[From Belfast to Charente]

Hi Ali

Have you called Ryanair?  They have a lot of flights at very low prices all year round.

[importing plants]

Hi Debbie

We imported a high-top Transit van full of plants last year with no problem.  As long as they are for your own garden, not for resale, there are no restrictions EXCEPT that rhododendrons, azaleas, oaks (big van needed) are not allowed in case they carry 'sudden oak death' disease.  There is a leaflet about this on the DEFRA website.

Hope that helps!

Phil & Jude

[Winter and Chambres d Hôtes]

Hi Miki

We are new to this B&B thing but opened in June and decided to stay open all year.  We are not in any brochures or anything till next year (gites de france, local tourist offices) but we had half a dozen bookings in November; nothing this month till next week when we have a couple of bookings in the week and 2 more for NY Eve.  Our rooms are upstairs and the heating is independent so that's not really an issue for us.

We are spending this winter draining the lake  ready to deepen it at the end of next summer (there's about 1-2 metres of silt at the bottom which have built up over the years) - unfortunately, the sides of newly dug drainage ditch keep collapsing and stopping the lake from draining!

All the best for 2006

PS - Yes, it is Xmas day but Jude's in the kitchen and I'm at a loose end!

[Collective gas and oil]

Yes, I can confirm what most of the others have said - it means there is a communal agreement to have oil or gas bought from a single supplier at a discount.  Gites de France, for example, are looking into this sort of arrangement for their property owners.

[EDF bills]

Your bill does sound rather high; we pay on average 65 euros a month over the course of a year.  We have the washing machine and dishwasher on a timer to come on in heures creuse and our nightime consumption is about 30-40% of the total.  We do not use electricity for heating - too dear!  We did use heating oil last winter but have shifted to wood this winter as oil is so dear now (advantage of a dual-fuel ch boiler!).