Grumpy

Perfect - thank you Clair [kiss]

Is there an equivalent product here in France? Steve

Hi Pogo, www.leboncoin.fr is a france-wide classified advert site where one can advertise articles free of charge. There's quite a lot of reasonable stuff on there but some people's expectations of price are a little high! cheers Steve

http://www.canoe-limousin.com/rivieres/index.php?rivieres_id=14 You might like to try this link for further information. Steve

If you have your own canoe it should not cost anything. I am not aware of any organised canoe rental available on the Gartempe (though I am looking). I know that the Gartempe is classed as I and II which I believe is the most gentle. If I find any more info I'll let you know. I did find someone selling a number of second hand (ex-rental I assume) canoes on leboncoin for between 50 and 100 euros which was rather tempting. The other thing to find out is where public access can be found on the river, I was going to make enquiries at tourist info soon. Let me know if you have any success, won't you? cheers Steve

Other places to visit around that area are Collonges la Rouge and Salers. Both of them worth a trip. Otherwise just bimble on the back roads, they're lovely. Another place to find is (are) the Tours de Merle. Steve

It's an ordinary FTA satellite box. As suggested, I tried another region, so we now have access again to ITV1! As you say, it's a bit strange that they have not got their act together. cheers Steve

Thanks all - I'll try another region! Steve

My satellite box is reporting that ITV 1 is scrambled! Is this a permanent change or just a local anomaly with my setup? cheers Steve

try  http://www.narbonneaccessoires.fr/info/

Thank you both for your replies. Jerac, that was very helpful, I can identify the machine properly! Typically, though, the bit that I have identified as being perfect for the task at hand is the wrong type! cheers Steve

What is the difference and are the bits interchangeable? I have an SDS drill but I would not know how to determine whether it was Max or Plus! Any ideas? Many thanks Steve

[quote user="Martinwatkins"] Stormy weather doesn't help - the carrier frequencies used for ADSL are plagued by what I think are called sferics,  if a medium wave radio is crackling then your ADSL is going to be "under siege"  (assuming you're fed by overhead lines). [/quote] Are these related to atmospherics?

Thank you both - I'll now go and buy one!

Can anyone tell me what the French is for Inner Tube? many thanks Steve

How about Ytong-Siporex foamed concrete blocks. Very good insulation property and sufficiently robust for the height required. Steve

yes they can! We were sitting in the garden ten minutes ago watching one do exactly that!

[quote user="PeterG"] Raptures...........NOT [/quote] Sorry Peter, we were talking about raptors not raptures!

Excellent! We, too, have them singing at night. The others we have around us are Hoopoes and Golden Orioles and the Barn Owl at night brings a smile to my face every time we hear it. A week ago we took a couple of days off in the Correze and saw a rather bizarre sight - rather than a flock of seagulls following the tractor ploughing the field there was about 12 or 15 Kites! What with the fantastic sight of migrating cranes twice a year, we certainly have some fascinating birdlife here in the Limousin. Enjoy your Nightingale, Mooky! Steve

Can anyone tell me the correct French word for a chimney cowl? The nearest I can get is capuchon. Secondly, where can they be purchased? I am after something that will fit over an existing disused chimney pot to prevent water ingress. I have tried the on-line Lapeyre and PointP amongst others, to no avail! All suggestions gratefully received. Steve

thank you all for your replies and advice - all now satisfactorily fixed! I can go back to my workshop and doze in peace! Steve

Dear Mother-in-law has broken her false teeth! How does one go about getting repairs done? Can one approach the prothesiste directly or does one have to be referred by a dentist? many thanks Steve

Hi Becca, we, too, live near Grand Bourg. The two markets that we visit are in Dun Le Palastel and La Souterraine. The one at Dun is on a Thursday and is getting larger as the weather improves. An English chap by the name of Adrian does the round of local markets and sells excellent bacon and cheddar cheese! all the best Steve

sounds excellent, I'll keep my eye on the meteo and the webcams and maybe sneak a day over there soon! Steve

Has anyone experience of skiing (alpine) in the Massif (Super Besse, Le Mont Dore etc)? It's not too far from where I live and am tempted to try it! Steve