Porth

Dear Will thanks for that.  AOL are indeed up to their old tricks again.  I wondered why some of the guys and girls on the forum had not replied.   take care and I am now going to the web site.   thanks    

[quote]thanks so very much indeed. You cannot imagine what help this has been I am so grateful. thanks again[/quote] Once more my sincere thanks to those who contributed.   Accordingly I visited Northern Brittany and purchased from Peta and Carl some ancient breeds.   Ok and whilst Peta was away Carl was there and he was so helpful.  The chickens were in put in the car and away to Normandy we went. They were supposed to be a small part of my wife's birthday present.  No comments please?   That was Friday and I have now spent two days going through our fields and hedgerows trying to find them in that they do not get on with resident Heinz 57 bantams.  They have been up trees in hedgerows etc etc.  There must be a book in this. They have now been found and despite some injuries to myself quite pleased.  But they are not getting on.  Thus have to buy a further chicken house for the new arrivals.  Despite Point Vert where they only sell the low to the ground metal framed ones cannot find another supplier.   Our existing 'chalet' came from near St Malo and it really is not suitable. The Wildfowl Trust in Evesham does some super ones but does anyone out there please have some direct experience of hen houses and suppliers in France.   May I suggest that trying to assembly a hen house which was probably manufactured outside France but came with French instructions and found its way to someone that can handle hotels and restaurants in the French language but not diy was in itself a recipe for disaster.   kind regards

[quote]Our French fruit trees have done really well - in very dry summers and horrible wet winters BUT our UK trees have been killed by rabbits - they only go for the UK ones. You will need to protect the tr...[/quote] Here may I say that in my experience there are a number of producers in France but after say five generations amongst the top is Eric Dumont.  If you look in any of the gardening magazines he appears.   I have bought from him espaliers fan and lots of other forms.  You could not imagine what he does with fruit trees.   Only my experience but he is the best I have dealt with.   Again if you look at some of the UK suppliers (not the specialists) you will find that (not Dumont) he has such a following but others in France supply to their English cousins.  Thus you could buy in England and find that the fruit trees are grown in France and you are taking them back to their country of origin.   Just look at Dumonts web site.   There are only a small number of producers in England but mainly all buy in save of course for the specialists such as the guy on the Isle of Wight and Reids of Norfolk those sorts of people.   kind regards    

[quote]With UK car insurance, you can receive money for a passenger, so long as it is for 'costs' and not to make a profit. This is how the car sharing scemes favoured by local authorities work. I do not kno...[/quote] Yes as long as it is a contribution to costs in the UK its ok but not for profit.  For profit changes one's insurance.   What happens in France is another thing. Going now off the track I was at Cherbourg on Friday meeting my wife on the fast craft.  There were about 50 or so people travelling as foot passengers and obviously they were being met by people who had travelled from various places throughout the Cotentin. I believe that more and more people with relationships with France be it property or whatever are now travelling as foot passengers thus trying to limit the costs. Coaches run from airports to various locations ie Heathrow to Reading then to Oxford and then say to South Wales.  Would this not be applicable to ferry crossings?   Probably a stupid idea.   regards

thanks so very much indeed.  You cannot imagine what help this has been I am so grateful.   thanks again

[quote]Well when I started looking for a mason, carpenter and roofer in this part of Normandy back in February I was told December was the earliest start date. I have finally managed to get a start date of ...[/quote] We too live near Villedieu les Poeles and its fact that considerable delays exist before artisans will even commit themselves to a commencement date.  However we are seeing some changes and where there are a group of artisans involved if you are able to find the weakest link then the rest will exert pressure to ensure that they too are not mentioned in the same breath as the one who is holding up the job.   I agree with Coco its marketing nothing else for there is lots of work around.  Our carpenter quotes us spring of next year but we are very good friends with the whole of the family and we mix socially and providing you pay your bills prompty its still possible to have things done in a time frame that is acceptable.   However please do not use a plombier to install a poeles.  We did some four years ago when we purchased.  We have now been informed through three independent sources that ours and I repeat only our poeles is dangerous and not up to standard.  Result in comes out next week and a specialist cheminee firm is to install a new one.   Yes guarantees exist but I live in a smallish village and I cannot be bothered going through the hassle of chasing the guy through the courts.  We will put it down to experience as we have to live here and integrate.  The rest of the artisans are throwing their hands up in the air and in horror.   At least we all seem to have lost that rather rotund English guy who was causing all of us the misery of some years ago.  Or should I not have brought up that subject?   Sorry I have gone off the track.

