Damn, I paid Ā£12.99 for that in Novemberā¦
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Bradford had the Fook Hing Chinese Takeaway. If you phoned then you inevitably got through to their (heavily Chinese accented) answerphone message: āYou have reached the Fook Hing takeaway. Wat U won?ā
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Way back when dinosaurs were still roaming, the local Chinest did a weekday ābusiness lunchā for 1/- (yes, 1 shilling!) 
Had a girlfriend from Hong Kong who used to enjoy making my academic colleagues wince/squirm by deliberately using the non-PC āchinkyā.
Which is unfortunately toxic to cats as well as dogs.
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Sixteen months ago we let our tenant in our flat in the UK know that owing to our increasing frailty we felt the need to sell the flat and to use the money in France to improve the quality of our life. We said we were in no hurry and wanted to give her plenty of time to find somewhere else and not disrupt her childrenās schooling. So we set a date for early August 2024.
Unfortunately, we did not appreciate that so far as she was concerned our flat was hers and she was not going to move out.
In the end, we had to take her to court. 2024 was unbelievably stressful for all of us - including her and the people who wanted to buy the flat.
I am delighted to say that she finally moved out in November and weāve completed today with the people who since last spring have waited to buy it.
We, at long last, can begin to plan the next stage of our life in France. 
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Excellent news @SuePJ Get the bubbly out 
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My chooks alarm has been going off at 5.50pm. I want down at about 5.58 and Winnie the Wyandotte was still out! I then went back down 15-20 minutes later and while it was dark there was just enough residual light to not take a torch! Very exciting for my Aussie brain that doesnāt cope too well with the short days!
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Cheerful news if you live Thiberville.
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We once stayed near Thiberville and visited a couple of times. Its ordinariness was part of its charm.
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This articleās only one of several reasons why the NY Times is my journal of choice, a lovely story thatās so French in so many ways, but also well-written. Iāve provided a shared link that bypasses the NYT pay wall:-
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Thanks for the link, I enjoyed the read - a very French story indeed.
Finding money to look after aging religious buildings is a struggle everywhere these days. This afternoon I played a gig with Gospel Bell in St. Martinās, Bladon, for a fundraiser to help them. Probably half the gigs we play are to help small, often ancient churches cover their costs, although this is of Victorian construction compared with the often Norman origin buildings we see around here. One might hope theyād get some funding from the Blenheim estate, since Winston Churchill is buried in the graveyard there.
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When my daughter spent some time in Brisbane she couldnāt get used to it always getting dark by the time she got home from work whatever the season.
Yes in Oz there is very little difference between summer and winter, particularly in Queensland, a bit more in NSW.
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Several months after I delivered a letter offering to buy the small woodland bordering my property, a man rang the gate bell on Friday evening to say he was willing to sell and suggested ā¬1,000. I didnāt quibble because that was the figure I had in mind and so we shook hands and left it for him to let me know when we have a rdv with the Notaire and for me to pay him.
I hope it goes ahead, though I am not holding my breath, no acknowledgement of my letter and suddenly an appearance at the gate. Also, French people have form in grimly holding onto bits of useless land. This parcel has no authoristion for building and even farming, just woodland.
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Cross my fingers for you.
And Iāll cross all my wotsits for you too David! 
Bonne chance!
Thanks all, hope heās got no kids, it is always the kids who block their inheritance, even though they know they will never be able to use it or even visit it. The last 2 lived in Limoges and Paris and both parents were interested but āhad to consult the kids firstā. Death knell. 
Excellent news @David_Spardo! If I were you Iād be at your Notaireās office tomorrow morning to get the sales papers drawn up, striking while the ironās hot. And before the children hear or get greedy.
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