Scooby

[quote user="Cathy"]The person whose party it was is a thoughtful contributor to this Forum and there are threads on this Forum about it (I won't post the links). I feel dreadfully sorry for everyone involved. [/quote] Thanks Cathy - I was just about to post the same.

LOL Velcorin I loved your description.  Our neighbours seem to always have snails to start (obligatory), Coquilles St Jacques / oysters, then next course varies.  Menus seem heavily orientated to fish.   We did go the typical reveillon route when we spent Christmas in France a couple of years ago but the resounding family verdict was for traditional turkey / goose on Christmas day etc next time we were there.   However, we haven't been out for Christmas since (too many January exam dates atm!)

NickP I'm not 'slagging France off' just making a valid comparison.  We are not really affected by the prices because we don't live in France and we don't spend that much time there either (Although I've spent a few weeks in France over the last year, Mr Scooby and the rest of the family have only spent 10 days in France in the last 16 months).  Nevertheless we feel for those who do have to manage their budget with the current French supermarket prices etc.

It seems certain people on here don't want to understand - they just want to rant.  Their perspective is fixed - fed by an ill informed (or is it sensation seeking?) media.  If someone said that all those working in the banking sector were closet members of the KKK they would whole heartedly agree...nodding sagely that they knew it all along. 

He understands badly who listens badly (Welsh proverb) The reason why so few people are agreeable in conversation is that each is thinking more about what he intends to say than about what others are saying, and we never listen when we are eager to speak. (Francois La Rochefoucauld)

The piece is taken from a French property blog which is published by a UK estate agent based in Deux-Sèvres.  The blog credits the piece to uswitch.com - but the article isn't on uswitch so I'm assuming it's pretty old despite it being cited in an October 2009 blog entry. Edit:  I have found the original article (here) but it is slightly biased!  It is in PDF which is perhaps why my search of uswitch.com didn't find it. Of all the 17 categories, four are energy giving a greater emphasis on relative fuel cost.  Hours of sunshine are weighted equally with cost of food. Travel costs are based on commuting from Chelmsford in Essex into central London (about the most expensive comparable I can think of - and far more than most people would pay). Annual holidays aren't based on average holidays actually taken but on the statutory minimum.  Net household income is based on one person earning the average wage with their partner on 1/3 of the average wage.  The most distorting factor (for those on this forum) has to be the exchange rate used: 1.34 euros to the £1.  If you correct this for the actual average exchange rate for the year to date then the French shopping basket actually costs over £147 not the £119 cited in the article - making it much more expensive than the UK basket at £134 though I would be interested to see the prices used as even this doesn't accord with our experience.  Given the focus on London for commuting costs I would guess that London prices are also being used for the food basket.

Weird isn't it, in my first career I cared for cancer patients, in my second I moved to banking.  The latter job was far more demanding and much less rewarding.  I'm the same person but in the first role I was referred to as an 'angel' in the second I am tantamount to the devil in disguise.  Both roles are equally important and needed.

Thanks Stan - finally some common sense in this discussion.

[quote user="DerekJ"]The real winner for me was Major Phil Packer. I know he won the Fundraiser of the year award and at SPOTY the Helen Rollason Award for outstanding achievement, but he was the highlight of the programme for me. I've followed his exploits for a while and his guts and strength of will is simply amazing. Pure class. Cross channel row. London Marathon Climbing El Capitan [/quote] I agree Derek - an amazing guy, absolutely outstanding. I also thought Eddie Izzard's achievement was fantastic.

I disagree with much of the report which is written with an extremely narrow perspective.

It was snowing in Carcassonne this morning.

[quote user="gardengirl "]Please don't write messages to me like that Scooby. I can only charitably assume you didn't read my post. I have known about such problems from an early age and have taught children with huge problems over many years, as I intimated in my post. I didn't go into specifics, and don't propose to do so, although I'm sure I could trump your aces if I did.[/quote] The reference to you, GG, at the start of the post was only because you started your post 'Scooby'.  The 'you' in my post was a general and plural 'you'.  It's sad that you can trump my aces.  Life can be very unfair and cruel.

Ahh - back up to the wrong folder perhaps?  I have to say I didn't click on the link in case it took me to some reloading porno page!

Thanks Cooperlola - well said.

At a guess I would say the site has been hacked.