tegwini

I forgot to mention we have to buy it here - in the UK.  France is at present  a 'TVfree zone'.  It will end up there - eventually. Are there any make to avoid ? Prices here are from about   £130 - 999 for LCD & plasma.  Sounds like LCD runs more economically.  19" LCD/HD/Freeview/DVD player for about £160.  We don't want larger - we have a room off the kitchen which we use as a TV room.  The armchairs are about 8 ft from the screen, so we can't put in a larger screen, even if we wanted to.    Being 'peasants' we hardly use the sitting room. Regards Tegwini      

Thanks all! Martin - our aged one does look like something out of the ark ! and the sound has gone - sadly not worth repairing no doubt, and it's too deep and bulky - average sized screen, over 20 years old I think, so it's done quite well. I have been looking on the net and have discovered that nearly all are HD ready & France is to change here too I think ? and many are FREEVIEW- something we will want in France - so the question now is will this work in France - with the addition of a dish of course ? Regards Tegwini    

In our PC society lots of kindly liberal types put evil nutters out on the street - as it's kinder, fairer ... We had a next door neighbour, a psychiatrist (a medically trained shrink) and he told us that what was inside was totally looney, and sometimes allowed out.   He left to lecture at Manchester University, now a Prof. as he could not longer cope with what's inside. Sadly they are still letting them out.  Husband played golf  a while back with a probation officer who told him that southern England was awash with released pedophiles. Something to be said for bringing back the death penalty for a crime such as that in Belguim. Tegwini

And, for a change I also agree with you WB- is Wossie a wight  *anker? Sorry, but he, and the profligate BBC make my blood boil ! Tegwini

Where ?? Just got a price to top up a large tank in Wilts., UK -   36.7 p  per litre- cheaper than last autumn's purchase by about 5 p per litre, and cheaper than Nov. 2007 by about 15 p per litre. French  domestic oil & VAT was more in 2006 Spring - we have oil heating there, but a large tank full will likely last for  over 3 years as we only use it when there. Tegwini  

Our aged TV is dying noisily - and will have to be replaced - ASAP.  Within the next few days. Any suggestions as to a make/model that will work here for a while and then work in France without problems as we are not at all technically minded.     Not wanting a giant sized one, and presumably one of the thin ones, although here recently plasma screens have been criticised, as 'ungreen', and might have EU controls on their manufacture soon. Although I hear of thin ones, but not plasma ... Very confused -     Please help !  Thanks in advance Tegwini

For shame Wooly Nasty, scruffy anarchists are doing this for the poor ???   And you approve of this  ?  Most would call this THEFT - and ultimately the customer pays for theft.  Food costs may have gone up recently, but our parents and grandparents spent a  much larger % of their income on food than we do,  and they had to use small shops.   I  can remember the first times my parents went to a supermarket, and it was cheaper than 'The Meadow' local grocers. And is fois gras & champagne a necessity for the poor ?    What tosh !!  - most or many  manage without these, including myself & I can afford them.   Any plans to do similar in your local supermarket?  Do let us all know. Tegwini

"We live in the wilds of Vienne and some of our local roads are not good, but when you get on the main roads they are, generally in superb condition compared to the UK".  quote   Bugbear Couldn't agree more Bugsy - I have damaged a tyre recently driving over a pothole - and in the UK NOT France.  In case some clever d*ick asks why I drive into a pot hole - well it was a choice of staying on my side of the road and the pothole, or having a head on crash.   I have also damaged a tyre when the road in Wiltshire  was strewn with flint stones.   Even little (white) roads in the back end of the Vienne are in better condition than some of the 'A' roads in Wiltshire. Tegwini  

Me too, Sadly, many Americans,  and others seem very naive -   so much promised, and expected, and rarely delivered.   Reminds me of Nelson Mandela who many saw as a saint etc, but sadly he could not deliver what he promised. Tegwini  

"As for the shellfish, I'm not that adventurous with them.  Some of the strange looking things with starey eyes and wicked looking claws are too much of a challenge for my culinary skills ".  Quote Sweet 17 Me too Sweets,  I also find them a bit scary & let/allow(!)  husband the opportunity of cooking them himself.   Even he doesn't like the eyes staring up at him from his plate. I find the prawns quite vengeful and got spiked recently squashing them into the freezer.  Regards Tegwini    

I too am planning to get curtains, but how ?  with windows opening inwards is it possible to have 'proper' lined curtains, rather than a tiny bit of voile hanging on the window.  Is there some kind of curtain rail that splits or something ?   We barely need privacy, but I like the look of 'proper' curtains, and they are also extra insulation in winter. Any ideas ? Regards Tegwini ps we had thick fabic on walls and even ceillings - a bit like carpet it was, but very hard to remove.

