The message
from Sacha contains these words:

On 12/10/06 10:35, in article ,
"Janet Baraclough" wrote:

We have a load of old fripperies stored in the vault which one hardly
ever needs; do let me send you some.

Now Janet, I'll take an awful lot from you but don't tell me you have a
spare cook in the basement! ;-)

Vaults, dear, vaults and fripperies.

Have you got me mixed up with Jane Eyre ?

Janet.

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
from "Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow contains these words:
"Broadback" wrote in message

A VW Polo with a trailer, keeps the car clean and is economical.
One
very recent disadvantage local councils are now banning trailers
to
their "amenities" centres. Fly tipping, here it come! Daft
rules.

This Colonial needs an explanation. What are "amenities" centres?
(Is it a rubbish tip?)

Yes. Most local councils have separate charges and sometimes
licences, for commercial rubbish-contributors Presumably some
jobsworth
has decided that towing a trailer is a secret sign of running a
business.

How irritating. Perhaps the jobsworth thinks that all gardens must be
tiny although what garden refuse fits into most car boots these days
isn't much at all..

I have a small trailer parked permanently in my driveway and Himself
takes it to the tip with my garden refuse probably on average of one a
week. And that's the amount I generate that can't be composted and
and who is gardening under my health constraints.

Do they allow drivers of white vans to use the amenities, Broadback?

If they do then trailers should be allowed too or is that too logical?

And what is "fly tipping"? (Is it illegal
dumping?)

Yes.

A scourge the world over. Sigh!

In article , Sacha
writes

Now Janet, I'll take an awful lot from you but don't tell me you have a
spare cook in the basement! ;-)

She does and his name is John
--
Judith Lea

"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message
news:452e26d8$0$1481$5a62ac22@per-qv1-
How irritating. Perhaps the jobsworth thinks that all gardens must be
tiny although what garden refuse fits into most car boots these days
isn't much at all..

Here in France, the capital of bureaucracy, it is now necessary to take
rubbish to a local official first, who makes a list of everything you want
to discard. You are then issued with an official document to take to the
local rubbish point where your rubbish is checked against the list. However,
they don't take lots of items, so people are left wondering what to do with
old TV sets and refrigerators. As someone commented recently on being turned
away - "Here comes the woods...". Ridiculous.
--
David
.... Email address on website http://www.avisoft.co.uk
.... Blog at http://dlts-french-adventures.blogspot.com/

On 12/10/06 18:58, in article ,
"David in Normandy" wrote:


"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message
news:452e26d8$0$1481$5a62ac22@per-qv1-
How irritating. Perhaps the jobsworth thinks that all gardens must be
tiny although what garden refuse fits into most car boots these days
isn't much at all..

Here in France, the capital of bureaucracy, it is now necessary to take
rubbish to a local official first, who makes a list of everything you want
to discard. You are then issued with an official document to take to the
local rubbish point where your rubbish is checked against the list. However,
they don't take lots of items, so people are left wondering what to do with
old TV sets and refrigerators. As someone commented recently on being turned
away - "Here comes the woods...". Ridiculous.

To be honest, David, I'm amazed that the French capitulate on this. They're
not exactly known for embracing ridiculous bureaucracy - I thought that was
our national problem! I've thought for some time that the British should
hold some French-type demos, though possibly not the 'burning of the lambs'
foulness.
All I can say is that the "Here come the woods" remark is precisely what is
beginning here and what will continue. Our rubbish collection here is now
food waste every fortnight, so people with no garden or courtyard are left
with a stinking bag of food for two weeks and they are not allowed to
dispose of it in a plastic bag. We are issued with two bins here for food
waste, one little one for under the sink and one large wheelie bin outside.
We have to fill the latter with the former for two weeks before the latter
is emptied. IMO, it's only a matter of time before people who lack space
start throwing food waste into hedgerows, too.
Just recently, I wrote to our local council (I think I'm on a file somewhere
because I have moaned so much about this lack of service that we pay for!)
asking for precise information as to the disposal of rubbish because there
seemed to be some confusion as to which days they'd changed it to. We've had
two letters changing the arrangement inside a month. We have trade waste to
take away in summer, too, BTW and that is taken weekly. So - I got a long
and slightly pompous harangue from their PR person which failed entirely to
give me any date and time information but told me that every household had
received it in a letter, with an accompanying calendar and really,
insinuating that I shouldn't be such a fool or a nuisance. I replied saying
we'd had both the letter and the calendar and that our trade waste had, in
the previous week, been collected on the wrong day altogether but without
warning. Funnily enough, I've had no reply..... And our Council Tax is over
£2k per year. We have no street lighting (absolutely do NOT want it) and
the road surfaces are abysmal in places. Hmmm.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

