Joshua

Thanks Parsnips, It was probably wishful thinking on my part that the FSA "Moneymadeclear" booklet said "Must" rather than "should or could" to applying Lifestyle protection. I'll try to find the reference to it on their website. What makes it worse is that we started the fund many moons ago with Shabby National and they sold it on, and then on and on to subsequent Fund Managers. One of which lost us 28% of the value of the fund, prior to the financial meltdown, in just under a year. Thanks again, Joshua

Hi, Can anyone advise me whether there is a requirement on the part of the Fund Managers to move a fund into a lower risk  "Lifesyle option" fund when you are within 5 years of  your indicated retiring. I put the question to the Fund Managers after reading a mention of this in a FSA booklet and they have been very vague saying I didn't request them to do it Regards Joshua .  

[quote user="hopeful"]Can someone clarify how the top up system works, do you have to always pay upfront, then claim the whatever percentage back, so if it was a big operation costing thousands, would you be expected to pay for that upfront, then claim it back?[/quote] From our own experience, but that might be different for others ! If you take out Top Up Insurance and undertake to use the same Pharmacy you are not normally changed for any prescriptions you have and you don't have to produce proof of your Top Up Insurance each time.  I say normally because there are a few products ( seem to be mainly with Colds & Flu remedies ) that are charged for Typical Cost for Early 60's is 130 Euro per couple per month. Hospital's take the details of the Top Up Insurance when you attend or are admitted and don't charge. However we do get invoices from the hospital for Consultations, which we pay and then get back all of it from the TUI.  Could be because we see the top Neurologist Professor at a Teaching Hospital.  Blood tests at the Lab are also invoiced and then reimbursed. Hope this helps. Joshua 

Thanks TH & Maude That might be why I can't find Board Finish. If its common practice to only fill the tapered edges at the joints then Board Finish might be not available. Board Finish , usually in very pale pink, is used to apply a very thin layer over the whole surface to give a perfect finish. It has a consistency of thick cream and fills all the imperfections. Regards Joshua  

[quote user="Théière"]Can't agree Joshua, in the sheds are numerous younger employees who although shy of speaking English, usually do so far better than us in their language and have always been helpful. I would try and look it up for you but the cat is asleep on my catalogues (pun intended) and I and not going to disturb him [/quote] Morning, I would agree about some people being shy of speaking English. I've lost count the times I've struggled with a long conversation in French only to be answered afterwards, by being spoken back to in Pretty good English. ( at least better than my French, after all I'm an old Cotton Head ) Regards Joshua

Thanks Thunderhorse Now that I know they have at the sheds I will try to work out which one is the remover. My "everyday" French will be tested ! No point asking for advice in the sheds, the assistants normally walk off and never come back or look at me like I've got two heads ( which last I counted I don't ) Thanks again , Joshua

Hi, I'm putting  Taper Edge Plaster Board up between the ceiling beams but I can't seem to find the self adhesive tape for the joints or the Board Finish Plaster Can anyone help with the French names for these, and who's likely to stock them. Thanks Joshua

Thanks Chancer, I've tried petrol, from the lawnmower's tank ( can't cut grass when there's snow on the ground ) and it seems to get it off . It is a bit messy and I'm as high as a kite on the fumes. ( save me opening a bottle of red tonight ) I will wash off any residue tomorrow with soap and water and reseal it all Thanks again, Joshua  

Hi, This is probably a question for Chancer or Glue Stick.  AKA " The chemical brothers" Do you know of a product available in France that will remove Silicone Sealant. Whoever did my shower enclosures made a pigs ear of them and I need to remove it all and start again. I've got most off with a sharp blade but its the residue thats causing the problem. I've brought the new sealant from the UK because once again its far more expensive here. Should have got the remover then but ! Regards Joshua

Hi, I've tried laying Tiles over floorboards that were in good condition, flat and screwed down. I used flexible adhesive and grout and within a few months the tiles where you walk were all loose and popping up. Gravity was the only thing holding them in place I had to rip the lot up and replace the floorboards with flooring grade chipboard ( water resistant type ) to avoid having a tripping hazard at the doorway, screwed down every 12 inches and its been fine for over five years. If you can't get flexible adhesive and grout , they do a liquid additive in the UK that transforms normal adhesive / grout Best of luck Joshua

Hi, If you can't get replacement cartridges, because they are not available you can buy bottles of ink to inject into the old units. Its a bit messy but can be done easily. You drill a small hole usually in top and inject the ink in and then seal it with a stopper thats supplied with the kit. The quality of the ink is superior to the original because it has to be adaptable for all printers. You might have a buy a zapper to reset the chip on the latest type of cartridges but again its easy I've found that you can get more than 5 uses out of a cartridge before the quality drops The printer may send a message to the computer that the cartridge to not compatable but you can ignore that Hope this saves you money, Joshua

Hi, Only from my own experiences, if you find more dead flies than live ones I think they will be Cluster Flies. You need to block up their point of entry and spray everyday in the Spring to stop the "Life Cycle" of eggs etc Google Cluster Flies for advice on killing them. They do seem persistence little so and so's Its no reflection on anyones cleaning habits. They just decide to settle there Best of luck.  Joshua

A few months ago I took a telephone call from Orange offering to upgrade my Live Box Internet service to include TV. I said a positive NO to all the offers but have found since that they have started a direct debit for the additional services. I've spoken to my bank and they are recovering the money, now in its third month of payments but the bank say if I had not spotted these payments for more than 90 days they would not have been able to recover the money. Its a relatively small amount under a heading that appears elsewhere on the bank statement so might have gone un-noticed. Nothing came in the post about this and nothing was signed by me so it seems it can be done if they hold your details on file Joshua

