Frank

Hi Paul Did you get any solutions to the sun tan oil problem??  I have been looking for a better product to clean the line, it is much worse this yr than last and I think it may be down to the lotions that have some tanning products in them ( it was all over one our sunbeds!) No amount of scrubbing is shifting it and like you, our pump is on 13 hrs a day to keep the water filtering.  Thanks in advance

Ditto with Mikey and JJ, our pool is hoovered (I am the robot here!), tested, margels cleaned, terrace swept and washed, sunbeds cleaned etc everyday, even the fence gets a wipe down. I wouldn't want to get in a dirty pool so I wouldn't expect our guests too either, hence the daily cleaning regime and its hardly hard work[:D].  If I was on holiday, I wouldn't want to be responsible for cleaning a pool, it costs enough for a gite holiday as it is without having to do some one else's job to save them a few bob on getting some one in to do it!

Hi Clair It's our first yr, we registered with commune last yr and got only one bill, this yr we got three and the gite info was obatained from the internet. (have completed new H1 form for the renovation so far) Other gite owners etc I have spoken to, haven't had bills for the gites, maybe it was because we have a sign out side!!!  I queried it mainly because it was a surprise as I hadn't submitted any info (you normally get some forms to fill in) and to see if there was a reduction if you only trade for 6 months in the year, but nope, pay for full yr.  C'est la vie! We are considering looking at commercial collections rather than household collections when we have all four gites up and running.  Does anyone use that service and is it more cost effective???  Will sit back and relax and wait for whopping great habitation tax bill!!! And any others that decide to come our way[:P] Jetlag

Hi We have received ours (gone up 20 euro on last yr) along with two others for our gites!!!!!! When I enquired at the commune why I had three bills and where did they get the info, they promptly replied INTERNET!!!!!!! (confirmed with the information and description on the bill) So it would appear the powers that be do search for gites etc via the net, and I thought it was scaremongering when I heard the rumours.  Said bills have been paid...ouch!  Has anyone else had bills received in this way?  Are there any more surprises out there???  Jetlag

Hi Londoneye, We too have a 'piccy eater' in out dog!!  She to can go days without eating dog food, but I try and sustitute her non eating habits by conning her!! When out on a walk, I reward with the complete food biscuits like Frolic, and always have a bowl of similar complete biscuits that I change regularly to keep fresh in case she wants to nibble them, admittedly, I throw out more than she eats, but at least they are there.  I aslo put down dog food every day and then throw out the same more often than not!  Whilst not ideal, at least with the dog walks and other titbits she is obviously getting what she needs.  I also give in on occasion and she has what we have, chicken, turkey, pork chops etc, she will also eat salads, rice, pasta and veggies!!  I have found that she will not eat her 'wet' dinners from a bowl, but from a plate (she has her own!) yet will lie down and nibble the complete food when the fancy takes her from a bowl!  She is also an avid fan of lizards and for an old dog, catches quite a few!  Now I too am rambling, but you are not alone, her eating habits have been the same since we got her at five weeks old and she is now nearly 14, she is a cross bread,  and even when we had our labrador (who ate anything and everything) she was exactly the same. I used to worry, but now I don't worry at all.  I know that she won't starve herself and she is healthy, if not a tad spoilt[:D] Jetlag

Hi hoverfrog We bought a second hand car in France and the seller adn our french friend said it was obligatory to have a new CT on the car before the transaction took place, so after the deal was agreed, he took the car for the CT and it was valid for two yrs[:D] Jetlag

OK, so now its getting wierd!!! I thought four leaf clovers were a great find and that five leaf are rare, get this, I have now found another four and another five leaf how bizarre is that!!!! Total so far in four days 3* four leaf and 2*five leaf! No signs of impending wealth though, maybe I am to receive the 'good luck' in other ways[:D] Jetlag

Hi Nicos Thanks for the link, I think I will hot foot it to the tabac after all.........you never know[:D] jetlag

