myrtle

Try http://www.neddi.org/ they have a refuge in northern france

I may be interested, but WHERE are you? Is he castrated? Can offer experienced home with other horses, IF you are in reach of Normandy and he is not still entire. M

As we only let 2 rooms, I accept pets only on the understanding that the dog can sleep in a clean indoor stable and be exercised in the ley fields, on a lead at all other times to save my poultry cats and ducks from a fit of the vapours. So far in the three years we have been operating, Ive had several french people quite happy with this, and 2 or 3 english clients not so happy and declined to stay with us after finding somewhere that allowed their dog in the rooms.  My own dog is not allowed in most parts of the house including the hall, dining, kitchen or bedrooms. Therefore I dont see why other dogs should get that privelige.  We had a cat stay once, but it was an overnighter and he slept and stayed in his carry box.  Never been asked about mice or other pets so not sure how I would react really!  I dont want to 'blanket ban' pets, and as I have said, we take horses in stables/grazing. I dont want to offend pet owners either Its interesting to see the different opinions of you all...thank you, thankfully this time without anyone getting stroppy and telling me what  'I dont want to hear'. It was a genuine 'poll' and as a result I err on the side of next season, declining pets altogether particularly as Ive actually had more clients asking about low allergen and special diet requirements (which we are happy to deal with)  than ask about pets to be honest. thanks all M I

Hi How many of you accept pets, and if so what restrictions do you apply on their being in the house/kept on lead/size of dog etc etc.   Do you charge more for pets depending on size? I ask because I actually do accept pets, but as we have our own livestock and pets, will not allow them off the lead in the yard or house.   Large dogs stay in one of the stables for a small fee, but am I being unreasonable?  Do you have problems clearing hair etc up after them?   Our pets arent even allowed free access to rooms/kitchen/dining etc. We take horses but thats entirely different of course, as no one has ever asked if they could stay in the house  ;-) myrtle

Miki were you bullied at school? chill man its just a forum.....maybe the doctor can prescribe something?

Miki you are SO rude! Not  afraid....certainly not afraid, I just object to rudeness like yours and dont see sense in putting myself up for the firing line from people I shall never meet and who will never know me.  I asked what others would do.....thats all....I didnt ask for justification of what I might or might not do....or perhaps this is too complicated for you to digest as you are so obviously overworked and hard pressed with endless bookings? .....and if your so b...y good at it why arent you serving dinner at 9pm this evening hhmm??? night night sleep tight, I shall thanks... love Myrtle

Miki - this is one reason why in 8 years Ive not dared post before now...I wasnt intending to be particularly defensive, merely pointing out that there are B&Bs and there are B&Bs !! You, and a number of others here obviously work very hard to run it as a full time enterprise.   I on the otherhand do it because I like the extra cash, enjoy meeting some of the guests and they generally leave very happy having been entirely satisfied with knowing that they get Bed and a very hearty farmhouse breakfast, can make snacks in the guests dining room and drink their wine whenever they wish, and have a choice of some excellent french restaurants or cafe bars to eat out during the evening.  I already DO put in my "guff" as you put it, that we are a "farm" house and this is actually part of our attraction....the animals the countryside the way of life.   We are not a ski resort, beach holiday or theme park and whether french or english clients arrive, in the past 5 years Ive only once before had to direct a lost guest at 11pm, and did it entirely willingly. Do me the courtesy of reading more fully what I originally wrote and further replied, before assuming I'm Mrs Fawlty with an attitude if she misses her beauty sleep.....it simply is not true, and no guests have mine have ever been made to think that. love mytle xxx

St Amour said: but you people that go to bed at ten and run a CDH - how on earth do you manage it!!!!!  Especially if you do evening meals!  Thats precisely why I DONT do evening meals!  Far rather give the restaurants the business, they cook better and more efficiently than I and they are also prepared to chat all evening.   If I have guests IN and booked we do of course, wait up for their return and have no qualms about locking up after midnight if they have been out late....this is NOT a problem, but waiting up for guests that cannot give you the courtesy of a sensible arrival time to hear all the necessary little quirks and bits of tourist info is beyond belief....as I said....I am NOT a fully equipped hotel and catering service just a little farmhouse B&B....I have to be up at 6 whether there is guests in or no.

Thanks all, I'm glad I wasnt being unreasonable then, when I suggested that that they find a hotel as at 10.30 they were still 1.5hrs away and they weren't even lost at this point! (The complicated bit was yet to come probably in the wee small hours of 1 or 2am) I think I was most annoyed because they obviously dilly dallied down to Dover, without a doubt stopped for a couple of hours for dinner on this side on what is a quite straightforward motorway route two thirds of the way here, and then were surprised when I asked them (yes somewhat sarcastically I admit) how long they would like me to wait up for them! If they had said, "oh sorry we are so late but we got terribly lost, just had to stop for a wee/lunch/leg stretch", I might have been more generous but the assumption was that I had a 24hr receptionist, in fact, that I WAS the 24hr receptionist and that I would supply 70kms of directions was taking the proverbial surely. And thank you Quilllan, I too need my kip, and so have now added to my Terms of Business along then lines that we respectfully remind guests that a Chambre d'Hote is a private home and not an hotel, therefore arrival times between 2 and 9pm are appreciated, later than 10pm may be refused except in exceptional circumstances. Re SatNav...??  ....no please, dont get me started on the joys of satnav..... On another note, this year started advertising more fully with french market and found how much less aggro they usually are, not always...just usually....

oops sorry double posting!

 I have lurked here for several years on and off, but last nights events have encouraged me to seek your views.... very late on saturday i took a three day booking for a family of 6, in our CdH due to arrive last evening,sunday, around teatime...they had chosen the furthest ferry route and had a 3 hour drive on both uk and french side to our normandy residence.  I was confirming the booking by email with full directions, way past my bedtime, and waited for a return receipt which came before I retired.....alls well then....? At 4pm french time they had only just arrived at Dover so we estimated a 9pm ish arrival.  he also said he had not received my directions which were to a hotmail address needless to say, and had not bothered to bring a map of France. Get to our nearest town and ring me again says I,   the phone rings at 10.30pm with a blase, "how are you" attitude...  they had just arrived at a city some 1 and a half hours away!!!!!!   no apologies, no excuse, just an assumption that Id wait up past midnight for them.   What would you people do??    We are NOT a Hotel, just busy small farmers with 2 rooms and, so far, a very busy summer booking list. .  love myrtle .