Chrisb

Don't assume that you won't be able to get well-rotted horse manure............it may be worth asking round people who keep their horses at home, rather than at a stables. We have 2 (soon to be 3) muck-heaps on the go, the first one is coming up to 2 years old now, and has all but disappeared - what is left is really good stuff - I'm going to plant my courgettes in it this year! Regards Chris

Net of roasted bar singes.................made me think of a load of cooked monkeys!! (meant to be filet of Bass (Bar in French)) Froth (moss)of apple and its knob with toffee in the milk............................Apple and pommeau mousse with a caramel sauce!! Chris  

Trumpet - 130€ per year  - one 30 minute lesson per week + solfege (1 hour/week) + Orchestra (1 hour/week) Table Tennis - 50€ per year, 2 hours Wednesday pm, 2 hours Saturday pm (can also go Mon/Thurs evenings if they want) Guitar - 10€ per week 1/2 hour Ice-skating - 7€ per week - 2 hours Ball Trap - 2-3 hours on a Sat or Sunday pm 50€ for the licence, 2.50€/ go, then up to 18€/week for cartridges, depending how many times he shoots.  Chris

We have just been asking ourselves the same question. My m-i-l has a smoothie maker in the UK, and the children came back after their recent visit maintaining that it was an essential piece of kitchen equipment, so, thinking anything that encourages them to eat more fruit must be a good thing, I decided to get one! I ended up with an 'upright' processor/blender with a separate liquidiser which will do far more than a smoothie maker, for not much more money. The only thing that my m-i-l's machine has that mine doesn't, as far as I can see,  is a tap at the bottom that you can put a glass underneath!! Chris

Thanks for that SB, I didn't realise they had Maths ones, or French for that matter...............ebay here I come!! Chris

Mine went indoors a couple of weeks ago as well, and I wormed them a couple of days before they went in with some liquid wormer which I got from the vet to put in their water (you have to chuck the eggs for a week or so - see what it says on the bottle). I also give them crushed oyster shell in with their pellets - bought from the local grain merchant, although I did see someone suggesting that you dry out eggshellls in the oven and then crush them and feed them back for calcium. I haven't ever had a mite problem, so can't help you there, I'm afraid. I feed the bulk of their grain in a container so I can lift it away from rats at night, but also chuck a few handfuls on the ground in the morning to let them scratch about. I put straw down on an earth floor, which is quite dry and loose and they are enjoying their dust baths! When I change the straw I put down the slices without shaking them out and they have great fun distributing it over the floor of the barn! If you want to use woodchips, you can buy them at Agrial/Point Verte, and I have a friend who gets them loose for her horses from a local saw-mill. I am also still feeding them vegetable scraps/left over rice/pasta/porridge etc and handfuls of grass,chickweed etc. I think mine are quite happy being inside, especially bearing in mind the rain and wind we have had over the last few weeks! Regards Chris    

[quote user="Katieb"]  could we apply on line or do we need to visit the Caisee where our Carte Vitales are issued? [/quote] Hi Kate I don't think you can apply for them by post or on-line. I went yesterday, requested  cards for all of us, handed over my Carte Vitale, and a couple of minutes later was told that we should receive them through the post in about 14days. Very straightforward. Chris  

[quote user="Teamedup"] There are so few negative posts about french  education on here. Apparently everything is fine or really good for the majority of brit kids, I have no idea as to how or why  this percentage is so high. I don't understand it at all and it can only leave parents like myself standing back in amazement and sometimes I admit, disbelief. And if all we are told is really true, well, well done all you very clever, very adaptable children. [/quote] The thing is, we can only post our own point of view, things as we see them.Your children were very unfortunate in that they hated, and were let down by the French system, and I feel for them, and you, I really do. But for those of us whose children genuinely are, or seem to be doing OK, what are we supposed to say?? I admit, it's not perfect here, far from it - in his first year at college my eldest was always 'en colle', but he decided to pull his finger out, and hasn't had 1 detention yet this year. He wants to be a doctor, and his headmaster has said that he considers him capable of doing that . The youngest, sometimes a bit cheeky, thinks he might like to study music, but he is only in CM2, so has plenty of time to decide. He has had his face tapped (and I mean tapped, not hit, slapped etc etc) by his teacher with a ruler - he said it didn't hurt, he wasn't emotionally scarred by the experience - I said it served him right for messing about! Debra, you will find out what it's like when you get here, your children might take to it like a duck to water, they might hate it, you might decide that the local state scool suits their needs, or you might decide to send them to private school ( I have one at each at the moment). I have always found the teachers to be pretty approachable...........but I do like to copy my French friend who when she wants to complain, is unfailingly polite,flatters the recipient enormously, and then moves in with the comment she wishes to make...............I've never known her to fail - she says that politesse and flattery is essential in order to get ones own way, and that if you go in with a very 'stiff' attitude, the drawbridge will go up and you won't have a hope!! Anyway, just my two' penneth worth! Chris Edit: I was obviously typing this when Debra posted which is why is doesn't quite follow what she was saying!

