I despair

jamesmarshall

Guest
I read this in the Telegraph today but a Google search could only find it in The Mail:

They thought they were being good citizens. But when this couple cleared weeds and rubbish from outside their house, the council issued a stern warning – telling them to put it all back.
Samantha Hamilton and Colin Freeman spent months getting rid of dead plants, broken bottles and scrap metal from the verge next to their home in the village of Mytchett, Surrey, after moving in last April.
So they were baffled by a solicitor’s letter telling them to return it to its former state or face legal action.
Samantha Hamilton and Colin Freeman cleared a piece of land outside their home but have been ordered to "put it back how they found it" by Surrey County Council
Surrey County Council said part of the verge is owned by the highway authority, which means residents are barred from tending to it.
The couple, both civilian workers in the Ministry of Defence, have even been told to pay £78 for a ‘retrospective licence’ to carry out the work.

Miss Hamilton, 31, said: ‘When we moved in, it looked like a wasteland. It was so overgrown that one neighbour didn’t even realise there was a house there.


Better watch out if you're picking up litter at the next spot you camp at
 
I just love it when common sense prevails, then people wonder why on earth I prefer France.

I love England its just th elunatics that are running the gaff thats the problem

Channa
 
I can believe this aswell, its madness, so they go and put it back and get fined £400 for fly tipping
 
channa said:
I just love it when common sense prevails, then people wonder why on earth I prefer France.

I love England its just th elunatics that are running the gaff thats the problem

Channa
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My vague dream of selling up and emigrating to France some day is getting closer and closer to becoming an objective, especially now that I've got the Tranny to live in. I lived in Paris for couple of years when I was 18-20 so I speak the lingo and I reckon I'd enjoy working in a little cafe-bar down south somewhere. In this country every day I see peoples' rights (well, some peoples' rights, those on the lower end of the socio-economic scale) becoming more eroded, those in positions of authority becoming more autocratic and powerful, and democracy becoming a dirty word.
 
whitevanwoman said:
My vague dream of selling up and emigrating to France some day is getting closer and closer to becoming an objective, especially now that I've got the Tranny to live in. I lived in Paris for couple of years when I was 18-20 so I speak the lingo and I reckon I'd enjoy working in a little cafe-bar down south somewhere. In this country every day I see peoples' rights (well, some peoples' rights, those on the lower end of the socio-economic scale) becoming more eroded, those in positions of authority becoming more autocratic and powerful, and democracy becoming a dirty word.
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sadly in some respects I think France is going the same way.

But certainly not on the scale or pace that I see things degenerating here.

Unless you work Marché Noir, getting into the French system is very difficult, They are very protective of their economy (despite like ours it is battered and bruised)

Varius groups of French almost on a weekly basis march the Bastille to vocalise their unrest or feelings of unjust.

The interesting part as a foreigner is the historic implications that their psych attaches to it , all these years after the revolution.

Channa
 
channa said:
sadly in some respects I think France is going the same way.

But certainly not on the scale or pace that I see things degenerating here.

Unless you work Marché Noir, getting into the French system is very difficult, They are very protective of their economy (despite like ours it is battered and bruised)

Varius groups of French almost on a weekly basis march the Bastille to vocalise their unrest or feelings of unjust.

The interesting part as a foreigner is the historic implications that their psych attaches to it , all these years after the revolution.

Channa
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I've always found that being able to speak French well makes a huge difference to being accepted, although my french is rusty now but will come back with practice. They seem to respect the fact that you are making an effort instead of assuming that someone will speak english. Also having French relatives used to seem to make me less english and therefore more acceptable. I do remember that the french have never really seen the english as "bessie friends", they seem to remember Waterloo better than remembering the Allies defence of France in WW2.

But it's a long time since I was in France and so things have probably changed. What is the situation with regards to casual work? I used to teach english to earn I bit of extra cash when I was in Paris (I was a jeune fille au pair) so I thought I could probably pick up work doing that again, although I'd probably look at getting a TEFL qualification here before going over.
 
Speaking and writing French is pretty much a must.

There is work during the Summer months in bars etc, but it tends to be by word of mouth;

The TEFL : Celta certificate is useful but I understand you need a degree inanything over and above to teach English.

Still its all a journey of discovery.

Channa
 
Speaking and writing French is pretty much a must.

There is work during the Summer months in bars etc, but it tends to be by word of mouth;

The TEFL : Celta certificate is useful but I understand you need a degree in anything over and above to teach English.

Still its all a journey of discovery.

Channa
 
whitevanwoman said:
they seem to remember Waterloo better than remembering the Allies defence of France in WW2.
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No, it's because we drove the Germans out of France that they don't like us. Just look at how they are best pals now!:shag:
 
channa said:
Speaking and writing French is pretty much a must.

There is work during the Summer months in bars etc, but it tends to be by word of mouth;

The TEFL : Celta certificate is useful but I understand you need a degree in anything over and above to teach English.

Still its all a journey of discovery.

Channa
Click to expand...

Sign of old age, repeating ya self:lol-061:
 
:lol-061::lol-061::lol-061: you mean you cant make 2 cups of tea? not coming to yours then :lol-061:
 
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