Posted by: Brian - Sun-09-05-2021, 09:50 AM
- Replies (9)
I went out in the garden just before the last full moon and thought I recognised a nightingale singing in the next field. The following night, one took up residence in my back garden - but I was ready for it. I'd set up a microphone and a very long lead connected it to my computer inside the house. You can hear the results here.
If any of you are into slow radio or AMSR type sounds, you may find it useful...
The bird returned and could be heard every night for the next week. All has now gone quiet which means it's probably found a mate
Posted by: Jane - Sat-08-05-2021, 20:30 PM
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I recall a long while ago on here we had a bit of a competition to see if anyone could manage to get a photograph of the Oriole bird. We never succeeded and I'm taking it no one did on here. I was just reminded of this when I saw someone else, on a French Facebook group, also trying to get a pic of this bloomin bird, without success. I'm taking it no one on here had any joy then, so I just wanted to say that the competition is still on, although you have an advantage until we manage to get back to France.
No googling photos either as if you would
Posted by: Fred - Thu-06-05-2021, 20:41 PM
- Replies (2)
Do you want to help the Montmorillon council find out what is needed in regard to trade in the centre ?
They have set up a survey (in French but easy to follow) and you can give your opinion. Not personal details are needed but you can add them if you wish.
For me I think the biggest mistake was letting the ring road commercials get bigger, there is no need to go into town any more and it has ruined the centre. But they are trying and I have given my feedback, if you would like to add your opinion go here: https://sphinxdeclic.com/surveyserver/s/...ntmorillon
Well I totally missed this month's supermoon but was delighted that Brian informed me via the newsletter that May's moon will be even more super!
I'm sure there was a post recently about star gazing but I can't find it.
There's a chap near Confolens who ran star gazing evenings type things. I guess that hasn't happened in the last year but has anyone ever been?
Posted by: Jane - Sat-01-05-2021, 16:33 PM
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I may have asked this a while back, but wanting some up to date information please on where you have found to be the most reasonable place to buy sofas. We are hoping to make the move permanently next year and thinking of buying the new sofa there rather than to take one from here. Thank you.
Posted by: Brian - Wed-21-04-2021, 10:40 AM
- Replies (5)
Yesterday I had my first experience of visiting a French hospital for an appointment.
It was at the Department of Ophtalmologie (odd how French has 'Opht...' and English has 'Opth...') at Limoges CHU.
I used the relevant link on the website to email for an appointment and wasn't unduly surprised when, 24 hours later, I had still received no reply. However, on emptying my postbox, I discovered a letter (printed on photocopied headed notepaper) giving me the time and date of my appointment - in 7 days time. Recent experience in the UK for a similar appointment yielded a waiting time of 8 months.
I know Limoges spreads its hospitals over a wide area, so I then went back to the hospital website to discover exactly where the eye clinic was located. There was no direct information, but by searching other sites I eventually tracked it down to somewhere in the main building. At least I now knew which of the many buildings to aim for!
My second experience was trying to find out where I could park. On the hospital website, the only info I could find related to arriving by public transport. Much googling later, I discovered a public car park a 3 minute walk away.
When I arrived, an hour before my appointed time, I asked at reception where the clinic was located and set off down several corridors, eventually finding the right place. Still 50 minutes early. Inevitably, a queue...
About 10 minutes later, I presented myself at the desk and had a very confused conversation with the receptionist. She was about a metre away, behind a perspex screen, wearing a facemask. And she had a quiet voice. It eventually dawned on me that I should have taken a booking-in ticket from a machine in reception and then "follow instructions". Feeling a bit dazed, I made my way back to reception where I eventually discovered the small ticket machine (like one of those at the deli counter in a UK suspermarket). It was attached to a small pillar in a 12m diameter walled-off waiting area in such a way as to be completely invisible to anyone entering the hospital. But I was still 30 minutes early.
After waiting for 50 minutes, my number came up on the single TV screen and I made my way to 'bureau A'. Confusingly, bureaux A to G were all in one room.
I had to hand over CV, ID (first official use of my CdS - hooray!) etc and then go through address, phone number, relatives, hamster's birth cerificate etc. But at last, I was given a sheet of sticky labels with my details on and I was free to attend my appointment.
