Connexion Back Issues

Expat’s UK family told to pay for French care home * Wealth tax challenged as unconstitutional * Three square meals still rules home eating habits * UK consul service could be slashed * Smaller hospitals face closures in cost drive * ‘Care insurance’ for over-50s * Cows set to power farms and the grid * Brittany Ferries reconsiders Cherbourg passenger links * ‘Motorway of the seas’ delayed until autumn * Law sets limits on roadside signs * Best pass rate yet for technological bac * Pride in French identity 10% lower than last year * Restaurant VAT cut stays despite mixed results * Burqa ban moves one step closer * Breakthrough surgery confirms France as face transplant pioneer * Post offices not efficient enough * Le Monde - and why it is still a must-read * You don’t have to be mad to live here, but... * It\'s my business - I match up would-be students and tutors * Sole traders’ property to be protected * Q & A - How can an artist get a siret number? * Pools Special * Keep your child safe near water * Boarding school bid to beat kids’ home problems * Right jab can knock out viruses * Minister wants new tobacco tax * Health authorities pass buck on gite owners’ cover * How do I buy breakdown cover? * Chèques-vacances to pay for gites * Is UK inheritance taxed in France? * Swapping British driving licences * Can I donate to granddaughter? * Do I have to register my gite? * Make some extra money by renting out your car * Phone home from abroad * Know your rights to summer leisure * Helpline set up for heatwaves * E121 is not part of tax changes * Where to turn as tax rises loom * Credit for those who need it most * Mortgage Q&A - Broker your deal in advance * How can we find a new UK savings scheme? * Franco-Brit week is back * Budget cuts threaten tax rebates on eco-products * Get the best from your package holiday * Send your bags ahead with TGV * Insurance is harder to find for over-60s * Ideal time to get mortgage deal * Lights out for old 60W lightbulbs * Flood-zone homes to be sold and destroyed * Dispelling green myths and misconceptions * How to add millions to the cost of doing up your home * Conman’s bank fraud loophole still wide open * Falling petals lead to €922 fine for woman’s prize-winning blooms * Checks tightened on child travel * Nuns on the run on the Côte d’Azur * The best female chef in France * France looks to crown its first Masterchef * Breeding pigs for the chop * Love, wine and art – your summer reading in France * When do you start to tu someone? * Property Watch - The market is quivering: there are signs of life

TAX RISES WILL HIT SAVINGS * EU reviews ban on state healthcare for foreigners in France * No chance of a peaceful retirement * Help offered to Var flood victims * Fears over Tiger mosquito disease * France considers bull-fighting ban * Car sales decline as bonus cut * More women die from lung cancer * Municipal police should be armed * Websites bend law to protect your pocket * Livret A rate to rise in August * Are Brits in France pioneers or just mad? * Unmarried couples may receive more legal rights * Police alert over driveway conmen * UK bet sites banned under new web law * Easyjet sued for refusing disabled * Charity donations up despite crisis * France supports adopting Belgium * Prison threat for Sarkozy TV leak * French motorways safest in Europe * Green algae returns to Brittany’s coast * Blue beaches clean up their acts * Parents ignore beach dangers * Get ready to hit the Paris plages * Bullet in window started battle to save wild animals * My son’s school wants him to repeat a year – can I stop them? *  ‘Made in France’ branding push may help firms * It’s my BUSINESS - Carpets are fitting idea for start up * Urssaf inspections don’t have to be painful but a good accountant helps * Q & A - Your spouse must be registered if they help out with your business * France cannot break free after 50 years of independence - National identity, racism, immigration and Islam high on political agenda * Find a little piece of France in India * 2CV power for Tour de France * Scrappage scheme hits 2CV lovers in pocket * UK’s NHS Direct inspires phone and web advice plan * Pollen allergies increasing * Reimbursements cut for medicines * More confusion over UK EHICs * Q & A - Is a doctor allowed to refuse treatment? * Is there a French ‘National