Ziggystardust

Further to my recent post about forms of heating in which I received some useful replies, I have one more question: We have found some coal down in our cave, left from the previous owner.  Has anyone any experience of using coal on their cheminee insert?  Is it any good?  Is it possible to buy the cheaper coal that used to be called "Nutty Slack"?  Where do you buy coal, if at all. Any comments greatly appreciated. Many thanks. Lou (Aveyron)  

A sad day for all fans of football, and also for some of us who don't particularly follow football but recognise a genius when they see one. I am glad to say that the OH and I paid our 'respects' to him a few years ago before his illness.  My OH had read in one of the comics passing as a newspaper that GB regularly drank in a particular pub in Fulham.  Not usually one for following famous people, OH decided that we would go into London and see if we could find the man himself.  After trawling through numerous pubs in Fulham, and then down the Kings Road, we finally tracked him to a pub off of the Kings Road (slightly worse for wear admittedly, thats us not Georgie).  I am pleased to say we didn't actually bother him, but it was a privilege just to be in the same room as him.  I do feel that he perhaps might have fared better had he received the advice etc that today's footballers do and hope he will be remembered as the best footballer ever. Consequently, I read an excellent tribute to GB written by Oliver Holt in todays Mirror, apparently GB carried a Donor Card and the only reason his organ's couldn't be used would be if HIV or CJD were detected, so there isn't any reason why his liver couldn't be donated once again. Lou (Aveyron),

"I just wanted to warn Lou's husband that the piles of cut wood laying around the countryside are not unowned/unclaimed. They are seasoning ready to be sold/used in future years. A pile went missing near here a couple of years ago and the old guy who had cleared, cut and stacked it was furious and blamed les anglais! He said that no French person would take it." Many thanks for the warning, it was more in terms of fallen trees and the like!  I can imagine that if anything went missing around here we would probably get the blame plus our own logs stacked just outside the house will probably start walking too! Thanks again everyone for the info Lou.

Thanks everyone for your comments.  All very useful.  As for spending the winter back in the UK unfortunately we are not in a financial position to do this, but in a few years time my mother is moving to a centrally heated villa in Spain, so that certainly could be viable!! Haven't told mother yet though The comments about petole heaters are especially useful as the OH was particularly interested in people's experiences of these as we have seen many for sale in the shops locally. Also, he has turned into a maniacal wood gatherer.  Every time we go out for a walk he keeps spying piles of apparently unowned wood and earmarking them for our wood-pile. Thanks again. Lou.

Buy some good thermal underwear, thick jumpers, a hot water bottle and do lots of housework/exercise to keep warm. You're not wrong there!  I decided this morning for the first time since being here that I needed to do some serious excercise.  Just 30 mins workout to a video was a real warmer-upper!  

Yes, the insert Cheminée works very well, but the only way we benefit from the heat is with the door open, so feel disinclined to leave it unattented!  Also, witht the door shut, it draws a lot quicker and consumes wood at a rate of knotts!  It's brilliant of an evening when OH and I have finished whatever we have been doing for the day and settle down to watch TV or read, and it heats our bedroom above with some very clever little vents into the flue.  Our problem is that it doesn't help heat the kitchen or the second bedroom and with mother arriving on 17th December, thought best to sort this out soon! Thanks. Lou (Aveyron)

Can I ask for advice on what forms of heating you have found to be practical and the most cost effective please? This is our first winter here in France and at the moment we use our fire (insert) in the evenings but use an electric convector heater and an electric oil heater during the day, but am concerned about the size of our next electricity bill Can anyone recommend something that they have found to be more cost effective? Many thanks for your advice. Lou (Aveyron)

Hi, We saw it too in the Aveyron, great cast! The only problem with tonights programme is it's only 30 mins long! Lou.

Can only agree with all the above. Slightly better news earlier, he was apparently fairing a little better, the internal bleeding having subsided, but he remains on a ventilator.  