"Sacha" wrote
"Mary Fisher" wrote:
Quite. But of course the marzipan fruits are only made by the pastrycook,
the others haven't time for such fripperies.

Sigh.....the one thing I've always wanted! ;-)
--
Sacha

Are you sure ??? !!!
une friperie [free p(eu) ree]
= used/second-hand clothing store



Jenny "~))

"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message
...
"Broadback" wrote in message

A VW Polo with a trailer, keeps the car clean and is economical. One
very recent disadvantage local councils are now banning trailers to
their "amenities" centres. Fly tipping, here it come! Daft rules.

This Colonial needs an explanation. What are "amenities" centres?
(Is it a rubbish tip?)

Yep

And what is "fly tipping"? (Is it illegal dumping?)

Yes - as in 'on the fly' = quickly and often at night :~)

Jenny

"David in Normandy" wrote in message
...

"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message
news:452e26d8$0$1481$5a62ac22@per-qv1-
How irritating. Perhaps the jobsworth thinks that all gardens must be
tiny although what garden refuse fits into most car boots these days
isn't much at all..

Here in France, the capital of bureaucracy, it is now necessary to take
rubbish to a local official first, who makes a list of everything you
want to discard. You are then issued with an official document to take to
the local rubbish point where your rubbish is checked against the list.
However, they don't take lots of items, so people are left wondering what
to do with old TV sets and refrigerators. As someone commented recently on
being turned away - "Here comes the woods...". Ridiculous.
--
David

Our friends in the Dordogne leave stuff at the local rubbish
bins.......everyone in the hamlet does this and there is a thriving
'exchange's going on. Mike found an antique set of jeu de boule recently
that someone had left the~))
Jenny

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
old TV sets and refrigerators. As someone commented recently on being
turned
away - "Here comes the woods...". Ridiculous.

To be honest, David, I'm amazed that the French capitulate on this.
They're
not exactly known for embracing ridiculous bureaucracy - I thought that
was our national problem!

I'm not a political animal, but the French do seem to have an unhealthy
affinity for paperwork. It seems to be part of their national psyche. I
don't want to get into a political discussion about France, but the
impression I get is that due to the strength of the unions here, there are
lots of Government employees, or civil servants who's job is simply to act
as a link in a chain of irrelevant paperwork between different official
departments, and there is not the political will to make enough of these
roles redundant. As you say, the French are keen to protest and strike -
usually to protect jobs. They still believe in the 'a job is for life'
philosophy which much of the rest of Europe has realised that is no longer
the case, or at least is not economically viable. The protectionist attitude
is making it increasingly difficult for France to compete in International
trade. Almost every evening the TV news features one or more strikes. It is
reminiscent of 1970's Britain, with endless strikes by British Leyland,
miners, British Steel, British Rail etc.

All I can say is that the "Here come the woods" remark is precisely what
is beginning here and what will continue.
I hasten to add that the remark wasn't made by me. It is not a sentiment I
share. As to whether the person went on to dump his TV sets in the woods I
don't know, of if he was merely expressing his evident frustration at being
turned away from the rubbish point. I have seen little fly-tipping here in
France compared with England, but if officials make it more difficult or
costly for individuals to legitimately dispose of their rubbish the outcome
is predictable.

There are lots of recycling points around here now for bottles, plastics and
cardboard, and we make good use of them, usually taking a big box of plastic
bottles every few weeks while calling for a baguette at the local store.
We compost all organic waste and anything burnable goes onto our fire (we
welcome the free fuel!). Interestingly we notice that we put out only a
quarter of the rubbish for the weekly collection as our French neighbour.

