charges.

I do find it difficult in France to judge house prices because there does not seem to be any rhyme or reason with some of the asking prices. I have seen it stated (several times on English speaking websites of various natures) that one cannot make too low an offer or the owner may be offended and I wonder if this is just a myth put out by parties with a vested interest to discourage people from doing just that ! I imagine that many non French buyers don't know the vendor from Adam and why should they worry overly if the seller is offended ?

The Glossary of Medical Health and Pharmacy terms in French and English ( by Alan S Linndsey) heart attack = as avoir un infarctus   Another useful book may be Hadley's French Medical Phrase Book  ISBN 1 872739 13 X They also do ones on French legal terms, house purchase and renovation terms and motoring phrase book and dictionary.

[email protected] Plan d'Avoz 74430 ST JEAN D AULPS tél : 04.50.74.84.84 fax : 04.50.74.85.25

Have sent you a PM Archer

Maybe this could help explain the lack of responses ? http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/852134/ShowPost.aspx I would have thought that with such a short time to go, Polly's parents would be a little more pro-active.[Www]

Can we  try and guess who is who ? I shall guess that Sunday Driver is the bespectacled chap with the big black bike next to the bigger black bike and Gary Bugbear is on the end wearing black with the blue bike. As for the rest ...[Www][8-)]

Loan companies just want their loans repaid. If you feel strongly about it I would involve the police, if not I would certainly get a notice of disassociation put on your credit file, as it is free to do and credit reference agencies do check your previous 5 years worth of addresses. I realise that you are hoping to move to France for a fresh start, but I would still try and tidy up loose ends at home, just in case things don't go to plan in France. Good luck with your move and I hope things get better for you [:)]

Grrrr ! I have just been here and seen the pictures. [8-)] The Photos   Edited by a moderator to shorten link

DZ As the house is not your primary business but a holiday home, I would have thought that this would allow you more leeway with fees. If it was me, if I was happy with the cleaner and not going to be out of pocket, I would be inclined to let her friend use it as a one off, cheaply.

This the Bayeux Tapestry created by the lady with a disability and her story. Edited by a moderator to shorten link

[quote user="Logan"]I am afraid my feeble attempt at irony failed but eventually if you live in rural France long enough you do become somewhat 'native'. On my infrequent returns to Britain I now feel like an alien specie. Memories of the seventies still  stuck in my brain. I did try going back for a while last year but that plan lasted only weeks. It's not that I particulary dislike Britain but France for me really is a civilised place to live.[/quote]   I remember last year ? you really seemed to have had enough of France... I thought you were still in the process of moving back, I didn't realise that you had gone and come back again.  I am not criticising either decision but would like to hear more [geek] if you don't mind sharing.

I have seen those Ali, is it good? Does it tell you what shades of thread will work best too ? I like cross stitch, I haven't got the patience for anything else.

There was a lovely story not long ago about a young girl with a disability that made it hard for her to get out and about. She started to make her own Bayeuw Tapestry and finished it some 20 plus years later.  I will try and find it and the pictures.

I am getting vertigo just looking at the picture.

[quote user="Brian Field"]Thanks for all the replys, the reason i have bad credit is i worked away from home and my then wife so fit to get loans secured and non secured in my name. thus when i found out a divorce followed. many other reasons apply to this dirvorce but non my fault realy. But i was not able to prove my wife was the person who got the loans and not me.so that made me liable for the debt.[/quote] I don't understand how that could have happened Brian or rather why you can't  prove these loans were taken out without your consent or knowledge. That is what I think you are implying has happened.  Signatures etc must have been needed and if 'yours' have appeared, then it could be investigated as fraud. Though I appreciate that you might not want to go down that path. What you can do is write to all the credit reference agencies and have a Notice of Disassociation placed on your credit file, this being an up to 400 word statement in which you can explain to anyone viewing your file that from a certain date you have financially distanced yourself from your ex wife. Obviously you cannot put anything libellous in this statement but it can be a useful exercise.

I purchased the medical terminology book that was recommended on this website. I have made some flash cards which I keep in my handbag and by the phone, because I know in an emergency I will not talk sense. I have also downloaded this and filled it in. http://freelens.france.free.fr/docs/emergencycard.pdf Even if you aren't fully fluent, there are little things you can do to help yourself.

Give it some welly, as they say[:-))]

The secret is in the kneading and stretching process. If the dough is kneaded really well, rested and then kneaded again, it should not shrink back as much. You have to be very firm with it ![:D] I use just  a thickish layer of tomato puree and sprinkled herbs,as I find tinned toms can make the base go soggy, then add the meat, veg and cheese.

The family opposite me, used to farm a lot of land in our commune. However, the 'family' land ownership has been diluted with every death. It is a wonder that any of these farming people can actually continue to farm any land at all and haven't been reduced to Medieval strip farming.

I have since changed bank accounts and have gone with CA rather than La Poste and everything has gone really well ... except my card also has my first name as an initial and my middle name in full with a hyphen to my surname [8-)]. But as I only use a pin number I am not too worried.

[quote user="dogwood"]   "I think that people who use these machines are inherently selfish."  So you think I am selfish do you?? and what do you do that makes you so righteous? "I love the peace and tranquility of the countryside and don't like to have it disturbed by some loon gadding about on a quad bike." Selfish and a loon!!!!  I have the same dislike of jet skis too. We can always tell when the Parisiens have arrived because people with more money than sense and no thought for any one elses safety ( they ride them far too close to the shore ) start whizzing about and the noise that just one of these things can make is frankly atrocious. If you have such a dislike for this type of machine then WHY did you look at this thread in the first place. Unless it was just to show how SELFISH YOU ARE!!!! Get a life and leave others to enjoy theres..   Dogwood [/quote] Nice second post Dogwood and welcome to the forum [:(] The countryside if for EVERYONE to enjoy, I cannot enjoy it when I am in fear of being run over by a quad bike. I like the tranquilty of the countryside, I cannot enjoy it with the noise of a quadbike. If everyone decided to race around the country side on quadbikes, then I dread to think what state the countryside would be in. I happen to think that they are every bit as antisocial as loud music blaring from stereos and that if people had any thought for their fellow man then they would perhaps think again before inflicting a lot of noise in pursuit of their fun, on other people, but quad bikers don't do they ? It's all me, me, me and MY rights and sod the majority that don't want to listen to them. That's why I think they are selfish. A do have a life thanks, a very nice one made all the better for not sharing it with inconsiderate, selfish oafs on quad bikes!

But it did contain a lot of useful information and advice. To remove the whole thread seems to be like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Can't it just be pruned a bit and reinstated ?