Strimming, Sauveterre de Rouergue & Limogues

Well this week starts much like the last one...hacking out! It must seem as if we're hacking out a building the size of the Empire State, although sometimes if feels like we are, it really is only a small French house. The weather had really hotted up at the beginning of the week and labouring away in the blazing sun meant we were building up a good old sweat and, hopefully, the pounds were dropping off us. Since the sand & lime were delivered last Friday we hadn't seen the builder and as the 15 days were up on Thursday we had decided to give him a call on Saturday. We'd needn't have panicked as on Friday afternoon he arrived with a large cement mixer and said he'd be starting work on Tuesday morning at 7:00. Don't think Barbara was too impressed with the time but the fact that it would be another job crossed off the list made up for the loss of beauty sleep.

On Tuesday we called in to the Maire's office, and what a nice office it is as you can see from the picture it, with our plans. We half expected to be quizzed about what we had in mind but as it turned out all the staff (and there are a lot of them for a village with a population of only 1,800) were having computer lessons. It's good to know that our tax d'habitation is being spent well. We left the plans with fingers crossed that they wouldn't get mislaid and we'd hear something before the office closed for the annual holidays at the end of July. We got back to the house just in time to see M. & Mme. Guilbert arrive with their daughter. They'd called by to explain why their son-in-law hadn't been able to cut the field. It didn't really need much explanation, it's not been dry enough! Their daughter's English was very good and she said that her own daughter was now learning English at school & she was really enjoying helping her with her homework. She went on to say that when she was at school she'd been on an English exchange to Blackpool. We told her that Barbara's mum lived in Blackpool and that it probably hadn't changed that much since she was there. It's still a sophisticated resort where visitors dress in kiss-me-quick hats & enjoy the best pleasure beach in the world. A world apart from rural France.

With the weather hotting up the grass has started to grow and once again it's time to get the strimmer out. Ever since I bought it it's been a little unreliable and as I don't seem to have much luck with second hand machinery I'm always slightly pessimistic. Things didn't improve when no sooner had I made a start than the dammed thing cut out & couldn't be restarted. Frustrated that it looked like I was going to have a wasted day I decided to take it back to the shop where I'd bought it and have a few words with them as it had already, according to them, been fully repaired. On arrival I have the wind taken out of my sails when the shop owner offers to lend me a new strimmer while he sorts mine out. Can't complain at that especially as the machine he lends me is much bigger than mine. Think it's time to return home and make the most of the loan machine & do a bit of intensive strimming. All goes well until I see something move very quickly, fortunately in the opposite direction, as I approach with the strimmer. I'm not sure who was the most scared me or the Couleuvre d’Esculape or Elaphe longissima snake. I had thought that the dead snake we'd seen on the road last week was the only local inhabitant of the species but I guess that was being a tad optimistic.

The week has flown by and it's Thursday again & time to take Beryl back to the airport. She's been really blessed with the weather & had a nice relaxing time with us. As I'm filling the car with petrol in preparation for the journey to Limogues a lorry driver beckons to me for help. The filling station we use is fully automated and there are no staff on site & the Greek driver must think I'll be able to translate the French instructions for him. I'm able to help him & walk away thinking 'at last, someone who speaks less French than me'. It's a good journey and we have time to call in to a motorway services for lunch. These are not to be confused with British ones where you can only buy litre cups of coffee & KFC's, these are French ones that serve a range of good quality meals at a fraction of British prices and are all offered with a choice of wine or beer! It's always a good idea to forgot the alcohol when you're concentrating on getting out of the way of your average French Autoroute driver who travels at speeds in excess of 150Km/H.

Saturday afternoon and time for a little R & R. We've been before but thought it was time to visit Sauveterre de Rouergue again. Click HERE for further information. It's one of nine of the '100 most beautiful villages in France' located in the Averyon, Najac is another. We were lucky as there was a medieval festival on with the village inhabitants dressed in period costume, although I suppose they could dress like that all the time. There were several arts & crafts stalls selling baskets, pottery & jewellery, there always seems to be lots of jewellery stalls at these type of events, wonder if it's because all their wares can be thrown in the back of the car for easy transportation. Lot easier than having to pack away dozens of wood carvings & baskets.

Mercedes, Albi & Toulouse-Lautrec

Babs was up and away early on Monday morning leaving me with instructions not to go up the scaffold until she returned. My darling ever caring wife was off to VDR for a hard hat. She obviously knows how accident prone I can be & doesn't want to be rushing off to hospital with me in tow. By 11:00 she's back with two lovely hard hats and I'm allowed to get on with hacking out (is it 'B' for boss or Babs?). I think it's fair to say that by the end of the week I'll be well hacked off with hacking out but it has to be done. By Wednesday you can really see the results of all our hard work & it's been well worth the effort. It's just as well we're making reasonable progress as the architect turns up with the revised plans for the barn & we now have to submit them to the local Maire. We can then begin work on the barn!!!

We're having a royal visit this week from Beryl, Barbara's mum, and on Thursday we're off to Limoges to pick her up. Beryl lives in Blackpool and up until a couple of weeks ago Ryanair had a flight from there to Stansted that linked up perfectly with the Rodez flight. Rumour has it that Blackpool airport authority saw how busy the flights were and decided to up the landing fees. In typical Ryanair style they said you can stuff your increased fees and pulled the flight. Let's hope one side comes to their senses and the flight is reinstated, in the meantime it's off to Limoges for us. It fits in quite well as I've arranged to collect the bike mount off the tow bar on the Merc that I was unable to remove before it was collected last week & the garage is just north of Figeac which is on one of the routes we can take to Limoges. The garage owner has said he'll leave the part in the back of my old car which he'll park up just off the road. What a sorry site it makes when we get there with all the carpets gone, back seats removed and door panels missing. It almost makes me want to give him his money back, but not quite.

Although we've passed Limoges a number of times it's the first time we'll have been in to the city. Well as it turns out we don't get to see much of the town as the airport is well to the west and by the time we get there Beryl's flight is due in 20 minutes, good timing. I was expecting an airport of a similar size to Rodez but it turns out to be much bigger with UK flights from Manchester, East Midlands, Newcastle, Stansted & Liverpool amongst others which must explain the number of British cars in the car park. I know on occasions I can be given to slight exaggeration but there were more British registered cars there than you'd find on the average Saturday at the Trafford Centre! We know of someone who flies in to Limoges regularly and on one occasion he'd stopped counting GB plates when he got to 144. Once in the airport a quick check on the arrivals board shows Beryl's flight is delayed by 2 hours and is now due to land a 5:05. Ah well, time to catch up with the news and there's lots of English newspapers available to choose from. At least we don't have as much time to idle away as the couple we sat next to in the café. They'd missed their flight and would be sat about the airport until the next flight to Stansted which was at 10:00 the following morning. The flight arrives at just after 5:00 and Beryl is the first off looking well & remarkably fresh considering she's been on the go since 6:00 this morning. She obviously pleased to see us both and we hit the road for the drive back and her first viewing of Lagarrigue. As we near the house we can see lightening in the distance and there's rain in the air. We manage to get in the house as the heavens open and there's the biggest downpour and thunderstorm we've witnessed since we arrived. Despite the appalling weather Beryl is well impressed with what we've done and quickly relaxes in to the French way of life with a glass of red wine and a cheese baguette.

Friday we get a rude awakening when a lorry pulls up just after 7:30 with a delivery of sable & chaux in preparation of starting the pointing. We spend a leisurely morning showing Beryl around the local area and in the afternoon we head over to VDR. It's like being on your holidays & I'm getting withdrawal symptoms from not hacking out for a couple of days, what a waste of money those hard hats were. Saturday is another day spent on 'our hol's' with a day in Albi the birth place of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Click HERE for more details of the town and the painter responsible for such titles as 'Woman Pulling up her Stocking', 'The Toilette' and my favourite 'Two Half-Naked Women Seen from behind in the Rue des Moulins Brothel'.

Back to the real world and a little hacking out when we return home while Beryl 'rests' from the days activities. Sunday we can't resist a trip to the market in St. Antonin-Noble-Val where we know Beryl will enjoy wandering around the food & craft stalls. In the afternoon it's a little furniture removing duties as we help G & S move some of their furniture to the house in Mazarolles. It's really coming together for them and they're really looking forward to spending their first night in the house.

Weather, German TV & serpents

The weather is still a major talking point and when Thierry rang on Wednesday his opening line was 'This is lovely weather for the South of France?' It's not & if we see any more rain I think we'll be packing our bags and heading back to Manchester which is like the Sahara compared with here. Thierry was calling to tell us that he had spoken to the Mercedes garage and the owner would be calling on Thursday morning to give our Merc the once over. It crossed my mind that I should get out and clean the car but realistically I don't think it's going to add much to his offer, anyway it's raining, but what a pleasant surprise when he's actually interested in the car. The bodywork is in good condition & that makes the car worth buying. We agree on a price, shake hands & he says he'll call to arrange collection. Despite the pain in the a**e the car has been I think I'm going to miss it (but only a little). Time to call at the local garage to see if the Land Rover lightweight is for sale.

I'd planned to spend Wednesday hacking out as we now have a deadline to get the outside prepared for pointing. There's a small group of houses next to ours that's been renovated by a local builder and we've often thought that the way the outside has been finished really looks good. We'd chatted to the builder on a couple of occasions & he'd given us a price for the work that was a little beyond our budget. Talking to him again this week it looks like his cash flow is a little tight & he has revised his price so we've given the go ahead & he can start in 15 days. The only proviso is that I labour for him. That'll be fun but in the meantime he's lent me his hammer drill and showed me the best way to get the rendering off, the only problem I have is lifting it!