Huge differences Wooly Warsaw ghetto Jews had not been attacking the N*azis - no significant weapons, certainly no rockets eg Qassams supplied by nasty states elsewhere stating often that you should be destroyed. N*asi intention was genocide, and they managed to kill millions massively decreasing the number of Jews in Europe. Israel's intention is self defence, and the number of Palestians, and  otherArabs that surround them has increased massively over the past few decades.     If Israel was planning genocide they are clearly not very good at it.  Ultimately, for Israel it is a matter of survival. They want peace, something the Arabs and other neighbouring states do not want. I shall say no more on this.    I have no axe to grind as an outsider to either side, but having studied (modern) history to MA level do try to avoid prejudice,  but sometimes find it hard to read some posts which are written with massive bias and obvious hatred for Israel and Jewish people. Tegwini

Wooly Do read up on what happened to the Warsaw Ghetto - you cannot compare the two. Sadly your prejudices are showing again. Tegwini

Sweets, Almost forgot - fish in France is amazing, at least 30 foot counter at our nearest Auchan.  We were amazed the first time we saw it - especially the ice 'walls'.   And a good choice of fresh fish & shell fish, and much cheaper than the UK.   Fresh salmon recently we paid  euro 7.50 per kilo - amazing !    One euro for a trout !   We now freeze it and pack in an ice bag and bring it back to the UK.  Our local (superstore) Tesco has about 10ft of fish counter and fresh salmon usually over £14 per kilo.    OH/husband really keen on fish so it's a real treat to shop there. Regards Tegwini

Hello again - another senior moment ? I had a look again, just to see how to turn it on again, and couldn't find out how!   Could you explain that to me Tenniswitch please? Many thanks & regards Tegwini

Many thanks Tenniswitch and apologies for my delay in replying - I had a senior moment and couldn't find my post. Yes I've just done it I think,  now crossing fingers that I can get it switched on again! Regards Tegwini  

"What's missing in our local supermarkets are things like Kaffir leaves, Tahinni sauce, satay sauce, parpadelle shaped pasta, decent soy sauce, sesame oil, Hoisin sauce, etc, etc".  quote Sweet17 Crikey Sweets you're obviously a gourmet! But, I suspect you would struggle to find some of those in my local Tesco - and a London friend tells me it's the biggest he's ever seen.   I had a struggle here (in Wilts) to get some Garam Marsala for curry -and that's quite ordinary stuff I think.   The French don't seem to eat much Indian food, so that's part of the problem.  However,  in rural Wilts lots of Indian/Asian restaurants, even one in my small village- that used to be a post office! Regards Teqwini      

Hi Sweets What can't you get in France for Italian/Indian cookery? Just curious,  as yet have not got a full large freezer /shelf of jams, bottled stuff as I don't do too much serious cooking in France when we're there.   And wonder what is missing in French shops.   Only a small freezer/frig in France and all the jam making & cooking for the freezer takes place in England. So far I've been impressed with our nearest Auchan. Regards Tegwini

Thanks all for the help. Not difficult to get onto this system - we did it at the Orange/FT shop in town.  I am still trying to turn the phone off - almost giving up now. I tried again today via the phone - told yet again, by a machine, that they are too busy - 'call again'.   Also logged on & registered - but couldn't find a link, or means to turn the phone off.   And, I also can't find FT's email - looked everywhere for that. Help !!! Regards tegwini

Yes, I for one am interested in the price of food in France and the UK- the other 215 countries not so.    Obviously !!  And, I suspect that this reflects the opinion of many on this forum.  Some living in France even go the UK to shop for stuff they can't find in France, or if such is cheaper in the UK.  There has been a thread/posts on this recently.   And why not ? Tegwini    

I agree with you Sprogster &  5 Element, it might be a marketing ploy. Most of us are curious & have had a look at TF even if we have never posted there.  IMO the quality of the posts in the one topic I looked at  was not good.  Not just the language either.  Mostly not debates, just rudeness, and some very bossy. Something I think the Mods objected to.   And there are only a few posters keeping going a topic now reaching dozens of pages,  and  very boring.  Most repeating themselves endlessly,  something OH accuses me of, but I  try not to do this here ! Tegwini

  "Most of us have to buy food in the country in which we live."   quote  John /Iceni "Unless we now have self appointed  relevance police who decide what is relevant" quote BaF   Thanks Boiling a frog and NormanH  The title of this thread is the price of supermarket foods- country not specified.     Plus, not everyone lives fulltime in France, some are  planning to move to homes in France,  but shop in both the UK & France and like to compare prices.    I suspect that the percentage of those of us with a foot in two countries is quite high. Perhaps the Mods  might know? Regards Tegwini  

Since our house in France is a maison secondaire I intended to switch the  phone off between visits and I think we pay extra for this service. Trouble is,  it is so difficult to get through to FT to ask them to do this, and also to get it switched on again.   Last week I phoned FT 5 times on one day, only to be told to call again - too busy.    And, on one visit it took days to get it switched on again,  so now we seem to leave it on. Does anyone know the difference in cost ?   I am almost convinced that we are saving little, what with calls to FT from here to get it off, and then on again - quite apart from the frustration ! Any ideas very welcome. Thanks in advance Tegwini

No- he's too much of a gentleman I think, not on a motoring/license/legal/yawn thread. No more questions -  gentlemen ! Tegwini

Can't !!! A gentleman never asks (what was asked) and a lady never tells! Sorry,  can't spill dirt or beans, the beans are needed for lunch.  Confidentially Tegwini