vervialle

I have the most wonderful notaire in Limoges 87 he speaks perfect english he did part of his Law degree in England, he dealt with my property purchase ,transfer of property into my name following divorce and  my parents used him to gift their french property to me. He emails me in england in english and likes me to reply in english he is 30years of age.He is the kindest french person I have ever met and even reduced my bill because the french goverment increased some sort of tax in the middle of a transaction he was doing for me. He is honest and informs you of every fact.He is truly a great find and I would never use anyone else, having used french lawyers in england and a local french notaire in my nearest town. He is a partner in a large practice if you would like his name , use my private email, I cannot speak to highly of him. Also there is no need for the expense of a translator he just loves to use his english.

As you will know from my other posts I have a huge love affair with the french way of life, but when I have visited my local branch of credit lyonais the pace at which they work is unbeleivable.I have often waited half an hour behind a queue of one, I dont get cross as I always allow plenty of time for the visit, nobody else seems to get annoyed, and always politness itself when at last served almost thankful for just being served. How different in the bank I work in the U.k. if I happen to linger to long with a customer asking after the family(iwork in a small branch and know everybody) I get evil looks from those waiting  as if I have committed a cardinal sin , oh how I envy that cashier in France who takes his time.I am sure if people slowed down a bit in the U.K. they would also enjoy their visits to the bank.Down side would be profits would be non existant and we would be out of business, as we are no longer a service industry.How long will it last in France, I am so glad to have experienced in France what my grandad probably experienced all those years ago when banks shut at 2.30. Regards

From talking to people who spend the winter in France they all,say  that you have to invest in a decent logburner in the big DIY stores they tell you which logburners stay in all night and the ones that dont.Also one with a big output will heat a very large area keeping doors open.Otherwise it is oil central heating which is expensive to install and not cheap to run.If you need a short term fix how about halogen heaters that give a good output  but do not use much electricity.Ypou could put them on timers in the bedroom.They sell them everywhere in the U.K perhaps you could buy them mailorder.Good Luck.Incidently I have been told oak burns slower and hotter a bit more expensive than ordinary wood but well worth it.

Not a response to first white day, but just had to say how much I love your cat it has really made me smile.regards

We have them in 87 haute vienne, they sleep all winter I think as they are very drowsy when you disturb them in early spring, I would have thought it was to wet in our region for them and am quite suprised to see them.I have seen several in my garden living under piles of rocks.I am always careful to cover them up again if I disturb them.I think pets give them a wide berth if they come accross them.Would not be suprised to  see a recipe for them you know how it is in France.!!!!

I have followed the various threads in this section of the forum for the last year, as my husband plans to put a pool in next year,I have picked up so much useful information which has helped us enormously, I would like to say a big thankyou to poolguy, you do not have to do this and I am sure you get litttle out of it, but your honest frank oppinions are very welcome, I am sure I am not alone in wanting to thankyou. you have been a great help.Kind regards Karen dept 87.

 Thankyou for clarifying your post, you are right once you have opened the account it does not seem to matter where you live, I suppose the banks attitude is that if you have opened it with all the correct documentation why should they worry where  you live. The only thing the banks in the U.K are worried about is fraud and if you have built up a relationship with a bank they trust you its no different to years ago having a slate at your local shop, they trusted you to pay your bill when the money came in. I for one am glad the banks have been made to account for their customers, I can remember when you could open an account by just walking in and telling them your name.Now our banking system is safer for the guidelines the goverment are making them put in place.This post has diverted a bit from the original thread but its interesting, by the way inever tell people I work for a bank as I always end up with a stream of abuse, how different to when I joined, you had a certain respect and I signed thousands of passports verifying a persons identification, what lovely days!!!! when I watch people in banks in france it is like going back to those days you dont seem to be just a number, but dont you think thats how everything is in france I know a lot of people who contribute to the forum have a desire for france  to move on but it is that charm that has made me be  in love with the country for 15 years. regards

Did you open the account at nationwide from France online or in England and did they not ask for proof of your address and what facilities do you get, I am very intrigued as due to the new goverment procedures on money laundering the banks in the U.K. have had to clean up there act for opening accounts and are fully accountable to the U.K. goverment, there has been and is so much fraud worldwide I am amazed a bank in the U.K is not concerned where you live.I do not disbelieve you just intrigued and it may be good for brits living in France to be able to open an account in the U.K with such ease.Also how did they verify you were who you said you were, did you have to provide french bank statements.

I work in a bank in the U.k and it is difficult now for overseas residents to open a bank account in the U.K. we will only accept a uk utility bill with a uk address,a communication letter from the uk inland revenue or a uk driving licence for proof of address your passport whatever nationality will always be accepted for your I.D.For overseas residents that cannot provide proof of address in the U.K. we refer them to our offshore service which is fine but all the accounts run with a charge for instance our basic account with a basic cashpoint card costs £4.00 per month and charges go upwards depending what facilities you require.If you think you will never have use for a u.k. bank account fair enough, but I would leave it open with a small balance and perhaps create a small turnover a couple of times a year incase it becomes a dormant account. However if you ever had to return to the U.K. the fact you would have to find somewhere to live, would then provide you  (with the very least a B.T. Landline utility bill. so I do not think its a big deal if you close it, but I would always keep the bank account you just never know when it could be handy . for visits ect.My dealing with french banks has been far from good, there online services are not as good as U.K. ones and I resent paying an anual fee for my cashpoint card and it cost me 12 euros to cancel a direct debit last year.I am not having a moan but we have one of the finest banking systems in the world in the U.K. and whilst our indian call centres are not popular and believe me we have so many complaints about them , but on the whole the banks are efficent and we are starting to return to the old values that we had when I joined in 1975 (thank goodness) I thought if I stayed long enough that might happen.

