Hello all.

This is our first proper Christmas here in France.
Do any of the towns within 20-30km of Montmorillon have Christmas markets? I've scoured the papers etc but can't find any references. Our fantastically helpful French neighbours have rather thoughtlessly gone away for a few weeks so I cant ask them!

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or recommendations,
Brian

Hi all, we need to hire somebody with
a bobcat digger or similar to dig out
topsoil to prepare for paving. The area is
5 metres x 7 metres about 30 cm soil to come
out. Should take a couple of hours tops.
The soil can be moved 50 yards down track.
If you or anybody you know can do the job
please PM us.
Would like to get the job done asap while
the good weather lasts!
Thanks for any info
Rosie and Huw
Moulin des Veax
Brigueil Le Chantre
( near Lathus St Remy)

Apologies if this has been covered before. I did go through the forum but couldn't find an answer.

I've just bought a used car and need to register it. I know the process in outline and where to do it. The vendor said that the fee has to be paid by cheque and cash is not acceptable. The problem is that I do not have a cheque book. Does anyone know if the fee can be paid by debit or credit card?

I have a pool/billiard table for sale. It is 204cm long X 116cm wide X 78cm high. It comes with a plastic cover, a box each of pool and billiard balls, chalk, cues and two racks. There are a couple of small marks near one of the corners but I will show these in the photos. Price €350 ono. Unfortunately, I cannot deliver it so if anyone is interested they will have to come to La Trimouille and collect. I have photos and will try and post them here.

Now this is a big ask but.............does anyone know if La Poste offer a service re-directing your French mail to a UK address?

If they do, how does it work?

How much does it cost?

Before anyone asks, I'm not talking about sending an LRAR from outside France because that topic has already been cracked by the long-lamented Steve.

Hi my name is Jim I live in England and was told this was a great area to live in. I don't know what I can contribute but I am known for having an opinion on most things.
You have great weather there I'm told and the scenery is also great although yours is not a wine growing region I'm tempted,to cross over and sample some wine and olives
I hope this is an active forum as I understand Fred is quote,prolific in his writings

Now we are back to settle in Montmorillon our first
project is to get mobile! We have a hire car
for a month so looking to buy a new or near
new car quite quickly!
Anybody had any experience good or bad
with car dealers in the Montmorillon area?
We think buying a french car may be easier
for registering etc.
Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated!

Thanks Rosie and Huw

We are having ongoing, intermittent, problems with our internet (freebox.fr)
Connects via wifi and runs quite well sometimes, others either won't connect at all or shows as connected to router (wifi) but no internet connection
When it does connect sometimes runs very well (19mbs) other time really slow
We connect just wirelessly at the moment (iPhones/pads) until I can find my Ethernet adaptor for the MacBook (which of course I can't find, and can't seem to buy locally)
Would anybody out there, who's French language and patience, is up to dealing with the ISP help desk, like a job for a day or half day (whatever it takes) trying to help me sort this out. (I'll pay well to get this sorted, I can usually sort of thing in English, however my French is just not up to having the arguments, that no doubt will be a part of the "assistance" one is usually offered by ISP help desks, when they try to fob you off when they don't know how to fix the problem!
PM me if you think you might be up for the challenge!

Does anyone know of a Car air conditioning specialist. (Not an all-round garage, an actual specialist in air con for cars) ?

Always had good service from Norauto in Montmorillon see other thread Puncture repair in Montmorillon but now I've had a bad experience with them.

We decided to get our air conditioning checked and serviced as it's not a diy job, and as Norauto had an offer on we thought that'll do as they have done other work for us and been ok.

Took it in and an hour later drove off with nice fresh cool air, two days later we had to go to Potiers and on the way back the air conditioning although set to 18.5 started blowing out Hot Air. By the time we got home it was warmer inside than outside.

I went back to Norauto, and they asked me to bring it back when the technician would be there. I went back and they did the whole service again and it worked fine ............................. that is till I got home and it was blowing hot again.

Went back again and was asked to take it Saturday morning when the boss mechanic will be there. As I had a couple of days to wait I decided to ask around on the internet and via email with someone I knew in the UK , I was told by a very reliable source that my particular model needed 650 Grms of gas but my invoice from Norauto said they had added 1050 Grms!

On the Saturday I took an email from my reliable source to Norauto and they agreed "They had indeed put in to much gas" They drained it and refilled to the right amount and off I went in my nice cool car.

Gets home and yep you guessed it, it's blowing out hot air. My reliable source told me they may have damaged the air con as it was way over pressure, so I went straigt back this time Not Happy They drained it filled it, gave me back my money and suggested I go to an Air conditioning specialist and get a full report before they can take the matter any further.

I asked them to recommend one and they wouldn't, but it has to be a specialist. Oh and I have to pick up the bill too even though I'm driving around in a car with no air con.

