La Doretie

Hi, Building company, 20 minutes north of Perigueux, needs labourer for 3 month renovation project.  Could be on a sub contract basis, or on a 3 month employment contract. Please pm for further details. Iain

Hi Andy, That's great.  Many thanks.   Will keep you posted. Cheers, Liz [:)]

Hi, Not sure if I'm allowed to post this - just putting out feelers, so hope its OK. We live near Brantome.  Had a letter from our daughters school today, explaining about some fund raising they are doing.  I don't know all the details, but it is for a 14 year old french boy, who goes to the same school as my daughters teachers son (so we know it is true).  He is autistic, but also has a severe problem with his legs, and has to have something major done.  His house must be converted (bathroom/bedroom downstaires/ramps put in etc), or he will have to spend about a year and a half in hospital.  The family has very little money, and are fairly desperate to keep him at home.  There are 2 associations which could help financially - an autistic society and another (possibly handicapped society??).  The autistic society won't help because it is not a problem related to his autism.  The other society won't help because he is autistic!! So.....my question is...........if enough money could be raised for materials, is there anyone out there who would consider giving some free labour?  My husband will, but obviously he would need others.  This is only an idea.............as to whether it would be acceptable or not I don't know......just want to see if there is any interest to help.  I have no idea what the situation would be with regards to insurance etc.  If I have some interest, then I will speak to my daughters teacher to progress it further. If you are interested, or have any other suggestions, please reply. Many thanks, Liz

Hi, Being a struggling veggie, fed up with omlettes or pizza when i eat out - how about offering some vegetarian options?  Liz  

I have just got a slow cooker too - early Christmas present from Mum and Dad! Most of the recipes advise browning the meat first in a frying pan.  Is that really necessary.  I much prefer the idea of "bunging it all in the cooker" and leaving it for the day! Any more tried and tested recipes would be good. Thanks, Liz

..................I too sense a bit of panic! Don't worry at all.  We arrived here July last year with our 3 and 5 year old.   We visited our Doctor a few weeks after we arrived.  She gave us the prescription, we took it to the pharmacy to get the vaccine, then back to the doctor for the jab.  It was very different to how I remember the BGC (big needle, big scab etc).  4 very small pin pricks that healed very very quickly, and both of them hardly felt a thing.  My daughter is very dramatic when it comes to things like that too!! We sorted our insurance out once we were here too.  Although it is a must at school, we have found nothing in France has to be done "this minute!"   Our school was quite happy to wait a few weeks for us to get a copy of the insurance to them.  I worried for weeks before our move as to how the children were going to cope with it all....... new house, new school, new language, no family near etc etc etc..........  They are all much more resiliant than we give them credit for I think.  My 2 settled in very quickly, and absolutely love their life here in France! Good luck with it all - and enjoy it. Liz

Hi, A friend has recently moved to just outside Thiviers (24), and is going to start a monthly coffee morning. The idea is to make friends, and swap books and videos/DVDs. They are to be held the first Tuesday of each month, at her house, the first being held on 6th December, 10am to 12pm. Please if you are nearby, come along. PM me, or call her to get her address etc. Jill, 05 53 55 18 46. Hope to see lots of you there. Liz

Hi, I'm looking to buy a tipper truck, up to 7.5 t.  Does any one know of one for sale? Many thanks, Iain

Hi, I'm looking to buy a tipper truck, up to 7.5 t.  Does any one know of one for sale? Many thanks, Iain

We have to do the same soon - from Northern Dordogne to Milton Keynes and back again. Any recommendations greatly received! Liz

Hi, Thanks everyone for the replies.  I think I am going to give it a go.  It really is only for a bit of pin money, and to give me something else to think about, other than the house, the garden, and learning french!  The starter kit costs very little, and it gives you quite a few books.  If nothing much comes of it, it will just mean my children have some nice new books - so nothing lost.  If anyone is interested in having a look at their range, once I'm up and running - please let me know. Thanks again, Liz

Thank you very much Daniel for your reply! I would have quite a few books in stock, so Mummies and Daddies could look at them first, before they buy, making sure that the pictures and text are set at the right age etc.    I'm hoping this would be "one up" on Amazon.   I think this is particularly important with educational books. Thank you again! Liz (and Pippa 6 and Harry 4)      

Hi I'm thinking of selling English Childrens books.  Do you think there is a market for this?  Nothing huge, just a bit of pin money? Any comments would be great. Thanks, Liz

Hi, We have finally sold our house in the UK (Hurrary!!!!!!!!!) and have to go back there October/November to collect remaining furniture. Can anyone recommend a good van hire place in the Northern Dordogne, or does anyone have a van they can hire.  Don't need a big one.  Thanks, Liz and Iain

Is it possible to freeze the mushrooms? We have an abundance here - and we can't eat them quick enough!!   Liz

Ooops...............obviously not grammer related with my dodgy spelling of "greatfully!?!?!"

