Graham & Brenda

Have a look at the local garden centres. We too found that a lot of the plants we brought from the UK didn't do well but the locally bought ones do better. Watch out for plants that are sold here but still do not tolerate v. cold winters and need to be wrapped up or brought under cover. If buying specials from the supermarkets try to get there on the first day of offers as they are often no good at looking after them and anyway the best stuff gets snapped up. I agree with the post about roses too - they love it in my garden I'm pleased to say!    

Check out this link to FT's Liste Orange to get your entry marked in the phone book (annuaire) to say you don't want marketing calls. It is free and you can do it online. However, when I asked the caller from Bougyes Telecom why they had still called me, he claimed he was using an old annuaire! http://www.agence.francetelecom.com/racine_boutique/residentiel/fp/230/fiche_produit.html    

Ian is correct, NRJ mobile is good if you are a low user, as other providers' credit runs out if you don't use it in a certain time. A SIM only costs €15 see this link https://www.nrjmobile.fr/visiteur/liste_packs.cgi    

Some of you may have seen this post on another forum - but I received no replies so here goes.... The BEEB has been promoting this facility lately e.g. on Working Lunch. However, when you click on the link it says that the service is not available outside the UK. I am not a "techy" but assume that their software detects my French ISP. Is there a way round this? Can I connect to another web site first to give me the routing. I am not so desperate that I want to subscribe to anything but would like to use the service if possible. Thanks,    

As far as I know

Thanks Zeb. Yes I do get those books - great idea.  I love the picture of the old guy wearing his camouflage gear peering out of his camouflage tent waiting to shoot something (anything!).  

I would like to save water to my water butt from the gutter downpipe. The only fittings I have seen in France (in Jardiland for example) are prohibitively expensive when compared with UK products. However, my galvanised downpipes are 80mm diameter (3 1/8"). The only UK products I've found on the net are for 68mm downpipes. I haven't searched Google.fr as I don't know what the French name is. Any help or suggestions will therefore be much appreciated.  

My wife (an excellent home cook I am pleased to say) and I have enjoyed watching the program. I agree that sometimes the comments can seem to be a bit awry. However, we only see the edited portion whereas the judges are able to follow methods and techniques as well as all the other off-camera bits. For example, they don't show all the food identification questions on Fridays. Personally, I least enjoy the bit where the contestants have to say why they want to win. Unfortunately the word "passionate" is being done to death!  

You will need a filter on each 'phone socket you have regardless of whether there is a PC plugged in. If you need more than 2 don't get them from FT as they charge about €12 each! You can often get them in Bricos or supermarkets for €1.    

One way of reducing your need to transfer is to use a UK credit card in France - a low cost one like Nationwide if possible, then pay from your UK sterling account monthly by direct debit. Also if using a Nationwide current account it is cheap to make cash withdrawals in France, again reducing the need for transfers.      

I know it's not exactly what you asked, but I have found the price of crowns roughly the same as UK price. You don't get a great deal back from CPAM though. You may find more by doing a search on the forum.    

We had to fill in a Declaration de Traveaux for our shed - you get it from the Mairie.    

After searching since January I discovered Seville oranges in our new, improved Super U at Rouillac (16)  this week. But hurry! They didn't have many left after I had been in!! Graham

Thanks for the repiles. Fortunately my neighbour doesn't mind me doing some of the work myself to keep the cost down so a compromise has been reached!    

Des Chiffres et des Lettres on France 2 is good for helping to learn french words. It is the equivalent of Countdown. It's normally on at approx. 4.45 in the afternoon but seems to be off for the olympics at the moment. I agree with the other posts about the poor quality of programmes but also like Thalassa.  

I have received a devis where 2 examples of the prices are €75 per socket and €90 per light. This includes labour and cabling etc. so it's difficult for me to understand whether the cost is roughly correct. I say roughly because the electrician is a neighbour, so although I'd like him to do the work I just need reassurance that it's not over the top. Thanks,    

I don't think I've ever paid for a DD to be set up. I had a new one fairly recently for Tax Hab. for example but the others have been set up for a while now. I'm with CA Charente-Perigord. From other posts I've read there seem to be some regional variances. Dotty, my debit card is pale blue with CB on top RH side, and Maestro bottom RH side on background of blue and red circles. On the back bottom left it has Cirruus, together with a number for assistance medicale, on right Moneo. I use it for cash machines and purchases in shops. How does this compare with yours?

I presume you are with CA. I have a similar detail on my account except mine is Confort Maestro for €8.65 per month and that is my bank charge for that type of account. When I first opened an account I found that I had unwittingly signed up to a couple of services I didn't want and had direct debits appearing for those - it's almost the case that you have to opt out of them rather than opt in! They seemed so surprised that I didn't want these marvellous products but it was easy to cancel them. Incidentally the reason that I have Maestro is that it gives me a debit card and free internet access to my account which I previously had to pay €0.49 for each time I connected.  

After our 18 months was up I wrote to Newcastle specifically requesting an extension and just got the standard letter refusing further cover. Applied to CPAM to join in the fun of paying in future and received a new attestation today - brilliant! What's next? Do we now get a request for the first payment from CPAM or from the Impots people (or someone else!)? No big deal but it would just be nice to know what to expect. Thanks,  

I bought the SIM too and it is working fine. I am not an expert on mobile phones so maybe someone else can help better - but 2 thoughts.... I went online to register and you can then see your usage etc. online - although I wouldn't think this would affect your incoming calls On your phone have you set the bit about network selection? Mine's on automatic. NRJ uses SFR I think Good luck 

Ian, I would be interested in the name of the company you used. What I need is just a log burner, not one that heats water etc. I was already considering Jotul as my brother has one made by them, which I rather like but his was bought in the UK.

Adrian, can you point me in the direction of any more info on the ADEME scheme please? Also what does "material" mean in this context ? (I am indeed a French resident considering installing a wood burning stove!) Thanks,

Sounds like you need an E106, like us. This gives you up to 2 years (depending on the time of year you move) cover before you have to start contributing to the French system.The Pensions Service will advise you - probably best to give them a ring on 0191 21 87547. Their postal address is The Pension Service,Tyneview Park,Medical Benefits, Newcastle upon Tyne. (They are part of the Department for Work and Pensions). They also have a number of helpful leaflets they will send you (free).    

We bought our bed (and the matching bedroom furniture) from a local company associated with "Mobiclub". The following link is for a similar one in your department. http://www.mobiclub.fr/meubles-htm/localisation/30.htm  There's a link on that page to Meubles du Littoral, which didn't work - but this one does http://www.meublesdulittoral.fr/ The mattress came from Conforama and the slatted base from Geant.    

In our lounge there is a small gap between the edge of the oak floor and the heavy flags over the solid part of the floor. Because the oaks moves (albeit not visibly so) the cement based infill has crumbled and the draught blows through from the ventilated cave below. The gap is between 1 and 4mm. It is not very accessible from below but I've put expanding foam where I can get to it. Any ideas please for a flexible gap filler that won't be unsightly in the join across the lounge floor. Thanks, Graham