Catalpa, You asked what exactly it is that is perturbing, have you never watched MOST HAUNTED????? Lou (Aveyron)

Along the same lines found this recently in a "potato cookbook".  Cannot vouch for it as not yet tried it, but sounds interesting! QUICK POTATO PIZZA 110g (4 oz) cooked potatoes, 25g (1 oz) butter, pinch of salt, black pepper, 110g (4 oz) self-raising flour, 1 tbsp milk Put potatoes through ricer or mouli then beat in the butter, salt and pepper until creamy.  Slowly add the flour, then the milk, to form a fairly stiff dough.  Roll out to about 20cm (8in) diameter and fry in a greased frying pan until the underside is slightly browned. Add topping of choice and grill. My personal favourite is plenty of cheese and pineapple, or mushroom and sweetcorn! Lou. (Self-confessed pizza junkie!)

Or, you could phone the english speaking helpline for France Telecom and they will set the account up there and then and post the disc.  They can tell you how to get instant access without waiting for the disc, although this wasn't successful for me being a technophobe, so waited just 2 days for the disk! Phone (from France): 0800 364 775.  This is a free no. and is open Mon-Fri 8.30 am - 8.00 pm. My monthly payment is 10 euros and I get 25 hours usage per month, but there are various options. Regards Lou.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions, I will give some of them a go this week TU, I also do not like it with pork, because I am a veggie! But I love it with the rest of a roast dinner! Cheers! Lou.  

Thanks Cathy, that does sounds delish! I was hoping to make some to eat straight away, I guess it would keep in the fridge for a few weeks at least but I would also like to prepare some for storage too. Unfortunately, I havent a clue what apples I would use as they are from the trees in the garden! Many thanks again Lou.

Having moved to South Aveyron in April we are effectively on permanent holiday! But, having said that, I am already beginning to miss travelling to other parts of the world, we loved holidaying in Corfu and a friend recently returned from Cuba, where we had a holiday a few years back, and it made me want to go back again, but being on a tight budget at the moment it really is out of the question.  But, as previously mentioned on other postings "Beggars can't be choosers!" I am returning to England for the first time next month to visit family and it will be interesting to see what I make of the old country! Interesting topic. Lou.

Hi, Does anyone have a recipe for Apple Sauce please? You probably think I'm being a bit thick and this is something really simple, but I've not done much in the way of cooking! Many thanks. Lou.

In my limited experience I wonder also how you would insure it.  When we bought our english registered Volvo over we couldn't find an english insurance as most insurers will only cover you for a certain number of days.  Also, the french insurance agent we found would insure the car only on the basis that you will get a carte grise within a couple of months.  And they do check!  We received a reminder to do this after 2 months! It was surprisingly easy to re-register the car, I followed the instructions on the following website to the letter (although not neccessarily in the same order) and it was very straight forward.  (Thanks to Penny for previously posting this last year!) http://riviera.angloinfo.com/information/1/motoregister.asp This only my experience thought, someone else may be able to help you on the insurance front! Good Luck! Lou.

Taking this a bit further, my partner and I were invited to my neighbours for an aperitif one Sunday a few weeks ago.  We both thought that this would just mean a drink and went along with a few beers after having our usual evening meal.  There were some other people there too and we had a pleasant glass of wine only to then find that the daughter of the house started laying the table and we then sat down to a four course meal!  Should we have made our excuses at this time and left?  I seem to remember our host counted us in when the daughter asked how many to lay for.  It also became a bit difficult for me because I am a fussy vegetarian and the second course what lamb.  What is the protocol here?  Had I known that we were invited to a meal I could have advised him of my fussiness! Would appreciate a few pointers! Lou.

Have been living for just 3 months in Lincou (12) 1 hour south of Rodez with partner, a Jack Russell Terrier and Border Collie. Difficult at first, but well worth it! Louise South Aveyron