Rob Roy

Sweet Peas are readily available over here, so not too exclusively British. You can buy parsnip seeds here but most French people don't know them as I was told they are considered an 'ancient' veg that went out of fashion and are only just now returning. Runner beans sound a good idea but perhaps make sure he knows they will be climbers and need some space. (And don't forget to tell him how to cook them too!)

Suninfrance said it was a nut that was planted - the castor oil plant grows from a bean, I started three off this year.

We moved house last year and have a mature peach tree in the garden that is north facing, and not particularly sheltered from east or west. This year it was groaning with peaches, we had so many I didn't know what to do with them all.

Chancer - as I said we only had to get the CT before re-registering. The repair was not as extensive as many we have had in the past in the UK! (Husband is a panel beater)  It was front end damage and from what I can remember there was a new wing, front panel, bonnet etc. It was only a Metro and was just for a 'run around' for me although I was not impressed with having come all the way to live in France and be bought an English car, particularly that one as I never liked Metros anyway!

Chancer wrote: "I keep looking longingly at the damaged repairables in a yard that I pass on the way to Brico-depot, i am not sure what the system is in France but bringing one over would circumvent it if there is one." Several years ago we bought a damaged car from our local salvage yard, and buying the parts needed to repair it as part of the deal; they held the CG which they passed to us when we bought the car. Once my husband had repaired it we got it CT'd then took the CG to the Prefecture for re-registering in our name (we also had to change the department number as it happened). There were no problems with any of it.   ,

Yes, a real gentleman and a talented manager. May he rest in peace.

[quote user="Pierre ZFP"] You could be a little late for pickled walnuts. You have to catch 'em before the shell of the nut has hardened and you should be able to pass a needle or similar right through. I make the mistake of getting them too late once and nearly broke my teeth on the result. Sorry if you already know this, not trying to teach you to pickle eggs [;-)]   [/quote] Alas, I think you may be right [:(] Oh well, always next year.......

Thank you Polly, and everyone else for the various links. I had Googled but didn't find those links! I'm also going to have another go at pickling some walnuts. Last time I tried them I used Hugh F-W's recipe but made the brine too strong and it made them too salty. It suprises me that pickled walnuts are not done here considering everything else they do with them!

I am growing my first lot of cornichons, but now wondering what to do with them regarding their pickling. Can anyone help?

Carrots are, suprisingly, one of the more difficult veg to grow. They don't like stoney ground, as it stunts the growth and that might be one of the problems your friend has. As Andy says if they feed the soil in the autumn for next year it will probably help.

As Tony says I think it is comfrey you are thinking of for a feed. I have been wondering where to find it in France.

One of the things I have noticed when you get the 'pub' for the various supermarkets is that they always have the same things on promo - for example if SuperU have pork as a special, so do Intermarche or whoever. The fuel prices are always the same as well even when they are about 500 mtrs apart along the road. There does not seem to be the same competitive merchandising here as in UK. Another thing I wish they would do is have a reduced shelf for things near the end of their sell by dates rather than just clearing the shelves - the only thing that seems to be sold off are the stale bread and pastries!  

Yes, I agree that Massa was a real gentleman and I did feel sorry for him especially as he must have thought on the last lap that he had probably done it.

The boy done good! (with a bit of luck and thanks to Glock[kiss])

We have used the following kennels for our three dogs and can highly recommend them: http://www.limousinservices.com/    

I booked a return ticket for OH last night for December so he can go and see his mum before Christmas (I'm working so can't go) and it was only 20 euros return; even though his La Poste CB card says it is Visa Electron the Ryanair site wouldn't accept it - only as a Visa card so charged 10 euros. We are still well chuffed though with that, and his mum (a very lively 81) is now very excited, bless her [:)]

KLM, Air France and BA all fly from Bordeaux to Dublin - any good?

I don't know if this link is any help: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2004/jan/25/gardens

The new presenter on GW reminds me of the guy who presents the nature section on 'The One Show', can't remember his name off hand, but they are both as soppy as each other! I wasn't into gardening when Percy Thrower presented the show, but I loved Geoff Hamilton, and to a slightly lesser extent Alan Titchmarsh. I like Monty Don, but OH can't stand him or Carol Klein OR Joe Swift, so watching the previous series was difficult with all the mutterings in the background [:@]. Sarah Raven gets on my nerves, the new girl, Alys, though is lovely; as is Rachel deT (funny there were never any mutterings when she was on [;-)]). What's happened to Chris Beardshaw, he would be a great presenter for GW (if he can bear to be parted from his helicopter![:)])

To me that looks more like a young blue tit - could it be? It looks as though it is still getting it's feathers, which would make it a very late hatching, although perhaps with the good weather we've had the parents had another brood. As far as I know Goldcrests do not have any blue on them, but I'm no expert.

Look just like Stag Beetle lavae to me. We have quite a few in our garden, and there were some shown on 'The One Show' last night as the Stag Beetle is in serious decline in England at present due to people tidying up their gardens too much and not leaving any old/rotten wood around for the lavae to live in.

"The only thing was that at night, the dad said " he's hungry, he needs his mum !! " " You mean he he woke up!! My OH used to sleep through the whole night feeds/nappy changing even though I had the bedside light on! But I do agree that as he was doing physical work all day I didn't mind as I could catch up when baby was asleep - usually after lunch. This also continued with the second baby as well, but with the third I went back to part-time night duty when he was six months old and as No 3 never went through the night (not crying, wanting to play at 3.00 am [:-))] until about 18 months old OH used to have to get up to him [:)]

My mother advised me when I was expecting our first baby to scrub my nipples with a cold flannel every day whilst pregnant in order to 'toughen them up' ready for breast feeding - I must admit it certainly helped. I fed him for six months during which time we visited London on a day trip where I fed him in one of Harrods 'Ladies Rest Room' - whilst sitting in a corner in a very comfortable chair an elderly lady came up to me and said 'well done, dear, it is so nice to see a mother feeding her own baby in this day and age'! This was 1972[:)]  Mind you I found that no-one warns you of the contraction pains you get when you first start to breast feed while the uterus shrinks back to normal size - I found that almost worse than the birthing pains![:'(]

I would have no problem in making an offer on anything in either a Troc or Emmaus - they can only say no after all! When we bought quite a few items from Emmaus (about 6 years ago) we bargained for all of them, got a good price and everyone was happy. Although Emmaus is founded on charitable principles it is not quite the same as giving to a charity directly, so I don't think there is any reason why you shouldn't try and bargain a bit.              

Local Motoculture/agricultural dealers will often have a good deal on secondhand re-conditioned machines. Three years ago we bought a secondhand John Deere from our local place - sold with a 1 year guarantee from them, and we have found them very helpful if we have had a problem or needed spares. The chains are not always the best place in France to shop!