Now 25 minutes late by the time I arrived back at the Ophtalmologie clinic, I queued again. When I arrived at the desk, they needed my sheet of labels (which they returned to me) before asking for and re-entering name, date of birth, address etc etc etc.
By now, I had missed my appointment time by about 30 minutes, so resigned myself to joining the back of the queue.
To my astonishment, I was taken for an initial inspection within 5 minutes and then had to wait a further 3 minutes (3 whole minutes!) to be seen by the specialist. By now I was quite relieved that he was keen to practice his English on me. The result was that my French eye biology vocabulary has improved dramatically! After a thorough inspection, he pronounced that all was well and I could go happily on my way
Now I know the system and I'm enrolled, I don't think I have to go through the 'ticket' process on subsequent visits.
However, the entire process was very much faster, and the department itself seemed much better equipped than the UK equivalent.
Are there any other French hospital stories out there?
Posted by: Brian - Thu-08-04-2021, 18:47 PM
- Replies (2)
I thought it might be useful to create a thread for any information about moving to France, post-Brexit.
We're no longer allowed to move freely across the channel with our vehicles packed to the gunwales with all our worldly goods.
I remember in the days before the Single Market in the EU that all sorts of permissions were required.
In my professional life, just about every foray into Europe required a huge document known as an ATA Carnet and cost from £750 - £2000. This had to have a cost, description, country of origin and serial number of every piece of equipment we planned to take with us. Sometimes, however, the customs officers would simply stamp the document without any questions. More often than not, they would demand to see specific items, and that could easily add 4 hours to clearing a border.
In 2021, I believe that if you are moving your personal possessions into France as a permanent place of residence, there is no import duty or TVA to pay on items older than 6 months - but you are required to have a full and detailed inventory.
If France is not your principal residence, then duty and TVA are payable.
What new regulations do we need to obey? What hints and tips can we collect?
I am Michelle, along with my husband Craig (he's also joined this group) are just going through the process of buying a lovely little bungalow in a small village called La Gelie.
We are in the very early stages of the process just waiting on our Compromis de Vente, due to Covid we have bought the house through emails and video links, so have no idea of the area other than the views, the peace and tranquility this looks to have.
I can't wait to be able to travel over and turn this into our beautiful little holiday home for us and our family to visit.
It mat seem a little too soon to be joining this group, however I am a planner so do like to have lots of information prior to embarking on any journey, so hopefully I can pick your brains over the next few weeks (before we visit the Notaire) to find the best place to shop for groceries, and DIY materials around the area.
Posted by: Admiral - Tue-06-04-2021, 11:35 AM
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Some friends of ours have happily spent the last 15 years or so running businesses in France - mainly selling French tat (sorry shabby chic furniture etc) to the UK.
Now they tell me they are having massive problems exporting their stuff out of France and business is drying up. They can't work out which end has the problem. All they know is the stuff is not moving beyond France.
Anyone got any clues here? I, and they, thought Brexit was meant to tariff free. Or are the french being their usual protectionist bureaucratic selves?
As a footnote I read that the long-running Mouse to House delivery service has stopped trading after what seems like decades of life-saving grocery drops of lifes essentials; Marmite, peanut butter etc etc.
They say their demise has been caused by french customs and their love of forms.
Posted by: Admiral - Tue-06-04-2021, 11:22 AM
- Replies (13)
Now, here's probably an impossible question to answer but.....in your opinion when will France be safe enough to open for travel again?
I only ask because we have a house and garden outside Monty sitting there doing nothing, weeds runnng riot etc and costing us money.
I thought picking the brains of the front line troops with their boots on the ground might bring more answers than Bumbling Boris or Little Emmanuel Bonaparte as to the real situation of when we can get to France and how you see things evolving in the coming months.
From a UK point of view I can't see these so-called Vaccine Passports working if we can't travel to a high Covid rate country. Apart from the fact they are just a back door method to a national ID card. Which is a very bad thing. In the words of the song; "If you tolerate this then your children will be next."
Quote:
Have you received an email using the Service-Public.fr logo and alerting you to a new version of the vital card? This email invites you to click on a page and enter your personal data to obtain your new carte vitale? Be careful, these emails do not come from Service-Public.fr and should not be followed up under any circumstances.
