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Kennymike

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Everything posted by Kennymike

  1. Have you tried going to http://www.aferry.to/ and using their "compare prices" tab?  Useful link provided earlier today on this forum.
  2. Thanks Sunday Driver -  for a helpful, well-explained and pragmatic reply.  Cheers!
  3. Views and advice please.  We are UK residents but spend a lot of time at our maison secondaire in France, which we expect will increase in the next year or so.  I am thinking that on several counts it may be cheaper for us to replace our second car with one bought in France that we would, of course, also register and insure locally in France.  We would on occasion leave it in France when we make return trips back to the UK.  However, can anyone say please what restrictions will apply to using it if we bring it over to the UK on a regular basis?  Am I right that the DVLA require that if a vehicle is to remain in the UK for 6 months or more then it needs to be registered with them?  I have been told that French insurance companies allow cover to apply throughout the EU.  Is there anything else to consider?
  4. Sorry its me again!  You may already have seen this web site but, in case you haven't and you would like more information, here are the links: http://www.respecterlebocage.com/  (French)  http://www.anibas.co.uk/  (English version) I hope this turns out to be helpful.  
  5. I have been watching developments on this and, although I was not able to attend the meeting you refer to, I did get a brief report from someone who was there.  As far as I understand from that, no specific or favoured route was discussed and it is still all up in the air!  Sorry thats just how I wrote it before realising.........   Certain areas appear to be have been designated and classed as environmentally sensitive or difficult because they are densely poplulated with housing (you may have seen the published map that shows there), so we might expect that these will be avoided.  But as far as I know thats it. 
  6. Hornets were a real problem last year and seem to be on the increase.  We had a nest in an adjoining barn and I left them alone in the belief that they would not bother us.  However, this turned out not to be the case because as the weather turned cooler they became rather more of a problem.  We tried the Pompiers and asked at the Mairie. It seems you now have to pay to have a nest removed and that is what we did.  Cost around Euro 80.  I can give you a contact if this helps but, be warned, there is no guarantee that removing/exterminating a nest will ensure that they will not return the following year.  Our place is near St Sever, so let me know if you would like the contact number. Ken 
  7. I guess you have already seen details at http://www.ecoledesroches.com/eng/ ?
  8. I guess you have already seen the details at http://www.ecoledesroches.com/eng/ ?
  9. My computer (Autoroute) tells me that the journey from Portsmouth to Manchester is 285 miles and that it should take 4 hours.  However, I agree with everyone who has said that it could take considerably more time depending what time you hit the roads around Birmingham and the M6.  As to the route in France up to Cherbourg, it all rather depends where you are starting from.  I think the road to Cherbourg is now considerably better, there is a very good link now off the A84 which takes you up towards St Lo but you completely bypass the town.  It is virtually dual carriageway all the way up and fast.  From where we are, Cherbourg takes about an extra 30 minutes (max) but, of course, it is then a shorter and quicker journey across, saving at least an hour compared to the Caen crossing.  Not so important if you are doing an overnight crossing and want a bit longer in your bunk! On the downside, to my mind the ferries themselves on the Cherbourg route are a bit older and not of the same standard as those on the Caen crossing. So for me anyway, Cherbourg does offer some advantages.
  10. Hi Jude Sorry I don't know anyone who can help directly although asking locally may provide a few recommendations. Why not have a go yourself?  Of course, a lot will depend on how big your trees are and how close they may be to your house or overhead wires etc.  Conifers generally are shallow-rooting and are not too difficult to cut down. As with all trees, getting the roots out can be the most difficult part.  If you want a perfect finish without any bumps left in your lawn from the roots, then some digging may be needed.  However, my sone and I took out some six to eight quite tall conifers in quite a short space of time.  Because of where these were, he was happy to leave the stumps and he has since covered these with fast growing clematis and other flowering creepers.  Remember that using the stumps as a fence or support for other growing plants can make a good screen and, what is more, you can pretty much set the height of this to whatever you want. Sorry if this all misses the point and it will not be of much help if you want to get completely rid of the trees altogether!  Good Luck! Ken
  11. I am pleased to have the useful advice in these messages.  I agree that the water in the hot water tank is most unlikely to freeze given that the tank is insulated and the amount of water it contains.  However, one doubt in my mind, is that if you don't drain the hot water tank and if a hot water pipe bursts then there will be a serious amount of water to drain away.  This is unless you have a separate stop tap immediately after the hot water tank, which we don't.  Finally, as an alternative to anti-freeze in the U-bends, what about screen wash which has a less detrimental impact and, although not as strong as anti freeze, it is also designed not to freeze?  Any thoughts?
