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Panda

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Everything posted by Panda

  1. Hi Odile I really do know what you mean, I lost a young goat to the hunting dogs last year, this was a chance crossing of my land by two dosey looking huge hunting dogs, I saw them, got them to water even petted them (I won't make that mistake again).  They then went off or so I thought, minutes later there were in with my goats and had killed one, it was awful and I was very upset.  I have to say though the huntsmen were mortified and came to express their apologies and do what ever I wanted them to do.  I now stand on my boundary if there is hunting nearby and glare a lot, no one comes anywhere near.  there is the odd gun shot but mainly they look like they are just having a day out, I have never actually seen them kill anything.  My land is marked throughout with no hunting signs as are the properties on three sides of mine, I am told by the locals that the youngsters in these parts have no interest in hunting and it's only the die-hard oldies that carry on this tradition.  I would tend to believe that as I only see old men taking part around here. So I am integrated as my three neighbours all agree with the no hunting thing, I have never experienced any threats so can't comment on that. I have around 20 acres of woodland and see deer regularly, perhaps they know they are safe on my land! I also have just about every species of bird possible in these parts, in abundance, I saw a wonderful kingfisher on my lake yesterday and a turtle sun bathing.  I have around 30 wild ducks who sit happily on the lake in the hunting season, all in all it's a wildlife paradise, no shortage although sadly I've never seen a badger here. Panda
  2. You can get vinegar for about the same price and about the same taste but less fizz!
  3. [quote user="odile"]my English may not be perfect- point taken. I  would however maintain that anybody who counters a point of view by using the words 'utter rubbish, absurd, stupid, ranking, ridiculous, lunatic'  and 'badger sausages' is certainly using a form of bullying.  In any public debate, this would have been made clear by the Chair and should have been reminded by the moderator. Keeping quiet in order to preserve one's comfortable lifestyle has caused great suffering to children and other humans in the past, and sadly, still does. The fact that we are talking about mere animals (and you don;t have to remind me there is a huge difference) is not a really valid excuse. I think we will stop here - flogging a dead horse sounds a bit too cruel- and as you say serves no purpose. I am fully aware that some grudge lies way back to a few weeks ago and my first post about the use of mothertongue in a foreign country. [/quote] It's just not getting through is it Odile, to coin a phrase 'you are not the only animal welfarist in the village!'  So stop with your 'mere animals and keeping quiet nonsense.  Please read carefully 'I will say zis only once' Most regulars posters on here are very pro animal welfare, most of us have a menagerie of rescued animals , most of us hate hunting and spend many a post talking about keeping it off our land.  You are preaching to the converted, it is insulting in the extreme to have it suggested that we are anything else which you have done with every post!  and lastly ....................I LOVE BADGERS
  4. [quote user="Hagar"] [quote user="Panda"]Thanks coops I will, I'm not convinced on the whole all drivers are covered line though.[/quote] There are some restrictions/excess for inexperienced drivers on my own policy(ies) but they definitely include any driver who has held a license for at least 3 years. rgds hagar [/quote] Just to finish this one off, I applied to have my BIL added to my policy and I recieved a call from my agent who said that my policy was any driver and that nothing needed to be done, so I was cynical and I was wrong.  I owe Hagar an apology for doubting him!  
  5. [quote user="Benjamin"][quote user="Panda"]And I want to be a zoo keeper....[/quote] You'll get plenty of good practise on here then. Apply to be a Mod..................grunt grunt. [/quote] Good idea, both jobs do include a fair amount of sifting through the brown stuff!
  6. How much better off would someone be on this scheme though?  Is it 23% of total earnings with no abatement, if so it would not have benefited me I don't think except for the first year when I did not reach full.earnings.  I guess it makes working out how much you would need to pay simpler though.. Just looked a the forum on the link provided and there are a few asking can they close their micro on 31/12 and reopen as an auto 1/01,  reading the answers no one seems sure although one person puts forward that it is prohibited.  Interestingly though one person who wants to change says she currently pays 24.6% plus tax and wants the new regime as it's 23% including tax, not worth the bother for me I don't think.  
  7. You are too kind! Shoot more thunder, going under the table for real this time!
  8. Better come quick Cassis, I just heard the first roll of thunder and we may lose radio contact shortly as the old live box doesn't fair well in these situ's!
  9. [quote user="cassis"][quote user="Panda"]Ha!  Great idea, how much would you pay?  Another note of warning though, he has extremely large horns and was equally well served when all the other bits were given out, if you get my drift![/quote] I"ve got my 10 centimes at the ready and I'm braced. Bring it on, big boy. [/quote] Dont' tempt him, not under my best table, he keeps bashing his horns on the underside as it is! 
  10. Well what about a Sore Doctor, that's got to be fun, depends on what's sore I suppose!  Seriously though being a saw doctor you could doctor your SIL saws, joint venture!  My BIL is one in the UK.  