Took the opportunity to have a go at setting the satellite dish up this week & what a waste of time & money that was. After nearly 3 hours of messing, in the rain, all we could pick up was German TV. We've enough problems understanding French. So if any one would like to purchase an analogue satellite system with one careful owner and is keen to develop their German language skills please get in touch (P & P at cost).

We'd asked Thierry to get us some fire-wood and he arrives on Friday just as the weather picks up & the temperature rises dramatically. It's 30ºC and I'm getting a bit hot up the ladder hacking out, but it's got to be done. This afternoon we've an appointment with the architect to discuss what we want to do with the barn. It's a good meeting & when we tell him the hanger's gone he says we really should have had planning permission to demolish it but not to worry he'll sort it out retrospectively. The improved weather also brings out lots of wildlife including an Elaphe longissima! You can click HERE to see what one is & fortunately for us, not for it, it was dead.



Saturday & up with the lark & we bid goodbye to the Merc with a tear in our eye but some Euros in our wallet. There's lots to do today to the front of the house which is south facing and by lunchtime, if the weather forecast is correct, it will be basking in the mid 30's. Not the best of weather for working in although it's going to be a lot easier hacking out now the builder has dropped off some scaffolding. Just after this picture was taken a piece of the render fell off & hit me on the head. Apart from a small scratch I'm OK but if anyone can tell me who I am & what the bloody hell I'm doing in France I'd welcome the call!!!

Plug, Rodez & hangers

Flight back in to Rodez was bang on time which was great for us but a little unfortunate for the couple we met in the airport car park. They were dropping an elderly relative off and had thought the flight wasn't due for another 2 hours and I have the distinct feeling that Ryanair wouldn't hold the flight up while they checked in. We didn't hang about to find out and headed for home.

Whilst we'd been in the UK a message had been left on the mobile and we'd be unable to retrieve it. Now we were back on French soil I listened to the message which was from Thierry. He was going to be at Lagarrigue on Tuesday morning at 7:00 to remove the hanger, it was now Wednesday afternoon and was the hanger no more? It was still there when we got home which was a bit of a disappointment but at least I'll be able to help demolish it. The weather had been wet & cold while we'd been away (nothing new there) and Thierry and his friend, who was going to supervise the hanger's removal, had called the job off yesterday and now planned to be with us at 7:00 on Thursday. They arrived at just after 7:15 and got to work despite straight away. Despite the light rain the asbestos roof was off in no time and placed on pallets. Thierry has assured us that as he's a farmer and will be re-erecting the building the rules regarding safe disposal of the asbestos don't apply. Health & safety at work also appears to be another rule French farmers ignore. Watching them clamber along the girders with a Still saw was too much for Barbara and as they didn't want any help, which was just as well as there was no way I was going up a ladder in the pouring rain, we headed off to VDR to sort out the electricity bill and purchase contents insurance. Let's hope we don't have to make a claim on the compulsory third party insurance all French home-owners have when we get home. They're still in one piece when we get back and work through until 6:00 and return the following morning at 7:30. It's another full day for them and I'm sure Thierry was beginning to think was the hanger really worth the effort but as he sets off for home just after 7:00 he seams more than happy if a little wet.

We'd also had a phone call to say the cooker hood we'd ordered had arrived and they would call out on Friday to fit it. During the installation I asked the fitter if he required a plug for the electric supply. 'Plug?' he says and I show him one attached to the kettle to illustrate what I mean. Turns out a plug in French is an insult and means idiot. No wonder he looked at me a little strangely.

As far as work goes it's been a week of odd jobs and hacking out. Did get a tip from the builder next door to speed the hacking out up; hire a sand blaster. Might give it a try.

Broadband & moving in

Monday 21st – Off to Lagarrigue early in the hope that M Regourd is on his way to finish off the list of things we need completed if we're to move in tomorrow. He doesn't let us down and just after 8:00 Stephané and gets straight on the with job. The douche is sorted, high level cables between the barn & house removed, handbasin fitted in the WC, holes repaired in the cellars, washing machine waste fitted & lots of other small tasks completed. With Stephané working hard I take the opportunity to do a couple of admin jobs. I'd ordered broadband about 3 weeks ago & hadn't heard anything so I called the company to see when what was going on and was told they'd chase things up & get back to me. About 30 minutes later La Poste lady arrives with a parcel, the broadband modem. What great service and within an hour we're up & running and we have broadband & a UK number local rate number. The afternoon is spent hoovering & clearing up in anticipation of the big day. We're both very excited and really looking forward to seeing all our prized possessions let's just hope that they'll be enough space in the house for them.

Tuesday 22nd – And we're finally going to see all those things we've managed without for 6 months & 22 days. We had expected a phone call last night from the removal company to say what time they expected to reach Lagarrigue so it's fingers crossed we haven't got our days mixed up. We're at the house by 8:00 and at 8:30 we get a call from them to say they're just leaving Bordeaux and hope to be with us in a couple of hours, obviously they must be driving a turbo charged furniture van. They also want us to confirm the address as it's not showing up on their satnav system, there's a surprise. It's a beautiful day so I think we'll just sit and wait for them. Just after 1:00 we get a phone call to say they're just approaching La Fouillade and rather than attempt to give directions I jump in the car and get them to follow me back to the house. They're really helpful and in no time the lorry's backed up and we begin the task of unloading 4 containers. Where is all this stuff going to go and why have we brought 4 beds to what was only ever going to be a 3 bedroom house? The house quickly fills up and we end up nearly filling the ground floor of the barn with boxes and bits of furniture. It all looks a bit daunting but I suppose once we've got the new roof on and the bedrooms built we'll be in a much better position to judge where all our gear is going to go. By 4:30 the removal men are back on the road and off to Spain with the next delivery and talking to them it sounds like half the UK must be setting up camp aboard. Now the fun starts and I'm sure it's going to take a little longer to unpack the dozens of boxes than it took to unload the lorry. We work on until gone 9:00 trying to get as much sorted as possible and then attempt to chill out with a couple of beers. First night in our own bed for 7 months and I think we're going to sleep like logs.

Wednesday 23rd – Slept very well and the shower works well apart from only a couple of small leaks that require a screwdriver & a bit of silicon. It's VDR this morning for haircuts, we're heading back to the UK this weekend to attend a wedding, sort a tyre out on Barbara's car and collect a couple of pieces of granite we'd ordered last week. As normal we're on the minutes and arrive at the garage at 11:50 and are told we'll have to return after 2:00 as they haven't time to fit the tyre before they go for lunch. Two hours to idle away so we treat ourselves to lunch out and do a little window shopping. Back home via Najac to see if work has commenced on P & C's new house and M. Leduc, their builder, is hard at work. The temperature has reached 34ºC and I spend the afternoon putting shelves up in the barn & Barbara continues emptying boxes. Supper on the terrace, what could be better?

Thursday 24th – Babs heads over to P & C's to do a final tidy up & collect the balance of our bits & pieces. I do my bit by putting the hifi speakers in place, always get my priorities right, sorting some shelves out for the 'cocktail' cabinet, more priorities, and hoovering the barn! Don't ask. When we were in VDR yesterday we'd seen some electric radiant heaters in a shop that sells end of line & bankrupt stock at prices well below list and having measured up today we decided to return to the shop & bag ourselves a bargain, we even managed to negotiate a further discount for buying 3. Turns out the shop doesn't just sell new things but they also sell goods on behalf of individuals. I think we might be returning with some of the contents of all those boxes. After all we've only just paid a small fortune to store them for 7 months. Back home to unpack yet more boxes and prepare for the big trip tomorrow back to the UK. We're really looking forward to it and the curry that awaits us, oh, and seeing the kids. Can't wait, to see the kids that it is.

Friday 25th to Wednesday 30th – Back in the UK & how the place has changed since January. Well it hasn't really and it was nice to spend the weekend with the kids down in London, the complete opposite to the semi-rural life we've been experiencing for the last 5 months. It was then up to Northumberland a wedding at Langley Castle. A great venue, a really enjoyable day and the best of luck to Jane & Rob. Thanks to P & C for putting us up for the weekend and to Bill & Les for the tea on Tuesday night. It'll be good to see them out here soon.

Mazerolles & Manchester

Monday 14th – What is it with this weather? Yesterday it's in the high 20's and today it's peeing it down and 9ºC. Paul & I had thought we'd try and get under the Merc and see if there was any way we could do yet another bodge job on the exhaust but there was no chance of that with the amount of rain that had fallen. Barbara was painting & I'd planned to do some more hacking out but with the weather as bad as it was I had to fit door handles & stops and apply a little more mastic. By lunch time we'd ran out of paint so it was a quick dash to VDR for some paint and change one of the door locks. Spent the afternoon cleaning out the barn & cave in preparation for delivery of furniture. Seven days and counting!

Tuesday 15th – It's stopped raining so on with the hacking out. Make good progress while Barbara continues with the painting & cleaning. We're expecting the fridge & dishwasher today and at about 2:15 get a phone call from the shop asking for directions, in French! The luck must be with us today as Barbara is chatting with Iggy's mum, Madame Guilbert, and manages to ask her to give directions to the driver on the other end of the mobile phone. Ten minutes later the van pulls up and the driver asks where the fridge is to be installed. When he sees the steps he shakes his head and says 2 of us will not be able to get it up the steps & gets his mobile out and calls the shop for more help. The shop is about 20 minutes away and instead of sitting in his van waiting for help the driver gets his tool kit out and fits the filter and plumbing that is required by the fridge. Help arrives and 10 minutes later we're having a demonstration of the fridges features and lots of apologies for the confusion over the delivery. As the van pulls away another one pulls up and Iggy's dad gets out with another man who turns out to be his son. He's come to have a look at the field and says he'll be more than happy to cut it but will have to wait until early June & when the weather is a little drier. He speaks a little English and asks if we're happy with the deal. We're delighted. He explains that the cattle in the next field to ours are his and that he is off to Bordeaux tomorrow to sell the calves to Auchan, France's equivalent of Tesco. We had planned to have calves liver for supper tonight but I think on this occasion I'll go for the vegetarian option. Called at the garage to check out if there had been any developments on the Landrover lightweight. The owner is going to sell it and they'll know what price he wants next week. Watch this space.

