mint

[quote user="BritinBretagne"]When you complete your first tax return one of the questions is, when did you arrive in France. As you say anything over five years is immaterial.[/quote] BnB, on thinking over what you have said on another thread about getting the application in straightaway in order to get yourself registered, I am acting on your advice.  Just scanning the bank statements in and then ready to go tomorrow.  Incidentally, scanning is very tedious for me as I use the scanning function of an antiquated Epson printer.  I do have an excellent laser printer but I was too mean to buy a combined machine!

 Id, just had a look.  It says "adresse d'mposition au 01.01.2008" and "revenu de 2007" We moved here on 01.04.2007.  As they are only looking for people who have been here for at least 5 years, I don't think the actual date is so important for us.

Thanks everybody.  First tax avis it is then. PS.  Just located the first tax avis AND the contributions sociales avis as, of course, in those days, the bills were separate[I]

Horrible weather and can't do anything out of doors.  So thought I'd fill in our residence request, having decided that on balance it's easier to get it done now than to have it nagging away at the bank of my mind. Any suggestions as to what might be a useful document for this?  House purchase attestation from notaire?  First tax avis?  What else might be acceptable? Thanks

It really is too simplistic to talk about rigorous testing and short term relief (quoting Wools here). So what if these places do not "cure" or give you relief from your ailments forever?  Clearly, you have a very limited view of what might benefit patients. Some illnesses are NEVER curable (some form of arthritis, lung conditions, some cancers), so are you suggesting that relief of symptoms, be they physical, psychological, mental, should be denied patients or only be available to patients with the ability to pay? As an unqualified person, Wools, I would suggest that you are in no position to decide on what treatments are beneficial and which are "pseudo treatment".  Our health and wellbeing is a very complex matter, we are made up of skin, bones, organs, but also of spirit and attitude and all the intermingled elements of body and mind. Many doctors in Western society are very good at treating illnesses and diseases but are less good at taking a holistic view of our health.  And that is entirely understandable:  you take out an appendix and the patient's pain is relieved and can be discharged from hospital, you treat someone for diabetes and voilà their disease is no longer a problem.  But what else might help someone to endure their maladies with more fortitude or acceptance?  Some measures are simple:  give a poorly person the right diet to help them heal and increase their appetite, help a bed-bound man to shave or woman to put on some light make-up before accepting visitors.  Some require rather more input from the carers, for example, terminally ill people might be put in hospices. From generalities, I will give you a particular example from my own experience.  Last year, when I was suffering daily from constant coughing and repeated infections as a result of chemotherapy, I considered going away from my home to a thermal cure centre near our previous home.  I looked up their programme for people like me and the lodgings available in that town.  I was desperate to get away and felt that a short stay would be really beneficial.  I decided against in the end because my spirits were so low that I couldn't face packing my stuff and travelling to the thermal place and staying away from my own home.  In the end, it took me over 9 months to get some relief from my symptoms and only after seeing more specialists and making several more trips to the hospital.  I reckon that all that going back and forth for consultations possibly cost the state more in the end. What I say is, there are horses for courses and you need not fear the state (whichever state it is) would readily expend sums of money without evidence of positive outcomes.

Yes, fittersmate and sue, it is possible that some of the staff might be away from work.  At least until the children go back to school, which is next week in our region. As you have already waited so long, it's worth holding on before sending letters or emails as anything sent now might well end up at the bottom of a physical or electronic pile of stuff and could be bypassed. One day, it will arrive and you will be as stunned and speechless as I undoubtedly was[:D]

[quote user="auxadrets"]I have twice been told by French people that I sound like Jane Birkin when I speak French. Is this good or bad?[/quote] On the whole, GOOD.  So you have an accent like that sexy, come hither Jane Birkin? Are you having to fend off all those men that sound like Gainsbourg?  Lol, I guess every silver lining has a cloud? 

