ChezPartridge - Newsletter Number 1 - Thursday, 1st August 20021 WELCOME TO CHEZPARTRIDGE You are receiving this newsletter either because you participated in my market research survey, or because you have expressed an interest to Carol or myself. If you did not mark the relevant box at Question 9, this should be the last newsletter you receive. If you don't receive my next newsletter because you accidentally forgot to mark Q9, don't worry, you can always sign up to the newsletter on the web site, www.harvey.partridge.btinternet.co.uk, and follow the links to 'chezpartridge'. How will you know you missed it? I shall notify on the above web site of the distribution date of each newsletter. If this came by Post, and you would rather receive it in electronic format, just post your e-mail address to me by Post or on the web site. Likewise the opposite ... I shall be deleting all details relating to people who have NOT marked Q9 as soon as I have sent off this letter. THE DRAW On Thursday, just after midnight, I contacted www.random.org, in order to get a random number. I then called Carol, on her way to bed, to witness the real draw. The winner is ... Hammy Tappenden of Isle of Wight Enterprise Agency. Congratulations Hammy! Commiserations to everybody else. However, future editions of this news letter will contain other opportunities for you, so watch this space! THE SALE AND DEPARTURE At the end of the twelfth week, of a six week process, we decided to go back to market. We had a promise to exchange contracts the very next working day, which was fulfilled later that week. The exchange date is Friday, 9th August. As you can probably imagine, our household is chaotic at the moment - half packed banana boxes wherever you look. THE PURCHASING TRIP We found as a result of the survey that most of you were about equally interested in Northern or Western or central France, which I equated to Brittany, Charente and Limousin (approximately). We will be starting off a week of house shopping in Brittany on Monday 12th, having had a couple of rest days. We will be obliged to have a rest day on Thursday 15th, because it is the Day of Ascension of St Mary Bank Holiday in France. This will be followed by a week in the Charente area, and another in Limousin. We have a week after all of that in which to either holiday, or run around like headless chickens, looking for somewhere to live! The Euro is heading back into a more favourable position for us, having been as low as 1.45 to the Pound, but now up to 1.52 - still not as good as January's 1.61 though. Carol is still finding plenty of interesting properties on the internet immo (Abbreviation - French 'immobiliere' = estate agent or realtor) sites and we are finding plenty of immos to see us despite the fact that France supposedly closes during August. Apart from more packing, dismantling the shed, taking stuff to the charity shop or tip depending upon condition, we are also planning out the principal stages of our route today, so that we can book up B&B, camp sites etc. for our stay. We have left it a bit late and August is the busiest month, but I am sure we will manage somehow! THE WEB SITE I have bought the domain name 'chezpartridge.com' from APlus/Names4Ever, but failed to manage a redirection to my 'chezpartridge' pages. Check it out and see the permanent 'under construction' sign. So I have gone over to Host Europe/123-Reg.co.uk, but they are having a hard time getting hold of the domain, so we will all have to keep on typing in www.harvey.partridge.btinternet.co.uk and following the links until its fixed, or I move to a French ISP or whatever ... AU REVOIR We are off on Friday night, and anyway my computer goes into storage on Thursday, so this will be the last communication (although I may be able to put a message on my web site from a cyber cafe) until we unpack the computer perhaps in October or November - and if we have electricity then - so watch out for another newsletter then. Au revoir et bon chance! Harvey & Carol Partridge ___________________________________________________________________________ Reply by Mail to (we have forwarding) H & C Partridge 1 Yelfs Rd Ryde Isle of Wight PO33 2LY UK Reply by e-mail to - harvey.partridge@btinternet.com Web site - www.harvey.partridge.btinternet.co.uk