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The really depressing side to all this is that it won't matter WHO gets in at the next election, for two very big reasons: Firstly, the present economy built on sand, which will take some sorting, especially after Labour's scorched earth policy that they seem to be into at the moment. And secondly, WHO ELSE IS THERE? It's a fact of life that all politicians these days seem to be in it for what it can do for them, their families, their friends and NOT what THEY can do for us. Even local councillors are becoming rich men on the back of more and more council tax increases; they have allowances that make the electors' hair curl, and more allowances for so-called "cabinet" posts. Can someone explain to me when these local guys who we used to elect to SERVE us became our masters?

That's the blighter, a sort of buff coloured abdomen, and the ones I've seen are flatter across the abdomen, maybe not gorged? They certainly bite MY lower legs, when I wear shorts. Could be something to do with living near a farm with cows.

[quote user="Cat"]Taons or horseflies http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1387184/ShowPost.aspx ? http://images.google.fr/images?hl=fr&q=taon&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi [/quote] Doesn't look like any of those pics, they are a little smaller than a large housefly, (NOT a bluebottle), and as mentioned by Poppy, they settle, then there is a REALLY sharp pain, but no mark, no resulting itch, pain, raised area, nothing. The pain is enough to make you jump, and exclaim, but leaves no lasting pain.

Well probably NOT houseflies then, but certainly look just like them.[:@] We seemed to have LOADS this year. South 87. They land on you just like a fly does, and as you are preparing to swat them, you get a pain like someone touched you with a white hot needle! I've also killed them on the windows inside with a fly swatter, to find a HUGE smear of what appears to be blood[+o(] What are they? They don't look like any species of horsefly I've come across either. Someone suggested "Bot-flies" but I don't know........

I have to say that I'm unsure of the "horsefly" angle: I've had a few bites from these beasties, and they settle before biting, which if you see them is the time to whack them, not waft them away, as they just come back. I've seen none of the darting behaviour from them, and certainly can't imagine one darting in for a mouthfull of blood and away. I still reckon it's a type of wasp.

I've fitted on to work an extractor fan above my shower. Will it comply?

I assume you have their agreement to do it the way you initially described in writing? If so, my first port of call would be the Mairie, with that, and photos of the finished  installation, and ask for advice. If you DON'T have it in writing, I'd say you are on thin ice: they will deny ever having agreed to it, point to the fact that you went away, have no memory of your letter etc. If that's the case, then you will need to ask the Mairie how to get them to come back and put their installation into some proper state of repair. Knowing French companies, I'll wish you the very best of luck.

Thanks for that, Anton. I do find it a a pain having to wire doubles, and wish they were hard-wired, but I suppose then they'd all face the same way. I've started, so I'll finish..............using Legrand stuff.

I'm in south 87, almost 24, close to 16. Where would be the cheapest outlet for electrical stuff, (sockets, switches etc), and for the metal framed walling stuff? Anywhere cheaper than Brico Depot. My local Bricomarche sells double sockets, Legrand for €14.90, with different prices for horizontal or vertical, (which is ridiculous since the actual sockets can be changed to face any which way), and I've found them on t'internet at Brico Depot at Angouleme for €9.90. They have also started charging a MINIMUM of €30 to deliver ANYTHING. When it was Briconautes, it was €10. Thanks.

Sigh.............yes, hundreds. I've spent hours grubbing them out, hence the description of the "sofa-with-a-button-missing" effect. Trouble is, they grow like weeds[:(], and you just CAN NOT get every one, as some are about the size of a €0.50 piece, so get missed. Within a fortnight, they are like triffids, believe me. Since we aren't there full time, grubbing them out every 7 days or so is not an option, plus we have 2000 sq m, so rather a chore....... I'll have to give the salt a go next visit. I was certain I heard them laughing when I sprayed the weedkiller[:(]

Tried WASHING the interior with anti-bacterial, or even a/b wipes? Some of our older furniture smelled a little, and it turned out to be a thin patina of mould. Wife did the insides with a/b wipes and it's gone.

