Sassy

as I now have the necessary paperwork, i can bring the mother and daughter back to the family in the uk. does anyone know of a box returning, private or commercial from the st.lo region in the next month, many thanks.

don't give up on brittany, they do have good deals running at the moment, but it is better to phone up the uk and state what you want. lately i have found them much better than p&o on price, plus the flexibity of times with both cherbourg and caen. their price for a 5+ day crossing beats p&o, and try and find a friend who is a member to get the 15% guest discount..it all helps.  good luck.

further details in pet section

sorry forgot to mention, pony is in 50 on border of 14. prefer he remains in hour or so drive of vire.

cody, 13.2hh 9year old new forest gelding, now hopelessly outgrown, now seeks new home for love and work. originally a rescue as a yearling from the new forest so welfare primary, hence loan, but could review sale later if good home found. needs competant youngster or lightweight adult.please email for further info, many thanks

brittany may be expensive, and sure we have feared to tread that route for many years, but have priced out a five day return to uk in june with the car and children, and brittany came out at 248€ with the fast ferry both ways from caen...only 28€more than p&o from le harve. take off the extra travel time, fuel, tolls, and add extra time in uk.........then brittany at last is a winner.

no luck so far, have tried sending you an email!

quite amused by the comments on the status of french as a language, and have found that there is a basis of truth in them. recently enquired to colleges and schools of further education in wiltshire for AS and A level french courses, but they are not offered...only up to gcse! now if i wanted to study spanish or italian then that would be no problem. my husband figured that everyone who wanted to study higher french had already moved to france!!!!! the children may not be doubling their employment chances, but any increase in an ability to communicate with others has to be great...be it signing or a multilinguist, surely the essence of this change in lifestyle is enhancing the individual not just getting a job.

many thanks margaux but unfortunately email gone on holiday i think!!!

due to prohibitive import regulations for our male zebra finch, and blue budgie, we are looking to see if there is a bird lover in manche area who would like to adopt them. they are currently in a large indoor cage but have been used to life in an aviary. the finch needs other finches for company but will have to wait until we return to the uk in the summer if no home is found. as each bird has to have three veterinary inspections, one in france and two in the uk, we could virtually restock the aviary for the import cost of our two little friends. feathers crossed!

booked with p&o yesterday using the 75pound each way offer. they were adament the service to le harve was wrapping up completely in september, so bizzarre it is advertising the offer until december???????

logical replies regarding microchip registration, but it still begs the question....your dog had a microchip, hence registered to someone somewhere...........so what justificaton for destruction.....that is just tragic and unbelievable!!! my heart goes out to you.

I agree that a sixteen year old leaving school may have illusions of grandeur, limited education, and poor work ethos...but I don't see how the education system can be entirely held at fault for this, and I do not see if a child is reluctant to progress how a bac will make a difference to their learning.  A child is learning by example, and at sixteen surely the parents are still a guiding force as to the path the child takes, we are surely more a commodity than a bank account, a taxi, a cook and alarm clock?  If I have been unhappy about an element of education, it being either the childs fault or the institutions, then if possible one tries to find an alternative or a solution.  The education system at primaire level in france has been supurb, teaching the children self control, focus, and an attention to detail.  The primary in the uk was chaotic and unfocused. Now I feel they have the necessary skills to do very well in secondary education in the uk which I feel offers a wonderful opportunity for learning...if the child is encouraged and motivated....and if of course you can get the school you want!!

This is all fascinating dialogue about examinations, and a serious fact then is don't play trivial pursuit with an irish person with a school cert! I hate this concept of failure regarding examinations, how totally primieval. We all accept examinations are useful in guiding the child into a structured part of learning, but it is so so only the beginning. As very few individuals remain stationary in their occupations further learning throughout life relating to the changes is fundemental, so education is formated to your development, desire and expectation. School is not just about exams, its about the development of the person, building their confidence...and ha ha the happiest times of your life. Not the way some seem to be coming across! Not all children will do GCSE or A levels lets face it, what of those in Ireland or France? I suggested a "maison familialle" to my daughter, and I thought she was going to cry.....they clearly do not have the same reputation as a further education college in the uk which is non discriminatory between the smarts and the strugglers. Whether it be bac or A levels, the child that has a desire to follow a certain direction will be aimed at that towards the end of their learning. All the lycees around here seem to have a specialty, and be the desire to study at university in France or the UK, surely it would be far less complicated to phone the desired university and ask if they have a problem with entry with either format?

thought we would travel back to the uk as foot passengers for the week in the holiday, that is one adult and four children. After discount brittany brought the price down to __£71__  P & o then offered __€37__and then further discount with points. At these price differences its worth having a car in two ports?

tescos or sainsburys...when you can tear yourself away from their fantastic fresh bread and buns department mmmm!

