Pete and Carol

Possibly a silly question, but how do you tell the difference between an analogue and digital dish? A friend has a dish in the garden and I have tried getting this aligned to get Sky but with no luck. I have set up several others without problem but this one just wont fly. Regards Peter and Carol

I wouldn't touch an unswept chimney with a 10 foot barge pole - when we took the metal plate off ours, the tar hung down in curtains. One match and I reckon the lot would have just gone up but not in the desired manner! Cost us 38 euros. Don't forget the certificate from the sweep to prove to the insurance company - file it away just in case. Regards Carol

Try the outdoor monthly Sunday fair at the Cathedral Square in Limoges - next one is 14th December. You need to get there for 9 am - park anywhere in the streets nearby. There are loads of dealers and you can haggle quite well - last time I bought a great glass chandelier for 60 euros down from 80. Oh, and wrap up well... Regards Carol

Does anyone know where you can buy paper-covered ceiling coving in France? We have seen the cheap polystyrene stuff but want the better quality version. Tried Mr Bricolage, Bricomarche, etc etc but no luck yet regards Carol

John There was a TV series made called 'House In France' by the brother of the DJ John Peel. Can't remember the guy's name, but his house was in a village just outside Avallon. It was a great program and certainly inspired us - it showed the restoration of their house, the scenery, the local produce and specialities, the river Yonne/canal Nivernais, had tips for buying a French property, and language lessons. I think that it was only shown on Sky but perhaps there are some Francophiles out there that may have a video copy. (He went on to make series about House in Spain, and Florida, but for me, not a patch on the original..) Regards Carol

Flag further to the debate about single gites or complexes, our preference b.c. (before children) was ALWAYS single gites, or two, shared with friends. Now we've all had kids, our needs have changed and I tell you what - I wouldn't dream of NOT going to a complex now... The kids all play together, all ages, and yes, ok all British but with different accents. We've had massive barbecues, en-masse haphazard cricket games, treasure hunts in the woods, childminding during a hospital emergency. None of these activities (especially the hospital) was planned or arranged by the hosts, they just sort of, well, happened. And yes, it does sound corny, British talking and getting on together, but anyone who has been away with hot, bored children will know the desperate measures parents will take just to get ten minutes peace and quiet by a pool with a glass of plonk and the latest best-seller! rgds Carol

dear guest I love both regions too! You could buy a house in between both and don't forget, once you are there, you can always visit the other region quite easily. Do you plan to return to the UK to visit relatives/friends - where do they live in relation to channel ports/airports etc? What about your budget - what sort of property do you need - can you compare like with like - which is the cheaper? Good luck - we're still awaiting our buyer's survey on our UK house. Carol

Adriana Can only advise that here in the UK we've used wood for Rayburn and a woodburner for years and I would insist on hardwood and NOT pine. Pine will coat your chimney with tar and is a fire hazard, although we are extra careful due to thatched roof. Our elderly neighbour, in a modern, tiled house used pine because it was cheap and when her chimney caught fire, there were large cobs of burning tar rolling down her roof. Luckily there was little wind so nothing was blown onto us. Don't forget to have the chimney swept once a year, even with little use, as birds can block with nests etc. rgds Carol

Lizzie I can't tell you how many times we have had a similar discussion (also heated) As we have just had a reasonable offer on our UK house, I suppose we ought to make up our minds too! I have heard so many conflicting reports - I've even phoned people like Chez Nous to ask which areas were filled first - very non-committal answer - and our friends who have some gites in southern Brittany said a good season in July, August, Sept albeit a slow start in June. I've heard that the Dordogne is still brilliant, that the Dordogne is finished, the Limousin is cheap, unfashionable but will be the new Dordogne, the Languedoc IS the new Dordogne, and Provence is more 'it' than the Dordogne but far more expensive. Dordogne, of course, is apparently more English than England..... I've been told Brittany is wet and windy, the Vendee flat, Poitou Charente tatty, Paris impossible, the list is endless... I personally love every square inch of France. So long as I've got a bit of sun, a glass of a decent red, a morsel of bread and cheese and a table outside the village bar I'm a happy person. There is a piece of France to suit everyone and if you like your bit of France, you can be darned sure so will others. I'd say go for the area YOU like best - others will follow. Which ever area you choose, good luck Carol PS If you are wondering, I love Brittany for the culture - I'm a pale, freckly, ginger haired shade loving celt...mind you I also love the south west!

It's just pot-luck I'm afraid. Last summer we spent a week by the side of a river and not a single bite between us. However, we spent the last night in Poiters (it had rained there the previous night) in a good hotel and I had over twenty bites which I scratched to pieces in my sleep. Each bite swelled and bled and I was in a terrible state! The same thing happened when we holidayed in the Vendee near the beach. It rained a couple of days before we arrived and the mozzies were just hatching out - we were bitten to bits. I think the best thing is to smother yourself in anti-mozzie cream and just watch out for a few days after rain during hot weather. Also, we've since bought a battery ultra-violet bug killer lamp (like you see in butcher shops etc) in France for about a tenner which works very well. Good luck Carol