Monika

Thank you Iceni and Val, sorry just one more thing (I am sure it is somewhere in the Archive, but I just can't access that), does one actually get a piece of paper saying that the Planning permission is granted or is it just verbally, and how long is it valid?

[quote]Thank you for all the comments so far. We have an appointment with the maire next week and will, hopefully, be able to clarify the position. We are assuming that we will need planning permission for ...[/quote] I would also be interested on how long it normally takes for the planning permission to come through, and does one have to display a notice or does the Mairie advise the neighbours of the intended building work. ?

I have a book called "Holiday Walks in Normandy" (bought through Amazon)by Judy Smith.  It has lot and lots of walks in it. Here in Swiss Normandy, there are many walks and we picked up extra leaflets in the Tourist Office in Tury Harcourt and Pont d'ouilly.

This is from the book  "Floyd on France" 1 free range egg and 4 egg yolks 7 oz (200 gr) unsalted butter, softened 8 oz. (250 gr) caster sugar Pinch of salt Finely grated rind of 1 Lemon 12 oz. (350 gr) flour, sifted 10fl oz (300ml) rich milk (not that de-creamed stuff), warmed   Beat l whole egg and 2 yolks in mixing bowl, then beat in the softened butter, 7 oz (200 g) sugar, the salt, lemon rind and finally 11 oz (325 gr) of the flour until you have a smooth and shiny mix. Leave that for 1 hour in a cool place. Meanwhile beat the remaining sugar and flour together with 2 egg yolks in a saucepan. Over a low heat stir in the warmed milk. Keep stirring until you have a thick custard. Allow to cool. Butter a shallow cake tin and put two thirds of the cake mix, then the custard (the french call it creme patissiere) and cover with the  remaining cake mix. Bake in the oven at gas mark 6, 400F (200 C) for about 40 minutes. Allow to cool before tipping out of the cake tin.   It sounds good and I am just going to try to do it!

Well, he is the one who is going to draw up our plans to be submitted for planning permission!

[quote]I don't know w hat would a Topographer do prior to a barn conversion and small extension? Try http://jp.duret.online.fr/Def-Anglais.htm or http://jp.duret.online.fr/toc.htm When you f...[/quote] Thank you for the address for the website. It sounds like a surveyor. Well, I will let you know after the site meeting what exactly he did??

I can't see a control panel where I could do my profile ( I want one of these pictures under my name!!!) I also can't see the poster's name. However with this new forum I do not have to disable the NORTON to send a reply which I had to do before.

What would a Topographer do prior to a barn conversion and small extension? Thank you.

Thank you Carole:they are hunting with "elongated"  Spaniel Type dogs. That's what we were wondering, perhaps they just shoot anything which moves? As to the van, I was also thinking of Charcoal but the food smoking makes sense!

Hey, what have you done to my questions?!!!

We have a very small postbox and had a communication the other from the post office, asking us to provide a "regulation" size postbox. It wasn't us who pinched yours, honest, but it could be somebody who had the same demand.

Last Sunday, while we were staying in our barn in Swiss Normandy, the hunting season started, there was much shooting up and down the valley and blowing of horns. Does anybody know what they are hunting, all we have seen in our garden is one deer and red squirrels, and you never see any dead animals in the road? Also another mystery, down the lane from us is a house with a white van, where lots of smoke came billowing out (wood smoke) through a small chimney at the top, when we had a look through the back window there was a huge wood fire burning in the front part of the van. Does anybody know what that was? Thank you Monika

Help, it's so good I forgot to start cooking dinner.

[quote]I thought this really interesting. They were a lovely couple but said they did not fit in in their first neighbourhood, they spoke good French and were well integrated, I just wish they had said why ...[/quote] I think perhaps they meant they were too eager to be friendly and make friends, which perhaps put some people off. I think the English are very warm and friendly people who like friendly people in return, although I find the french really nice also, but they like to keep their distance. (This is a Swiss speaking!)  

[quote]I don't know precisely - I think you are both retired? If you live more in the UK than France you should be entitled to health insurance in both places - certainly in our visits (usually about a month...[/quote] I think we indeed have the best of both worlds, for me that change is just so good. I look forward to go to France to experience all the things there, but then it is nice to come back to England as well and then twice a year I go and see my mother in Switzerland. But each country has its plus and minuses, everybody thinks Switzerland is so perfect, it's not, they have very high unemployment especially the young can not find jobs or housing and are very disillusioned. There is lots of graffiti. Everything is very regimented. As a people they are quite difficult to get to know and are quite reserved. The Television is of very poor quality and I miss the tea and digestive biscuits.  

[quote]Doesn't anyone else have one of these super French toasters with a wide top and a croissant setting? We bought ours when we first came to France and have used it ever since, you put the croissants on ...[/quote] This sounds like a good idea and more economic than turning on the oven. Any of you doing B & B near to the Suisse Normande. Perhaps better post it in my inbox. Monika

[quote]Tebee, sympathise entirely as we were once in identical situation. We walked away from it and still believe we made the right decision. Only problem is (and it's a big one), we haven't seen a house ...[/quote] We could have bought two houses for 74000 Euros in Britanny,  but absolutely no land around it apart from the strip between the two houses, I just could not decide then and there and another british couple signed for it 10 minutes later, I often wonder what happened there, how they coped. It was a lovely position and sometimes my husband says, we should have gone for it, what with prices going up so fast. Well we will never know. Monika

[quote]Well said, Jill, I support every word.[/quote] The same me: can't see any Control Panel whatever I do. Appart from that I like the new forum, there are so much more possibilities, (like the spell check which just has appeared). And the script size etc. Monika  

Earlier this year we spent three days in France in a Bed and Breakfast run by a lovely British Couple. There was just one thing which spoilt the stay: the famous "ping" emitting from the kitchen at Breakfast time and we would know that once more tough, chewy Croissants would grace our breakfast table. I think there is only one way to heat a Croissant and that is the oven. Monika

This must be the fastest answer ever!!! But I just happened to be on that Topic and I just have read about the Taxes Foncieres the other day, that the owner who is selling the property has to pay the Taxes Foncieres for the whole year i.e. as I understand it until September 2005. I could imagine that this information is correct as we bought our house on July 1st 2003 and have just received our demand for the TF two days ago. Monika

We have just changed our PETS 1 for a  Pet passport (blue and a little bigger than a human passport). It cost around £11   (in actual fact we received all the forms (A4) back). As before: on returning to this country we have to obtain a tick and tapeworm treatment by an official veterinarian 24 - 48 hours prior to the return journey, this must be entered into the new blue passport.

[quote]Above Forum Member it says Deby n'est-ce pas? Martyn www.maisondubonheur-gers.com[/quote] Sorry, I c'ant see a name. Monika

This web site gives you all the dates. http://www.education.gouv.fr/prat/calendrier/calendrier.php?intAnneeID=21. It seems very long but thats how I have it in my favourites.

We have always used our High Street Bank who booked a rate of exchange for us over the phone with, I think, money brokers, if you are happy with the rate (today it should be at least 1.505) you have to give your decision within 20 Seconds. The cost of transferring it is not that high for 20'000 about 20.

Is it true that in the departement of ORNE additional to the asbestos report a lead report is now also required when selling a house (from 1st July)? Thank you.