Wozza

[quote user="powerdesal"]Warren, Was/Is there a minimum level of savings required to be proven? [/quote] I don't know - they asked for a bank statement from the start of the previous tax year (not the current one), which for us showed a much healthier financial status, as it was prior to our house purchase! That was over a year ago and have asked for nothing since, except tax returns and a contribution to CPAM.  

Leonard I have been here without working for 16 months - we only had to prove that we had savings when we registered with CPAM for healthcare, and a bank statement sufficed. Other than that, as a European, one is able to stay for as long as one pleases. Whether you can afford to or not, is another question..... I start looking for work when I recover from my hangover in January! Warren

Lynda Seems like you mat have Loirs/ Lerots too (see earlier post 'What were they') - these tend to live in the walls of stone houses - in the rubble infill between the outer and inner walls, and they take walnuts, corn cobs etc in their nests with them. Their nests are huge! I don't know for sure, but I would imagine that they would quite easily find their way back to their nest from 20 yards away - I think some of the nests I have uncovered in our walls have been that long! Try: Not leaving any food out; getting a cat (to scare them rather than kill them, but the cat eventually gets them); taking them on a long drive before releasing; block nest up with something they can't dig through (cement etc - they can go out the other way, hopefully outside). Warren

Loir or Lerot - depends on colour, I think, but I believe that in English they are called edible doormice. There have been several threads on the forum on these animals - one quite recently. We thought they were chipmonks too! Our cats love them. I believe they are the animals that live inside our stone walls and it is they who take in all the corn and walnuts. Somebody posted a recipe on here for them recently too, but I think you would need a few for a meal!

Somebody else may be able to give a more concrete answer than this, but my understanding was that just because you have a dog on the dangerous dog list of breeds, you are not prevented from owning one, you just have to register it with the local powers that be. I would therefore assume that you are allowed to travel with your dog to France, on the assumption that you will register it upon arrival. Don't take my word for it - do check, please. Try contacting your local DEFRA office - they helped us regarding all requirements when we exported our cats outside the EU - they seemed to have copies of the requirements for everywhere. Warren

If you have top-up health insurance - check your policy. Our policy includes travel insurance throughout Europe to the same level as in France - elsewhere in the world on application (they object to paying US medical bills, I believe, so it is necessary to top up the top-ups if that cover is required). Warren

[quote user="Salty Sam"]If you can find a zoo or circus, offer to take their lion droppings. Not only good as a fertiliser but also deer won't come near.[/quote] There is a circus in Chasseneuil (16) this weekend - and they have lions. Shall I post you some?

Just to clarify - do you mean health insurance as in the top-up scheme, or outright health insurance, as in Bupa-type? I would guess that if anyone is to give you a like for like comparison, then you mustreveal the holiest of holies - yourwife's age, and yours of course, as your age bracket determines a chunk of yourcontributions, as does the level of cover you require. I don't know if it helps, but my wife and I pay €65 a month for the top-up system, with 100% refund of all professional fees, care and prescriptions. Of course, weare both only 21, but put ourselves in the 40 to 45 age bracket to give them a bit more money.... Warren

I am in the same position as you - installing a CH boiler. We wanted to fit the same type of thing - a tile with a built in cowl, but I was informed: a) they aren't for boilers, they are for ventilation systems b) they don't rise above the roof high enough to disperse the fumes properly I believe you can get proper cowls to fit the terracotta blocks that aren't steel, I just haven't found one yet. Having said that, I haven't looked that hard yet either. Warren

Does anyone know how we stand if the project managers haven't actually been passing on the money to the builders, would we be liable to pay them again? I ask as I have since found out that the window supplier has not yet been paid for work already done. Presuming that the contract is between the PM Company and the window supplier, you are not liable for any unpaid bills - legally. It has been known for unpaid contractors to reclaim goods (eg the windows), leading to the end client forking out again to keep them. Legally, if they did take the windows back, the PM company would be required to replace them or put the house back to its original condition. I have to presume that they don't always use the money we give them on our project and that eventually our work will be finished off with funds coming in from other clients, for those in the business know is this how it works? That's generally exactly how it works in contracting, whatever the industry. Warren Edit: Problem with server so quotes wouldn't work, nor would highlighting copied text. Sorry if it isn't clear! Perhaps ISP hasn't been paid????

My permis was late back from the DDE - the mayor told me to crack on. You have to put up a sign outside your house with permis number etc on it - you can get a blank sign from most builders merchants for free (as it has their name on it, so effectively unpaid advertising).  