Debra I think this was one of the posts 'brought up' again by a spam poster who has had their posts removed, hence why the request is so old and some of the posts are new! Chris

[quote user="SaligoBay"] My son was threatened with being expelled from his primary school here in France, and I can assure you that he is NOT a bad child.  The teacher just had no training whatsoever in dealing with anything out of the ordinary. [/quote] I am having the same problem at the moment......I will be the first to admit that my son , who is in CM2, can be a bit cheeky, but nothing terrible, however we have a weekly bilan, cosisting of 13 bullet points which are marked with a 'traffic light system' of green,orange or red dots. These include things such as talking back to the teacher, turning round, not putting his hand up, tipping back on his chair, going to to loo in lesson time etc etc. all of which, I admit, can be disrupting to a class, but it makes me feel that she is always on his back, and the slightest thing gets an orange or red mark. Interestingly, he had a replacement teacher for the whole of January, and she asked why he had a bilan because she thought his behaviour was absolutely fine, and had no problems with him, whatsoever. My son, by the way, absolutely loves his school, and can't really see what all the fuss is about!! Chris  

Snap, Viva.......and posted at exactly the same time!!  [:D] Chris

We just live our lives over here.....we are not pally, pally with our neighbours, but know they would always be there if needed, and I have helped them with English job applications, translated directions to the Chambre d'Hote etc, without thinking what am I going to get in return. The children go to school here and have friends over and vice versa, and I help on occasional school trips, fetes etc My children and husband play table-tennis for the town team and my youngest plays the trumpet in the Orchestra.We have French friends and English friends and French TV and Sky. We use French or English Artisans, depending on who does the best job for the best price, and my husband brings back English food regularly from the UK, but we also love many French dishes (apart from andouillettes!). I read French newspapers and the Times, and try to keep up with what is going on so that I can have decent conversations with people.  In short, this is our home, and we live here quite happily, not trying too hard to fit in, but not alienating ourselves in a british 'clique', either. Just live your lives, speak French (essential) and enjoy yourselves!! Chris

Hi Debra You could start with trying the Cahiers de Vacances which are available in most supermarkets, near to the books/magazines.........these are workbooks available in all subjects for all year groups. This would give you an idea of the levels required in all subjects, and would give your children an idea of how they do things 'French style' in maths! Good luck!! Regards Chris

I don't have a Super U near me, but also have the same problem with 'localised itching' from my men-folk when using powder. I was told that powder with the savon de marseilles was the best to use, but it didn't seem to make any difference..........think I'll look out for the liquid with aloe vera, that should soothe those itchy parts!! Chris

[quote user="jond"]For the time being, the authorities here in France seem to saying that netting will be adequate. As much as anything, they seem concerned that poultry keepers may simply ignore the rule if it is to difficult to follow!! [/quote] I was speaking to my vet yesterday and he said that although netting eg fruit tree netting would be OK to put round existing pens, there must be a solid roof to avoid wild birds perching and pooing through. He also said that if we had the room, he would advise us to move them indoors, because he thought that would be the next step. Again, we had helicopters circling this morning...........doubtful they were looking for pool fencing, not a vast number of pools in my neck of the woods! Apparently the gendarmes in some regions have been out and about noting addresses of houses where there are chickens etc, and once the regs have been fully implemented, they will be carrying out spot checks. Regards Chris  

I don't know if it's any use to you, but they have several styles of window bars in Brico-depot, one of which is quite ornate (bowed and twirly, if you get what I mean!)..........they appear to come in various widths and heights, and are very reasonably priced, I can't remember exactly how much but around 24€ for about 60cm wide, I think!! Regards Chris      

Amongst other things, I remember that my Mum had a sky blue Hillman Imp with knitted square multi-coloured seat covers! I went to a school reunion a few years back (we were all 40), and one of my old friends said that was one of the things she remembered from when she was young - my Mum's seat covers! - we would have been about 7, I suppose. Chris

Dear Janey Lovely...............think I'll go with the second one, thanks very much!! [:D] Regards Chris

Amongst other sentences, I have the following to translate and complete for my French lesson: Once, I got into trouble at school because................... I am sure that some one can give me a better alternative to - Une fois, a l'école, j'étais dans la merde parce que..............!! I don't somehow think that will quite cut it!  Any suggestions gratefully received! Many thanks Chris PS I'm sure you can guess that the censored word was m*rde!

[quote user="Miki"]OK fair do's, we'll move on then eh ! [/quote] Good idea!!![:D]

Well, I used the embarrased faced smiley because I realised that you were right and that my post was fairly meaningless, and by saying that I wouldn't post the fact again, I was agreeing with you about its uselessness! The smiley, smiley was actually meant to be a friendly way of finishing the post. Sorry, but I do go in for exclamation marks a lot, it's just the way I am. Chris 

No, I was not keeping the reasons to myself..........I don't know why we got an E106 for 5 years, and the 'not rocking the boat' comment was that I didn't intend to contact the DWP to find out why. Why was my reply sarcastic and bashful? I don't want 'knitting places' or  'Isn't it lovely threads'.............don't knit, and am quite aware that it isn't all lovely, but thanks for the suggestion!! I found the last paragraph a bit confusing, not 100% sure what you meant by it, but I am glad that it wasn't just for me, I think!! Regards Chris

[quote user="Miki"] Well from that, it can be deduced that you don't have any idea anyway, as to how you got 5 years E106  "I am sure that I merely said that we were moving to France, and please could I have an E106, and that is what arrived! " So rocking the boat doesn't really come in to it, does it ? [/quote] Blimey, you're not very pleasant are you.................you really have had quite a sarcastic pick at me over this, as if I have said something that really offended you.........I apologised at the beginning for not having given a very helpful post regarding the E106, I think I'll go back to lurking, or posting in sections where you don't often post!! Chris

Thanks for the advice, Peter,  which is pretty much exactly what I had decided, too.......................I'm not prepared to 'rock my boat' for the sake of others on this forum. Just for info, though, my husband continues to commute weekly to the UK and pays UK NI and Tax contributions, however DWP were not aware of this when we moved over. I am sure that I merely said that we were moving to France, and please could I have an E106, and that is what arrived!  Regards Chris

Hello there, Yes, there is one in Bayeux, Avenue Vallée des Prés 14400 Bayeux  02 31 92 07 64 It was a while ago when I went, so can't give you directions, I'm afraid. Hopefully you will be able find it on a street plan. Regards Chris