These are attempted scams called phishing. These emails, often alarmist, usurp the name and logo of Service-Public.fr . They encourage you to provide personal data (identity card, passport, driving license, vital card). This data will then be collected by the phishing author who will use it for purchases or banking transactions. For example, they can offer a paid online service for updating the vital card. In truth, the update can be done free of charge in most pharmacies and on terminals in health insurance reception points.
Service-Public.fr does not ask for money, does not reimburse it and never seeks to collect bank details. Service-Public.fr can nevertheless send you an email (subscription to alerts, follow-up of a process ...).
In general, be careful when you receive an email inviting you to fill out a form in order to change your health card where the sender:
asks you for money or offers to reimburse you for a sum of money;
seeks to collect personal information (bank details, marital status, etc.).
What to do with the message?
Do not reply to the email or click on the link contained in the message but destroy the message.
If you have already replied to a fraudulent message by giving your bank details, you must first of all make opposition to your bank.
How to report these fraudulent emails?
Posted by: Fred - Thu-01-04-2021, 15:35 PM
- Replies (7)
Brian was asking in the newsletter what we thought about Macron's speech last night, so I thought I would get you all started.
First off the restrictions haven't bothered us a lot as we tend to keep ourselves to ourselves, so I doubt this one will be any different for us apart from a few things I think are just stupid.
#1 You can't go into a neighbouring department, I find this so annoying as we are close to the border of 87 and Mrs Fred sometimes pops down to Bellac for a change to stock up but now she has no choice but to go to Montmorillon.
#2 We can't go more than 10 Km without filling out an attestation and having a good reason, whilst this does make it easier going out for a walk without a stupid form in your pocket I can't help thinking the people that came up with 10Km live in a city.
#3 The damned annoying attestations: It may be easy for those of you with a modern phone, but for us it's filling in a piece of paper to go shopping or pick up a prescription. Why can't I just show my prescription or till receipt.
#4 Curfew: Why the hell is it 19:00 ? Am I going to get fined for walking across the road to water our vegetables, and does it really make any difference what time it is if nothing is open anyway.
Apart from that it's no big deal to us, but I don't know why he has chosen to apply the rules to the whole of France especially around this area where you are probably more likely to bump into a Wolf Wolf in Lathus than another person.
What about you, how do you feel about Lockdown #3 ?
Posted by: Fred - Tue-30-03-2021, 19:17 PM
- Replies (6)
I don't think it is possible, but we may have some knowledgable people amongst us.
We received a phone call and unusually they left a message instead of trying the mobile. We have a rough idea what the person is saying as we were expecting a phone call, but she has spoken so fast it's not possible to keep up. Well after a few plays we managed to get what she was saying, but it got me thinking how good it would be if you could translate a message left on your phone.
So far I have tried using Google translate using the laptop microphone to do text to speech, but it didn't pick it up.
I then tried a couple of apps on Mrs Fred's android tablet, but again no joy as it wouldn't pick up the recording.
Both worked if you speak, but they don't seem to recognise an answerphone message.
Just in case this happens again, does anyone know if it is possible to translate a message left on an answerphone ?
Has anyone noticed that Soregies has not debited their bank account since January? We have had a prelevement with them for about 15 years and until recently they have been swift with their debiting; the debits showed up immediately after receiving the emailed facture, if not before. Now - nothing noted in the bank account.
Just wondering if it's just us or is it a more general problem. Whatever, it looks like the beginning of yet more letter-writing to a faceless org.
Posted by: Fred - Thu-18-03-2021, 17:03 PM
- Replies (5)
There has been talk for a while now that there is Wolf around this area. A few farmers have reported sheep killed by wolf, but it has often been dismissed.
Now though it has been confirmed that a canine found dead near the railway line at Lathus on Wednesday Is a Wolf
L’Office français de la biodiversité confirmed after examination that the animal was very probably a gray wolf and probably hit by a train. Further analysis will be carried out, but it does like the farmers were right.
Anyone spotting what they think is a wolf or find any damage to their own animals should contact (Service départemental de Vienne : 05.49.52.01.50 – [email protected]).
hi , I’m Lesley, my husband and Down syndrome daughter moved permanently to Montmorillon in October 2019. We moved from Burton Upon Trent which is in Staffordshire. Once we can explore again we are looking forward to exploring the rest of Europe.
If I could ask a question, does anybody know where I can get iron balcony railings?
Thankyou
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