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If you drive down from Calais/Dunkirk, you could drop in at the Le Crueset Factory Shop near St Quentin.Ìý It isÌýat a place called Fresnoy le Grand - about two and a half hours from the Ports Called in there this Summer.Ìý Instead of the usual Factory prices [20% - 30%Ìý lower than UK prices] they had a Sale on - average saving on UK prices was over 50%

"Apparently our water has at long last been connected" Really pleased that your water is now up and running, but is it just connected to the meter - or has it been turned on so the pipes in the house are full?Ìý If thats the case, someone will need to drain all the pipes before Winter sets in and they freeze. You Agent should be able to advise what has been 'filled' Ìý Good Luck

Only one way to eat them [like most veg] Raw with gravy - fantasticÌý [better after a frost - it sweetens them up] My Mum would be putting the sprouts on the stove justÌýabout now - just to make sure they were cooked for Christmas - if theyÌýweren't of a consistency that would pass through a fine sieve, they weren't done!

You could post the photos on this forum - then anyone could have a look and comment Ìý Just go to 'Create Content' [at top of page] and follow the instructions for Photo Gallery Ìý Alan

If nobody responds - you could try this;- Click on "" [bottom right hand corner of page], thenÌýyou can zoom in on your area and see who has shown their location as near you. Then, click on a 'person' to see their profile, then you can send them a message

When I set up a couple of Groups some time agoÌý [for buying and selling things] it took a few days for the 'approval' to come through and the Groups to go live - so I should wait a bit before complaining too loudly Ìý Alan

"If you buy as a second home ...........you will pay ICI, but you will get a reduction on your rubbish collection taxes." How does one get the reduction on the rubbish tax?

"Perhaps, learning to live with the rat is not such a bad idea. Make it an official pet" Ìý Most ½ûÂþÌìÌÃs have done this for many years - he's called Silvio

When friends visit our place I email them directions.Ìý These consist of the usual road maps - increasing 'scale/detail' as they get nearer the house, plus photos of road junctions they will comeÌý to as they near our place.Ìý The photos have arrows showing which way they go.Ìý This seems to work Indeed, I keep a print out of the email at the house so that if I need anything delivered/serviced, I can give the company the print outÌý [our place is in a tiny hamlet in the middle of nowhere].Ìý The washing machine service man drove onto our drive waving the instructions and beaming like mad - so they really do work.Ìý It is the pictures that make the difference, so I'd recommend this method to anyone

I believe that a way around the residency is to pay a resident to buy, tax and insure the scooter, and leave it at your place. Then, as its the scooter that's insured and not a named driver, you and your family/friends could use all the time.Ìý[as long as they have an appropriate andÌývalid driving licence from their home country] [I'm sure someone on this forum can confirm/deny this!] Ìý Good Luck