Hi Moved here a year ago with our two children.  We are all very happy and settled.  When we moved, we couldn't sell our house in the UK, so rented it for a year.  Tenants move out end of this month, and as yet we have no buyer/or tenants!!  We knew this would be a possibility, so husband is working here, so we do have regular income - but while our house in the UK is empty, we really need some more coming in.  I am at home, children at school.  I speak some french, but not nearly enough to be working "in the french system".   Any ideas on what I could do to generate some extra income - computer based perhaps at home?   Any ideas greatefully received. Thanks.

....but is he a "qualified and registered electrician", and a "qualified and registered plumber"?........... 

I don't want to appear thick, but do you receive a Siret No when you register a "business" or when you register as "an Artisan".  Husband currently employed by building company here in France.  Will be starting own business in the next year hopefully.  Would like to start advertising fairly soon to test the waters.  I know we can't advertise until he has his Siret No.  Thanks,  

I remember just how you feel..................however, we are 1 year on from our move to the Northern Dordogne with our 2 little ones (then 3 and 5).   We are all very very happy, and delighted that we plucked up the courage to make the move. Yes, there were tears the first few months.  The first day at school - I felt just awful.  Leaving my 2 children at school - not speaking a word of french.  But - from day 1 they absolutely loved it.   You don't need any language to play and have fun!!  They are both now very nearly fluent, very happy, confident children.  Over the last year they (and us) have experienced things we never would have never done in the UK.  We have had so much more quality time together as a family.  We have made some lovely friends, eat great food, enjoyed wonderful (and varied!!) weather, and have entertained lots of our family and friends here. Good luck and I really hope that you enjoy your new life in France. Liz

We now live here, but during our house hunting days, we stayed in 2 different gites.  The first with British TV, DVD and selection of films (particularly childrens films).  The second had neither.  For those morning when my 2 lovelies (6 and 4) woke at 6am, for the times when they needed to "chill", and when Mum and Dad were to tired to provide entertainment, the TV and DVD was an absolute gem!!!  Made the holiday a great deal easier, and therefore a lot more enjoyable.  Liz

Very sorry to hear about your troubles.  It's not nice is it. We moved to a former holiday home, here in France a year ago.  At the time no-one told us, but it had been broken into 3 or 4 times.  We were then broken into at Christmas, whilst we were in the UK.  They stole all our jewellery, kids Christmas presents which were waiting round the tree, and lots of electrical stuff.  We were (at the time) insured by a French Insurance Company (English lady).  The policy did not cover any items without a receipt, and had an "an old for old" policy.  We did query these points when we set up the policy, but were told this was the norm in France.   We asked if we could have someone out to value items without receipts - we were told no this does not happen.  We were also told all insurance companies only offer "old for old"!!!  At the time we were fairly busy with moving, and stupidly thought this would never happen to us!!!!!  At the time of the break-in we also found out she had not put in an amount for jewellery, so we had no cover for that either! Any, to cut a long story short, after losing around 8000 Euros worth of stuff, we got 1800 Euros back!!! We have since found a different french (english speaking) insurance company who offers "new for old" and was very very knowledgable and helpful.  She came to the our house to look round. We have since fitted an alarm - the frustrating thing is that my electrician husband fitted security systems for the last 10 years in the UK!!!  Didn't think we would need it in France!! That's our story!! Liz  

Does any-one know how the suicide rate in France compares with that in the UK?

I have no experience of what is available here in France - we only moved a year ago.  Both my children (now 6 and 4) were vaccinated with 3 seperate vaccines for the MMR.  Found a great hospital in the UK that could get the vaccines.  If we ever had a number 3 - if seperate injections were not available here in France, I would certainly take them back to the UK for their jabs.  (Interestingly, when my oldest was due her MMR booster, we had blood test done to check her immunity.  Her immunity was very very high, so another wasn't necessary).  I felt very uncomfortable with the whole MMR discussions.  I have no medical qualifications whatsoever, but felt very strongly that to bombard a 3 year old with SO many viruses in one go, MUST be too much for their little bodies.  (The doctors wanted to do the MMR, Polio, Tetanus, Hib, Meningitus C together???!!!) I know it is a very personal choice, and have friends that had the MMR in one go, friends who had seperate jabs, and friends who chose to have none.  My only advice would be to go with whatever you feel is right for your child.  No-one can tell you what to do.  Good luck

Hi, Yes it was rather windy wasn't it!!!!  We had torrential rain - but friends of ours 2 mins down the road only had a little drizzle!  Very bizarre!  Our electricity was off until about midnight. Lucky?? my daughter was a bit scared of the thunder and lightening, so I had to stay indoors and look after her while my husband did the "running round the garden like a headless chicken" thing!! Liz (between Brantome and Thiviers)