With the passing years that I have lived here, I am happy that it's very rarely these days when I am asked to repeat something I have said.  So my spoken French must be passable, I think. To my own ears I do not sound as though I speak French with an English accent.  Sometimes, it takes a few sentences before someone asks me whether I am anglaise.  Sometime, they can't guess and ask where I am from. That is EXCEPT when I speak French, eg in the doctors' waiting room, to British people before I realise they aren't French.  In those instances, many do think I am French and attempt to speak French back......that makes me giggle mightily because I can't understand how they can possibly think I am French!  Blimey, I speak French fairly readily but no way do I speak like a French person! I have to be honest, I can't say I think an English accent is mignon or adorable[:P]  I remember years ago, in a French class, the teacher trying to reassure the students that an English accent was nice.  I said straightaway, yes, but only when they are speaking English! I have some English friends whose accent really really grates on me.  Scottish and Welsh friends seem to sound better.  As one French friend says, their accent is less pointu.  I think many people emphasis the consonants too strongly, especially p, b and t sounds and they tend to emphasise the middle syllables of longer words instead of (usually) the last syllable as the French do. 

[quote user="BritinBretagne"] My advice is do it. It’s straightforward and will register you in the system.[/quote] I'll have another think about it.  I have looked at the site and it is straightforward, as you have said. In any case, I was waiting for my new mutuelle to take effect, which it does today, so that I can upload that in the application. Thank you for your advice, I might just go ahead or wait to see what happens on the 31st.  If Boris starts having a ditch dug so that he could die in it, I might wait a bit[:)]

[quote user="isitlunchtime"]My advice. Don’t fill out any forms yet. That site was set up to deal with ‘no deal’. There will be a withdrawal deal which will possibly produce a eu response for U.K. citizens in Europe (as opposed to a purely French route). So dashing to fill out the French form may result in having to start again. There’s no rush and I’d suggest letting the dust settle. There will be acres of advice...... I have friends who tried to get a carte de séjour - just frustrating and unnecessary. There will be a clear way forward. The French were surprisingly quick, but a pan eu diktat , as we all know, is sometimes the most beneficial! All the best for 2020[/quote] isitlunchtime, I shall follow your advice as you seem to me to be eminently sensible[:D]  I have quoted your reply in full so that others might read it[I] Thank you to you, too, id, as you do know a lot about the "system". With that thing to do off my list, I guess my next job is to get the nurse to give me my bronchitis jab and to do something about that pension that I have not bothered to claim as yet (yes, you guessed it, the sum is derisory!!)

No, fittersmate, but writing to the conciliateur was on my list of "to do" things over Christmas and the New Year! The letter came in answer to my last email to them in October. Now the next thing on the list is to fill in the form online for résidence as Brexit is deffo on the cards.  I loathe doing all these "official" things but I do get a real buzz when something comes off like this claim[:D] Yes, you be full of optimism, start the year as you mean to go on!  

Had my letter today saying that we will be automatiquement remboursé.  No money in the bank account yet, mind, but the réclamation has been accepted. There is a name and email for the person in charge of our claim if we wanted details of how the amount of reimbursement is decided. Thank you everybody who has contributed to this thread with special thanks to isitlunchtime and pomme. Cheers, guys![B]

To you too, dear Wools.  And of course to everyone else on here as well[:)][B]

Bonjour Cannoise.  I believe you can watch it on replay.  Have you clicked on the link?

A very enjoyable programme this evening on Arte.  I am putting this here because I can see that there are a few of us who like topics that are not exclusively Norman's cup of tea[I] [url]https://www.arte.tv/fr/videos/081577-000-A/les-metiers-d-art-de-la-vienne-imperiale/[/url] All the grace and luxury and elegance of imperial Vienna with snatches of appropriate music throughout.  The making of fine jewellery, chandeliers, furniture, food and drink, etc all featured.  Wonderful architecture of Viennese buildings and some fascinating shots of the biggest and best department stores of the day including Selfridges made me smile! Be assured that the music was not confined to Strauss waltzes[:)] Allez les deux Angelas (Loiseau et Auxadets), I do think you'd enjoy it.  Don't know about you, but that is about the nearest I shall ever get to such luxury as the crystals, silver, china, cakes, jewels, etc shown!

