Wilko

We are looking for someone to house sit our 2 Jack Russells and the house for around 3 weeks end of January 2011. Anyone know of anybody ? Thanks Wiko

I cleaned around 600, used the Karcher, worked beautifully.

I think the point is that these people are patrons of the arts...............they are providing work and it may well turn out to be a tourist attraction...........it may well have already. P2 a great deal more sensible than the Dome.........a monument to politicians trying to play in the big ball park...............and they run the country ............the mind boggles. Hot as hell here..........not complaining. rgds Wilko

Thanks for posting the link P2..........brilliant idea. Theiere...........were you joking ??? W

If you were to estimate at around 1500 euros/sq/m you will be covered in the great majority of cases............it is highly unlikely to be more, as long as you don't want gold taps etc/. Then find a good maitre d'oeuvre to work out the costings. Architects I have found to be next to useless in this respect and remember their fees are based on the cost of the job so they have no incentive whatsoever to economise on your behalf. We undertook a 400 sq/m refurb here in Provence and this method worked for us.........no surveyor involved and the architect purely for his stamp on the planning application...........otherwise I would not have used one at all. You can check out the results on www.maspomona.com I wonder how man of the previous posters have actually refurbed anything in France. happy building Wilko

I had a real bummer with Fedex today. Our son bought tickets for Bob Dylan in Marseille tonight. He sent them Fedex first thing Monday morning paying for 24 hour delivery............we have no tickets they appear to be in Marseille tho we can't go there pick them up and on to the Dome. I've never seen Bob and with both of us of a similar ages it might well have been my last chance. Bollox Fedex Wilko

Try a guy in Normandy selling packetcurry.com . It think they are really good, tho i know it sounds naff............in a bleedin' packet !! I have no connection with the company other than being a happy curryman. I made OBs from this recipe and they were good.....ain't got a deep fryer. http://jeenaskitchen.blogspot.com/2007/12/onion-bhaji-recipe.html bon ap W

Poolguy Can you fix your site so shopping works ?? W

Theiere Never got a reminder that you had replied so sorry for the pause. The thing I am talking about is the ph minus automatic doser............however i have discovered that it still works but the little screen on it is blank all the time so i don't know my ph level or temperature etc. The price i gave was for a like for like replacement but a it still works i would like to buy some sort of hand held machine that measures evrything for me. Can anyone recommend a product tat will do this at a reasonable price, the only one I found was in the UK and was £750 !! Regards Wilko

My doser for electrlyse de sel et regulation de PH has died. Replacement is over 3000 euros Poolsquad 95.........painful. I checked out this on the net; http://www.piscine-center.net/duo-sel-ph-o-clair-de-0-a-100-m/145/1769 Anybody know if this product is up to it or not or even better something a little more cost effective. Cheers Wilko

I'd go B/caire to St Remy and on to Cavaillon, pick up the A7 and go 1 stop north Avignon Sud exit. Follow signs for Avignon from the m/way and the airport is about 1.5kms, second r/about you come to it's at the airport. For a good lunch, and you'll need to book well ahead......a month maybe, try the Mas du Capoun in Molleges, it is excellent and on your way back to B/caire http://www.masducapoun.com/ bon ap Wilko

John If you sent the pm to me I didn't get it ! Wilko

HI GG Had a very quick search and found this though somewhat dated. http://www.huf-haus.com/php/contdat/106-brown-page6.pdf I smiled at the price of the kitchen. If i were embarking on the OPs scheme I would certainly talk to them and also loo at other companies doing similar.............I think Huf re the most expensive. My other thought is, and I'm sure there are downsides, is that if you set up an SCI then if the house were sourced in Germany and built by them in France, your costs would be net of TVA............would this work ? Happy building Wilko

If I were in the OP's situation I would buy a kit house..... Huf Haus (sp) Scandia etc. For me the attraction would be their thermal efficiency, quick build by the company you buy from, no language problems. I suspect that build price /metre is very competitive, might even be cheaper. We bought a ruin 8 years ago, that long ???, and spent around 10 months to habitable and 12 months to opening our B&B. I think that good French builders are very expensive, it's not entirely their fault ... cotisations and employment regs are punitive. As each house is to original spec you could achieve the area's traditional style and proportion. I think it could well save a lot of heartache, sleepless nights........and quite possibly dosh. Rgds W Domage........Fulham got beat !

