Chas

We sign for our house sale on Wednesday and travel back to UK on Thursday, having had 8 great years here. We are pensioners, in our 70s, who have decided that it is time for a new adventure while we are still young enough to have one. So it is a smaller house in UK, convenient for our families when we finally decide to grow up, and a larger camping car and back on the road next year. We managed quite comfortably on our pensions - fortunately not just state pension - by trying to live within our means. So, as far as we are concerned it is a bit more growing old disgracefully and a hope that that the exchange rate doesn't change too much in the next few days.    

Different people have reported different experiences with the "administration" of ISP contracts. For what it's worth here's mine. House sold, removers booked so I sat down with the template contract cancellation letters downloaded from elsewhere on the forum. One of these was aimed at SFR/Neuf and haveing tailored it to my circumstances winged it away to said company. Lo and behold, yesterday, I received a phone call from a lady at Neuf asking to talk about my contract. Sensing my less than perfect french she asked if I would prefer to talk in english - an opportunity grabbed with both hands. Anyway the net result was, far from being a problem, a query as to when I actually wanted my contract stopped - it could have been today if necessary, and an assurance that no further prelevements would be taken. This was an altogether better experience than lots I have heard of and one I thought worthy of reporting  [:D] [:D]

[quote user="Bannon"] That's clear enough. Half hoping there was a big loophole - the only one then being a small one to... move to the UK with a 'French' licence when you are 69 years and 11 months old. Cheers [/quote] Surely your licence would then be valid for only one month whereas if you moved at 70 or later it would be valid for three years  - or am I having a senior moment [8-)]

Here's one place. Search under housses vetements will give you more  http://www.laredoute.fr/category.aspx?categoryid=32153101

Carrefour in Saintes and L'Eclerc in Saintes and Royan all stock them - you could try locally.

And if you want more choice I have used these suppliers for eight years now http://www.vitaminsdirect.co.uk/

[quote user="Nick Trollope"][quote user="Sunday Driver"] The rate per CV is 32€ everywhere - except Paris....[;-)] Halved if the vehicle is over 10 years old. [/quote] Ta! I thort, however, that it was cheaper in some depts - which is why most hire cars seem to be registered in dept 60?[/quote] Is this link any use to you? http://www.carte-grise.org/cout_carte_grise.htm

[quote user="NormanH"]If the list of people authorised to sign was more like the passport one, or the Local Government pension  form I referred to before, it would be easier to find a fellow  Brit to sign. After all there are plenty of professional people in retirement  in France.[/quote] That reminded me that in my earlier post I forgot the signing requirements.  It simply required an adult resident who was contactable and who was not a member of the family.   

Received the form a few weeks ago. As far as I know I'm still alive so I filled it in and got it signed and sent it back. No big deal.  A neighbour, however, had changed address and not having made arrangements for mail to be forwarded did not receive his form. The  first he knew was some weeks later when his pension was not paid. Moral - make sure your personal admin is up to date.  

Try these people. They should be able to help. http://www.cartonservice.fr/

[quote user="spg"][quote user="Jazzer"] Today's bulletin says they feel the rate will not fall below 1.20 but could rise to 1.30[/quote] Just to add that the £ is trading in real time at this very moment on 4xx at 1.1861 if you have £20 000 available to transfer ... Sue [/quote] That will do nicely thanks. but then, we are going the other way with the proceeds of our house sale [:)]

managed to go to black and olive green[:)]

We are moving back!  We came in October 2000 more or less on a whim plus a bit of a plan and picked up infomation as we went along. We have lived here just over eight years now and have been really happy in our renovating and also life in general. Language has posed a few problems but none that were insurmountable and being retired rather than having to work has been a real bonus plus we tend to be glass half full rather than half empty. However, itchy feet have started to kick in and it is time for another adventure while we still can. I don't think we ever intended to die in France so would probably have gone back at some stage as really old age arrived - at 70 we think we are just about out of our teens and want to grow old a bit disgracefully with the family around to pick up the bits if necessary. The house sale completes early December and at the moment we have nowhere permanent in England.  It's payback time for eight years worth of visitors while we look for a smaller house and a larger camping car. Then it's on the road again. Good time financially for us both in terms of  UK house prices and the €/£ exchange rate. I guess we are part of a small band who are happy with the exchange rate at the moment but I hope it comes back up for you guys after December. Anyway it's back to the boxes and packing and cancelling services here. OP has a dream and I say go for it. If after a year it hasn't worked then there is a house to go back to in UK and you will always be able to say you walked the walk not just talked the talk. 

