Ian

You're right Nomoss. Sweden is a member of the EU/EC/EEC. I just forgot about it.

OK, I've had a good look at the options. @cajal: This site quotes me €130 for 15Kg via DHL (collected). There is a cheaper option via ParcelMonkey, but since I don't know them, I'd probably stick with DHL @nomoss: Ecoparcel won't quote me for anything outside the EC. @Gardian. Good idea to break it down into smaller parcels. La Poste website is very complicated, but as far as I can tell, I can buy a pre-paid box for up to 7Kg for €69. So, for 15Kg it's about the same price for DHL and La Poste. I guess it depends on what I want so send and how big it is. I must start opening all the cardboard boxes Thanks for all the help. Cheers

Wow! Lots of information there. I'll work on it tomorrow. Thank you

I have a load of family "heirlooms" in my grenier. I'd like to send these to my children - daughter in the US, son in Sweden. The parcels will probably be heavy (15-20Kg?) and big (1M x 0.5M x 0.5M?). First question is, who could ship them economically? I'm guessing that the likes of UPS would be VERY expensive. There's no urgency. Second question is, what to use as containers? I'm thinking along the lines of cardboard boxes, lots of bubblewrap inside, lots of gaffer tape outside. However these, while strong, would not necessarily be rigid. Maybe big plastic storage chests would be better? Any advice will be very welcome. Cheers

@ukhostland, you're right, they're perennials. I've taken the advice - cleaned out all the old growth and blown-in leaves, gave them a good prune followed by a good feed, and they're FLOURISHING! Some in flower already. Thanks, everyone.

Thanks, woolybanana, that's what I'll do. I had a terrible problem last year with insects (mealybugs, I think) and lost a lot of plants. Mainly perennial herbs, funnily enough. Tried every chemical known to man, ans still they fell. Even the replacements. So, I'll be very vigilant. Cheers

Last spring I planted perhaps 30 pots with annuals - begonias, fuschias and pelargoniums. About 2/3 of the plants have have survived (one or two are flowering...). Can I grow them up, and save buying more, or will they be weakened and not give a good show? If I can re-use them, what do I have to do? I'm thinking of cutting off all of last years foliage (like pruning roses - that I CAN do) then giving them a good feed. ?? Thanks

"You are an Englishman, and have subsequently drawn the greatest prize in the lottery of life" - Cecil Rhodes

Something has started eating my Rosemary and Bay. The evidence is what looks like bird droppings all over the plants, plus a lace effect on many leaves. What are they, and what can I do to stop them? My preference is for some form of systemic insecticide, as the infestation is quiet widespread, and I'm too lazy to pick them off by hand (if that is the normal treatment). Thanks

If you wanted to fly from CdG to Brussels, I believe the TGV from Bordeaux to Lille stops at CdG. I've picked it up often enough at Tours (well, St Pierre des Corps) as a direct connection to CdG. Mind, if it was me, I'd just carry on to Lille, and pick up a train connection to Brussels. Isn't Lille where the trains from London split, some to Paris and some to Brussels? Cheers

For bread flour, I still recommend (and use) Surfina 11,5/560 from Gamme Vert (or whatever it's called these days). Genuine strong white flour. Works for me without fail. They have other mixes, if you're interested. Cheers

The distance from where we are (Indre) to Edinburgh must be about the same as for you (Dordogne to the Midlands). Even pushing on (possibly a male thing), it's two days travel so a break is needed. For us, it was a dash to the channel, an hour or two's break on the ferry, then another hour or two till the M25 was behind us. After that, Day 2 was easy. For you, I guess you need a stop this side of the channel. Where and when? For me, it would depend on the M25. It's always busy, but much more so during rush hour - I'd want to avoid that, and time the journey to suit. Have you considered one of the other crossings? Caen/Portsmouth for example would avoid the M25 entirely. Timings for you are inconvenient (southbound departure is 07:30) but it gets you to France mid afternoon. Find a nice hotel on the coast, have a good dinner, and the next day is easy. Best of luck, anyway. I'm going to cruise the North Sea in the future, and if I'm lucky I'll never drive the M25 again. Cheers

Thank you for all the ideas, people. Having done one trip so far via ZB/Hull, I don't think I'll ever cross the channel any other way now! It's civilised, relatively stress free, and costs about the same. What's not to like? The roads around Lille were OK - busy, and the signeage is iffy (but a good satnav helps) but otherwise OK. Paris, on the other hand, was, well, Paris. Lots of traffic, lots of bouchons. Even on the A86. For the next trip, I'm considering my old route west of Paris - Tours/Le Mans/Rouen/Calais, then follow the A16/A18 up the coast to Zeebrugge. Apart from the bit north of Calais, I know it quite well. It's longer - yes. More tolls - yes. But apart from that, are there any major problems I've overlooked? Cheers

Thanks, cajal. That sounds like what I'm looking for. Cheers

Now that I have the replacement baffles for my WBS, I have to re-assemble it. Some parts were joined/sealed by a cement-like substance (very hard). Obviously fireproof... I seem to remember fire cement, in the UK, available in ready mixed tubs, but the only similar thing I can find here in France is "ciment refractaire", in powder form. Is that suitable? If not, what should I use? Thanks