NickP

A very large; famous energy supplier in France phoned  to try to sell me a solar heating system. I told the guy that as I was within 500 metres of a "Historic Monument" I was not allowed to put panels on my roof, "nonsence" he said, So I asked if he would like to explain that to our Mayor; who had just called to bring us some paperwork, I handed the phone to the Mayor and told him someone wanted to speak to him,  he put the phone to his ear, looked puzzled and said, "who ever that was has just hung up" .[:D]

[quote user="broy"]You know what they say, "if you can piss, you can paint." [/quote] Yes that's what they say, but not everybody can piss properly either. [:P]

[quote user="velcorin"] Absolutely, 100%, without question. Probably done about 700-800 insolvencies over the last 12 months, all over Europe. As a Creditor, the German and UK systems are easily the best.............however low you may regard them, at least you stand a chance of something, however tiny. Never got 1c from anywhere else! The French system ONLY looks after the State, oh, and if you're a mate of the Juge . Italy, nuff said, speak to c. Nostra. Sweden, the home of the "pre-pack", you get a letter telling you in minute detail what's going happen, and a sentence at the end "and you get nothing". Spain........good luck. Netherlands, hundreds of letters and reports, til the money runs out, and then the insolvency practioner stops work. Etc, etc. [/quote] Absolute load of cods-wallop ( thats me being polite) You are coming at this as someone who earns a living from these problems, not as a person who is or has been owed money by a British company and tried to get it back, the "small man" is always at the bottom of the pile, Tax man first, everybody else get in line, small man last; especially after the accountants. [:P]

[quote user="milkeybar kid"]Chatting with a friend who is good at checking prices... she gave me a shock..I had not noticed until she said that .... Cornflakes Kellogs at Auchan €3.25 for 500gms Kellogs Cornflakes 500gms at Tesco on line £1.92. Kellogs All bran Auchan 500gms €3.04 Kellogs all bran 500gms Tesco on line £1.59 A huge difference in price for the same product .Can anyone recommend equivalent to kellogs but not as expensive,please.[/quote] Anyone eating "cornflakes" is automaticly over charged what ever price they pay, [:D]  Urban myth says there is more protein in the box than the product, might just turn out to be a myth that is true[Www]

Velcorin wrote: "You have my sympathy, for what it's worth. French insolvency law is a crock of sh*t. " And I suppose you think the British insolvency law smells better [:D]

[quote user="Théière"]http://www.fuelfugitives.co.uk/#/intro/[/quote] I'm a bit confused as to how buying a Peugeot would save you money, quite the opposite from the "worst mistake ever, in my car buying life" You would be better off investing in Portsmouth Football club. [Www]

[quote user="bixy"]Just received a letter telling me that my cash card will be replaced by a card+ which will not be able to be used to withdraw money outside the UK. Well that defeats the whole point of having the card. It will be able to be used for making purchases. We use the card to put money into our current account here, and from there it mainly goes to pay direct debits and the like, so the ability to make purchases is not a great deal of use. The letter also points out that any charges incurred by N/wide when we use our card to make purchases will be passed on to us. I wonder why they have taken this step. This is bound to affect a large number of ex-pats. Patrick [/quote] From Todays "Money saving Expert" (17th March 2009)  Nationwide cash card customers will no longer be able to use their plastic to withdraw cash overseas from this June. The building society is axing the benefit in a move which could hamper summer holiday spending plans. On the flip side, users will soon be able to make purchases with the card, something not currently possible The move does not affect those with the society's more common FlexAccount, which comes with a Visa debit card, who can continue to use their card anywhere in the world to withdraw cash or make purchases. This seems to clarify the situation.

[quote user="Frederick"]The British High Commission has been involved ...What message does that send out ? Offical support for the payment even if the hat was passed round in the UK to get £100.000 together ?.. If so why havent the UK newspapars for example asked for contributions from the public to pay the pirates for the English Couple held ..Mrs Thatcher was supposed to have said "Britain does not pay ransoms " and that seems to have been a fixed position . Perhaps a fund will be started we can chip into we can get them home next week ! but I wont hold my breath ![/quote]   Not only Mrs Thatcher said Britain should not pay ransoms, I say the same.  I spent most of my  life working abroad, when I was asked to go some were I thought or knew was not safe I said "no thanks" I have the greatest sympathy for the "Yacht couple".But they were warned not to sail were they sailed.