Hi, You can pay your Tax d'habitation over the first ten months of the next year with no extra charges ( total divided by ten payments ) by direct debit, which can soften the blow Joshua

Mr J lived and worked all his life in the UK and had his 60th birthday in the spring before he moved to live in France in August of that year He is not and will never be entitled to Winter Fuel Allowance Mr P , whose 60th birthday was in the summer came to "live" in the UK from another EU country for a few months around September, then went home, is and will always receive Winter Fuel Allowance The question is, does Mr J jump on a cheap Brian-air flight to spend the qualifying days in September each year in the UK so he can cheat the system and claim the allowance or say "C'est la vie" No prizes for guessing which one's me Joshua

We took the view ( wrongly) that we would cope with buying our house using a Notaire that did not speak English but did ultimately use one that spoke perfect English. After over two hours of listening to everything relating to the various surveys, tests and searches explained in detail we were glad we had gone for a English Speaking Notaire The Notaire did more than translate verbatim and explained the logic behind the procedures The Notaire did have a "Senior moment" when she started talking to the Seller in English and us in French. It all added to a great day. Joshua

Hi allanb,   I'm not a scientist just a humble engineer so I can only go off my experiences over the years regarding the wind chill.factor When I've recovered vehicles off the North Yorkshire Moors after them spending a night out in a blizzard its not been uncommon to find the engine core plugs sticking out of the block like icicles and the radiator hoses burst. I've always put that down to the wind chill effectively pulling the ambient temperature down still further. But I might be wrong ! I'm going to resist the temptation to leave my car outside over the winter to check my theory Regarding the handbrake being left off. It can be virtually impossible to remove the brake drum if the shoes have seized on. Completely different job altogether if they are not binding Happy motoring , Joshua

Hi, A few tips from a retired Transport Engineer Rear Drum brakes tend to seize on rather than off so if possible, by chocking the wheels with large stones or what ever is available, leave the handbrake off Leave the fuel tank full, the air in the tank constantly expands and contracts with changes in temperature and the tank will sweat resulting in water dropping into the fuel Battery acid will freeze if the battery is flat so if its going to be very cold take it off the car and store in the boot, covered Antifreeze unless strengthen with neat additive will normally only protect down to minus 10 to 15. Protect the radiator ideally with a piece of foam backed carpet Temperatures can fall below that figure if you take the wind chill factor into consideration Rust on your brake discs will disappear within 10 miles of driving , take care for those few miles Brake Fluid absorbs water over time and should be changed every three years. The water in the brake fluid rusts the pistons that operate the brakes making them seize on, making them appear to be stuck to the disc. Change the engine oil of a diesel on a regular basis because the acid that forms in the old oil will corrode the bearings if left for a long time Parking up against a fence or hedge will give some protection from the elements I leave my car unlocked, a new window or repairs to the door and lock are cheaper than losing the bits I leave in the car. If someone targets your car they will get in. Joshua

Hi, This is new territory for me. I tried to book an eye test in what I thought was France's equivalent to Spec-savers and the guy looked at me like I had two heads ( Which I don't ) How do you go about getting an eye test and then glasses. What can expect to pay and what does the top up insurance normally cover Thanks Joshua

Hi, Thanks for the sound advice, Le Plombier and Cooperlola I think I'll give it a miss and pay someone qualified to do it. At least I've paid nothing out. Time I've got loads of ! I'll stick to growing veg instead . That is, unless someone tells me I'm not qualified Regards Josh  

No problem, One other point, Antargaz do a great booklet explaining everything to do with the installation and once they know you are from the UK they correspond with you in English Joshua

Hi, We purchased our house with LPG Central Heating already fitted and paid Antargaz 800 euro deposit to leave the tank buried in the garden. From the document they sent they had crossed out 2000 euro on the form and written in 800 so I guess 2000 is the amount normally required as a deposit. I don't think there's an option to buy the tank, at least they didn't offer one,  but you get the deposit back if you sell Ours, as I say, is buried and holds 1 tonne of LPG. I've hid the bright blue plastic cover with Decking thats removable. In practice you can only buy about 500 kgs of gas at a time because you ring them when it gets down to 25% and they stop filling it when it reads 85% full. The last lot we bought was 529 kgs and that cost 1,266 euro. Supplementing a log fire it lasts a year and that includes everyday hot water. We think its expensive seeing we try to keep the usage down and don't go mad with keeping everywhere roasting. There are lots of restrictions about where the tank can and can't be buried or sited above ground but if you've got a big garden there's bound to be a place where is can be sited Regards Joshua

Thanks for your comments AnOther, I'm surprised in a way really, because I spoke to several boiler manufacturers and they say they sell lots of boilers to Brits living in France. One of the reasons they say for making LPG conversion kits available ( mind you, they would say that ) The boiler thats in at the moment looks very basic, in fact primitive. Can you recommend one that meets or exceeds the A rating standard used in the UK Thanks again,  Joshua

I need to replace and re-site my boiler from the cave to the garage and am considering bringing a boiler back from the UK I've fitted three complete central heating systems previously in the UK and am confident I can do this replacement correctly and safely I can get a Biasi Combi A rated boiler with a LPG conversion kit and flue for less than £600 from the UK so the savings make this attractive. I would prefer to have the installation checked by a tradesman. Would this be possible and does the installation need to be signed off. Any advise , negative or positive would be welcomed Joshua

Our French Friends tell us that we should season any wood for at least 3 years and that  you only need to protect the top of the pile from the rain and snow during the winter months Most seem to cut it to 1/2 metre lengths while it is seasoned and then cut again in half. Larger pieces over 8 inches diameter are split length ways and even larger pieces quartered. A favorite stacking style seems to be to arrange the top layer like roof tiles so the rain runs off Hope this helps Joshua