The Canary Dave

Have a good and safe trip Dave.

 

Morning all from a wet rural France. It doesn't happen often, but my electricity supplier has reduced my bills by 10%. It seems that the wholesale price has dropped, so they are passing the saving on.

 

That is indeed rare. Up to around three years ago, I was paying £300+ a month for gas & electricity to one of the major UK providers (who shall remain nameless in case they are reading this). I switched to Scottish Power because they offered the same for £50 a month less - a year later it was down to £145 a month. I wonder how many others are still being ripped off?

 

I have to go on one of my infrequent trips this week to rip off England. I really dislike these trips, and yet it is an opportunity to see the rest of the family who are still living there. Most of them come to France to see us each year and would happily settle here if work would allow. As this weekend we have mothering Sunday, the kids are all getting together and taking Mme out for Sunday lunch. Having seen the menu both of us were unimpressed with the choice, and that is in an expensive restaurant. Without a game this weekend I cannot find even a trip to the Vic as solace, but if I work it out spending can be kept under control. Real ale might be found which is a treat, but can I really spend time kicking my heels? As an oldie I accept change, but like many of my friends out here it seems as if the old country is going backwards, and it is not the place that puts people first.

 

This afternoon, I found out that my referral letter about my right knee hadn't reached the intended recipient, so the surgery had to fax a copy instead. When I saw my GP 3 weeks ago, he seemed to be confident that I would hear "in a couple of weeks" when my appointment would be and also that I should be OK to play in a softball tournament in Dublin at the end of next month. I think I'll be going to that as purely a spectator and possibly in the same situation for the tournament in Bristol at the end of May that jerzeypie is also going to.
First moan I've had about the health system in Jersey and I've lived here for more than 20 years, but it's happened when I'm going private using the health insurance from my work benefits package!

 

Apart from the UK being overcrowded there are many benefits living here rather than France. Low unemployment, ease of starting a business, a stable government not full of crooked politicians, excellent curry houses, regularly watching Watford and finally not living amongst the most depressed inhabitants in the world.

France is regularly found in the top ranks of European consumption of tranquillisers, alcohol, cannabis and a very high cancer rate. Along with North Korea, France is one of the most bureaucratic countries in the world. The WHO has reported the suicide rate in France is higher than any of the 'old European countries' with the exception of Finland. Interestingly they found immigrants who move to France are more happy than the indigenous population, although the longer immigrants live in France and become part of its society, the less happy they claim to be. "This suggests that there is something in the culture that makes French people miserable".

Good points on France: space, health service, wine, restaurants and weather (in the South), great if retired.

Hopefully if Macron is elected the public will not realise they had made a dreadful mistake in a matter of days, as happened to Hollande.

 

Your definition of the place you choose to live does not correspond to what I see. However that is your choice and I prefer to live as I do.

 

Of course it very much depends on one's personal circumstances. I have come to the conclusion that UK residency is best with long periods spent in Europe, especially to avoid the UK's lousy weather.

Hopefully my European buddies will not hold it against me for voting 'leave', I'm still a fervent europhile. Surely it will all calm down again after a few years.

 

The world is changing for some of us at what is an alarming rate. Most people I come into contact with, and they are young, old and from many countries all believe that cooperation between nations is the way to make this a better place to live, not just for us, but for all people. My friend in Dorset was horrified to find that he lived in the county that has the highest reported number of hate crimes since last June. Yes there is hate crime here in France mainly against the Jewish population, but it rebutted by the population as a whole. It doesn't matter if you live in Dorset or Marseilles, it does nothing for people having a happy life when there is hatred on their doorstep. Those who only see their own lives and ignore their neighbours seem to me to be missing out on a lot more that is out there to enjoy.

 

My condolences for your loss, Yorkshire.

 

I relatively recently lived on the Hampshire/Dorset border near the New Forest for a couple of years, it was a real nuisance not having any illegal Albanians around to clean my car, that has now been rectified.!!

My wife is always pointing out that wars are so pointless and unnecessary. My stock answer is there has always been the same desire for conflict wherever in the world, unfortunately this will not change in the future.
In our little world do any of us really think people that support Luton FC should not be treated with the same utmost respect?. Any animosity is illogical if you stop to think about it.

In my experience there is more open racism in France against black and those people from former dependent colonies than in the UK.

 

Thanks for your good wishes folks... I am around a bit but not feeling to post much on these boards... due to family considerations my mum's funeral is not till the 10th April.... so a bit of a wait.

meanwhile COYH!

 

Morning all from a bright and breezy part of the country. Need to fill the car with fuel this morning in preparation for my trip north. Despite the slump in the value of the pound, it is still a lot cheaper than in the UK. With a top up in Dieppe I can avoid having to buy any while I am over there.

 

Morning all

If Noah lived down the road, he'd be hard at work on the Ark this morning... Bucketing down!

 

I met my friend Ian when I went for the fuel. He told me he wasn't so good. Seems that he gave himself a hernia over the weekend. Went to see the doctor on Monday, who gave him a letter to take to the hospital. He had just returned from seeing the surgeon, who told him that he was fully booked up at the moment, so he would have to go on the waiting list for operations. Asking when he might be seen to the surgeon was very sorry, but he couldn't do it before next Tuesday. Things are slipping rather!

 

Funny - it's a beautiful sunny day here - although flipping cold at 2C...

 

Morning all, my trip north starts this morning and judging by what I see at present, and the forecast it is going to be a long wet drive. I hope that when I arrive there is not a jobsworth on immigration control as it can mean that I miss my dinner, something that people who live here do not do.

 

Bit late to be saying 'safe trip' - you've probably already arrived. So I hope you didn't miss your dinner...

 

No, not there yet. In mid channel with a rough sea. Mme is sitting very still and food is not on the agenda until we get to a surface that stays flat.

 

Reminds me of when I was in first year at school (now year 7) and we had a day trip to Boulogne. We went by hovercraft, and it was choppy on the way back and most of my classmates were ill. I wasn't because I fell asleep, although I did wake up with a headache.