Tancrède

[quote user="NormanH"]Self-serving, self satisfied formulaic exchanges worthy of the Freemasons. [/quote] Oh dear.  I have never been a [cue sinister music] Freemason, so I am unsure of the precise nature of the self-satisfied and formulaic exchanges which you imagine they make one with another. My mate and I were at the château as labourers, and the maire was a farmer  -  so we were all, as it happened, in our bleus de travail, rather than our aprons. [quote user="NormanH"]Your post overflows with… class conciousness… [/quote] I think not.  I can truly say that I was not remotely bothered by the fact that someone had bought a 'château'.  The circumstance did not evoke even a passing frisson of envy, jealousy, or spite.  I am, however, intrigued as to why a member of the semi-professional classes should be provoked to such a bilious effusion by someone else's purchase of a  -  to my mind  -  extremely inconvenient property. [quote user="NormanH"]but then we can't hope to buy a 'château' [/quote] But you could if you tried.  No doubt you will say that you wouldn't want to.  In which case, sweetie, if you really wouldn't  -  what is your problem?  But frankly I thought that 30 k, including ice house, cottage, etc. etc. was an extremely good buy. [quote user="NormanH"]On the other hand there are some of us on good terms with our Maire or Deputé because we can do things for them. [/quote] I must candidly admit that the conventions of my upbringing prevented me from alluding to our favours to the maire.  I am so pleased that that you do not feel this inhibition. But how do such maires and députés know that you can do things for them if you have never introduced yourselves?  Are we to understand that they are clairvoyant, perhaps? [quote user="NormanH"]Do you really believe that the Maire of a town of 100, 000 is interested in meeting each immigrant[/quote] Absolutely no idea, as I have never lived in a town of this size, and there are only some five dozen or so in France.  The vast majority of communes of not of this size, and the vast majority of anglophones do not live in communes of this size.  But if you feel that this is inappropriate why not set your sights lower :  exert your charm on the lady in the boulangerie, for example? [quote user="NormanH"]Do you really believe that the Maire of a town of 100, 000 is interested in meeting each immigrant? [/quote] If you are alluding to yourself, your question puts me in a difficult position, and I am quite unable to hazard an answer. [quote user="NormanH"]meeting each immigrant in search of a favour? [/quote] In so far as this refers to my own visit to the maire adjoining the château, I was not an immigrant and we were not seeking a favour  -  we were asking the maire and his wife to dinner;  which they accepted with alacrity.  That was the absolute outside extent of our objective. But I am so glad to say the unfolding of events greatly exceeded our expectation. UPDATE : I have not been part of this fascinating discussion for a couple of days because I was invited away, rather unexpectedly and quite by coincidence, to the very château which was the scene of the those far-off  -  and to Norman troubling  -  events.  And the former maire, hearing of my arrival, kindly sent me a large piece of rump steak of his own élevage, the first slices of which I had tonight, in the modest circumstances of my own home, with pommes de terre paillasson and sauce marchand de vin.  Perfectly delicious. How glad I am that I troubled to make that courtesy call all those years ago. [smiley face]

[quote user="NormanH"]etc. [/quote] Haha.  I don't recall saying that I bought a château (and indeed that would be very far from the truth). But glad all the same to see that you still have a French Fried on your shoulder.

[quote user="Aidie"]what would I need to do or have needed to do prior to moving to avoid tax or other liabilities? …will look at these Assurance Vie's that I've heard a lot about if they'd be a good deal to protect some Euros over the years. [/quote] If your concern extends as far as minimizing your liability to inheritance tax, it would be prudent to take advice as to whether it would be helpful to set up an assurance vie before becoming resident in France. I missed out on this highly advantageous possibility, alas…