Wednesday 16th – It's raining again! Had planned to finish off the hacking out on the back wall but electric drills and water don't mix so it's off to VDR today, instead of our planned trip tomorrow, for some bits & pieces. Turns out it was the right decision because, guess what, Thursday (Accession day) is a bank holiday and the shops will be closed. We called in to the store where we'd ordered the cooker from to see if they had an ETA on the 'new' one. They're full of apologies over the confusion last Friday and have obviously pulled out all the stops because the cooker has arrived and we arrange for it to be delivered on Friday afternoon. It's still raining after lunch and we spend the afternoon at Gilly's painting and caulking.

Thursday 17th – It's still bloody raining & I'm beginning to think it's the curse of Manchester. Spent the morning putting new light fittings up, fitting door handles, getting doors to fit & touching up paint work. Gilly dropped in with yet another friend who had arrived from the UK on Monday She's off back home tomorrow and the weather is forecast to change for the better. Not the best of timing for her. No sarni's tooday just a very civilised lunch back at Najac. Another afternoon painting at Gilly's and a bit of a surprise when we arrived at the house given that it's ascension day . Looks like Mazerolles could be putting a challenge in to Lourdes with it's latest inhabitant.!
Friday 18th – Busy day with the cooker due for delivery and a phone call first thing to say the dishwasher has arrived and will also be delivered this PM. Called in to chase M. Regourd and explained that we move in next Tuesday and could do with him putting in a few hours before then. Promised to be there Monday! Spent the morning trying to fit the glass on the shower cabinet without success and think we'll have to make a slight modification known as a shower curtain and some silicon. Also assembled the dining chairs we'd picked up at Ikea. I wonder if in a couple of hundred years there'll still be around and people will be buying them at brocantes and antique fairs? Judging by some of the stuff you see it wouldn't surprise me. As was to be expected the cooker & dishwasher arrived at the same time and in a spirit of comeradery amongst white goods delivery men they helped each other up the steps with their respective loads. We get a quick lesson on how the cooker works and to illustrate a particular feature, I'm sure it was purely coincidental, he picks the timings for cooking roast beef! With all the major appliances and kitchen units now in place we just await Ikea's text to inform us the kitchen sink has arrived. Cleaned the floors down in preparation for varnishing and applied a second coat to the kitchen area.

Saturday 19th – Called in to see how the floor was drying and meet S & G to give them some chaux. They're going to have a go a touching up some of the lime-wash on their walls so it'll be interesting to see the results as we need to do a little patching up near the stove. Off in to VDR to the brocante that was being held outside the Hotel de Ville. Most things seem quite expensive but after a little haggling and shrugging of shoulders we manage to pick up some irons for the stove and a pottery hook for the WC. Finish off the varnishing then back early to get washed and changed as we're off to a fund raising night to raise money for the local school's trip to Réunion.

Sunday 20th – What a good time we had last night. The meal was a long way from the traditional French fare we've been having (apart from the odd McDonalds) since we arrived and was all based on recipes from Réunion which is an overseas French department in the Indian ocean. Click here for a link to the Wikipedia page on Réunion. We were entertained by some of the local school pupils dancing in costume and a number of parents dancing to a local jazz-funk band. All very different and once again we're made very welcome and come away thinking we really must make a concerted effort to learn the language. Easy day today as we wait for the varnish to dry so it's off to St. Antonin-Noble-Val market and pop in to S & G's on the way back and help to seal up a gap with some expanding foam. Only one full day to go before the furniture arrives so a full day getting organised tomorrow.

Roof, gas & Albi

Monday 7th – Off to work with Paul this morning with plans to assemble the 'tardis' and fit the window. For €55.00 the window proves to be a real bargain and after only 30 minutes, removing the window sill & using a squirt or two of expanding foam it fits perfectly. The shower tardis takes a little longer to assemble but by 12:00 it's in place and ready to be plumbed in. Once again for the money it looks like a good investment and will definitely make life easier & cleaner. At 1:30 we head over to M. Regourd and arrange for him to visit on Thursday and prepare things for the installation of the stove & cooker on Friday. It's always entertaining communicating with M. Regourd and seems to be getting easier, could be all the hand signals he uses. Gilly & Sidney called in and were most impressed with the shower cubicle. Makes me think that it would have been a good idea to invest in a couple of the cubicles instead of having to tile two showers.

Tuesday 8th – Another bank holiday, VE Day. No point having a day off as the weather's awful and everywhere's closed. After removing one of the French doors & trimming the bottom Barbara applies a lick of paint & it fits perfectly. More paint applied to the ceiling, the beams coated in linseed oil, mastic applied to the skirting boards & a door made to fit under the stairs. Good going for a bank holiday and then it's back to Najac to meet Caroll's mum & husband.

Wednesday 9th - VDR this morning for those all important supplies of yet more paint & to collect the double glazing units we'd ordered last week. That hadn't arrived but were due later in the morning so we have an excuse to hang about in VDR and have a spot of lunch. We also check out the lawn mowers because despite Barbara thinking we'd be able to strim 2,000 square metres of lawn my www. research says this could take some time. As seems to be the case on so many of our visits to shops the assistant speaks very good English & is very helpful and even offers to take a machine outside and demo it. Lunch out makes a nice change and we pick the glass up and head back to Lagarrigue just in time to meet our neighbours. They're over from the UK to meet builders & plumbers etc. to discuss the work they want done on their house and Lagarrigue is the busiest I've seen it since we arrived, especially when P & C arrive along with Caroll's mum & husband. The suns out and they're able to sit on the veranda while Paul gives me a hand finishing off my first attempt at building a door (it is only a small one). We're expecting M. Hugounout, the roofer, tonight at 5:00 and when by 6:00 he's not arrived we begin to get a bit fidgety. Not to worry at 6:40 he turns up & once again we realise we'd got our timings wrong. He plans to start the work at the end of May or early June and we go over where we want the windows in the new roof. At one point we begin to panic when we think he's asking us to remove the 'sarking boards'. These are the large pieces of wood on to which he'll attach the stone tiles. What he's really saying is do you want me to dispose of them. Thank goodness for that, I couldn't see Babs & I scrambling across the roof with a claw hammer & pincers. Called in to Najac on the way home to see the British vintage car club that would be staying at the local hotel tonight. There were pre 1930 12 Sunbeam/Talbots all in immaculate condition. The wine is flowing and the Maire is entertaining everyone with his saxophone rendition of the French national anthem.

Thursday 10th – In work for 7:30 just in case M. Regourd turns up and at just after 8:15 he arrive and gets straight to it. The gas is ready for the cooker but there's a problem with the hand basin in the cloakroom. I hadn't fitted the plasterboard with a piece of wood to support the sink and he'll need some special fixtures to secure the basin to the wall. I show him the shower cubicle and he 's sure he'll be able to do a temporary fix for us and by 12:00 he's off promising to return tomorrow morning and fit the douche & basin. I'd offered to help our new neighbours to cut some trees down so with chainsaw in hand we manage to fell 4 trees with only slight damage to their house. I'm glad it was his chainsaw and I was only the goffer. It's worth the effort in what's turned out to be a hot sunny day as both Barbara & I are rewarded wit a nice cold beer. Aren't some people organised? By 4:30 the double glazing sealed units are in the French windows and they look really good. With the sun & rain we've had the grass had really grown and the field was now very overgrown. I'd thought we could ask Iggy's dad if he knew anyone who would cut it and take the hay away but as we were still struggling to understand him I'd come up with this brilliant idea. Type what we wanted to say in to the Google translate website, print it out & give him a copy. It worked great & he understood what we wanted the problem came when he responded. I think we managed to work out that he wanted to know if we wanted money for the hay or were happy to give it away. We just couldn't get across that we'd be just happy if someone where to cut it for us. Ah well back to the drawing board or, better still, the French language lessons.

Friday 11th – No sign of the Regourds but it's a sunny day and the cooker & stove arrive today so it's tidy up time in preparation. 'Bonjour' and Iggy's dad is back to try and make himself understood. Still struggling I give I & V a call and Vilia says she's on her way to La Fouillade and will pop in and see if she can help and 15 minutes later she arrives and we head round to Iggy's dad's house. Within minutes all becomes clear, he doesn't have a machine capable of cutting the grass but will speak to his son and a friend to see if they would be able to help and would we like to join him and his wife for a coffee. We do and find out not only his name, M. Guilbert, but that he and his wife are delighted that we are renovating the house and bringing some young blood (what a nice man he is) back in to the hamlet. He's also pleased to hear that we intend to live in he house for more than just a few weeks a year. We also learn that they have three children; a son who's a farmer, a daughter who's a teacher & a daughter who's married to a major in the army. We come away thanking him for his hospitality and help and saying that once we move in we would like them to come round for aperitif & nibbles. We'll just have to make sure I & V are available as well. Just after 2:00 the stove & cooker arrive and what had started out as a good day turns in to a bit of a nightmare. First of all the cooker we'd ordered was the one out of the shop (literally) and we were paying full price for something dozens of people had prodded & poked so it was a 'non' & back on the van with it. Next the plasterboard I'd fitted above the stove was not fire resistant (common sense must have deserted me when I fitted it) and I was despatched to the local builders merchant to collect a piece. Obviously I have to take the Merc and just as I'm pulling on to the main road the bloody exhaust joint snaps and it's left scraping along the floor. You can imagine the noise and when I get to the builders merchants there's a few laughs from the assembled staff & customers & more bad news; they've no stock. I manage to get the car back to the house and the stove installer says he can fit some fire resistant blocks but will have to charge us for it. We give him the go ahead and 2 hours later and with black paint on our lovely lime washed wall the stoves up & running and looking great. Why can't French tradesman take their time and prepare the work area first?

