Whatamess

Any news as to what has happened to this lovely dog?

No, Tandem_Pilot, not "rocket science", but then we are not talking rocket scientist are we?  This particular matter concerns a 7 year old child.  As a parent myself I do not believe that a frightened child of 7 in the grips of an anaphylactic reaction and struggling for breath can reasonably be expected to cooly and calmly administer an intramuscular injection into her thigh - an adult would find it difficult enough.  An animated demonstration is all very well and the theory is simple enough, but it doesn't actually reflect real life. In addition, accidents do happen and people have been known to lose a thumb or finger when they have panicked and tried to use the device the wrong way round - if you Google "Epipen loss of digit" you will find that this is not an uncommon occurrence, hence my surprise that a young child may have been left to administer her own medication.  

Hi Kate I really do sympathise with your problem which, despite being flippantly labelled as "trendy" , is a real cause for concern. My husband, who is now 45 years of age, was diagnosed with an allergy to brazil nuts when he was approximately 3 years old.  His parents didn't 'think he might have an allergy', the fact that his airways and lips swelled and he was unable to breathe was pretty conclusive evidence for them and the medical profession.  His last anaphylactic episode was whilst on duty at a football match some years ago when the flapjack provided in the packed lunch was changed to one which contained brazil nut - this resulted in his collapse and only the presence of the St John Ambulance unit saved his life.  He used to be able to eat peanuts but in recent years the brazil nut allergy has extended to include all nuts, and yes, I realise that peanuts are groundnuts, not true nuts, but, nonetheless, it extends to these too.  I believe that it is the proteins found in the nuts and peanuts that are cause of the problem.  Apparently, if the proteins in the nuts are refined then they do not tend to cause a problem, but unrefined proteins from the nuts and peanuts do.  Do not believe that peanut butter will not cause a problem because, if it is unprocessed/unrefined, then it most surely will. I am surprised that a child of 7 has been given what I assume is an Epipen or similar?  These are not easy to use as I believe that it is an intramuscular injection.  I would think that someone at the school needs to be advised/trained on how to use the device properly and safely. I lady that we know has a little boy of 2 years of age who has recently been diagnosed with a nut allergy.  She, like you, now scours the lists of ingredients of foodstuffs, to ensure that her child does not inadvertently ingest nuts.  She recently told me that Kinnerton, who manufacture children's chocolate etc. guarantee that their products are nut free.  www.kinnerton.com I think.  Sainsburys sell little chocolate lollies, so if you can get someone to bring some over for you, that is a chocolate treat that your little girl can enjoy without fear.  There is also an organisation called AAIR with a website which you may find useful.  I think there was also the correct expression for saying that a person has a nut allergy in French. Sorry if I am going on a bit, but it makes me really cross when someone asks for advice on something that is causing them real concern, only to receive very smug, unhelpful responses. The plain fact of the matter is that a nut allergy can be fatal. I hope you can find the information that you are looking for. Regards

Hi MaisieDay Please could you update as to whether you have taken the puppies to a rescue facility? If you have, that is our loss, but I do hope they all find good loving homes soon. By the way, we will be moving to a place in Cote D'Armor. I tried to e-mail you, but I don't know if you received it or not. Thanks

Hi MaisieDay My husband and I are very interested in adopting one of your beautiful pups. Our only problem is that we will not be moving out to France until September. We already have an 11+ year old black labrador named Charlie (who we have had since he was about 2 years old)  and a 5 and a half year old German Shepherd x Newfoundland, named Lizzie, (who we have had since she was 10 weeks old).  Both are RSPCA rescues and are neutered - any addition to our family will also be neutered.  As Charlie gets older we find that he tends to potter about more these days, rather than play.  We would therefore like to find a companion/playmate for Lizzie as she is still full of energy and loves to play a lot. We also have to 11+ year old cats named Lucy and Saffy, who are litter sisters and also RSPCA rescues - I have had them since they were 8 weeks old. We keep all of our pets fully vaccinated and ensure that they have appropriate veterinary care when necessary - they are all extremely important to us. We would like a male puppy if at all possible and, if you still have the puppies, I hope that you could consider keeping a little boy for us until September.[:)] If, on the other hand, you have already taken them to the SPA, I hope that they all soon find kind and loving homes. [:)]