So if anyone does know of a car air con specialist near to Montmorillon please let me know.

*And if you are thinking of having your air con serviced I would give Norauto a miss as they obviously don't know what they are doing where a specialist job is concerned.

Next in my never-ending series of questions...

I enjoy playing guitar but life would be more pleasant for the rest of the family if I could take some lessons and improve!

Last year, I did find a flyer (printer on orange paper) in the tourist office advertising guitar lessons but I've lost it and the tourist office no longer has that leaflet.

I'm particularly interested in fingerstyle blues, ragtime and slide, and would like to find a French teacher so I can improve my French at the same time as the playing.
A Google search suggests there is no-one closer than Poitiers - does anyone know of a teacher closer to Montmorillon/Adriers?

Failing that, are there any other people out there who would like to meet informally to play and learn?

Brian

Hi all

When we come next year, we'd like to take our children for a day or two in Paris to see the usual (not Disney..). Our options are to stop on the way down to our place at Lathus or to take a train back to Paris from this area.

Does anyone have any advice or suggestions as to which would be easiest - we've no idea how long the train takes from Poitiers (or the cost!)

Many thanks

Hello all.
We need a better lawn mower. As we have some muddy and sloping fields to cut the best choice seems to be a 4 wheel drive machine with a front cutting deck. I've found some rather fine new ones at €6000+ which is more than I can afford to spend.
My question to the board is simple: which garden machinery place in the area (within say 50km of Montmorillon) is likely to have a good stock of used machinery?

Thanks in advance for any help.
Brian

Hi all

Have not posted on here very much - joined last year and then time has taken over!

Just wanted to post because we've just returned from a brilliant time on our recent visit to our holiday home near Lathus. Just wish we could be over more often.

Made a visit to Planet Crocodile - really enjoyed this (kids got to feed the crocs and loved seeing so many up close.)

Did lots of fabulous walks with our cocker spaniel who had a lovely time on his hols too! He loved all the country walking and new places to explore.

The weather was dry and fair but not as hot as we would have hoped. Has the whole summer been like this? Didn't stop the kids going in the pool (they must be nuts - I attempted to go in several times too but couldn't stand it for long!)

We went along to have a look at the Grand Etang near Lathus. Could see it was for sailing etc. Can anyone else recommend a lake/beach nearby for swimming etc that's not too far to drive?

Had some lovely food while we were away - enjoyed several meals out - had a lovely lunch at Les Pinsons, Thiat. We also had a wonderful meal by the River Gartempe at La Voulzie. Yummy. Can anyone else recommend some lovely restaurants for next time when we are out please?

Finally finished off our hols by locating some long lost relatives who we found out by accident have a house in Thiat. Small world isn't it!

Well that's all and promise not to leave it so long to post again next time.

Scooby

It's that time of year again folks....the grand vide grenier in Lathus.

Sunday September 7 with kick off at 0700.

Emplacements are free - first come first assured of a good place. Bonne chance.

Usual drill; bar, buvet and loads of bits of old tat and rusty metal to buy. Or not as the whim takes you.

Could anyone recommend a good painter and decorator?

Following on from Annoying phone calls which is handy for Orange users, there is also a website where you can opt out of cold calls to your landline and mobile.

It stops around 80% of cold calls to phones, and cost you nothing to set up. Pacitel is the result of the concerted action of five major trade associations and actively supported by the government. It brings together professional associations, governments, institutions of all kinds and, more generally, any corporate representative nonprofit that adhere to its statutes.

Pacitel does not work by blocking unwanted numbers, but it stores a list of people wanting to opt out of cold calling by phone. The companies participating, after receiving the list, agree to delete your information from their database.

To register you need to go here: https://www.pacitel.fr/

• If you have a private phone click Vous êtes un particulier ?
  
• If you have a business phone click Vous êtes un professionnel ?
  
• You will then get some bumf telling you what it's about.
  
• Scroll down and click the blue button S'inscrire.
  
• You will now get a bit more bumf telling you what it is about.
  
• Scroll down and add your phone numbers fixed and mobile in the box's (you can add six phone numbers).
  
• In the box below add your Email address (you will need this to confirm you own the numbers).
  
• Next you need to choose a secret question from the list and put your answer.
  
• Now tick the three box's (these state that you own the numbers, the numbers are for personal use, i assume it will be worded different for business users the last box you tick says you are aware that you will be locked up forever in a French prison if you tell lies).
  
• Click Valider.
  
• Check the info you entered and if ok click "Confirmer mon inscription" (if you're not happy click modifier mes informations).
  
• You will now get an Email and you need to click the link "Cliquer Ici"
  
• You will get sent back to Pacitel and you are now subscribed.
  
• You will also get another Email with your registration information keep it safe you will need it to make any changes.