Cassis

As a fellow former Alfa GTV owner, I wonder if getting in and out of this could be what did your back in in the first place (God, but how I miss it!  Alfa Red - what was yours?).  I have heard good reports of the Citroen Berlingo - as long as getting Jeremy Clarkson's approval for your choice does not put you off.  I was considering the Berlingo and the Kangoo but have not actually bought either i the end (for financial reasons).  All our French friends we mentioned this to seemed to think the Kangoo was a poor second to the Berlingo (but not necessarily for back reasons). Phil

Another option is to buy a small copper sheet (available from all good DIY stores near you!) and cut it into strips with tin snips or stout scissors.  It is a very easy job. If you have a number of pots to do it works out cheaper, even if you have to buy some tin snips.  You can also make a series of cuts part way across the strips, all along their length, and curve the copper over to make a physical and decorative 'frilly' barrier before you wrap it around your pots. Phil

Hi Christine Rocket's a spicy salad leaf (Fr. rocquette) and I think I have seen watercress in the Leclerc supermarket we use (Fr. cresson). Jude

Just a guess - could it be the top of a hiking stick, your thumb goes through the loop? Phil EDIT: This page is very wide - can you edit your message, Vicki P?  It's probably caused by the URL address length in your message.

I like the sound of that - will definitely give it a try (once the strawberries ripen).  Thank you very much for sharing it with us, very thoughtful. Jude 

Do you mean white wine vinegar removes the smell of cat spray?

Yes - pink and green 'European Model'.

[quote user="chessfou"] Basically the variety succeeds in capturing the magnificent flavour of the Fraises des bois (the tiny little wild strawberries which have easily the best strawberry flavour in the world) while overcoming the two inconveniences of the wild strawberries (they're both on the small side and on the expensive side). [/quote] Hi Chess Nut If you're passing in a month's time en route to Aveyron, you're welcome to come and pick our wood full of wild strawberries - I can't stand them, they're tasteless!  Is there more than one variety of wild strawberry? Phil

Cos Jude was working flat out in the kitchen making stuff for said neighbours to eat and I was all on my lonesome.  And I'd had a few kirs, it's true! [B][B] Phil

Just to say to any bikers heading for Le Mans for the GP Moto - all autoroutes in the vicinity of Le Mans (Orne and Sarthe depts) are free to bikers for this weekend. Phil

The gendarmes are also VERY hot on drink driving at any Le Mans race weekend.  Spot checks in town and around the circuit.  Bear it in mind if you've had a few the night before and are driving the next morning.  And they will have their mobile radar traps in operation so the GPS systems won't spot all the traps. Phil

All cultivated varieties can be used for making jams (but not as easy to get a good set as other fruits), tarts and flans.  They only really differ in size, flavour and relative sweetness.  Otherwise identical (apart from wild strawberries, tiny tasteless things and highly over-rated).  Don't waste them on jam - a good bought one is probably better.  Smother them in cream instead!

One thought - if there is a damp problem, it often smells like a dead animal is in the room due to microscopic fungi.  Is that what a cat smells like (obviously, Jude and I are not cat owners!)? Phil

I am a bit sceptical of the paint being to blame - sounds like a coincidence that it started about the same time.  I have never heard of paint going 'off' in this way, once the solvent has evaporated I've never experienced a paint with a lingering smell.  If you are still convinced that it is the paint, though, I would suggest repainting (I am assuming it's the walls) with a vinyl based paint - that will seal the old layer.  If nothing else it will eliminate the paint as the source of the problem. Phil

Hi Carl Make sure you have someone standing by with a video camera ... Sorry, that's a bit cheeky, I'm sure it'll be fine - but all this talk of walls falling down gives me the willies!  I'm in the process of replacing the 'pointing' in our place and the walls are a similar construction to yours.  The stones move about a bit once the old stuff is raked out, I dread to think what would happen if I put a hole in the wall at ground level.  When we installed 'lucarnes' upstairs I chickened out and used a mason.  Phil

I believe you also need to site it over a sump large enough to contain the oil if your tank decides to burst open spontaneously.  Like a concrete base with a low wall to catch the oil.

Here's the site you need!  Has listings for Tarn, Tarn et Garonne, blah, blah .. http://www.salvoweb.com/france/directory.html Phil

Says on my packet of BB to treat tomatoes every 20 days after planting out and stop a week before you pick.  I suppose the same would apply to grapes in terms of when to stop.  But with tomatoes where you have a long cropping period you'll have to stop long before the last trusses are even in flower, so its effectiveness will be limited.  Unless you like copper-flavoured fruit and veg. I didn't bother spraying preventively last year and had very little blight.  I'm going to do the same this year and see what happens as I really don't like spraying anything unless absolutely necessary. One way to reduce the danger of potato blight in tomatoes is to remove the lower leaves - they usually catch it due to fungal spores being splashed up onto the lower leaves.  Hopefully they aren't planted where there were tomatoes or potatoes planted last year - planting the same crop, or crop family, in the same spot tends to encourage build-up of associated diseases. Phil

Better check with Chris first - he's the bear expert.  But then he'll probably point out pandas aren't bears.

Of course.  How silly of me ... [blink]

Sorry Ian/Deimos, I've been meaning to ask for ages - is that a calzone pizza? Phil PS Apologies for going off topic.

So - that's Club Internet, Alice and Cegetel out!  Any more? Phil

Or a bonfire!

Thank you - I was wondering if we were all alone here! Phil

A lot of smokers don't smoke in their own houses these days and go outside to smoke - I used to myself!  So I don't think it will put too many off, especially in the summer months.  Probably more non-smokers would be put off coming back if their bedrooms smelled of stale smoke?