Hi All   We are moving to France in the very near future with our two dogs and two cats.  [:D] We are moving to Brittany and I was wondering if anyone knows whether James Wellbeloved dried dog food is available there? One of our dogs has a very sensitive digestion and, although we have tried various other foods, JW is the only one that suits her and does not cause tummy upsets. I have looked on the internet but cannot find this information out.  I know that Hills Science Plan is widely available, but she just doesn't like it.  We are planning to bring several 15kg bags out with us but ultimately would like to be able to buy it locally if at all possible.  She (Lizzie) is a German Shepherd x Newfoundland and when she was about four months old she ate a tube of extra strength Ibruleve Gel, which caused some damage to her stomach.  She is a bit of a wuss and I think the move will be enough change for her, without messing about with her food as well. I would be very grateful for any information other members of the forum can give me on this one.   Many Thanks[:)]

[:)]  First of all I would like to thank those people who took the trouble to try to offer practical, helpful advice in response to my original posting.  I would also like to thank those people who responded to our situation with compassion and understanding.   Sunday Driver, you are the voice of logic and common sense.  Mr Cat and Ali, I do hope the review goes well for you and that you both continue to enjoy life in France despite your not inconsiderable health issues. [:(]I have been stunned and dismayed at the bitter tenor of some of the responses to my original posting. My integrity as a Solicitor has been called into question, as has the honesty, morality and character of myself and my husband. When I was first awarded Incapacity Benefit I began making applications for part-time work.  I wanted to work part-time, rather than claim any benefit. In eight months I applied for over 20 part-time vacancies but was unable to secure a position.  After eight months on Incapacity Benefit I was diagnosed with cancer.  I underwent major surgery to remove half of my tongue and lymph nodes on the left hand side of my neck.  This left me even more incapacitated than before, with a speech impediment and nerve damage to my left shoulder, causing pain, weakness and instability.  Nevertheless, four months after diagnosis I took on a full-time job, because I felt that I needed to work.  Within four months it became patently clear that I was unfit to work and I reluctantly went back on Incapacity Benefit.  I have since had a trapeziectomy on my right thumb (to match the one I had in 2003 on my left hand) for arthritis.  In addition, I have two discs missing in my lower back and my neurosurgeon says that whilst I can still walk he will leave well alone, as if he operates I would be in a wheelchair for six months and may end up worse off than I am now. In my husband's case, he did not choose medical retirement, it was thrust upon him, there was no question of "soldiering on" as you put it.  He was medically retired from a job that he loved, following an injury sustained as a result of a selfless act protecting and serving the public.  He has since been deemed unemployable - a direct consequence of this injury.  He has also fractured two vertebrae in his neck and two in his lower back and has three compressed discs.  He has had seven separate operations on his knees and suffers from sciatica.  We get through painkillers like Smarties in our house.  We do not look for sympathy, but a little compassion goes a long way and we do not deserve the roasting we have received on this forum. You do not know our circumstances Bigears, nor do you wish to, and yet it seems you consider yourself sufficiently informed to quite happily cast aspersions on our character and to all intents and purposes brand us as benefit cheats. We do not have to justify our claim for Incapacity Benefit, since that is the role of the medical examiners acting on behalf of the Department of Work and Pensions. We do not and never have claimed that we shall be incapacitated for life and as for it being "a nice feeling not to have to worry", I believe that that was precisely the reason for my original posting - that I am worried. Tony F, if it were that simple to practice as a Solicitor freelance for one day a week, don't you think I would have taken that route?  After four years at University and two years as a trainee, it is not something that I gave up lightly. In order to practice as a Solicitor I would have to obtain Professional Indemnity Insurance cover, which is an extremely expensive commodity, even for a thriving law firm.  I would also have to re-register with the Law Society and pay for a practicing certificate at a cost of around £1,000 pa.  I would then have to pay for as many courses as it took to get "up to speed" with current legal practice at a cost of around £500.00 each half day course.  I would also have to attend further Continuing Professional Development courses for around 16 hours per year, at my own cost, to be permitted to practice.  Then of course I would have to find clients, buy computer programmes designed for my particular field of practice, hire an accountant and then, hopefully, get paid (if I win the case).  With all of those expenses no law firm would want to hire a qualified Solicitor for one day a week - the figures simply do not stack up. Getting back to Incapacity Benefit, the "you're either too sick to work or you're not, that's the way the benefit is paid in the UK" statement is erroneous and misleading.  The fact is that under the Permitted Work rules pertaining to Incapacity Benefit, a claimant can work for up to sixteen hours per week and earn up to £88.50 per week without this affecting their entitlement to claim Incapacity Benefit.  Naturally, the benefits agency have to be advised that the claimant is doing the work. I telephoned the Department of Work and Pensions today to obtain some clarification on this matter.  I explained to the advisor that we were in receipt of Incapacity Benefit and that we had bought a property in France.  I explained that we intended to engage an architect to draw up plans and obtain any necessary consents and then engage a builder to carry out the renovations to provide a home for us.  I was advised that this did not constitute work on our part.  I further explained that our property includes a number of outbuildings and that we had been considering the idea of engaging an architect to draw up plans and obtain any necessary permissions and then engage a building firm to renovate the buildings which we may then let out as holiday lets.  I was advised that having the outbuildings renovated does not constitute work on our part.  Therefore having our property renovated whilst being in receipt of Incapacity Benefit is not "working on the black".  Having an idea is not work, and if we have the outbuildings renovated we would not have a business, we would have renovated outbuildings.  If, however, we decided to let them out as holiday accommodation, then, I was told, we would be self-employed, running a business and that is when we would be deemed to be working.  This is not my interpretation of the rules but that of the Department of Work and Pensions. We do not have a business plan, nor will we be borrowing any money for any renovations that we have carried out on our property, and if having an idea, dream or ambition precluded people from claiming Incapacity Benefit then no-one would be permitted to claim it.  If we do decide, in the future, to run gites or a small caravan site then there is no question but that we would cease to claim Incapacity Benefit but, until such time, we do not believe that we would be doing anything wrong morally, legally or in any other way.  Our consciences are clear.  In the meantime if DWP medical examiners declare that we are no longer entitled to claim Incapacity Benefit, then so be it. Why do we think we may be able to run a business in France?  Because we can afford to buy a substantial property with land in a nice area  and have it renovated and have the potential for holiday letting for part of the year.  In the UK property prices in decent holiday areas mean that there is no way on earth (short of a lottery win) that we would be able to afford a similar project.  We do not anticipate such a business operating 52 weeks of the year - more like 20 - 25 weeks of the year and we would employ others to do what we are unable to do (ie clean and change sheets once a week or once a fortnight).  We can only give it our best shot. Tony F, we are no strangers to the ravages of cancer, having lost several precious family members to it - we wish you nothing but good health and a contented, if forced, retirement.    

