We are moving late spring/early summer of this year and, sadly, unable to take our dear 11-year-old cat. She is female, tri-colour, chipped, spayed and has up-to-date vaccines.

Miss Honey is a combo of house and outdoor cat and is quite happy to sleep most of the day (with snack breaks) and share the sofa at evening TV time on her special blanket. She loves Perry Mason and film noir.  In fact, she's quite the 'people person' and loves visitors and detects cat-lovers immediately. It will be 10 years ago this April that she appeared in our garden, meowed, followed me home and has been a true friend ever since. 
We have come to terms about having to part with her and so looking for a home where she will be well-loved. 
If any forum readers are interested or know someone who would be, please email me. And thank you...

Hi does anyone recommend a service for picking up and dropping off between montmorillon and Saulge 
Thank you

Hi we are looking for anyone who restores external doors ( stripping, re staining, a new weatherboard and new door furniture) 
Also a price on new windows 
Thank you

I've just been to visit the UK family and I was very impressed at the things my son-in-law had made from old pallets. He obtains them free-of-charge from 2 industrial units on the outskirts of his village.

On a recent visit to Leroy Merlin I was amused to note that they now sell new pallets (or palettes, to be precise), suitable for conversion into chairs, beds, planters, herb gardens etc at a not-inconsiderable cost (about €30).

And irony of ironies, the L-M pallets were supplied flat-packed for home assembly. So you could make them, then tear them apart to make something different, no doubt.

Given that some of Mike's projects used 8 pallets it would be cheaper to buy some over-the-counter garden stuff at that price!

Does anyone know of a source of possible free pallets near Montmorillon? I'm happy to negotiate with the 'owner' up to the price of a bottle of plonk per pallet!

Thanks in advance,
Brian

A plea for help folks.

Has anyone got, tucked away in a back pocket somewhere, an English speaking helpline for La Poste?

I expect there might be one hiding  here in the vaults of Around Monty, but if there is I can't find it.

The problem is their abject failure to redirect mail to the UK despite us signing up to a contract to get mail sent to England - especially during these less than exciting Covid times.

Writing to them (using a translation website I hasten to add) has been met with nothing.  Zilch.  Silence.

I know the French are not renowned for their "skills" when it comes to customer services i.e.  they're zero, but I really need to attack (sorry, speak) to someone on the telephone who can get this sorted.

In quivering anticipation.

Hiya folks,

Just saw Brian's note on the latest newsletter about rubbish collections.

We took delivery of two new wheelie bins with an incredibly boring leaflet a couple of months ago.

What concerns me is this:

The bins look ridiculously small compared to the ones we have in England.  What on earth can you get in them?

Someone told us the bins are microchipped and actually weigh your rubbish.

Yet another kind soul told us the weekly collection is now down to once a fortnight.

Is any of this right?  And if so, what is the point of weighing rubbish per household?  And why has the collection time doubled?

Pip pip,

Admiral

I just discovered this group by accident. 
We moved here from Brittany a year ago and absolutely love this part of France. 
I look forward to learning more about it.
Here’s wishing us all a healthy and happy 2022.

Hi
We have been in Montmorillon since 2005 (on and off). I have only just discovered this forum!
Over the years we have produced a fair bit of rubbish from our projects, and it needs to go to the dechet.
Does anyone know of a “man with a van” we could hire to help us to move the stuff?
It is clean & dry stuff such as matresses, old fridge freezer etc.
Any advice gratefully received. Thanks.

I see from their website that Eaux de Vienne is moving to a new online system from the start of 2022 and has cancelled all existing online account access "in order to serve you better"...

Has anyone had their 2021 water bills yet? They say they will just be sending them out by paper this time.

Hello  

I've just joined your group. 
We live in France and considering re-locating.  What's the weather/climate like in Montmorillon and surrounding areas?  I realise that weather is changing a lot and certainly has over the last few years we've been here - but generally what is it like?  

Thank you.

We tend to manage without British foods, but sometimes you just miss some things. Before Brexit we would get the odd little thing sent over or order on Amazon, but that has become more difficult.

I wanted to get a couple of things and just as I was about to give up I found a place in France that specialises British foods for Wholesale and Retail, they do deliver at a cost but you can collect with no extra charges.