Briefly some very kind person let me have the name address and web site for a breeder somewhere near St James.   I thought the site was www.poulailler.net? Cannot find this. Unfortunately loaded ADSL last week (it does not work) and you would think I knew better having worked for a major telecomms company (not BT) and I have lost for whatever reason all my data.   Can someone (I thought it was Will gave me the originating information) let me have the relevant details.  Again and its probably me but the archives do not throw up the information.   many thanks for your help and consideration

thanks for that its the first thing on the agenda for next week.   thanks too for your kind wishes    

Semiretired from the law and finally but finally moving to our home in France 24th May. Absolutely need to have access from France to the net for outstanding cases need exchange of information defence information all that sort of thing.  Sorry to bore everyone!   At the house in France we naturally have France telecom and will try to get broadband but doubt it especially as we are somewhat isolated!   Use AOL in the UK but thought to try Wanadoo or Tiscali but unfortunately and due to limitations of French which is good enough for very basics of life have hit a big brick wall especially when one gets around to be asked to tap this key or that key.   Does anyone please have a relatively simple way of organising connection to the net?  We live equidistant between St Lo and Villedieu.  There is a France Telecom office in Arvanches which organised my telephone connection some four years ago.   I am sorry not only to appear to be 'thick' but undoubtedly 'thick' when I am considering this matter.  Normally and please do not criticise I turn up at the office and just sat on my desk is something I switch on and away we go.  I am not trying to be flippant but trying to make something out of a problem which is going to grow and grow!   rdgs

Have travelled the route many times.  At least the last time there was no restaurant car on the train but yes drinks supplied normally by a University Student who was trying to earn some money as a guard during the summer.  Thus one could buy at a premium wine and cider and beer that sort of thing.   I absolutely agree that it is an imperative to have a 'cabin' to yourselves and you also have to ask for the cabin to be put together in such a way as the beds open out at ground floor level ( I am not sure of the technical phrase for this) for otherwise you find that you have one bed at ground floor and the other and first floor if you follow my meaning.  With elderly parents I do not think this is advisable? There are to my knowledge no meals on the train but one books ahead and gets a meal from the station at Calais at takes it aboard.  Not bad but we tend to do some supermarket shopping ahead of boarding take things for the night as well as a bottle of wine a corkscrew plus lots of bags for the rubbish (which you give to the guard or deposit in the bin next to him) as well as kitchen towels. Boarding at Calais is a bit of a pain and whilst you are taken back from the car loading by mini bus you still have to walk with your overnight kit from the station to the platform. Brive next day is a good breakfast in the sunshine and if its a Saturday call at the market at Sarlat. Overall we love it and prices have now come down? Keep your door locked throughout the journey and if anyone is trying to get your car either whilst moving or stationary and en-route then they must be like Burt Lancaster and they are welcome to it.  Have travelled over 15 times this way and many differing locations with no problem. As with everything common sense comes into play. As an alternative you can also order your breakast on board we prefer the station the other end whiles away some time whilst they are delivering your cars.    

Thanks Will we have one of those!   kind regards

Please forgive me but what is an arbri du jardin.  Is it a type of pergola or structure within the garden a walkway constructed out of rustic timbers or whatever? To learn more would be helpful for we are going to have a walkway out of rustic timbers constructed and roses wisterias etc going up them.   I may have the wrong end of the stick?   kind regards

Our guy charges per hour and we only have an acre.  Its normally some 20 euros or so with tax.  Not sure what prices prevail elsewhere in France.

We live in (50) and with an acidic soil of some 5.7ph.  Thus we are told absolutely unsuitable for growing either paeonies or tree paeonies.  Would love to grow them but just cannot change condition of the soil without lots of chemicals and we are against that. Here in the UK the most well-known paeony people are based at Langport near Taunton but unfortunately I have forgotten their name.  If you could find this out they have a great web-site and will also help you over the telephone.   sorry I just cannot remember the name of the organisation.

