cooperlola

I allowed my UK builder/decorator 18 months to prepare my house for sale before leaving for France.  He completed the work two days before the first viewers arrived, in spite of my agreeing he begin the work a year before!  In France, it took a full year before my builders arrived, after the original devis and my paying the 30% deposit.  Builders and other artisans are busy people if they are any good, in England and France, and no doubt other countries as well.  We've coped, we are still here, the work, now finished, is superb.  Chill out guys!

Lucky for us she did!

[quote user="Cassis"]How come you know all this stuff, SD? [/quote]Er, quite.  SD is a veritable goldmine of information. Thanks so much for that.  Luckily, I am in no hurry re the trailer as I have done without it for a couple of years so a few more months is neither here nor there.  Links all worked, will pay them a visit when I've collected the info.  There's chance I'll find the original bill too, you never know!

My rule of thumb : Unsure? Use vous - can't go wrong or be unintentionally insulting. I have a good french friend who says she has been known to get a few funny looks from her own casual habit of tu toyer ing all the time!

I notice from the advertising on Channel 4 that the above are now "Freeview" channels.  However, my card which came with the Sky Digibox I have suggests I need an upgrade to receive these.  I take it if I buy a freeview card in the UK and stick it in the box here it will not work?  Anybody tried this or got these channels without paying Mr Murdoch for the privelege?   Profuse apologies if this has been asked before.

Very late in responding to this one - a busy time of year what with a couple of 24-hour races going on down the road. My trailer is arriving on Tuesday behind an old Landy which I have just acquired!  Have made myself a load of headaches I know but they won't be the first problems we've overcome.   My latest problem, however, is that I cannot find the original sale documents as the trailer is about 20 years old (although in very good nick as it has just had the floor renewed and had a massive makeover).  I take it this is going to give me another problem?

Sunday Driver, thanks, you are a star!  Going backwards in this thread a bit but only picked it up today.  Have just availed myself of a set of Landy LHD headlamps for the princely sum of just under £100 including postage thanks to your e-bay link.  Am well prepared for the arrival of the old girl on Tuesday. I have imorted a UK car before and endorse what you say.  Once we had figured out the correct order for getting all the documents/ their sources etc (I was not on this forum then, sad to say), the authorities were pleasant and helpful and things went through fine.  A fair command of French definately helped but they were equally warm towards my old man, whose grasp of the language is not quite so advanced - they just love it when he tries.

Also note that front-unload trailers have the front door on the correct side if you buy in France so that would be my advice.  My UK trailer (which is due to arrive here at the weekend), opens out into the road if you park on the correct side.

You may find this lady through the French Fell Pony Society.  You can find the link through the UK Fell pony site.Any probs, PM me and I will give you the chairwoman's e-mail address.

Don't know about your route but I have a vet here (30 mins North of Le Mans) who has the open surgery arrangement. Very sympathetic and has treated my friends' dogs in the same way on a couple of occasions.  A pretty stress-free experience I would have said.   Good 4/5 hour drive from the tunnel but may not be on your way.  Perhaps try the on-line yellow pages for a vet somewhere near where you propose to stop.  Must be somebody on this forum who has a vet he/she trusts on your route. 

Michel Bernard DPLG, 27 rue des Marais, 72000, Le Mans 02 43 85 62 68 He did all our plans and produced all the proper forms etc so we got permission from our Mayor very quickly and without hassle.    Standard fee charged (abt 600 euros from memory, but don't quote me, I don't have the papers to hand.)  If you need any more help, please PM me as we are based here.  We have had a substantial amount of work done here so can possibly help with other recommendations/people to avoid!

I know of a French one.  Michel Bernard Le Mans.  Details in phone book.  Sadly he doesn't speak English though.  Is this a big problem for you?

Does anybody know of a French building materials supplier with an on-line shop.  All I have found seem to want you to go to the shop first.

[quote user="Cassis"]Now that is really dirty tactics!!! Most people here know this already, buuuut just in case there are any drivers new to France looking in, if a car coming from the opposite direction flashes his headlamps at you, he most likely means there are gendarmes a short way down the road .... [;-)] Phil [/quote]Yeah, and PLEASE reciprocate by doing the same for us locals - it's only polite!

Gendarmes have also now taken to setting up speed traps in the "Aires" so watch out for those 50kph limits when you pull of for a rest.

It is a Morgan which belongs to my friend Paul and in which I was lucky enough to get 5 laps of the circuit 4 years ago before the race.  He brings his Mondaile to the race and the Morgan to the Classic (yeah, really!) which he got for his 21st birthday - brand new 30+ years ago.  It brightens up our driveway.  Maybe see you there. 

Tickets arrived today - feels really close now.  Good luck with the Caterham/Saab trip and have a good one.

[quote user="Brilec"]As long as you tow it behind a suitable UK registered vehicle, with the correct number on the back, all should be OK to bring it to France, and tow it around like that for a reasonable time. Enough to get it registerd at least.[/quote] The problem is I don't have an English resgistered vehicle!  Sold my trusty Landy in the UK before coming out here, not wanting to be lumbered with a RHD.

Hi there We have a French registered Skoda Fabia November 2000, 44k (miles).  However, it is right hand drive and we have the UK headlamps.  Bodywork fine but some water damage to rear passenger seat.  No air-con so don't suppose it interests you but it's worth a try!

Thanks for that, Sunday driver. Yeah, it's over 500kg so I realise it needs approval.  However, if I tow it here in the first place, obviously it won't have the approval at that stage.  Any thoughts?

You can buy haylage from ecolit.com  Order on line and it will be delivered.  It's pricey but excellent.

Watch out!  We did it once, then again and again and now we live just down the road!  Could be the start of a very slippery slope.

I have a horse trailer, currently lurking in a long-suffering friend's garden in the UK.  I understand that to import it here I need a European Certificate of Conformity.  However, the manufacturer has gone out of business (Sinclair).  It has a German Alco aluminium chassis.  Does anybody know how I can get the correct papers to get it over here and out of my friend's way?

I'm sure you've sorted this one by now but we are just coming to the end of having our house re-roofed (incluing 3 lucarnes) and can highly recommend Pascal Roussel of Alencon.  The standard and finish of his work is superb and once we had finally got him on site the lads have worked non-stop (no 2-hour lunches for them!)  We live mid-way between Alencon and Le Mans and travelling here has not been a problem for them.  02 33 28 08 88

We are in the process of converting the loft of our Percheron Fermette.  It has a tiny window on either end, no doubt there for ventilation in the days when it was used to store hay.  Has anybody dealt with these themselves - i.e. any practical suggestions as to how we can make them weatherproof without spoiling the look of the end wall of the house.  No "off the peg" windows are small enough.  We have thought of fitting "vollets" on the exterior of the walls but they won't be easy to open and close due to the thickness of the walls and probably won't provide enough draught-proofing.  Any ideas?