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Gluestick

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Everything posted by Gluestick

  1.             [quote user="Rob Roy"] Who were the first in Europe to adopt swipe machines? Who developed chip 'N Pin? I always understood it was Finland. I also agree with Logan that until you have lived here permanently for a while and experienced French beaurocracy when trying to start or run a business you have little idea of how restrictive and hide bound "free enterprise" can be.   [/quote]   A French inventor seems to hold the global patents. The French government were the major backers of this scheme. http://www.ideas21.co.uk/345 France also rolled out the first Mondex cards, which Midland/HSBC licensed, experimentally. Don't know if the quote will come out: the system seems flakey at the moment.[8-)]  
  2. I believe that the 20 sq. m waiver, only applies once??? Could be wrong! I seem to be caught by this, as I wish to erect an extension to the existing Dependances of just under 20 sq. m; carry out a loft conversion which will be circa 124 sq. m; and finally, erect a shed for garden stuff, which will be similar size to the thread originator's. I'm hoping that no one will comment on the roof over the log pile and the eventual ends I erect![;-)]  
  3. Well, off topic here, I'm afraid, but since much of this thread has been devoted to debate about rude Welsh people, I shall take poetic license![;-)] Whenever I was abroad, I used to learn a few essential words in the language, as I feel it does help to smooth the way: as does asking hotel staff to assist you with pronounciation. Many years ago in Southern Spain, I was still learning Spanish and tried to use it as often as possible, mainly with much help and understanding from the locals. One elderly man (A Northern Spaniard, probably a Basque I suspect) ran the local Tabac, newsagents etc. Now, I knew that he spoke perfect English: when he wanted to. he could be charming to British ladies (typical Spaniard![kiss]), but enjoyed selective bouts of non comprende Senor!  So, I set him up! My chum and I wandered into the shop one day, after he had been particularly rude the previous afternoon, when I had wished him, Buenos tardes, Senor! As we waited to be served, I turned to my chum and said, "Don't worry about him, the  senile old Spanish git, apart from being deaf and stupid, he can't speak a word of English!" After this he changed, considerably![:P] Not my normal level of etiquette, I must say.......................  
  4. Of course, if enough people change to wood, as their fuel of choice, then the usual Supply:Demand equation, over the next few years will cause the price to rise. The one singular benefit of wood (economically) is that it is a French renewable resource. Pellets and similar feed stock do seem to be one of the choices of the future, as the fuel is very environmentally friendly, from a pollution perspective. Again, depends on price and payback curve. BTW, I paid € 35 for 50 litres in Bidons, during Pagues.  
  5. Pleasure, Liz. Connecting your 'van or indeed anything else, is simply a matter of fixing an extension lead from the 'van into one of the power sockets on the Tableaux. In fact, just as you would on a site. The only caveat is to ensure that you do not overload the supply, as if you do, the EDF isolator will trip out. Worth checking what loads you will need for building the house. Shouldn't be too great, as the contractors will probably use a beefy diesel mixer and may well use a 110 volt site generator for their power tools, as well. EDF will not install the Tableaux: they will merely arrange an engineer or two (they often come in pairs!) to run a supply lead from the pole to the pighouse. It is up to you to organise the Tableaux. Best to ask a local electrician if  you are not confident to fix the tails from the Compteur into the Tableaux.  
  6. It is called a Tableaux. In your case you will need a Tableaux de Chantier, which costs about € 70 from Brico Depot, for example. This has three sockets for wandering leads. Normally, EDF will fit the "tails" from the Compteur into the Tableaux when the install the mains line in. Your electrical contractor should supply the main Tableaux for the house as part of his contract.  
  7. Not gratis, sadly, catalpa.[:(] What I can do, is to put anyone directly in touch with the technical translator if they wish. It would not be fair or commercially correct to copy the data and distribute it free: this person earns their living from such ventures. Fortunately one client paid the main costs: therefore further copies of the data are very reasonable: € 25,00 Now, if I can only find a copy of the latest French wiring regs. in English![;-)]  
  8. [quote user="powerdesal"] I am not in any great hurry to buy a CH boiler at the moment and am trying to plan ahead for the long term. What is the availabilty of wood pellets in France , particularly in areas where log burning is already popular ? I will work through the list of sites, thanks again. Regards [/quote] Steve: In honesty, I have not, as yet had the time to research French pellet burners and their prices! It is not the easiest research project, I have found. Can only suggest that we continue to post in this forum section, as we unearth relevant data! Like you, I'm not in a particular hurry: it does seem as if most people (and plombieres!) simply make a gas/oil judgement and go from there. Whole host of variables to take into account here, IMHO.[8-)]  
  9. There once was a forum, on France, Round the Mods, all the members would dance, Then one fatal day, Mods sent right away, A member who happened, by chance,   To be popular, some of the time, Whilst his posts could be labelled as slime, By some, whilst others would cry, Foul move! You telleth a lie! He wasn't so bad, Just a bit of a lad, I'm feeling right sad, Now that he has been banned, From this forum; a crime!   Now after a bit, As reality hit, And the outcome of passion and ire, Was digested by most, In a frenzy of post, To the forum, by many and some, Like a breath of fresh air, Was tranquillity there, As tempers calmed down, And as smile replaced frown, 'Twas seen as a temporary fit.   We value our right, To take up the good fight, On behalf of our chums and their views, But surely we must, Always try and be just, And retain a perspective or two, Or we injure our self, Perhaps risk our own health, And the future of forum delight.  