Saturday 12th – We've decided that we're having a lie in and day off to day. The suns out & it's a glorious morning and by 10:00 on we're on the road and on our way t Cordes. Cordes is a medieval town located high on a hill approx. 25 minutes away in the direction of Albi and there are a couple of brocantes (antique shops) and as we're in the market for a small table to put the computer on it seemed a good place to head for. There was a market on with the usual mix of fresh produce, meat, fish, cheese and a few clothes stalls. Very busy and a lot of English people wandering around. We had a quick look in one of the brocantes and decided that although not in keeping with a renovated French farmhouse the prices may mean that when we visit Ikea for the sink top we may also be looking for a computer desk. Come to think of it I don't suppose there were many computers in traditional French farmhouses either. We walked up to the top of the village and had lunch overlooking the glorious French countryside. With it's mix of restaurants and arty crafty type shops Cordes is well worth a visit if you're ever passing this way. Albi is only another 25 minutes further on and as we intend having a full day off we decided to head in that direction and come across another brocante. Prices here are a little more in our league and there's a small late 18th century table that will do a treat. After a bit of haggling we agree on a price and the deal is done. It was just what we were looking for but the only thing I can think of is Harry Enfield's new character 'I saw you coming' in 'Ruddy Hell – It's Harry & Paul'. On to Albi and a lovely cup of tea sat in the square overlooking the catherdal and watch the local children performing circus routines to the assembled friends & parents. This is the life pity we've got to get back to work tomorrow. On the way back I spotted an old Renault 4 for sale and although it wouldn't be a direct replacement for the Merc it might be a good runabout. It's got 2 years CT (MOT) and only done 41,000 kms and they want €1,400 for it. As it must be at least 25 years old it seems like quite a lot of money, We've had a really good day and finish it off with a pizza and bottle of red.

Sunday 13th – Up early and digging out the drain @ P & C's. There's been continuing problem with the septic tank and Paul had decided that today is the day it's got to be bottomed. By 12:00 and a lot of digging we've laid a new drain and the water is flowing well. Let's hope all's OK as digging out the trench again is not something I'd be looking forward to. Babs has been at the house all morning painting so I pick some bread & a slice of quiche up and surprise her with a lovely lunch of ham & cheese (nothing new there). The afternoon is spent painting, strimming & hacking out. I'd bought a SDS drill from Aldi back in the UK before we came out and at last & I've finally put it to work. A good investment at £29.99 – good old Aldi.

w/c 30 April 2007

Monday 30th – Another landmark day to day with a phone call to the removal company to arrange delivery of our furniture & other possessions. They've been in store for 6 months & it makes you think that as we've managed without them for so long why are we bothering forking out £2,000.00 to have them delivered. I'm sure when they arrive on the 22nd May we'll wonder how we've managed without them for so long! We've been receiving selected TV recordings from Caroll on DVD over the last few months and haven't missed TV as much as I thought we would. Having said that I had made a phone call to a local company who install satellite TV capable of receiving Freeview stations and he wants €550.00 to supply and install a system. A bit expensive for our fix of Coronation Street. Today we received our normal deliver of special offer leaflets and one of them has a dish & receiver for €39.90. Paul had spoken to someone locally that had bought a similar system & had been able to receive all the BBC TV channels and radio. I'm a bit of a doubting Thomas but having checked things out on the internet it looks like we'll be able to get a limited English TV service for just €39.90. It's got to be worth a try. Another phone call to a broadband provider and we should have a service up and running by the day we move in. €34.90 per month for broadband & free phone calls to anywhere in France, Europe Canada & the USA. Pity we don't know anyone in Florida who we can call for free and arrange a cheap holiday. We also get a UK phone number so you can all phone us for the price of a local call.

Tuesday 1st May – It's misty, raining and cold! How's the temperature plummeted to 10ºC?Typical weather for a bank holiday even here in France. The French don't bother to move their holidays to the nearest convenient Monday they always take them on the actual day. This year May day has fallen on a Tuesday so they take the Monday off as well. Not a bad idea. Second coat of paint to the WC & utility room today and the investment in the Dulux Valentine paint was well worth it as it's only going to take two coats to cover the shocking pink favoured by the house's previous owner. Thierry had rang last night to say he would be calling in today with his friend to see if they can safety, and economical, remove the hanger. All's OK and I mention the fact that it has an asbestos roof and we will need a certificate to say it has been disposed of correctly. Thierry's friend tells us that there's a problem across France in disposing of asbestos; currently there is no 'enterprise' able to dispose of it safely. The only factory there is, in Bordeaux, is not yet ready for action and any asbestos has to be stored on pallets covered in stretch film. Thierry agrees to give the local notaire a call, he's the font of all knowledge in France, and check out the legalities of disposing of the roof. In exchange for the hanger we have agreed to accept enough wood to erect a garage & wood store. These will be made from oak as Thierry owns a substantial oak plantation! Continue with the painting this afternoon & Paul drops in on his way back from dropping Caroll, his mum & Martin off at Rodez. Thierry had mentioned he had a friend who has ramp that will enable us to get under the car so tomorrow we plan to have a go at repairing the Merc. Good old Thierry and fingers crossed once again.

Wednesday 2nd – A big day for Babs today as she's off to have her hair done at a hairdressers in VDR and she's a bit concerned that she'll come out with a red tint. We'll have to wait and see. Despite the rain Paul & I get the Merc up on the ramp and start applying the mastic. The instructions say to leave it to set for 4 hours so we head over to the house and measure up for the jobs Paul's going to help with over the next few days. After lunch we pick the Merc up and with it running like a dream and head off to VDR. Having spent what seems like a small fortune on insulation, but I'm sure when the -10ºC temperatures return we'll be happy we spent the money. Back at the house I get a phone call from Barbara and it's good news. She's happy with the hair cut & tint, it has an acceptable level of red in it, and it was way cheaper than the London Tony & Guy salon she'd used previously. We receive the devis from M. Lagarrigue and it doesn't take long for us to decide to go ahead with him. A quick phone call to Thierry and he says he will contact M. Lagarrigue and co-ordinate the removal of the hanger at the same time as he does the groundwork.

Thursday 3rd - The stone supplier had rang last night to say the hearth was ready so it was over to collect it first thing. Only slight problem was that he'd cut it to the wrong size which was very disappointing as we'd waited 3 weeks for it. 'Not to worry I'll get one of the lads to cut a new piece if you don't mind waiting 15 minutes'. It's sorted quickly and we're back at Lagarrigue fitting the new hearth by 11:00. Paul then gives a valuable hand fitting a flap at the top of the stairs to keep the dust out, slats around the loft area for the insulation & tidying up the area at the top of the stairs. Barbara continues to wheel the paint brush like a professional and finishes the kitchen. It's a really productive day and the pizza for supper is well deserved by all.

Friday 4th – And we're off to Ikea for the kitchen. It's a 2 hour journey to the nearest store in Toulouse so we're on the road for 8:45, trailer in tow. After a slight detour and a phone call to Caroll to get the right directions we arrive ready for the trauma of ordering & collecting 6 items of self assembly kitchen furniture. It's bad enough visiting Ikea back in the UK, what's it going to be like in France? I know I mentioned it last time we were here but it really is amazing how many English people there are in the store. All collecting furniture, bedding & kitchen equipment for their second homes & gites. After standing in the wrong queue for 10 minutes we mange to work out that if we're wanting to order more than 5 items we need to get an assistant to do it for us. The cue we're in is for kitchen design. There's an assistant just become free and we ask if he can help. 'Of course & I speak English if that helps' he responds (all the staff have the flags on their name tags indicating which languages they speak). The kitchen's ordered, with the exception of the sink top which they will text us when it's available, and we head off for lunch before collecting our items. It's very civilised with a great choice, including meat balls, a selection of wine and freshly ground coffee. Just the thing to calm the nerves. I'd noticed that there were posters across the store offering 20% discount if you joined the 'Ikea Family' so when we got to the tills and we're offered membership it was a definite yes and a €240.01 saving. Half an hour later we're loaded up and back on the motorway heading for Montauban and Brico Depot, the French B & Q but substantially cheaper. With our furniture on it's way the only thing that would hold us up moving in on the 22nd was the lack of a shower. Paul had made a few suggestions on how we could install a temporary solution & Brico Depot had the answer, a Tardis like all in one shower cubicle for €135.00. They don't have the one in stock we've come for but for €75.00 more we get one with side jets and a seat! Just the job after a hard day slaving away hacking out & painting. By 8:00 we're back at Lagarrigue, with the Merc beginning to sound like a jet fighter again, and manage to unload our purchases just before the heavens open.