Bigears, I don't quite get you point. We do not claim Incapacity Benefit because we got fed up with working, so thought we would take a medical retirement.  Believe it or not, I was earning a darn sight more than eighty quid a week as a lawyer!  Nor do I think the change of location from the UK to France will make one iota of difference to our incapacity - the ability to run our own business may however make a difference to our quality of life and self esteem. I am not quite sure why or in what way I am being accused of taking the michael out of people who have exited public services without any benefit.  I am not an ex public sector/service employee in any event.

To be clear - we do not intend to work and claim Incapacity Benefit.  Yes, we are both on Incapacity Benefit because we are unable to undertake paid employment.  However, up until the last couple of years we have both worked for employers, paid our National Insurance contributions, income tax, pension contributions, council taxes and any other "dues" - we are not criminals or benefit scroungers!  I am a retired Solicitor and my husband is a retired Police Officer - we claim Incapacity Benefit because we have been assessed and found to be entitled to do so. We are not in a position however to set up in the UK the type of business we hope to set up in France, and running our own business is the only way that we can envisage working again. We cannot work in France, i. e. we will be unable to earn anything, until our property has been suitably renovated and any permissions obtained for running a small caravan site.  When we are able to set up a business then, of course, we will pay whatever income tax etc. that is due.  When we have set up a business we will pay others to undertake whatever physical work we cannot undertake ourselves. After reading the article in Living France I simply wanted to know whether it was possible to become a French resident and continue to receive Incapacity Benefit from the UK with a form E121, until such time as we are able to set up our business in France, as we had thought that becoming French residents precluded us from receiving Incapacity Benefit from the UK.