Hi everyone I'm in shock! Not only did I, for the very first time ever, come across a four leaf clover whilst out with the pooch yesterday, but today, I came across another four leaf clover and a FIVE leaf clover[:D]  My friend tells me I should hot foot to the nearest tabac and buy up loadsa lotto tickets!!  But how rare is it to find them??  Anyone else come across five leaf clovers??  I didn't even know they existed! Whats it going to be tomorrow................ a six leaf clover!!!!! Jetlag

Hi Has anyone had  a problem connecting to Orange today??? No connection at all during this morning, then hey presto, a connection!  Could this be the signs of impending problem with equipment or is it just Orange being a bit unstable.  Any thoughts?? Jetlag

Hi Suze Try doing what my neighbours do, when the fruit is ready, they put radios in the tree and have them playing all day and night and it seems to do the trick!  When they first told me I thought they were taking the you know what, but quite a few neighbours have radios in their trees and it does work!! Jetlag ps mix fm seems to be the favourite!

Hi Tony Thanks for the link, it is just the information I am looking for, clear and straightforward[:D] Jetlag

Thanks Sue[:D]

Hello everyone,  Advice needed please[:D] Had a thought about market stalls and what would be involved in running said stall.  Do you need a special permit?? Register as a business??? If you do, where would you get permits etc from, the Mairie perhaps or the Cde C.  Is there a website, French or English, that would have all the relevant info for market stalls?? Not a brocante or artisan market, just your good old fashioned market stall selling foostuffs etc..  Do you need health certification for food products and if so, are the English qualifications/certificates recognised or would you need to go on a course to obtain French certificates??  I know it all sounds 'half baked' but as I said, it is just a 'thought' at the mo. If anyone has any snippets of info or knows of any websites etc, it would be greatly appreciated, ta very much[:D] Jetlag

Just to add another question to the same pot, if the regulations state that gite pools are public pools, then why don't some insurance companies recognise them as public pools?? My insurance companys definition of a public pool is some one who 'pays at the gate' for a swim, not guests in gites.  Sorry to hijack Les Favets, but like you, I would like to know the answers. Yes we have a pool and no, no one has been yet, but I have heard many stories about having potential visits by DASS/Gendarmes etc. Jetlag

Hi Andrew. We use the "drops" put into a vial of pool water to test for the clorine, never come across the dpd1 tabs and don't know how to check for cyamuric acid. If you could advise we will buy the appropriate products and do the tests asap. Thanks in advance Phil n Kim

Hi Ab Thanks for your reply, I had same problem with chlorine before adjusting the PH so I think it may be 'locked', but I agree with you about needing a response from Poolguy[:D]!!!! Kimberly

Hi everyone, hope someone can advise on this one.  Our pool looks crystal clear, has a PH of 7.6/7.8 (nice pinky/pale purpley colour[:D]), but the chlore is reading off scale, not the nice pale yellow colour more a dark colour. I have taken out some water, added fresh,  done loadsa backwashing, kept the cover off and had the pumps running almost continuously for the last week, but no change.  I have a very large book on pool maintenance and think it may be locked, ie have too many chloramines and if this the case, the book says the solution is to chlore choc it.  Although now there is no smell of chlorine (no cover and continual pumping) when I did have the cover on and took it off there was definitely a chlorine odour.  Now I think if I chlore choc the pool it will increase the levels and the problem not reduce it which is where I need the advice.  If lets say it is just too high, then do I just need to empty loads more water, check ph and adjust accordingly, or do I chlore choc it and hope that it kick starts it to working properly.  The treatments used are the all in one galets, but I haven't put any in this week while I am trying to get prob sorted. Has anyone had a similar problem or does anyone know of a solution, any advice greatly received.  Many thanks in advance Kimberly

Oh stop it already with the crumpets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I could just eat a pack of good old warburtons with lashings of butter, its bad enough when mumsie is scoffin 'em whilst chatting on the webcam, oh well, when in France CROISSANTS[:D]!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (and starwberry tarts from the pattiserie[6])

