Jay

There are some really good search facility on computers these days and if you ask the right question it comes up with something like this site: http://www.asos.com/infopages/SizeGuide/pgesizechart.aspx?r=2

[quote user="Kong"]I don't recall the OP mentioning 13A sockets, simply that there were new sockets installed. When we bought our house the electrics were all correct three wire in gains. However nobody bothered to connect the earth tails which were all dangling behind the fuse box! As all have said - get a french electrician. [/quote] How strange is that - our house was exactly the same but we thought the earths were OK until the other half complained of getting a shock from some things. Investigation found the earth leads just pushed in behind the box to hide them - not connected to ground! You would think if they bothered to install all the earth leads they would actually ground them.

[quote user="Théière"]The Pope?[/quote] What Pope?

http://www.ehow.com/how_2033268_stop-internet-explorer.html

(05) 62 16 49 08 (05) 56 17 40 70 Just keep listening, eventually you will get an American sounding lady saying "sorry all our lines are busy", at least that's what I got - maybe you will be lucky and speak to a human! Sounds to me like you signed and dated the tear off payment slip which you must not do if you send a cheque. If you did sign and date it they are asking for your bank rib details so that they can take payment direct from your account in future (much easier than sending cheques)

The link you gave Sid doesn't show a map of Europe for me either but Firefox may block the popup. If you go to Srewfix UK site it gives a link right at the bottom which says we deliver to European countries and sends you to http://www.screwfix.com/jsp/container.jsp?forceUserMode=EU

[quote user="Clair"]Starting tonight on BBC 4 at 9 pm. 4th series of Spiral, the French murder investigation series (Engrenages previous discussions). [/quote] Wow - I have just watched the yesterday's episode on iPlayer, had never heard of it till now. Excellent, will be watching from now on!

Recently there was a Super U special on Findus products. We bought what we thought were nice looking cod fillets in batter, a nice picture on the front of the packet with white flaky fish & crispy batter sealed the deal. What a disappointment when we came to eat them! Instead of white fish fillet it was mashed up grey mush in batter. As we still had the packet & receipt I complained to Findus but was passed from one person to another until I got totally fed up and gave up. I swore then we would never buy another Findus product! Super U give a refund if you are not satisfied - one good reason for shopping there.

Not had it myself but this site gives you a good idea... http://www.ordremk.fr/ My wife went through similar treatment after a tendon repair. Didn't recognise the name though.

[quote user="NickP"][quote user="Val_2"]... I have said this before and will repeat, ALL INSPECTIONS are kept on record and followed up and if you do not comply at the end of the four year period then you will be fined.[/quote] Yep you're absolutely correct, but you forgot to mention that SPANC don't have any authority to fine anybody. If a penalty is to be charged that order comes from the Mayor, and in our village of 90 souls; possibly most of the  Fosse systems aren't 100%, and with an election coming up who is going to fine most of the electorate? I think French politics are wonderful. [:D] [/quote] And what possible point would there be in issuing a fine to some old dear who doesn't have the means to install a new system?

3rd party liability as part of his house insurance. We have it for our gite and above ground pool. He will probably need full liability cover in case a Brit stubs his/her toe on a pebble while on his land and decides to sue!

Since updating to Windows 8 I have been using www.filmon.com/ which is free and works exceptionally well. It was discussed HERE thanks to basquesteve

http://www.bestofplaqueimmatriculation.fr/

[quote user="EmilyA"]My lovely son-in-law has offered to give me his old iphone4 when his contract runs out and he upgrades. I curently have a cheap phone witha 10 euros a month contract with Orange.fr. I wouldn't need huge amounts of calls, texts or internet acess, but does anyone know if you can get a sim only deal? It sees to cost about £10 a month in The UK, but the orange website defeats me and I can't find anything on there. Please excuse typos as the forum still doesn't let me edit my posts. [/quote] I use this company for my iPhone http://www.lefrenchmobile.com/en/order-sim-card-for-france.html and have had no problems using it here in France and abroad. I tend to use WiFi (free in shops McD's etc) more than anything else. Remember that the iPhone you are given will probably be locked into the company who provided the original contract and will need to be unlocked before you can use a 3rd party SIM in it.

[quote user="basquesteve"]Try this site tis free http://www.filmon.com/#LIVE[/quote] That's a brilliant site basquesteve, thank you. Works great on computer and my iPhone and best of all it's free!

[quote user="Quillan"]I have a question about the Kindle and the Calibre software which I have now installed. After installation it wants to set its self up and the first question is about your device. I have a Kindle but once you select that you get to choose which one i.e. Kindle DX, Kindle Fire, Kindle PaperWhite and Kindle Touch/1-4. Well I have just the basic Kindle so which one do I select?[/quote] I presently use a Kindle (basic). Calibre is a far superior program than the Kindle PC software and it recognises the Kindle when you plug it in. It will automatically convert any  ebook to the Kindle format before transfer. If you have not got past the choice section I would plump for Kindle Touch/1-4.

