Sunday Times
Click on any of the pages listed below.
- My botox diary (The Times)
- A plot to overthrow the village mayor in the municipal elections
- Savoie fair
- The great escape
- English roses fall for Saint Jonny
- Expat dream dies with the lady in the lake
- Sweet joy of stifling Gallic gloats
- Selling France to the French
- The Autobiography by Marie Helvin
- Fire in her blood
- La Bella Figura: An Insider
- Cabin Fever
- Tempted by truffles
- English not spoken here
- You don
- My sweet mother
- 'FRENCH MISTRESS' COLUMNS
- The French have no truck with notions of multiculturalism. Is this patriotism or arrogance?
- Female French students resort to sexual favours to secure a home (The Times)
- Property values in France are holding up
- France's zero tolerance for anorexia
- I'm moving from France to the Gulf
11 Dec 2006 helena
Hello
we enjoy reading your Sunday Times pieces when we’re in England - of course, they’re more difficult to get hold of in France as all the interesting bits of the Sunday supplements are removed.
I wondered, therefore, whether you had investigated at any stage the issues around the transfer of funds from the UK to France? Until very recently we have been happily ringing the local branch of our English bank to arrange transfers, while we have been restoring our ‘Perigourdine’. They have been very helpful and speedy. Now we have been told that we have to contact a central office to carry out the same operation, and that it will take two days for the transfer to be effected. Also, we have been told that there is no means of setting up a system for regular transfers, like a direct debit to our French account.
Surely there are easier and faster methods available, despite all the recent concerns about money laundering? Do you have any views or advice?
Yours
Patricia Shears
Dear Patricia
Many thanks for your question. This is not something I have looked into but I know there are companies, like HIFX (www.hifx.co.uk/abroad) who specialise in transfering funds between countries. They also provide a regular payments facility by direct debit. Or you can contact financial advisors like Blevins Franks (www.blevinsfranks.com)
Hope this helps
All best
Helena
I used to use currencies4less.com and they always gave a very good rate
read your book great-liase with stephen clarke for another you are both good writers and funny ha-ha too my mail good until 16/3 i return to normandy then regards chris