A little help from my friends!

I had waited long enough and could put it off no longer! I had to get rid of that over grown bush at the side of the house. I armed myself with the appropriate tools - clippers, saw, jennifers (loppers) bruette (wheelbarrow). This won't take long. As you can see from the pics I had some help and now we have a climbing frame. Great fun!!

(The wild cats) or (not so wild) I'll leave the stick until they are fed up with playing and then I'll dig it up.

Elvis (sorry) Alvis has left the building!

Elvis (sorry)Alvis has left the building!

Saturday afternoon and we’re off to help Monsieur de Villiers. He has had a beloved old couple resting in rented accommodation for the past two years. This old couple became part of the family about 30 years ago but alas when they all decided to move to France there was no room for them, rented accommodation was found whilst Monsieur de Villiers built them a new home and Saturday was the day they moved.

We volunteered to help re-locate them. Philip had spent the day before preparing them for their upheaval, making sure that nothing was going to get in the way of a smooth move. Arrangements were made for the necessary equipment and the appropriate amount of muscle and we all met outside their, soon to be, old residence.

The heavy doors were gently slid open. The two old dears were sitting in the same place, waiting patiently for Philip to take them to their new home. The remorque was carefully manoeuvred by Jean-Paul Boucheret in front of the now open doors and the winch carefully attached to a secure point underneath the old lady. Slowly, slowly, with David at the wheel and Philip turning the winch, the old sweetheart began to move, inch by inch and with a small amount of encouragement from behind, she slowly rolled on to the trailer, up – up, first the front wheels and then the back. Voila! She was out in the open, the sun trying to put a shine back into the once polished but now dull paintwork of this beautiful old 1930’s Rolls Royce.
The trailer was levelled, the precious cargo secured for her journey and off she went, the wind blowing out some of the accumulation of cobwebs and dust, the locals completely bemused by it all. (English people are definitely mad!).

It wasn’t long before the remorque was again being manoeuvred into position for the second time. An elegant old gentlemen called ‘Alvis’, he was a bit lighter than his room partner and more fragile, a 1936 Alvis, but with everyone knowing what to do, his wheels slowly rolled onto the trailer, this time with Gareth at the wheel, this other beauty was soon on his way to a new home, somewhere more appropriate for two such wonderful old beauties, where hopefully the hard work to restore them both to their former sleek lines will start soon.

Travelling 'R V' style

We’re back! We arrived home (Chezal) on Sunday night. We went to the UK to collect some furniture which we hadn’t had enough room for when we moved here. We also bought a trailer which we will need for our new venture. You may ask why we went to England to buy a trailer, when France has plenty – simple – the price! We saved a few hundred pounds and with today’s exchange rate, it doesn’t take much working out.
We loaded up ‘Candice-Marie’ (our new motor home) and headed for England – slowly – overnighting wherever and whenever we wanted. We did the same thing coming home with the addition of 'Mr Williams' (the trailer) taking two days to get back, a relaxed way to travel. We pushed the mileage up on Candice-Marie an extra 1500 stress free miles.

Sometimes there's a queue

We helped some friends this morning to hump & dump some furniture and boxes from one house to another and this afternoon headed off to Bourges. We are going to England for a week for various reasons and we have shopping lists from various people to fill.

Bourges – First stop the fabric shop for curtaining – sold out until spring! How can curtain fabric be seasonal? Well it is, so we will wait for this particular type until spring.
Next stop – Troc 18 – Nothing here, the same old ‘junk’ as last week. Then off to the other Troc – Nothing here either. We are starting to feel unlucky and maybe should have stayed at home.
At the end of the afternoon we went to Carrefour in Bourges, and so did everyone else in France. Just a few bits to get and then home before dark.
A few nice bottles of wine, some posh tinned meat stuff and a few extravagant goodies then off to join the long queue at the check-out. An hour later and the queue hadn’t moved. We left Carrefour minus the shopping. The queues did not move - an unusual experience for the centre of France, is it a bank holiday (I don’t think so) is it snowing? (I don’t think so) Has war broken out? (Who knows?) Are we going to starve this weekend? (Yes!) Oh Well, there’s always a Champion nearby!

Train to catch

Today we took our best friends Kelly and Howard to Issoudun Train Station. They are on their way home to San Francisco after spending the last 6 months here in France. They were ready with cats and suitcases packed for us to take them to the station to catch the 3.20pm to Paris. No-lene and Ferrari (the cats) have a bag each plus their goody bag, they travel from the States to France and back regularly and neither seems to be bothered by the travelling ordeal. The train was smack on time (as always) we loaded all four of them and luggage on to the train and said our farewells.
I realise sadly, how quickly this past six months has gone and how precious good friends are! I know the next six months will pass by just as quick and they will be back before we know it.

