tegwini

Thanks Clair  But, is it OK to allow a non-ramoneur to do it ?   I have someone in mind who is a  plumber.  Will this affect your house insurance if there is a fire? Regards Tegwini

I cannot understand why anyone would book via an agent and pay more - apart from potential hassle as in the link provided. They used/still take bookings for LD and charge at least £5 more per booking, and this was the case over 18 months ago when prices where lower and for a low season booking. Tegwini

Howzit John Strange, but understandable that Germany had a large number of Nobel prize winners before WWII when many talented Jewish scientists etc left for the USA.  Some from France too. Similar diaspora of talents from SAfrica.  My old alma mater (Witwatersrand University) has had 4 Nobel laureates, including chemistry and medicine, but it is doubtful there will be many in the future. I don't get the impression that French education, or science has much to learn from, for example, the UK and I am equally cynical about  these statistics. Regards Tegwini   

Me too-   about 30 minutes  NE of Poitiers-  dept 86/Vienne Does anyone have a recommendation & what is the usual price ? Many thanks Tegwini

Clever Cat for finding it! Sounds appropriate to me, memory a bit 'iffy'*  these days, and dredging into the murky recesses of the brain for something almost seen sounds about right for me.  Sad if the Telegraph got it wrong too.  But I bow to Clair's superior knowledge & would not risk using it and sounding  like a Wolly! Regards Tegwini * typical Wiltshire/SW  expression!!    

Story behind this ... ?   noted in Times or Telegraph & verified with a French friend Tegwini

On the tip of your tongue =  presque vu (almost seen) - a bit yuk maybe? Regards Tegwini

"Don't forget either that most of the apparent decline and greed stems from the Thatcher era."  -Will I really don't agree with you here Will.   Greed has always been around us - perhaps there's lots more in the City - maybe, but that has perhaps always been there.   And still is.  Government mismanagement allows it even under Labour- eg Pensions not ringfenced etc But, the decline was before Margaret Thatcher -  under Labour  eg   4 day week, cap in hand to the IMF for loans - and told off by the IMF too for financial mismanagement of the country,   and so on ...   I remember all this.    All before Thatcher. She had to sort out a right mess- and this will have to happen yet again. Regards Tegwini  

Ernie How do you find these things ?? But, I can't argue with most of it - good for a laugh, especially if you aren't having to fund this lot by paying UK tax.  But the present lot are worse, much worse and have caused the problems we have at present. And I agree with you that it takes aim at lots of the snouts in the troughs- even 'Dave' is mentioned.  Sadly, politics seems to be somewhere to 'work' to make money easily with little risk.  Few of them have worked in the 'real' world, very few have any useful professional qualifications eg not many accountants even on  finance committees (few in parliament), and of course loads of Scots voting on English laws.     I read somewhere that Gordon supported some other team (Argentina ??)  vs England  !  Halifax staff have been enraged that the government is more concerned with job losses in Scotland rather than Yorkshire. Dick - not sure why you dislike this so much- don't you think that politicians need to be tensioned up?   And, Gordon has presided over the mania for credit in the UK over the last decade and done nothing to stop this mania.  Unfortunately we are  dependent on  financial services. And now the   cr *p   is hitting the fan because of this.    Sadly not much manufacturing in the UK - not encouraged by Gordon, and now it will contribute towards the UK's relative decline in Europe.  Not difficult to have seen this coming.   My OH has been muttering about the poor financial controls, direction etc  we've had for the last ten years. Regards Tegwini     

Deb I have a friend in rural Wilts. who could not get a job in Normandy - she is French and trained there (at Rouen university I think), and could not get a job at all. It seems that they make the Capes quite difficult to get through and this friend claims that the exam  varies according to the need for teachers, and few are needed at present.She wanted to teach English in France and had to do some strange tasks for the Capes eg Cybeline by Shakespeare (usually considered a bit obscure by most students) so is reasonably fluent in English. She has fallen for a local Wiltshire boy and wants to stay here now, and has just the PGCE at Southampton university and can't get a job here either !  It is a fallacy that there is a shortage of teachers - not here anyway. I doubt that the French would accept a TEFL cert - I see you can do one of these in a weekend or so. Even the Celta qualification only takes a month and does not even require a degree. Good luck anyway. Tegwini

No not beavers Wooly! Not into home brew, unless it's chocolate flavoured! Lots of other creatures of the night though - some digging under the fence too.  Thankfully they don't get into the bedroom & bite! Regards Tegwini  

Wooly Yup it does, but see picture - biting ones have 6 legs! Regards tegwini

Wooley Many, many thanks for your reply - I suppose I do confuse easily,  but to me a mossie is a South African sparrow(see pic) - AND this is not a spelling thread as I am sure that WB has no problems with spelling as he is such a clever furry fruit. But nasty little stinging b***ers should be done away with, know them well & the African variety really are the pits - I come up with giant bumps if they find their way into my bedroom! Regards, and almost forgot, thank you - this is the most polite thread ever !  Tegwini (hope pic is OK never managed one before!)

