mint

Oh dear, the French really, really ought to learn some discipline.  As for that donkey of a French prop who threw a punch in full view of the ref, words fail me! I mean, you'd think he'd have the sense to do it surreptitiously, wouldn't you?[6]

Have done that, ALBF, and the stains don't look good at all. 

Betise, I hope you are not doing THAT in this time of high winds and heavy rain!  Just thinking of you doing that is enough to bring me out in goose pimples (chair de poule)[:D]

Judith, I am delighted you heard that doctor.  Talk about ability to communicate something intrinsically complicated and nuanced in such an effective and elegant way! I found him strangely compelling!  Must be to do with his "poached egg" eyes, as some commentator has it....[:P] Norman, I do watch C dans l'air sometimes but, it's such a long programme and my attention gets stretched to its limits while I try to follow the thread of the discussions[:-))]

Well, id, we did have a book club going but, for lack of interest, numbers kept dwindling, then I got ill and it sort of....well.....foldered! It's not that there is no one to speak to exactly, but my one and only really close friend in the village moved to Nantes.  There are book clubs for Brits, even church services, but I am not that interested in those.  I am mostly interested in French as a sort of mental puzzle as much as anything else and sometimes, just sometimes, I am lost in admiration of someone speaking excellent French.  In the same way, I also admire people speaking English and getting a point across.  Which reminds me, did you catch that doctor speaking about the coronavirus in the select committee today chaired by Jeremy Hunt?  Wow, that man spoke so sensibly and elegantly, I could have listened for hours but they only showed a snatch of it on Sky.  Pity....

Oui, c'est ça!

Thank you, Norman.  My problem is I tend to drift into informality because I generally speak French to friends and neighbours and do not have many "formal" conversations. In my village, we all know each other's first names, faire la bise and off we go speaking about this and that and we are not a sophisticated crowd, all country folk.  I'd like to sound a bit more refined sometimes!![:-))]

Am I pitching it right?  I'd use cela when talking to my onco and ça when addressing my walking friends. I'd propose something and I'd ask ça vous arrange?  I tend to use cela when writing and ça when talking with walking friends.  Are they both pretty much interchangeable?  ça a d'importance?[:P]  

Thanks, everybody.  I'm going to use the javel gel, as advised by lehaut.  Seems like the least hassle and nothing like working it in with a stiff brush to beat a session on the rowing machine?[:D] Now just to wait for a break in the gusts of wind and rain to test a small patch isolated from the other areas.

Could try, I suppose, Pip though a couple of cats seem to like visiting and I don't know if it could harm them?

Don't know about the gutsy ones; I'm still only laughing at Raymond Devos and Laurent Gerra!

Terraces, mostly stone paving slabs with some concrete aggregate, stained and dirty looking: so something to use in conjunction with the pressure jet cleaner.  Thanks. 

Thanks for all the posts.  So, works better in theory than in real life then? For the first time this week, I went to an entirely new bit of a hospital where I am treated.  Everything was spanking new and they had the dmp info all around the sitting rooms and reception area.  I haven't personally tried it and meant to ask my specialist but our talk led on to all sorts of subjects unconnected with my medical condition and I forgot to talk about this. Sorry, didn't mean to mislead anybody but I knew that the old faithful ones "in the know" would soon tell me if I have got anything wrong![:D][:P]

I use the same site as Cajal and find it works well.

for those who'd like a DMP, you only need to find out on dmp.fr and all will be revealed

From my experience:a) NO.  They do, in theory, but the reality was that I had to cancel the previous supplier myself.  Also, depending on your contract, you might have to pay a résiliation fee.

Yes, this is cleverly done and the texts are très sympas! I do think the French are very good at this type of spectacles and I often find myself enjoying a variety of shows that are not my usual fare.

Well, id, I knew we would have 15 years' of voting.  It seemed OK at the time as we had no means of knowing whether we would be staying as long as that or even whether we would still be alive! Also, as you know, I am not a monarchist and I did want to move to a republic.

Well spoken, Norman.  I now feel "stateless" and that bothers me.

Paul, BJ did say in his letter that many of us still have family in the UK and have UK derived income.  Also that, with Brexit, he would need us (UK folk on the continent) more than ever. Don't know what he needs us for?  He is perfectly capable of antagonising the EU on his own (under the guiding hand of Cummings) and scuppering our "trade deal" with the EU.

Why am I not holding my breath?[:'(] Meanwhile it's a huge blow not to be able to vote in the municipal and European elections over here.

I agree with you about the face masks, Mac.  How on earth are they going to protect you?  This is  an air borne disease, so you are still breathing the air around the edges of the mask and even through the flimsy, paper mask?[:-))] I suppose if you could get old of one and are strong enough to lug it around and can find a replacement when yours expires, you can have a diving mask attached to an air tank?[I]

Thanks, pomme.  Don't know why but I always thought that the abatement was 40%!!! There must be others with AVC who would know.  I see your difficulty; the French do not seem to have the same definitions as we do of all sorts of stuff to do with income tax.  

For rente viagère if over 70, 40% is deducted before tax on the rest.

Thank you, noisette.  I'd try them like a shot, depends on whether I can persuade OH to be ruthless with a few moths! These animal lovers can get a bit over the top extreme.....[6]