dragonrouge

We too bought from animaloo.fr and they are first class and delivery was spot on.  The hen house is more like a five star hotel for chickens and our chicks just love it.   regards

Raindog the quotation a 'bit like the Welsh' is I hope just a throw away remark? And one that was arrived at without very little thought process? I feel a lesson coming on. regards

As Tony rightly states most seeds have about three or more years life perhaps more.  Save for parsnip which you should always use fresh each year and my tip and this is from Sarah Raven is to grow them initially as with carrots and beetroot in plastic guttering and then just slip them into the trench in the garden. This year in the Vendee have leased a huge plot and I thought it would not be possible to fill it.  However looking at the stuff already in and under cover my eyes are bigger than my belly and I will run out of space.  Hence envy and Tony's three plots. I have forced true Jersey Royal seed pots under cover and perhaps within a month we will have the first picking.

Today I spoke to CA about buying pounds as against holding euros and upon which I get relatively little in interest.   They have quoted me 1.29158 and I do not think that is much of a margin to take a chance of xferring what I hold in euros to £'s.  I think I will leave it to the professionals. regards

one of the best rose producers in France is Andre Eve his family has been in the business for well over two hundred years.  He was a web site but at the moment cannot find it but Google will find him.  Been dealing with him for years both in the UK and here now in France.

Dear Quillan we are a little fortunate in that when we sold in Normandie we sold to Belgians and they just paid the asking price so we have not insignificant sums with our bank here in France but in a variety of savings accounts. Would you seriously ship the euros back home? Surely currency dealing is for the big boys?   regards

I swear by Jean Yves Bossiere of Boissiere Gabe of Avranches.  He is English speaking and is an expert of the Court d'Appel at Caen. Used him in Normandie now use him from here in the Vendee.

The Organic catalogue people ship to Europe at your risk.  I am awaiting mine in May.

Hi we live in a Batiment of France village and in one of the bathrooms next to our bedroom there is a bidet but not a wc and with the wc being at the end of the corridor the other side of the house. Our plumbers to a man have said no to external pipes and with the only way forward being a macerater.  Now in a country hotel in the UK I have seen old fashioned maceraters which seemed to go into gear when one entered the room? Please does anyone have up to date experience of modern day maceraters and we really do not like them per se and just wondered how we could go about installing conventional soil pipes. The pipes would be at the back of the house and on a private road. This is penned by someone who knows nothing about such matters! rdgs

Remember when the banks wanted to get into the estate agent business for it was an opportunity for them to cross sell and look where that got them.  There was a leading South Wales agent who sold at the top and then bought back his estate agent chain at the bottom. There is one thing in all of this and which is one of the major drivers.  That ladies and gentlemen is (or should I say was) shareholder value now its about repairing the balance sheets and perhaps in five or ten years time we will see a repeat exercise for shareholders will not go away and unless they see good dividend cover then they will sell. We own properties in both the UK and here in France and when we sold our wonderful Georgian home in Chepstow we took the proceeds and just bought another house outright and let is on a buy to let basis but no one owns it save for ourselves.  Its there for when we return and fortunately too we were able to commute our pensions to buy our French house outright. Again we move money across on a monthly basis to pay prelevements and last week we achieve 1.27 euros to the pound. I just now wonder where is the better place to live here in France or the UK and that of course is totally another and differing question.

Back to the question of wine and where we all have undoubtedly good and bad experiences. Some time ago I read a book on the Rhone wines which said undervalued fabulous qualities and the rest.  Then Parker came aboard and then a long visit to the Rhone Vallee took place. Result bought all the opening offers from people such as Chave Beaucastel and the like never opened the cases and they were stored both professionally and in my air conditioned de-humidified double vaulted stone cellars in Chepstow where I lived in a Georgian House. Total stock over four thousand bottles amassed over the years all then went to auction when we moved here full time in 2005.  I was amazed at the proceeds and it was double digit growth plus plus all the way plus enjoyment but it by then had taken over my life and was an obsession. Now in the Vendee drinking Cote de Rhone at say 3euros plus quite happy but too planning now to return to the UK for I have never totally settled here continuing to work in the law in the UK so we still have the house in the UK now rented so perhaps when I go back I will start again?  Its strange I love France but the hassle free lifestyle has got to me and I just cannot get my head in order and just enjoy it for I do miss the UK and obviously the family but of course this problem has been rehearsed many times on this web site. All I know however that there are plenty of people out there in this world for are far worse off than I am so why should I complain  

Hi we have owned a house in France for over seven years and now live in the Vendee. For a whole host of reasons would wish to move back to the UK where we still own a house but at the same time retain a holiday home here in France. Ideally it would be on the opposite coastline to Flaminville or the coast line around Quistreham or Trouville direction for then we could easily use Cherbourg Caen or Le Havre. This is important for I am getting older an a recent journey in the rain from St Malo crossing the bridge at Nante was somewhat worrying so trying to balance future needs at the same time with expected abilities! To be fair this is not an immediate issue but wondered if anyone has either something for sale (but please not isolated for we did that for three years) or has seen new a new apartment development somewhere.  We could buy relatively soon but as we say it is medium term as in later this year and which would be more favourable to us.

