One for the chemists.

[corsechris]

My uncle lives in Brittany and is always moaning about not being able to find anything he wants or get anything done - I regularly send him bits & bobs he needs to work on his old car. Confess I put some of it down to him not being great with the language, but from what you say Norm, it sounds very much as if it really is a major problem. His last hassle was getting a door lock fixed. The company that fitted it a few years back wanted him to write to them agreeing to pay before they'd even come out...and they will only come out 'when they have enough work in the area'.

 

Hope the job goes OK Norm - but given the supply problem you've got, you sure don't want any nasty surprises!

[Norman Verona]

Chris, it's worse than that. We need a new roof on the house. My friend lives opposite a roofer. We asked him to ask the roofer to give us a price 6 weeks ago. Nothing. In the meantime someone we know (Brit) popped round and it transpired he's a roofer. He's got the tiles we need and is working out a price. He's done repairs to the roof on the gites. 

 

When I did the clutch on the Civic, I connected the battery leads to a battery charger as I don't have the radio code. I tripped over the wires and pulled them off. So, I went to the dealer in Angers to get the code. In the UK a Honda dealer can enter the VIN into the factory system and it will give him all the info you're ever likely to want, including the radio code. We're still waiting for it, just phoned and he may have it on Thursday when I go for the plastic clips which were ordered last week.

 

I can just about put up with it, after all that's the way it is in France. What I can't put up with is when you go to collect something that's been on order a week and should have been in, say, yesterday and it's not. If you complain they want to know what the problem is, it'll be here next week, maybe, if not the week after. They cannot understand that you've made plans to fit it (or whatever) and expect you to not have a problem with this. 

 

5 years ago we asked a local roofing firm for a price to replace the roof on the long barn and install insulation. The barn is 100 foot long and 7 metres wide. I kept chasing them. It took 9 months to get the price. 50,000€! Needless to say the barn still needs a roof.

 

I could go on but think you get the picture.

 

 

 

ed to add that the payment bit is down to the Brits. Many just won't pay, issue cheques that cannot be met and generally cheat and lie there way out of payments. In France it's an offence to issue a cheque that cannot be met. 100€ fine immediately, and if you cannot give a good explanation within 7 days you lose your cheque book for 3 years.

 

We are now trusted but it's funny to watch at the supermarket checkout. HM will go through and she leaves the heavy stuff in the trolley and they scan it there. Next customer may be a brit and are made to remove everything from the trolley in case they've hidden something under the case of beer etc.

[corsechris]

That all sounds very familiar from my uncles experiences too. I was so taken with his place when we visited last year that I set my mind on retiring to France, but have to say, not quite sure if I could handle that level of 'bleh' TBH. He also mentioned the issue with Brits not paying, really can't understand that myself. No wonder we get treated badly.

He used to live just outside Laflesch (sp?). but is now near to Callac.

Some close friends had plans to move down to the Loire region last year, much like your setup Norm, old farmhouse, some accommodation etc, but they just can't sell their house here in the Uk so have pretty much given up. Another friend went out there about 10 years back and is farming sunflowers. He reckons he loses about £10k a year, but he's happy anyway!

[Norman Verona]

Chris, it's not so bad, there are some very good upsides. If you're retired the laid back way of life is great. True, it does get a bit annoying at times, but once you know to expect it, you don't get hopes up.

 

We stayed near him some years ago. Went to a gites near Carhaix Plouguet in my old '73 Elan. Arrived at midnight and had to make the bed (we took the bedding), couldn't make a drink as no coffee, milk or tea. It was that experience that gave us the idea of building the gites and making sure they had provisions in them. Now we get what you want in, when we charged 395€ per week we supplied about 60€ of food and drink.

 

I suspect your friends will be able to sell up this year or early next. Tell them they can spend a week here on a research week,

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

http://www.idealwindowsolutions.co.uk/condensation_removal_maintenance.html 

[Norman Verona]

Ermmm, Hampshire and West Sussex. Not sure they're near here. 

 

I've seen another company who will drill the glass and fit a tyre valve (or similar) and then it can be easily vacuumed whenever it needs to be de-misted.

[User0083]

Just to clarify, I'm not drilling through the glass but through the rubber seal which bonds both sheets together.

That's good. I was wondering how much the strength and flex of the glass would be compromised through this and once heated by the sun... Would it shatter? Sorry I can't add any constructive advice. It would be guess work. I said what a friend did to a much smaller window, with same issue.

I'm sure you 'be google'd the issue. Try dogpile.com rather than google. It searches search engines and you get far better results.

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

Ermmm, Hampshire and West Sussex. Not sure they're near here. 

 

I've seen another company who will drill the glass and fit a tyre valve (or similar) and then it can be easily vacuumed whenever it needs to be de-misted.

 

It shows that it's not a daft idea though, Norman.

[Norman Verona]

No, it's a wonder they don't fit a small valve during manufacture. But, I suppose that will cut down on future sales.