Mik from LA

Wow, that is incredibly interesting! I now have a million questions but do not want to hijack your bamboo supply thread. I will google the subject. If you can point me in the direction of a good source of info I would be grateful.

[quote user="JohnRoss"] you would not want to pm yourself... [/quote] Maybe I would! no one else does But all is clear now. Thanks for the replies

I seem to be the only person without a PM button at the end of my posting. Have I missed something?

[quote user="Dog"]I do not dislike modern hitech kites but they do not have the simplicity and purity of a bamboo and paper kite that can fly from your hand at any distance and is not limited by length of line.[/quote] I am curious now. If not limited by length of line, are they radio controlled or expendable?

[quote user="baypond"]I love mushrooms etc, but have a fear of eating something that I have mis-identified. It always seems a bit like russian roulette to me. If someone could create a simple toxicity test they would make millions![/quote] It really is very simple. Just stick to one or two types that you are certain about. Perhaps ask your neighbours for help. If you have any doubt just leave the others alone. You can always take them to any pharmacy to check they are safe to eat. If you start with ceps you will find it easy. There is nothing fatal that looks like them. Don't miss a great experience because of scare stories, just be sensible.

It is Dick van Dyke singing "Me ole bamboo" in a strange accent. What sort of kites do you make? I thought they were all high tech these days with carbon fibre spars?

In our region, in the new year, miles of nets are strung out across deer routes. The deer are then driven towards them where they are caught and restrained by many volunteers, bussed in for the occasion. They are then tagged and released (the deer not the volunteers). For the rest of the year, strange men with tracking devices can be found all over the place. Presumably tracking the deer. I am not sure what happens to all the information that is collected but I think Toulouse university is involved. Does anyone have any information about this?

What an excellent video. We watched a similar spectacle a while ago while  we were having breakfast on the patio. We were too engrossed to think about taking a picture. Very well done.

Thanks Cendrillon. When I was at school my exam papers would often come back with, in red ink and capital letters, "read the question". At my age I'm never going to learn now!

You may be fighting a losing battle Grimaud. I remember when we were looking for properties, I built up a rogues gallery of appalling imobilier photos -half eaten meals, piles of washing, disgusting bathrooms etc. Then when we actually got around to looking at property we found a similar attitude where no attempt was made to present the house. Is this the sort of thing you meant? Straight from an immobiliers web site. Perhaps we should start a rogues gallery [IMG]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y37/mikornisey/1850_1850-8.jpg[/IMG]

[quote user="Steve"]Scooby..... Agreed. Forums are about passing free advice & comment that in some cases may help the readers, not as a way of swopping this information for a potential sale or 2. Steve [/quote] Says who? Information from professionals is equally if not more valid. In my opinion it is an ideal way of judging the calibre of the professional. I suspect the rule about no advertising is more to do with protecting the forum owners right to sell advertising. Some forums allow advertising in the posts where there is no other commercial interest. I also am not keen to see blatent advertising in posts but this is surely a matter of common sense and if excessive is up to the moderators to deal with. [quote user="Poolguy"]I understand your objection and, whilst I don't agree with you, I will respect your views and will in future just advise that a PM have been sent to give the poster the information they want, privately. You realise of course that this will mean that a lot of the information that is passed on will then not be available to the general population, but hey, I don't want to offend you, after all you have posted here of your own free will and contributed you opinion, albeit only 36 posts, each one is a gem I am sure. [/quote] That is very sad. please reconcider

[quote user="Steve"] Putting a link to your website at the bottom of each post is  not overt at all then? [/quote] It is allowed under the rules of the forum which you are keen to promote. I do understand your point but I am of a different opinion. I think it all comes down to common sense at the end of the day

In my opinion Andrew makes brilliant use of the forums. As you say he passes on very valuable and informed advice and does not overtly advertise. In this case he has asked the op to pm him. That's ok by me. I would not want to discourage Andrews posts in any way.

Some friends of hours lost their very heavy, hinged pool covers in the storm and have made a successful claim but using a French company. We are in 31 Haute Garronne but it was the same storm. If you want to e-mail me your details I will ask them to contact you directly. I am sure they would be willing to help.

The answer to your question first depends on how old the user is. Then what you want to use them for. This is not a flippant reply but it is all explained in a book called "Choosing, Using and Repairing Binoculars". I bought a copy and an excellent pair of binos on ebay from a chap who specialises in sourcing second hand binoculars. It would be worth your while dropping him an e-mail. I just had a quick look and found a current auction going on at Ebay. You can buy directly from him

Our phone does the same thing. I believe you have to subscribe to the phone service which provides the caller number.

I loved it. It made my day too.

Best tip I was given is to sign up for email/newsletter for each of the big hotels in LV. When they have special offers they will let you know and you can build a holiday around that. We did this and got four nights at £30 per room for each night. An extra night after that would have cost $270! We enjoyed it so much we got married there at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Well worth the helicopter flight. I second the advice to travel the Pacific Coast Highway from LA to SF. Booking motels as you go is no problem. If doing a round trip by car come back via Yosemite (breathtakingly beautiful) and Death Valley (awsome)

1.36 Acres

sorry Sorry SORRY I just asked at the petrol station and was told by the cashier that it is legal to fill cans with petrol. When I asked, she said as far as she knew it has always been legal. I know I am getting senile but I definitely saw a man refused and saw the paper explaining why (and this was before the delivery strike).

The restriction, to which I referred, was not connected with the oil strike. It is on a sheet of paper in the window of the payment kiosk. It appears to be a local by-law (Haute Garonne). I too have filled up all sorts of containers without challenge. It seems to depend on whether you have a jobsworth assistant.

I believe it is illegal to fill containers with petrol in France. A person in front of me was stopped filling his cans was and shown a copy of the regulations. "Well how can I get petrol for my mower then?" he asked. "Do what everybody else does and wait till we are closed then use the automatic card system"

We have not quite got the CVs yet but the request for photos and ID arrived Friday together with an attestation with a new permanent number. Now lets hope we don't need them Mik

Kitty - At last I have my carte vitale. Well almost. During the last of a number of regular visits to CPAM I was told my my number has changed and I would soon get my CV. I would need to provide a photo and some ID. No problem because I had my "its all in here file" so I produced said requirements. No no I had to go home and wait for them to ask me for them. I wait with bated breath.

The discovery of France by Graham Robb ISBN978-0-330-42760-9 Interesting and very readable