Scooby

[quote user="ErnieY"][quote user="Scooby"]Agreed Benjamen - everywhere else is moving to chip and pin and doing away with cheques.  Not France - cheques seem to be preferred payment here, despite the absence of cheque guarantee cards.[/quote]I'd check (sic) your facts on that one Scooby, the French pioneered chip and pin way back in the early 80's I think it was and the reason cheques are still in common use, and without guarantee cards, is that the consequences of writing duff cheques can be so severe that nobody does it. I think on the whole the French are vastly more responsible in handling their money than your average credit card debt laden Brit even knows how to let alone practices. [/quote] I wasn't referring to writing a cheque on your own account but of someone writing a cheque using a stolen cheque book.  You only need to have the cheque book in your possession and there is no signature check.. With regard to the comparative levels of debt, that is probably do to limiting borrowing by reference to a maximum monthly repayment -  and the fact that most of the French I have met seem as tight as two coats of paint!!

We bank with Banque Populaire.  We got a great deal on our French mortgage but the current account banking with BP is archaic.  TBH Bugbear we never have cause to go into our branch - I think I've been in once since we opened the account two years ago - and that was only because DH lost his debit card and I had to go in person to pick up the replacement (again, UK banks would have mailed it out to the registered address).

Agreed Benjamen - everywhere else is moving to chip and pin and doing away with cheques.  Not France - cheques seem to be preferred payment here, despite the absence of cheque guarantee cards.  If you try to use cash / debit card then you have an arbitrary fixed limit of 500 euros per week maximum spend which is ridiculous.  We used to transfer currency to our French account and pay cash or debit card but have had our card refused so often by the ridiculous limit we now use a UK Nationwide credit card whereever possible. And let's not get started on the monthly fees - more if you want to have online banking.  We figured its a penalty for potentially threatenening the livelihood of some poor bank official by not using the branch....

In the UK pubs have suffered a significant loss of trade since the smoking ban was introduced.  Personally, as a non smoker, I'm in favour of it but I know of a number of pubs that have closed as a result of the loss of trade.

How about multiple pizza deliveries to the wrong address, delivery of horse muck likewise, suggesting it as a port of call for drunken friends on a night time binge, a bit of illicit fly tipping, a friend with keys to put bleach or something equally noxious down the septic tank while they are out....? One could get quite creative..... [:)]

[quote user="Cathy"] No spotted dick is allowed in the canteen, by the way. [/quote] Hasn't he been banned already????

Just for the record I am a professional 45 year old female, who speaks french...and have had a home in France for several years! PS - Given that I'm a bit of a feminist - I think its really funny that someone thinks I'm a male chauvinist.

The year we moved into our new (old) house - with an acre of 'garden' (read overgrown field)...my dear husband gave me a pair of green wellies and a shovel [blink].  I was not impressed.

[quote user="Panda "]....but I was referring to the pub to pub walking the streets type drunkeness, in France if you see someone out in our town after about 10 you would be surprised, in the UK in a similar sized town it would be heaving (literally) from 9pm till 3am with people the worse for a few drinks.  [/quote] Back from Ireland - lots of live music, wandering from pub to pub with several guinnesses...and had a wicked time.  Much more fun than France in winter [;-)] p.s. - greeted with a phone message from neighbour on my return, she's still bored, why haven't I called and she could really do with a holiday but can't afford.  Nuff said

As I already said Bugbear - my (French) neighbour complains she is bored and I would be bored - that doesn't mean everyone would be.  Everyone is different.  My gran used to watch the same episode of Dad's Army over and over again and think it was hysterical every time. Some people think Eastenders and Coronation Street are great entertainment - personally I loath them both.  Each to his own...

[quote user="Panda "]I live about 10 minutes from a larg(ish) town [/quote] So you're not in 'deepest rural France'

Delia's recipe for Spiced Damson Chutney makes something that is very close to Branston Pickle - with the same dark brown colour.  Its a bit of a phaff stoning all the damsons but the end result is worth it.  (You can also make it with plums but I have only ever made it with damsons) 3lb plums (small dark ones) or damsons 1lb cooking apples 3 largish onions 3 cloves garlic 2 heaped teaspoons ground ginger 1lb seedless raisins 1lb of soft dark brown sugar 1lb demerara sugar 2 pints of malt vinegar 2 tablespoons salt 2 small cinnamon sticks 1 oz whole allspice berries 1 dessert spoon of whole cloves (makes 6lb) 1. Wash dry fruit and split down line to remove stones and place in large preserving pan 2. Core and mince apples (leaving skin on) and add to pan 3. Mince onions and add to pan 4. Add crushed garlic, ginger, raisins, sugars and the vinegar 5. Sprinkle in salt and stir everything throroughly 6. Tie cinnamon, allspice, and cloves in a piece of muslin and add to pan 7. Bring pan to boil and then lower heat leaving chutney to simmer for 2-3 hours stirring occassionally so it doesn't stick 8. When almost all the vinigar has disappeared and the chutney has thickened remove from the heat (be careful not to leave it too ong as chutney will thicken further as it cools) 9. Pot warm chutney in sterilised jars. 10. Label when cold and store in a cool airy cupboard NB Chutney is best left to mellow for at least three months before eating.