Sounds like you have a system very similar to ours. When our heating engineer installed the central heating boiler (also has integral hot water tank) he put a stopcock on the hot water pipe from the boiler and another on the hot water pipe from the electric water heater (both these pipes are 16mm on our system and the pipes that feed the rads are 22mm). When we want to use the electric (most of the time) we turn off the tap next to the CH boiler and when we want to use the CH boiler turn that one on and turn off the one from the electric water heater. Works fine for us, hope this helps.

[quote user="sid"]Norman, the recent "facture" that I received definitely had an RIP on it, not an RIB. I know what RIB looks like as I've used them previously. This one looks similar but the account in question appears to be with La Poste, so maybe that's why it's called RIP ?? Debra, I've rechecked my account in case I had missed it as you suggested, and I don't have the facility to add new payees. When I click the help icon I can see that it needs an authentication code which is sent by SMS.  That's where it'll end for me as I don't use a mobile phone, not a French one at any rate. Why so difficult? I can't see why it's any more secure. Jay, What kind of weighing machine have you got that will differentiate between 19gms and 21gms?  The one in the post office is very sensitive, and it's unlikely that most of us would have something like that.  I think this is the flaw in the home printed stamps process.  I have used this previously, but it takes a few attempts, for me at any rate, to get the stamp in the right place (you can reprint though), but I've only done it when I have an envelope which is obviously underweight. I finished up with several sheets of self adhesive paper all with the top left and botton right corners missing where I had cut out the stamp!  [blink] [/quote] RIP = Relevé d'Identité postal No problems adding new payees to our CA account or our Credit Mutual account, although a French mobile number is required by both - one of the problems with only having a UK mobile phone. Our scales were bought in Lidel for 19€ and are accurate to 1g. I doubt the PO would allow printing of stamps if they were worried about fractions of a gram. We have used this service for a couple of years sending hundreds of letters/cards and never a problem. The La Poste site has recently been updated but I must admit I don't print to any envelope less than A4 size, always just print the stamp or a label.

[quote user="Kelly"]Hi, yes i use that web site, but what do you print your stamps onto, I usually print straight onto the envelope, but sometimes the envelope won't go through the printer.  Can I print them on normal paper and then selotape them on the envelope, or use glue. Kelly  also I think the ones delivered in France are cheaper, no tax.  [/quote] I print them onto normal paper then stick them on with a Pritt stick. If you save a database of your frequently used names and addresses on the site then you can print out onto an envelope or just a sheet of ordinary paper complete with stamp and the address you need. I usually use A6 size, then you can use Pritt stick or sellotape to stick the whole thing to an envelope.

[quote user="Clair"][quote user="Debra"]That's good to know, Clair. [...] Do you buy a selection of stamps and weigh your letters at home, then?[/quote] Yes, I usually buy a carnet or two of stamps, (more if the cost of stamps is due to go up!), so I always have some on hand. Talking of which, the cost of a 1st class stamp equivalent is going up on Jan 1st, from 60 to 63 cents, and the timbre vert will go up from 57 to 58 cents. Must get some more whilst they're still cheap... [/quote] I always post letters/cards from home. We weigh the item then print out the stamps from https://www.montimbrenligne.laposte.fr/ stick them on and give them to the post lady. She is about to get her Xmas bonus for taking all our Christmas cards!

We have blacks and reds in our garden and according to this BBC report  the blacks are an "import". This is the first year we have seen them here.

[quote user="Martin963"][quote user="Chancer"]I now have a zero cost Free.fr contract using my old number so I am sorted, as for the new one, yes there definitely is a need for this but judging by all the other french companise who have met this niche, NRJ and the others whose name escapes me, expect them to remove the time limited credit as soon as they have got most of their customers, usually by sneakily changing theterms and conditions and leaving loads of their customers without a phone after stealing their money. Cynical? - moi?[/quote] Simyo being one of the companies that shafted its users in the fashion you describe.    We used our €35 credit up on international calls so that at least Simyo didn't end up with our money for nothing.....  Then we changed to LeClerc which isn't a bad offer,  although not as good as the one mentioned here. [/quote] Labara is another that shafted its customers. Started off great with no time limits on top-up then changed their T & C back to the dark ages. Just had a text from them a couple of days ago to say use what's left or loose it! I've gone over to lefrenchmobile in the hope that they will not fail their customers any time soon.

[quote user="Mrs Trellis"] ...... collected 24 on 24th June for St Jean's wine or something... [/quote] Collect 24 green walnuts on 24 June and chop each one into several pieces. Soak in 5 litres of red wine mixed with a kilo of sugar. After a month add a litre of 100 proof spirit (eau de vie or vodka). Strain, bottle and keep till Xmas. Lovely, we make it every year

[quote user="PaulT"] Jay - very thought provoking. Paul [/quote] Yeah, isn't it - tried to delete my post seconds after I pressed the button but of course that's yet another problem with this site.

.