DaveLister Posted March 25 Author Share Posted March 25 **** Smith had a sparring partner I seem to remember. Used to run a B&B in Brittany. Anyone remember his name? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin963 Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 I'm fairly sure I was posting in late 1998, having joined in the summer when we started looking for a house. As others have said, famous names from the past include Coco (who used to get into terrible scrapes on here), mazan, Teamedup (who of course until recently was still posting on here under a different name), Anton Redman, Ron in the Aveyron, SwissBarry, etc etc. And a special mention for Cooperlola, one of the nicest people on the planet. I felt I was quite an old hand by 2001, when I was regularly advising (along with Mazan) folk on getting British TV in France, and occasionally on how to get French TV in England, and why the fact the French used SECAM/System L for TV transmission back then made things so difficult! Sadly the decay of the forum hasn't been pretty as it's turned in on itself. I suppose everyone looks at Facebook nowadays.... Sadly I'm not sure it serves much of a function now.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menthe Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 2 hours ago, Martin963 said: I'm fairly sure I was posting in late 1998, having joined in the summer when we started looking for a house. As others have said, famous names from the past include Coco (who used to get into terrible scrapes on here), mazan, Teamedup (who of course until recently was still posting on here under a different name), Anton Redman, Ron in the Aveyron, SwissBarry, etc etc. And a special mention for Cooperlola, one of the nicest people on the planet. I felt I was quite an old hand by 2001, when I was regularly advising (along with Mazan) folk on getting British TV in France, and occasionally on how to get French TV in England, and why the fact the French used SECAM/System L for TV transmission back then made things so difficult! Sadly the decay of the forum hasn't been pretty as it's turned in on itself. I suppose everyone looks at Facebook nowadays.... Sadly I'm not sure it serves much of a function now.... Agree with you totally about Cooperlola....I missed her posting here for years afterwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betise Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 (edited) 4 hours ago, DaveLister said: **** Smith had a sparring partner I seem to remember. Used to run a B&B in Brittany. Anyone remember his name? Cassis? I remember also Sunday Driver, always so helpful. EDIT, no, it was Mikkie! Edited March 25 by betise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loiseau Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 (edited) Cooperlola! So sorry i couldn’t remember her name when I posted. She was amazing. Coco had a lovely B&B in Normandy; I stayed there a few times en route to the Vendée. Dear TeamedUp was in some ways the ALBF d'antan; always reminding newcomers to France to remove their rose-coloured spex; I hope she's doing ok back in England. Oh, SundayDriver, So full of good advice. Edited March 25 by Loiseau Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anotherbanana Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 Micky became Ricky Rocket, had a BnB in Normandy/ Brittany. He had some epic battles with Quillan who eventually banned him for 999 or so years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveLister Posted March 25 Author Share Posted March 25 Mickie, that was it. I remember the battle of the B&B'ers. 😄 He was another one who would give short shift to any newbie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judith Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 Suspect I joined in about 2004/5, when the idea of moving to France when retirement was close enough to make it viable, but it might have been sooner, as I'd been thinking of it for sometime before it became a feasible option. Since we came in 2005 (or OH did, I had to wait to retire so was behind him), in 2005, it was certainly by then. As for the names, they are to conjure wiith. SD helped with tax affairs as well as many other topics, Copperlola, RH and other all remembered fondly here .. but as to when it actually started, qui le sait??? I'm currently on hols and family visiting it the UK, so late to seeing, responding and even posting in my own right!. Tant pis!! Suspect other forums ie FB might have thought to replace this one, but do you know, it doesn't do the same job at all! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menthe Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 I hope that this thread will remind the oldtimers (me? 2006) about how important a part this forum has played in their lives. And I hope the newbies will realise how the forum used to be lively and, yes, fun! Can we all make a huge effort to keep it going? After all, you don't need to be an expert in anything, you could have an opinion, a joke to share, a discovery to reveal to others. It's really not that difficult, is it? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardian Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 I think that I was (around about) a 2005 joiner, having moved to France in late 2004. Over the years I have gained countless amounts of advice & information. On the odd occasion, I may have been able to reciprocate. I hear some concern over the level of contribution these days. Frankly, I don’t share that concern. Those of us who go back that far can remember some of the acerbic attacks and pointless bickering that went on, almost always from the same culprits. It wasn’t very nice, to say the least. Nowadays, people can (hopefully) ask a question and get some informed and unbiased advice. Even daft boogers like ALBF lighten proceedings .......... and he never seems to take offence ! In summary - quality & civility are better than vitriol, IMO 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loiseau Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 I miss Chancer. Has anyone got news of him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 (edited) Joined on Dec 5th 2006 and 11,369 posts in thee ensuing years! A while since I've been here though, possibly something to do with moving to Spain in 2018! Chancer is still about but now masquerades under the name PCPA on at least one of the other French forums. He now lives (mostly) in the Bergerac area. Edited March 26 by DaveLister Sorry AnOther, no links to other Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 It's a car forum, nowt at all to do with France. Briskoda.net - Yeti section. BTW you can find the date you joined by clicking on your own profile icon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menthe Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 Oh, how lovely to see you back, AnOther, even if briefly. Must remind you yet again, I STILL have my VALID French paper driving licence thanks to your timely advice😀 Not to forget all the other times you gave me excellent and much needed advice. How is life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menthe Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 Damn thing got posted before I'd finished. I meant to ask how is life treating you and Mrs A in Spain? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 Hi menthe. No complaints and no regrets probably sums it up Glad to hear you still have your paper licence, unfortunately I had to give mine up for a Spanish one which is for 5 years until age 70, which I just sneaked in before my 70th in 2020, and thereafter it's a maximum of 2 years at a time on renewal. Cost of living wise I think we moved at the right time, sure prices have risen here as everywhere but from what I've gleaned nowhere near as much as in France. On thing we do enjoy is the variety of choice when it comes to eating out. Within say a 20 minute drive we can eat Chinese, Thai, Indian, Mexican, Italian, REAL Steak, etc. etc. etc. and reasonable prices too, including drinks it perfectly possible to have a meal for 4 and have change out of €60. I certainly don't miss French Winters, a pretty miserable few months plus the cost of heating. Even over the past couple of years, where everyone has been hit in one way or another by the fallout from the war in Ukraine, here our utility bills (leccy and water) have still averaged around €125/mth, in France fuel and logs for Winter were costing me around €900/pa or €75/mth on average. The only source of heating we use here is our A/C's in inverter mode one in the lounge and another in our bedroom which TBH gets little use. Even on cold days, and 7c is the coldest we've seen in 6 years, the living room one only costs me say 5 or 6kWh to run for the day which is equivalent to under €2.5. I do miss the greenery of France. Although where I live I'm surrounded by orange, lemon, and pomegranate groves you don't have to venture far to find yourself in a dry arid landscape with little to see or commend it but that's all I can honestly say that I miss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alittlebitfrench Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 2 hours ago, Loiseau said: I miss Chancer. Has anyone got news of him? He is alive and kicking. I was talking to him on a car forum a few weeks back. Don’t think he realised it was me. Thankfully. I was searching for a solution to a car problem I had and he was quite visibly active on the forum giving advice. We have the same car. I don’t think he does French forums anymore. Which is fair enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betise Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 2 hours ago, AnOther said: It's a car forum, nowt at all to do with France. Briskoda.net - Yeti section. BTW you can find the date you joined by clicking on your own profile icon. Hello Ernie *waves*! Lovely to see you posting. Do you still have your lean, green, machine? Unfortunately, the forum software was changed in 2004, so anyone who joined before that is stuck with that date now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 Sadly, due to my wife's increasing mobility problems, and mine in some part, I sold it last year. 36 years and 400,000 miles was a good run but it wasn't getting the use it needed and deserved. I sold it to a Dutchman who I'm confident will care for it as it I did. AFAIK Chancer (PCPA) was last active on a French forum about a year ago but as I've already been scolded once for daring to post a link which wasn't even to a French site so I can't tell you where. If you follow my hints you should be able to find him, if you're so inclined that is. I too have the same car as Chancer, and apparently also ALBF. A great car and a shame they stopped making them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveLister Posted March 26 Author Share Posted March 26 No scolding at all, I assumed it was a honest mistake. BTW, make that 4 with the same car 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alittlebitfrench Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 20 minutes ago, AnOther said: I too have the same car as Chancer, and apparently also ALBF. A great car and a shame they stopped making them. A tragic mistake they stopped making them. Still the best looking bulletproof little suv on the road. It does everything. We love it. We bought ours new in 2011…..so we have had it now….12 years. Before that an Octavia 2. We will keep it until it dies. Which it won’t. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 Mine is also 2011 but only 99k km when I bought it nearly 3 years ago. Now 126k and no problems bar a new clutch master cylinder. It's only the 1.2lt, and the base model at that (less to go wrong!) but I hope, and expect, it to be the last car I buy in my lifetime! Dave, I was being mischievous, if you'd known me from before you'd understand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menthe Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 22 hours ago, AnOther said: Hi menthe. No complaints and no regrets probably sums it up Glad to hear you still have your paper licence, unfortunately I had to give mine up for a Spanish one which is for 5 years until age 70, which I just sneaked in before my 70th in 2020, and thereafter it's a maximum of 2 years at a time on renewal. Cost of living wise I think we moved at the right time, sure prices have risen here as everywhere but from what I've gleaned nowhere near as much as in France. On thing we do enjoy is the variety of choice when it comes to eating out. Within say a 20 minute drive we can eat Chinese, Thai, Indian, Mexican, Italian, REAL Steak, etc. etc. etc. and reasonable prices too, including drinks it perfectly possible to have a meal for 4 and have change out of €60. I certainly don't miss French Winters, a pretty miserable few months plus the cost of heating. Even over the past couple of years, where everyone has been hit in one way or another by the fallout from the war in Ukraine, here our utility bills (leccy and water) have still averaged around €125/mth, in France fuel and logs for Winter were costing me around €900/pa or €75/mth on average. The only source of heating we use here is our A/C's in inverter mode one in the lounge and another in our bedroom which TBH gets little use. Even on cold days, and 7c is the coldest we've seen in 6 years, the living room one only costs me say 5 or 6kWh to run for the day which is equivalent to under €2.5. I do miss the greenery of France. Although where I live I'm surrounded by orange, lemon, and pomegranate groves you don't have to venture far to find yourself in a dry arid landscape with little to see or commend it but that's all I can honestly say that I miss. AnOther, your move to Spain has obviously been a happy one and one that suits you....so félicitations on that. Must admit the restos sound incredible though I am sure Mrs A's cooking (from memory of the scrumptious treats you posted photos of) easily surpasses any of those restos' But, don't mention fuel bills, ours are literally through the roof! I am very envious..... So happy to have heard from you, I see you will stay forever YOUNG (ah...couldnt resist that one!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le Petomane Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 Anyone remember chris pp? He was the forum's David Attenborough. If something bizarre with six legs appeared in your home he could identify it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menthe Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 Not that name but I remember someone who sounds like your man! What was his forum name? I do remember another Chris, Chris Head but he sadly had a lot of mental health problems, BEFORE it became fashionable to have these! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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