tugrin

Well thank you very much chaps!
Blackladder - I am much heartened by you reply and have indeed now looked at Charente and it does seem to be good value.
If I explain a bit more about my situation maybe it will help all you lovely advisors.
I would like to retire at 61 (just under 3 years) and will not qualify for a state pension until 65. I will have my teachers pension at 60 and if I sell up here about 88000 euros.
My health is OK as long as I have access to my meds.
I know everyone will love their own little part of France so I am really happy to hear from everyone.
The advice about small towns is probably good but I must have a decent garden as that is one of my 'things'.

bigglesworth

Tugrin
I am sure you have checked the threads and know that if you retire in 3 years time, provided you time it exactly right you should get two years S1 cover on the French healthcare system, and, as a teacher, you may well earn enough to get the extra 6 months.
Plan carefully with HMRC - and MOST IMPORTANTLY-with the DWP, who will take over responsibility for issuing your S1 once you actually retire.

If you can get to the situation where there is a gap of less than a year between the end of your S1 and your getting the State Pension, then DWP may issue a letter to the French authorities that would get you access to CPAM early.

But talk to DWP. There is a lot of confusion (not least amongst DWP and HMRC themselves!)

BTW - we like the Charente, but it is very much horses for courses. We rented in the Dordogne, and I loved it. But my goodness it was cold.

tugrin

Oh Bigglesworth - although complicated this sounds like positive good news!! Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. Also it is good to hear something about the actual feel, weatherwise, of a place. I certainly do not wish to be cold - that is one of the reasons I want to flee this benighted country! I am truly sick of sitting over a fan heater night after night from the end of September until June.
The Charente is looking better and better from my point of view and the little (and bigger) towns look most promising.
I am hoping for a more relaxed approach to life - Norfolk villages do not do relaxed- if you aren't up and in your garden by 9 with a full load of washing out on the line too, then you really are de trop. It doesn't matter that I work full time and have to travel 68 miles daily!
Can you enlighten me on travel back and forth from the uk to Charente (for grown up children)- is La Rochelle the best bet?

Blackladder

Hi Tugrin,
There are flights to and from from Limoges and Poitiers which are both closer than La Rochelle. Another alternative is Gatwick-Bergerac. Bergerac is down in The Dawdong, but is still close enough for us in South Charente. Did you know that Angouleme is the capital city in the World for cartoon comics? Every January there is a huge festival of comics and people come from all over the World to take part!

Charente is also the second sunniest departement in France, after Cote d'Azure, and unless you are Bridget Bardot, you don't want to live there!
Blackie

bigglesworth

Blackie- is she related to Brigitte Jones by any chance

Blackladder

Biggsie,
Maybe they are half sisters - heads or tails?

tugrin

Thank you Blackladder- I'm loving Charente already!
I am already signed up to the BBC French refresher thingy and looking around for a French person I can persuade to do some real conversation with!
The weather here in my little part of Norfolk does nothing but strengthen my resolve as whilst the rest of the country seem to be basking in what may be the only summer we will get, I sit with my blanket around me and dream of warmer climes....
How is internet reception on France - I am hoping Skype will pacify my daughter and that Amazon shopping is still possible mais en francaise naturellement ( I've probably got the gender of that wrong too).

cyrian

High speed internet access can be a problem if you are a long way from the telephone exchange.
In addition, you can experience power surges due to thunder storms and you need to protect your sensitive equipment e.g. telephone; computer and tv by buying a surge protecting multisocket.
Try Amazon here: http://www.amazon.fr/
Yes they do have Amazon in France - and Ikea.

Tweedpipe

Tugrin: The gender is correct. I've got high hopes for you, you'll do well here methinks.

bigglesworth

Tugrin

It has been exceptionally cold here too. We still had the fires going last week. Our neighbours say it is the coldest for 50 years. Henri (who has recorded the temperature every day since he started at the Lycee - before a war, not sure which one- says it is the coldest he has ever known.

Houses generally come in two types with pros and cons for each.
Older stone houses - the stone takes a long time to warm up, but holds its heat when it does. (Same is true of cooling down).
And newer concrete brieze block construction. Quick to heat up - but also to lose that heat. Quick to cool down. T

he French manage it continuously. Opening shutters and windows according to very definite plans and schedules, which I have never managed to make head nor tail of.

The trick in France is to PLAN not to be cold.
So
Don't buy a house you cannot afford to heat.
Decide how you will heat it. A lot of heating here is wood stoves - very very efficient. But you have to carry all that wood in. And it gets heavier every year.
Gas is generally bottled, and the suppliers have you over a barrel.
Heating oil - who knows how much that will be. It might go down in price on the world market if shale is as much of a bonanza as many think, but it is unlikely to go down in Europe.

Electricity - a very popular choice -they have night time tariffs and all sorts of stuff.
And there are extensive alternative energy sources available

And insulate everything. Ceilings, roof, floors and walls.

We have installed new oil fired, with back up wood burners. It is quite a large house, but we are pleasantly surprised at our heating bills - but we insulated EVERYWHERE - some of it twice.
You will find endless helpful people on this site.
Keep plugging away!

EuroTrash

You're right bigglesworth, I've noticed that too. I used to be able to trip lightly across from the garage to the house with a sack of wood in each hand. This winter I was lugging them across one sack at a time.

cyrian

It has been a lovely day in Touraine.
Sat outside a cafe this afternoon with american friends - very pleasant.
It seems to me that the french buy the new-build well insulated houses and the Brits buy the much older properties "with character".
In addition to our poured concrete shell we have very good modern standard insulation which keeps the heating bills low and the rooms warm up in no time.

tugrin

Cyrian, Tweedpipe and Bigglesworth - amazingly helpful chaps - thanks. I know it has been a ghastly spring/summer everywhere and I certainly will be planning my heating very carefully - I lived in a stone house in Ecosse - god that was cold (East coast again). I made a huge mistake buying a single brick skin cottage here and have regretted it ever since the white mould appeared - it seems nothing will do but dry lining and I will get round to it - probably just before I sell up.
I am very grateful for the linguistic encouragement too - I just need to reactivate the O level+ and get reading again! I know how exhausting wood and coal are too - had nothing but an open fire here (£20 a week in coal)until I blocked up the chimney with a pillow and bought my fan heaters. Doesn't help the my garden (and coal/wood) are 50 metres away from the house up a shared track - this house was generally a bad purchase methinks now!
I am very glad I have found this forum - I was whistling in the dark before. and now feel SO much more informed

Tweedpipe

Tugrin,
As we all find out the hard way, it can be dangerous territory trying to learn French. Especially the pronunciation nuances.
Check out THIS previous thread for a few smiles.

Regarding your forum name, should I say to you tu grin or vous grin?.....

tugrin

Tweedpipe - feel free to use tu as I feel we are already copains!