You've got to be joking, Cajal.  The works cost tens of thousands of euros and even my MINT will not be able to print out money fast enough![:D] Will let you know what the facture is when it arrives and what I will have done with it![:P]

Nomoss, I thought I'd let you know that I too have had a problem tonight.  Agreed to buy an item.  Buyer accepted and I went to pay via the sécurisé bit.  Chose my MR depot but I couldn't enter my name or details as the screen only lasted for split seconds and I keep getting back the messagerie with the choice to accept and pay or refuse. Tried several times, no joy, screen just wouldn't stay on long enough for me to fill in the necessary boxes.  Very trying.  I wrote to the vendor, telling her what was happening.  Will retry tomorrow.  Damn nuissance!

I thought St Peter is in charge of all the KEYS?[8-)]

Don't know if this counts as "acceptance"?[:P] Over several months last year, we have had upgrading work to our petite rue.  We are on the edge of our village on a small road that only the locals use.  The works included installing new water pipes and meters, new electrical supply, provision for fibre internet, re-surfacing of the road, creation of trottoirs, new lamp posts (unlit previously) tree and shrub planting, etc.  There is one final undertaking and that is to put up a wooden barrier to protect people and vehicles from falling into a steep bank.  This barrier is to be put up just beyond our gates.  Our house is next to an orchard belonging to a well established French family of the village. I have just glanced at our village newsletter where mention was made of the barrier to be constructed next year.  Most amused to see that instead of giving the name of the road or the family who owns the orchard, it states that this will be built à coté chez Mint! Accepted or not, it seems that everyone is expected to know our name![:-))]

It's we who should say thank you to you, Hoddy, for your sterling work on the forum.  And we all return your Christmas greetings and wish you and all your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We promise to be on our best behaviour and not squabble amongst ourselves to give you a break from your peace-keeping work[:)]

Loiseau, I have been thinking of you the last few days.  The reason? I have just finished a book whose story takes place in Bruges, Paris and London and I know you are familiar with all three places.  Must tell you briefly how I came to be reading the book.  That I happened upon the book at all is a bit of a happy coincidence. A couple of weeks ago, I went to a C of E church fete to buy chutney, Christmas cards, CDs and books (yes, you CAN find such events in Dordogneshire).  As the books were 50 centimes each, I selected a few for Christmas reading.  So, I began with An Avenue of Stone by Pamela Hansford Johnson.  I'd never heard of this author before but OH remembers her well from her broadcasts and writings as a music critic.  Incidentally, she is a bit of an authority on Proust so my interest was well and truly spiked! Having finished that book, I realised that it was the second book in a trilogy and I immediately went on the internet to search for the other two books.  The first of the trilogy, Too Dear for my Possessing is the book that might appeal to you for the reasons cited above and I thought it would be a book that could give you great enjoyment. As an aside, I find it curious how differently I read French and English books.  With French romans, I gallop through as fast as I can to see how the story develops.  With English ones, I pause and reflect, admire or pick holes with the style of writing, get irked by mistakes that any average proof reader should have noticed and generally don't care much about the story line!  Since living in France and I dare say having more time on my hands, I read for excellence in writing and enjoy the words, sentences, paragraphs as a legitimate pleasure in itself. Don't worry, this author writes with fluency and apparently effortlessly and takes you through from first page to last at a good pace but does not leave you other than completely satisfied at the end.

Oh good, thank you.  Keeping that till I am sure of being undisturbed[:)]

although it undoubtedly is for him, but it is also for all of us who live in France[:)] Here is the programme: [url]https://www.arte.tv/fr/videos/087431-000-A/le-king-s-college-en-musiques/[/url] I find it interesting to watch TV programmes about the UK in French.  Gives you another perspective and an insight into how others see us. Not to mention it's Christmas and this features the choristers as well as slices of English history around the time when King's College was built. And, for Norman, they are using period instruments[:)] and there is a helping of English barogue.

Up till the small hours last night for les noces de Figaro on Fr 5 and you could watch it on replay. Best Dove Sono that I have ever heard.  Here is a snatch of Vanina Santoni for you to judge for yourself: [url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1jABlkL72w[/url]

As you say, cajal, Beethoven admirers have been waiting long enough[:D]