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The Canary Dave

Discussion in 'Watford' started by geitungur akureyrar, Feb 1, 2014.

  1. colognehornet

    colognehornet Well-Known Member

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    I got German nationality 2 years ago Frenchie. I'm now in the position of having a German passport but not a British one, because it ran out and renewing passports is no longer a function of the British Consulate here - I would have to do it online (which is complicated) or go to the UK to do it. So in the end I just left it and travel on my German one (not that any travelling is being done at the moment). The process of naturalization was quite an exciting one - with a ceremony and all the trimmings - which I did together with a party of, mostly, Rumanians with a couple from Syria and Iraq and a Turkish girl born in Germany (who they made do the language test !) Like yourself I don't feel myself as belonging to any nationality and flags are just pieces of cloth to me - which may have some place outside an embassy but not anywhere else. As an aside if any of the Brits in France are foolhardy enough, and young enough, they can join the Foreign Legion and get badly wounded in action in which case they give you French citizenship without any formalities <doh>
     
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  2. oldfrenchhorn

    oldfrenchhorn Well-Known Member
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    I did renew my British passport on-line about four years ago, and it was quite simple, if expensive, but I still have one that is red and has the EU on it. I went to the Prefecture in Poitiers to collect Mme's French driving licence and there was a queue of people from African countries I guess all waiting to get their "papers". There are still many people here without documents to prove they have a right to be here, and the process to get them can be slow. My residency application was simple if you has access to the internet, and as I have said before was totally free apart from €5 to get an up to date photograph. It is a total rip off that people in the UK are being asked to pay £800 for a similar service.
     
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  3. oldfrenchhorn

    oldfrenchhorn Well-Known Member
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    Morning all. Wet and dreary here at the moment, but there is a chance that the sun will break through this afternoon. Had a zoom meeting with my Sunday lunch group this morning and although they could hear me they couldn't see me. For some reason my webcam wouldn't come on. Although it was good to see them it is not the same as being in their company over a good meal. Still they all seem safe and well which is the main thing. Have a good day. <ok>
     
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  4. Toby

    Toby GC's Life Coach

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    You either had another application running that was using your webcam (Skype most likely) or your webcam driver needs an update <ok>
     
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  5. oldfrenchhorn

    oldfrenchhorn Well-Known Member
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    Morning all. Bright blue sky and little wind, so I can get back to my painting after yesterdays washout. There is almost total silence in the village, something that is unusual with a working farm here. I will shortly put a stop to that as I get my electric sander to work. The shutters that I am repairing and repainting are the original ones that came with the house twenty years ago. They are very heavy solid oak made by the previous owner who worked in a timber yard. You cannot buy any as solid as these today, so I continue to look after them, with a fresh coat of paint every two or three years, and replace the plastic wood I use to fill the knot holes. When they are finished there are the flower planters to varnish, all seasonal jobs before it gets too hot. Have a good day whatever the weather.<ok>
     
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  6. oldfrenchhorn

    oldfrenchhorn Well-Known Member
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    The 12th April in Berkshire. Anyone popping down to their local beer garden for a nice cold pint?

    please log in to view this image
     
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  7. Toby

    Toby GC's Life Coach

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    I reckon I would anyways, I'd love a pint right now <laugh>
     
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  8. Bolton's Boots

    Bolton's Boots Well-Known Member

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    Or a spot of nets practise at Lords?

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  9. NZHorn

    NZHorn Well-Known Member

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    I got NZ nationality years ago. They gave it to me through the post. There was no ceremony because I was already a national of a country that had the Queen as head of state. I got it because I knew that I was leaving the country for about a year and didn't want to jeopardise my permanent residency. I haven't renewed my British passport in years. There seems no need. The NZ passport is just as easy to travel on. I'll probably get British citizenship for the children at some stage so that they can go and work in the UK for a while, if they wish, and steal jobs from the British!
    I'm not a nationalist of any sort but we live in a world of borders and I'll do what I can to negotiate those borders.
     
