Chezstevens

[quote user="powerdesal"]We buy 50g packs of mace (unground-the expensive form!!!) called 'javrati' in hindi, for a bit less than 50p. I am tempted to bring a load back to France on my next visit and supply all you sausage lovers. [/quote] Thanks for the tip.  I'll get some from Doha this spring. Vern

[quote user="dogwood"] Sorry Will My Challenge, I say it don't count[:D] English reg only[geek] Dogwood  [/quote] Dogwood Your car needs to do some travelling - you then relax about registering your car without hassles.  Ours started as German Reg, then UK, France, Gib, UK and now back in France.  Just hate wasting money on new cars.  9 year old Scenic Dti, with just 120k on the clock, that has only cost us 2 electric motors for windows, new waterpump and wheel bearings outside normal servicing costs - not sexy but if it ain't broke....  Probably change it for a Honda CRV in a few years. Spend the money on new motorbikes - mine is a grey R1200RT.  SWMBO insisted on changing our R1150RT for a trip to Italy.  That is another story.

15 mins, nice lady at Niort helped me with the paperwork - but then the car had been registered in France previously - went to Gib and back.  Gave me the same Reg No as before. regards Vern

It is a shame that there is not a shared european system for recognising and processing vehicle registrations by road side camera / police vehicle computer.  That would stop all transgressions.  Same rules as UK - not legal on the road then off to the crusher it goes. This is not aimed at White Owen per se, but the ''chancers'' that all countries in europe have.    That and National ID cards to stop valuable assets being used up by benefit and health tourists (insert scroungers).

[quote user="fulcrum"][quote user="Bob T"]No one has the right to apologise on my behalf, I meant every word that I said. I hope that anyone who disregerds the law has his car confiscated and gets a huge fine. [/quote] Bob We are all entitled to our opinions. I had earlier posted a rather silly reply. I have since deleted it. I felt like apologising after reading the OP's original enquiries. After all I don't think he was deliberately  being criminally  minded but really wanted to do the right thing. None of us here in France know exactly how to go about everything, hence this forum. We are all at differing levels of French and finances and employability. So I do feel like apologising for my rather silly post. [/quote] Yes he did ask the questions on his original enquiry.  Cherry picked what suited him - ignoring Sunday Drivers immediate advice about ensuring your T&T is valid.  Does not take much to find his advice - it is the third post!!

I am one of those commuters, except I see the family every 4-6 weeks for 9 days or so.  I am a military chap with government salary.  I transfer approx half my salary to France each month - God Bless JPA (Bob T knows what I am talking about).  I understand that under the dual taxation agreement that I will have no further tax to pay.  NIC contributions take care of the health thru Newcastle.  I have no wish to upset the french authorities, regional or national! Question:  What field(s) of F2402(?) does SWBO have to complete to satisfy the french tax authorities for the previous FY (Jan thru Dec)? 

[quote user="J.R."] I thought that a lot of the replies on here to Owen were uncalled for and showed frustration which perhaps should not have been directed at someone trying to get information to do the right thing. After using his link to his previous thread I am now convinced of this. To Owen - I apologise on behalf of the others that cannot find it within themselves to do so. Good luck on your return, you probably will not have a problem with ANPR and if you tax your car at the first opportunity within the month I expect you will be OK. [/quote] Sorry JR, If he has been driving in France on UK plates, that is SORN'd or the Tax disc has lapsed(Sunday Driver made this very clear on the original thread), on French Insurance then he is wrong.  Endex.   Please don't half read a thread then consider you can apologise on our behalf . Owen White  if you are sure you are in the right - give us your Reg No and date arriving in the UK with Port.  Don't change your insurance for UK insurance - since you have been driving for 9+ months in France and it doesn't run out till July - don't get a Tax Disc just for returning to the UK since you considered it not required for France.  C&E are then best placed to advise you of your rights.  

You shouldn't be surprised - You know you have taken the proverbial out of both systems.

With a car empire named after him surely he can buy a new car.  Here is some suggestions for his 5 other posts: 1.  How can I claim unemployment benefit in the Dordogne? 2.  How can I work on the black whilst claiming the above? 3.  How can I avoid paying maintenance whilst doing 1 & 2? 4.  How can I avoid paying any social contributions whilst doing ........? 5.  Any suggestions for this one?  

Another Brit giving the rest of us a poor image - this has been discussed so often now it is boring.  The chancers in life will also, no doubt, be claiming unemployment benefit from the UK and, or, France.  If you can't abide by the legal requirements then b***er off and annoy another country.  That way then hopefully you won't run over our children in an uninsured vehicle - ''Oh I didn't know'' does not work nowadays. Rant over but they are such ''t****rs''. Vern  

Locking gets my vote.

Thanks, We ''boring motorcycle anchors'' must stick together!  