Hi everyone Thanks for your replies, seems I have now got them under control again, thanks to some very kind and brave neighbours!!! All chimneys now have attractive (soon to be pattented) mosquito nets on them, tied down and have all been sprayed very enthusiasticly with a product called barrage des insects.  It kills insects on contact and the bees fly on to the net and drop dead!!  ( a few miniutes after of course) The scouts in the chimney are also dead, as are all others found in the roof vicinity.  It is a product my french neighbours use in abundance and they use it to kill nests when they appear also (when bees are sleeping of course!) and anything else that flies!!   So here I sit with one ear permanently poised for the arrival of yet more bees with barrage des insects at the ready!!  The pompiers price of 75 euros is very good, sublime cost 125euro last yr with a 3 month guarantee.  Good luck with getting your nest removed twinks, I know how you feel with them buzzin around, not nice at all!! Thanks again Jetlag

Hi everyone and poolguy, just a quick query.  When I take the cover off our pool in the mornings, the walls of the liner are clean, the water is clear, the chlore and ph levels are normal, yet when I come to put the cover on at night ( we have guests) I have noticed dark patches have appeared on the pool walls near the bottom.  I am at a loss as to what could be causing this, anyone any ideas??? Do I need to introduce fresh water??? I actively 'winterised' over winter and kept a close check on water quality, but it seems to have started happening this last couple of days, the temp has risen from 14 to 21 degs since sunday,   I could understand  there being a problem if the levels for chlore and ph were wrong, but they are not, any advice/suggestions greatly appreciated.  Many thanks in advance Jetlag

HI jackie Thanks for your reply, I think our best course of action will be to remove all the chimneys, we have an external inox for our poele so all others are decor only.  I think the problem then will be they will try and get in through the tiles etc. Oh well, lets hope this next battle sorts 'em out at least for this season, then try and find a product to spray the exterior of all the buildings to stop it next yr!!  Funny, but I don't have a problem ( or maybe they are the problem) with all the bumble bees that are buzzin around our huge horse chestnut tree, quite soothing the gentle buzz from them!! Thanks again Jetlag

H everyone, hope some one has an answer for my query!!! What is it about a particular property that bees seem to want to adopt as their home, no matter how many times you try to move them on???  Last year we had a problem in one of the chimneys and the apiarist couldn't get to them, so we had to call sublim in.  No probs after that, they legged it!  This year however the problem seems to be getting much worse.  Monday saw the arrival of scout bees looking for somewhere to stay, no more ado, called in the apiarist, who smokes them out of the attic etc and sprayed repellent around area of entry.  Kind neighbour popped round in the evening to block all holes.  Problem sorted thinks I, no such luck, tues afternoon, spy bees sniffing round a chimney stack, find small hole and hey presto, new home!!! Another kind friend popped round, threw homemade (now pattented) mesh over chimney, sprayed product and hey presto, no more bees.....................until today!!!!!!! The pesky little blighters have found a small hole in another chimney stack, (which have all been blocked off after last yrs bees!)  So have run up yet another mesh cover for kind neighbour to fit this evening when they are all sleeping and spray.  Any one any suggestions on how to deter them from wanting to adopt our property???? We can't afford to keep paying apiarists to sort them out and I'm running out of mesh!!!  I know this is a bit like war and peace, but I really need to find a solutyion before the letting season starts, whilst not stung yet, it doesn't look nice!! They are some kind of honey bee and normally, I leave nature to take care of herself, but I am a bit chicken when it comes to flying stinging critters!!! Any help or advice greatly appreciated, Many thanks Jetlag

Hi Clair Thanks for your prompt reply, I have had a look at the link, good information, but as yet, I am unable to remove my email address from the red liste in messagerie.  It seems if I send an email from another address ie hotmail accout, then it come through normal channels, but if i send one from my myself to myself, it puts it in the undesirable box!!!!!! could it be just emails from me to me are blocked??? or is that too simple! Thanks again Jetlag

Hi hope some one can help.  I am being plagued with emails sent from myself to myslef along with loads of other junk. Long story short, I have added my email the red list and I cannot find any way to undo the addition!!! I don't want to 'supprimer' in case it blocks them altogether, at the moment, it just puts me in the undesirable box! Any advice on how to fix the problem would be greatly appreciated, many thanks in advance jetlag