Welcome Gary
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Hello Gary and welcome. This place is a font of useful information. Glad you’ve already found some useful stuff.
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Welcome to the site… and Joyeux Noël.
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Seconded!
Welcome, Gary. Surfing the site you will see loads of helpful advice and friendly people. Never hesitate to ask!
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Hi Gary, welcome to SF.
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I did this earlier this year - I detailed it here:
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Hi Gary, Hope you find SF not only useful but also a fun place to be…
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If we do not know the answer, we will know a man or woman who does
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And, failing that, there’s always the swingers’ thread …
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I did notice and read that thread and wondered if that could be a good way of meeting people in France!!
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Hello @GaryC and welcome to the forum.
I expect there will be all sorts of associations and events going-on around you.
Info is usually available from Tourist Offices and/or Mairies.
Joining something is an excellent way to get to know people and, of course, helps improve language skills. Don’t feel shy…
Volunteering is another route… always seem to be more hands needed than are available.
Check out your local Press or ask neighbours.
Perhaps there is a bulletin/booklet issued with local info…
Whatever, the fun is in the finding out…
best of luck.
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Thank you Stella,
Great ideas especially the Marie and tourist offices there is on in La Chatre, I will visit in the new year.
Have a great day and an excellent Christmas/Holidays
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Gary, welcome. You are indeed in good hands on this forum. I have benefitted enormously from the breadth and depth of experience and knowledge of the contributors. There really isn’t ANYTHING that someone - or several people - have not been through/know about/used to earn a living doing/have just saved a packet on …
Whatever it is that you need help with, trawl the topics or ask outright.
As far as getting FR reg on a car, there was a guy called Mark Rimmer on this forum, now departed, who was in the business of doing just that, for very reasonable cost - in my case £40.
He is a garagiste so may well still be doing registrations. If you PM me I will give you his email address. It can be done DIY and many of the more experienced/fluent on SF do so but for a new arrival, having Mark do it was something I then didn’t have to think/worry about any more.
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Crikey Mr @GaryC you seem to have done quite well so far and taking French lessons is certainly going to help with the integration into French life !!
What was the inspiration to move here from UK??
Not sure if we have much good advice for the future but happy to help where we can.
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He’s on Facebook
Ouais, c’est possible -
though possibly not the most effective way of meeting people with such proclivities - nevertheless, even in our midst, there may be some dark SF horses…
Apropos the above, I have a plastic block thing that opens and starts the car; would this be an acceptable substitute in a traditional purist ‘car keys’ scenario, or is that sort of exchange now limited to members of classic car owners’ clubs?
Perhaps SF’s infintely resourceful Stella can advise… 
Hi @DrMarkH .
After, not a great deal of thought, I may give the swinger scene a wide berth!
I did read somewhere that plants in your garden could be an indication of such activity.
Thanks for the info about Mark and the car reg. It would be great to know where he is in france and if I have to travel far to get to him. assuming he still does the registrations.
I have to figure out how to send you a PM.
Ok hopefully this is how its done…!
If you click onto any of our names
ie @captainendeavour
a box opens up bearing information and Message.
If you click on Message, you are chatting privately with whomever’s name you clicked on…
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If you click on their name in their post then you’ll get an option to send a message. There is a logo of an envelope if I remember correctly.
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