In time gone bye, somebody said the lights were going out over Europe! This very evening, I experienced the same event. Comfortably installed, almost falling asleep (due to the quality of the football) suddenly it happened! THE LIGHTS WENT OUT OVER WIGAN - They also went out over Europe, because the match was being transmitted world wide, so I suppose they went out in USA, Australia etc.. etc.. WIGAN - where the hell is it this history making town? Were the MAFIA at work - again? Or was a Wenger trick. My mate Chippie says that Arsene (and old lace) is capable of anything. 10 minutes complete darkness over the whole of WIGAN! The looters were at work, and WIGAN will probably invite a Russian to become Director so they can pay their electricity bills!

After the recent events, I have decided to go into things a little bit more deeply. With all the millions of milliardes of pounds,euros,$,(how many zeros is that?) and everything else that go into National or even Private/semi private Health systems, world wide, and which disappear just as rapidly, to be replaced by wining civil servants, complaining that they've got no money, I thought that it would be interesting to look at what happens to all this money. That they haven't got any money is obvious, or they wouldn't have put me off for a week, just like I do when it comes to paying my water/phone/electricity bill.BUT why haven't they got any money? I know that Christmas and New Year Parties make up a part of the "moral-boosters" for the poor over-worked administrators (and by that I don't mean the nurses, technicians,surgeons,cleaning-ladies, who don't have time to go to the parties, even if they are invited) but I do think that if they hold sumptous ...

I found, after looking through this Blogspot, that I have been neglecting my "complaints" section! Just having changed my keyboard to French (for a short article elsewhere) I thought it would be quite good to change it back to "English (UK)" instead of "English(USA)@ which it automatically selects, if you tap "English" or "default". Fed up with the little paper clip in "word" trying to change my spelling of tomatoes,potatoes and many other words into some illiterate American version, I went ahead. Now I've got a keyboard which gives me " when I want @ and @ when I want "! It still doesn't give me the euro sign (which should be available according to my Dutch contacts), and it corrects my spacing between commas and all sorts of other things! Ain't it English they speak and write in the States then? My second complaint is recent, and has to do with my health experiences. Anybody ever noticed that...

Here we go – “Mr le Marquis is back on-line,together with all his pages,sites,blogs etc. (There are new photos on “photos from iwmpop”, and on “vauvertvillage” – there are new articles on “mr le Marquis”,and in case you’ve forgotten, here is the link address:) http://www.webspawner.com/users/mrlemarquis/index.html Let’s warm up with some: "Bits and Bobs over the festive period!" I’ve heard so much this Christmas about the planet “warming up”. Could it possibly be arranged from tomorrow, please! ********************************************************************** Going to church is often the last thing a lot of people do at the end of their existence, but it all took on a new meaning today, in the area of the “Aines” in N. France, when the church was full of people who had come to listen to a Croatian Choir singing carols. The gas/oil heating was defective, and threw out such high carbon-monoxide fumes, that all (the choir included) were taken ill. From the entire assemble...

happy_new_year-girlies Originally uploaded by iwmpop . Tired from Christmas? Relax with this lot for New Year, and you could be a lot MORE tired for "Happy New Year 2006".

A true story from a small French village. Just the other day I was going through some of the many older documents and papers that I seem to collect like millionaires collect bank notes,and I stumbled across some photos, so faded and colourless that I couldn’t even scan them, and a couple of bits of paper, which recalled these events to my mind. The story is an example of yesterday, today and probably tomorrow. Make what you will of it, here it is. It was spring, roughly 1985, and the weather was,as usual, splendid. We had descended from Bavaria, where we lived, for our customary 2 weeks in the South of France (at the time our occupations allowed us to work solidly many hours over a 2 week period, and have the other 2 weeks a month in our little niche in France). The extreme differences in everything, from life style and weather to language and friends, was always interesting, and we profited enormously from these periods. As usual, we had installed ourselves at one of our favourite “Ba...

The price of living I bet you didn’t know you could do so many things with a supermarket check-out and paid list. I suppose they are the same, at least within different countries of Europe, of course USA may not be the same, but who cares! In Europe, the law apparently says that we all have to know various things about shopping prices, and the details are given on this receipt! Some of them are very interesting, some are useful, others useless, some can be held as proof of one’s whereabouts in case of an alias being needed (the receipt gives time and date on it – so if you have your receipt from a supermarket 150 miles away from the murder place, at the murder time and date, the chances are that the police MAY pay more attention to your alibi!) So there we have the first two – time and date. The name of the place shouldn’t be forgotten either, and even the name of the actual owner (if it differs from the trade name for example). The address and, at the bottom, normally the telephone nu...

