Wozza

Try M Mandon in Cherves Chatelars near Montemboeuf - he made our oakwindows for us.   He also has a shop (near the cave) on the main drag in Chasseneuil - his wife looks after the shop and she speaks some English.

I haven`t a clue whereSauze is (nomap to hand either), but there are a couple in Angouleme - we are currently using Alan Lagache - see Pages Jaune under Garde Meubles. Warren

We had an indoor well in our house in Wales and used the water for everything except the kitchen sink. The system was very sinple and can be easily replicated in France - you just need a loft. We had the usual UK water header tank in the loft, with mains water fed by a float valve. There was then an electric float valve set at a higherr level than the mains valve so that when the water level dropped, it switched the pump on, until the float turned the switch off. Pump was a small centrifugal pump bolted down onto concrete in a cupboard, so very quiet and only ran about three times a day for a couple of minutes a time - 1 1/2'' pipe I think. No special equipment - you can probably buy it all from Screwfix. The well once ran dry in a rare hot summer, so we had to rely on mains only for about a month, but otherwise rarely used the mains to the tank (kitchen was fed direct off mains pipe). Make sure your pump inlet pipe is fitted with a filter and a non-return valve (or get a self-priming pump i.e. not a centrifugal pump). Am going to try and recreate something similar here at a later date, but at present, just having a toilet in the house would be nice, I don't care what flushes it!!

[quote user="cooperlola"]  We have a new oak staircase and I have been humming and hah-ing as to how to blend it in with the 150-y-o beams around it myself.  I have been contemplating a home-made mix of soot and nicotine!!!  I would be very interested to know what other people have done.[/quote] I made our oak staircase myself and had a similar contemplation. However, it had to be installed so we could get up and down the stairs to finish off - the plumbers, masons, plasterer etc are doing a great job at ageing them - they look like they have been there years now!

Thanks for the replies. Mansle a bit too far away - will try the one at Le Lindois. I have the name of one at Lindois, but have had no joy when ringing - will keep trying! Will try the maire too in case there are a few.

Not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I'll try. At a recent Brocante, we got talking to a french stallholder, and when he heard wewere renovating our house and garden, he suggested that we contact the scouts. Apparently, if you provide them somewhere to camp free of charge, they will help with work in the garden etc. As our garden is a mess that has hardly been touched, we thought that this may be a good idea. My question is - has anyone tried this, or know of anyone who has? We will hopefully be in touch with them shortly, but would be interested to know if such arrangements actually work. Warren

My parents-in-law will be visiting in May and we are looking for a Gite close to our house. We have checked gites de france and some holiday websites, but have not found anything suitable. It needs to have a bedroom and bathroom on the ground floor - this requirement is our stumbling block. Does anyone have anywhere suitable. We live near Vitrac, Charente, 16310. Thanks.

Try looking up 'garde-meubles' in pages jaune - they are out there. We pay significantly more than the gentleman in the Limousin charges and have about 50m3 in storage.

[quote user="Simon"]I've given up trying to plasterboard the ceiling without assistance, does anyone know the french for plasterboard adjustable prop and where I can get a pair? Regards Simon [/quote] 'ma femme' - but you definitely don't want more than one!

Try the local farmers retailer or tractor agency - they will typically sell that sort of thing (even if you want the hand held rammer as opposed to a tractor powered one), but I think the advice above is excellent. I did put about 50 2 metre posts in last summer in a day - I used an old tractor axle sharpened to a point to make a bore hole about 450mm deep then whacked the post in - the bore hole is essential if you want to reduce post splitting. Would recommend you get chestnut posts too - a little more expensive, but better than the pine rubbish I bought.

I just paid €30 per cubic metre (stere) of seasoned oak in 1metre lengths. I think I remember a debate on this forum as to how many stere there are per cord, and I think the concensus was that it varies from region to region. I think the price of firewood varies region to region too - not sure where you are, so don't know whether the price I paid will be relevant. the price also varies depending upon the lengths and whether or not it has been split. Personally, for €50 a stere, I would expect it to be split, chopped into the length I required, delivered and neatly stacked.  

We used to put the dead rabbits, rats, mice etc that the cats brought back into our septic tank in the UK. Seemed to keep it healthy. I understand the need for the dead animals, eparcyl etc is not because the fosse doesn't work, but because of all the chemicals we put into it - we kill the bugs. Dead animals quickly attract bacteria, which gets the fosse working again very quickly. If you are very meticulous about what you put down your drains ( no bleach, fats, use proper detergents and washing powder etc etc), then there should never be a problem or need for any intervention. However, no one is perfect, so the dead stuff / Eparcyl is always handy!

Sonia They sell quite cheap ones for pets in the Bricos - we got one for our dog from Leroy. I think it was about €15, but I have seen them in other stores since. They arecheaper than kiddy gates as they are not approved for childcare - the latch is not suitable, I guess.

[quote user="Will "] "Dave & Heather really do think of everything for the guests’ pleasure. I did enjoy my swim and Trevor and I had a great time in the whirlpool bath" - something going on here perhaps? [/quote] Reproducing guests comments? As opposed to reproducing guests' comments?

Make sure it is full of water and stays that way, otherwise in this weather the water table can push it out of the ground - a bit like floating the Mary Rose!