Evening:
We loaded the tractor onto Erica and set off for Madame L’s – to mow her lawn. It was only a few weeks ago her garden was beneath 4foot of tall grass. And now, with an enormous amount of work and grass cuttings, the grass is thick and lush and maybe next time Madame L is here she will be able to enjoy a game of Petanque. With winter approaching fast and the nights getting chilly it will soon be time to put the mower away until spring.

Department Store full of Junk

We headed off to Chateauroux , we were going to see if Emmaus had anything new (actually the word ‘new’ is wrong, Emmaus is a junk store, filled to the brim and overflowing with other people’s old crap. Most of it is donated and when sold the money goes towards helping the homeless).
First we looked at the furniture, the best place for it was a fire, using it to keep warm during the winter.
Next we went outside in the bric-a-brac section, a huge covered lean-to with thousands of chipped glasses and equal amounts of horrid looking kitchen utensils. Offered the guy €15 for a standard lamp- his lowest was €20 – He still has it!
Nothing in this section for us.
Then up the concrete staircase to the first floor.
1st Floor – Retro Clothes, Post & Pre War (1st I think), yellowing bed linen, incomplete dinner services, vases, a few old cracked lamps and knives and forks - all mismatched.
Nothing on the 1st floor for us.
Downstairs to the kitchen and toy room.
We bought a nice old wooden tea tray for €1 and an old lamp for €5.

We may not have spent much, every little helps! And we have a clear conscience.
Next stop; Troc d’lile Just around the corner.
We saw a fantastic 1920’s buffet, immaculate and ready for someone to take home and polish, a beautiful thing for just €150, but not for us today. We bought a 1950’s ice bucket, we have the ice tray and this bucket completes the set, not bad for 50 cents.
We went into Grand Frais (a must when in this town) stocked up on the weekly veg and then off home to mow the grass and try and catch up on daily stuff.

An Underground Experience

The London Underground.

I dragged my suitcase across Liverpool Street Station; I was heading for the London Underground, destination – Victoria. I spotted the sign and headed in that direction. Hundreds and thousands of people, all with the same thing on their mind - to get home as quickly as possible, a race to the ticket barrier, would I get there before her, or him? It doesn’t matter who beats who, we all have the same goal - but its part of the routine!
I found a comfortable space on the platform, far enough from the edge! And waited, one minute max and the train pulled in.

One step and I was on the train, a mixture of smells, dust and dirt, diesel oil and damp, all at the same time with a few added extras of who knows what! I glanced around for a seat, I had 11 stops before my station and I knew it was a good idea to sit now. Four seats left – I had to think quickly! Do I take the one between the lady with the giant suitcase and the man with the broad-sheet? Or one of the two next to the smart suited gentlemen – he looks good – so I guess he will smell good, and he did. Good choice. I was happy; I had caught my train AND managed to get a seat. GREAT!- Or- Not so great. A young man sat next to me, clean, dressed in jeans and not smelly, until he farted! Yes! He farted!
Very unpleasant!
Here’s some advice for all those thinking of using public transport. I know you want to get home quick but please go to the toilet before leaving work! I know you don’t want to ‘GO’ at work; you’re frightened of making a smell and getting the blame!
It’s true!

You’re worried that there will be no paper!

Take some (secretly in your pocket)

It’s true!

You’re worried you will make a noise!

Wait for the hand dryer to come on (ITS noise will muffle YOUR noise)

You’re worried you will leave the pan a different colour (not white)

Who cares – the cleaner will sort it out (its there job to clean up after your job!)

It’s true!

So, to avoid those uncomfortable journeys when you find yourself resting your weight on one butt-cheek then the other for what seems like hours instead of minutes and hoping and praying that the fart you are about to release doesn’t (but it more than likely will), smell but, you know it will stink and linger for the whole journey. Don’t think that just because the train is full of humans you can blame one of them, oh no!
Because one day you might be sitting next to someone who wants to tell the world and her fellow passengers that you have just ‘let one go!’ and it would be in your interest to get off at the next station and take a crap!

So, please consider the consequences next time you race for the underground.
And..
SHIT BEFORE YOU TRAVEL !

It’s more comfortable for you and your fellow travellers.
And remember – The toilets at work are cleaner than public toilets! (Much cleaner)!

A good luck message….
May your fellow public transport users have empty bowels and be wind free!