We have been with Andy and Primus for over six years and when we moved last December to the Vendee took advantage of what we saw as an unbeatable deal where all calls to the UK were capped at 19 euros per month.  Obviously no such thing as a free lunch but after working in house for Cable and Wireless for a long time thought I knew lots of things about the comms market. Apparently not. Not only are we now receiving bills for 19 euros but plus calls and despite chasing Andy are not really getting to the bottom of it with they saying they 'will write to Primus'  For two months I have just received invoices for over 124 euros and have emailed Primus but again without any success. Has anyone please any experience of this 19 euros a month deal for from where I sit it is a come on and in the small print (and yes as a lawyer the devil is in the small print) there must be a catch. Any suggestions please as to alternative suppliers?   regards    

Thanks and sorry Dick at the same time.  Fingers brain not in co-ordination!

At the very last moment I just have to be back in the UK on Sunday 24th.  OK can leave Caen on the Saturday night but had forgotten half term and no two berth cabins left and the price is now well over £320.  I am limited in the UK in that have to go both to Ascot then on to Oxford for a court hearing on the Monday. Going Sunday morning will save in euros some 150 so thought to stay needing two rooms at Quistreham.  Unfortunately Mercure is fully booked.  Any ideas please as to other hotels in Quistreham? regards

Our house in Normandie was called Les Hortensias and we had over fifty varieties in the garden together with other acid loving plants. The 'books' on hydrangeas say you should cut out about a third of the old wood each year and having done so lots of water (in a hot summer?)

If you go to the Organic catalogue guys in the UK they are in Surrey you will find them.  They can be posted at your risk to France for they are supplied as 'slips' but should stand two to three days in the post.

Quillan 48 euros well one never knows!   I had a bet yesterday a bottle of champagne with our local butcher that Wales would beat France at Cardiff. Its the culture and background that was at the bottom of the thought process not necessarily reality.  But again and I whilst I take your point as to our playing not too good sides as they say 'the points are on the board' You cannot re-write history. Best of luck in Paris perhaps you may need it.

Katie I tried to get from Trebanog to my late Father's family in Ynyshir and got lost.  Twynewydd Square and all of that was lost in the mist of time as was Loves the (I was going to say Butcher) but meant hairdresser that cut my hair before I got married in the English Cong.  Short haircuts were in fashion then but I know need all that I have to cover gaps that are appearing at a rapid rate.  Obviously Long Meadow is the English for Ynyshir. Sorry folks but in-house memories.

Twinkle I have been away for years but two weeks ago I went back to Porth and saw someone that I went to school with and his opening remark were 'Ken its a little time since I have seen you what are you doing know?' 'Do you still play darts and how is the cricket going?'  I am now 64.

I knew I was amongst friends    

Twinkle as to a South Wales accent are you referring to the Cardiff Park and Canton Park type of accent or the more polished one as in Cowbridge or the lilting one of say Porth Ynyshir and the like or to the Eastern Valleys or then to the amalgamation that one finds in Chepstow and where I lived for over thirty years.  My Porth accent was somewhat lost amongst the Forest types. Whatever the boys still have to prove themselves and if they get over Italy then Dublin and what tears I have shed there over the years and nursed many hangovers.  Then of course to the last game of the season and here in the Vendee we are organising a group approach with our French neighbours.

Thanks now found it.  Jardivigne Ste Livrade.  Can recommend very highly   regards

Hi this is a very long shot but on the way into Villeneuve sur Lot on the left hand side is a producer of vines both indoors and outdoors and he ships all over France, well known indeed.  Tried to Google him and have just about bought all of the current gardening magazines just to see if I can find him.  Its a family business. Does anyone please know the name of the company?   many thans

This week end the results will bring a true perspective to everything.  Scots at Cardiff England in Rome and of course Paris. We shall see one thing is certain one swallow or should we say Osprey does not a summer (or spring) make.  Dragonrouge of course does give one a clue.