Just had a thought on 1 thing I’d have brought - jelly! (cheap supermarket own) - so good for jelly whip, flan glazes and just eating raw (that’s if u like jelly!). One thing I noticed someone said bring is S.R flour - not necessary - just bring loads of baking powder to begin with & turn plain into S.R. I’ve actually found cheap baking powder at Aldi - tho what I’d do if we didn’t have 1 locally I don’t know. Don’t know if anyone’s mentioned but altho lard over here is sort of bacon they do in most supermarkets sell pork fat for making rillettes etc - which of course is lard as we know it - and I’ve used it v successfully for pastry. Sorry to be so baking obsessed but have been having a baking day today! On the pills & potion front am glad to say that apart from a couple of winter colds we’ve been so much healthier here than we were in the UK that we have hardly used anything. A good cold remedy that u may already know is 1 lemon (sliced) steeped in boiling water to cover til almost cold - mush it up, take out the rind, add honey, micro then add a slug of whisky (or whiskey shld u prefer) taken at bedtime with a hot water bottle it really does the trick - just in case u run out of lemsips!
you dont have to miss anything we offer a regular service into france for all your uk needs
spose they are pretty heavy!
thanks rosemary… we shall meet up for a walk along the barrage this summer!
and good luck with your move too… (i’m alternating between mildly stressed and medium panic at the moment) are you staying in the same area?
I’m a really seriously thinking now about a little business growing herbs and baby veg plants - swede seeds ordered!
Hi Rosemary
Know what you mean about swede. I found some at Bram market last week and nearly fainted when I saw the price. €2.50/kg for rutebega! I thought that was only something Rabbit grew in the Winnie-The-Pooh films lol
Hi Teresa - just read where you’ll be living. Revel is about 45 mins from us (we’re SE Toulouse) and we absolutely love the area, especially the reservoir. Hope to see you once you’re here, and good luck with all the preparations! BTW the lovely (English) man who comes to the Castanet market on Tuesdays to sell his produce mentioned that although he grows swede, the French don’t usually know what it is - perhaps you should bring swede seeds with you, too! R
thanks Rosemary - I have a selection from most shelves in Superdrug ready to go - thanks! (16p for a pack of paracetamol can’t be bad…)
brilliant anne - thanks! your car must have been packed! great advice - i’ve bought the seeds! - and i remember someone else saying about parsnips! how funny… when i lived in ireland they never had swede…
we’re off to near Revel in the Tarn - so my little coriander plants should grow nicely
Chemists direct is great for online shopping!
I’ll second you on all that is semi-pharmaceutical!
The French pharmacies have things sewn up here, and you get none of the self-administered remedies in the supermarkets. I paid more than 4 euros for a tub of athlete’s foot powder, which apparently I could have got on prescription, but then you have to pay the doctor, which then you get reimbursed, but that’s going round the houses for stuff which I just went to Tesco’s for in the UK. . . I’ll be more organised next time one of us goes to see the GP!
Another set of ideas Teresa; Floss and interdental brushes, plus Corsdodyl mouthwash if you need it. Don’t forget Anthesan for those mossie bites, there’s nothing like it here. Beechams, Lemsip and Nightnurse.
I have just driven home from the UK in a loaded car. I bought, porridge, dark brown sugar, earl grey, PJ tips for all my friends and Yorkshiore tea for my French Neighbours, they love the stuff and the water is really hard in the dordogne valley here. Rice vinegar, meso mix for soup, coriander seeds for the garden. Parsnips, sliced brown bread for the days when I have to have toast. Careful 'cos the french love English brown bread especially granary; colemans English mustard; Horseradish sauce; Stones ginger wine, Harveys bristol cream; Heavy duty washing up gloves from tescos and a large pack of cotton dishcloths. Branston pickle; Tahini for humus making; thai curry paste; little packs of coconut milk; Feather pillows and pillow cases; Enough birthday cards to last a year, plus thank you, and berevement; Paint and plenty of it, tubes of white silicone sealent and builders calk from B&Q white wood undercoat and a screwfix catelogue. Gardening tools especially spades and forks with English handles and Deet oil to repel the mosquitos, they love the fresh engish skin!
Where are you going to live?
Well, keep in touch and good luck with the move.
i might well be…
fresh herbs not being available is weird isn’t it… a couple of other mentions for this… Right then, it’s decided, growing herbs is my new business idea… tx
Self Raising Flour, will agree with that one…
Marmite
Teabags
Greetings Cards too…
Fresh herbs are not as readily available, so seeds and growing your own, great idea.
Are you interested in becoming a Phoenix Trader once you arrive in France? It’s a great way to meet people and I’m always looking for people to join my team!
advertise away! shame though - selling nice cards looked like a great business opp!
French birthday cards are crap, and very expensive, but I have a business as an independent distributor, selling great quality English ones at half the price you’d find here. Happy to post anywhere in France… here’s the on-line catalogue http://www.phoenix-trading.eu/webfr/sarahgant/ Sorry for the commercial - I couldn’t resist!!!
Everytime we go over to the UK we wish we had a removal lorry, we buy massive jars of marmite, Bisto Best Gravy (all varieties!), large boxes of tea (only seem to get lipton here which is nowhere near as good), Crates of Heinz baked beans, Baby Products (the prices here are ridiculous for all baby stuff).
I wish I could get Halloumi cheese but that won’t travel so well!
Otherwise for most other things non-perishable I can always get them online through one of the stores on my website www.UK4Me.co.uk.
Suz
www.UK4Me.co.uk
UK Stores Delivering Overseas