Good luck for your return to the uk, we too are taking the children back so the older two can attend secondary school, as my son is pre gcses, and my daughter has been held back two years with a third looming.The school in The uk is so far from the descriptions we had been given over the years here in france. The facilities are awesome, specialising in the visual arts, and a general cleanliness and warm ambience I am quite envious of them. The school has bent over backwards to facilitate their entry, which will be necessary as my son who though bright will have missed out a year, as will my daughter who struggles...but for her the support section is fantastic. I have no desire to return to the uk, and we will return to the house when the time indicates...but hey ho life is an adventure and such the merits of not selling up in the uk....which country next kids?

it is a while back now but eagle star and norwich union used to offer unlimited green card cover, worth a try?

many thanks for the reply, and calm, after three years in france, one develops a toughness necessary for survival regarding animals! Unfortunately the situation has become more grave, as the night before last, Duke, who has regressed further in his behaviour and become fearsome of all people ran away. No one has seen any sign of him since. So if anybody between Pont Farcy, villedieu, tessy sur vire, or gouvet in department 50 see a black tan and white chein de chasse with a red collar wandering, I would appreciate news. I do not think he will let you catch him unless he has become weak with hunger, and also if people could check garages or barns where he may have curled up to hide. This is an unspeakable tragedy for a sweet little dog, and I hate to think of him suffering further. All agencies have been notified and he does have a microchip, so I hope we have news soon. Many thanks again .

and our saga for a second dog as friend and companion continues! having had the lost dog in tessy rehomed, we then accepted a month ago a french hunting dog which had been alone since before Christmas. We waited a week to up his condition before he was vaccinated and microchipped. The following week he went in for a simple? castration. that was the monday. he slept in the warmth of the lounge overnight, which was transformed into a scene from an abbatoir by the morning where he had haemmorrhaged. His behaviour became more alarming through the day although the bleeding had stopped, with frothing at the mouth and vacant episodes. I phoned the vet, who felt it was probably a reaction to pain, and to administer paracetamol. unconvinced we returned to the vet where the dog stayed. the following day he was in a coma. the following day he made a slight recovery sitting up and the next he was standing and the vets felt he could go home! he has now made a physical recovery, but has no memory. he has no wish to be within any form of human contact, and it looks like the blood clot that was released into his brain has caused irreversable damage.  we are now being charged for all the ongoing veterinary treatment since the operation, is this correct or do vets carry an insurance like other tradesmen.  I would appreciate feedback as we have now lost yet another wonderful family companion.

Many thanks all. She was collected by her owners last night, they said their three year old missed her...so does mine? I hope all goes well for her,  and we will keep a discreet eye on the situation over the next few months. Merry Christmas to all, and to our vunerable furry companions.

sadly when I went to the mairie this morning someone had posted a photo notice of her. They live in a flat opposite the post office, so I don't understand why no one recognised her. Have left a message on the owners mobile so sadly i guess she will have to leave us soon, though we knew it was a possibility we will still ALL miss her. 

many thanks for your reply, feedback appreciated. an update is that in spite of us waiting two days to take her in, as one night she was locked up in a garage by the mairie, from which she escaped the following morning. then later she was found by a farmer her who chained her in the shed overnight, but did phone the mairie who contacted me, and we brought her home. "Mia" is very settled already, plays joyfully with our other dog who lost his companion two years ago, and shows no desire to leave the boundaries of our land. This week she will be chipped and start her vaccination program. she has only one home now and i trust hers will be a merry christmas...and also yours.

as there have been no recognitions of this lost dog, i was wondering how long an owner had rights to claim an animal. we are returning to the uk in july for a year so she will have to start her vaccination programme soon if she is to return with us, but it would be daft to go to the expense if in a month her owner wants her back. also, what proof of ownership should they offer if she has not been tatooed or chipped?

medium sized bitch found running loose around tessy sur vire on tuesday. no tatoo or chip. she is welcome to stay with us, but if her owner is looking for her then the sooner they they are located the better before we become too attached. if she is an outside dog she would like a woodburner in her kennel! info asap many thanks.