Doodle

I had a problem finding the right style nobs for our sanded old wood doors and eventually unable to find what I wanted in france, I ordered from castinstyle.co.uk and bought a really nice chrome rim lock - the problem was the postage to france was £22. However, we really liked it when it arrived so the next order was delivered to friends who brought it over with them. Hope this helps, Chris

My next door neighbour is english and the property is a holiday home. They do not have a bin. We have a bin collection once a week and pay once per year, this year at 123 euros, my neighbour's bill for this year was nearly 90 euros for the year. If we forget to pay or in our case for some reason never receive the May bill (we have to go into the Tresor Public armed with cheque and ask the amount payable), we receive a reminder in September but there is no extra to pay at that point although I believe the reminder states that if you don't pay up on this bill then interest will be added. You may not have to pay towards the bin collection and therefore are perhaps due a reduction in that respect but in our commune (53) we all have to pay towards the convenience of the dechetterie. Hope this is helpful Chris

Hi, If you are referring to an electric Aga then have a look at the Everhot cookers. Far superior to an electric aga and indeed to most electric range cookers ie you don't lose heat from the ovens when the hob lids are opened and you can choose whether to have the ovens and hobs all working at the same time or independently and no condensation in the ovens and of course you can put it into eco mode, warms the kitchen/diner nicely and it plugs into a 13 amp socket..............and much cheaper to buy than an Aga - convinced yet? Chris

Totally in agreement Merlin. I am especially looking forward to seeing Mignon in her new home as well and then this particular story will have come to a total happy ending for all of Gaynor's pets. Chris

Judith, I bought that book a couple of years ago, lent it someone who hasn't returned it but a very interesting read. If I remember rightly the chappy (a doctor) was a prisoner of war and offered a fellow prisoner who asked him for help a glass of water as that was all he had. I think he continued to give him a daily glass of water and saw a marked improvement in the fellow. He decided to research the effects of water on the body when he got out of prison. Since reading that book I drink loads of water, sometimes boiled up first though not sure why no doubt I read about it somewhere! I live in dept 53 Mayenne, sometimes late at night or very early morning, our cup of tea tastes disgusting (we drink black tea, no sugar). When I asked the locals about the water problem they thought I was mad and I was told to stick with the pastis! However, I eventually found out that when our reservoir is about to be tested the person who looks after the thing bangs in a load of chemicals so that when the results are posted at the Marie we are shown as having good water! I now fill the kettle early evening to make sure we always get that decent first cuppa.

When we wanted a new bathroom fitted recently our local plumber gave us some catalogues to look through and the names of a few local suppliers he recommended. We duly visited 4 bathroom suppliers, decided which we wanted, spoke to a lady in the showroom who noted our requirements, filled out the order and told us that was all as she would now contact our plumber. He took delivery and a couple of weeks later his team came and installed everything. Simple. We are now looking at doing out the loft and thought we'd nip to Leroy Merlin to check out the items. We saw the exact same toilet at 192 euros which our plumber charged for at 85 euros at that point we didn't look any further but went straight back to our plumber and asked him to get the same items again for us. So beware, it may not work out so cheap in the long run to buy the items yourself and of course everything is guaranteed. One more point, my neighbour bought a jet shower unit from L.Merlin. They had it fitted by the english chappy who did the house renovations. They had leak after leak ruining the newly decorated hallway several times. In the end they asked us if our plumber would take a look. He said it meant taking the whole unit out and was not happy to do the job it as it would be quite a cost to them, he suggested speaking with L.M. The original installer was called back again and after removing the unit yet again, said there was a problem with the jets and they would need to take the unit back to L.M. Fortunately, we all went off to L.M. leaving the unit in situ. The very helpful chappy in L.M. asked if we had a alum key as he believed the jets at the back of the unit had not been tightened and that maybe the cause of the problem - and he was right. How much easier it would have been if it had all been done by the french plumber in the first place. Chris

Beriscolt, Wonderful news, thank you Helen in Coutances. Please keep us updated when Mignon is finally in her new home. Thanks Chris

Just want to bring this post back to top - lest we forget. Thanks............

Sammy and two of his friends have new homes after the death of their owner but poor little Mignon who is an elderly tabby still needs a home and time is running out. A lovely little cat that doesn't have a great deal going in the looks department (which is perhaps why she's been left behind) as she had to have an ear removed due to cancer and a broken front leg has left her looking a bit out of shape but she is such a sweetie and I think would more likely be in the house than out as she is just looking for warmth and a kind hand. She is living in the Mayenne (53) but time is running out. Please can someone take her in and make her last few years very special. Possibly some more details are available on the TF forum. Many thanks

Hi Brian, Gaynor's (sammy's owner) daughter in law has just come over from the UK for a few days and would like to get in touch with you. I can't pm you as you haven't made that facility available but if you don't mind, and would like to let me have your contact phone/email by pm-ing me, I can then pass it on to her as she lives next door to me and she can then use my phone/PC. She knows Sammy very well obviously and would like to know how he gets on and could help with advice on the travelling aspect. Regards, Chris Edit: since posting, the email/pm has miraculously arrived on the screen so I've now pm'd you.

Hello all, I know Sammy well, his owner was a friend of mine who died 2 weeks ago. There are also 3 cats, 2 black and white and one tabby with one ear missing due to cancer. But back to Sammy, the blindness does not affect this very happy and friendly dog and I would have taken him and the 3 cats if it hadn't have been for my own cat who I know would not take kindly to sharing her home. I do hope someone will be kind enough to come forward and give him a home as he is a lovely dog. Edit: Someone this evening has offered Sammy a home - I shall now be one of many who will sleep better tonight. Thank you one and all........BUT there is still Mignon a little tabby with one ear missing - please can someone take her as well?

