Chardie

Worth giving Tollgate hire in Bedminster  or Hanham a call - we used them in 2005. There was a bit extra to pay for taking it too France but found them the cheapest. Tel 01179 634445

Hi Lynpy I bet you already know of these sites but here goes anyway. I found  two sites that give very good information www.SatelliteForCaravans.co.uk this tells you in a simple to understand manner how to set up and what to look for useing the setup menu on screen via  the digibox. It certainly helped me. The other site you may also get some answeres from is Satcure (just google it and you should find it ) The set up is simple in theory even without a sat beeper but in reality it is important that you move the dish in VERY SMALL increments and let the digibox "rest" between movements.  Good Luck Chardie

Certain stains will never come out ie rust stains - I spent 10 days on my hands and knees cleaning our terracota tiles which were covered in ingrained cement and other muck. (8 years of been abandoned after renovations started.) Used acid treatment which is meant to remove cement traces and other things from terracota tiles. Its by liberon available in France and the UK. - I used lots and lots and then spent lots and lots on the sealant,  but, although not perfect, I now have a lovely floor. Worth all the effort. (Top couple of coats after sealing were wax.) Becky - (also Bristol and 16)  

Thanks Mistral, I'm not permanently resident in France at the moment but have a french home. I would like to obtain the nationality of my birth place. - Looks like I'll have to do some letter writing to see where I stand. Becky

I was born in France of New Zealand nationality parents. Only lived in France for the first 3 years of my life before moving to the UK. At the age of 14 I followed my parents and obtained a New Zealand passport. My parents  did not advise me that I had the option to obtain french nationality at that stage,  and it probably didn't concern me too much at that time!  ( I have never obtained a british passport although I have spent nearly all my life here.)-                      My understanding was that I would now have to follow the same guidelines as every other foreigner ie be permanently resident in France for 5 yrs but my brother said that this ruling has now changed for people born in France?  Anyone know anything about this?  Becky

I'll get letter writing then!  

Is it really raining and how heavy? I'm trying to decide whether to bring some plants over from the UK to plant out at the end of the month. I don't want to risk losing them if there is no rain about and the ground is bone dry.

Ron, - Aside from the fact that it may not get answered,  is it considered rude to Email then or maybe just too informal? -Its only a simple query about mains drainage that I have and doesn't to my way of thinking warrant a formal letter, (already tried asking early on in the year but coudn't get a straight answer from the lady in the office.)  -  Thanks for all the tips on letter writing everyone. Becky    

Thanks for the help. - Would go in person and ask but there's a big wide stretch of water in the way at the moment! - We did actually go and ask our question early on in the year however the girl in the office was rather vague. So I thought I might try and get a firmer answer in writing.  I can but try!  Becky  

I'm sending an E Mail to the mayor asking a question. I've written the main bulk of the Email. (kept it nice and simple and apologised for my poor written french.) - Is it correct to begin Cher Monsieur Le Maire? - And what niceties should I use to finish the Email?  - I don't want to upset him! -  Becky    

The more I think about it the more it looks like we are not covered. Looks like the insurance lady's english language skills has misled us. However I don't know  how an insurance company would know that you haven't been in the house for at least 90 days. -  Now I'll have to spend time looking for another insurance policy if AXA aren't willing to cover.  Becky

I agree its odd but the insurance lady said to us  that we must not spend more than 90 days total. We did double -check this with her at the time and she did speak reasonable English. -I've just looked at what it actually says in our insurance document: "La periode d'habitation depasse 90 jours par an. " - Now I'm not sure whether this means more than 90days in one stretch! -  Lets hope I never have to claim and find out I'm not covered. - Incidentally there is an English company based in Weston-Super-Mare who cover  holiday homes abroad. Can't remember the name but can find out if anyone wants to know as just down the road from Bristol where I live.The cover actually looked quite good but they were more expensive and didn't cover our barn (which the AXA one does).  Becky  

Our AXA insurance was arranged through our estate agent with a local insurance agent Mutuelle du Poitou Assurances.  The insurance lady came to visit the house and took note of the security (shutters and multi-point locking system on door). She pointed out a couple of things that we had to do ie mend a broken shutter. As a holiday home policy it does not allow us to spend more than 90 days a year in the house. (I wish I had enough holiday to spend 90 days!) It covers theft etc. The only thing we have to do is between the months of November and March drain the water system down completely otherwise we will not be covered for burst pipes etc.  We are not isolated and there are other houses very close by.- Not had to make a claim yet so no experience of their claims service. - One thing we have done is to put solar lights outside so it doesn't look completely uninhabited at night. The only other thing we do is have someone check every couple of weeks. -  Becky  