Trust’? * Is French Braille like the UK one? * Does the law ban mess in forests? * Are pre-nuptial medicals needed? * Young people encouraged to take up volunteer roles * Change in law makes it ‘safer’ to swap your energy supplier * No pension rights for civil partners * Reserve a table on the internet * Help train a guide dog puppy * New rules on lunch vouchers * No need to carry that second phone * Track post, check traffic and trains: Your top free French smartphone applications * Save e100 on food bills with UK shop * The fisc takes a bigger bite * Banks rapped over confusing range of fees * Q & A - Are fixed-rate mortgages a sensible option in France? * 5-star status boosts camping boom * 14-day window to hold flight prices * Easyjet may have to change name * Fourth terminal for Roissy airport * New flights from Brest to Paris * Channel Island routes get new cat * Beware black days for travel in the summer * Satellite was internet saviour * You’re not alone feeling angry at France’s inheritance rules * Divorce: Options facing foreigners in France * Website offers support for women left alone in France * Marks out of 20 are ‘stigmatising’ * Apply for the allocation rentrée * Using the greenhouse effect to cook dinner * No bidet? ... no sale How to sell your house to foreigners * ‘Unprecedented’ level of errors from RSI * Expats on benefit will be tested * Paris transport prices up in July * Patients condemn high dentist costs * Interview - Dita Von Teese * You could beat your children in the race to learn French – and other facts you didn’t know about bilingualism * The best of summer sounds and surrounds * Property - Market dropped 10% in two years - there are bargains out there now

ROAMING CHARGES FACE AXE - International call fees could be scrapped by 2015 * World Cup Bleus - Only 4% think France can win title * Mum tries out France’s top themeparks * New law to ban insulting Tricolore * What happened to our votes? * French schools worst for failing children from poorer homes - Country bottom of league for social equality, finds watchdog * Radar warning signs scrapped * How to tell your left from your right wing * Getting divorced to become easier * Campsites enjoy youth renaissance * Apéro organisers must pay for medics * One in four lifts fail safety rules * EDF blamed as powercuts up 50% in decade * Small cinemas offered digital upgrade cash * 75,000 charging points as electric car demand rises * See pup stars, a tribute to Willy Ronis and death expo in Paris * Smoking at school rising again * Let’s make easy rules apply to all businesses * We check out France’s themeparks for cost, fun and sheer thrill-ability * Harvesting the smell and colour of lavender * High-street chemist faces new rivals * 80% off glasses if you buy online * Benefit for those helping the sick * France winning war on obesity * More cancers to be diagnosed * Practical - Can my daughter marry in France? - My builder says siret is ‘en cours’ - Why the need to validate tickets? - Will I inherit my uncle’s property? - Why was I billed for TV tax? * Broadband options for rural areas * Paternity leave statutory days * Urssaf stepping up social security checks * Fewer companies have employees * Mooring costs vary with time and tide * We will not forget but will not be blamed - Vichy has built a new life since June 1940 and its role as the wartime capital of France * Social charges and income tax merger could hit expats * Clarification of the bouclier fiscal * Banking secrecy is slipping away * Retirees ‘should pay more tax’ * Grants to help home purchase * Low-cost breaks for over-60s * Gold and silver coins popular * 800 classic cars gather for Le Mans * Marathons, mountain-hiking and more * France’s tiring school terms to be overhauled * Brush up skills for Brevet and Baccalauréat * Flexibility key for new solar power * Shock risk from 50% of electric solar panels * Should we let out furnished or not? * Pick up a bargain home at a property auction * School mobile phone ban passed in green bill * GM wine trial is ‘playing with fire’ * Radical regional shake-up scrapped * The search for the perfect baguette * Bakers fight to stay off breadline * Learning to bake your own – but without the 5am start * Where we live : POITOU-CHARENTES * Vocab lessons help tackle the press * Time for children to switch off English channels?

