steve

any news yet - did you find him? Steve

GO Angus! Excellent - excellent bike too........I saw an old mongrel on the back of a Triumph Bonny many years ago - he was in an orange box bungied to the rack! Steve

good thing is, when its minus 11 or minus 14 the grass refuses to grow, so if your like me, curl up in front of the fire with 2 blonds and a wife! Steve

I sooo hope this all works out! everything crossed Steve

there are 3 pumps - one around 500 something, the second 650 ish and the 3rd 1200 ish - thats the one with the contra current swimming thingy. Bearing fairly cheap to replace - full recon of motor (rewind, bearings etc) should be around 150/200€. Pumps for your standard run of the mill sand type filter start at 100€ (above ground type) to over 1000€. A really good pump (Hayward) for a 12x6 pool is around 400€. I think the problem with Desj. pumps is that they are unique to Desj. so they charge a premium - who can blame them? I quite like the system, easy to look after etc. Winterisation is a sinch - take motor out, drop the level a few inches, add winter chemical and cover - open in the spring! Steve

Mathieu Piscines, Between Mareuil and Vieux Mareuil on the D939, midway between Perigueux and Angouleme. They have a nice showroom with several pools and SPA's to look at - Dejoyuaux pools are good - installs can vary, depending on the team doing it. Pumps expensive to replace should they go wrong though. Steve

We set up the Northampton area in 97 I think - spent lots of time in europe including a run to the Dordogne with 10 cars where we met up with the French MX-5 club and spent a couple of days thrashing around, it was great! We had a lamb roast in the garden here a few years ago -  got the village involved, a massive hit with loads of MX-5's in the hamlet! They keep asking when the next one is :) Steve

Classic ? Well 'modern' classic MX-5 - we used to run the local area owners club and were on t' committee Steve

we came out 6 years ago - no idea what to do! Found there was a need for grass cutting.....pool cleaning etc. If you dont mind sitting on a mower day in day out then its fine - you will never be rich, but the lifestyle is good. We are in Northern Dordogne. Its been tough but after 6 years we think (hope) we have it sussed! There must be a need for 'qualified' gardeners but most holiday homes are happy to have green grass (if its not too sunny) and not a jungle when they visit! Steve

how big is the garden /area to be cut? the brico type machines are OK for small area's - do you want to collect? I have a 21hp diesel Kubota, but I do it for a living - (cut grass that is!) Fab machine but lists out at 12k€ - there is a smaller one for about 6 or 8k I think. Keep well clear of Countax (British and in my experience total rubbish). John Deere are also very good I have one of those too 550 hrs on it and its abused (cut rough area's and woodland trails with it!) no real problems, but it doesnt collect. Good value for money. If you buy in October, your 1 year guarantee will be half way used up by the time you need it in the spring. Steve

you just cant win can you? Whatever you do isnt good enough. Loved the bit about the cat! Great stories, keep them coming Steve

ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Steve

the impellers could still turn freely, but could be full of gunge - it should be fairly straight fwd to remove motor and with it should come the impellers - where are you based ? Cheers Steve

if you have backwashed etc, then take the motor off the pump and check that the impellers are clean and gunge / hair free etc - had to do this last week to one of our pools Steve

I know, but if I say anymore it will name and shame! (forbiden on this site I think?) Needless to say, The customer has since installed an Alarm - even though his house must be 5k from his neerest neighbour............ From my experience of many of the new pools we look after, the builder tells the customer he needs some sort of security when I fill it up. Its down to the individual to sort it out - however,  its not the customers property until its comissioned and final payment made - very grey area me thinks!

a pool installer who uses the (paper Cartridges) who shall remain nameless but are in Dordogne, told a customer of ours who just had a pool installed by them, that its 'not nessasary' to have pool security - no-one ever checks....... On that point, if you know a pool that is un - secured and you are worried about their own kids and other kids safety, (its slap bang in a village) who do you report it too? Steve

it is possible to buy an anti wasp product to put in the pool water - your local pool shop should have some - dont know if it works, never tried it! Steve

get him to do it and come every 2 weeks... Steve

we had a similar experience a couple of years ago - one of our customers was at his house and when we spoke he said his toilet needed 3 or 4 flushes to get anything to go - we said it sounded like the foss was full.....anyway, his first guests arrived 2 weeks later,  nothing would flush and 'stuff' was oozing from the ground etc etc.... it was a Saturday, bank holiday and nothing could get there until the following Wednesday. Even the farmers were too busy with haymaking! Customer said foss wasnt full, all you have to do is just shove a coat hanger down the loo and break up the blockage he said - my reply was on the lines of no way Pedro! Anyhow, 250€ later, fed up punters and 5 days of trying not to go unless you were busting, they had a working system! Moral of the story is listen to them wot know! Steve

fit a non return valve just before the pre filter and after the valves - or leave it running 24/7 Steve

Well, cant you tell its holiday season again! yesterday, we were bumbling along in our Pick up, when around a blind bend came a hire car on the wrong side of the road! I managed to avoid it somehow, (possibley the advanced rider, police training I had as a young 'un) but another hire car and a Brit reg car followed it on the correct side. 200yds down the road, they all turned off to a house. I reversed and drove down to have a word with the driver She got out and said, "I am sorry, but I live in london and am not used to driving over here......"(I drive a l/h drive, French registered car, so how she new I was english is beyond me. I stayed calm and suggested she should remeber how to drive abroad. There were 4 other ladies in this car - the other hire car had 5 blokes in it all of whome stayed well out of the way, with no-one offering her any back up at all! Just expect the unexpected out there & keep safe Steve

I think there is a trike builder in Angouleme, opposite Jardiland....or used to be. There are quite a few about. Steve

Well, we run a gardening business, along with pool cleaning etc - we never get involved in installing pools or anything like that - we discussed this with our insureres who are happy to cover us on our public liability insurance - if we drive the mower into a pool, or drain it by accident we are covered - Pools are not our main income although we look after 26 now! Where are you looking to start up this business? If I can help then I will Steve

One of my customers topped his pool up last year with brown, slimey well water - choked the filter, the pool water was brown and it played havoc with everything! I told him politly, NOT to do it again! Bless. Steve

We used to keep Geese as kids too! - A big old Gander called Honkey Tonk and 2 of his offspring, Bertie and Girtie. We ate them. Honkey spent his retirement at the farm on the lake. he was just too tough to eat. My mum never has forgiven us for eating our pets! Mind you, being so friendly, they were easy to catch..... Steve