Why can't anyone write merde, it's in the dictionary. W

PM is a neighbour of mine, well 10kms away, and I have bumped into him in our local village bar on more than one occasion. He is a charming man and exceptional raconteur. I met him when they were filming a Good Year and asked why he wasn't on set as he wrote the book, but not the screenplay, for Ridley Scott......his reply was "far too many luvvies for my liking". Unlike PM Scott is not well liked in the area by the locals. He is an infrequent visitor and his pastime seems to be taking people to court for various matters, the latest being a young french couple, who applied for and were granted planning, for a large chicken coup. It is some 500 metres from him in an area zoned as agricole, it seems he was offered the land but thought it too expensive..........with all his millions !! He went to court and lost his case a month or so ago. According to the local rag he has sued on 4 other occasions and lost all of them. I have read most of PMs books and invariably enjoy them but certainly YIP and TP provide fascinating descriptions of the Provencales. I read YIP before I lived here and thought very tongue in cheek but after having lived here for some time you realise that the local people are very much as described by PM. Good luck to him.

Completely baffles me, giteowner, as to why you didn't and don't post a link to your property which is for sale.................all publicity is good publicity. An occasional visitor might well read your post, they are not a member, so couldn't pm you. W

Hi All Many thanks for your numerous replies. Polly thanks for the advice, I shouldn’t think they’ll be visiting and I don’t think we’d like any of her friends to visit if they are similar. Theiere yes simples my first thought as well, he’s not being harsh RH just a little tongue in cheek………..have to say his response made me laugh. Q thanks for the cancellation policy, it’s filed away……………should I send it to her ? AnOther…….I don’t have a moral dilemma here, she’s been offered a better deal than her insurance company is offering, if she has a policy. Richard 51…….read my previous post. RH & T…………this person’s attitude is without equal on the rude stakes so the chances of her being recompensed are less than slim, if her attitude were a little more reasonable it might well be a different matter. I may well call Brigadier General D H Wilko and ask him to get the gun boat out of mothballs to teach these colonies a spot of decorum. Still no news from overseas, but will keep you posted. Rgds W

Thanks for the replies, I was interested in what other people thought re the situation. I have already mailed these folk and said that they should be claiming on their travel insurance and said that their deposits are good for the next 12 months. Some seem happy with this but one of them has become particularly rude and threatening..............which may well lead to an interesting exchange of emails, which gives me something to do after the footie tonight. Ironically Mrs W has been stuck in Sweden for the past few days due to old smoky. Thanks again for your replies. Rgds Wilko

Due to the smoking mountain with the non pronounceable name in Iceland I have had a number of cancellations....mostly US and Oz. A number of these people want their deposits back. Whilst I can understand these peoples disappointment I don't feel that it is my place to refund monies.........if it is what is the point of a deposit. Any thoughts from you fellow B&Bers. W

Apologies dog i suffered a doggybanana moment, possibly due to an excess of pastis with my neighbour prior to lunch. W

Sprogster if you would like to pop round with your cheque book I can sell for under 2 million.Rgds W

Dog.......he doesn't look like a nutter tax inspector......or is this another voisin ? Love amnesia/deja vu....is that a quote or original ? Rgds W

Vous la meme W

Not at all.............as I said thanks a lot. We are just trying to sort the pool as I type, then connect up the solar matt, it still cold here with diabolical forecast for the next couple of days so I don't think we'll have many swimmers. I do use the pool a great deal in the summer, usually before the guests get up. W