Just out of interest - is there any presumption of guilt on the part of the person driving into the rear-end of another car in France?  i.e. that he must have been driving too close or he would have been able to stop in time?

[quote user="47AJM"]And if that doesn't work, I'LL HAVE IT ALL CATERED!!! [/quote] That's exactly what we did last year - ordered everything from the traiteur.  The only job for the girls was reheating things and testing the aperos, wine, brandy....[;-)]

That's the one I use except it's usually more like the old OXO(?) ad - you know the one where she hasn't got pork so substitutes chicken etc.!

Nice looking mince pies GG - how did the mincemeat turn out?

[quote user="Panda "] And Scooby, I am an active young(ish) woman and I live in deepest rural France, I walk daily, go to the gym, go horse riding, and with my son I go to weekly handball training and matches, drama club and karate,  as well as athletics meetings there is lots of 'active' things to do.  Now at night there is not a great deal going on granted, but I prefer the tranquillity to the herds of drunks I used to see go by in my old home in England. [/quote] I have not accused you of being bored.  I stated that my french neighbour frequently tells me that she is bored and that one of the reasons I wouldn't wish to live in France permanently is that I, personally, would be bored.  Life in rural France is not a whirl of excitement and anyone contemplating a move to rural France should be aware of that.  You are very fortunate to have so many things to do in your area - though if you are in deepest rural France I would be interested to know how long it takes you to travel to participate in some of these activities? As an aside you are probably aware from my previous posts that I would be unable to do most of the things you mentioned as I am disabled. Edit: I don't think I've ever seen any drunken youths near our home in the UK.  One of the villagers did, however, lose their son to a heroin overdose.  Apparently he died in the downstairs bedroom of our house in France at a time when the house was unoccupied.  There are drunks, drug addicts and violence in a lot of countries - including France.

If you 'have' to make a go of things I can understand what you are saying sweet 17, but is there really so much shame in admitting that you don't actually like somewhere or that it's not the perfection its presented as - especially if you didn't want to go there in the first place?

Just speak as I find GG.  Your village may be different - I can only speak for my own. Edit:  You are busy now doing up your house so I can appreciate you're not bored - but what will you do when the renovations are complete?  Sorry if you feel  my comments are negative but I feel its important to present 'the other side of the coin' - everything is not rosy and wonderful in France - there are downsides and for a relatively young and active professional person, boredom living in a rural village  is defintely one of them.  

My (french) neighbour is constantly asking when we are coming over next.  She tells me (frequently!) that she is bored stupid, that the village is dead.  It's not just an issue of men in rural villages hanging around in the bars.  Very few of the women in the village where we are have jobs - the youngsters can't  get work never mind the older folks!  The men (well near to us anyway) spend their time hunting, fishing or following other male pursuits leaving their wives to look after the in-laws (and out-laws) and the children (though they are away in school for long hours).  You cant even walk into a bar as a lone woman where we live its frowned upon (as I discovered!).  (I'm pretty thick skinned though and will order and drink my beer regardless! [;-)].) Life for a woman in rural France is pretty awful - unless you are the kind who has a very high boredom  threshold and delights in looking after everyone else - happy with no life of their own.

[:)][:)]

Our French house is about 20 minutes from a large town / small city which has two very large retail parks.  All of the hypermarkets on these retail parks (in fact pretty much all of the shops on the retail parks - including Mr Bricolage) are closed on Sunday.  In contrast our small  intermarche in the village opens Sunday morning.  Although the hypermarkets on the retail parks (L'eclerc, Carrefour, Auchan etc) are open lunch times, many of the other large stores (including Mr Bricolage etc etc) are closed from 12 to 2.  I can't think of any shop near us, hypermarket or otherwise, opens after 8.00 pm and I think the concept of 24 hour opening would be completely alien!

I don't like candied peel so have never put it in.  Likewise I can't eat nuts so I never include those either - but I do add to the standard currants/sultanas/raisins whatever other dried fruits etc are to hand or that I fancy.  Over the years I have used variously, dried figs, apricots, pears, cranberries, blueberries etc.  The recipe I use includes the grated peel and juice of lemons and oranges so it does have a citrussy taste even without the candied peel. I've never put mine in the food processor though - doesn't it make the texture too smooth?

The recent health changes have echoes of the UK state pension debacle for those emigrees who moved to none EU countries such as Canada and Australia.  Friends of ours moved to Canada about 20 years ago after having worked full time in the UK for the preceding 20 - 25 years.  They now face the prospect of working until they are 75 because they can't afford to retire.  The 20+ years of NI contributions paid while they were in the UK have been 'frozen' at the pension rate payable in 1982...which is a pittance. After seeing them struggling to continue working the long hours demanded in Canada (60+ hours a week is quite normal) - despite ill health  decided us (amongst other things) against a permanent move to France. The risk of becoming part of a vulnerable and marginalised group either in the UK or France wasn't a risk we were prepared to take.  The detail differs, but the rationale is the same - economic pressures at home / away together with an easy target group.  Like the Canadian, South African and Australian pensioners, the UK emigrees in France don't carry much clout at home or away.  So not a big vote loser either here or in France.

We've been trying to get them in the UK for nearly year now without success - so best of luck [:)]