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  10. oldfrenchhorn

    oldfrenchhorn Well-Known Member
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    Morning all. Sunny, but not very warm with a northerly breeze. Our very old pear tree has suddenly started sprouting new growth from below the base, and it has broken out with flowers that are not pear blossom. I suspect it is coming from the root stock that the pear was grafted on to, but the question is what is it? My suspicion is that it might be a quince, but I will need to get the books out to see what the flowers look like. It has never done it before in the twenty years we have known it, so a bit of a mystery. Have a good day whatever you have planned. <ok>
     
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  11. Bolton's Boots

    Bolton's Boots Well-Known Member

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    That happened to me years ago when our tangelo tree suffered a green ant infestation. I followed advice and pruned it right back, then burnt all the branches in a bonfire. I was rather pleased with my efforts when new growth sprouted, but not when I found the tangelos had turned into lemons.
     
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  12. Hornet-Fez

    Hornet-Fez Well-Known Member

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    Sooooo... life gave you lemons, huh? <laugh>:emoticon-0147-emo:<sorry> I'll get me coat... >>>
     
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  13. oldfrenchhorn

    oldfrenchhorn Well-Known Member
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    Morning all. Bright and breezy in rural France today with the northerly wind keeping the temperature lower than I would like. Off to do the weekly shop today as it is quieter in the supermarkets midweek. There are far more staff in the large LeClerc employed to pick people's orders for collection than there used to be. What is called click and collect in England is known as Drive here and seems popular. Home delivery is available on a very limited scale for groceries, but nothing like the supermarket vans charging around the towns in England.
    Mme. La Poste has brought me my Carte de Sejour Permanent to say that I legally reside here. That is another problem created by Brexit successfully dealt with. Looking at the photograph I will not be showing it anymore than I need to. Have a good day. <ok>
     
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  14. yorkshirehornet

    yorkshirehornet Well-Known Member

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    Congratulations!!!
     
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  15. oldfrenchhorn

    oldfrenchhorn Well-Known Member
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    Morning all. Bright and cheerful out there today, but I do wish it would warm up a bit. Just back from collecting our bread from the machine down the road. It sells not only bread but Croissants, Pain au chocolat, Brioche and Danish pastries. Yesterday in the supermarket we bought four Danish pastries, freshly baked instore, for €2.46. The same four from the small independent baker who services the machine are €4.00. As much as we try to support local shops there is a large difference in what they can sell at a price that gives them a living. It is interesting to see that both Tesco and Asda in the UK are cutting back on instore baking. It seems that the extra cost of really fresh bread has lost its appeal for whatever reason over there. Have a good day whatever you are doing. <ok>
     
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  16. Toby

    Toby GC's Life Coach

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    Bread in UK supermarkets is generally awful. I have no idea how they struggle so much with it, it must purely come down to cheap ingredients being used. Their 'baguettes' would offend a Frenchman if they were sold over there.
     
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  17. oldfrenchhorn

    oldfrenchhorn Well-Known Member
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    I agree. Even when an English baguette has a French flag on it to try and say it is similar, there is a world of difference. Perhaps they need to have the annual competition held here to decide on the countries best baguette.
     
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  18. Toby

    Toby GC's Life Coach

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    I don't understand how the tiny bakery in the small town near my village in France can bake better bread than the fancy supermarkets or bakeries here in London. At a fraction of the price too...

    Most of the bread in supermarkets will be thrown out every night, it's a huge waste. Either do it properly or not at all, seems like the supermarkets have chosen Option 2.
     
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  19. Hornet-Fez

    Hornet-Fez Well-Known Member

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    too much soya flour. Mrs Fez can barely eat any "plastic" bread. We have two bread making machines now! Forever making bread for her parents! That said the price and availability of quality flour has skyrocketed!
     
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  20. yorkshirehornet

    yorkshirehornet Well-Known Member

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    i used to bake my own.... and then realised that our local Leeds bread co-op... bakes far better sour dough than I can ever do... and their almond croissants are the best...I even did a sour dough breadmaking course with them... and still buy their products as they are superb.....
     
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