  10. From my own perspective, yes, I am sure that a certain type of French people would love to see France dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st Cent. However, I'm sure that the majority would not, where it involved a cultural invasion of their lifestyle and state; where it involved outside interests (especially American corporations) taking over major French utilities and where the deal was to swop Mickey D's and other wonderful benefits for peace quite and a level of social stability envied by most with a brain. Now, I am not saying that France is perfect, rather that perhaps it is less imperfect than some other notable places! Most agendas of change can be made to sound attractive: mainly since people only consider what they perceive as advantages: and exercise mental myopia on the rest! Of course the young want change! This is the preserve of the young! We were all radicals once. However, as GBS said, "Isn't it a shame that youth is wasted upon the young!" Hopefully wiser French parents will manage to exericse some influence in guiding their kids towards a better balance of quality of life as well as change. Rather than change for change's sake: and some rapacious banker's. We have done to death the question of French unions and effective people power: suffice it to say that France is a socialist and very much working man's state and the vast majority wish this to enjoy a continuum, rather than being traded off for speculative and very dubious "Improvements" to their lot. In fact, France has been far more advanced, for example, in terms of practical applications of technology than the much vaunted great Britain. Who were the first in Europe to adopt swipe machines? Who developed chip 'N Pin? Who in Europe rolled-out an effective and nationwide Prestel system? Who applied solar energy to self-powered road signs and emergency telephones? Why, France of course. Can this be because so many banks and insurers etc are Mutuelles, rather than totally subservient (in theory!) to their stockholders? If France wasn't so smart, how come they have the best road system in Europe? The Best trains? How many British companies own French utility companies? How many French companies own British utility companies? Does Britain move from old houses into new modern houses: and meanwhile sell off all the old ones they don't want, to incoming French who then spend their all to renovate, thereby creating local spin-out economic advantage? Nope! We simply knock 'em down every 50 years or so and are told how these "new" houses will benefit the community; the environment; the living standards of people and so on. Whilst our gardens become smaller; our roads and infrastructure more overloaded and our mortgages even larger. And the developers buy another Rolls and retire to Monaco! So, who's really stoopid?[:-))]
  11.   As the French and the Brits as well as the Israelis fought Naser in Egypt over the Suez Canal, does this give Brits and the French the right to live in Egypt? From the Nord pas de Calais, down through the Somme and up to Luxembourg and Belgium, there are many cemetaries of British and Colonial troops who fell in WW I. It is very sobering. What is even more sobering is the average ages of those lads who fell. Some of these are quite small. All are immaculately kept. There are often fresh flowers placed on the graves. Has to be French people. Montreuil near where we are, was also the HQ of the allies throughout WW I. Lest we forget.............................    