The National Anthem may be seen by some to be a dirge compared to those of other nations, but it is the only one we have and as long as it is my National Anthem I will respect it and sing it with pride.

Gordon Brown was visiting a primary school in North Yorkshire where he looked in on one of the classes. They were in the middle of a discussion related to words and their meanings.  The teacher asked Mr. Brown if he would like to lead the discussion on the word 'tragedy'. So the illustrious leader asked the class for an example of a 'tragedy'. A little boy stood up and offered: 'If my best friend, who lives on a farm, is playing in the field & a tractor runs over him and kills him, that would be a 'tragedy.' 'No,' said Brown........' that would be an accident.' A little girl raised her hand: 'If a school bus carrying fifty children drove over a cliff, killing everyone inside, that would be a tragedy' 'I'm afraid not,' explained Mr. Brown ' that's what we would call great loss' The room went silent. No other children volunteered. Gordon Brown searched the room. 'Isn't there someone here who can give me an example of a tragedy?' Finally, at the back of the room, little Johnny raised his hand. In a quiet voice he said: 'If A plane carrying you and Mr. Darling was struck by a 'friendly fire' missile & blown to smithereens, that would be a tragedy.' 'Fantastic!' exclaimed Brown. 'That's right. And can you tell me why that would be tragedy?' 'Well,' says little Johnny 'it has to be a tragedy, because it certainly wouldn't be a great loss and it probably wouldn't be an accident either!'

Good to see that your mairie along with many others employs a girl called Marie [:)]

Just another two penn'orth.  I've been with Neuf  (degroupage partial) for two years and up until yesterday had had very little trouble - down for two periods of about 20 minutes. Yesterday morning there was no internet connection. Phoned the helpline and got an instant message that the line I was calling from was subject to problems which were being resolved. I don't know what the problem was but it was sorted by the end of the morning and has been OK since.

There is lots of info about. Try searching under French ships at Trafalgar.  Admiral Villeneuve flew his flag in Bucentaure at Trafalgar. another well documented is Captaine Lucas in Redoubtable Some links here may get you started http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_ship_Redoutable_(1791) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Trafalgar#Franco-Spanish_fleet http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/frenchmusterrolls.asp

You can also pick up a lot of info from the magazines - "Camping Car" and "Le Monde du Camping Car" - for example.

This my understanding, as explained by our builder whern we put up our shed - albeit some years ago.  It is the floor area that is counted and what is more it is only free of paperwork if under 2 sq.m. Between 2 and 20 you need to complete the declaration prealable and above 20 it requires full permis de construire. Information  at the link will give you a start. http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/F17578.xhtml?&n=Logement&l=N15&n=Construction&l=N319&n=Contrat%20de%20construction%20:%20formalit%C3%A9s&l=N320&n=D%C3%A9claration%20pr%C3%A9alable&l=N311

[quote user="Speedy"]Can anyone confirm : I have heard that carte de sejours are about to be stopped! Note : re address - when you move in France the authorities do NOT change the carte de sejour address (or even your passports if you are French!!) [/quote] They may not physically change it but it is clearly stated on my carte de sejour that :- "tout changement de résidence doit etre déclaré dans les 8 jours de l'arrivée au nouveau domicile"

Some information on trends here but little detail. http://www.immonot.com/tendMarche.do

Anyone for the rural idyll? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/2699866/Modern-Jean-de-Florette-exposes-dark-heart-of-French-farming.html

Charente Maritime/Deux Sevres??

Granny sucking eggs probably,  but if you source from the US remember that their normal power supply is 110volts!