Tricia

This is our second house in France and both have had U shaped kitchen areas, about 4 by 2 metres, which I find easy to work in. I don't have a dish-washer. This is partt of a bigger room where we eat and have a dresser too. But we also have a sort of second kitchen in the barn with freezers, washing machine, and a sink which is used for "dirty" jobs. Like washing gardening things, plucking chickens etc. Does your (potentially) new house have room for extra ktchen jobs like that? I find it very useful.

I've managed to reduce the kissing now, and just offer a hand to shake. And greet with "ça va?" or some such. But I'm afraid I often forget that too, and just launch straight into the point of the conversation. Is this really bad manners to the french? It's so common in the UK.

According to this website it's blowing off the Atlantic: http://www.xcweather.co.uk/?Loc=FR

For fish - the price can vary drastically from week to week eg. cod fillet: one week 18€ per kilo, and the next it was on promo for 9€ per kilo. And I don't think it was last week's leftovers frozen and then put out again. It seemed fresh.Don't like frozen fish. I usually buy cheaper fish such as perche du Nil or lieu noir, or julienne. Don't know about meat as I rarely buy it - we eat our own chickens;

Best thing is to look in your local garden centre and see what they're selling. Otherwise you could plant seeds under cloches, just in case there's any more frost. I don't grow leeks, but have some onions in open beds which I put in last Nov. and are just starting to grow again.

I've always thought , of top CID officers, "it takes one to know one." Certainly is rough justice, SW17.

If you're referring to my post, SD, yes I am. Bullying of one kind or another goes on in most workplaces, and in other places where people come together. It certainly did where I worked. You either put up with it, or use various tactics to fight back, or leave. Perhaps bullying in schools is different, and some children need protection. But with adults, there's too much avoiding of personal responsibility in dealing with difficult relationships, pushing it onto someone else, then blaming those who try to help when things go wrong.

Thanks Joe - will try there. You mean Mr. Bricolage?

I'm horrified at the mentality of the "poor victims" of so called bullying, who are so pathetic that they have to resort to reporting him. (If it's true.) Like children reporting to the Head master. Or on forums, reporting someone to the moderators because of an outburst or unkind word.  [:@]

Do they exist in France? We've tried a few shops but no luck. I've been looking on french ebay and can only find a very expensive type, for roof windows. UK ebay have them for less than £10. Another complication is that they seem to be called stores(m) so when you search you get all kinds of shops popping up. Has anyone any other ideas?

I read in the local paper last week that a council near here (Condom, NE Gers) have bought a house that had been empty and up for sale for years. They are going to refurbish it, make it into social housing, and let it out to a gypsy family. The point of the newspaper story was to publicise the public outcry against the plan. I don't know if all communes do this though, sounded like a one-off. There's also something about cancelling taxes F and H on houses that have stood empty for a few years.

Tuppence - we have the same system. As you can get incoming calls, husband suggests unplugging the livebox, leave for a minute, then plug in again. Let it re-boot.

You must be furious too - all that money for nothing. But you could still succeed in opposing the P de C. - good luck.

I've frozen smoked meats and they were ok to eat at a later date. Perhaps safer if vacuum packed, but I've also frozen cooked meat sliced and packed in ordinary plastic bags.

Supermarkets sell caustic soda too. I know it's dangerous, but with care it's very effective for some jobs. I used it once to scrub down some old, stained lambris before painting .

Saw some wild daffodils today, just pushed through. And 2 weeks ago some comfrey flowers - the earliest I've ever seen them. Mid- January - cognassier de Japon in flower.

You could sprinkle some toasted nuts on the top - almonds or hazelnuts . Make sure they aren't salted though[:D]

Ask your local tax office. They're the people who will check your figures, and if you've got it wrong according to them it will have to be all worked out again; They don't all use the same figure.

The method that Skye describes was shown in a Tommy Walsh programme - the wattle and daub method . Only you add clay and straw to the cowdung and mash it up until smooth, put on by hand then smooth over like plaster. You could try cleaning the stained surface first, scrub with either with an abrasive cream, or some dilute caustic soda. This would get rid of the oil.

I think you can buy a vegetarian gelatine in the supermarkets - made from carrageen. I make cheesecake sometimes and use the substitutes that Ame suggests. Plus if I go to the market there's a specialist cheese van there that sells something very close to thick cream cheese.

If you are worried about noise, as others have said it seems that there are no statutory min. or max. noise nuisance levels in France. Someone who is upset by noise can make a complaint under the french equivalent of health and safety regs. ie medical certificates to prove ill health, disturbed sleep etc. This came up in a discussion on another forum.

Sounds interesting, but why do they have to call it Loppsi? Sounds like a Beatrix Potter character. One thing I noticed - more responsibilities for the Municipal Police - what is the difference between them and the Gendarmerie?

Or make do with a B&B as someone suggested on a radio phonein today (can't imagine that happening  [:D] ) Expenses claims go on in many professions but always need to be monitored regularly. This obviously wasn't being done for the MPs - not that it excuses what they were doing. Someone I worked with was suspended (temporarily) for fiddling his expenses. But it wasn't treated as a criminal offence.

[quote user="Chancer"]Was the householder found guilty Tricia?[/quote] It was in Feb. last year: http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1596033/ShowPost.aspx Sounds like he got a 2000€ fine.

There was a similar case reported in the Depeche du Midi last year - heard at the tribunal at Auch.Something very minor, but technically illegal. All it takes is a jealous neighbour or rival artisan to upset the apple cart.