Eos

Have you tried some of the Haven or Keycamp sites in your area? I know when we considered, briefly, buying into that scenario, the onus was on the owner to regularly update their vans so there are probably quite a few to be had coming into the summer season. 

Cathy, I really have no idea but the previous owners of our house were adamant in their handover to us that under no circumstances should wood for more than one day/nights use be stored indoors. Bit of a pity as we have a beautiful fireplace with built in storage where wood could dry off quite happily but I am content to defer to what I presume to be their superior knowledge!!

[quote user="Gemini_man"][quote user="Eos"][quote user="Gemini_man"] presumably owned by a wealthy'ish Irish person with a sense of fun. [blink] [/quote] I've gotta ask why you think so?! [/quote] Irish because when I last lived in England number plates with an I in the letters were for vehicles registered in Ireland [/quote] Ok. Was curious as the reg has nothing to do with the Irish numbering system. Thanks!

Sorry I have no cure either although I do suffer with scoliosis brought about by a damaged sacro-iliac nerve and how I have chosen to walk to compensate for this. Massage and physio help as does a drier climate. It is generally much worse just before my period is due.

Thanks to all for their comments on this. Having met with some friends over the weekend, both French and other nationalities, this topic did come up, as most of them have children who need to be babysat or who have done some babysitting. The general consensus was that most 16-18+ year olds have social lives of their own and are very reluctant weekend babysitters. Most families, where possible, use their own parents or other, sometimes young, family members or entertain at home for that reason. One family said that they lost their babysitters almost as soon as they turned 15! Anyway I will email my friend this evening to bring her up to date with this.

[quote user="Gemini_man"] presumably owned by a wealthy'ish Irish person with a sense of fun. [blink] [/quote] I've gotta ask why you think so?!

[quote user="LyndaandRichard"] And smoke related deaths tend to wipe a person out quicker than non smoking deaths. [/quote] My father was diagnosed with emphysema, caused by smoking, about 19 years ago. His is a very slow death involving multiple yearly hospitalisations, oxygen machines, a trunkful of daily steroids, inhalers, nebulisers, stomach settlers, probably monthly anti-biotics, numerous disability aids and extreme boredom as he is unable to do even the most basic chore for himself to pass time, although the 20 or so steps that I take between his armchair and the bathroom can occupy him for nearly 30 minutes. My mother's life is dedicated to his care so two lives have been given over to this disease.

Their thinking is that they'd prefer someone the children know and who speaks French and English. Few around here fit that bill...!

Some friends have offered to pay my daughter (14) to babysit for them while they're here on holiday during the summer. There will be two children under 9 with an occasional friend or two included. They have asked her to name a flat fee as notice could be short and hours long! While she is looking forward to the pocket money, she doesn't want to fleece them either! What do think might be appropriate? Or what is the current hourly rate?

If we're talking tenuous connections then my son used to play soccer at the same club as John O' Shea's, Man U, brother!!  

I heard this guy interviewed on the radio this afternoon. The interviewer asked him how old his eldest child is and the answer was 74, a daughter I think he said. Next question, reasonable enough I thought, was if she enjoys good health too. Buster said that he thought so as she wasn't "brown bread" but he was waiting on the funeral bill if he heard that she was! Older people are just great, my dad is 78 and my mum 77. Their funereal humour is similarly startling but always brings a smile too.

[quote user="Pads"] I enjoyed C'est la folie by Micheal Wright It was a light and easy suitable for a fun read while on holiday, he was very witty and I enjoyed his discriptions of his surroundings. Also: Kate Mosses two books... I was entranced by both of her books       [/quote] I think I missed talking with you re Kate Mosse on another thread Pads! Enjoyed all of the above and am just finishing "The Albigensian Crusade" by Jonathan Sumption. Not such light reading, more a text book but very informative.

I don't think my family is particularly impetuous or even very spontaneous. Our decisions to date have seemed reasoned and reasonable. As we are about to purchase another property in France, I've read and reread threads posted on here to refresh and update my information. One thing has me puzzled though, and if what I write sounds like I'm getting at anyone, I'm not, or at least not intentionally. I understand the need for research prior to any life changing decision but some of the posters seem to feel that only after holidaying in their chosen part of France for years and renting for ages before committing to any purchase etc, can they make their move. Life is short. I want to do what I'm doing, wherever I choose to do it and if something changes, then I either change with it or I move on to somewhere/thing else. I'm not saying we're right but I just don't always get the whole watch and wait thing. Caution is a good thing but as they say, life is what gets in the way when you're busy doing other stuff. Anyway, that's my thought for today.