  12. There are a lot of messages on this topic/problem currently in the 'Owning French Property' and 'Gardening' sections which I shall not repeat here.  However, can anyone living in 50 or 14 (in the area between Vire and Villedieu) recommend a contractor or firm that will get rid of a hornets nest please? Also, some idea of cost would be welcome. 
  13. Just as a cross reference - there is a separate thread running on this same subject in the Owning French Property section. 
  14. Interested as we too have a large nest in our barn which is well out of reach.  We approached our local Maire only to be told that the pompiers no longer provide an extermination service.  Also, suggested that we might expect to be charged around Euro120 for the work. I had been told (reliably) from another source that we should expect all the hornets to die in the winter, except the queen who will go in to hibernation somewhere other than in the nest.  The queen then finds a new site in the following year; the same source said that they seldom return to the same nest.  Although I have not experienced a hornets sting (thankfully), my informed source tells me that they are no worse than that of a wasp.  However, I note the experience others have had.  One bit of information consistent with what others have said, which is that they are much less aggressive than wasps and you are unlikely to be stung unless you threaten the nest.  They have not bothered us so I am going to wait to see what happens.  However, I don't fancy having them around next year.  Would be most interested to hear the experience of others on this topic.
  15. Can anyone please recommend or sugest the best way of transferring cash from UK bank to our French bank account? The broker we used for buying our house only deals in amounts of 5000 and more and we are looking for a cost-effecctive way of simply 'topping up' our funds in France as and when needed to meet normal running costs. Kenny
  16. We were recently faced with the same question because we had been told (but were not sure) that the local Maire was a lady. In addition, I have for some time held a doubt that all Frenchmen like Scotch! So we opted for a small painted plate (Worcester but with a French scene painted by a French artist)! We also thought that the gift should be something that the Maire might regard as personal (for their own home) or something that might remain in the Mairie (in our case as a wall decoration). Hope this helps but would be interested to hear what you decide. Kenny
  17. Not sure I have given this message the right subject title but here goes anyway! Does anyone know or can anyone provide advice please about finding information on local groups and associations, particularly ones that promote social gatherings between 'new residents' (from other countries) and local French people? Of special interest, would be any groups that may be active in the area around Vire and Villedieu. Kenny
  18. I am aware that a number of people have said they have bought a LHD car direct from Holland or imported one through a dealership in France at a substantial discount. I should be most interested in more information and any help with either or both these options. Having recently bought a second home in France, I am considering buying a small car to keep in France principally for use whilst out there, although I might bring it to the UK for short trips from time to time. I should want to have it registered locally and on French plates, so I suspect that using a dealer in France would mean that this would be done for you. No doubt if the car was registered in France, it would also not be too difficult to find a French insurance company that would include temporary cover for trips to the UK? Any tips and advice would be welcome. Kenny
  19. With apologies to those who may have seen my question posted on a different thread, can anyone help please with information about buying, driving and using the Micro cars that are seen on French roads but not in the UK? By the way, I am not refering to the SMART car here. I am considering a scooter but wonder if one of the Micro cars might be a more 'comfortable'option.
  20. At the risk of upsetting all those who have previously offered help on what must be one of the most common questions - can anyone help please with advice and any information about the most economic way of getting from the South of England (near Reading) to and from Calvados? In particular, comments about the advantages/drawbacks between the P&O and Brittany Ferries Property Owner Schemes would be much appreciated. I intend to make regular and quite frequent visits to our house in France; I am sure there are many others who have been doing this for some time and will have a wealth of information and experience to share. Thanks, Kenny
  21. Did you not get any replies to your posted question? Perhaps this will regenerate some interest from others. I am looking for a 'cheap' means of transport when in France. Choices include getting a scooter, a microcar or a very cheap, second-hand small car. I guess the latter two options will provide for a more versatile form of transport and will allow some(limited)space for passengers and some (very limited) carrying capacity for shopping, luggage etc. Has anyone got any thoughts and general information please?
  22. Not sure which is the ceaper - UK or France. New cars are supposed to be less expensive in Europe, so, I suppose, it should follow that second hand ones should be too. You may find it helpful to have a look in Exchange & Mart's Car Search at:- http://www.exchangeandmart.co.uk/motoring/ (use the advanced settings at the bottom to search for LHD cars only). I would be interested in your conclusions as I may soon be facing the same question, although for the following reasons I shall probably choose to buy in France. I am sure that in the event of a problem after purchase it should be much easier to get things sorted out if the seller is not miles away in another country! Buying from a local garage just MAY also put you in better standing for getting other work done and to get any other help you may need with the car in the future. Also, I would prefer to 'go local' and have a car, with French plates from the outset, with all the paperwork already in place. In the end, I suppose it will come down to how big a difference there is in price and what you may be looking for. Good Luck!
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