  12. I find the "High Cost" thing rather strange, Deimos. OK, a stylish pellet burner can cost, like all wood burners. However as with all manufacturing and selling processes, once the unit volumes rise, prices will fall in direct ratio, once the design and jig costs are amortised. However, for a full central heating installation, the rest stays the same. Pipework, rads, circulating pump, ballon, regulating valves and controls. After all, the stove/boiler is merely the primary heat source, rather than oil, gas or electricity. Some useful data here, plus a range of dealers and manufacturers of pellet burning stoves. http://www.solidfuel.co.uk/main_pages/wood.htm  
  13. OK. Must be my surrealist or even Milliganesque sense of the ridiculous. A Cat Burglar: hmm......... open to various interpretations. 1.    A person (or cat!) who burgles cats: 2.    A cat which burgles: 3.    A person (or cat) which Steals cats. Now come on, Furry one: 'fess up! Which is it?[8-)]  
  14. catalpa: I believe that you can indeed use ducting on the new pôeles. These can vent sideways (combustion horizontale) or downwards ( a tirage forcé). I am cautious about warm air heating, though. Since heat natrually rises, the majority of the hot  air (and thus heat) sits at the top of the room: when one wants it lower down. Both stoves and radiators, of course, provide radiant heat: as well as employing the natural thermo-cycle to create warm air rising and thereby distribute the heat. Cuve à Fioul: The regulations here changed some time ago. Depending on the capacity of the tank, above a certain size, it must be external and in fact buried undergound. A bigger tank can be an absolute advantage: as one can buy a whole Winter seasons's oil, in the Summer when the price tends to be lower. The bigger the volume, the better the price. Additionally, buying forwards is a classic way of hedging against (certain![6]) price hikes, too. In theory, even where a tank is housed indoors (Dependances), it has to be surrounded by a "Bund": which is a retaining wall, sealed with oil-proof epoxy resin - or similar - capable of retaining the total capacity of the tank, plus of course the exterior size (in capacity) of the tank in case of spillage. Since my chosen supplier already uses BP Super Fioul as  the default option and since this remains fluid down to -24 degress C, this creates no problem for me with an exterior tank. Which will be green solar degradation resistant and double-skinned: which neatly removes the problem of a bund! Now I know that presently French Plombieres are gaily installing (Still!) simple white Plastique single-skinned tanks in garages and outhouses right alongside the boiler, technically this is illegal, in many cases. I guess that we have to await the first fire and insurance repudiation to know the clear truth! BTW, if anyone wants a copy of the new regulations on tanks and storage of oils and fuel, please PM me. I bought this from a professional technical translator in France, very reasonable price, too. Call me Mr Paranoid if you like: however, I do like doing things properly for the cost of a few Euros more.[:D] I'm just the mutt who would fall foul of regulations which I see others blithely ignoring![+o(]    
  15. Steve: I have yet to finalise my research on this topic. Lots of URLs here to search, though.[:D] Personally, I would not buy a UK boiler for France, as they tend to be marginally different.(apart from the metric/imperial terminations - although even France seem to use BSP fittings for circulating pumps and rads: very confusing![8-)]). In any case, difficult to obtain warranty or other service across the ditch! Apparently (according to a client and chum who is a part-retired heating engineer and very good) the majority of boilers he now fits in the UK are made in France! My chosen Lamborghini (from Brico Depot - who seem to be the cheapest) is 32.55 Kw and costs          € 1.390,00 + € 225  for the Ventouse optional flue. I believe that the Ventouse system is rather more than a forced fan flu. It seems to take part-burned exhaust and recycles it into the corps de chauffe to improve combustion efficiency. These prices are for heating only: no hot water. France does not seem (as yet) to have oil-fired combi boilers which are also condensing: which are by far the most efficient and the current de facto energy-efficient standard. The best boilers seem to be the Veisman range, which are sold all over Europe including the UK. Very expensive though and are intended rather more for high heat output commercial application, rather than domestic use, although they do make smaller output models.  Search Fields: Carburant De Biomasse Granules En bois Wood burning pellet stoves http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=France++Poele+Granules+En+bois&meta= http://www.sollet.info/en/links/links01.php http://www.polyflam.com/ http://www.sollet.info/en/links/links01.php http://66.249.93.104/search?q=cache:x6XeeKcOt-gJ:www.pellets2006.com/attachments/24/104.pdf+Wood+Pellet+heating+Systems+France&hl=en&gl=uk&ct=clnk&cd=3 http://zorra.asiagocheese.info/ http://www.paul-gee.com/ http://www.lesflamands.com/villager http://www.nef.org.uk/logpile/fuelsuppliers/pelletstoves.asp http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=Wood+Pellet+heating+Systems+France&meta=  
  16. [quote user="Benjamin"] I can remember when you could have expected better from The Times Benjamin [/quote] Ah me, Ben: the demise of the Thunderer may be laid at Mr Murdoch's door, I fear. How long until he adds topless pole dancers to match the pages and pages of football? These days the once doughty epitome of Britishness is a clone of the Sun.[:@]  
  17. Well I am going to set myself up here for a real bashing![blink] Perhaps France doesn't want to be brought into the 21st Cent.? It hasn't done much for the UK, after all, IMHO. <Gluestick ducks..............rapidly![+o(]>  
  18. Lard? Lard? Lard? [:@] You're supposed to use beef dripping! Well, according to my mate from Leeds and many others, too. We used to have on shop locally which did use beef dripping for both fish and chips. Not to my taste, but another of my chums from Yorkshire used to swear it was as good as 'ome![:D]  
  19. [quote user="jond"][quote user="Gluestick"] Ummm..............how do you miss the radar traps, Zeb? [/quote] As far as the autoroutes are concerned, radar traps and speed camaras could soon be old hat. It would seem that the gendarmerie at J7 on the A83 have trialled the very simple technique of using the toll ticket time stamps to work out the average speeds of drivers between entering and leaving the road. This is done very simply with a computer at the exit toll booths. If you have travelled at an average of more than 130kph then a uniformed guardian of the peace emerges (knowing our local lot, probably dabbing at his mouth with a slightly stained napkin) and administers a wigging. They haven't (yet) got the right to issue fines or deduct points based on this evidence, but they can generally find some way of making life difficult for the evil miscreants. Of course the system breaks down if someone stops for a loo break or something, but even so they were able to collar about 300 people in the month that they tried it. This was out of season. Could be a nice little earner. [/quote] I thought that they already did, jond![8-)] It was certainly a popular "fact" in Southern France 15 years ago. In the Nor pas de Calais they are now starting to use fixed cameras, too. As well as Gendarmerie lurking around Peage toll booths.  
