PaulT

Now what I love are the banks that irrespective of when paayments go into the account at the end of the day the statement will show any outgoings before any ingoings: Look at bank balance first thing in the morning and it shows that money has gone in that morning so healthy balance. Pay for a few things with a bank card in excess of what was in the account the previous day. When you next look at a statement, the opening balance will be the close on the previous day. Next it will show the outgoings and the final item will be the ingoing that had been shown as being there at the start of the day. One bank that does this is A&L - one that does not is First Direct. Paul

Just bought a new laptop and there was a deal on Office 2007 and Norton 360 - both with 3 licences. As on my PC the Zonealarm licence was about to run out - and I am not totally convinced by Zonealarm I thought 'let's replace it with Norton'. Deinstalled Zonealarm and then started to install Norton. Part way through it fell over and constantly fell over when trying to boot up - would show the choices for 'Safe Mode' etc but would then just restart. Tried everything. Loaded XP onto an old HD, and connected the original HD as a slave to make sure there were no photos etc on it that I had not archived. Then did a full format, installed it as the master and installed XP and then Norton which now installed with no problems. The only problem I have is trying to install RealPlayer as it hangs. Perhaps I should have just paid the annual subscription for Zonealarm. Paul

Just like Will I have found licenced conveyancers to be efficient and they normally come with a fixed cost. Plus, when you are selling then there are no local searches etc. The last house we sold I am sure that the buyers, who were fairly young, were not on a fixed cost. The house was 10 years old but he excelled himself in all the things that he asked! My only thought was that he was trying to keep the meter running as long as possible. In my professional life I deal with a large firm of solicitors. The actual solicitors must be paid well - they certainly seem to be doing very well. The cost for fairly simple things is eye watering. The last costs I saw was about #180 / hour - not too bad. Paul

[quote user="zeb"]I'll ask my brother to pop along to the Naze at Walton and flash his lights on my behalf then![/quote] Yes, Johnnie Walker will be on at 9pm and he will be asking just that. Paul

If anyone is of a certain age and wishes to relive some of the 60s Radio Essex has become Pirate Radio Essex for a week and is broadcasting from a light ship with some of the DJs from the 60s, all music up to 1967 as part of the 'celebrations' of the 1967 Marine Offences Act. Available to listen over the net - the stations website shows full details. Paul

Perhaps all that this proves is that you must read the small print and not assume that the rules will be as you want them.

[quote user="Onion van man"]How would you get a 'kit car' registered in France ? I'm assuming its going to have to under go the French version of an SVA ? [/quote] OVM - I understand that it is difficult. I do know that there is a Renault garage to the west of Tarbes (just off of the main road that runs below Tarbes linking the east and west junctions of the motorway, the garage is near the west junction of the motorway) that has a Morgan clone kit car, with French plates. The proprietor does not speak English so, if your French is up to it, it might be useful to give him a call. Paul

JR as you have mentioned the great man [+o(] does anyone know what the outcome was of his little slip up of having French plates on a Range Rover in France and the same plate on a Disco in the UK? Paul

[quote user="shimble"]and led bulbs will fit into a normal 12volt spotlght fitting?[/quote] Have a look at www.tlc-direct.co.uk - they have a fair range of LED bulbs. Thanks Nick I will have a look in Leroy Merlin next time we are over.

[quote user="Nick Trollope"] But, for the sake of our children, use LED bulbs! [/quote] Nick where can you get LED bulbs in France? I have looked but have not found them - I was thinking of bringing them over from the UK. One wholesaler about £5.60 each inc VAT. How about France where CAN they be found and at what price? Paul

Do also check whether the cylinder head on an older car is capable of running on unleaded. I have a Triumph TR7 and you can buy unleaded cylinder heads with some specialists advertising both standard and unleaded versions. A quick check of the parts books shows that the UK and US heads are identical and the US was unleaded when the vehicles were new proves that the valve seat inserts are hard enough to run unleaded. Unfortunately, the MGB does not have hardened valve seat inserts. However, with the cost of the various additives the pay back time should not be too great to have hardened insets fitted and should also prove beneficial if selling. Paul

[quote user="Paul Bradford"] Hi, Just a thought for those out there with older vehicles. The Broquet fuel catalyser (www.broquet.co.uk) might be useful to you. I used to run my Mark 1 Golf GTI on unleaded fuel with a catalyser in the tank. The car had completed over 220,000 by the time I got rid of it. Having just checked the website, I see that it can be used in diesel engines and oil fired central heating. It's also useful for motorcycles and marine engines. Now, I have no connection with the company, only satisfaction with the product. I'm thinking about getting another now for my VW diesel and possibly my oil burner! Please don't shoot the messenger! I've only read the bumf, I'm not a technician, chemist or an engineer. It seems to work and has been working since WW2. Have a look at their guestbook for comments. Hope this helps Paul [/quote] Do look at what the Vintage and Veteran vehicles club (not correct title) came up with on their findings - Broquet was not one of the recommended ones. I believe it was this device that Practical Classics started to do a long-term test with on an Austing 1800 but had to give up part way through due to excessive valve seat regression.