Chancer wrote "Basically all outsiders are treated with suspicion and contempt, some more so than others," I find it strange that you would want to live in a place that treats people in that manner? Norman obviously revels in it, but that's his bag. All I can say is I'm glad that our little French house is in the very friendly village of St Jacques. [:D]

[quote user="Winegum"]Don't be silly! He doesn't do running! He only does things with wheels and wings! Come to think of it, I would bet just about any money that the dogs in question chase every motorbike that goes by as well. Will have to put my thickest leathers on and test it out. [/quote] Someone once phoned my wife and said  "do you know that your husband still chases other women".  Wife replied  "my dog chases motorbikes, but if he caught one he wouldn't know what to do with it"  [:D] 

I have just bought a product in Lidl supermarket in France called Baufix, "produit pour enlever les joints de silicone" very small bottle about 3 Euro

[quote user="woolybanana"]What's the catch Normie?[;-)][/quote] Someone's probably cloned his account. [:D]

[quote user="Bugsy"]Get yourself a 'Pepper-spray'. Legal in France and very effective. Only to be used to prevent an actual attack, of course. . [/quote] It's only the dog's word against yours.  [:D]

[quote user="Dog"]You gotta get through the garden past the dog and through the shutters only to find Pierre has a handgun. What has the average Frenchman got that's worth stealing anyway?[/quote] Obviously from the amount of Brits and others who live in France I would suspect the answer to your question is, the life style? [:P]

I don't have any problems at all with there being a Welsh language program, but would suggest that the best way to finance it; is to allow all those people in Wales who want to watch it, to be allowed to stop paying their licence money to the BBC and pay it direct to the Welsh channel. If that was not enough then let the Welsh Parliament pay for it,  (if they feel that it is necessary to have a Welsh speaking program). This would save the BBC loads of money and the Welsh language speakers would be able to control  their own channel. At the moment the BBC is under terrible pressure financially and  loosing money on  minority programs isn't good business. Another way to fund minority channels is to make them subscription. It makes no sense at all for the BBC to make programs that nobody watches, after all it is the licence payers money that is being wasted, this then makes other programs underfunded and they become rubbish, vicious circle.

Mr Couer de Lion wrote:  "there's there's no way I want one of those small helpless objects that constantly make a noise at one and and a bad smell at the other!" Listen mate, their not too bad, the first 28 years are the worst; and the smell does go away although it returns for a while in the teenage years. But one piece of advice to anybody contemplating producing one, make sure you never; never lend them money, do it once and they've got you hooked for life. Having said that, I love mine to bits and the joy of being a Granddad? Well there's not another emotion like it in the world.  [:D]

[quote user="Mr Coeur de Lion"]Had the snip in my late 20's and I want to get tested to make sure I'm still happily a jaffa (ie seedless). Would going to my doctor be the first point of call, or is there somewhere else I need to go to "take the test"?[/quote] You should have had a test and result after your snip, or did you have your snip done in the backstreet's of Cairo or somewhere equally salubrious? [:D]

[quote user="NormanH"]What is France coming to? Scurrilous rumours are flying around about President Sarkozy and a karate champion, as well as his wife's alleged affair with Benjamin Biolay who just won the award for singer of the year by not-singing [:)][:D] http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/people/trouble-in-brunisarkozy-paradise-20100310-pxte.html http://www.suchablog.com/carla-bruni-avec-benjamin-biolay-nicolas-sarkozy-avec-chantal-jouanno [/quote] Norman it's Nicolas not Nicholas  [:P]

Like most people all I'm interested in is the price of the pound against the Euro. So thank you chaps for sharing your wonderful knowledge of the technicalities of international finance, with the uneducated, namely me. Although I've tried hard to follow your eloquent offerings I'm not any the wiser as to the ins and outs of finance, all this these clever theory's and opinions have given me a headache, so I'll go and have a lie down . P.S. please let me know when it's safe for me to go shopping again.  I apologise for being a bit thick but I'm only an old manual worker who is trying to balance his life style and his pension and to be quite truthful I am now totally confused. [:P]

[quote user="hakunamatata"]Is there anyone there or are you all stuck in this horrendous snow drift! We havent seen snow like this for years, even when we lived in the UK. Just when we thought Spring was on the doorstep.[/quote] No snow here in Loir et Cher(41), beautiful sunshine; daffodils are nearly open crocuses are showing, but bitterly cold wind

Bugsy,  you maybe right, you maybe wrong. But I notice you have a mighty large barrel in your picture.   [:D]   Anyway take a look at this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R32Ln7YZ6ig&feature=related

[quote user="NormanH"]He is referring to his standing joke (sic) that I live in a barrel like Diogenes. "Diogenes of Sinope was always controversial.....made a virtue of extreme poverty, famously begging for a living and sleeping in a large tub in the marketplace. He became notorious for his provocative behaviour and philosophical stunts" [/quote] So, let me get this right? Socrates's wife was humping a tramp in a barrel in the market, well I never, I must pay more attention when we go to Montoire market on Saturday. It just goes to show you don't realise what is going on around you.  [Www]

[quote user="woolybanana"]Tell this to Norman![/quote]  Was Norman having off with Socrates wife? I know some of his theories are a bit old hat, but hang on Wooly  [:D]

John Wrote:  nothing I can think of stays up (or down) forever. Might be a few old codgers on here, and I did mean codgers ,although??  may disagree with the second part of your comment John.[:D]

Mr C d L, It's gizmo that you put in your windscreen of the car, it has a barcode that the "reader" built into the pay station on the motorway can read and charge your payage fee dirctly to your bank account. Saves you sitting behind the holiday makers counting out their centimes, as there are specified lanes for "doofer" users marked with a large T. [:D]