alan h's activity

Questions Asked

Tesco and Eurotunnel[Copied from another Forum]If you shop at Tesco you'll probably be rewarded with Cash Vouchers.  What you may not know is that you can exchange these for 3x their value with Eurotunnel.

Sun, 03/18/2018 - 16:50

ITALIAN GENEALOGYI am researching my family tree [all UK based], and belong to a Genealogy Group here in the UK - its part of the U3A [an organisation for 'retired persons who want to do things rather than sit at home all d

Wed, 01/04/2017 - 05:24

Cancelling a Eurotunnel Booking I have had to cancel a return trip on Eurotunnel [Car + 2 + Dog], as I have to go into hospital for an op.The booking was 'non-refundable'.I rang them to cancel and they confirmed it was non-

Thu, 05/26/2016 - 08:00

IMU - Its still around I thought this had disappeared in the new tax system, but my Comune website says the first payment for 2014 is due by 16th June Paid it via my bank today - emailed them the F24

Fri, 06/13/2014 - 08:56

Looks like the days of the easy/cheap trip to italy through Switzerland are numbered. Apparently, the Swiss government has decided to raise the cost of the vignette to 100 Swiss Francs for 2015. They are introducing a two month vignette for 40SF,

Sun, 09/01/2013 - 15:58

Petrol prices in France are now comparable with the UK, except on the French Autoroutes.One option is to fill up at the L'Eclerc superstores with their SP95 E10 petrol [its a petrol with some ethylene in - generally used in France - which is OK fo

Thu, 07/11/2013 - 04:25

For a change this year we drove down to Italy via Besancon  [avoiding most tolls by taking some good french non-motorways.]However - Besancon roads are in total chaos as they are digging them up to lay tram routes - this will take about 2 more yea

Wed, 07/10/2013 - 16:44

Can you help?I've just completed making a 'variation' of Limoncello. The only change is that I dispensed with the lemons, I and substituted Sloes that I picked here in the UK at the end of last year.

Sun, 01/20/2013 - 09:10

In today's GuardianRyanair have announced their credit card will now be liable to the same charges as other credit cards - so the end of no charge bookings

Sat, 11/10/2012 - 09:07

Comments posted

Thu, 03/10/2011 - 09:54

" .. geological survey  .....Pools literally weigh many tonnes when full, and our 'pool people' reminded us to get this done prior to digging the first hole in case we had to have vv expensive concrete piles dug down to the bed rock. If this was required then we would have scrubbed the idea as it would not have been economically viable." I was taught at Uni that when you dig a hole for a swimming pool, the weight of the soil excavated normally exceeds the weight of the pool plus water when completed - and as the soil doesn't collapse under its own weight, it shouldn't collapse under the weight of the pool structure plus water.  [unless a lot of the pool is above water].   Localised soft spots can cause problems - differential settlement leading to cracking, but these are easily sorted out, without using piles [mind you =- there's a lot more profit in piling!!!]

Tue, 03/08/2011 - 18:23

According to      the Furka is open June – September, so it might shut when you want to traverse it  This site also gives info  [in German] 

Sun, 03/06/2011 - 18:26

double posting - see below

Sun, 03/06/2011 - 18:25

What you describe "Ìýlooks like the rubble from building crushed up" sound a bit like what we call 'hardcore' in the UK. Hardcore, which is literally the old building broken and used for ground 'stabilisation'.  Crushed hardcore is useful, when spread and compacted as a base on which to build [usually as a base for casting concrete flooring/foundations on].   hardcore usually consists of any part of a building excluding the 'organic' parts [timber etc] that would rot and cause voids.  The "white/cream looking mush" stuff you mention is probably things like plaster rising to the surface during compaction, and shouldn't cause too much of a problem - the strength lies in the crushed stone/bricks/concrete below For more details see - try Googling "hardcore building". BUT, don't just Google hardcore - you'll just get porn

Answer to: LPG Gas bottles
Sat, 03/05/2011 - 07:41

You could ask customer services at Calor Gas;-  

Answer to: rain
Sat, 03/05/2011 - 06:46

"Lighting by candles is not the best when trying to cook though!!" You might want to consider buying a cheap 'inverter ' for future power cuts.  They convert 12v DC [car battery] up to 240v and can supply enough power to run a few lights etc Typical example [in UK] is;-         which supplies up to a max of 450W  [but continuous use of 150W] and costs about £40.  Assuming energy saving bulbs, you could get plenty of lights going, although its best to just have 1 or 2 to extend the battery life

Thu, 03/03/2011 - 09:29

"Are English electric blankets safe in Italy or can you buy them locally?" Yes and Yes

Thu, 03/03/2011 - 05:38

“Can anyone help me with an idea of how much it might cost to heat a small 2 bed apt over the winter,  ……………………….All suggestions to maximise efficiency and reduce costs will be welcomed.†I’ve been thinking about how to make the place warmer, and would suggest that you consider the following points, to see if they apply to your place’-

  • Doors– are there any draughts from these? – if so, try stick on draught sealer [sponge on a roll]
  • Windows– as above
  • Windows– are they double glazed? – if not, consider;-
    • Secondary double glazing,
      • fitted as a second window – fitting an aluminium frame around the window recess to hold glass panes that can be slid or tilted to open
      • fitted to the existing window – see  secondary-glazing/as an example
      • Probably the cheapest option is a plastic film fixed with double-sided tape and shrunk to fit with a hairdryer. These are only intended for a single season's insulation [I did this to the window in a very cold bedroom in a house in UK– very effective]
    • Fitting heavy curtains in Winter to cut down heat loss
  • Floors– are your floors cold? [tiled or timber] – consider putting rugs down in the winter – the more floor you can cover the less heat loss [and you’ll feel its warmer if your feet aren’t freezing when you walk about]
  • Radiators   [if you have any] – do they have heat reflective foil behind them
  • Walls & Ceilings  not a lot you can do about these – in the old days polystyrene ceiling [and wall!] tiles were the answer, but now considered a fire hazard
  • Which rooms to heat, and when? –
    • Bedrooms-you don’t need to heat the bedrooms in the daytime – just for an hour or two before you go to bed
    • Lounge/Kitchen– the reverse – don’t heat at night
    • Bathroom– get one of those low power towel rails and leave it plugged in all the time [you can put it on a timer if you find it too effective] see Dimplex-Electric-Towel-Rail-.htmlfor examples [We bought ours in Italy – free standing or wall mounted – about 50W – you'll probably need a stronger one [say 100W],  as we have CH as well]
  • Clothing– Wrap up warm, and wear thermal socks – if your feet [and head] are warm – you’ll think you’re warm all over

  Hope this helps

Answer to: rain
Thu, 03/03/2011 - 04:59

Snow causing problems elsewhere

Tue, 03/01/2011 - 11:26

We use 'bog standard' convector heaters at our place - we have ones that can heat at either  750W, 1250W or 2000W.  This allows you to run 2 or 3 at a time to heat more than 1 room, but also allows you to 'blast' a room you want heating quickly Most effective in Winter to help heat the place up until the CH takes over on its own