  11. I'm in the area next week, put me some by!
  12. Ha!  Great idea, how much would you pay?  Another note of warning though, he has extremely large horns and was equally well served when all the other bits were given out, if you get my drift!
  13. [quote user="cassis"]I'll be happy if I can shack up with the goat. [/quote] I should warn you that the goat has a tendency to grunt a lot, lick your sides and jump on your back, well that's what he does to the poor female - does that matter? 
  14. What really makes the fly situation worse though?  I moved from the Vienne last year where I found the fly problem was hideous and nothing short of fly screens at every window would keep them at bay.  I now live in the Charente still in the countryside, still with agriculture on my doorstep, neighbour has sheep (as before), still have a lake but hardly a fly to be seen.  Hornets come bumbling in from time to time but I can sit all day doors open and maybe get the odd one in, I can eat on the terrace and not see one.  So why am I lucky now and not before? 
  15. Well I've battened down the hatches and I'm typing this from under the table, if it's worse than last night then I'm taking no chances.  I have room for a couple more if anyone is frightened, you'll have to excuse the dogs, goats (the male of which  is finding the heat is affecting his hormones) , chickens and guinea pigs though, they don't like it and have bagged the best spots!
  16. [quote user="Sunday Driver"] I suspect the chickens will be coming home earlier than that.... A decree was passed in April 2008 creating a national delegation charged with combatting fraud against the state.  The decree also provides for the setting up of departmental investigative bodies under the direction of the prefect. The new mairie registration procedure requires all new foreign residents to be reported to the prefectures, so it will be difficult for future immigrants to avoid making a tax declaration.  Furthermore, among the state functions committed to the exchange of information are the departement of social security and the impots.  Tax information is already shared between the impots and CAF and the assurance maladie (CNAM) is set to follow suit.  Everyone currently registered for state healthcare insurance is done so on the basis of residence (whether under an E106/E121 or otherwise) therefore they should have a corresponding exisiting tax reference.  It's not really rocket science to match up the two and spot the tax dodgers..... [/quote] The issue with all this is that those I know who are doing this, really do not register anywhere, no tax return, no health cover, British plates, no paper trail that they are here at all.....  In this area (southern Charente) there are literally hundreds of second home owners so these tax dodgers can hide amongst them forever. If asked they will always say they are holiday makers (so will not register with the   mairie) and who will bother to challenge them if they are making no claims on the state, I know my mayor wouldn't bother there is no incentive for them to do so?
  17. [quote user="Christine Animal"] Odile, I admire your stand, even if the way you present it gets on some people's nerves.  But then don't we all at times.  [/quote] Sometimes we all do indeed Christine, but some seem to have the knack of always doing it! For me it's Odiles manner that annoys, it's the assumption on every post I' ve read that she is in the know and we are all in the dark on these subjects.  Perhaps it is because english is not her mother tongue??
  18. So what is the post about, I live in rural France where hunting takes place, I do not like it and my neighbours know that and I couldn't give a damn what they think, nor did I in the UK where once again I lived in a rural area.  It doesn't stop you integrating , in either country, what utter rubbish.    Things like this might have mattered locally years ago and may have made you some enemies, but I say once again, are you stuck in some kind of time warp Odile, around these parts women get the vote, you can disagree with your neighbours leisure pursuits too but they don't hold it against you! I'm with Catalpa on this, stupid comments about what you think people know about this subject are insulting and not the least helpful to the cause.  
  19. Indeed Jacqui, I do so hate the way you've edited that, it's looks like I said that now!
  20. [quote user="Catalpa"][quote user="odile"]Many of my born and bred friends in East Leicestershire are constantly intimidated by the Hunts on their land- oops sorry about the cat, or shouted at, insulted, if they walk their dog and  try to drive to the next villag,etc. [/quote] What are your friends? Hunt sabs? [8-)] That assertion is one of the most absurd statements I've read about the UK on LF. [/quote] If looking for the absurd quote don't forget Odile was the poster who claimed that there are still many women in the UK who would not dare to disagree with their husbands at dinner parties, it made me nearly choke laughing when I read that!  I think that Odile has been stuck in some weird time warp....
  21. We have lots of shared beds in this household too! [IMG]http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc149/ahoward99/TomandMindy.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc149/ahoward99/pollycrop.jpg[/IMG]
  22. And these [IMG]http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc149/ahoward99/DSCF0329.jpg[/IMG]   [IMG]http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc149/ahoward99/IMGP0831.jpg[/IMG]
  23. Ahh, Stow know it well, being a horsey type, bet you locals hated the traffic and general disruption that came with it!  
  24. In the area I came over from, the Cotswolds, I recently notiiced a house for sale for 50k less that it sold for 5 years ago, all this and it did not reach it's reserve when the owners took the auction route.  This is a pretty cotswold stone cottage in a lovely village, something that would have gone in a day 5 years ago.  When I sold my property which was of a similar type and setting, I had 21 viewings in 6 days and received numerous offers.  It's all very different now.
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