[quote user="hoverfrog"]sorry - I use Safari and it doesn't do links on the forum... http://www.rona.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ContentServlet?assetId=1030&langId=-2 site has plans and detailed instructions. Don't think we're going to follow their plans (even though you can download them) as the ones they have for things I've done before are a bit weird - like their pergolas and suchlike. There is a lot of useful info though :)[/quote] Hoverfrog - you do realise that this is a Canadian company - shipping costs might be on the highish side   Paul

You could always camp in the back garden Paul

If increasing / remortgaging make sure they will not charge a fortune in early redemption charges. Somewhere like moneysupermarket.com will give comparison and show the charges. Paul

[quote user="Hoddy"]Thanks for bringing this back to the top of the list. It's reminded me that I wanted to thank P2 because I have a ticket back to the UK for mid-September which cost me 6.01E, so clearly it was a genuine offer. Thanks P2. Hoddy [/quote] That's OK Hoddy - hate to think of people missing out on a deal like this - you need to strike whilst the iron is hot. To illustrate that, we went and visited friends for the weekend last Friday. They decided that they would come out with us when we visit our house in November. I checked the BA site and the fares both ways were still £35 each. Went out for a meal that night and forgot about booking the flights. The following afternoon a 'oh we must book those flights' from them. Log in to the BA site and going out still £35 BUT the return flight £85!!!! Checked on the Easyjet flight and they would save £110 both both of them returning this way so booked this. Unfortunately, the Easyjet flight is 3.5 hours later than the BA flight. Still, they will find plenty to do at Toulouse airport while they wait [:(] Paul  

Now, lets stay with the Dauphine theme. Many years ago when I was at college, a chap had one and I do not know why but I quite liked it. Buying a place in France I thought 'perhaps, when we actually retire, buy one and restore it'. And there, in a yard, just as you leave the Toulouse - Tarbes Autoroute for Le Fousset is a Dauphine in rust colour. It will be of no use when I retire but if anyone is interested there it is. Paul

Thanks for the replies. Yes, I will be drylining so as to get a flat surface to start with. Paul

On one wall we have/had (I've ripped half of it off) wood cladding. We have decided to replace it with the stone 'tiles' - the random shaped ones - from Brico Depot, the ones that look like stone as opposed to those that are shaped like but look false. Any tips on fitting these - i.e. does the adhesive hold them in place or do they need additional support and also for getting them to look as though a skilled mason built a stone wall. Also any tips on the pointing - filling in the bits between the stones. Also the names that I need to look for for the correct adhesive and 'pointing' materials. Paul

Ryanair (stop groaning) are doing a 24 hour offer of flights + taxes, fees and Charges for 1p! It works - I could have had 29 Nov - 4 Dec Stanstead to Pau for the 2 of us for a total of 4p. Damn cant get the time off. Be quick and look

As a layman, the difference between buying in France and the UK is: The Compris (Fr) and Exchange of contracts (UK) are one and the same thing apart from the Compris can contain clause suspensives that if certain things are not met, i.e. planning consent, mortgage offer etc you can get out of the purchase. At exchange of contracts you are locked in. Signing of the Compris takes place very close to the start of the process. Exchanging contracts takes place very much into the process. The seller will be required to fill in pages and pages of answers to questions. The buyers solicitor will find something that the sellers solicitor recommends can be overcome but taking out insurance (escapes me the actual name at the moment) which is not doubt a commission earner for the solicitor. All of this can take months during which the buyer might have had second thoughts or seen something that they prefer so the sale is off. We sold an 11 year old house in the UK to purchase in France. As I say, as a layman, you would think that having originally been sold only 11 years ago there would be no problems but the buyers solicitor made a meal of it. Having taken 2 days to sell it took over 2 months to exchange. The house in France, less than 2 weeks from saying we wanted it we were signing the Compris. The legal eagles might argue that there is no difference but to the ordinary person there is: France - buyer committed, subject to clauses to purchase, seller to sell very early on. UK - buyer finally commits after months and can pull out at any time prior, buyer can also decide, during these months that they will take the house off the market (maybe they have a higher offer).

I have used them on a bath and shower with a 3 bar booster pump and no problem with that. However, make sure there are no burrs on the pipework. Normally OK if cut with a pipe cutter and the 'blade' forces the wall in. If cut with a hacksaw etc make sure it is clean otherwise the rubber seal can be damaged. The removal tool, although a little fiddly works.

Thanks Pat. Yes, we had spotted the lake, which seemed very nice. What is the weather like during the year? Will look out for the blue series of maps when we are over next week. Paul    

Prices though, how do you judge what is a fair price? Seems in the UK I can get a feel for what price a property should be in the UK, plus there is now the Land Registry website where you can find out how much properties have sold for. In France it seems that the variety of types of property is huge and the conditions vary so much. Found some of the agents are good passing comments such as 'its over-priced' etc. How do you pay a fair price, either private or via an agent? Paul

[quote user="Miki"]Sorry but I do have big grin on my face. [:D] I am always amazed at the folks who offer opinions about something they have never run or understand. It reminds me of the "don't do it like that, do it like this" comedy sketch. Anyone who now doesn't want to stay in a Ch D'Hôte (or gîte) after reading this thread, gives me the impression they thay may well fall in to the very category of folks that we don't really want anyway [:P] [/quote] Quite right Miki, I have never run a Gite business. However, I do understand that I do not wish to take a holiday whereby I have to carry out a thorough clean at the end of it. Nor do I want to do, as implied in some of the postings, have to cook on a 'self-catering' holiday. If I can turn your "don't do it like that, do it like this" it would seem though that, according to some Gite owners I cannot do it like that I have to do it like this, i.e. clean and cook (the customer does not get what they want). That is not for me. I wonder how many others potential renters feel this way. Those who do may rent from businesses offering a cleaning service but not from those who do not, hence reducing their potential market. But what do I know, I am only the customer. Seems like I am one of your undersiables Miki. Best of both Worlds - I do not have to cook and clean and you do not have to put up with me - presume you are full 52 weeks of the year. Paul (in case signature does not appear, P from another computer)