And thank you too Weedon - although I have not seen a mossie for decades & still am very curious! All so polite today ... Tegwini

Thanks Trizzy Sounds familiar to those of us still living & paying tax in the UK. Although it  is Sunday am  husband is up & doing his extra income work - doing company tax/ accounts & occasionally the tax for individuals.  The individual he's doing am today (and unlike many we're not in bed!) gets more from the state in work & child tax credits than many are paid after working a full week and after deductions. And it's clear this individual carefully keeps  working hours as low as possible to get the maximum benefits.   Plus, quite a bit in the bank.                                                                                                                      Somehow also has the funds to pay an accountant to do the tax too.  And, this is not an anecdote, the evidence is all around him.  Regards Tegwini    

Hi WooleyB What's this about mossies in the Vendée ? Just curious ... Regards Tegwini

I don't know about the  useless UK government being 'crafty' or even businesslike in their dealings - far from it.  Selling our gold reserves at the bottom of the market is one example, plus many many others. The problem is that they are nearly all career politicians.   Very few have ever worked in the real world , or managed a business where normal business controls and constraints could mean bankruptcy and penuary.    My government, (and I did not vote for them - ever!)  if it has a shortfall, for example for their fat-cat pensions, will just increase the tax on something.   No such thing as market forces for them. But, I welcome nuclear power to produce electricity.  And,  I said this decades ago when I heard of the tonnes of coal dust in the air churned out by the UK power stations using coal.    I think the French would be best to get it going in the UK. Tegwini  

I thought I'd revive this thread as OH has kept his nose clean ( was it  for 4 years?) and got the  3 points  removed from his driving licence -  he now has now a  sparkling, spotless, whiter than white, spiffling, wonderfully CLEAN licence.  It arrived the other day. So I can now also be a little sniffy about speeding! Also the initial 'good news' is perhaps not so good,  as he has perhaps changed his mind about retiring ... Tegwini

Ian/Coops2 All wish Debs well- Not everyone has commented, but all hope for a speedy recovery, and have enjoyed her posts in the past.   A vitual friendship can still be a friendship of sorts and it helps to know and understand people a bit better. I expect that everyone is quite convinced that Debs is so very lucky that she has a wonderful OH like you at times like this. Regards Tegwini

Yes Graye, It probably was.   Ours  really only needed nail clipping when old & wonky, (and as small puppies) but still a bit giddy, they weren't out and running around as much as when younger.  One lived to 14 before cancer set in.  They didn't mind their nails being clipped, but would have been very unlikely to sit still long enough even when old to have them filed by a little machine.    They liked to chew up stuff like that - even when old.   Sounds like an American invention, like designer clothing for dogs. Such stuff on a boxer would have survived for minutes.  Still missing them ten years later.  Regards Tegwini  

We bought some a while back, over 15 years ago - in the UK, probably from a pet shop in Oxon/Wilts.   They worked really well on two giddy boxers, who are now in Boxer Heaven. Can't help with the make as I loaned them out and never saw them again!   They are still be available - some here from £2.59 and also still in pet shops I presume. http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/dogs/dog_grooming_care/nail_paw?gclid=CL-fz5X26ZUCFRSO1Qod0khFfA Regards Tegwini

Krusty Many thanks, really clever advert.  I shall probably use it in my teaching.   Thought the soldiers marching off was quite sad.   Lost a granddad in WWI. Strangely, I haven't seen it yet on TV. Regards Tegwini

Hi all I can just cope with him as PM,  Tony not that much better or different.  It's what he did as chancellor (allowed, permitted ... by Tony?) that has caused the UK's problems - and he messed up over 10 years.   Some seem to have forgotten that.    Whoever was PM they would still have Gordon's mess-ups to sort out. Dave, also a muppet in my opinion, will struggle for years to solve the UK's economic & social problems too.   And,  I certainly never voted for Tony! Regards Tegwini

from the Timesonline comments ... Hurrah for the boys in blue! This year I've had a burglary, a car stolen and my wife had a bottle thrown at her by a junkie. Police action? You're kidding. Culprits apprehended? You're 'aving a giraffe mate. So apart from falling out and persecuting motorists, what are the police actually for? Bob, Liverpool, England   I had a little chuckle over this comment,   much needed, as it's raining here in Wilts - again,  for a change ... Tegwini    

I didn't think you could do that.  They have the booked numbers on a hanging thing on your windscreen.    We have paid extra when our daughter unexpectedly came with us recently.   Did they alter the numbers written down? Or - am I missing something ? Regards Tegwini