kd

I have discovered that my fosse is probably about 20 yrs old. I have spoken with various people regarding my fosse and have concluded that the problem is one of the following:- 1. over the last 20 years the slotted filter pipes have become clogged with grease etc thus not allowing the water to exit 2. the slotted filter pipes are surrounded by soil instead of gravel 3. the ground water levels are high and the pipes will empty during the dry spell (unlikely wishful thinking) I poured hydrochloric acid into the inspection pipe and also at the exit (towards the filter bed) of the fosse tank however, I have been informed (by a man who empties fosses) that this is unlikely to work. It seems the best solution is to wait for the dry period (just in case that resolves the problem) and if the problem persists then dig a 40cm hole at the inspection pipe to investigate and then maybe call out the fosse man who would now have good access to the pipes to use his equipment to flush through the pipes in both directions and hopefully clear any problems. If this doesn't work it means digging and relaying filter bed. KD  

The inspection pipe, which is situated 10 metres from my 3000 litre fosse tank, is full of water. Because of this my fosse is not working properly as water cannot exit the tank. I cannot understand how water can remain in this 10 m stretch, which I believe is called the filter bed, as I assume it consists of 100mm pipe(s) which are holed/slotted to allow water to soak into the ground below. As the weather has been quite dry recently I do not believe the ground is full of rainwater so why does the water not escape into the ground. 15 metres further is another up-pipe/inspection pipe into which I poked a stick and realised that there was soil in it. Surely this cannot be the problem as it is 25 metres from the fosse tank. I am reluctant to dig up the ground as the gite letting season commences soon, so how can I discover the problem without digging. All responses appreciated - thanks.

my son is 9 yrs old and unfortunately his elder brother and sister live in the UK this means he is more like an only child. We would like to find a friend for him to play with. We live near Gemozac. Please email us via living france.

the hunting season began in this area last w/e which meant loud men, guns and dogs surrounded our property. They even walk across our fields. My wife fears for the safety of our animals. Today we went to our local mairie to request "réserve de chasse" signs to forbid hunting on our land, however, I was informed that one cannot stop hunting on your land unless you have a fence or you have at least 20 hectares of land in which case you are entitled to "réserve de chasse" signs. In other words the bottom line is live with it or install a fence.

we have a field of just over 1 hectare and ever since we moved into our house two and a half years ago, we have "allowed" the farmer next door to plant wheat on our land. We have no written agreement between us and receive nothing from the farmer for the "hire" of the field. The previous owner of our house also allowed the farmer to plant crops in this field. We were under the impression that as there is no payment by the farmer then he could not possess our land. However, another local farmer has warned us to be careful. Does anyone know the legal situation? Can we lose our land? Thank you in anticipation

Can anyone recommend someone to install a pool in dept. 17 near Gemozac. We require a pool of at least 12m x 6m and a depth of 1.2m installed at our gites. Thanks in anticipation

we purchased 15 steres of oak yesterday and paid 35 euros per stere because it was cut to 50cm lengths and dry. This is a very good price, it is more likely to be nearer 40 euros per stere. If you want the wood delivered then you pay more. The price uncut (ie 1m lengths) was 33 euros. For information - I learned from the vendor the difference between a stere and a cubic metre - a cubic metre is a piece of wood 1mx1mx1m without any spaces (for example a tree trunk before it is felled) whereas a stere is stacked wood of 1mx1mx1m with the inevitable spaces between the logs. The advantage of oak over chestnut say, is that oak could be stacked in your insert and remain burning all night long whereas, it is likely if you was to try this with chestnut then as it burns quicker than oak (and spits - although this is not a problem if used in an insert) it could have burned out before the morning. Hope this info. is useful.  

Thank you all so much for your responses. At least we can say we tried, and life has certainly been an experience here. My husband speaks very good french but I struggle. I think the main difficulty is the lonliness especially during the winter time and also the struggle to find work. I think that the french must be a very hardy lot especially in the country. I  agree with the suggestion that the media is to blame as people see television programmes showing houses at ridiculously low prices but they hardly ever show you the down sides. We were right to leave England but unfortunately got it wrong. Here's to the future, hopefully a better warmer, cheaper life in Spain. Watch this space...  

We moved to france, charente maritime area just over 2 years ago and have never been so cold or poor. Our house and gites have been up for sale for over a year and we cant wait for the day when we sell. We couldnt wait to leave England and rushed into buying here which was a big mistake. We have no income, only from 2 gites, no heating, only a wood burner and life here is pretty awful. If we could turn the clock back we would have gone straight to Spain. In winter, which is absolutely freezing, going to bed with hot water bottles, socks, etc is no fun. Life here has become a nightmare it is like living in England 50 years ago. Our French neighbours have never accepted us and ignore us. The cost of living especially electricity is unbelievable. Sorry to sound so depressing but living here has certainly been an experience and not for us. Anyone thinking of leaving England please research properly as it is important to get the place and area right.  

I wanted to advertise our gite on the Chez Nous website (only) however, the booking form says that British VAT is payable (I live in France and do not enter the UK) unless one can provide a French VAT no. I do not have a French Company and therefore do not have a French VAT no. I emailed Chez Nous to ask if I should pay UK VAT considering I never enter the UK. I know that other gite internet advertisers do not charge VAT (to those who live outside the UK) as I am with one of these companies. Chez Nous are the biggest co. in their sector and are behaving like it. They do not believe it is necessary to provide a personal service and have not responded to my email. Perhaps someone on this site could answer the question about VAT. I also notice that Chez Nous charge a set fee for 1 years advertising but then remove the ad. at the end of Oct. In effect one pays for a year and receives only a few months. So if I post an ad. with them now (assuming I could get it processed quickly) I receive 9 months for the price of 12!