6,000 MORE TURBINES – BUT WHERE? * Brits still top foreign buyers in France - just * Deadline change for online tax filing * Brive opens with UK flights * Stores battle for ways to bypass ‘loss-leader’ ban - Loyalty cards become key weapon in fight for shoppers * Warning: Poison caterpillers on move * Green bill ‘dead’ ahead of nature festival * September deadline for pension overhaul as unions and public resist * Economic growth extremely weak * Doctor cover is postcode lottery * Still no state guidance on private health policies * Disability Days boost in fight for easy access * France set to legalise online medicine sales * 2.8% average local tax rise in towns * Angoulême flights to London restored * UK passport fees rise for expats * GP surgeries in railway stations * Are you eligible for plane noise grant? * Livret A ‘savings’ are losing value * Many people still hide cash at home * Cheap travel on day sleeper trains * Quarter of profs to get pay rise * Local vote for all foreigners rejected * Doubts over burqa ban enforcement * Expats are sent wrong letter on new EHICs * Xynthia: mayor sued for failing to fix floodwall * Freemasons admit first women * 100,000 sign for 0% éco-pret loan * CCTV cameras catch bad drivers * Digital TV gets boost in numbers * GP fees to rise to e23 * Community service and family allowance cuts for unruly pupils * Brevet exam will not be scrapped * 2009 Bac results available online * Learn before 12 to be accent-free * How much tax should the wealthy pay? - Nicolas Sarkozy’s 50% cap on tax is under attack as the government looks to increase revenues and, as the deadline for wealth tax approaches, the clamour for reform of how France taxes the rich is getting louder * Country’s wealth gap widens faster * Wealth tax deadline is June 15 * Why you should vote for us - Parties give their views on the policies that matter for Britons abroad * Take a swing at free golf days * Apéros: First steps to making friends with your neighbours * Our man in Paris and his neighbour, Nicolas Sarkozy - Sir Peter Westmacott * Royalty, language and mad cows: French-UK spats and sharing * What the US could learn from France’s healthcare system * Q & A- If spouse dies you may lose cover * Tontine clause can bypass succession laws but not French inheritance tax * Pay-outs for train delays * Scan barcodes with your mobile * Buying a used car at a government auction * It takes patience to get a disabled parking badge * Q & A - Points system ‘unfair’ * Find your nearest post box online * Best time to visit or call services * Pet cemeteries via website * My first year in BUSINESS - Cake designs to order help beat the credit crunch - Trading places is a way you can earn and learn * Root out ‘crazy behaviour’ in finance says former governor of the Bank of France * Dispute over loan database scheme * Income tax queries answered - What do I do with bank justificatif? - International bond tax declaration - Why am I paying CRDS on pension? - Can I offset my share losses? * Currency flexibility is essential to protect your assets * Q & A - I’ve sold my house but now what happens to the mortgage? * How to stop ‘the dream’ going sour * Cameras to calculate average speed * Breaking down autoroute driving * 50% drop in fatal motorway accidents * What do we do before the oil runs out? * Q & A - What insurance do I need for gite? * Couple fail in bid to cut price on house * ‘Demolish your rebuilt house’ - Planning permission – what works must be covered? * EU pushes reform of electricity tax * Football scandal reignites debate on prostitution * Bank bids to end e2m fraud row * EU pushes reform of electricity tax * ‘France is a country that feeds its artists’ - DAVID LYNCH EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW * Protests over organic pesticide ban

Step-by-step guide to your French tax forms * NEW EXPATS DENIED VITAL HEALTHCOVER *UK election post votes may not arrive in time * Warning over fake CAF refund emails * UK U-turn over disabled benefit rights in France * Euroferries marks one year of non-service * Parents could get more say in choice of school * Campaign to improve bowel cancer screening * Paris targets 38,000 illegal short-term rentals * Major property fraud – three notaires accused * Flood homes will be bought by state, then abandoned * Financial help made available for homes and businesses * INTERVIEW - France and UK must deal with 1,000 years of tension - Stephen Clarke, author of A Year in the Merde, trawled through 1,000 years of history to better understand the origins of Franco-British rivalry – and why it is still causing us problems today * Walking to fitness the Nordic way is taking off in France * Cancer screening: will you be called? * GPs strike as promise to raise consultation fee is broken * French income tax - Your guide to filling out the form * How to fill in key types of income affecting expats * What is the ‘parts’ system? * Clear