virginia.c

Thanks Val. Does that include your line rental? And does your package have a particular name?

Yes, like you I love having books around me, the feel and smell of them etc but I do use kindle now when I can't carry books with me and for times when I want to read something new and don't want to wait til I have time to go and buy it. I like hardbacks but turning the pages when you are eating or lying in bed is so much easier with a tablet (for me anyhow). I resisted for a long time because I love adding to my physical book collection, but I now also love reading ebooks. Go on, go for it!

Am trying to find out how much I should be paying for my Orange/France Telecom landline and internet. I have spent so many brain numbing hours on the phone to said company and been given so many different stories that I thought I would ask here. In brief, like so many others, I am not in France full time. I have a landline and an Internet line with all my calls being made via the Internet phone as 90% of them are international and the deal for international calls is bolted onto the Internet phone. I have wireless and use the Internet all the time. I prefer to leave the phones on all the time as I never know when I will next be in France and often have very little notice. My Internet speed is very low, only 512 kb but this doesn't seem to make any difference to either the Internet phone or wireless (one of the frequent stories I heard when trying to get a phone in the first place though was that I couldn't have broadband /wireless as the speed was too low). So, here i am two years later, fed up with paying a veritable fortune for the phones and being told that there are no more reasonable deals to be had. Any information from those who are or were in a similar situation would be very gratefully received!! Oh, and it's not an option to do without them for work and personal reasons, I only wish I could!

Hhhmm. Let me see if I've got this right. Your friends are looking for a particular type of property. You would like to be pm'd if anyone on the forum has something which might fit their brief. We shouldn't expect replies though if we don't fit their 'brief'. You won't provide a piece of information ie budget which would allow us to determine whether we fit the 'brief' or not. If you want to help your friends please do Forum members the courtesy of treating them with respect.

Anyone looking to rehome a Mongoose??????

Interesting..... We are bringing out a new gas oven next week and have been wondering what to do with the old one.......

Richard, if I didn't already have my own place I would have certainly gone to have a look!

You've done a great job on your house brochure Richard. Hard to see where it could be improved. Hope all the effort and excellent pics get it sold for you soon.

Actually, iPad 1 generation are going for reasonable prices on eBay at the moment. I know because I've just sold mine.

Something of the night about him in that photo....

Pierre What a brilliant idea re the plugs!

Paul Could you at least stock up on the meds you need for the chronic skin condition before you settle in France? I can't help regarding the insurance situation but, having had a dog with a similar problem, that's what we used to do. Best of luck, it's horrible having to watch a pet in such discomfort with these skin conditions.

Do the same rules apply if the French property is the only property, but used as a maison secondaire?

Brilliant!!

What a horrible and frightening experience for you, I expect you feel very shaken. I suppose they both disappeared after the event.? Pity the Gendarmes weren't nearby - are you going to report the incident? Hope you are feeling a bit better and have downed something comforting.

How marvellous to see the word 'chunter' in print again. It used to be very popular, thanks for giving it a long overdue airing Wooly!

Wouldn't Poolguy be the man to talk to? He used to post on here regularly and seemed to have answers for all sorts of pool questions. Where are you Andrew???

3G was important for me as it goes everywhere with me. I wonder how different the next model will be? Will it support flash perhaps? (vain hope i know). For me that is the only downside. I've just been browsing the RSPB site, trying to identify the bird i saw in the garden today. There is a video and soundtrack of the song but i need flash to run it. I'll have to wait til i get back to the UK, damn and blast. Do people still put houses on EBay? When i was looking 3 years ago, i did find a few on Ebay. Have you had any interest yet?

Richard, i agree with you wholeheartedly regarding Vista. I went down the iMac route by chance really when my old laptop got broken on the way back from France and i was forced to consider a replacement. I chose the iMac and then the ipad when it came out and have been amazed/thrilled with both ever since. The ipad goes everywhere with me and has completely revolutionised my life. I've just got the ipad 2 and find it to be much quicker, as advertised, and lighter too. I didn't find the old one particularly heavy but the new one is definitely easier - particularly when i am using it in the wee hours. As a chronic insomniac, i am at least able to make some use now of those disturbed hours!

Very sad. And only 64. Achieved so much in such a (relatively) short time. Do wonder if he had an underlying health condition/if he was a heavy smoker as he was taken by viral pneumonia.

We've done the Paris route a couple of times but got snarled up. Both of us have absolutely no sense of direction so manage to get lost too - never a good idea around Paris. Despite one trip with a Tom Tom and a Garmin and the in car sat nav we still ended up Lord knows where. The Rouen route breaks up the boring autoroute for us and there is always the fun of the high winds across Spudland (the very flat bit either side of the stretch of plane trees) to keep you awake in the Winter months. We regularly do this route in 7.5 hours in a loaded up van.

Well, fell off my chair, and on nothing more than coffee either. Managed to hit the post button on the way down too. Now, if i'd planned that, it would never have worked. What i was going on to say was that i wouldnt watch films or read books on a Touch as the screen is way to small for me. I watch the iplayer a lot too and the size of the ipad screen is perfect for this. But, it's horses for courses. My OH has sausage fingers so wouldnt cope with the ipad so i got him the MacAir and he loves it. It is so light compared to his old laptop that he is even taking it with him on his next touring trip, strapped carefully somewhere on the bike. My ipad has become my most treasured possession since my ipod revolutionised my music listening. Oh, and since installing the Clearview stove of course - now that has changed my life too!

Depends what you want the device for really, and personal preference of cour

I am using my ipad in france now to reply to this thread. It was purchased in England and, so far, i have used it via wireless in france in my own home and in the homes of a couple of friends here. I haven't tried to use a wireless network whilst out and about so can't comment on this point. All i can say is that i now don't use my laptop here for anything. I download books, music, films etc whenever i choose and i can't imagine being without it!

I'd need several poor winters to complete something like that. Something tells me i'd get stuck at the planning stage...