Craig McGinty

Thought people might be interested to hear that Flybe has announced it will start flights between Southampton and Cherbourg, pitching itself against the cross-Channel ferry companies. The low-cost airline will start flights on May 24 and tickets will start at £21.99 one-way, including taxes. Also Air Wales will begin flights to Rennes on March 27 from Cardiff, Manchester, Jersey and Waterford, in Ireland. All the best Craig ____________ http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/

Hi I helped a few rural businesses in France with PR/sales advice and whilst it all went smoothly, there really wasn't enough to do. If you are looking to set up in France I'd look at starting your own blog-style website and write about the area, interview people and offer advice and tips on life in France - then run/sell advertising around it. Looking to pitch story ideas to magazines etc. is very tough as most editors seem to already know someone who has headed out. If you want to discuss further just fire away. Regards Craig ______________________ http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/

Hi Although I am sympathetic with the position the vide-greniers site finds itself in, as it does provide a valuable service, ultimately you can't look to republish content without getting permission. There is a good chance the original author would have been delighted to allow their work to be reproduced as long as it was given proper attribution. But seeking it afterwards, or worse being found with it on your site really is bad form. And copyright is copyright when it comes down to it. If you have produced just a one page website it is considered your intellectual property and there is not really a need to place a copyright notice on it, the act of publishing it protects you. That is the slight difference with a letters page or a messageboard, the newspaper or site is publishing it so has the responsibility. That's why when people copy and paste full articles onto a messageboard problems can occur. A short quoted paragraph and then link across to the full article is best. And just a quick heads-up to those who provide information sites etc. I've noticed recently a couple of my book reviews being copied and then new Amazon links being put into them so that any sales go to the 'thief'. Finally a useful site to track down if your words are being used elsewhere is: http://www.copyscape.com/ All the best Craig http://www.thisfrenchlife.com

Hi Once a month on my website http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/ I am featuring a button in the top left hand corner and link to charitable groups etc. At the moment it is for fund raising in SE Asia. However, I am looking to change it and wondered if you have a website that I could link across to. I'll design the button and host it all etc. but it will feature on every page of my site, last month it received over 10,000 page impressions. Please get back to me if you are willing to do this. Kind regards Craig McGinty

Hi I featured Owl Trading, and Mike Boden, in an interview on my site please see: http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/thisfrenchlife/2004/02/repat_advice_fo.html Hope this helps. Regards Craig

I've also been experimenting with podcasts, take a look: http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/thisfrenchlife/2005/01/the_first_thisf.html Regards Craig

I agree 100%. I always suggest that it is worth checking one of the regular, national carriers as well as the low cost airlines when looking for cheap tickets. You can often turn up a good deal especially if you can travel between mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Regards Craig

Hi Just a couple of short pieces I put together for my site that may be of interest to people: Link up to Dinard RYANAIR is to start a summer service between Stansted and Dinard in the west of France. From March 18, the low cost airline will commence a daily flight from Stansted to Dinard in Brittany to complement their existing service from Luton. In August last year Ryanair said they would be ending flights between Stansted and Dinard, and replacing it with a service from Luton. Now Ryanair has said that their decision to once again run the service between the south east and Brittany was due to the popularity of the route. Peter Sherrard, Ryanair’s head of communications said: “Dinard is a hugely popular Ryanair destination and now people will be able to get there this summer from both Luton and Stansted.” Flights are priced at £4.99, one way excluding taxes.   Easyjet seek passenger views EASYJET are looking for input on new routes they should consider from EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg in the east of France. The low cost airline has said the airport will be its next major airport base and has signed a long-term deal that will mean low fares for travellers to the region. easyJet is in the process of negotiating a number of new routes from the airport, but is also inviting consumers to suggest where, within Europe, they would like to travel and why. You can post your suggestions via email: [email protected] or [email protected] Those whose recommendations match the destinations chosen by easyJet will enter a draw of 1,000 free tickets to fly on the new routes during the summer. The company already operates from EuroAirport to Berlin Schoenefeld, Liverpool, Luton and Stansted and expects 1.5 million passengers will use the airport in the coming 12 months. This number will rise significantly during 2006, as it is likely that easyJet will add more aircraft next year.   All the best Craig http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/

Hi I run my own website using the blog service from Typepad, at: http://www.thisfrenchlife.com And I must agree I am also addicted to watching and following blogs. If you are really interested this is the list of blogs I follow: http://www.bloglines.com/public/thisfrenchlife I need to get out more... Craig

Hi The French national statistics office INSEE is a useful source for facts and figures on France, see: http://www.insee.fr/ They have an English lang section as well. I noticed a short paragraph on average wage levels from 2002, it read: The average monthly wage for a full-time job in private and semi-public sector businesses stood at Euro2,321 gross and Euro1,779 net. Regards Craig http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/

