Tony F Dordogne

Still got the cherries ripening in the SW - picked another (probably the last) 8k yesterday but used a cherry stoner from Weldom - bloody nightmare, black cherry juice EVERYWHERE. I bought myself a couple of French recipe books last week for cooking and storing fruit and veg type recipes - interestingly, some UK books say leave stones in for clafoutis and French say stone them. We're back in the UK next week and will be visiting Lakeland to get stoner for next year.  Tom Press (French company) sell a stoner which also stones plums - which seems to be the next fruit glut.  Next on list is to buy a fruit press for pressing apples and pears in friend's orchard. In the meantime, need to make some courgette chutney before we go back - should have found an OH who does the cooking (not really, I've always been the cook) but it's great fun here with the seasonal veggies and having time to do things with the surplus from our and neighbour's gardens. Sorry to intrude in SE forum - nothing about food on SW.

Anton, are they all on vinyl or CD? I've just given my record rather than CD player to a mate but I'd buy another one to play some of those ............... Talk about having the same taste in music, at some time I think I've owned all of those .............. Ps Derek Bell's record is Carolan's Favourites, I just thought he was the mutts nuts, somebody on a record label (Gael Linn Records I think) once described him as the nutter on the bus who you dreaded would sit next to you.  For the uninitiated, he was the harpist in The Chieftains who died a few years ago. I think I've still got Mise Eire on vinyl lurking somewhere and have it on CD also, Bert Jansch, remember seeing him and Pentangle so many times in the UK, Danny Thompson on bass, wonderful. Thanks for a great start to the morning ................  

Useful to know where you are.

Hi Cat Excellent information, we'll have to try that if and when we can get a booking - we only live 25 mins away and didn't know it was there.

Hi folks Whoops, should have read www.tandems24.com

Have friends with a smashing gite, available long term in Carmensac Haute, near St Cyprien, about 50 mins from Bergerac, 40 from Perigueux. Web site is www.tandem24.com  

If last year and previous years have been anything to go by, Sarlat will be hot - and very busy, Saturday in Sarlat, market day is best avoided, it's CRAZY there.

Don't know what it's like to live around there but recently had a few days in out of season Bayonne. Good shopping area in general, lots of things to do (museums and the like) but the weather was relatively mild so that helped.  Also the coastal area is pretty spectacular all the way up to Arcachon.  But like many of the towns that have a large visitor season, many of the restaurants were closed for the winter (plenty of other good places to eat though), excellent sports centre and a great rugby club.

Interestingly, green oak furniture is in one of those freebie catalogues that arrive in gardening magazines - our green oak that we had cut is now destined for turning into useful bits like coffee tables rather than being given to people in the commune. There is an excellent wood yard in Alles-le-Mine, in 24 though it's probably far too far for you.

I can access the site but it's very slow to do so - on broadband so that shouldn't be a problem.

There is ACIP (Association Culturelle International de perigord) in 24, based in the St Cyprien area, Library at Meyral/Carmensac, lots of other activities. PM me if you are interested in more details.

Hi Katrina I do know of a long-term rent becoming available in 24 in November this year, plenty of space for two people and well behaved dog, Carmensac Haut just north of St Cyprien, 24. PM me if you want more details.  

Again, nowhere near you but there is another British Library in Carmensac, Commune of Meyrals, near St Cyprien (24)

We love our gay daughter as much as we could ever love our other children.  She is brave, resourceful and an absolute joy in our lives, 30 something, daft as a brush but we wouldn't want her any other way.  And our gay cousin, gay nephew and my dear gay old uncle and his partner, wonderful men who taught me so much about how important difference is. It's the differences that makes life interesting and exciting, how boring if we were all the same - safe perhaps but somebody would end up being different in some way.

We just got a devis to have a local reputable company come round to our inaccessible back garden/part of our wood to remove a number (12 or so) dead or dying oak trees and a couple of other types, which are close to the house, cost E2300, they tidy and clear site, leave the wood neatly cut in 1m and .5m lengths for us to use in the insert in a couple of years time. If you're near 24 pm me and I can give you the company's details. 

We just got a devis to have a local reputable company come round to our inaccessible back garden/part of our wood to remove a number (12 or so) dead or dying oak trees and a couple of other types, which are close to the house, cost E2300, they tidy and clear site, leave the wood neatly cut in 1m and .5m lengths for us to use in the insert in a couple of years time. If you're near 24 pm me and I can give you the company's details. 

We're in the SE corner of 24, high on a hill overlooking the Dordogne Valley. We watched the storms last evening over St Cyprien and over towards Les Ezyies, watched the storm clouds rolling down from the west which usually means rain, lots of breeze in the trees and ......... not a drop, not a single drop of rain though our friends 8k away to the north had torrential downpours. If anybody has any spare rain would they do one of Icini's little rain dances and point it this way please.

We looked up and down the Dordogne Valley for sleepers a few months ago.  The railway guys were replacing them with concrete sleepers, nipped to both Sarlat and le Buisson stations but no joy. Rare as hens teeth around here.

Blimey. that's novel, a Forum Administrator being brave enough to admit where they live!!! Not that you'll be short of company Hoddy but if you fancy a drink sometime, get in touch ....

Berbiguieres, small village and commune close to St Cyprien (24). Just the two of us, no animals or children but bees will be arriving next year. Best decision I've ever made apart from marrying Jenny.