Saturday 5th – Barbara heads to Gilly's to finish off painting her new windows & I make a start on putting the kitchen units together. All goes well until I push one of the dowels a little too far and make a 'small' hole in the laminate. Merde, merde, merde!!!!!!!!!! Looks like when we go back to collect the sink unit we'll also be picking up a side panel. Barbara turns up about 12:30 with lunch and we work on until 4:00 painting & assembling kitchens without any further mishaps. Originally we hoped to get a dishwasher from Ikea but they had deleted it from the range so we headed off to VDR to track one down. After a bit of negotiation we get a good deal from the shop where we've bought the fridge and arrange for them both to be delivered on the 15th. The work M. Lagarrigue is doing for us will give us a lawn area of approx. 3,000 sq. metres, not something I'll be able to cut with my hover mower, so we call in to one of the dealers selling small ride on lawn mowers. They're a bit more expensive than I'd thought and second hand machines don't seem like a good idea as apparently older ones can be pretty unreliable. I feel a bit of www. research coming on before we splash out on one. We've finished supper and Barbara disappears upstairs and returns minutes later with the roofers devis and without a moments hesitation picks the phone up and gives him a call. As I don't suppose many customers call at 9:10 on a Saturday he answers the phone and there follows a very brief but productive conversation in French. He says he will commence work at the end of May but that isn't good enough for Barbara who goes on to make a rendezvous with him on Wednesday at 5:00 PM. Well done Babs & you deserve that glass of rosé.

Sunday 6th – Finished the kitchen units (with no further mishaps) and then on to fitting the new light fittings we'd picked up at Ikea. Despite French electrics being completely different with negative & positive not being labelled on plugs & sockets thanks to multi language instructions they're a doddle to fit without even a screwdriver being required. By lunch time Barbara's finished the first coat of emulsion on the living room ceiling and is ready to do a little more undercoating. Paul turns up at about 3:00 and gives a hand taking a couple of millimetres of the French doors and giving a bit of advise on fitting skirting boards. The suns out and a cold beer beckons at the Bar La Plage.

w/c 23 April 2007

Monday 23rd – Another beautiful day and when we call at the shop & cafe in La Fouillade it's very hard not to stop and enjoy a café in the morning sun but with lots to do it's on to the house and work. We're just in the middle of fitting the second French door when the Regourd family turn up. I'm sure they have a good laugh, in French, at the English couple lifting the door on and off it's hinges at least a dozen times before their happy with the fit. One thing I've learnt over the last few months is to only take the minimum off when sawing, sanding, planning or cutting anything. You can always take a little more off, you can't put it back on. By 12:00 they're off and Stephané tells us his father & brother will return later in the week to finish off fitting the gas for the cooker & water supply for the fridge. We've worked out that your average French tradesman must have several jobs on the go at once & by turning up at least twice a week at each he manages to keep most of his customers happy. Barbara spends the afternoon undercoating the doors & windows and painting several bits of wood various colours to see which one she likes best. Glad I don't have to make the decision on which hue of green or blue we'll end up with as most of them look the same to me. I just fancy a shade without a stupid name. What colours are 'string' & 'wheelbarrow'? Back to Najac to pack our bags for a weeks change of residency. Paul's mum & brother are here for a week from tomorrow & Gilly has been good enough to put us up. It's a bit like going on your holidays. I also manage to speak to France Telecom, they have an English speaking help desk, and organise a phone line for Lagarrigue. They give me our new telephone number and make an appointment for the engineer to call on Thursday between 1:00 & 3:00. This seems great service from the company that all of France holds in contempt. No denationalisation here just yet but who knows what will happen when the new President is in place. Come to think of it there seemed little in the way of election fever here yesterday and with the local man, José Bové, polling less than 1.4% of the vote perhaps there'll be perhaps even less interest for the second round on May 6th. Bové is a local hero who spent three weeks in jail after he led activists in the destruction of a branch of McDonalds. For Bove, the golden arches represent the industrialisation of food production & the worst of "malbouffe - bad food". He's obviously got something right.
PS; I didn't manage to find a red rose to wear today so had to make do with my England rugby union tee shirt.

Tuesday 24th – Off to the house on my billy this morning while Barbara gets the house at Najac ready for the arrival of P & C, Paul's mum & his brother Martin. I spent the morning burning paint off & then sanding down the other French door. Once again it's a beautiful morning with the sun beaming down and I'm glad that I'm able to work on the door undercover. Back to Najac for lunch and collect Barbara and then off to drop our cases off at G & S's as they've been kind enough to put us for the week while P & C's family are in town. We then spend the afternoon at Lagarrigue burning off, sanding & painting & work on until 6:30 when we head back for the first bath we've had this year! It's most relaxing and then we're off to P & C's for supper and to meet his mum & brother.

Wednesday 25th – I had hoped today was the day the Merc would be back up & running quietly but it wasn't to be. The garage owner had been in touch with Mercedes and they had told him that it wasn't possible to weld an exhaust system that contained a catalytic converter. Despite getting down on both knees and begging he wasn't going to change his mind I headed off home very disappointed. Off to VDR to delay delivery of the stove and buy an extractor hood for the oven, another pain of glass (Babs again), more paint, we've finally made a decision on the colour and a telephone. Despite all the boxes having descriptions of their contents in English none contained English instructions. We buy a set of wireless ones & hope we can download instructions from t'internet. Back to the house and more caulking & painting. P & C's for supper.

Thursday 26th – Called over to P & C's new house to see if M. Lagarrigue's about. He's not but we see M. Luduc and he says he'll contact M. Lagarrigue and ask him to phone with us. Finished the caulking, for now, Barbara's slapping the paint on and it's another sunny day. The France Telecom engineer turns up at 2:30 and when I do my usual explanation that I don't speak very much French he says it's OK as he speaks English and worked in Ireland for 5 years. A Frenchman speaking English with an Irish accent! He's really helpful & I can't understand where FT get such a bad reputation. It takes him 90 minutes to get the phone installed and it's only when he has to contact the automated exchange that we get a couple of 'merdes'. He explains that the 'robot' isn't working and that he'll have to activate the line tomorrow morning. With the phone now in place it really feels as if things are coming together. Back to Najac & Barbara & Gilly head up to her new house to work on her new doors. I'm sat with my feet up having a beer. It's a great life.

Friday 27th – The FT engineer is as good as his word and the telephone is up & eorking by the time we arrive at the house. Good morning painting & caulking and filling holes with expanding polystyrene foam. What fun that was. It's the first time I've used it and what sticky stuff it is but it certainly does the job & filled some BIG holes. I think Barbara was bit concerned when she saw the foam expanding out of the gaps & I'm sure she was imagining some creature off Doctor Who. By mid afternoon we'd finished the jobs allocated for the day & decided to dash in to VDR to order double glazed units for the front door & pick up some more paint. I've mentioned before how expensive paint is here and I'm sure with the amount of paint we've bought shares in Dulux Valentine must be through the roof. Think a side line of importing paint from the UK could be a nice little earner. Spend a nice evening chatting with Gilly who, when she's back in the UK, lives in Brighton. She has some good stories about the people she's met in the town which, I think it's fair to say, is the gay capital of the UK. Gilly is good enough to let me have a root through her CD collection to see if there's anything I'd like. Bottom of the pile are The Village People Greatest Hits & The Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. She's obviously had some of her Brighton neighbours out to visit her in France.

Saturday 28th – Painting & caulking, there's a surprise, this morning. P & C call in just as Iggy's dad is moving his beasts. There's a great deal of fuss as he doesn't want his cattle to wander on to our land. He stretches some bailing string across the entrance and we await the stampede. Ten minutes later he wanders along with 3 cows and Iggy. At 12:30 we call it a day at Lagarrigue and head back to Najac and pick up a baguette & a trois fromage quiche for lunch. Off to Gilly's new house this afternoon to paint some new windows she's had fitted. On the way back we call to see if Thierry will help us arrange a rendezvous with M. Lagarrigue. We sit in his kitchen and enjoy a cup of PG Tips while he makes a telephone call on our behalf. A meeting is arranged for 7:00 tomorrow night & Thierry says he will be there to help with translations. He's also interested in having our hanger when we decide to pull it down and I think he wants to take the opportunity to check out the building. Once again a good evening at Gilly's with P & C, Paul's Mum & brother calling round for a delicious meal.

Sunday 29th – Up to the house this morning to finish the caulking ready to start painting tomorrow. We also spent some time marking out the drive layout in preparation for M. Lagarrigue's visit this evening. The suns out and it's bot too hot so after a few words with the boss it's out with the bike & on with the bike clips. From Lagarrigue to Najac it's mainly downhill so it was an easy cycle back to Gilly's for lunch. This afternoon we plan to do a little more work for Gilly at her new house in Mazerolles which is at the top of a very long hill. It takes me 20 minutes to cycle up with only one stop for a breather. Not bad for someone who's not been on a bike for nearly 3 months. After a little more painting it's back in the saddle and a very speedy decent, at one point pursued by a mad French dog, to Najac. Think I'll have to make a spin on the bike a weekly event. We meet P & C at Lagarrigue at 6:00 and go through our thoughts for the drive. A few suggestions from Paul & we come up with a final layout just as M. Lagarrigue & Thierry arrive. It's a good meeting and although the work can't be done until the first week in June a devis is promised by Wednesday. Fingers crossed the price is within budget as I don't fancy doing all that digging, even with Paul's able assisitance.

w/c 16 April 2007

Monday 16th – Off to meet the chimney sweep this morning and he' there bang on 9:00. Turns out the hornet nests, there were 2 of them, are both old ones and there's no one in residence. They fill 4 bin bags and by 9:30 he's on his way €100.00 richer and for the peace of mind it's money well spent. Pierre's also at the house applying the final coat of lime-wash to the walls and I manage to caulk the ceiling without getting in his way. All doors & windows in France have hook-on hinges which make their removal a piece of cake and we'd removed the windows last week. There's a few years of paint on them & the wood looks in good order so looks like we won't have to replace them & Barbara sets about re-putting & rubbing them down. We'd picked up some new glass for a broken pane and it fitted perfectly. Let's hope the one we'll have to buy to replace the one Barbara broke fits as well! While we're working away a car pulls up at the house next door and a couple get out and head over to us. 'Bonjour' and asks us, in French, if we have the keys for the next door house as he's here to measure up for a new kitchen. We explain that we don't speak very good French. 'Oh sorry, I thought you were French with your boiler suits on'. Turns out he's English from Brighton and moved out to France with his wife and 3 daughters 18 months ago and is busy restoring a barn. We have a long chat about the French social security system and how you have to pay up front. Only after you've been in business for 2 years can you claim any over payments back. The payment is also calculated on the basis that you will do some work 'on the black' (foreigners). The 'black' economy is a major problem in France and it would seem that it's this type of legislation that encourages people to do work for cash. We're invited round to see the work they've done to their barn and as they have tried to be as eco friendly as possible in the restoration I'm sure it will prove to be an interesting and informative visit. Finally caught up with M. Regourd and finalised our choice of bathroom fittings for which he asked for a cheque. As we hadn't got the cheque book with us we'll have to call back later in the week. We're treated to a real humdinger of a lightening storm tonight with the sky being lit up as if it were daylight.