Hi It is not always the case that payments are any more than in the UK if things are set-up correctly. For this I would suggest spending an hour with a qualified accountant with experience of registering businesses of your type in France. You can always claim it back as a business expense and you will know for sure that you are set-up correctly in France, and possibly saving yourself some cash. I'm afraid I don't know anyone personally but there are some details on the Institute of Chartered Accountants website specifically about France at: http://www.icaew.co.uk/members/index.cfm?AUB=TB2I_50529,MNXI_50529 Hopefully someone can pass on details of a suitable contact they know. All the best Craig http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/

Hi As others have said it is well worth taking legal advice. But for a bit of background the Notaires de France website may prove useful. There is a section on inheritance, in English, at: http://www.notaires.fr/notaires/notaires.nsf/V_TC_PUB/SMSD-5WFEUD Hope this helps out. Kind regards Craig McGinty http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/

Hi A company I use for a number of my own websites is Dayanahost, who are based in Canada. http://www.dayanahost.com/ Depending on what you want to do with your site they offer a deal at $14.99 for a years hosting. I've had no problems with them and for that price it's a bargain. Any questions just drop me a line. Regards Craig   Make an online living in France http://www.makeanonlineliving.com/

Hi I wrote a piece on my website about opening a bank account: IF you are staying in France for any length of time you will want to open a bank account. It is not a difficult task and the French banking system is quick and efficient, requiring very little on your part. A simple current account, compte de cheques or compte courant, can be opened with proof of identity, such as a passport, address details, a phone number if you have one and €20 to deposit straight away. I took along a recent print out of my UK account, my UK cheque book, birth certificate and even four passport photographs – I did not need them. You will receive your cheque book, which are used all the time in France, as well as a debit card with a PIN number about a week later. The French system requires you to provide a form of photo ID when writing a cheque and you will be asked to enter your PIN number if you use your card. And remember never go overdrawn, you will be blacklisted if you do not put funds into your account within 30 days. Internet banking is also available on many accounts, but there is usually a monthly charge for this.   All the best Craig http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/

Hi If you really want to get to know the French, and improve your language skills, you should join a local football team. It is a great way to meet people and you will soon become their 'international' representative!!! I'm sure you will find a team close to where you live, any local sports shops you can ask? It's the best thing I did down here in the south west of France, looking forward to a top of the table clash tomorrow afternoon!!! All the best Craig http://www.thisfrenchlife.com

Hi all Just a note to say BMI Baby has announced two new routes to France from its base at Birmingham International Airport. The low cost airline will start daily flights to Bordeaux and Nice from June 2005. There summer 2005 flights are up and routes to France include: Nottingham East Midlands to Paris (Charles de Gaulle). From Birmingham to Bordeaux, Nice. From Manchester to Bordeaux. From Cardiff to Paris (CDG). And, from Durham Tees Valley to Paris (CDG). Regards Craig McGinty www.thisfrenchlife.com

Dear Nicola and C*o*c*o Hope everything is OK over the weekend and I must agree it is something that I'm very aware of for my own pooch.  She's called Holly and loves running through the woods and grass so is prone to ticks. Below is an article I wrote about precautions etc. that can be taken to cut the risk of contracting ticks and other bugs etc.  I've posted it here so that others can use it in the future if they ever do a search of the messages. All the best Craig McGinty ********************* IF you bring your dog to France either on holiday or permanently it is important that you prepare your pet as well as yourself. According to the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine precautions should be taken to cut the risk of your dog catching diseases more often associated with the tropics. Since the introduction of the PETS travel scheme it has become much easier for people to take their dogs on holiday or to bring them when they re-locate to France. However, there are diseases such as leishmaniasis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis and heartworm that UK dogs will not have developed immunity to. Dr Jackie Barber, of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, said: "The risk of becoming infected depends on where, when and for how long the dogs (and cats) go. "Most of the parasitic diseases we are concerned with are carried by sandflies, mosquitoes and ticks. "So the risk of being bitten by flying insects will be higher in countries nearer the Mediterranean during summer evenings and the risk from ticks is greater in forests and on rough grazing land. "Some of the diseases, such as babesiosis, can develop and kill within a couple of weeks whilst others may have long incubation periods of months or even years. "So it is important that owners remember to let their vet know if their pet has ever travelled abroad, even a long time ago." Many of these diseases have vague clinical signs such as tiredness, anaemia, enlarged lymph glands, bleeding and loss of weight, so diagnostic tests would be needed to confirm whether your pet has got one or more of these diseases. Treatment can be complicated as few of the drugs needed are available in the UK and most have to be imported under special licence. But Dr Barber says that pet owners should not be too worried and that simple precautions should be taken. "Considering the number of animals which have entered the UK since the PETS scheme started, (over 120,000 dogs and cats between February 2000 and September 2003) only a very small proportion have developed these ’exotic’ infections," said Dr Barber. "To reduce the risks examine your pet daily for ticks, especially around the head and feet, and remove any found. "Do not let your pet sleep outside at night unless screened by mosquito netting and visit your vet to get heartworm preventative drugs and tick and sandfly repellents." Written May 17, 2004 for www.thisfrenchlife.com

