Photo Competition
Click on the link to view entries in the photo competition.Click Here
For entries numbered above 92 onwards
Click Here
Its really great to see so many excellent entries. No more entries wil be accepted.
Last entry date is 31 January 2010
Get Together Annual General Meeting
Notice is given of the AGM to be held on the 26 February 2010. Full details can be found (for members only) by clicking on the link
Click here
Following the AGM details of your new committee can be found on the Who We Are page.
How to reclaim tax paid in the UK
Information on reclaiming UK Bank and Building Society Interest can be found on the Links & Information Page
European Health Insurance Card
Important information can be found on the Links and Information page, regarding changes taking place from 1st May 2010
PLEASE NOT THESE ARE CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE
A copy of the minutes of the meeting held on the 7th July 2009 are available on the forum.
Please note this is a members only section, and you need to either log in or register to be able to view these items.
Click here to access these Minutes
The Southern Regional Meeting minutes held on 13 October are now available on the Forum.
Click here to access these Minutes
Annual Accounts
PLEASE NOTE THESE ARE CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE
A Copy of the annual accounts for the year ended 31 December 2008 is now available on the forum under "Members Information".
Click for 2008 Accounts Note these are only available if you are a fully paid up member and have registered for the forum
Future accounts will be available here 21 days before the next AGM.
Membership Renewal
A Note for your diary, in December next. GT Membership runs from the 1st January each year. To avoid missing any issues of the newsletter please renew promptly
You can use and download the membership application form to renew membership. If you have difficulty in printing it from the newsletter. See the contact us page.
News
With the ever increasing cost of petrol and diesel the Government has created the 'Le site du prix des carburants'. Prices are updated at least once a week. You can see a list of petrol stations in your area and the current prices.
click here
Now if you are planning a trip to the UK you can see (if you dare) the current prices of fuel there.
Click here
New Speed Radar Cameras.
You can see locations of all speed radar cameras in Poitou-Charentes at the following French Government website. If planning a trip you can also look at other areas.
click here for Poitiou-Charentes
click here for all France
Help with French
Living in France it is important that you have a good grasp in French. To this effect the attached page gives information on where you can find help in learning French. A data base of information will be built up with your help. If you know of any lessons, teachers or self help programmes please let us know.
More Information
Events
Full details can be found on the GT Forum or in the monthly newsletter.
If you have booked in for any event and for some reason are unable to attend - please have the courtesy to contact the organiser as soon as possible
Sales, Wants and Giveaways
SALES WANTS AND GIVEAWAYS
With the introduction of the forum this section is now obsolete, and any items should be advertised on the forum under the section- Sales, Wants and Give-aways. You need to register on the forum beforehand.
There are new rules applicable to this section.See main section of Home page.
Metric to Imperial and US Conversions, just click on logo
FORUM
We have permanently disabled the Forum pending the creation of a totally new forum. This will give us improved security and backup.
You will be notified when this is available.
TO ALL MEMBERS CURRENT AND EX
AN INVITATION
Get Together invites current & ex members
To
A 21st Anniversary Party
On
Friday 26th February 2010
At
Salles de Fetes, Mazičres en Gātine
From
1.00pm to 4.30pm
An aperitif, wine, juice, tea and coffee will be provided free but please bring a plate or dish of food to share with other members. If you would like advice on what food to bring, please ring Rebecca Sewell who is coordinating the party arrangements, on 05.49.95.43.73. You will need to provide your own cutlery, crockery and glasses etc. Please also let Rebecca know if you are willing to help set up the room and clear up or wash up afterwards.
If you wish to attend please download print and complete the attached invitation PDF File and return it to Rebecca Sewell no later than Monday 15th February 2010 or you can email it to Rebecca at david.sewell@orange.fr
Return this invitation to Rebecca Sewell at 6 Allee de Longeville, Fenery, 79450 by 15th February 2010.
AN INVITATION.pdfWelcome to our website and members forum
Get together Forum. If you have not yet visited our forum please look at how the forum works on the links and information page. This is important if you wish to register for it.
New information, please look at our Mission Statement, which you will find at the bottom of the 'Who We Are' page.
You will find all you need to know about GT in these pages and on the forum, we hope you will find this site to be useful and entertaining. Please look at this page and the forum frequently as information is updated regularly. You will notice that apart from the committee we do not publish members names and on the forum everyone uses a pseudonym, if you need further information on any subject please use the Contact Us page or you can send a private message via the forum.
From November 2009, on the forum, the section Sales, Wants and Giveaways has some major changes. Members can post their own advertisements with no limit on the value and can be major items including houses and cars. Adverts can include photos. Adverts will be automatically deleted after 90 days, but you can always resubmit. Not allowed are adverts for businesses or holiday accommodation. Use the Contact Us page if you need any help in setting up an advert.
If you have sold any items listed on the Forum under Sales Wants & Give-aways please let us know so we can remove them and avoid disappointing prospective purchasers.
