Russethouse Posted September 16, 2004 Share Posted September 16, 2004 Any one watch this Channel 4 prog tonight? It was about a couple, already resident in France, but unhappy with their situation, who decide to give it one last shot and move to the Lot and build a house of straw!!!( I am often suprised that no one posts and says 'its me' or 'thats my friend'....anyone know this couple - Debby & Mark?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted September 16, 2004 Share Posted September 16, 2004 The words 'pigs', 'little' and 'three' spring to mind...I'm just imagining the reaction of the average French maire when shown a demand for building permit for a straw house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted September 16, 2004 Author Share Posted September 16, 2004 Yep - all the locals thought they were mad ! They were also vegetarian, she was an aromatherapist and he wrote training manuals. Apparently they were described as being 'marginale' They had already been in France 8 years and found they just didn't 'fit' in the close knit community they lived in first - so they bought a plot of land in a different area and built a house (he did lots himself)Luckily when the very cold weather came their neighbour lent them a small gite, free !The house they constructed used as many natural materials as possible and in fact when finished was really lovely with views to die for !The neighbours seem to take to them and spoke warmly of them (well, at least to camera) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgina Posted September 16, 2004 Share Posted September 16, 2004 I thought this really interesting. They were a lovely couple but said they did not fit in in their first neighbourhood, they spoke good French and were well integrated, I just wish they had said why they did not fit in.... I wonder in what way. They also said "we were too friendly too soon". Anyone throw any light on this, have I missed something? Georgina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monika Posted September 16, 2004 Share Posted September 16, 2004 [quote]I thought this really interesting. They were a lovely couple but said they did not fit in in their first neighbourhood, they spoke good French and were well integrated, I just wish they had said why ...[/quote]I think perhaps they meant they were too eager to be friendly and make friends, which perhaps put some people off. I think the English are very warm and friendly people who like friendly people in return, although I find the french really nice also, but they like to keep their distance. (This is a Swiss speaking!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamedup Posted September 16, 2004 Share Posted September 16, 2004 My husband would love a straw house. We didn't know that they are allowed in France....... I live and learn.In this region we have mud houses, modern ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piprob Posted September 16, 2004 Share Posted September 16, 2004 The place that Pip and I often stay, a very small 'hamlet' up in the mountains, has recently enjoyed an influx of youngish families. The men do whatever work they can, whatever is around, including keeping livestock and gleaning firewood on communal land - with permission of course. You can see they have courage and a capacity for hard work and long hours. Life is not easy for them. Their children roam far and wide and tend to be somewhat 'wilder' than their towny counterparts.The older, more permanent residents refer to them as 'les marginals', in a tone that conveys a certain disapproval. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fay Posted September 16, 2004 Share Posted September 16, 2004 I watched expecting it to be a disaster and for them to be totally clueless but I warmed to them and their enterprise as the programme went on. As, it seems, did Kevin McCloud. This programme is the only one of the house-type ones I have any time for!Despite saying they didn't fit in, they seemed to have a good number of French as well as English friends who were good enough chums to pitch in and help.The only thing I found odd was the teeny bedrooms - if you are building for yourselves, what's the point in having to have your double bed with one side pushed up against the wall?Actually - not the only thing I found odd... I couldn't take my eyes off the beads in the architect's beard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted September 16, 2004 Author Share Posted September 16, 2004 I think part of the reason I found it more interesting than other programs in this series was their modest budget, they did go 20% over but even so £113,000 seemed quite reasonable.I had a certain sympathy for the French who felt the husband needed a good steak ! Like Fay I thought the architects beard was, um, shall we say interesting !!! (Thank goodness Mr Russethouse didn't see it !) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog Posted September 16, 2004 Share Posted September 16, 2004 Please notice it wasn't the meat eaters that built their own house with their own hard work. Most hard work is done by lentil eaters. Get a life - stop buying slaughterhouse products. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted September 16, 2004 Author Share Posted September 16, 2004 Dog, Did you see the program ? The chap looked very, very tired ( daily,hard physical work that he wasn't used to) and admitted he was under more stress than ever before. He lives in a country where meat eating is the norm - its hardly suprising that some of the locals made this comment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted September 16, 2004 Share Posted September 16, 2004 [quote]Please notice it wasn't the meat eaters that built their own house with their own hard work. Most hard work is done by lentil eaters. Get a life - stop buying slaughterhouse products.[/quote]Blessed be the lentil-eaters, may they always have a following wind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fay Posted September 20, 2004 Share Posted September 20, 2004 When did that extra bit get added to Dog's post? Last time I looked it ended with the bit about slaughterhouse products and now it's gone all non-sequitur! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted September 20, 2004 Author Share Posted September 20, 2004 OMG - is he speaking in tongues ???? (or am I being stupid - again !) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted September 20, 2004 Share Posted September 20, 2004 LOL Gay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Riff-Raff Element Posted September 20, 2004 Share Posted September 20, 2004 [quote]The place that Pip and I often stay, a very small 'hamlet' up in the mountains, has recently enjoyed an influx of youngish families. The men do whatever work they can, whatever is around, including ke...[/quote]Now you mention it Piprob, I came accross a community like this in Ireland somewhere - damned if I can remember where, west coast somewhere I think. A group of people simply moved onto some unused land with no clear ownship so no-one felt inclined to move them on, built houses and generally lived a self-suffcient life. After 20 odd years, despite being very hairy and slightly "earthy" they were considered pillers of the community and an example of hard work & resourcefullness to local Feckless Youth. What would Norman Tebbit make of this I wonder? Come to think of it, is the "Chingeford Skinhead" still one with the living? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted September 20, 2004 Share Posted September 20, 2004 Inasmuch as he ever was.I saw a documentary - years ago - I think it was in a BBC French course - about a hippy who came out to the massif central to protest against the army taking it over and liked it so much he just took over an abandoned farm and started growing goats. He is now the biggest goats'-cheese fabricateur in France (or so they said). Good looking chap, beard, well-set, chubby face. Liked him a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted September 20, 2004 Author Share Posted September 20, 2004 >>Come to think of it, is the "Chingeford Skinhead" still one with the living? <<<I hope so, a journalist friend of my daughters is interviewing him tomorrow, something about the 'Tebbit test' ...... could be interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patf Posted September 20, 2004 Share Posted September 20, 2004 We watched this programme and were quite impressed, especially as they managed on quite a small budget. I wonder if they got buildings insurance? Did you notice that Mrs. ? had her own clinic in Brive where she was doing aromatherapy etc to support the family. I'm surprised that this could be practicable, though Brive is quite a large town. Pat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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