John K Mitchell's Misc Blog

A consultation, launched on the 17th July by the UK's Department of Health, is seeking views on the proposed Government regulations to maintain a smoke free environment in virtually all enclosed public places and work places from summer 2007

This legislation seems to be similar to that passed by the Scottish Parliament which came into effect in March 2006, whereby smoking is banned in any enclosed space (with a roof and more than two walls). This also includes areas such as the cabs of lorries and vans!

From a business perspective it means that business owners will have to put up no smoking signs and are also responsible if people ignore the signs and start to smoke. It makes me wonder what would happen if a large crowd of people turned up in a pub and all lit up, would a barmaid really have the authority to throw them all out?

Many offices that I've worked in in the past have had some sort of smoking room (most of which have been very unpleasant to walk past if the door is open) but these will also be banned under the proposed law. This means that as the proposals stand at the moment the only option seems to be for people to stand outside the office when having a smoke!

Only two weeks to go at the school before the end of the summer term, and the activities are ramping up. As a governor I like to try to support the school in as many of these as possible but I'm not sure how many I'll be able to get to in the next two weeks.

For example :-
Monday 10th July : Years 3 & 4 have a Tudor day
Tuesday 11th July : Open evening at the school
Wednesday 12th July : Years 5 & 6 have an ancient Greece day
Thursday 13th July : School Sports day
Friday 14th July : Childrens disco after school

Monday 17th July : Year 6 have a leavers trip to Gullivers World
Wednesday 19th July : RNIB Shades day where the RNIB bring in items to help the children appreciate what it is like having a visual impairment
Thursday 20th July : Leavers service at the Village church in the evening
Friday 21st July : School breaks up

It makes me think at the end of each year how time is passing, but this year it's even more appropriate as my eldest Grand-daughter is leaving the primary school and going to the Secondary school in September. It doesn't seem that long ago that we would drive past the school and she would say "That's the school I'm going to". Where has the past 7 years gone?

I keep seeing programs on the television about buying homes overseas for holidays or to move on a permanent basis.

As is the case with a lot of people I suspect, this has started me thinking about buying a house abroad that the family could visit when ever we wanted. I first looked a Cyprus but have seen reports in the press and on the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office website that there are a number of potential practical, financial and legal implications, particularly for those considering buying property in the north.

This has made me look closer to home and I'm now wondering about buying a home in France. Having looked around I think I'm going to talk to a company in Cambridge called Currie French Properties. They are British based and only about an hour away from Peterborough so it would be easy enough to see them face to face for the first meeting to talk about what is avaiable, any possible problems with French property law and the costs involved in buying a holiday home in France.