Charlotte3

Conforama.....plenty of choice, great price, helpful designer, more 'french' than Ikea etc. Aly

I have two french credit cards, not deferred payment cards, but exactly the same as in the UK. My (French) colleagues in work also use actual credit cards, so I don't think that they're at all unusual.  I suspect this idea arises because relatively few Brits have French work contracts and monthly payslips which are required on application.   Aly

[quote user="Gluestick"] Bricodepot tend to be the cheapest in fact. If just two of you go for a 200 litre jobbie. That does us and son when there: three showers per day: and sometimes another in the evening. Never run out as yet even with guests too. As always: scope out the prices all around.     [/quote]   Why 200 litres?    Chez nous:  family of four, 50lt tank, never run out of hot water yet.....of course if you waste lots of water every day on unnecessary showering..... Aly, peintre en batiment

Thanks everyone,   Mike has now been sorted. Aly

Mike is a 4 year old rough haired Teckel/terrier cross, black grey and white, great with children and cats. Since my children left home he has become more and more miserable, and he really isn't happy, no matter what we try. I have owned dogs all my life, and Mike has the loveliest nature of any of them. Mike likes a busy home, where he can be in the middle of things although he would love a home with an older person who would appreciate loyalty and companionship.  He likes nothing more than helping in the garden or lying beside you in the sun. Please can any of you help?  Mike deserves a much happier life than he has at present. Thank you, Aly PS. Mike lives in northwest Mayenne, on the 53/35/50 borders

[quote user="BIG MAC"]I am only 46 maybe in another 14 years............[/quote]   Cheeky sod!   I bought my Yamaha X Max 2 years ago at 48 after a very nasty motorbike crash, and I've never looked back! I have lots of under seat storage and soft panniers and regularly do our week's shopping with it. It's a great big aggressive looking machine ( very Darth Vader-ish) , really economical to run, and turns heads everywhere I go. (The best bit for me is that I no longer have to change gear, virtually impossible since the accident). It's also nice that other motorcyclists here have no snobbery about  big scooters and accept you as a bonafide "motard". Still on two wheels, Aly

Hello there, Can anyone tell me if it's possible to re register a UK car without any registration documents.....we've been offered a really good UK reg car, but they can't find the documents for it. It has been in France for the past 4 years. I suspect not, but I would love to be proved wrong. Thanks in advance, Charlotte

No, it won't.  Everyone still has to prove their qualifications, thank goodness! Aly

Hello there, Why do you not need a siret number?  Surely that has nothing to do with your regime, rather it proves your qualifications to perform metier occupations. If you won't need a siret number to do this work, how would your clients know that you were actually qualified (and therefore legal) or not. I have visions of lots of dodgy characters using a loophole like this to jump on the bandwagon of 'almost' legal status and making it even more difficult for us qualified artisans to earn a crust. I'm really hoping you are wrong on this one, Aly

Thanks for that Ben..... sounds just like Mike. Aly

Hello Nell, Whereabouts  are you? (They're not all horrible!) Aly

Well,  on Monday afternoon we found our new snake.  She's called Akira and is a Californian Milk Snake.  We bought her from a pet shop beside Castorama in Rennes and they were brilliant. Their animals are clean, healthy and well looked after and the reptile specialist gave my daughter lots of advice and tips even though she didn't really need them. (We've kept reptiles and snakes in N Ireland for donkey's years). Akira is settling in  nicely and is currently tucking into a juicy little mouse! Thankyou everyone for your comments, Aly

My client's one is identical to one available locally for 160euros.   I wouldn't leave the price tag on.....I'd be too embarrassed! Aly

Hello, Have any of you bought a snake or other reptile in France?  I'm hoping to buy a snake for my daughter within the next few weeks and just wondered about the standard of pet care in the pet shops here. They seem to be big affairs rather than the small personal shops we had in N Ireland. Any comments would be gratefully received. Aly

JUust as an aside, I have a client who spent a whopping 600euros on a towel rail!!!  How the other half live! Aly  

Hi there tj, If the job is finished with the matt finish, just apply the varnish (without mixing it with the matt black) and you'll get a satin finish.  If you mix the two you'll end up with a blackish wash which is unnecessary if the beams are already black. Is it beams you've done? Sorry, making assumptions again....been erecting scaffolding all day in the rain and really tired!   Aly

No, you don't need permission for a pergola. We're hoping to change from a "detached" one to a "semi" next year and have started looking at others in the area to get an idea on design. I expect you can find something on the web if you can't design one yourselves. Good luck, Aly

Thanks again everyone, I think I'm going to plant in three big tubs which would probably give the (three) plants a better chance and still cover the wall quite well......too many neighbours to start drilling the pavement! Aly

Why not have REAL wood instead of nasty plastic stuff, about the same price after all! Aly

Peinture Acrylique Matt en Noir, available from all brico type places. ( Look amongst the wall paints, not the woodstains etc.) No need to faff about with anything else, but would look much nicer in finition Satinee. That's my professional opinion. Aly

I work for a French painting and decorating company and at this time of year we have lots of "facades" to do. "Champignons" means mould in French and the particulat red stuff you mentioned is commonplace. We power wash with a karcher, apply antimousse, then two coats masonry paint.....all guaranteed to last for ten years.   Aly  

Thanks everyone for your ideas and helpful link. I do however have one other question I should have mentioned earlier......I will have to be planted in a large container as we're on the main road and have pavements right up to the front of the house. I love the idea of a climbing rose, would it be possible? Aly  

My daughter's boyfriend is French, a European like most on this forum. Aly

Exactly what I'm thinking Chrissie, unfortunately hubby is gamely fighting a losing retreat on the subject! I personally feel an excess of testosterone is the problem (in a previous life I was married to a bodybuilder so I know how it affects the male psychie). I think I'll go ahead with it and keep up the training as well. Woolybanana's brother, I think it's kinder than getting zapped by an electric shock every time he misbehaves! But thanks for the thought. Aly

And are you planning to do the Prince Charming dance?  If so can we have some photos. Aly