chrisb
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Posts posted by chrisb
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[quote user="Mareille"]Many farmers are rich on paper but compared to most industries the return on capital is absolutly pathetic as for subsidies what is your problem many essential services are supported by subsidies such as health services and education Chris[/quote]Not to mention the banking industry! At least farmers are producing something useful.
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[quote user="Chancer"]
I have yet to meet a poor farmer
[/quote]You obviously don't get out much. Even in Sussex you'll probably have some. -
The new tractor of course will actually belong to the bank for a good while to come.A dairy farmer near us could no longer afford to employ his stockman so went to the bank for a loan or extended overdraft. The bank said they couldn't possibly do that but they would give him a loan to install a robotic milking parlour so he wouldn't need the stockman.Brilliant solution - one more recruit for the unemployed, the farmer further in unaffordable debt but the bank laughing all the way to the proverbial.He hasn't had any beef cattle this year after making a loss last year and agreed with the point above about having had a good wheat crop but not getting much for it. Though as he wryly observed the price of bread in the boulangerie has remained at the levels it went up to when there was a wheat shortage a couple of years back.
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[quote user="Chancer"]
The tunnel will never be able to run at capacity, just look at the percentage of platforms in use during these peak times to see how little of its potential capacity is used.
The following is my anecdotal understanding and I would be gratefull if anyone with informed knowledge could correct me if I am wrong.
The tunnel was designed to run 4 trains per hour during peak periods but the orders were cancelled for half of the planned rolling stock, several of the trains have now been cannibalised for spare parts to keep the remaining ones running.
I have never seen more than one train depart every 45 minutes even when the place was swimming with queuing vehicles.
[/quote]We've often been through at peak times when there were three or even four departures per hour so perhaps you just go at off peak periods.Generally we've found reliability to have been better for the past couple of years (even in the post fire period) - though I hope that it's not tempting fate to say so. -
It's always referred to as "the thing" in our household.Unfortunately it's one of around a dozen different objects that have the same name which is where the system breaks down really......
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As well as the Border Agency people there are also several members of the Kent constabulary in the same room - presumably checking car registrations against their database. I imagine that they must draw lots to decide whose turn it is for an easy day in France.The questions always seem to be the same so there must be some sort of way that suspiciousness can be rated by the way you answer. Or they just enjoy annoying people because they can.
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It was featured on BBC news around 10 days ago.There's no need for anyone to ever fall for one of these scams if they just remember the often repeated advice from banks and other organisations..."We will NEVER ask you to send or confirm your details by e.mail..."Anything that asks you these things is a scam - always.
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[quote user="Baz"]
As an additional point about Tesco whether you hate or love them. As of last Monday they have permanently doubled their points on every purchase, which effectively means you save and spend twice as quickly as before.
Baz
[/quote]Yes - they certainly know how to sucker the masses in. -
Better call me Godot!Sorry to keep you waiting Christine - the image file somehow got corrupted so I need to retrieve a copy from the backed up file. Hope it'll be worth the wait!
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Still in Normandy - Barfleuroops lost it. Hang on a bit
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Is this the one?http://www.geograph.org.uk/
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nope - the rain stopped as soon as we came back to England. We'll be back in September so look for more then!Thanks for your kind comment.
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I'm normally too shy to put my photos on here but you've inspired me to have a go...[IMG]http://i646.photobucket.com/albums/uu181/Cormolain/Normandy/sunset2_400w.jpg[/IMG]This was last month in Normandy - it had rained most of the day which might have contributed to the sky colours.
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You definitely need to get it done before the breeding season.
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[quote user="krusty"]
[quote user="chrisb"]
But unfortunately they have all seen and believed the rubbish published by the rightist UK press about the imaginary free handouts they will get if they get across the Channel. Ironic really.[/quote]The handouts are not imaginary , just this week a new program has started "How the other half live" . A single mum from Zimbabwe living in a London flat with 3 kids gets £240 a week and some rich English family is giving her cheques to pay off her debts.
You can guess what the letters to Zimbabwe will be telling the rest of the folks back home to do "get over here its really great"
[/quote]It may well be that this single mum "from Zimbabwe" is legally resident in the U.K. and entitled to benefits. That's how the welfare state works - according to need.It does NOT mean that all the free houses, cars, mobile phones and the rest that populate the wild fantasies of the press and the more unpleasant political parties are any more real. -
[quote user="Thibault"][quote user="Frenchie"]
[quote user="odile"]
I don't think desperation is an excuse, but perhaps - an explanation.