[quote user="VandA"]In fact she was as charming as she could be… [/quote] Exactly.  I am glad that it has been a good experience  -  but am unsurprised by some of the ill-natured and baffled comments which you have received. When I arrived some twenty years ago to assist a friend in the initial phases of the restoration of a largely derelict château, the very first matter on the agenda  -  at my own insistence, and immediately upon our arrival  -  was to make ourselves known to the maire.  He received our brief visit with evident pleasure and great civility. The immediate upshot of this contact was that he repeatedly sent his own farmer-sized remorque to remove an initial five or so tons of accumulated debris from the interior of the building.  He also sent one of his men to mow the parc.  These things were done as favours and entirely free of charge.  Rather more unexpectedly he subsequently facilitated the hiring of a harpsichord.  Various other kindnesses followed. Being interested in the matter myself, I took the trouble to ask him whether 'introducing onself to the maire' was customary and correct.  His answer was that the performance of this courtesy depended entirely on the class background and social sense of the person concerned  -  but that it was in his view a distinctly correct and gracious thing to do.   More recently, when moving into my present house in a small town, I likewise presented myself to the maire.  The matter was rapidly accomplished and consisted of little more than the presentation of a card and a brief exchange of civilities.  A few weeks later when it became necessary for me to request that a street light should be moved to a different position, this was facilitated by the maire himself and attended to extremely promptly and at no cost to myself. Since beginning to write this post the doorbell sounded and a lady from a neighbouring commune breezed in unexpectedly to take a cup of coffee and to present me with a copy of her latest book.  I asked her  -  being a young French person with a considerable degree of experience and social eptitude, and an active member of the conseil municipal  -  whether she considered that 'presenting oneself to the maire' was a correct procedure.  Her answer was a most resounding yes  -  both as a matter of common courtesy, and as a ready and practical means of making one's life easier.  That is an up-to-date view from a young, modern, and informed French person. She remarked, moreover, that her own maire (also a young person), had recently expressed her astonishment that recent arrivals including (I regret to say) Brits, did not appear to consider this courtesy necessary or worth their while. [quote user="VandA"]And there was me thinking this was 'the thing to do'! [/quote] Indeed it is 'the thing to do'  -  and you have done it.  Well done.  And even if this action is not rewarded with with a flow of tangible benefits  -  though I am sure that it will be  -  at the very least you can bask in the glowing satisfaction of having been civil.      

[quote user="Alpinemist"]…they said do you miss anything from England and expected us to say family but we said Marmite ![/quote] I heartily concur with your sense of priorities and am glad to report that, in this part of France at least, Carrefour has timidly begun to stock small containers of Marmite.  I bought three or four jars to give them a sense of encouragement. 

[quote user="AnOther"]All very interesting but unfortunately sheds little light or clarity on what so many of us are finding to be almost incomprehensible ramblings. Why don't you start from the beginning and tell us the complete story, warts and all ?[/quote] Hear, hear.  And with paragraphs, please.

[quote user="ericd"]Métabisulfite de Potassium[/quote] and which is readily available in pill format from a pharmacy.

[quote user="Gengulphus"]And indeed their word on the matter is perfectly clear :[/quote] I should have said, perhaps, that the Académie Française page  -  which includes a variety of entertaining topics such as Au jour d’aujourd’hui and Féminisation -  can be accessed here: http://www.academie-francaise.fr/langue/questions.html

[quote user="Will"]I think I would prefer to use the Académie française as arbiter of style rather than Microsoft.[/quote] Hear, hear.  And indeed their word on the matter is perfectly clear : On veille donc, en bonne typographie, à utiliser systématiquement les capitales accentuées, y compris la préposition À,  comme le font bien sûr tous les dictionnaires, à commencer par le Dictionnaire de l’Académie française, ou les grammaires, comme Le Bon Usage de Grevisse, mais aussi l’Imprimerie nationale, la Bibliothèque de la Pléiade, etc.  Quant aux textes manuscrits ou dactylographiés, il est évident que leurs auteurs, dans un souci de clarté et de correction, auraient tout intérêt à suivre également cette règle. A quick scan of a quality newspaper (I borrowed one from a neighbour for cleaning windows) suggests that they too follow this admirably simple rule.

[quote user="Pommier"]…it's really irritating to click on what was an interesting topic, only to find that it's 'I've sent you a PM  -  have you read it?' Do I care?   No. Is it any relevance to anyone else?   No. Send PMs by all means, but please don't find the necessity to tell everyone![/quote] Congratulations  -  one of the best posts ever.

The plant illustrated is some kind of Parthenocissus  -  perhaps quinquifolia.  I am surprised that you are having no success using Roundup, as I killed one of these all too easily (mercifully not my own) with the inadvertent drift of Roundup spray.

[quote user="Théière"]easy to get a black eye of a cork leaving a bottle at high speed[/quote] You're not a shooting man, I hope… [quote user="Théière"]In a dustbin, how does that work?[/quote] Ginger Beer 2 gals boiling water            2 gals cold water            2 kilos granulated sugar        50 gr cream of tartar rind of 4 lemons juice of 4 lemons    yeast 4 oz fresh root ginger Beat the ginger vigorously with a mallet.  Pare the rind from the lemons.  Mix the ginger, lemon rind, cream of tartar and sugar, in a five gallon container, with the juice of the four lemons, and let it draw for a few hours.  Add the 2 gallons of boiling water and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the 2 gallons of cold water to the hot mixture, which will have the effect of rapidly cooling it to near blood heat.   [This is merely to save boiling a large quantity of water merely to have to wait for it to cool again].  When it reaches blood heat, add the yeast.  Cover the vessel with a cloth and leave in a warm place. The mixture will ferment vigorously for a day or two.  Strain and bottle when the fermentation has almost (but not entirely) ceased.  Beer bottles with crown corks are by far the most suitable.  If you use other (e.g. champagne) bottles, the corks will need be tied down.