out your clutter at your local vide greniers * Normandy leads digital TV signal switchover * Call out an IT expert to relieve computer stress * Extra security for web purchase * Help with French driving lessons * Cap on cost of internet abroad * EDF pays less for solar electricity * Banks can assist with home help * Want to get ahead in business? It helps to know the mayor * Sole-trader property protection status set for 2011 launch * €96bn loans will target start-ups and help with cash flow problems * Listing scam company names released * My first year - We’re married to the building job * Paris is ‘the world’s most expensive city’ * Clearing up confusion between state and government pensions * Money - Nostalgia for the 1990s boom will not help you now * Don’t mistake Turkish lira for e1 * Joint credit debit card is success * Online tool helps check new taxes * Mortgage Q&A - Can I take out a renovation mortgage on my French home? * Timetable for your child’s testing times * Apply now for rentrée payment * Travel - New summer links to the UK * Don’t let heat go down the drain * Q & A - Lack of planning consent not necessarily a major blow * 0% loans to help poorer households fit insulation * Property bargains for just €100,000 * Pupils lose year’s school through absent staff * Angry bikers block streets as talks stall * Avis and Renault in electric rentals * Smoke detectors to be obligatory * Franck Dubosc exclusive interview * Comedians make French the language of laughter * Remote, rugged and beautiful Brittany * Five ‘must dos’ in Brittany * Get a house with a garden for €50,000 * Looking after your house while you’re away * Learn how gardens have healing powers * Asparagus tip: Try the plumper white and lilac-topped varieties * 600,000 expected at nine-day kite festival

FRANCE’S RED TAPE TO ALL GO ONLINE - Planning permission, health forms and driving documents included - End of queuing at the mairie * World’s best chef launches organic fast food chain * Conman finally in prison for €2m fraud * Swindlers invent phone muggings * 250,000 motorists arrested last year * Wine exports worst in 10 years * Body scanners in action at CDG * Scooters to get MOT noise tests * New expats to register at mairie * Breathalyzers for all school coaches * Lyon to build low cost air terminal * Chinese lessons becoming popular * Next generation ticket machines help plan your journey together * New flights from Pau and Poitiers * First ‘sea motorway’ to link Nantes with north coast of Spain * €134m toxic seaweed cleanup plan fails to win support in Brittany * Bluefin tuna ban will ruin us, say French fishermen * 12 convicted for fake wine scam * Ban on web videos of danger games * French schools to go 100% digital * Police called over food in cinemas * Water bills are getting cheaper * Burqa husband denied nationality * Disappointing year for January sales * Report finds sex education failing * Cabbies’ anger over airport plans * Go-ahead for rent guarantee scheme * Better protection needed for elderly * Thousands driving without a licence * VAT cut fails to attract diners * Voluntary service given go-ahead * Deadline for UK winter fuel benefit * Dubai’s Lyon replica confirms Emirates’ passion for France * Doubts for future of anti-prejudice body * If Russia owns this Riviera landmark then it owes us €100bn, say families * Shopkeepers make a million taking francs - 69% of French miss their country’s old currency, survey shows * Cycleway adverts are ‘dangerous’ * 100% MP support for deathbed aid * TGV fares rise to pay for trains * Gay fairytale not for primary school * Meet the woman who makes Asterix funny in English * Boost your income: Let out your home to tourists * Barefoot in the park – the new old way to keep your horses fit * Broadband is the key for new wave of younger expats * Remote working has opened up our lives * Internet firms battle it out to offer cheapest broadband * Passengers still drawn by pulling power of historic train routes * Entrance exams ahead for bilingual sections * Long school days leave children exhausted, says study * Hospital checks stepped up in 2010 * Expat pensioners must now get EHIC from UK * Finding an English-speaking doctor * Caravans need lights not reflectors * Where do I go for death certificate? * Must I change my pool alarm? * Can people gain ‘squatters rights’? * Do French use Nato alphabet? * Always cancel using lettres recommandées * New law simplifies sale of inherited property * Learn to drive the eco-friendly way * Report spam at dedicated website * Insurance covers your pet’s health * Buy cheaper tyres via the internet * Plan ahead to take your pet to UK * Eurostar to invest €30m in services * Minister promises no rail line cuts * High-speed ferry slashes times * New flights Cork to La Rochelle * Make your pension pot more flexible * Mortgage Q&A - Be prepared with financial groundwork for a purchase * I am retired – what