[/quote]That's exactly my feeling..
[/quote]
Well, if they are that desperate, perhaps they should apply for asylum in France or any other EU country they passed through on their way to Calais.
[/quote]But unfortunately they have all seen and believed the rubbish published by the rightist UK press about the imaginary free handouts they will get if they get across the Channel. Ironic really. -
[quote user="gardengirl "]
We've been sent recorded letters from France regularly over the last 2 years. Not once has the postman rung the bell and asked for a signature; the pink notification card has always still been there. These have all been documents for property buying from the notaire, or letters from the agency dealing with our residence - AGM notifications etc, not parcels. But I personally wouldn't bother unless I needed proof I'd posted it off - which is what the notaire, agency had on their files.
Jo
[/quote]That's my experience as well. I don't know if it's because our British posties don't realise what they are supposed to do with them or if they just can't be bothered.I've paid a similar amount to send documents "recorded delivery" from the U.K. to France. -
The "main" (as in the one atended by the Heads of State) commemoration at the 60th anniversary took place at the Commonwealth cemetery at Bayeux, so it seems reasonable that this time round it should be at the U.S. one.There's not much that can be done to rectify the impression that many have that only the Americans took part. Years of Hollywood distortion have had their effect. We attended a dramatic son et lumiere trip through Normandy's history a couple of years ago and it included an enactment of the Pegasus Bridge operation - complete with a glider in U.S. markings and GIs greeting the local inhabitants. Even the U.K. media are sometimes guilty of using photos of the U.S. cemetery whenever a picture of one is needed. Perhaps the rows of crosses are considered more photogenic than our plain Portland stone headstones.
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Milk farmer's protests over this weekend have resulted in many supermarkets withdrawing all dairy products from sale to avoid recriminations. Tough luck on the EcoMarche in Caumont l'Evente then who had gone along with the ban but still got the recriminations - in the form of a truck load of a well known by-product of milk production dumped to block access to their petrol station. Having arrived from the U.K. last night we popped there this morning to buy (you guessed it) milk, butter and petrol.Ah well!
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You might find that there is a Cercle Francais group in your area. Try asking at the local library.
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[quote user="Cat"]
I now cook mine like this, it's fool-proof and Mr Cat (who is French) says it's as good as anything you'd eat in a restaurant...
Remove the duck breasts from the fridge an hour before you cook them.
Put a heavy frying pan on a medium heat to warm up, and also turn the oven on to a very low heat.
Score the breast fat deeply with a sharp knife, grate a little pepper over the meat side, and sprinkle with a tiny bit of rosemary.
When the pan is good and hot, add the breasts, fat-side down. The pan should be hot enough to sizzle, but not so hot that fat spits everywhere
Leave to cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the fat has melted down by about half, and is well browned,(you should tip the molten fat from the pan several times during the cooking).
Turn the breasts over in the pan, smear a little honey over the fat-side, and leave to cook for about 3 minutes.
Remove breasts from pan, wrap with tin-foil, put in oven to keep warm, and turn the oven off.
De-glaze the frying pan with some port, then add a little more honey and stir until liquid.
Remove the breasts from the oven, open the foil and add any juices to the pan.
Slice breasts thinly and top with the port and honey sauce.
[/quote]That's pretty well what we do but with chopped fresh thyme in place of the rosemary and cider rather than port. But that's Normandy for you! -
To better appreciate the particular beauty of the area try this siteI think I'm right in saying that the Somme department has always been part of Picardie although there have been changes in the other constituent parts.
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[quote user="odile"]I have to say that whenever we drive through Picardie we always wonder why people love it. Flat, huge arable fields - it just doesn't 'do it' for us - but each to their own, hey Woolie. Mind you he is just as rude about my beloved Jura![/quote]I think it's probably true that most areas look at their worst seen from the motorway.
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[quote user="woolybanana"]
Check out the Utube clip.
[/quote]The polling clerks are the self-same ones as are found in every polling station in the U.K. Good to see that some things are universal.
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