[quote user="Théière"]Ha Ha Ha, real ginger beer in a cubi, run for cover!!! [/quote] If that is directed at me, I suggest you read my post again.   [Smiley face.]

[quote user="Gluestick"]Shame he cannot even buy a shirt that fits....[/quote] That is scarcely surprising.  A quick dab on Google Images [Chris underpants Bryant] will be sufficient to remind us that the shirt is not the article of clothing for which he is best remembered.

Our local caviste supply stores sells 5 gal (or so) dustbin type receptacles of food-quality plastic which are ideal for ginger beer  -  I daresay yours will too. They also sell 5 l and 10 l cubitainers, cheap as chips, which I use for making sloe gin, vin de noix, and ratafia of wild cherries, and I suppose they would be equally good for what you have in mind. Also bungs, sulphur, varieties of plastic tubing, etc. etc.

'Slime moulds' are a plausible possibility, especially if the weather where you are has been warm and wet.  To see the variety of entertaining forms these can take, see slime mould on Google Images.

[quote user="Will"]I think it is you who is confusing the issue. As a NT member I am very well aware that it is totally independent of government funding. I also know people in EH, so know how that body works. [/quote] If that is directed at me, I don't understand.  I am agreeing with you wholeheartedly, and contra the repeatedly expressed and misinformed views of the OP.

[quote user="Will"]The previous poster might be confusing the National Trust with English Heritage[/quote] I think not.  Or if so, the confusion is ineradicable.  The last time that we skated around this pond Quillan provided a link which spelled the matter out with total clarity. [quote user="Gastines"]I wonder how the National Trust and it's ever growing portfolio of Stately Piles etc has escaped their notice. As most of these seem to have been "Gifted" to avoid Inheritance Tax and then have to be maintained by the taxpayer, it seems that this may be the time for someone to realise the country can't afford these grandiose properties, or at least so many of them. [/quote] [quote user="Quillan"]If you want to know how the trust is funded you can look HERE in the FAQ but I quote the bit you are interested in as its not copyrighted. Q. Is the National Trust Government funded? A. No. The National Trust is a charity completely independent of Government funding. We rely on the support of our 3.4 million members. [/quote]

[quote user="crazyfrog"]Hornets are a lot less agressive than wasps and won't really bother you, and rather less common as well.  I know it's difficult to ignore them when they come buzzing but please try to.[/quote] Hear, hear !  This is the first year I have not had a colony of these fascinating insects in my orchard.  Their nests are extremely interesting and amply repay investigation at the end of the season. PS  Can someone tell me:  is AnOther's pic of a queen hornet, or is it too late in the season for them to be abroad, and how can one tell visually, please ?

[quote user="JohnRoss"]Anyone that lets 5 month old kittens outside who are becoming sexually active, castration at 6 months, is irresponsible in my opinion. Other factors include our nearest neighbours who not only shoot at anything that moves, including cats, and also puts down large quantities of poison.[/quote] I am sorry if my view is inconvenient, and I cannot but express my surprise that you should have undertaken to keep essentially outdoor animals under the discouraging circumstances that you describe.

[quote user="JohnRoss"]these are house cats and don't go out. [/quote] If by 'house cats' you mean that you are deliberately depriving them of a breath of fresh air, the experience of the warmth of the sun on their backs, and the entertaining possibility of catching a mouse, then yes, the question is a silly one.  Cats, permitted a decent minimum of freedom, are perfectly capable of digging their own holes, and of disposing efficiently of their own excrement without human intervention.

€ 1.191  and briskly rising.  The highest rate since December '08  -  I think.  Pourvou qué ça dourre…

If you google herse (à maillons), you will find more than you can shake a stick at. P.S.  And I notice that there are a couple of herses à prairie (baby ones) on Ebay France at the moment.

The Cimetière des Chiens at Asnières.  Impressive Belle Époque setting for the splendid interments not only of dogs, but of various horses, reptiles, birds and fish which were the animal companions of the Great and the Good (and others);  including the sepulchral monuments of Rintintin, Marguerite Durand's lion, Camille Saint-Saens' dogs, Henri de Rochefort's cat, etc.  Interesting and peculiar, not pullulating with tourists, and on the CDG side of Paris.  Lovely position beside the Seine, and close by the site of Seurat's celebrated painting of the Bathers.

[quote user="Ceejay"]I have in mind terms such as:- hourdis, genoise, arasement etc [/quote] The Word Reference Forum, which has been frequently commended on other threads, has all these words (and many others).  http://www.wordreference.com/ The genoise is presumably for the workmen's tea.