Thanks for the info, I hadn't realised it was quite as common as it obviously is. But I suppose that when you think of the number of sailings, the different sea/wind/tide conditions, and the cramped nature of some berths, it's not a surprise. Everyone on Calais dock rushed to photograph it, and the Police were quite laid back............UNTIL the P&O guy arrived. He had a word with their officer, and we were promptly moved back to our cars on threat of arrest. Waste of time really, as we then had to drive to our ferry's NEW berth, RIGHT PAST the Endeavour!

Fast? Listen, when I see a snake, I can go faster than sound[:P]

Salt? As in sodium chloride? But if it rains, won't it just poison the ground?

Try the camping Municipal du Lac at St Mathieu.

Did anyone else witness this? The "European Endeavour" hit one of the loading/unloading ramps, massive damage to the ramp and the front of the ship. Apparently the ship suffered a systems failure on berthing, so "reverse thrust" couldn't be selected. The captain dropped both anchors but she dragged them both and collided with the berth. Looked for it on t'internet, but there's nowt.

Had a big 'un in my garden in 87 at Whit. Dunno which of us was most scared, ................................................but I moved faster!

We used to get these as kids, messing around in hay fields in summer in Lincolnshire. My dad called them "Harvest bugs", and the trick of tucking trousers into socks etc does work.

Agreed, just leave them. They do little harm to stone walls, and are often fun to watch. We've had a large-ish nest of the red-tailed bees in the wall of our barn adjoining the courtyard this summer. The only problem is that we've had to keep the barn doors closed, and shut them immediately after taking stuff out, or the stupid things can't find their nest hole[:D] Now the hornets nest in one of the chimneys has been a whole other story...........

In Provence, plant buddleia, rosemary, thyme, honeysuckle and lavender. All will grow well and all will attract butterflies and moths, esp the honeysuckle at dusk. The smell of the plants is pretty nice too.

My garden in France is infested with them. Sort of like a dandelion, the leaves are hairier, more rounded, and greyer, and lie flat to the ground, so that when/if you pull 'em up you've got a sort of "sofa-with-a-button-missing" effect on the grass. The flowers appear on the end of a long stalk that can reach 18-24" but is usually 12" and are like smaller dandelion flowers. This year I bought some weedkiller in a spray bottle at nearly £10. Supposed to kill anything. I went round and duly sprayed every one of the blighters, and NOT ONE WAS EVEN SLIGHTLY AFFECTED!!!![:@] Quite where to go from here is beyond me.

We have friends who are vegetarian and they visit us from time to time. We have no problem feeding them, (they too, WILL eat fish), and my wife has a vegetarian cookbook. As for "packaged" foods: I was only bemoaning the LACK of decent frozen appetisers in Tesco here the other day. All that was available was either chinese or indian. I don't DISLIKE either, but would have liked some choice. In our local tiny intermarche in France we get cheese, ham and prawn parcels in filo pastry, (not all in the same one), king prawns in batter with a spicy dip, loads of filled pancakes etc etc. The REALLY noticeable thing for us is the TOTAL unavailabilty of out of season fruit and veg ........out of season in France. WHY OH WHY do we insist on eating stuff like that all year round in the UK? Anyone actually LIKE the Spanish stawberry-shaped, and strawberry-coloured turnips?[:P] I have a photo here of my two lads, much younger, standing in front of a poster on a street in Anduze. The poster reads: " Les fruits d'ete. C'est maintenant, ou c'est dans un an". (Apologies for lack of accents). It's a pity OUR supermarkets don't do the same. Less lorries on the road, less balance of payments deficit. Give me France any day.

You'll not discourage them, they come for the moisture. You're most likely to get stung by one that falls into the water, then ends up wet, on you, when you swim.

That should do it, but DO leave something under the valves to catch any water that weeps......then none will.[;-)]

[quote user="powerdesal"]Disjoncteurs for sockets wired in 2.5mm CSA are 20 amp. [/quote] <Rolls eyes> Not what it said in MY books[:(]