Plee

Hey that sounds like great stuff. I'll try to get the book. I have most definitely noticed that   ' Free  '  Markets are non-existant in France and that the consumer, out in the sticks anyway, gets what they're given rather than what they want !

Hi, I can't see a way of contacting you, but my profile gives my e mail address. We are in the Lot valley SW of Figeac. Pete

Hi, er, Winegum, Something went wrong with my breadmaking machine one day , maybe we had a powercut I don't remember. Rather than waste the dough which was by this time well developed, I wapped it onto a pizza tin and threw it carelessly into the oven which was on at the time. My reputation as a baker of French ' Pain de compagne ' has never looked back ! A little egg yoke and milk brushed on gives a heightened colour for a change and upping the salt content makes it more ' authentic ' . But then you'd hardly call me an expert would You ! Pete The advantage of your painstaking approach is that among other things the dough flavour improves with time.

Good News I'm glad to report good news. Les locateurs have taken out a loan and are staying until mid May as planned !!!! Phew !! We have reduced the rent by 90 euros a month and recommended they download ONSPEED. Its brilliant for non ADSL areas. It is for me a moment to reflect on all the horrors which were going through my mind. It was worse than I let on to you. All the bills are in my name and I even left my check card there lying on the desk while I went for lunch and so on. I had been completely trusting. But the salutary point is , they aren't international con artists, just a couple going through a tight spot. But since we have been speaking of this problem it appears that a Dutch couple have conned and stolen many thousands of euros off people ( S.Lot) apparently the nicest people you could meet. Used an appoinment to view a gite for sale as one intro. Well thanks again for ALL your postings. They were a great help at a testing time.....Pete

Yes, life is full of surprises, not least why a pair of fifty year olds can't get it together to pay their way ! They  could well be reading this thread and if so they will , I hope, feel very embarassed. They are not a part of the French system in any way, and reading through your postings I  feel much more in the driving seat than I did. In fact what has emerged is their vulnerability.                                                                                                           Picking up Beryl's point, which is a bit off topic. Yes ,the law favours the institutions over the slaves, but in this case, I think the law is about the promulgated myth that The French are all a big caring family ( with a caring big brother of course!) , a Myth which has some elements of truth I find, but we're getting way off topic. Thanks again , and I'll keep you posted, and if you have any more ideas along the lines of Anton's I'd like to hear them.  Pete

Just read Anton's post. Yes that's good thinking. That's the sort of strategies I would like to employ. Pete

Well, thankyou. I'm mindful of your overwhelming advice , minus one dissenter, To hit'em with both barrels etc. and given the economics of the situation I have no difficulty seeing your point of view. We live in adjoining communes, one friendly and supportive, employs my wife, and the other icy cold and indifferent and lacking in grey matter. Unfortunately the rented house is in the latter one. At the moment we're going with the flow and in my opinion, if we are sympathetic, it will sort out, but we do have in mind a variety of illegal ideas to make life as nearly impossible as we can .Trouble is they are just a pair of lifes bumblers, not very capable and difficult to dislike.Very easy to intimidate etc so I think its a question of, How did Al Capone put it ? "I'm gunna make you an offer you can't refuse."  If anyone has experiece of being a gangster, I'd welcome a few pointers.                                                              Pete

Wow ! Thankyou for the deluge of responses. I think I like the firm but fair approach. They are (2) English and there has been an element of mis-representation, in that they must have been aware that they didn't have sufficient funds and I was led to believe that they were looking for a house to buy! They say that the bad internet connection (true) at the house has hampered their trading etcetera and so they've made less money than expected. What I can't fathom at the moment is whether their attempts to find work (not in France) are sincere or whether they intend to really string us a along. At the moment I think the former, and as some of you have pointed out I can't do anything until March anyway. So softly, softly. I do the smiling and the wife does the growling. Softly at the moment, but when she's off the leash.....!!                                                                                                                Pete

The husband half of our winter let has just popped round to say that after paying three months he doesn't have any more money, has no prospects and has nowhere to go ! I feel sorry for him, but they have dumped their life problems on us and it doesn't feel too good. Any advice on how to ease them on their way. We have summer bookings !                                                                                                                    Pete  

Linda/Peter Very interested in your aerothermique system . Could you give us some idea of how it works and the costs. Are you still happy with it ? Peter 12