[quote user="Richardk"]...health professionals (GP, gnaecologist, and knee surgeon) who talk English to various levels of proficiency...if you want English contact, you will find it. If you don't go looking, you won't...or at least, not too much.  [/quote] We live in a village outside Beziers and would fully concur with the above. I don't avoid other English speakers but don't seek them out either.

[quote user="Jacqui Too "] The word 'Totty'  or 'Tottie' not quite sure which is now a brand name for women's/girls fashion clothing, you know the sort of thing were the brand name is written across the front/ back of tee shirts, polo shirts, skimpy tops, similar to 'Joules'. Very popular at county/agricultural/horse shows, so some-one must like the 'term'. [/quote] Playboy is also scrawled across clothing for little girls. That doesn't make that ok either.

Sorry! Double post.  

[quote user="Catalpa"]If you want further non-mod validation of dislike of the word totty, I'm in. I do think use of terms like that says more about the person saying it than the objects of their reference. [/quote] Hear hear, Catalpa. Euro, sometimes I try to say nothing at all when I have nothing nice to say, hence a non  reply to your other thread. Sometimes I don't.  

[quote user="Cathy"] ...someone stopped us putting money in a meter when we didn't need to,... I'm convinced that [both these incidents] would not have happened in France.[/quote] I had two incidents recently which cause me to beg to differ. In Beziers, we had a similar situation where we didn't need to feed the meter and a nice lady stopped us from doing so. In a small village just outside the town where we had just parked on our way to meet a friend, my daughter went to put a bar wrapper into the bin only to discover that what she thought was a bin wasn't. A lady coming out of her front gate, having seen the attempt, asked my daughter for the wrapper and put it into her domestic bin. There's always hope[:)]  

Tressy, I hope you don't mind but I noticed your name on another thread in this section. Brought back memories of a doll I had called Tressy when I was about 8 years old. Santa brought her, possibly because Barbie was busy, although I can't imagine ever inviting Barbie for Christmas but there you go! Anyway, she had shortish blonde hair except for one pony tail like section towards the middle of her scalp which could be wound, via a button on her back, to make it longer or shorter. The hairstyling possibilities were endless, well, I was only 8. She got lost when we moved house, I think, but no one I've mentioned her to since remembers a Tressy doll. I hadn't actually thought of her for years so thanks! Happy times.

We had to buy our ceramic hob from IKEA Montpellier as the old one we were replacing was an off standard size that only they supplied at any kind of reasonable price. At one stage it was beginning to look like it might just have been cheaper to replace the kitchen rather than try to fill the rather large hole left by the old hob! Anyway three years on and so far, so good. Don't know about markings but the qualified electrician, who is very fussy, was happy to fit it.

You could try an internet cafe, check in there and print the necessary document.

Daniel Day Lewis lives near my parents. But that's in Ireland.

Thanks to all for your replies and apologies for the re-hash. Stefan , you'll be glad to know this has exercised my mind more than twice! The latest is that my daughter is to travel alone on a direct flight with Transavia from Bodrum to Amsterdam where she will spend a few days with my SIL before heading south to us in France, again with Transavia direct to Montpellier. Her friends will accompany her to Bodrum and wait with her as long as possible and she will be met at the other end. Transavia do unaccompanied flights for young people of her age and she is quite an intelligent and well travelled girl who will be almost 15, but still 14, by the time the trip takes place. This is a big adventure for her and I don't want to take from that experience unless necessary. Does anyone know if Bodrum airport is more like say Carcassonne or Barcelona? Nothing is booked yet so tell me if I'm mad to even consider letting her go to a country who has just sent troops to another, never mind letting her travel alone out of it etc etc. I have no wish to offend anyone so if the last comment has, I apologise but she is the only daughter I have!!

First let me say that I don't know too much about goats and am open to correction. However,  you may have identified the problem already as I believe they are quite social animals and are very inclined to subscribe to the theory of "anywhere but here" as I think you're discovering! That said, they usually choose to go through or under fencing and, while I appreciate that this might be a tad difficult with a stone wall, might indicate a bit of loneliness as well as fondness for ivy! They do tend to like brush or scrub more than grass. Of course, if the owner gets a little companion for the goat, you might then have two little visitors! The owners, imo, should be taking more responsibility for the goat's welfare as I think their hooves require ongoing care.    

Imo, bring only what matters to you in terms of sentimentality or antiquity etc. Oh, and beds as they are very expensive here! A friend brought all her things with her, and apart from the fact that the high ceilings here make her stuff look like toytown pieces, she doesn't really feel her house has a very French atmosphere.