taxes should I pay? * Remortgaging your French home for pounds is a risk * 2009 average exchange rate * Protest over English library closure * Cats charity acts after funding blow * Savings for small firms under new business tax * My first year - Proud of energy saving designs * Q&A - I can’t get insurance as an auto-entrepreneur builder * Property facelifts for homes stuck for sale on the market * Buyers’ termite claim has sting in the tail for seller * Light touch helps reduce energy waste * What makes a gite stand out from the crowd? * Warning to gite owners over possible booking scam * €70bn revenue lost due to tax exemptions * Changes ahead for auto-entrepreneurs * Hadopi warnings delayed to April * Forget supermakets – buy directly from local farmers * Exclusive interview - Midsomer writer’s dreams of France * French life has inspired the work of foreign authors for centuries * Jazz festivals hit full swing to usher in spring * How long do potatoes need to grow? * Create your picture-perfect garden this spring

TAX CHANGE FOR BRITS IN FRANCE - Expats’ UK properties may soon be subject to Capital Gains Tax * Conman Templeton: They can’t jail me, there’s no room - €2m conman claims he frequently visits France but can't be jailed until cell free * UK pub ditches Templeton after hearing victims’ stories * Victims frustrated by lack of justice and compensation * France should close cheque loophole in line with rest of EU, says UK MEP * French film bosses upbeat despite drop in foreign audiences * Disabled abandoned by UK may get French help * Normandy plans English university - Caen campus could link up with Oxford or Cambridge * 50%-off online tracks to tackle download piracy * Driving in snow: how to prepare * Civic contract for all 18-year-olds * €10 broadband for lowest earners * Paid leave to care for terminally ill * July 1 plan for new carbon tax * €750 fine for wearing burqa * French councillor admits smuggling * French choose cats over dogs * Livret A savings stuck at 1.25% * Motorway tolls rise in February * Record year for gambling revenue * Drivers keep €1k prime à la casse * Foreign accounts deadline extended * Swine flu: jab anyone? * TGV threat to oldest vineyards in Bordeaux * Bid to give local vote to all expats * Film exports still take €350m despite less viewers* France’s Higher Education Minister Valérie Pécresse talks to Connexion - My plans to rebuild our universities * Some good ideas but ‘nothing has changed,’ says union on Pécresse * Currency exchange - check out all the options first * PROFILES - Times may be harder but we are happy here - I was always worrying in London – now I enjoy life - When things got tougher we chose France over UK - We love the life – even if we are skint * That’s snow business: the ups and downs of chalet rental * She’s dying – get back as fast as you can - If you have loved ones in the UK, France can be further away than you think if you need to get back in an emergency * Jail for verbal abuse in marriage * Top-up health cover costs rise 5% - 92% of people have additional health insurance in France. Despite rising prices these policies provide extra security * Extra cover for those on low incomes * Beware web speed camera hoax * Get fit: Our tips for joining a French gym * Lending your car may prove costly * Keeping mobile number is a right * Your rights if air travel goes wrong * Sales of secondhand tickets up * New destinations from La Rochelle * MONEY - Top savings don’t add up as you think * Coz I’m the Taxman, yeah - To tackle national debt, pensions and care for an ageing population, governments will begin to balance the books with higher taxes * Banks close non profitable accounts * What is the Euribor three-month mortgage rate? How might it change? * Latest French income tax bands released * Not-so-lucky: Your Premium Bond wins are taxable in France * Democrats launch monthly meet-up * French exchange for motor-homes * War-time love letters to be published * UK ‘free’ 0800 calls can cost 20p/min in France * Marriage or pacs? * Further tips for typing your French accents * Why would the French want to employ Brits? * My first year - From working with addicts to stained glass * Logo letters target firms * 16-year-olds to be able to start firms * Combined site to help start-ups * Q & A - Insurance firm won’t pay in full * Tenant evicted after court hears rent vs repairs row * New GDF gas powers could mean steep rises * Ground heat pumps spared tax credit cut * Burst pipes: check the small print * Put quality first with solar panels (and shoes) * Don’t lose the plot over borders - Working out where your property ends and your neighbour’s begins is a difficult judgement * Get the right  permission before changing the look of your flat * Loophole lets commercial buyers pull out of contract * Housing sales to pick up in 2010 * Work hours down 30% since 1950s * Tougher driving test on the way * New car sales hit their prime * Manure site sends postman’s pat * Housing sales to pick up in 2010 * How James Bond came to settle down in the south of France - Sir Roger Moore tells Connexion about filming and living in France - Foie gras: I refuse to speak to old friends who still eat it * France has two pancake days * Ups and downs of fun on the mountains * Biggest farm in the world opens in Paris * Language - Do you say I love you or je t’aime? * France one of world’s top places to live a long life * Time out in a spa - just what the doctor ordered

