ruedeleglise

Good on you Fay. There is so much going for the Baie de Somme area, not least that there are fewer "Brits" around except in the lemming months of July and August than in many other parts. At least we in the Baie area are generally welcomed and there is no flag burning here! Ruedeleglise

Annie1 Cut to size of course! The farmers grandson, a university student offered to help so I didn't say no! We are off this evening to France 80 for 10 days or so but don't think we will need any logs this time! Ruedeleglise

Hello there Annie1 Yes I do mean a metric cube or stair, but you have to be able to accept 6 to 8 stair in one drop.

Just look at www.osteopathy .org.uk and you will find a directory of all osteopaths who are legally permitted to call themselves osteopaths in the UK practicing throughout the world. Oh dear I hope I have phrased that correctly otherwise as a GOsC osteopath myself I will no doubt have my wrists slapped!

OK, but if the car was a new car....I would like to think the cost could be less for purchase, insurance (the same?) road tax (none in france???). So overall for the very little inconvenience of a LHD in UK for say 5 weeks out of 6 it could be a "cheaper" option. OR as you say buy a recent french LHD in UK and possibly "export " it to France...but am I there enough for the authorities to allow that?

To all you knowledgable people; is it crazy, cost wise, legal etc to buy a car in France, LHD with French insurance but to bring it back to UK? We visit our French house in Picardie every 6 weeks and a LHD car would be a boon. I have no worries about driving LHD in UK.

We are in Arry, just near Rue, Picardie, and were told we were the only Brits in the commune of Arry. This is true but not surprisingly as there are only 150 total population! I think we have heard all of 3 English voices in the "big town" of Rue over this winter whilst we have been there.  Like most of you we are not permanent but go over regularly. I heard a rumour that there was a brave English that had a house even nearer to Crecy than us, in Vron! We often go to Hesdin and Montreuil for their markets and St Valery and Le Crotoy. We would be pleased to make some contacts. David and Frances.

Any legal legislation concerning the installation or functioning of alarms, as in England?

Last spring we bought the usual fridge/freezer, TV, washing machine and tumble drier from a, I gather, small group called Gitem. They delivered free, when they said they would, installed/ connected and were generally very helpful. They set up our TV parabol for 30 euros as well. I personnally thought the prices were very fair.  This was in Picardie but I believe there are a number of branches around.

This is all most confusing. We seem to be contradicting each other a lot of the time! In GB for a 4 bed house band E, semi rural we pay 2.400 Euro a year in rates/council tax In Picardie  5 bed rural we pay 499 fonciere + 300 Hab + 124 waste = 923 Euro a year In GB we pay class 4 nic + stamp and WPA private health insurance 6000 Euro a year !!!! In France I don't know as I don't live there. House insurance GB 800 Euro.   France 450 Euro (correcting for lesser contents in France)

Yes I quite agree with the comments about council tax GB vs tax fonciere and habiltation. I have never been out in France thro a long cold spell but have been for a week or 10 days only this winter.  Being like our long grey haired fellow forum chatter (sorry didn't note your name!) I am very careful to keep tabs on costs, and I must say the combination of logs and cost of electricity over the year and in the cold periods we have been there hasn't been too much of a shock. But I am comparing a fairly modern well insulated double glazed space wise compact house in France with a draughty space inefficient vertical sliding sash windowed gas centrally heated house in the UK.  I have the impression as does my wife who does 99% of the shopping that a 1/3 cheaper must be about the mark.

I am possibly the newest subscriber to Livingfrance and this is my debut on the forum, so forgive me if I drop any bricks, don't know how to behave etc!  I have been a holiday only owner in Provence for 20 years (max 6 weeks a year) and must say I have seen the costs go up in different ways over this time. However last year we left the south, in many ways driven out by tourists their noise, regrettably drugs and petty crime which spread from the coast up to the idyllic village where we owned and also my parents before me who lived there. We bought in Picardie for 2/3 of the price we sold a 2 bed town house with no garden and no car standing, a 5 bed house in near 2 acres with a Hangar in a village where we are the only english speakers. The property price speaks for itself, different area, different price. So far after one year now going over to Picardie for about one week in six plus a 2 week and a 3 week stay, I have been quite surprised at the lower costs. Wood for heating at least a third cheaper, fresh foods from the markets all cheaper than the south, builders, plumbers decorators, odd job man (and life saver in times of crisis), all much cheaper...at least a third less than the south. And  we have found the "locals" to be so helpful and supportive. In general I feel the comparative cost of living must be cheaper. It certainly is compared with the south and compared with G.B. I take the point of earnings working in G.B and France and the higher taxation in France, but Oh WOW the quality of life in general appears to be so much better in France. Yes you are right I would love to live in France in many ways but like so many have earnings constraints till I retire and  family constraints the whole time!

I am a new subscriber to Livingfrance and new to this forum. Although I have been associated with France for 20 plus years owning properties in Provence in the past but now have relocated to rural Picardie (having been driven out of the south by the steady spread of petty crime to support drug habits and the all devouring tourist), I have not as yet lived for any meaningful length of time in France. Can anyone living in the North give me some idea as to the relative cost of living compared with G.B?  Many thanks.