My last days in 2005. When I woke up on the 24th December, I had no idea I was in for such a tiring day. Tiring and trying, but I suppose there were millions world-wide who had the same experiences! Switching on, at breakfast time, just for a few headlines, I was subsequently invited to the German Bundespraesident’s house, where he wished me “Froehe Weihnachten” and “Guetes Neues Jahr”, to which I responded likewise. From there, I shot over to the “Semper oper” in Dresden, where I had been invited for a few Christmassy songs. From there, whilst my meal for Christmas Eve slowly cooked in the oven (Black and White sausages – “Blut und Weiss-wurst” – with little noisettes of baked apple and wedges of roasted potatoes, preceded by a simple Shrimp cocktail -a traditional menu for us.) I shot up to the North Pole, and got dressed up for my later labours (according to the kids in the street, I’m HIM!!). Found out that Rudolph had been a naughty boy, again, and was once more a “daddy”. I’ve to...

Levoyageur Administrative: This is a site which helps a lot in everything. Health, customs, laws, help in and regulations (customs etc) of all the countries you may go to. Even the TV of ALL countries is accessible! Mr le marquis uses the site regularly - have a look in - you won't regret it - it is in French, but even Chippie will understand this one!

Levoyageur Administrative: This is a site which helps a lot in everything. Health, customs, laws, help in and regulations (customs etc) of all the countries you may go to. Even the TV of ALL countries is accessible! Mr le marquis uses the site regularly - have a look in - you won't regret it - it is in French, but even Chippie will understand this one!

Ian-iwmpop noel 05 Originally uploaded by iwmpop . Mr le Marquis announces today, the 19th Dec 2005, that the "Marquis du Galipot" enterprises will be closing down from today on, for the end of the year holiday period,apart from necessary administrative posts/updatings of "Blogger"etc.You all have other things to do, and I wish you all a good and enjoyable holiday period. The sites are, of course, still available, use them to show how clever you are at your friends house! Just tap "mr le Marquis" or "vauvertvillage" on the search engine of your friend's PC , et VOILA! Mr le Marquis should be back around the 3/4th January 2006 - "Que sera, sera!

Ian-Jan and Granite close up Noel 05 Originally uploaded by iwmpop . or is it Having been told off,sternly, she has finally allowed herself to be pictured correctly! (Taken with the automatic timer, incidentally!) Still forgot to put my fairy lights on and light the candle, but maybe pussy and fairy lights would have been too much together!! Happy Christmas and Prosperous New Year from Mr le Marquis and Granite de l'Oasis!

Ian-Jan + granite ist try Originally uploaded by iwmpop . She didn't fancy being photographed, and preferred my glasses, to read the Times, I suppose. Very intelligent little pussy! These photos are to announce the closure of my sites and blogs over the "festive period". I'm sure you're all happy about that! Back again around the 3/4th January 2006.

A Christmas story for 2005 (Part III and last) (Any similarities with persons living or dead are intentional) Eff had saved the day – again! That famous remedy of a cup of tea, had mounted the confidence of our Frenchman, and re-mounted the spirits of Ronald James! Ron, actually, was quite cheerful, since he had quickly found out that “frenchie” spoke quite passable English, which was a long way in advance of that which passed for French with our Ron! As Ron always told everybody, he found the courses of no use, because it only taught him how to ask the way to the Post Office, and now he knew where the bloody post office was, he saw no point in torturing himself daily, with the cassettes and videos that Eff always tucked into his Christmas Stocking. “I bet there’s another one there this year,” said Ron to himself,”although I keep telling her that ink cartridges would be much more useful!” Of course, Eff thought that all the time spent in the study, closed in, was to advance ...

Xmas-Santas bier-beer-biere. Originally uploaded by iwmpop . It's so cold at the North Pole that I've got to keep my beer UNDER the reindeers, and I've noticed that there are loads of empty bottles around that area, and my reindeers are hiccuping! If I'm a bit late on the 24th, don't worry, I'm avoiding the speed traps!

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