I've booked early and late, -  but find that if I leave it late and want to go or return on a Friday or saturday  then I have to select a different time or day as no 2 berth cabins available.  - I've already booked for mid September and the end of October. (Portsmouth to Caen route).  BF don't seem to drop their prices nearer the time. Becky

Not sure that I could stomach the boeuf tartare with the raw egg though!  Anybody had this?- Only caught the last few minutes of the programme but will be watching all of it next week. Becky   

We've had our french holiday home for just over a year now. Lots of work to do on it so every holiday is spent in France. We go back to the UK for a rest, to earn the money to pay for all the things we need  and to organise ourselves for the next trip over. If we had lots of holiday entitlement (like teachers) then we probably would take time out to have a proper weeks rest somewhere like Greece. I dream of lazing by the sea with nothing else to think about but which taverna we are going to eat at that night, -  but reality is we only get 6 to 7 weeks holiday a year. Having said that we are slowly making a lovely home from home in France and we know there will come a time when the work will be done. Becky  

Can't help you Zeb but would love to know if there is any art scene in Charente at all ie galleries, towns with lots of art/craft shops. Haven't done much exploring yet, (too busy renovating on our trips down), but would like to know if there is any one particular area/town that has more than just than one token art /craft shop. Anyone know? Becky

Having looked in the past I've not managed to find any books in English. However the french ones have lots of diagrams which if you are an electrician are easy to follow. These are the ones I use when doing electrics on our house. L'installation electrique by Thierry Gallauziaux and David Fedullo and Installer un Tableau Electrique by the same people. Available from Castorama or Amazon.  

Agree that the crystal based things that draw water are also good - we use them in the upstairs bedrooms. However If you are away for anymore than 6 weeks at a time (which is when these things generally lose there effectiveness) then not so good.

We leave a dehumidifier running all the time that we are not in our second home. We had a major problem with the humidity before we did this. - Works a treat. - Its on its own socket so everything else is switched off at the mains when we aren't there. If it goes off our keyholder switches it back on when she visits. Best thing we bought.  

We are getting the same problem but so say from tiscali - could be info, service, account or something else which looks like it is coming from your ISP. Ignore it! We are getting about 4-5 E mails a day. Waste of time trying to get Tiscali to sort out as they are the most appalling ISP!  - We did try opening one of the attachments first of all - but it woundn't open anway. Keep your anti-virus software up to date is the best advice.  

Has anyone used an electronic hard water descaler device ?(The ones that fit to the incoming coldwater pipe). If so do they work and can anyone recommend a particular make ? - I can't seem to find any unbiased info on the internet.  (Search engine on this forum is not coming up with anything.)

Ear-plugs help!

Thanks for this - definitely sounds like a stone marten from all the evidence. - I've read that mothballs as a deterent work -so maybe this in conjunction  with chicken wiring where feasible will be work. - Just need to clear all the  debris up first which will mean removing a lot of the roof tiles and replacing insulation material. C'est la vie!

Help! We have just got back from our very first short stay in our second home in Charente. On the first night there was the most awful thumping and banging coming from the narrow  loft space above our bathroom.  Thought it was probably some rat like animal or squirrels however when I lifted a few of the roof tiles to have a look  there was a large pile of excrement  which was made by a much bigger creature than a rat or squirrel. Also there were bits of dead animals - rabbit, a whole hedgehog etc - not a pretty sight. - Can someone tell me what this animal could be as I don't know what animals are indigenous to Charente. (Polecat, pine martin?) - and how  do I best get rid of this animal?. -  I couldn't see the creature when I took the tiles off -  I did put some  poison down (the stuff they sell that is meant for small creatures such as rats) and there was no noise heard on the 3rd night of our stay  - so it might have been scared off temporarily. -   Didn't like putting poison down but couldn't find any source for a trap to trap it live and take it out of the area - (plus we don't know what we are dealing with so wouldn't know what size trap to get). Any help would be much appreciated. - My wife is not too pleased about the pooh stain which has appeared on the bathroom ceiling!  Dave