Suze01

And just to confuse things even more, it's an IRM here [8-)]

Does it come in any other colours? [:-))]

Use your fingers. Kitchen drawers across the world are filled up with useless gizmos & gadgets [;-)]

Those bugs are commonly known as 'Gendarmes'.  I don't know if they do any damage, but I have them on my Tilleuil.  ChrisPP will be able to tell you if they are 'unfriendly' to trees.  There does seem to be quite some excavation damage to the wood. The tree is leaning somewhat. Is it leaning towards any buildings?  I would be tempted to fell it.  Walnut trees grow really fast so you could easily replace it, the trunk isn't that large so it is not that ancient.

[quote user="Val_2"]Yes every thursday and sunday its bang,bang,bang round here too. I have to be careful where I go walking on these two days as my dog is fox red in colour and about the same size.[/quote] You could always get a high-vis jacket and collar for the dog, not forgetting a sturdy bell too [;-)]

If it is only the bark that is damaged then I would leave it and eventually it will grow back over.  If the wood is cut too then I would maybe use some 'cicatrice' spray/paint on goudron de norveige.

Or do as I did this morning after a disaster the other day: use the machine for the dough and then bake it in the oven [:)]

She is absolutely gorgeous.  I met a pointer for the first time this week - very nice dogs indeed.  I would love to say that I could take her but it's not possible with our current menagery. I thought I'd bump this up again though.

[quote user="La Sizer"]This is a breakdown I was given : Habitation tax           300pa Taxe Fonciere          300pa Car Ins                   300pa Water/Electric/Gaz    100pm Broadband/Phone     40pm Muttelle                   150pm Shopping                 350pm Sky TV                    ???? These are the main figures Im interested in, I know theres things like petrol, clothes etc.. but Im talking usual living. This is based on St Ybard, not far from limoge. Please feel free to edit, add, fiddle to make it realistic. [/quote] Can I assume that as a family of 7 that includes 5 children of school age? You will need to budget for school costs too.  In september "à la rentrée" you can count on spending a very tidy sum on school materials that you have to provide (exercise books, covers for, pens, pencils - there is a comprehensive list provided by the schools) especially at secondary school (collège) this could easily be €150+ per child, even if you bought the cheapest available.  Then there's the school cantine to pay for as it's either cantine or home for lunch; no packed lunches permitted (@ €35+ per child per month), transport to school which could be some distance away (fuel for your car or school bus). Afterschool garderie (crêche) costs if you need to put your child into the after school club due to your working hours, here that is €44 per month for 3 children.  You are looking at several thousand euros per year to add to your budget. Having just read through your posts and the replies, I can't see how you can do it.  You will be receiving "random" payments from your mum as "un-earned income", so unless you actually manage to find a job (unrealistic) you will not be declaring an "earned income".  As a family of 7 I think the authorities would be looking very carefully into your situation wondering how you are managing to exist with no income.

What level of childcare are you looking for? Given the ages of you children (who will be at school) would you be looking for a nou-nou after school while you are still at work (peri-scolaire) or during the school holidays? Or are you looking more for a (live-in) nanny to help with 24 hour childcare? (I am a nou-nou btw).

I have sent you a Private Message - check you PM inbox.

And €10 to the local football team that come around [;-)]

Sorry to start hogging this thread.... A glass of whisky with Stones Ginger Wine.

[quote user="Keni "]Believe it or not, haggis, with mash (tatties) and swede/carrot mash (Neeps), a real winter warmer! (especially with the wee dram in the haggis).[/quote] Yum, love it!!

A mug of hot Ribena (or syrop de cassis in its absence).  Always used to have one when I'd walked home from school in the winter.  I've just finished a mugful [B]

[quote user="Jonzjob"]WINTER IS HERE! [/quote] Not wishing to be pedantic, but 'winter' starts on the 22 december.  Daylight Saving Time starts tomorrow.

[quote user="Patf"]I think burnt-on porridge is one of the worst things to clean. I never make it now.[/quote] I always make it in the microwave in the bowl I'm going to eat it out of which happens to be a soup plate as it doesn't overspill during cooking.

What I've done before is to do a search on eBay but click on bids finished/enchères terminés and look to see what they've gone for on there.

Put some biological waashing powder in with hot water and leave to soak overnight.  Worked a treat when I burnt sugar in a pan that I was making caramel in and forgot about (just as well the house didn't burn down!)

DIY shops, and I've definitely seen them recently at our Cooperative Agricole.

This type of shower is called a 'douche italienne' in french. [url]http://www.cotemaison.fr/solution-maison/salle-bain/douche-a-l-italienne-la-douche-la-plus-tendance_363.html[/url] there are loads of pages on google france.

So what price was it in the UK then?

I would assume it is becauseof the place names:  'Pompadour' does not have 'Le' as part of it's name whereas 'Le Berry' (the region ?) does. You wouldn't say 'de Le Berry' - 'de le' is contracted to 'du'. 

[quote user="Scooby"]We bought in the Dordogne just because we love the area.  We have travelled all over France in the last 25 years and the Dordogne is somewhere we love and where we feel 'at home'.  The only other place we would have considered buying is Burgundy.  We don't look at either of our houses as 'investments' but as our homes.  Both were bought because we loved the houses and their settings - and both were bought for the long term.  Our house in the UK was bought 23 years ago for the grand sum of £48k - its now worth over ten times that - but its value is irrelevant - its simply our home.  Likewise, our home in the Dordogne - the vagaries of the market and its impact on a possible selling price are of no consequence - because we aren't planning to sell. [/quote] My sentiments exactly. I don't worry about snidy comments referring to "Dordogneshire" - it's pure jealousy as everyone knows it's one of the best regions in France and they don't live there!

You spelt Bordeaux wrong [:P]