You will now find under the heading Advertisements a sub heading of Situations Vacant. Entry for advertisers is free of charge, and any advertisement will be in place for 2 months.
We will be using the 'Gallery' page for entrants to the photo competition so will not for the time being accept any other works of art. See item below for full details. Don't worry, you do not need to know anything about websites, as we will do the technical stuff.
We can now accept sponsored advertisements from GT Members who are registered artisans to announce their skills and services. There will be a nominal annual sponsorship fee. If you are interested please use the 'Contact Us' page for your initial enquiry. Please mention the website when responding to advertisements.
We can now accept from members, details of non GT events for posting on the forum under the relevant heading, at our discretion.
Now the 1st competition has closed and the entries are now in the hands of the judge and his team, we will announce the next subject for the 2nd competition shortly.
We will be making a few changes to the rules so please look at the rules before submitting any entries.
____________________________________________
New page Help with French. Gives lots of information on courses and other teaching aids are listed.
The Pays de Gātine are arranging a series of meetings where you can get to meet French people and use your French. In return the French can practise their English.
For more information.
click here
Electricity and Gas prices. From the 1st July 2007 you can buy your energy from private companies. However, a warning from UFC-Que Choisir (the French equivalent to the UK's Which?) is worth repeating. The salespeople from the private companies will offer beneficial low introductory prices, but there is no guarantee that these prices will be maintained for ever. The main beneficiaries of these private suppliers will be large consumers, such as industry. In addition, if you change from EDF and Gaz de France, you can never change back, and even if you sell your property the new owners will be stuck with your choice of supplier. So in the words of UFC-Que Choisir don't be seduced by these offers.
I would like to run some features on restaurants good bad and keep away at all costs. So lets have your reviews, I'm sure you will have seen them in the UK press, so you will know what to write! Just received our first restaurant review, which you will find on the Reviews and News page. Now lets have some more.
Information from the GT Newsletter
For further information on any of these events please refer to the newsletter or details can be found on the GT Forum - use the link above to access it.
If you have booked in for any event and for some reason are unable to attend - please have the courtesy to contact the organiser as soon as possible. Especially for walks followed by a meal at a restaurant.
Full details for each month will be found in Newsletter
Click here for details of current months events
DDSV & animal cruelty
At this time of year particularly, when the grass is growing madly, there are many instances of small ponies on grassy meadows, many often with long feet. The richness of the spring grass causes severe health problems for these ponies, namely laminitis, and results in considerable pain and eventually an inability to walk, so they lie down to ease the pain in their feet. If the owner of the animal is not amenable to being told to put the animal in a yard or starvation paddock, then you should contact the DDSV - Direction Departmentale des Services Veterinaires des Deux-Sevres, Service Sante et Protection Animales, 210 avenue de la Venise Verte, B.P.525, 79022 Niort cedex. 05 49 79 37 50, Dr Catherine Nicollet or M Bruno Bouquet. Once a complaint of animal maltreatment is reported to them, they HAVE to take action. Any cases of animal maltreatment should be reported to them, preferably in writing so you have a record.
Urgent help for some abandoned Dogs.
Urgent help for some abandoned Dogs.
Phoenix Rescue Click Here say that there are a lot of dogs being dumped by people who are returning to the UK at the moment.
If you feel you could give a dog or cat a good home please contact Phoenix, and they will be delighted to hear from you.
Also Phoenix plan to have a new website up and running during January 2010 and as soon as its available you will be able to access it from a link here.
Urgent help for some abandoned Dogs. Continued
The Hope Association was formed in November 2009 from a group of Friends of Phoenix and other interested individuals who care deeply about what happens to stray, abused and abandoned animals and want to make a difference.
Our main purpose is to raise funds and support animal charities in the Poitou Charente and to encourage other like minded individuals, Charities/Associations and Veterinaires, to work together to put an end to animal cruelty and suffering.
We need volunteers, to become Friends of Hope and help us to do the spade work of fund raising, from collecting books for our annual 'Book Fayre' to helping catch feral cats for sterilization. We badly need people who can foster animals until new homes can be found, and who know that crossing over the road to help an animal in need, is just the beginning of a long journey involving hard work, patience, sometimes heartbreak; but in the end the satisfaction of knowing that you have made a difference.
There are already a number of dogs who have come to our attention, dogs of all colours sizes and ages, but who have in common, the desperate need for foster or permanent homes.
For more information or offers of help, please contact Siobhan Duckworth - Tel. 05 49 27 26 20."
Situation Vacant
This item has been moved to the Situations Vacant section of the Advertisement page.
92. Summer garden
MONTHLY LIST OF VIDE GRENIERS / BROCANTES
Owing to family commitments we are unable to update this information at the present. If you would like to assist in doing this please use the contact us section of the website.
A section covering monthly Vide Greniers / Brocantes / Collection fairs within the various areas connected to the site. The list is by no means exhaustable, so please feel free to add to the site any that you may be aware of in your area. Also tell us of the best and the biggest.