They don't go to Montmorillon, but they do stop at Le Dorat, Bellac, Civray, Confolens which are not too far away, there are many other places they go to so check out their "Delivery & Collection" page.

We decided to give them a try and chose Bellac as we were going there anyway and today I'm pleased to say it works. There were two of their vans in the car park and we were greeted by a very friendly couple.

Everything we ordered is in good condition, well packed and has good dates. I think they visit the same area every 4 weeks and we will certainly be using them again.

Prices: Obviesly you are not going to get British supermarket prices and some things are available in French supermarkets, but we found their prices to be fair and you be notified when something comes back in stock.

Minium order: There is no minimum order.

Products: A wide choice of British products in both large and small amounts.

Service: Excellent and friendly with an easy to use website.

* You will need to create an account to see prices and they accept various forms of payment including cash.

* Sign up to their newsletter and get €5 discount.

First time I have used them and will certainly use again.

Website: The Trading Post

Hi chaps and chappesses

It seems that UK-based insurance cover on cars in France presents problems that didn't exist pre-the B word.

My UK Ford Focus had a paragraph at the bottom of the insurance certificate saying that the insurance cover was valid for every EU country {and two or three others}. That paragraph was present on the certificates for 2019-20 and 2020-21. In May 2021 when I renewed for 2021-22 I asked for a Green Card, a Post Brexit requirement of the French. The EU cover paragraph was omitted from the 21-22 certificate,

My insurer's agent [The Post Office] asked for what period I needed the Green Card. I said I was looking for a house to buy in France and didn't know for how long I would need cover. At this point in several telephone calls it became obvious they were unlikely to isssue a Green Card for most of the year.

I tried to insure it with a French company and was told they don't insure British registered cars.

At this point I decided to give the car to my son. He said he would come to collect it towards the end of October. Meanwhile I was running about on a policy paid in advance for the whole year.

When I asked again for a Green Card I was told I had already stayed in France longer than the 60, or exceptionally 90, days allowed by the insurer. I maintained they had changed the terms of the cover without telling me.

Long story clipped a bit, in October they cancelled my insurance at nine days' notice. Son insured the car elsewhere, [even so I stillI kept if off the roads] and had cover extended to France from November 1. He collects it this Friday.

In case anyone is interested, I've just dropped off some more English books at the free books kiosk in Montmorillon - having a declutter

Trying to cut down on our meat consumption.
However - having difficulty finding meat substitute - soya mince/chunks.
Anyone have ideas where we can obtain this locally ?

Winter is definitely on its way. I've just heard - then seen - about 100 south-bound cranes. Worryingly, they are about two weeks earlier than the previous 6 years - does this suggest that our cold, wet summer will be followed by a freezing, severe winter?

I think I'd better order some more logs, just in case!

Having just got to France from a Covid-enforced 17 month absence, the garden looks like the Amazon rainforest.

Sooo......are we allowed a bonfire now that we're in October?  Or, if not, can we have a burn up in one of those metal incinerator thingy?

Pip pip

Admiral  

Here I am in the south of 86 (close to Adriers), minding my own business, when I become aware of a sound, just after 10am, becoming louder. It sounded like a large jet aircraft, but at close quarters - very bassy. The sound grew in volume for a good 4-5 minutes then gradually diminished. The sound was audible for about 12-15 minutes.

At its peak, it was very loud - certainly loud enough to drown out a conversation. The direction of the sound was difficult to make out but I'd guess it was somewhere to the north-west of me.

The really odd thing was that there was only one aircraft to be seen. That, according to my flight tracking software, was a Ryanair 737 about 10 miles away, and the noise was FAR too loud to have come from that.

Did anyone else hear it? Any ideas as to what caused it?

Just put a pile of English language books and DVDs into the phone box in Montmorillon on Rue de Four.  There was not a lot in the telephone box in either English or French.

Enjoy!

Hi Newbie . . looking for part time work .. general. Cleaning clearing light gardening painting and decorating (skills everyone has acquired coming over here ) please get in touch .. I’ve been here since 2019 

Could anyone point me in the right direction to obtain 10 tons of decent top soil please? Not compost.