Good luck to you, what a lovely idea I am near eymoutiers and do not have a baby, I hope you get a good response, I am sure there are a few young people our way who might respond perhaps you could put an add in our local advertiser.I wish you lots of luck and hope you meet some like minded people.

Iknow for a fact two of my neighbours who are in their late seventies and live seperately and are of opposite sex have secret rendevous on hot summer evenings for sorbets as his sister in law who cooks all his meals gets jealous hence the secrecy!! They have done it for years it does make me smile if only his sister in law knew, the joy of life in a hamlet!!!!

I suppose where my house is, the only english people I meet are retired despite being in their fifties and in my hamlet there are only two french  people that work the rest are retired.Infact no one really gets up until after 9 0clock.So the pace would be quite slow and as previous post said you do have your holiday head on.Although I work at a university which allows me to spend all of the summer in France and the holiday head goes after a few days with all the jobs to be done, perhaps I only see a certain sort of France.The french students that attend our university in England seem to love England and think we have more oppertunities in the U.K. they all seem to miss their family life though but we see very few french students returning back to their home towns, they have to go where the work is and commuting is not an option with France being so vast.So I suppose there is good and bad things about both countries and perhaps we are lucky to have experienced both.On the subject of coffee, fifteen years ago when I first bought my house in France I could not wait to get to France for a decent coffee and putting up with formica and smoked filled bars was the price you paid.However you can get a decent expresso almost everywhere in th U.K. now so  its not such a novelty.

I have read all your comments and enjoyed them, I agree with everything said but I hope France does not change to much as thats why I spend all my holidays there to get away from  the pace of life I have to live in England its no fun in the workplace in the U.K. But on the idea of setting up a business in France ,I wish someone would set up a skip business in the limousin so I could empty my barn.There are none round our way and I think it would take off.Incidently a kebab shop has just opened in our small town, I dont know if I am pleased or not!!!!!

Like you we have always gone on the same route as you ,have been doing so for fifteen years and I often drive down on my own and feel safe with this route, but just recently the paris section has just got busier and busier and slower and slower so this year we thought we would have a change.We crossed the channel with speedferries £29.50 and picked up A16 at Bolougne we came off at Beauvais taking the road to Mantes and then Rambouillet picking up the A10 to Orleans and then carrying on to Virzieon, Cateauroux, Limoges. It was brilliant the only bit that was not motorway was between Beauvais and Rambouillet which having taken the early crossing gave us the oppertunity to stop for a wonderful french lunch and not having to use motorway facilities.It was 425 miles in total and missing Paris was great it took 7.5 hours of driving.I will always go this way now as there was no stress unless you go roud Paris in the middle of the night it is always busy as you have all the Dutch traffic. I have no hesitation in reccomending it. Good luck. Karen

Great stuff I eagerly await the next chapter, my only thought is if you publish you might have to leave that chapter out or really risk a fallout. Well Done !!!!

I have read this topic with great interest, I have owned a house in central France for 15 years and have watched the increase in English people moving over to france to start new lives. I myself considered it when my son was ten he is now 19.I am always sad when I return to England and leave my beautiful farmhouse and when I get on the M25 , I wonder why I never took the chance. However from people I have met that have made the move the ones that have taken early retirement and have private pensions seem to fair best. although it is cheaper to run a house in France everything else is about the same price.So you do need a good income to have a decent standard of living , and there is nothing worse than a shortage of money. My son has had a brilliant education in England and whilst he did not want to go to university has managed to get into a stockbrokers as a trainee, I know he would not have had that opportunity in central France. I myself looked for a job with more vacation and managed to get a job at a university, thus having 18 weeks holiday in which I can be in France. I feel I have the best of both worlds and look forward to retirement giving me the freedom to stay in France longer if I want to. I would like to wish those returning home good luck, I am sure you will be happier for having spent some time in France, it does not mean you can never go back, but you can be sure you can earn some decent money whilst deciding, which in turn gives you freedom. I think money is the key issue unless you are happy living on a lot less. Everyone I have met that are really happy in France are over 55 years old, perhaps they have been there ,done it, worn the tea shirt. maybe thats the answer.

Really enjoyed your writing so far ,perhaps living France will pick it up for a serial, cannot wait for the next posting, poor wil , I hope he progresses. Good Luck.

Ihave sent a message to your email.

My parents are in there seventies and have always driven to their house in the limousine, this year they are giving motorail a go as my Dad think it might be a good option as he gets older. I have real reservations as they are not the sort of people to be penned in and it certainly sounds as if it could. Can anyone give me any tips to pass on to them, is there a bar on board or any catering facilities, do they need to take luggage out of the car, how long is disembarkment, they are travelling to Brive. There is an option to book a meal, is this worthwhile. Thankyou.

I  also live near Eymoutier and had a new fosse, two years ago, I used a ground worker from bujalef called mr jossan, he completed all forms and took care of the whole project as I lived in England. He was very efficient and charged me about £4000.00. I do not know where you live but I do not think he would travel far, he also did my driveway.Make sure your stink pipe stretches above your roof otherwise you will get smells in the garden we need to extend ours. I could fax you with a copy of the devis on tuesday if you would like. Good luck.