CeeJay

Thank you both Clarkkent and Norman, the bargepole advice seems particularly apt and I will certainly go along with that. Presumably I shall now have to go back and ask for a substitute product.........I bet he won't be happy about that!

I am in the throes of probably having to have a knee replacement. At the moment knee is swollen quite badly, referred to a specialist who is conducting tests but in the meantime he has prescribed Colchimax twice per day. Looking up this drug on the internet I was very surprised to see that there is a web site devoted to the side effects and not very nice reading either! I would be grateful to know if anyone has taken this drug and should I be concerned?

Can I draw all posters attention to the difficulty I raised last year in having treatment at our local conventionee Clinique and then being charged for it a year later and after submitting an EHIC at the time of treatment. I have been fighting for reimbursement from Newcastle for the past year and have again recently been told that they would not cover the cost as the Clinique is private! End of story as far as they are concerned!!

God bless you Norman

Any news on when these increases will take effect?

Thanks for the replies and yes it is a French licence, so will just sit tight. Just paid the fine on line and was very impressed with the web site, very easy.

Just been a naughty boy and received an Avis de Contravention for being caught in a radar trap going 98kph instead of 90kph. This is the first time for me in France and I have never been caught in UK in 50 years driving. Hey ho, no complaints, but what happens to the driving licence if I have to have points deducted, do I have to send it somewhere or just wait for instructions. Presumably no one would bother for just the 1 point for 6months?

Sorry, don't understand this unless my tax bill at about 3000 Euros is deemed to be small! All information accompanying the Avis details numerous ways to pay which includes one off payments, perhaps I am looking at the wrong thing?

I recently bought a 3 burner gas bbq which had to be put together, although the main oven, so to speak, was complete with three inox tubes leading from the controls at the front to the back of the oven. I think these are called venturi tubes. When we finished I found that I had three packages left over, what's new I thought! All the packages contained the same very heavy cast iron blocks what looks to me like burners, there are small holes in the side for flames I presume. They measure about 30cm long x 8cm wide x 4cm deep. It would seem that they could be used instead of the venturi tubes but the instruction book makes no mention of this, and I cannot find a place to put them additionally to the tubes. I did think that if the bbq was used with pierre lave (?) then I would need to change oveer to the cast iron burners, but I cannot find any information about this. I would be grateful for any help before I light it and blow myself up!!!

Well done, welcome to this area, you are just up the road, sort of, from us in Ganges and yes it is very flippin hot, it's been around the 40C for a few weeks now and my tomatoes are starting to flag a bit!

Interesting to read in the Times recently of the incredible back-up facilities for Bradley Wiggins et al which included specially converted Volvo coaches at an enormous cost. Each seat for the team members apparently has an individual Sky + and HD facility for them to view, presumably, how they performed that day. Would this be officially sanctioned by Sky I wonder, if so, what about the rest of us?

Having completed and sent the tax return for my wife and I in exactly the same manner as last year, which was the first time, I have now received a letter from the tax office in Montpellier asking for a copy of our carte vitale. I did enter in Box V111 on Form 2047 that I was the holder of an S1 and therefore exempt from social charges but it seems that proof is now required. Is this a normal enquiry?

I was always told by venerable gardeners that one should not transplant root vegetables as it doesn't work! I then discovered that beetroot could be sown in a box and then planted out, but recently I have been amazed when I was told by my son that he always sows carrots in a tray and then when about 2" tall plants them out in the garden, I have never heard of this before. Anybody else tried this method?

Well done again Norman!!

I emailed our local tax office at Montpellier this morning and asked the question as to what would be the official exchange rate for paying tax. I have just received a reply which gives a statutory notice of some sort and lists the rate to use for a number of countries. Against Royaume-Uni it  quotes that the rate as at 1st January 2011 was £0.8608 to the Euro and as at 31st December 2011 it was £0.8353 to the Euro so the taux moyenne over the year would equate to 0.84805 for 1 Euro and then converts that to £1.17918. Having now asked I shall have to stick with that!!!! Taken from a previous posting

Thanks for that...........perhaps you missed my post on page 3!!!

I agree with NormanH that rates are a bit academic really when you can tot up your income coming over and use the actual amount that lands in your French account in the year Maybe, but what happens when your main income gets paid into a UK bank and stays there until infrequently called upon, if at all during the year?

I emailed our local tax office at Montpellier this morning and asked the question as to what would be the official exchange rate for paying tax. I have just received a reply which gives a statutory notice of some sort and lists the rate to use for a number of countries. Against Royaume-Uni it  quotes that the rate as at 1st January 2011 was £0.8608 to the Euro and as at 31st December 2011 it was £0.8353 to the Euro so the taux moyenne over the year would equate to 0.84805 for 1 Euro and then converts that to £1.17918. Having now asked I shall have to stick with that!!!!

Thanks for the replies one and all. Perhaps I was a bit previous in posting because this morning I did indeed receive the relevant Form 2047 in the post. Good to know that one can opt for either the printed versions or online for both. Perhaps next year I will be more prepared!!

Norman Thanks for that but is it possible also to complete Form 2047 on line in addition to 2042......... I guess the answer to that is obviously no. Also I cannot find any way to download the Form as I did last year. Presumably then this will be ongoing as Form 2047 is the only means to declare that having entered France with an S1 I do not have to pay social charges?

This year (for 2011 return) will be the second year that I have completed these forms. Last year I completed Forms 2042 and 2047 including Form 3196 for bank declarations, for 2010, which were all downloaded. I have been sent this year only Form 2042K which is practically identical to Form 2042, however I am concerned that Form 2047 was not included. Is this normal and do I have to download this Form every year to complete. Surely from last years return it would be obvious that there is a potential for my earnings i.e. pension to be sourced from abroad and therefore the additional Form should have been sent? Actually I have been unable to download Form 2047 from Claire's guide so do I have to request it be sent from the Tax Office?

Had mine this morning.....from Montpellier

Well, I have fixed that door ok and quite pleased, it actually opens and closes like it says on the tin!! However I have now started to fix the second door and have banged out the old frame ready for the new one, but found that the wall, attached thereto is built of very thin red brick type things with the holes facing the opening. I have to make a fixing for the frame but not sure how I should fill in the holes in order for me to screw the frame to, any suggestions please. The old frame was not fixed to the door wall part as it continued up to the ceiling and presumably fixed further up.

Yes, absolutely right Chancer, and to cap it all I inspected it this morning and it had not hardened, it was like marshmallow!!!! Spent today ripping it all out and trying to pack with offcuts to screw plasterboard to. This is an obviously ongoing saga and nightmare for me!

Thanks for all the replies chaps. I went down the route of packing pieces and expanding foam..........what a mess, the foam refused to stick to the wall even though I had sprayed it with water, and finished up on the floor, so wearing the gloves they supply I had to scoop it up and wodge it in by hand!! I now have to buy some more foam to foam on top of foam! A carpenter I ain't, especially after my wife suggested next time get some one in, still, I have learnt lessons for when I do the next one!!