£2k per year. We have no street lighting (absolutely do NOT want it) and
the road surfaces are abysmal in places. Hmmm.
Sacha

We don't have any street lighting here too. I'm glad we don't have any. I
sometimes like to sit outside in the evening, even in the dark, and just
relax and listen to the animal noises. If there is no moon it can be pitch
black here - you can hold your hand up in front of your face and not see it.
Street lights would just be "light pollution" and spoil the atmosphere. Most
of the roads here in France are in excellent condition, even the single
track roads through the middle of nowhere!
--
David
.... Email address on website http://www.avisoft.co.uk
.... Blog at http://dlts-french-adventures.blogspot.com/

"David in Normandy" wrote in message
...

... Most
of the roads here in France are in excellent condition, even the single
track roads through the middle of nowhere!

Not according to a grandson who lives in the more southern sticks. There are
just tracks, he says.

Mary

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
. net...

"David in Normandy" wrote in message
...

... Most
of the roads here in France are in excellent condition, even the single
track roads through the middle of nowhere!

Not according to a grandson who lives in the more southern sticks. There
are just tracks, he says.

Mary


I stand corrected :-). My experience of the roads only covers Northern
France and down to the Dordogne. The roads are certainly better maintained
than where we lived in England. The road was in a dreadful condition back
there and had been for many years then joy oh joy a new road surface and new
pavements were laid.
Two weeks afterwards Diamond Cable came along and dug it all up leaving
raised manhole covers and deep groves in the pavements :-(

David.

"David in Normandy" wrote in message
...

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
. net...

"David in Normandy" wrote in message
...

... Most
of the roads here in France are in excellent condition, even the single
track roads through the middle of nowhere!

Not according to a grandson who lives in the more southern sticks. There
are just tracks, he says.

Mary


I stand corrected :-). My experience of the roads only covers Northern
France and down to the Dordogne. The roads are certainly better maintained
than where we lived in England. The road was in a dreadful condition back
there and had been for many years then joy oh joy a new road surface and
new pavements were laid.
Two weeks afterwards Diamond Cable came along and dug it all up leaving
raised manhole covers and deep groves in the pavements :-(

Don't mention Cable, I blame it for all the ills of the world!
Gggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! In our street they only dug up the pavements and
verges. I stood over them so that they didn't dig up the bushes I'd planted
next to the pavement. They dug up the drive outside our gate - our car was
on the drive. When I pointed it out they said that they didn't think we
wanted to go out!

Mary

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 12/10/06 09:19, in article
, "Mary Fisher"
wrote:


"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Alan Holmes" contains these words:


I say, I didn't know you were that upper class, to have a cook, do you
have
a gardener and butler as well?

It would be very vulgar of one to boast about one's social class.

Quite. But of course the marzipan fruits are only made by the pastrycook,
the others haven't time for such fripperies.

Sigh.....the one thing I've always wanted! ;-)

A pastry cook?

Alan

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from Sacha contains these words:

On 12/10/06 09:19, in article
, "Mary Fisher"
wrote:


"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Alan Holmes" contains these words:


I say, I didn't know you were that upper class, to have a cook, do
you
have
a gardener and butler as well?

It would be very vulgar of one to boast about one's social class.

Quite. But of course the marzipan fruits are only made by the
pastrycook,
the others haven't time for such fripperies.

Sigh.....the one thing I've always wanted! ;-)

We have a load of old fripperies stored in the vault which one hardly
ever needs; do let me send you some.

If you really have an excess, I'll take a couple off your hands!

Alan


Janet.

Janet

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 11/10/06 23:22, in article ,
"Alan Holmes" wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
snip
Never been to Fortnum's, much to careful with my money!(:-)


It's worth going to the Food Hall just to look! The mother of an old
boyfriend of mine went there just after the war and asked for bananas - an
unseen commodity during the war. On being told the price, she told the
floorwalker just what to do with them and he replied that he would have
been
happy to do her bidding were he not already accommodating a cauliflower
and
a bundle of asparagus! ;-)

ROTFL

Thanks!

Alan

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/