Tuesday 17th – Early start to pick the Merc and trailer up from Lagarrigue and then collect some stone to patch up P & C's drive. After all the rain we'd had last night it was going to be real fun getting the trailer out and after 30 minutes we'd got the car well and truly stuck in the mud. You can imagine the noise the car had been making as we'd tried to pull the trailer out and it wasn't long before Iggy's dad turned up to see what all the noise was. 'Iggy's dad' is our French farmer next door neighbour and as his dog is called Iggy he's been christened 'Iggy's dad'. Sad I know. 'Ah tracteur' and off he goes to get his old Ford tractor. The rope we have snaps and Iggy's dad suggests we use a chaine. A chien? Iggy will never be able to pull the car out! Ten minutes later, when we've used a 'chain' to pull the car out, and after several merci beaucoup's we're on the road and heading for the builders merchants. Two loads later the drive is looking good and Babs and I head off to do some work. P & C call in on their way to VDR and we have along discussion on what we should do with drive area and the landscaping around the house. Paul calculates that it'll take approx. 60 tonnes of stone and as well as hiring the mini digger we'll also need a dumper and a roller. With the digger costing €800.00 it may be worth getting M. Lagarrigue, the contractor who had done the ground work at P & C's new house, in to give us a quote. We'll be seeing him on Thursday so we'll ask him then. I spend the afternoon with my new belt sander working on the kitchen floor & Barbara rubs down the front door and applies the undercoat.

Wednesday 18th - Moved some stone for P & C first thing, call in to get some fish for tea from the mobile fish stall in Najac and then off to do a bit of strimming, continue sanding the floor, fixing the kitchen ceiling & slapping the paint on. We get a visit from Iggy's mum and dad who normally don't understand a word we say but when Barbara asks if they'd like to look at the work we've done it's an immediate oui. We think they're impressed with what we've done and after a lot of hand signals and at one point during the conversation Barbara thinking we were being asked round for lunch they depart and wish us bon appétit. It's a really beautiful day and we sit outside and eat our sandwiches in the blazing sun. Barbara's getting the brew ready when she shouts for me to have a look at this massive green lizard she's just seen. It's gone by the time I get there and I'm sure she's exaggerating when she demonstrates how long it was. P & C call in on their way to the airport and drop off an old chest we'd found in 'the ruin', Barbara thinks it will make a great bedding box. On the way home we drop the cheque in for M. Regourd and he tells us he'll be at the house first thing tomorrow to get the toilet plumbed in.

Thursday 19th – The Regourd family are all hard at it when we get to the house with Stephané putting the socket and switch covers on and his father & brother working on the plumbing. Barbara continues with the painting and I do a bit more more strimming until I spot Barbara's green lizard. She wasn't exaggerating about it's size as it must be at least 30 cms long and bright green in colour. I shout Barbara over and whilst we looking at it Stephané walks over to see what's grabbed our attention. He tells us it's a Lézard Vert and is dangerous because if it were to bite you it will hold on tight! (A quick check on the internet tonight also says that they aren't afraid of humans and will give a nasty nip if approached. Think I'll be using a lot of long handled gardening equipment in future). By lunchtime the Regourds are finished and at last we have a working toilet. Barbara just can't wait to christen it but insists I hang the door first. Although the doors come fitted with hinges they don't come with handles and in her haste to use the toilet she pulls the door to and locks herself in. Hope there's no Lézard Verts in there with her! Really hot afternoon spent sanding the floor and painting.

Friday 20th – A beautiful morning again and M. Lagarrigue should be up at P & C's digging out the foundations so we'll pop up and ask him to prepare a devis for our work. By 9:00 there's no sign of him so we head over to the house to see if the Regourds have returned. No luck there either. We need to check our fast reducing bank balance and as the cash machine wasn't working this morning we'll have to call in to the La Fouillade branch of Credit Agricole, our French bank, before 12:00 when it closes. There's a new garage opened in La Fouillade and thinking he may be desperate for business I decide we'll call in with the Merc and see if he can do a temporary fix, or do I mean a bodge job? After Barbara's excellent explanation of what we want, in French, he says he can do it but not until next Wednesday. Great news & fingers crossed it works. Back at the house Barbara's burning off the many layers of paint from the French doors while I do a little more strimming. I read last night on the t'internet that Lézard Verts (and snakes) thrive in long grass so I think this will be a regular task. Only problem I have is that the strimmer is a b****r to start when hot and I have to leave it to cool down and do the work in stages. With the sun high in the sky it's time to head indoors and finish sanding the utility room floor. It's definitely the place to be as by lunch time the temperature is just a midges off 30ºC. We'd received an email from Pierre Segonds last night to say he would call in at lunch time today to see if we were happy with his work and to drop off his facture. He arrives at bang on 1:30, no surprise there, and we tell him we're delighted with his work and write him out a cheque. 'Bon journée', I'm sure it will be when he cashes the cheque, and off he goes. Spend the afternoon much the same as this morning but with Barbara varnishing the floor & me sanding the doors. Have an early finish at 5:15 to see if M. Lagarrigue has turned up. Still no sign of him so back for an early beer as the weekend starts here!

Saturday 21st – VDR first thing to drop the strimmer off and get some supplies in for next weeks work schedule. We need paint, silicon, door handles, putty, glass & lots of other interesting items! We also need to organise a fridge & can't believe our luck when at one of the magasins we see exactly the fridge we want with €300.00 off. Quick as a flash it's ordered and delivery organised for the 15th May. I'll have to make sure I'm elsewhere that day 'cause getting it up the steps is going to be difficile. Bit of food shopping then back to fit a weather strip and new lock on the main door. All goes well until we fit the handle and the key won't go through the hole! Back to the drawing board or, more precisely, the shop. It's another beautiful day and we're off out tonight to The Salamander, a local restaurant, with Gilly & Sidney and have a booked a table overlooking the château in Najac. It should be a perfect end to a productive week.

Sunday 22nd – The view, weather & company made our night out at The Salamander a success but the meal, from a menu that has remained unchanged for the last 4 years was only average. The Magret de Canard in a sauce of local honey was tasty but someone needs to tell the chef to lay off the garlic in his green beans and perhaps not to cook them for quite so long . He should also attempt to give the impression that the mushroom tart is home made. Welcome to 'Hill's Dinners'. Off to the house this morning to pick the Merc & trailer up & then back to Gilly & Sydney's in Najac to collect a couple of sofas & transport them up to their new house 5 kms away. Their house in Najac is next door to the church and we'd asked them to make sure there wasn't a church service on. I could just imagine the scene as the Merc growled it's way up the hill & the priest battled to be heard. Not the thing to do in France, upset the local Catholic priest. The move went well and we were back at Najac for lunch all in one piece despite Gilly deciding it would be a good idea to give the left hand side of the road a try for a change! We had lunch sat on G & S's terrace overlooking the Averyon gorge with the sun blazing down. Do we really have to go and do some work this afternoon? We did and put the weather strip on the French doors. With the doors on & off several times and the temperature reaching 32ºC we were ready for another cold beer by the time we headed home at 6:30. Anyway must get on as we're moving out for the week & need to do a bit of packing.

w/c 9 April 2007

Monday 9th – Misty morning when we left Najac but by the time we got to Lagarrigue the sun was out and the temperature was up by 6ºC. First job today was to cut and fit the oak beam for the chimney breast. First attempt didn't look all that good so it was a quick refit and we're happy with the second fitting. We're sat in the sun having a break for lunch when Matthew & Paul arrive to see what we're up to. After a quick review of work so far Paul leaves the three of us to it. I'm re-sanding the plasterboards and Barbara & Matthew set to and do a bit of hacking out. It's a glorious afternoon and by 4:00 it's time to call it a day and head for a cold refreshing beer, after all it is a bank holiday. We're off out tonight for a meal, probably wont bother with a tie and jacket but it'll make a pleasant change to get dressed up.

