Jewell

"I have tried to keep the forum alive by creating annoying/interesting/ controversial threads. They are supposed to get people talking." Maybe if they didn't all end up in the same place - "All you Brits not in my definition of Real France are stupid" - things would go better.

"When staying in a gîte, b&b, hotel or whatever in France do you expect to have free WIFI ?" I need to keep in touch with work, usually for up to 2/3 hours in each day, so for me, yes. And it needs to work well. I won't book somewhere that doesn't provide this. I don't mind paying a higher up-front rental.

The trouble is, so many postings end up in this same place regardless of the original post. It's a bit tiring to read, it derails from the original subject, and the same old arguments taking over every new thread is really quite off-putting to newcomers. It makes the forum feel cliquey. At least, to me. It's not that the point is wrong or invaluable. It's that it doesn't need to be hammered into everyone's head on every single post.

The Japan news is horrible. :( I take pillow, duvet and sheets as well. And washing-up liquid & cloths. I think it's a hangover from renting gites when the idea seemed to be that you brought pretty much everything.

Mint - thank you! I think Paul said welcome too. Not at all put off, I like a good debate. Just to reiterate, I get the frustration. I once sat in a queue for six hours on the M25 on a blazing hot day, and I had my dog with me, and it was a right pain in the bum to try and keep him shaded and with enough to drink. I do get it. But these things happen. People mess up. People call in sick, quit on the spot, get planning wrong, etc. Doesn't have to be some sort of sinister Brexit punishment. Before we bought last year we'd always stay in a gite, and however well-equipped no gite is going to have a selection of sharp knives to cook with that fit my hand as well as my own. So I take them with me. (along with my favourite wooden spoon and sauté pan and oven dishes...)

Have been lurking for a while, but this is my first post. Not sure if one is supposed to introduce oneself, but have bought a small shack in Brittany with a view to spending several months a year there before possibly a permanent move. Hello, everyone. I've been surprised at how angry people are about this. Someone messed up a staffing rota, queues are queues. I do understand the frustration, but these things do happen; do we need to read vindictiveness into them? The last few times I've been over (Portsmouth to Caen and back) the queues have been longer, the security tighter - and not just on the French end but also getting back into the UK. Mind, perhaps I shouldn't have declared that I was taking my precious kitchen knives on holiday with me. Would've got out of security a bit quicker...!