Our chickens were getting into our neighbours back garden and digging up his vegetables.  I found him repairing the wall between the 2 properties - on discovering the reason I apologised.  He was not unhappy, it is his wall, and his ducks fly into the front of our property - c'est la vie.  We have now cleared out our copse, so there are some 20+ decent trees left, in the process of fencing in the area for the chickens, ducks etc ( it has an artificial pond in there). Have a friendly word - if it is his partition then hopefully he will repair the wall/fence. It is part of the french countryside to have chickens scratch around .... is it worth falling out over? Another neighbour tells us when our ducks have flown off to eat mushrooms (which they love) down on the prairie.  If I am not there he takes my wife down to them on his tractor. Our dogs, 2 GSDs, occasionally decide to jump the wall and have a stroll round the village - nobody bats an eye.  At least they don't steal cheese rounds from my neighbour's fridge like one of our previous dogs - my neighbour thought he was adorable and probably egged him on - certainly dines on the story in Paris!! We have built up good relationships with our friends in the village over 14 years - sometimes it is the Brits that are not laid back enough - if there is a fuss in the village over trivialities (and I am not talking about the dogs) it normally involves a johnny come lately. regards Vern

My mistake ....... this is still going on?  Move on.

[quote user="Bugbear"] [quote user="cooperlola"]Farriery charges are pretty much parallel here and in the UK - I pay roughly the same as I did in Blighty.  [/quote] Our farrier charges 5€'s a foot to do our donkeys, I kid you not. [/quote] That's no way to talk about your m/c!!

Try www.puzbie.co.uk/forum and look at their wireless repeaters - extends your range into the garden as well.  My kit came with detailed instructions - whole deal took 20 mins to set up. regards Vern

In essence I agree with BugBear. Having the moral fibre to face up to wrongdoing works for me; however, unless you are a forthright individual, not easily intimidated, then talking to folks who may know their in the wrong could end up winding both sides up and then things get petty and vindictive.  If you are unhappy then a quick line to GdF may be the way forward - just hope that they are not reading this forum.  Personally, 'cos I am a large, fairly blunt individual that is not intimidated, I would ask them if they are aware of GdF's rules - having ensured that your thoughts are correct.  If they laugh it off as bureaucracy gone mad then a line to GdF may be appropriate - remember some people have invested a lot of time and money to earn their classification.

[quote user="Tylden"]Well, Poolguy may sneer at those of us who don't want to live in a chemical laboratory, but there are many pools worldwide that use salt water electrolysis and they can't all be wrong. I used to go through all the pain of throwing money, sorry, chlorine products, into my pool and having it turn green if I turned my back for a couple of days. Since changing to salt I have had a pool with sparkling water that Poolguy would undoubtedly say is heaving with germs, but it's a risk I'm willing to take, and I wouldn't be letting my grandchildren swim in it if I wasn't confident of it's healthy state. To my mind the fact that, when I take off the winter cover, the water is clean, not green, speaks volumes. Incidentally, how many new municipal pools use chlorine? [/quote] Mmmm ...... sad you don't actually read Poolguy's advice.  He is there to help the novice with the basics and the amateur with any probs they may have.  Give the guy a break - Yes he has a business but that does not distract from the sound advice.  A friend of mine has recently binned salt for chlorine because he wasn't happy with the results - not because he wanted to have a snipe at salt systems. lighten up or you may negate the effects of a glass or 2 of the vino.

[quote user="yorky"] You haven't answered my question about residence and insurance. Also for all you amature law practitioners what about a car leased or borrowed from a uk company. Is it forbidden to drive that in europe? As for driving whilst intoxicated then that although unadvisable and very anti-social, is your personal choice. All I can say is don't do it too often you may get caught. Yorky [/quote] Yorky, An interesting slant on things - a familiar theme running thru your threads.  Fact  If you permanently export , in excess of 12 months, your vehicle you are obliged to inform DVLA of the fact.  They allow you to retain the remainder of the vehicle registration document to allow you to matriculate the vehicle overseas.  You may indeed have a MOT'd, Taxed UK vehicle with insurance but, if you have resided outside the UK for more than 12 months you are bodging the issue. Sunday Driver may have a more authoritive note to add but this issue has been commented on dozens of times.  He is probably by now too fatigued to answer. We are all bored with seeing the same UK reg vehicles being driven for several years without MOT and Tax - no MOT or Tax where does that leave you with insurance. Personally if someone has not done the groundwork before leaving the UK to sort out their car within a couple of months - then they are frankly either bone idle, simple or criminally inclined.  Take your pick. regards Vern 

Garmin 2820 ( make that all road models) updates work out at under £40 for annual europe wide coverage!!  However not as handy as built in .... but moves from car to car.

SWBO last year, solo with a car load of 2 young boys and 2 car sick dogs, selected the most direct route to our home in southern 79 from Boulogne.  I had set up the route using the new A28 but ... car full of boys ... retching dogs    . nuff said.  Debs told me the GPS lead her past the Eiffel Tower and on .... boys and Debs thought it was funny.  Brave SWBO met with champers at end of journey.  GPS only gives you what you ask!!

Thank you folk for your prompt advice - I have passed on the details to my sister.  She is now a mature university student so may be able to do well with student discounts - lucky thing (?!!) regards Vernon

Hello, My Sister wants to visit us in July and is looking at the options, however suffers from fear of flying, has anybody any website addresses for coach trips (not tours) with a drop-off at Ruffec, Poitiers. I have done a search but nothing came of it. Thank you Vern

Val-2, Agree with your basic sentiment but please take a chill pill.  Some of your recent posts seem to be somewhat needlessly acerbic.

I also found that hiring a van in France was much cheaper than the UK.  Took red wine etc northbound, caught a day return, loaded up then returned.  Easy peasy and no surcharge for driving in europe(!).  Also the steering wheel is on the correct side for most of the journey.