[8-)]  I apologise in advance if the specifics of this query have been dealt with elsewhere but I must confess that this matter has got me a bit worried and, as usual, confused. My husband and I are both living in the UK at present and in receipt of Long Term Incapacity Benefit.  We intend to move to France in early 2008.  We will not be working but ultimately intend to run a few gites and perhaps a very small caravan park (10 or less caravans, subject to approval).  We intend to live in France full time, with our French home being our only residence. I have seen in Living France today, in an article by Bill Blevins, that people on Long Term Incapacity Benefit can get a form E121 and thus not have problems with the current changes to healthcare entitlement in France.  I have also seen, on this forum, where people appear to have moved to France and have their Incapacity Benefit paid into French bank accounts and obtained form E121. We were under the impression that once we moved to France we would not be able to claim Incapacity Benefit but now we are not so sure. Could anyone please throw some light on this for us?  Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[8-)] Well, that has certainly given us a lot to think about guys!  Must admit, I find it all a bit confusing, but I am sure the OH will understand all the technical stuff.  The house is about 160 years old, so I guess it should be settled by now.  The floors that are there at the moment are concrete, (I think), and there is a cellar which will have to be filled in (because I don't like cellars!). Think this is probably one of those situations where a lot of reading/research is required - got to get it right first time - don't want the whole structure falling down around our ears! Thanks all.  

[:D]Just the sort of party entertainment my OH would enjoy, Fififi! He is a very strange man[geek]. We understood from a Klargester rep that we spoke to at the Harrogate Homebuilder and Renovation Show last week that the Klargester systems are undergoing testing to ensure that they comply with European Standards so that they will get the appropriate approval (or whatever it is they need - its all Greek to me!). We will be based in Brittany, so I wonder if you could let me know the address of Klar Environment and the name and address of the installation company? Thanks for your response to my query and to others who responded. Regards Whatamess

[8-)]Hi My husband and I are hoping to move to France next year.  We have already bought a property to renovate. My husband is a retired police officer and, as such, he receives a pension from the police, which I understand will remain taxed in the UK and not France.  I do not currently work outside of the home.  Neither of us is of pensionable age, and will not be for some years to come. We will come to France with an income of approximately £1,500 per month and with a capital sum of approximately £200,000.00, though I expect a good deal of that will be swallowed up by renovation costs. We ultimately hope to renovate our outbuildings (as so many people do!) and use them as holiday lets, but it will be a couple of years before this will come to fruition.  We also hope to obtain permission to accept up to 10 touring caravans on the property (7 acres).  This will hopefully supplement our income (we know that it will not make "a living"). My rather long winded question is this, If we are not employed or earning anything in France, will we still be expected to pay social security contributions?  I have tried to read up on this subject but must admit I am a little confused by it, and would be grateful for any guidance. Thanks

Hi We have got to completely rebuild the inside of our lovely French house/ruin. I have searched the internet but cannot find the information that I need. Does anyone know how deep the foundations need to be to construct internal loadbearing walls? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks[:)]

Hi All Does anyone have any experience of installing/using Klargester BioDisc Sewage Treatment Plants? I would be interested to hear of any information regarding these.  We are moving to France and considering using this system. Many Thanks

Thank you for your responses - very helpful.  The staircases on the website are indeed beautiful - just have to persuade he who thinks he holds the purse strings that we absolutely must have one of these to do our property justice! Thanks again.

Can anyone advise me as to where I can obtain an oak staircase in France - we will be restoring (or is it rebuilding) a property in Brittany. Thanks

Sadly, I do not have a solution to you problem, but I am pretty sure that there is one out there. I was interested to know what this cistern thing looks like as we have just bought a property in France and there is a structure in the garden which looks like a raised square concrete slab, with a concrete post at each corner, and we have no idea what it is.  We do not know where the old cesspit or whatever is and I wondered if this structure was a cistern, like yours? Wondered if you had a photo of yours you could post, for info? Good luck in finding a solution to your effluent problem soon.

Hi Ozpete There is a firm at Corlay in Brittany which manufactures(?) the Bois/Alu menuiserie.  They are called Line Services at Z. A. de Kerjoly, 22320 Le Haut Corlay.  Tel:  02 96 57 80 03.  They do the coloured aluminium double glazed windows as well, but they were far too expensive for us!