Thanks Will

We are up to our eyes in preparing for the move on the 24th of this month.  In doing so have lost telephone number of Acorn Kennels and cattery (near Avranches St James) does anything have it please also rough directions?   rdgs and thanks

We are in the midst of preparing for the move on the 24th of this month.  In doing so have lost the telephone number for the Kennels which is south of Avranches.  Does anyone please have the phone number as well as any directions for someone coming from Villedieu?   many thanks

thanks for all your most helpful replies.  We are trying to work this through and maybe just maybe take a chance for we too have not been stopped in the past. Seeing vet this pm so we will see.   thanks again    

Thanks Defra have now confirmed that it is a very recent innovation and a clear 21 days has to pass whether or not you are coming back.  If you are of course the six month rule applies as well as the blood test then being taken in France. We would wish to be absolutely compliant and because that is what the rules say and we are naturally concerned over Thomas. I am not inclined due to being a lawyer to take a 'flyer' so it seems that Thomas has to be booked into a cattery near Portsmouth for two days and then I have to come back and collect him. Has anyone used a cattery near the port please.   Final point and here there is a family row that my nearest and dearest suggests that one family can only take out three pets.  We thus have four?  I say the rules only apply to other animals other than dogs and cats?  Again any experience please? kind regards  

We are due to move on the 24th of this month.  Our three dogs are all up to date with the vaccinations and rabies and have pet passports. Thomas the elderly cat is up to date with his vaccinations but as he is not likely to be coming back we have not had a rabies jab done or microchipped(yet!)  Our vets tell us today that a 'flyer' has just been received from DEFRA the effect of which is that animals cannot travel within 21 days of the rabies jab.  Thus if we have it done tomorrow then we cannot comply and thus our house completion and everything else is well and truly in a mess. Does anyone please have any ideas as to how one exports a cat who is not likely due to age to return?   kind regards and hoping for a quick response.    

This is not strictly in line with the main thrust of the posting but I wondered please if anyone can help. Having searched around and as a retirement present to my wife and myself we are going to buy a new vehicle in France.  We live in (50) but the price at the Cherbourg dealer is more expensive than the price at the St Malo dealership and by not an insignificant amount of euros. If I buy in St Malo does that mean have to take vehicle back into (50) and then to the Prefecture and going all through that problem again for re-registering. In any event it does seem a problem. Again and because the vehicle is on a long lead time delivery wise and thus is very popular at this moment in time the dealership(s) want at least 5000 euros deposit.  I am aware of the very limited consumer protection laws in France but can anyone please throw some light on the protection one is afforded if you pay this sum in advance.   Many thanks

Dear Iceni, are you truly saying that you use rat poison albeit at a reduced level to attack these guys! We live in (50) and with lots of acreage and suffer somewhat from moles.  However we also applaud and promote such things as wild flower meadows just to attrack birds and wildlife and do not use peat based products in our garden.  We are not the good life TV programme people but we do have regard for our planet. Again we compost just about everything we can so we do not unnecessarily polute our environment.   Why can we not live and just live? You will of course say I am missing something?

I am absolutely speechless.  Thanks to everyone and particularly so to Will.  This site is amazing and somewhat better than the fast craft out of Cherbourg last night and where most of us on eating Poulet avec crudities (sandwiches) had some problems! and indeed where the fast craft  was running late.  Why also do they not run the afternoon crossings back on Friday Saturday and Sunday fast craft wise. It was indeed a horrible journey and yes the time saving normally is good but conventional ferries may just have the edge. thanks again to each and every one of you.  

Sorry but this is a very long shot.  We are interested in having some rare breeds just in part to keep the line going. Here in the UK we have a well-recognised breeder of rare breeds called the Wernlas collection. Sue the owner says she knows someone in Northern France who does exactly the same as her and the ladies name is Peta Moreton but that is where the trail runs cold.  Yes I know a very long shot but does anyone please have any information on this subject?   rdgs and thanks and yes I am not hopeful but if anyone knows its people on this forum!

My husband is in France and with part of his journey being allocated to a satellite installation.  It now looks as though the installer has let us down!  Does anyone please have any experience and good experience of an installer of dish kit and all that goes with it in the area.  We live between St Lo and Villedieu that sort of direction. Your earliest response would really be appreciated. I suppose an email to our private box would be the better way of handling such a request? rdgs