This French Life

Buy a chateau in France

NOW here’s something a little different for you property hunters – a 19th Century chateau near the border of the Charente and Dordogne.

Set in 14 acres of rolling countryside the house has gargoyles, a depiction of Joan of Arc, balconies and parapets, as well as two towers and all the original fireplaces.

The chateau was constructed in 1890 and it has a ballroom, pillared reception area and nineteen bedrooms.

New air route to France

LOW COST airline Jet2 has announced a new route to France from Manchester Airport.

The company will start flights to Nice on the Mediterranean coast from 19 March, 2005 until 30 October.

Flights are available seven days a week but unfortunately the departure time from Manchester is 06:25, arriving 09:40 local time.

Somme memorial centre opens

THIS week saw the official opening of the visitors’ centre at Thiepval, the memorial on the site of the World War I Somme battlefield.

For many years all that greeted visitors was the 150-foot marble and brick memorial with the names of 72,000 British and South African soldiers.

Now an educational centre has been built with the support of British charities and the Conseil Général of the Département of the Somme.

P&O cut jobs and routes

P&O ferries has announced it is to cut 1,200 jobs and close all but one of its Western Channel routes.

Workers at Dover, Portsmouth and Calais are expected to take the brunt of the job cuts with Union officials not ruling out industrial action.

The number of ships P&O operates will be cut from 31 to 23, and it will be closing all its Western Channel routes Routes from Portsmouth to Cherbourg, Le Havre and Caen.

EU pet passport for travel

PETS travelling between European Union member states must have an official EU Pets Passport from next month.

October 1 marks the official launch date of the system that will allow pets and their owners to travel easily between member states.

Flybe new route from Birmingham to Chambéry

FLYBE has announced the launch of a new route from Birmingham to Chambéry.

Travellers in the Midlands can now fly direct to the popular ski resorts of Chambéry with flights priced from just £39.

Ikea to expand network in France

IKEA has announced it is to open four new stores in France, handy if you are kitting out a holiday home.

Early next year a store north of Paris, in Franconville, and one in Montpellier will welcome their first customers.

Then in autumn 2005 Ikea stores in France will be opened in Dijon and Saint-Etienne, adding to the existing 14 stores in France.

Paris Motor Show powers in

THE Paris Motor Show opens its doors to the public from tomorrow with over a million people expected to visit the Porte de Versailles.

More than 60 world premieres will be on display at the show from the world’s biggest car manufacturers and designers.

Retail prices in France heading upwards

FRENCH consumer prices have risen by 2.4 per cent over the last twelve months according to the national statistics institute INSEE.

August saw prices rise by 0.3%, which the institute says was due to the end of the sales season and the rising price of petrol products and tobacco.

But they also said that fresh produce saw a marked drop in overall prices.

A powerpacked host

YOUR gîte website should be one of the main ways that you promote your business, but keeping the cost of running it to a minimum can be a challenge.