Mad Darby Diaries

I just heard the Irish Prime  Minister give his speech welcoming the Pope to Ireland.  He said and I quote, 'we make bridges, not walls because walls fall.'  Ouch!  Clearly didn't remember the bridge that collapsed 2 weeks ago in Italy, home of the Vatican.

August is notoriously dead in France, unless of course you are one of the thousands of people who take off on holiday.   Just as the tourists pour in, restaurants close their shutters and take off en vacances.  I have tried to contact an estate agent this month.  I went to five in one very small  town and four had notices on their door saying closed until the end of August.  Some said from the 1st August to the 27th August.  A whole month when sellers are not getting any work done by the agent and anyone wanting to buy, including the many people from northern Europe, cannot even get information about a property. I went on their websites.  No mention of the fact that the office is closed.  One said leave your details and we will contact you in 24 hours.  Fat chance, but I left my details anyway.  That was over 2 weeks ago. Now we all  love France's laid back attitude to life, unless they are protesting against the governmen...

I called one of my sisters yesterday.  We were talking about Brexit deadline looming in March next year and its possible consequences.  She had been referred to the Ear, nose and throat specialist two months ago and because she hadn't heard anything, she understandably telephoned to find out what was happening.  The woman looked up her records and said it would be another 36 weeks.  36 weeks! Brexit will happen before I get my appointment, my sister said, resignedly. And talking of Brexit a new message has appeared on the Prefecture website.  No appointments are being made for Residents' permits until after March next year.  That is after Brexit so will they turn around and say 'too late'?

Today I set off very early to get to the Prefecture in Niort, an hour and 45 minutes away.  After trying for 2 years I had finally been granted an interview to get a resident's permit and I was leaving nothing to chance.  I had every piece of paper required by the Ministry of Interior and I also had documents that the Prefecture in Niort told me on the phone that I would need. The woman asked for my birth certificate, the original and a copy.  I pointed out that this requirement was not on the official list.  She took it from me, read it, shrugged her shoulders and said, 'we have our own rules'.  I wanted to point out that the Minister's rules are their rules as he is their boss but I held my tongue and handed over my birth certificate. She demanded bills, tax returns and proof of income for the last five years, originals and copies.  She wanted to see my carte vitale (health card) and my top up health insurance with copies.  Joyfully I handed ove...

My bank has informed me that they will not longer deal with cheques.  I do receive cheques sometimes but it is a very long time since I wrote one, in the UK that is.  Yesterday I went to the market in Saumur and I saw at least 8 people writing cheques to pay for their fruit and vegetables.  It is the same in the supermarket when the queue waits patiently while the people in front laboriously write out their cheques.   I still have to write cheques in France. We must not jest or sneer, however.  This 'progress' has another serious side.  Not everyone has a credit or debit card.   Not everyone has the capability to manage their finances except with cash.  Not everyone has the capability to use internet banking.  There are thousands of people with learning disabilities who can only manage their finances with help from someone else.  Many people still do not use computers or the latest versions of mobile phone.  Some people...

I know how big business feels when considering their future after Brexit.  What should we be doing to prepare for it?  I have no idea.  Should  I try and sell my house?  Should I move to yet another country, in which case which one?  It has been recommended that British citizens get a permanent resident permit.  For most Brits this has been fairly easy but for me it has taken 2 years to finally get an appointment, reluctantly granted after I told the Prefecture that I had an e mail  from the Minister of Interior. So on Thursday I have a 2 hour drive to a town I have never been to for my interview.  The Prefecture gave me a list of documents I should bring, but only after I asked what I would need.  Their list bears no relation to the official list from the Minister of Interior but I am not taking any chances, I am going to take everything.  I have always said that French bureaucracy is fine as long as you have the right documents...

I have been in the UK where it was surprisingly hot, not hot hot but hot for the UK.  They complain a lot about the heat and the country almost grinds to a halt.  Why?  It is much hotter in most of the rest of the world and somehow they survive.  The first lesson the Brits have to learn is that you open the doors and windows at night and early morning and then you close them, trapping the cool air inside and the hot air out.  Close the curtains to stop the sun shining in and voila you have a cool house.  The other problem the Brits have is that they don't drink enough water.  I don't know how many times I have heard them say that they drink it sometimes in the summer.  Water is a life staple, not a summer drink. The French have lowered the speed limit to 80 kilometres an hour on ordinary roads.  There is a 50 limit through my village and they go through it at 90 plus.  Do you suppose they will reduce their speed to 80? While waiting...