Hi My mother just did Manchester to Bristol with Air SouthWest and then Bristol to Bergerac with flyBe. Worked out less than £150 return as she travelled mid-week. Hope this helps. Regards Craig McGinty http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/

Hi teamedup Just saw on France 3 news this evening that French vets are struggling to get their hands on the EU passports, supply problems, but according to the DEFRA website existing PETS 1 etc will be valid until a renewal; then an EU one will be issued. DEFRA website says: "A PETS1 certificate issued before 1 October 2004 (including any issued before 3 July 2004) will be valid for return to the UK until its expiry. PETS1 certificates will not be issued from 1 October 2004." Regards Craig McGinty

Hi all Hope this helps in some way (written 28/09/04): PETS travelling between European Union member states must have an official EU Pets Passport from next month. The 1 October marks the official launch date of the system that will allow pets and their owners to travel easily between member states. Under the new rules, pets only require identification, an EU pet passport and a rabies vaccination according to the manufacturers’ instructions. However, the additional import requirements, which need to be recorded in the EU pet passport, for animals entering the United Kingdom, Sweden, and the Republic of Ireland still stand. For example, the tick and tapeworm treatment will be recorded in the pet’s EU passport. European Union regulations also require that electronic scanners that can read implanted microchips be placed at all ports of entry to EU countries. In France the passport may be issued by a government-authorized vet who holds a mandat sanitaire from the French authorities. In most veterinary practices in France at least one of the vets holds a mandat sanitaire; alternatively a list should be on display in every Town Hall (La Mairie). Make sure that the vet correctly completes sections I to V of the passport. In the UK the passport will replace the existing PETS 1 certificate and will be accepted for entry to the UK from other member states and from other qualifying countries. It will also replace the PETS 5 and other documents currently required to enter EU countries. Existing certificate holders will have them replaced by a passport once it expires. Sources: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/int-trde/misc/cins/2004/0495.htm http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/04/724&format=HTML&aged=1&language=EN&guiLanguage=en http://www.ambafrance-uk.org/asp/service.asp?SERVID=101&LNG=en&PAGID=527 Regards Craig McGinty http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/

Hi In reply to your question about insurance it would be a real challenge to find a French insurer to cover your UK registered car. It would be best to insure it in the UK and try and get a good deal on the cover for driving in France. Many UK insurers offer three months cover in Europe. Officially your UK car has to be registered in the French system within three months of your arrival, which involves a lot of paperwork etc. Many UK people I know eventually sell their UK reg car and buy a French car, especially if they have decided to stay long term. Any other questions drop me a line. Regards Craig McGinty http://www.thisfrenchlife.com

Hi There is a website that lists a number of International Schools in France, some of the entries feature fee tables, at: http://www.eteach.com/hosted/schoolList.asp?int=true&Continent=1&ctyNo=10&search=&top=1 And another: http://www.international-schools.com/istd-f-search.asp Hope this helps. Regards Craig http://www.thisfrenchlife.com

Hi Another possible route could be to let a holiday home for three to six months especially if you are likely to be in France from Feb. That is what I did and it has worked out smoothly for me as owners often end up with their homes standing empty through the winter and would be delighted to let it long term. Prepare a short email in advance outlining what you require, how much you are willing to pay and if you will be bringing over any pets. Naturally renting out of season will not only widen your options, but you should be able to get a good two or three bedroom home for around Euro600 a month. Just make sure that the heating is sufficient to keep the cold out. You could do this in the short term and then look for something for twelve months or more once over here. Don't forget that there is a French version of Google (http://www.google.fr/) as well as Yahoo (http://fr.yahoo.com). Another place to cast an eye over is the property pages in the French regional newspaper for the area you are keen on. Hope this helps. All the best Craig http://www.thisfrenchlife.com

Hi ab Just a couple of points if you buy a French machine is that Windows will be in French so any messages, error messages etc. will be in French. You can't change the home version of Windows XP to display in English and most of the software that comes with the machine will be in French. Also whether you buy a UK machine or a French machine make sure that you update the virus protection first and then go to the Windows update page second at: http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp Your machine could have been sat on a shelf for six months or more, so it is not up to date with patches etc. I've spent the last few weeks helping people clean their machines of various viruses after jumping straight on to the Internet after buying a new computer. Any questions just drop me a line. Regards Craig http://www.thisfrenchlife.com

Hi If you have a website make sure your site is set-up for search engines so that you get free advertising through them. Make sure your site address is on any vehicle you use, all the ususal offline methods should be used as well. And get some sticky labels with your contact details on that you can leave with customers to put on the fridge door, cover of the Yellow Pages or some other place. If your website is up and running give me the address and I'll take a quick look at to see if you can tweak a few things to help. All the best Craig http://www.thisfrenchlife.com