Tuesday 10th - Big day to day for P & C. Their new house which has become known as 'the ruin' is scheduled for demolition. Paul & I head for the site for 9:00 and wait the arrival of the builder, M. Leduc, and the demolition contractor, M. Lagarrigue. They arrive just after 10:00 and once the 16 tonne digger has been unloaded set to and dig an access road out & create a platform to place all the stone they will salvage from 'the ruin'. At about 11:30 I head over to our house just in time to catch Pierre before he disappears for lunch. He's half way through applying the first layer of plaster and even at this stage I can see that it was definitely the right decision to get him in & have the room creped. M. Regourd has also been & has been working on the plumbing and it looks like most of the waste pipes are now in place. After lunch back at Najac Paul & I set to to try and resolve what has been an ongoing problem with the drainage. As with most older houses in France the waste water from the shower and kitchen sink drain straight in to a soak away and we'd noticed recently that a puddle had been forming outside every time anyone had a shower. Paul had dug out the area and located the waste pipe and we were going to use his drain rods to remove any blockages. After prodding away with the rods for about an hour and not appearing to resolve the problem Paul decided to re-route the drain in to the septic tank. I disappeared up to Gilly's to do a little more painting and by the time I returned Paul had finished the drainage and Barbara & Matthew had returned from Toulouse. They'd gone in first thing this morning on the train and had spent the day looking for light fittings etc. & I'm sure Matthew had had a wonderful time! The train service from Najac is great and there are about 8 trains a day which take approx. 1 hour 30 min's to get to Toulouse & cost €22.50 return.

Wednesday 11th – Spent the day with Paul helping to sort stone out as the demolition of the ruin progressed. The contractor made it look so simple even using his digger to pick up old barrels and place them gently on the ground safely away from the demotion site. I can't wait to get the digger hired and start on the tidying up & landscaping at Lagarrigue. I'm sure it won't be anything like as easy as he made it look but it's going to be a lot easier than using a spade & pick. Barbara & Matthew went in to VDR in the morning for some food & a look round and spent the afternoon at Gilly's painting. Matthew must wonder what happened to his nice relaxing holiday, instead his mum & dad have had him working hard.

Thursday 12th – And as it's Matthew's birthday we let him off work this morning and left him packing as he's off home today for a well earned rest. Paul & I did a morning up at the ruin and Barbara did some more painting up at Gilly's. We're not slow painters by the way it's just that the house is quite a size. At lunch time we head to Rodez for lunch & to drop Matthew off & collect Caroll from the airport. By the time we return to Najac the heavens have opened and P & C head round to what is now a flat site of mud & stone. They return soaked through and I think a little shell shocked at the enormity of their 'project'.

Friday 13th – The chimney sweep was supposed to be calling this afternoon but he'd rang last night to say that with the amount of rain that had fallen it was to dangerous to remove the hornets nest & he would call on Monday at 9:00. We spent the morning at Lagarrigue and Barbara was up to Gilly's in the afternoon. When I returned to the house Pierre was there applying the first of three coats of lime wash, he mentioned that M. Regourd wanted to see us so a quick text to Babs and she came down and picked me up at 5:00 and we headed over to see if Msr. M was in. No sign of him so we head on to Lunac and a kitchen shop we'd passed a couple of times & seen the fridge we want on special offer. It was closed and upon closer investigation it turned out the poster advertising the offer was two years out of date and that the shop was probably closed down for good! Looks like we might have to go back to the shop where we were getting the stove & cooker from & eat humble pie. We used the fact that we'd seen the special offer to try and screw him down on price but he'd only moved a few Euros & we'd told him we would get the fridge somewhere else.

Saturday 14th – A morning painting at Gilly's, back to Najac for lunch & off to VDR in the afternoon. P & C spent the morning successfully trying to clean the chimney. We've been having problems with the stove and had decided that something needed to be done if we weren't all going to smell like smoked kippers. They sort the problem and the stove is roaring away. We needed to pick up some more caulk for Gilly & our own house and also took the opportunity to look at a couple of places for the fridge. Came across one very helpful chap who was prepared to do a deal and deliver. Think he's going to get the order. Had a nice coffee and cake and a wander round the two interior decorating shops in VDR. Called in at Lagarrigue on the way back and the lime wash is looking really great and things are coming together now.

Sunday 15th – And what seams to have become our weekly trip to the market at St. Antonin-Noble-Val. With the sun out and the temperature rising a few points the market was the busiest we've seen it with a number of new stalls. Lots of lovely smells and samples of wild boar sausage to sample, it really is a good morning out and we pick up some fresh salad for lunch. Gilly's this PM to finish off the painting, clean up & continue with the caulking. On our way back we call up at P & C's new site and review the work to date. Quite a bit yet to do!

w/c 2 April 2007

Monday 2nd – In to VDR first thing to collect paint and all the associated bits & pieces for decorating. Only problem was that a couple of the shops we needed to visit are closed for stocktaking so it'll mean we have to come back again later in the week. Back to the house for lunch which is eaten in the car because it's that cold and on with rubbing down the plastering I did last week & building a frame to support the toilet cistern in the downstairs cloakroom. We have to be back at P & C's for 3:00 to meet the septic tank man so it's a very early finish today. If he turns up on time we plan to visit a quarry in a village called Virac and see if we can organise stone for the hearth. While we're waiting I check our emails and there's one from Pierre Segonds asking if it's OK to start the crepe tomorrow. That's great news but it means that our early finish has been knocked on the head & we'll be back to work once the septic tank is sorted. We also get a visit from P & C's next door neighbour who is Portuguese but has lived if France for the last 40 years. The last time we'd met her we couldn't understand a word she was saying and thought she was a French rambler expecting to stay the night with us. Thankfully things have become a little clearer to us and we managed to learn a little about her children and an appointment she had with a physiotherapist in Albi. Just as we're thinking we've had a wasted afternoon the driver turns up at 5:30. There's a little bit of face pulling when he sees that he will have to back his lorry down to the house but there's an even bigger Gallic shrug when he takes the lid off the septic tank. He didn't say anything but I'm sure he was thinking merde! He gets his lorry as near as he can and starts to connect the pipes, but he's not wearing any gloves. Perhaps the lorry's just been cleaned out & he'll put them on later. He starts the pump, still no sign of any gloves, and Barbara & I go in the house & close the door. Ten minutes later he's finished and packing up ready to leave. He knocks on the door and has an invoice which we offer to pay by cheque. That's OK but the problem will be writing the amount out in words and we ask the driver to help and complete that section of the cheque. He takes Barbara's pen completes the cheque, signs the receipt, hands the pen back & bids us bonne journée. It's customary in France to shake hands with everyone you meet but on this occasion I kept my hands firmly in my pockets and made no attempt to do so. By the time I'd got back in the house Barbara had got the disinfectant out and was wiping the pen down! It's back to the house to tidy up & prepare for Pierre. Supper tonight will be a little later than normal.

Tuesday 3rd - Head up to house and Pierre is there just getting started. Arrived just in time to avoid lifting a very heavy looking cement mixer up a flight of steps onto the balcony. After discussing a few bits and pieces with him we head to Gilly's to continue the painting. Just as we're thinking of heading off for lunch there's a knock at the door and there's a couple of men, one wearing a sweatshirt with the picture of a dog with a dead bird hanging out of it's mouth, wanting to deliver some windows & doors. Walking to the van Barbara & I offer to help unload and put them in the barn but when we see the size of the doors we realise there's no way we're going to be able to move them very far. A couple of phone calls later and it's agreed that they will be placed near the front gate & the carpenter will send some men over later to put them in place. It turns out that one of the men is a neighbour of Gilly's & we've seen him working on a house across the lane. In conversation with him he tells us that this is his holiday home and he lives in Aix-en-Provence but finds it too hot during the summer. The whole of the conversation is held in French so I suppose we must be improving slightly. Over the last few days there has been a noticeable increase in the number of British registered cars on the road, so much so that I have to ask, 'is there anyone left in the UK?' Even in the supermarket yesterday, have a look at the picture HERE, we were joined in the cue by 2 British families. At this rate we won't need to bother learning French, they'll only be the British here! Late this afternoon we head over to the quarry we'd planned to visit yesterday. The owner, who is English and has been out here for 18 years, is very helpful and after identifying the area we live in by the sample of stone we'd taken with us gives us a brief lesson in geology. He certainly seems to know his stuff and says he will put together a devis and phone us later with the price.

Wednesday 4th – Quick check to see what progress was made at the house yesterday & on to VDR, again, for some more paint for Gilly's. We also needed to get a new door lock for & thought we were organised by not only measuring the old one but taking a photograph of it (marvellous what you can do with a mobile phone these days) but despite there being dozens of locks not one is suitable for a door that opens to the droite. They'll be in stock on Friday. As we're struggling with the lock there's another English couple looking as perplexed as we normally do. We offered to help but when they explain that they're looking for exterior ceramic tile adhesive we had to explain that we hadn't got to that stage in our renovation project as yet. We get a phone call from Ian at lunch time saying the garage have been in touch & they've removed the engine immobiliser which has affected the central locking and am I bothered about it. As it'll cost €240.00 to install a new system I ask him to tell the garage not to worry about it and keep my fingers crossed that someone will nick the thing and we can claim on the insurance. Come to think of it the insurance will probably be void now the car doesn't have an immobiliser who is going to nick the car anyway! Spent the rest of the day painting & called for a cuppa at I & V's on the way home. We'd asked Ian to give the roofer a call to see if he had a date for commencing work on the house. He'd tried calling yesterday but there was no answer so he was going to try again tonight. By now it was 6:30 so there was a chance the roofer would have finished work & be at home. We head out to his house to see if he's in and are just in time to catch his daughters returning from walking the dogs. 'Papa is still at work and will return at 8:00 this evening'. A wasted trip.