  20. My own cost comparisons clearly show that gas is the most expensive. Oil fired is the best simple option. One to consider is a wood burning CH system, fueled using pellets: may well be the cheapest, as the fuel is renewable and a French natural (non-imported) resource. The secret to running costs (in any case) would seem to be insulation, regular servicing of the boiler and the latest fuel-efficient system. I was quoted (by two competitive sources) circa € 11.500,00 for eleven rads (one being a towel rail), using very much a "Top Dollar" boiler and best quality fittings, including an exterior 2.000 litre tank. My own calculations show that the total material costs are circa € 4.500,00 And this is paying 19.6% T.V.A. whereas the artisans were quoting only 5.00% T.V.A. labour and materials. Apparently most (if not all) French oil-fired boilers use Lamborghini guts: it's just the controls and cases which are different: and one comment was that with all the clever control electronics, there is more to go wrong! You may self-install an oil-fired boiler: you just need to ask your oil supplier to set-up the inlet pressure, jet sprays etc and he will charge circa € 75,00 and give you a certificate: critical for insurance purposes. With push-fit pipe connectors, plastic pipe and etc., it has to be worth investigating self-installation: or even self-installing all the rads and pipework and asking a local plombiere to install and commission the boiler and flue. If you do go oil-fired, go for a Venteuse flu system: quieter and more efficient.  
  21. What you could do, if there is room, is to fit new ends into Sabots, which are galvanised hangers rawbolted into the wall, then fishplate (i.e. at the side) the new ends to the good wood on the beam, using bolts to bolt the existing beam onto the new "Fishplated" end. You do really need to cut off the affected old joist end, as the Sabot needs side space into where the existing joist is fitting: and really soak the good wood with treatment. I would also use an Acro jack when cutting each joist as the level can drop. Not an easy job if you are not experienced and confident.    
  22. A few years ago, I was national chairman of the executive board of something which is not important. I came in on a reforming ticket and made no secret of this when I was nominated. There were a number of Indian gentlemen involved and let's just say that certain naughty things were going on. At board board meetings these conspirators ('cos that's what they were) would talk across the table, in Indian dialect. very rude and very stupid. The recently appointed CEO (by me) and I used a wonderful ploy: we then started speaking loudly in French whilst we ignored the others! And using "Franglais" words which could leave no doubt as to their meaning: one of these gentlemen's imminent enforced er, retirement. (he was a full time employee of the body). That brought 'em up short![6]    
  23. Head over the parapet time, wen? Give it time...............................................[;-)]  
  24. [quote user="zeb100"] Hello People trying their best to have a good time by driving their cars through France certainly does not make me cringe. I do it frequently, my best time was 5hrs 30mins Mullhouse to Carcassonne inc breakfast and fuel stops and still managed 17mpg. Pip Pip[:)]   [/quote] Ummm..............how do you miss the radar traps, Zeb? The point about this was that like their earlier brethren, the Yuppies of the 80s', who tried to set the fastest time for circumnavigation of the then new M25 in their Porsches, these people apparently have no regard for speed limits and road safety. Please don't misunderstand me: I used to drive extremely fast (very illegally in fact!), in some very esoteric cars, however, road conditions have changed quite a bit. Our French friends were not impressed. What came over instead, was rather their being under-whelmed by such an overt display of ostentatious wealth and an arrogant disregard for the laws of another country, that's all. Oh and they are not physical wimps or fuddy duddies BTW, both mountain climbers of some repute and excellent skiiers to boot. Will:  Of course I do agree about all races. My use of les Anglais, was meant to be from the French perspective, since whether we are Scots, Welsh, Irish or in fact English, we are all les Anglais to them!  
  25. Are there behavioural characteristics of les Anglais which make you wince? Giving some of our French friends English tea, during Paques, replete with Hot Cross Buns, bread and jam and decent tea (which they like!) in conversation it came out that apparently a new game for the young, idiotic and well-heeled, is to drive their Ferraris, rorty Beemas etc from Calais to Monte Carlo at the fastest possible speeds, endeavouring to be the fastest. Apparently the gendarmerie were nicking many of them around St. Omar, not long after they debouched from the Shuttle. This sort of behaviour does make me cringe, when I am trying to integrate and build bridges with locals. What gets your rag? [:@]
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