2010 ANALYSIS FRENCH PROPERTY REPORT 4-page housing market rundown from those on the ground * Supermarkets attacked over pricing rip-off * Are French women still sexy and slim? * UK in the dock over disabled benefit cut - Britain’s refusal to reinstate disability benefits is illegal, says European Commission * Veils ‘attack on dignity’ * Swine flu vaccine is now free to all * Tax victory for UK civil partners in France * Rural trains face axe after audit - Over 25% of services not financially viable says report * Live in Brittany? Bet you don’t like cheese - Food tastes vary depending on where you live in France - and French women do get fat, new poll shows * ID debate is harmful, says immigration expert who calls France the USA of Europe * Restaurants reach VAT pay deal * Illegal OAP homes must clean up or close * Help for families caring for Alzheimer’s patients * Donation age threshold raised * Digital radio put off till late 2010 * Renouncing an inheritance easier * €1 tax to help music industry * Suffocation game kills 13 children in a year * Buying responsibly can lighten your life * Uni chief told off for using ‘too much English’ * Estate agent to be tried over €110k expat home fraud * 44% support force-feeding ban but only 13% will not eat foie gras * 5,000 estate agents shut up shop in 2009 * France puts cash towards green home works * Important changes in 2010 - New laws, advances in technology, the rebound from the crise – what will we see in the next 12 months? * What should we do with flat sale profit? * Should life assurance income be charge and tax-free? * Taxing times if you pay in the wrong country * Can I get a mortgage in euros to buy a property in the UK? * Help is at hand to quit smoking * We have a low-income, can we use the CMU? * Teaching music to young ears - From the top conservatoires to home tuition, there are many options for children with a love of music * No television for under-threes * Coping with late Urssaf demands - Whether starting or closing a business, knowing what social charges bills to expect is not always easy * Buy into a fast food franchise to earn a crust * Our first year as auto-entrepreneurs * Viager sale schemes can go wrong * How can I get a grant to renovate or improve my gite? * Renewable energy is good for firms too * Know your eligibility for capital gains tax * Sole trader property protection closer * Sir Tim Rice on France and his musicals * With food like this why are the French not as fat as the Brits? * Parlez-vous français? Make 2010 the year to learn * A toast to the saint of wine * AOC label to vanish as French wines start New World fight back

Million French homes at risk of floods warns climate report - Poitou-Charentes, Loire and Languedoc-Roussillon at high risk in 40 years * The real Miss France on her 55 year reign - Geneviève de Fontenay Exclusive interview * Low-income families to receive grants for home insulation * Doctors defend swine flu jab - Risk of side effects has been exaggerated says medical body, as schools begin a vaccination programme * Electronic trial for driving fines * Half a million get car scrap bonus * Incentives to hire more women * Free access to grandes écoles * Sunday trading extended in Paris * Bank admits fault say fraud victims * Cancer study for English-speakers * Paris sees drop in visitor numbers * Safety fears after nuclear incidents * Digital films add to independent cinemas’ worries * Pick where your baby is registered * Underused tax cap will stay in place * All homeless people to get dedicated social worker * Scheme would pay young for voluntary work * Anonymous CVs scheme could cut job discrimination * Christmas bonus for lowest earners * Police custody is ‘against the law’ * Woman marries her dead fiancé * Winter power cuts could be imposed * Obesity problem is getting bigger * Same-sex couple in adoption first * Ségolène sends condoms to teens * Law to keep email addresses for life * Euro 2016 host towns are named * 45 million want a new life in France * Rural schools swap pupils to avoid closure * More free fruit for school breaktime * Anti-smacking law proposed * Sort out votes, dogs, business and tax before 2010  * Lean years ahead for oyster farmers - A history of oysters in France * Avoid festive fallout at Christmas * Free news for young readers * Help is available for dyslexia * Pick the best family friendly ski resorts  * Buy second hand ski equipment at bourses aux skis * Artisan auto-entrepreneurs must prepare to move on * My first year - Scooter hire firm accelerates ahead * €750m boost to cancer fight * Confusion over ‘residence’ for E109 forms * Returning to the UK for university * Foie gras treated as an in-flight safety threat * Do crematoria ban pacemakers? * Are free French lessons still going? * A legal expert says - Defend yourself, but with reason * Choose camera detectors wisely - some are illegal * Using cash-back websites to save * Has your boiler had its check? * Insurer will pay for taxi home * Donate old clothes to charity * Similar car for sale: £595 in the UK, €2,900 in France * Steps to importing a second-hand UK car * Taxman is generous over charity gifts * Clearer rules arrive for professional letting * As France tackles national debt the taxman’s eyes turn to you * Equitable Life ruling success * How to get a loan repayment break * New fall in phone and internet price * Mortgage Q & A - Banks will not let us raise capital on our property to pay for renovation * Better-off Brits better off living in France * Save on your UK rail journeys * More Toulouse - Britain flights * Ryanair operating from Bordeaux * Compare pound and euro prices * Different boat for LD Lines service * Information on trains for iPhones * You can only oppose a plan after permission has been given * Planning war cost us our villa * Dreaming of a green Christmas * Only eco-friendly homes to attract mortgage help * Council wrong to axe right of way * Misled over septic tank, can we get some money back? * Green tax credits are to go down * Syndics’ jobs to be standardised * €2bn lost via leaking mains - Nîmes losing 40% drinking water into the ground * Generic drugs forced on doctors * Can-can chickens should be canned * Easy-to-use website shows way to cut power bills * House-buyers stay at home * Louvre tour on your iPhone * Mont Blanc shifts and sinks a little * Peter Mayle: 20 years in Provence - Exclusive interview * Family, food and midnight mass at 9pm * Goat droppings cheese anyone? * Nature’s best fertiliser

UK wills could override French inheritance laws * Parents’ anger as baby death medics keep jobs * Disabled face new tests in UK benefit shake up * Local tax reforms first in 30 years * Civil partners see first signs of equal treatment * Congestion charge back on agenda * Beaujolais has raisins to be cheerful * Anger as winter fuel bonus is axed * Mobiles set to be banned in schools * Speed limit drop is not a priority * Car buyers rush to get e1k bonus * Changes for taxe professionnelle * Languages lead lycée reform plan * Paris needs fewer but bigger universities to compete * Switching banks made easier * Living with the low pound in France * Both French and British social security benefits can help * Pension rules for start-up scheme * Spotlight: Retirement homes * APA benefit can help with autonomy costs * Finding an English-speaking home * Immigration in France: straight talk from the experts who count * My first year: Business fairs for expats * Heading abroad for treatment * Carte vitale was finally issued - nine days before it expired * School bag search proposal dropped * Digital books reduce bag weight * Top-up lessons free on internet * Careers help by phone or internet * What is the law on child seats? * Checking driving licence points * Do the French use ‘ICE’ numbers on mobile phones? * Confused about my aspa rights * French TV goes digital * Learn to drive ‘for one euro a day’ * New mobile phone option for elderly * Get free legal advice from an avocat * Post gifts in early December for Christmas * Vet’s error costs me 6 months waiting for new pet passport * Speed cam error margin to stay * 200,000 join start-up scheme * What the average household spends * Check delayed or cancelled trains * Making sense of our annuity * Work for UK firm has caused NI mix-up * Trust in the tax treaty * Be prepared for pound-euro parity * Insurer pays your excess fee for you * Investing: where do I start? * Stress and anguish after internet fraud * BA charges £50 for exit row seats * Ryanair defends web check-in charge * LD Lines ups Dover-Boulogne capacity * Site for getting around Normandy * Understanding home survey rules * Winter protection for tenants * The heat is on - Some basic steps can be taken to detect and fix bad insulation *  France divided on smoke alarm law * Higher VAT rate for air-con units * 30,000 make use of 0% eco-loan * Let your home for holidays * Sale collapse: can I keep their deposit? * Nosey-parker neighbour must pay damages * TV show winner loses jackpot for minimum wage * More speed radars to cut road deaths * Thousands protest child watchdog axe * Police crackdown on footy violence * Compensation for delayed ferries * Rory Bremner - My impressions of French life * It’s time to make your Christmas treats * Use the force to get carrots for the spring