Thursday 5th – Full day at Gilly's painting with just a break at lunch time to see if work had progressed at Lagarrigue. It hadn't, but the concrete was still damp in places so I guess they were giving it plenty of time to go off. The painting is coming on well and I only wish I had shares in a French paint manufacturer because judging by the way the walls soak up the stuff I'd be a very rich man. Paint is very expensive, 10 litres of Dulux brilliant white matt emulsion costs €53.00. Got round to watching one of the 'classic' DVD's Rebecca & Matthew sent us, Steptoe & Son from 1970. Were there still rag & bone men around with horse pulled carts in the early 70's? It was the one where their horse Hercules dies. I know what would have happened to him if he'd been in France. 'What's for dinner tonight Dad?' 'Hercules!'

Friday 6th – VDR again this morning for more paint and the shop assistant jokes that we must be painting the Eiffel Tower. We called in at the house on the way and were pleased to see work was well under way & a compressor had been delivered and the first layer of crepe was about to be applied. We want to put some oak round the chimney breast which is currently tiled and had called in to measure up. Pierre tells us there's a wood yard in nearby Monteils so we'll call in there on the way back. While in VDR we get a call from Mr. Scott the stone man to say he's got a suitable piece of stone & can cut & prepare it for the end of the month. Next stop is to order the poêle & cuisinère & while we're attempting to 'do a deal' the mobile rings & it's Vilia saying the Mercs ready and it needs to be collected from the auto electricians in VDR before 12:00 when, of course, they close for lunch. As it's now 11:45 I race off to collect the car & leave Barbara haggling with the shop owner. The car still sounds like a jet fighter but at least it starts & I head back to see how many hundreds of Euros Barbara has saved us. She's got him down a bit and he can deliver in early May so well done Babs. Food shopping and a bit of lunch now while we wait for the wood yard to re-open. We find it easily enough and ask where the bureau is. 'This is my office' he says and looks around and points at the yard that any health & safety officer would have nightmares over. We show our picture of what we're after and explain that we would like chêne. He heads off and we follow him to a pile of various lengths of oak beams. He selects one and asks me to help carry it back to the workshop where he feeds it through a machine to cut it to the dimensions we require, 3.5 metres x 12cms x 6cms. Not having any idea of what it's going to cost Barbara dashes back to the car for the cheque book but by the time she returns I've paid the €11.75 in cash. Back to Lagarrigue with the wood & then on to I & V's with a box of chocs and a thank you for their help in sorting the car out. All we need to do now is call in to the garage and pay the bill! We'll do that tomorrow. Oh, and it's Good Friday. Considering France is a Catholic country there is no recognition of what to day is. It's not a public holiday and it's business as usual. The bank holidays come in May. Can't wait.

Saturday 7th – Morning spent painting up at Gilly's and after lunch off to Rodez to collect Matthew & Paul from the airport. It's a beautiful day and sitting waiting for them at the airport it gives me time to reflect on what's been happening over the last few months. It's been a bit of a roller coaster and sometimes I wonder what we've done. Today it feels like it was a good idea. Head back to Najac and pick Barbara up and head for the local bar and a couple of beers sitting in the sun and then on to Lagarrigue to show Matthew what his inheritance has bought. Think he's impressed and says he's looking forward to visiting when there's a bedroom to sleep in.

Sunday 8th – Take Matthew to show him the market in St. Antonin-Noble-Val and unfortunately the cheese lady isn't about and we leave empty handed. This afternoon Ian has invited us all to the football teams annual lunch. We're made to feel very welcome and have a very informal meal of sausage, croquet potatoes & green beans along with as much red wine as we can drink. We then head to the car park for a game of boules. It's a very French afternoon with the sun shining and the wine flowing freely. If only our language skills were better.

w/c 26 March 2007

Monday 26th – Still struggling with loosing that hour in bed yesterday and despite planning to be on site bright & early we didn't make it until 9:30. Full day of hacking out the upstairs internal gable in preparation for pointing it on Wednesday. The garage must have called to sort the Merc out over the weekend as it's back on 4 wheels. It's turning over now but the engine's not firing up! With the battery disconnected for nearly a week I wonder if the immobiliser has activated? We call back to Najac for lunch and there's a message for us from Ian. We'd asked him to organise a couple of stères (0.6m³) of wood for the stove and it was going to be delivered this afternoon at 4:00. Quick lunch and back to hacking out until 3:45 when I leave Barbara to it & go back to Najac to unload the wood. He's there on time & it only takes a 1 hour to unload & stack the wood by which time Barbara has finished the hacking out and is building up two recesses in the wall which were probably windows at one time. M. Leduc called to see P & C to finalise the timetable & costs of their project, once again accompanied, thankfully, by Thierry. All goes well and he hopes to start work the first or second week in April.

Tuesday 27th – Off to Rodez to take P & C to the airport but first they have to call at the local architects to break the bad news that they won't be using his builder. Not an easy conversation as he would earn a substantial fee for managing the project but he accepts their decision with good grace. Once in Rodez we pick up some tiles we'd ordered a couple of months ago when they were in the sale. Drop P & C off at the airport and head for home in time to call at the garage and see if we can get the car sorted. With excellent timing we arrive just as I & V do and Ian helps me tell the garage owner about the problem with the car. The three of us go over to the house and after lots of head scratching it looks like the petrol pump isn't pumping! The mechanic, via Ian, says it looks like the anti-theft system has activated and he'll check with a colleague what to do and will ring tomorrow. I also mange to find out that the newly arrived Land Rover Lightweight is owned by a retired gendarme and he's considering selling it. Barbara didn't seem all that interested and appeared to turn a deaf ear. Still a lot of work to do!

Wednesday 28th – Phone call from Ian early this morning to say the garage have rang him and would like me to drop the car remote locking controller in. They're going to try a new battery and failing that will have to get it to the auto electrician in VDR. I spend the morning plastering & Barbara is pointing the wall upstairs. After lunch I call over to the garage with the remote & am fortunate, again, to meet 2 local men who speak excellent English. The remote doesn't spring to life when the new battery is fitted & I leave the keys at the garage for them to collect the car sometime tomorrow. I also have a good look round the Lightweight and can't believe what great condition it's in. The current owner has obviously spent a lot of time and money on it and I have the feeling if he does decide to sell it could be well out of my budget. Back to the house and spend the afternoon plastering & pointing.

Thursday 29th – The Merc has gone by the time we get to the house and we get straight on with brushing down the wall we pointed yesterday. We use a wire brush first then finish off with a hard scrubbing brush & although I say it myself (& I can because it's Barbara who's done the majority of the pointing) the result is great. About 10:30 Stephané Regourd arrives to finish off the electrics & by the time he leaves at 11:55 on the dot, he's explained the workings of the tableau de protection and we have power & light. Things are starting to take shape. We make a quick dash to the local builders merchant for some chaux & placo pate and call in at our local shop in La Fouillade for lunch. It's the type of shop where you can't ask for the wrong thing, curry paste, Pyrex dishes, cabbages, they have them all. The lady who runs it must be 80 if she's a day and 'dashes' back and forth between the café next door and the shop. Hope I'm still 'dashing' around at her age. As with most French villages La Fouillade also has a bakery, butcher & bar & we're making a concious effort to use them all. Lunch over & I'm plastering & Barbara's pointing away, what a team we make. We clock off at 5:00 with no sign of the Merc.

Friday 30th – Babs is up at 6:30 and off to brush down the pointing we did yesterday leaving me to tucked up in bed. Things are looking up and I could get use to it. She's back just after 9:00 for a quick shower and we're off to locate a free standing hand painted kitchen unit fitted with a Belfast sink available from stock and all for less that €1,000. It could be a long day. First stop is to a local artisan in nearby Lunac. His work is beautiful and would fit the the bill perfectly but he can't deliver until early October, which is perhaps just as well as I'm sure his prices would reflect the high quality of his workmanship. On to VDR and a magasin we've visited many times before. They don't have anything to show us but produce a catalogue showing exactly the item we're looking for. A quick check of the price list & we can't believe the price being quoted but never being ones to rush in to things we say we'll think it over and call back later. As it's now lunch time and everywhere is closed we decide to head for Figeac, approx. 35 kms away and somewhere we've haven't been to before. It's a typical small French town with lots of cafés, estate agents & artists studios but very few furniture shops. There's also a derelict cinema called 'La Rex' which is currently being converted in to trendy apartments. Must be happening everywhere. One store that looks interesting from the outside proves, once we've entered, to be a bit of a disappointment apart from a picture hanging on the wall. It's of a ship at sea with the title 'In All Weathers – J L Thompson Shipbuilders, Sunderland'. These Makams get everywhere. On the way back we call in at a Brocante (an antique come junk shop) but with no luck. We do have luck when we leave however when for the first time in a while I pull on to the wrong side of the road & fortunately there's nothing coming! Once Barbara has calmed down we decide that we should revisit the magasin in VDR and place the order for the piece of furniture. Never being ones to waste time we also call at the local hire shop & check out the prices for the hire of a mini-pelle (small JCB). Whilst the owner is showing us the machines outside, a lorry unloading a Portacabin with 1 man at each corner, bursts a hydraulic pipe and the cabin crashes to the ground just missing them. I've never seen so many French workman move so quickly. Back in VDR we head for the magasin and are welcomed by a very anxious assistant. 'Desole!' Turns out she's made an error on the price and the unit should be nearly 3 times the price she quoted. Ah well back to plan B & off to Ikea.

Saturday 31st – Think this will be the shortest blog entry so far. Spent the day decorating at Gilly's and it's bangers & mash for dinner. Suppose I could go in to detail about the spuds & sausage but I bet no one's really that interested.

Sunday 1st April 2007 – Ditto for Saturday really apart from it's duck for dinner tonight. Heard from P & C that their builder plans to start work a week on Monday & Paul's booked on the same flight as Matthew so it'll be a house full next weekend. Let's hope it's a bit more interesting & I have something to tell my millions of readers.