Ian In most brico / car places they sell all the lights, reflectors etc separately - why not just buy them and fit them to a board of a material that suits your purposes. I bought a replacement light/ indicator unit for my trailer for €5, so wouldn't be that expensive. Warren

Clair I don't know if these would do, but at Castorama, and probably other Brico places, you can buy mini halogen type lights - they are about the size of a euro coin. There are two types - one fordecking floorboards andthe other for internal use, normally on ceilings to give a 'starry, starry night' effect. I guess you could buy a pack of these and link them together so they were all on at night. Available in white and blue, I think and I have seen them in packs of five. Thought about using them up my staircase. Warren

Le Jars, I think that your best bet is to go to your local scierie and ask. Around here (16) fencing as you described is normally chestnut (chatenier) and is readily available from most scieries. Haven't a clue what its called in French, though! Warren

Jag Try the SPA near Limoges airport, or your local vet - they often advertise kittens free to good home. But rescuing is much better - frees up space for saving more..

I thought rice was the answer to keeping salt dry, but would only work in a salt shaker, not a grinder!

Kathy About 3 years ago, we moved to Poland with 5 cats and we flew them there. We used a compant called AirSupply in Middlesex, who flew them with BA. The total cost was £760, including the supply of the approved transport crates, which we got to keep (forsale if you want them!!), an overnight stay at their cattery due to early flight and delivery to cargo dock. Everything went great until the Poles got involved, but that is another story.... Worth shopping around. Incidentally, when we left Poland, we moved to Southern Spain, and decided to drive all 5 of them there. We hired a motorhome to do this and it took us three days - the cats were great and could roam around, use the litter etc. Alittle stir crazy when we arrived, but I think a nicer experience than the plane. Incidentally, some people recommend giving cats sedative tablets before travelling - apart from not liking them from an earlier move (thought cats eyes were going to pop out of its head after half the recommended dose), I believe that they are extremely dangerous for animals when flying, as they drop the blood pressure, which I believe is not a good idea when flying. I think that is right, but its not a good idea to give them. Paul Oakley at AirSupply is excellent - give them a try! Warren

If you want a traditional cast iron door, you can normally find them at the brocantes in the summer, may even find one in an antique / brocante shop. The traditional and original doors areexpensive though - a french friend sold three this summer for over €700, so might be worth considering a repro. Wehave one, but it's not for sale!

There is a company in Germany run by Brits who buy all the squaddies' continental headlights off them when they get posted back to the UK - they are called the headlamp shop and have a store on e-bay.uk - you could try them. I got our lights from them, a bit pricey for secondhand compared with a scrappie (£200), but an excellent service. They may even buy back your UK lights, but not sure on that.

Thanks all for your kind words - very much appreciated. Tinker is buried in a quiet spot in the garden next to her sister, Fifi, who we lost a year ago. We have always had lots of cats (down to seven now), and it is always very hard when one of them dies - they make themselves so much a part of your existence. Thanks again. Warren

[quote user="Ejc"]What about the french equivilent of an aga? We'll be looking for a solid fuel heat store range cooker..... and not to sure where to start, since we're not yet in France. Any advice suggestions? Our initial plans to bring one over have changed after we double checked insurance etc...[/quote] I believe Falcon is a brand used by the manufacturers of Aga's. If you mean that you want a solid fuel cooker, then you can get a variety of wood fired stoves here - Godin etc

Sadly, Tinker, the cat, did not survive the anaesthetic and died yesterday evening. We are both very upset, as you can imagine. I spoke with the vet regarding the goats during one of my visits, and he said that they had decided to keep him as he has bonded well with the sheep and the other goat. I'll let you know if I hear of any others. Warren

A salamander, I think. We arein 16 and I haven't seen one for ages (or, I should say, the cats haven't brought one back to show me for ages - they normally don't kill them, either). Warren

We bought a Falcon range cooker from Connexion. I have also seen them at other retailers, but more expensive. Ours is a two oven, five ring, hot plate and grill affair and cost us under €2000, delivery and installation included (although kitchen still a twinkle on OH's eye, so passed on installation). Warren

I'll ask - maybe they want both adopted even. Sadly, one of ourcats got attacked by a neighbours dog today and ended up with a fractured femur, so I'll be back and forth to the vets over the next few days. She is 17 and quite frail, so unable to have an operation, so they are going to try and set it with some sort of cast. The dog was an alsation - not a fair bout, in my opinion. Have had a word with the neighbour as it happened on our land and is the second time for this cat. Not acceptable!