A very large vegetable pasty! good for picnics as well. Fry finely chopped leeks, courgettes. carotts and potatoes put into a bowl, melt a veggie stock cube in a little hot water and pour over the veg, mix in grated cheese and leave for a couple of hours or overnight in the fridge then using ready made pastry (I like the double epaisse) fill one half of the pastry, fold the other half over and seal the edges pasty style, put a couple of knife slits in the top for the steam to escape and cook for around 25 mins. Delicious with a good blob of HP.

Hi I have a recipe for cherry berry flapjacks but you will need oats and golden syrup - if you can get your hands on these items I will send the recipe - they taste extremely good, i made them for a charitable fete and they were thoroughly enjoyed by the french and the english. You can buy flavoured jelly in the 'U' supermarkets, the last one I bought was .99. However, I have discovered gelatin leaves .75 for a pack of 9 and I tend to use 3 which you soak for 5 mins in very cold water and then when they've gone squidgy I mix them with a warmed raspberry coulis to melt them and then pour over frozen raspberries or frozed mixed red fruits from 'U' and by using frozen fruits it sets in no time at all. I also make it in individual dishes (plastic ones for picnics). The gelatin doesn't taste just sets so you get a lovely taste of real fruit. Hope this helps and best wishes for the picnic.........Chris

Well we live in the Mayenne bought the DVD YIP and have to agree that we have had many similar experiences. By the way we loved the DVD and have watched it numerous times and it still makes us laugh (haven't read the book). As for A Year in the Merde, didn't like it at all. An Englishman in Paris was good but didn't rate the follow up much when he moves to the campagne. Chris

Thanks AR. I'm pretty sure there is not a 'person of the cloth' attending but it would make sense to take a bible (if I had one) so will put that suggestion forward. Many thanks, Chris

Can someone please tell me what to expect at a french cremation service that we have been asked to attend next tuesday. Apparently it will be 30 minutes max. There will be a mixture of french and english attendees. The brother of the deceased is coming over from the UK to deal with the matter, to say a few words and anyone else who so wishes will have the opportunity to say a few words but he is unsure of how to bring the service to an end particularly as he doesn't speak any french (I don't know if there will refreshments on offer afterwards). I would be very grateful for any information that I could pass on to him. Many thanks in advance, Chris

Ours arrived in this morning's post. Chris

Hi JR, Update on Dora, the vet said that it was a very large tick and also told us that some ticks can grow as large as a thumb nail but also (which we didn't see), it had buried itself over a claw the area of which was inflamed - no wonder she was limping - so he gave her a dose of antibiotics. She is back dancing around the garden, bright as a button thank goodness and perhaps tonight we will all sleep well. Dora sends a big thank you to Darty, Kulani and Misty, and thanks Theiere. Chris

Thanks JR what an interesting site. I think she has probably been bitten. This morning the blister has gone and she is walking it seems without a limp however, touch the leg and she is not happy. I will let you know the outcome of the vet visit. Thanks again Chris

Hi JR It could possibly be a bite as we live in a small village in the countryside surrounded by fields and she digs for australia so she may well have been bitten. It worries me that the earliest appointment is tomorrow afternoon but she is eating and is out and about although when she jumped on the wall this morning she let out a loud yowl. Maybe we worry to much as this is a country cat which adopted us and we are used to town cats where the only worry was the traffic.

Well thanks all for the info. I've just read all the posts and they did make me laugh. Of course it's a 70's thing who else would know about advocaat but I see I'm not alone here. I still love my snowballs and am quite partial to it neat but have to make it last. Normally I get three bottles at Christmas and make them last until the first visitors arrive but sadly this year I went through them all before the new year was out! I had a lovely time as you can imagine! hic Thanks again Chris ps will try the recipes

Hi, I have booked my cat in with the vet earliest appointment being tomorrow afternoon. In the meantime does anyone know what this might be? Yesterday a white colour today grey smooth oval shaped thing looks like a blister attached to the inside of her leg just above the paw. She is limping and picks her foot up when sitting. I tried to look at it yesterday and got yowled at and this morning when the OH picked her up I couldn't get close before she went for me so she is obviously in pain. I don't think it's a tick - at least it doesn't look the same as the previous ones. Thanks, Chris

Can anyone tell me were I can buy Advocaat as I've done all the usual supermarkets without success and have had to ask friends to bring bottles over from the UK. Also, Dubonnet, I thought this was a french drink but I can't seem to find it in the supermarkets. Thanks, Chris

Hi Patf Some years back we sailed over to France from the UK. We were told that in order to sail around the french coast or to enter the rivers which we wanted to do, that we must have an equivalent qualification to the french one (can't remember what that is now) so we both signed up with the RYA and took our competant crew, day skipper and coastal skipper exams in order to cover ourselves. You only need one qualified person aboard so if your friend doesn't have the qualification then he needs someone that does (possibly a necessity of the insurance cover). Quite often the newly qualified want to knock up sea hours in order to get the offshore exam and are willing to help for free meals on board depending on how long the journey takes which I can't help you with. They advertise in the marinas so could be worth a look. Chris

Blimey how do you follow that! Anyone remember Avadne Price, headscarf complete with dangly coins, she was only visible from the waist up as she stared at you from her desk? She came on around 11:30pm each night and read the stars telling your fortune for the following day and she always ended her slot with 'and remember, think lucky and you will be lucky'. I grew up wanting to be the next Avadne! Chris