Kaolin, the clay used to make the world-famous Limoges porcelain, was discovered at Marcognac in the southwest of France. Discover the remarkable site of the quarry and travel back in time to see how the kaolin was extracted and treated.
EXACTLY how to repoint an stone wall. I am repointing an old stone wall in Limousin, France using traditional chalk mortar. A step-by-step guide to repairing old walls - an art as well as a skill.
Skipwith village, situated near Selby and York is a pretty North Yorkshire village. Near by is Skipwith Common, home to the famous Exmoor ponies. See the church of Saint Helens and Skipwith Manor.
Easy, step-by-step medlar jelly recipe instructions with illustrations. Medlars are back in fashion and medlar jellies are delicious conserves to eat with sweet and savory dishes.
This medlar cheesecake recipe is perfect for the Christmas and New Year festive season. Medlars are back in fashion but it's hard to know how to use medlars. Try this cheesecake and see what you think
Cassinomagus is one of the most important Roman archaeological sites in France and possibly Europe. This well- preserved site includes Roman baths, or thermes, gardens, temples and amphitheatre. Situated in Chassenon, the Charente, South West France, you can visit these archaeological discoveries...
Oil painting tools and materials for beginners. Which are the best oil painting materials and tools to buy for a new artist? How do you choose the best art supplies? How do you avoid buying art materials that you don't need? This guide will help you get started with oil painting - economically.
Pie birds, pie funnels, pie whistles, pie chimneys and pie vents are all one of the same and they are enjoying a revival as people collect them and buy them as gifts. The recent interest in traditional cooking and baking have also helped to popularise the pie bird. So what exactly is it?
Brantôme is one of the most beautiful villages in France. Situated in the Dordogne region of southwest France, it is famous for its caves, monastery, church and waterways that run throughout the ancient town.
Brantome is classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France. Situated in the Dordogne, it is an ancient town surrounded by water and entered by five bridges. It has been called the Venice of the Perigord.
There are several ways to bend copper pipes, but it is useful to know which are the best tools for your job and how to bend pipes without special tools.
An account of my training in plumbing as an adult. Re-training in plumbing in France at the age of 52 was a big step, but worth every minute. This account of the course will help you decide if you would like to qualify as a plumber and if training in France is for you.
The Limousin cattle breed is world famous for its wonderful meat and Limousin bulls and cows are exported all over the world. Limousin pastures are beatuiful and Limousine cattle are grass fed. Grass fed beef, especially Limousin grass fed beef, is a highly prized commodity. You only have to taste...
Limoges porcelain decorative eggs are the perfect gift for easter. The link between Limoges, Fabergé and eggs goes back to the 19th century. The tradition started when Czar Alexander III commissioned the Russian jewellers to make an Easter Egg as a gift for his wife, the Empress Maria. Find out...
Stuffed cabbage is one of the many traditional, frugal, and absolutely delicious recipes from Limousin, the rural heart of France. This recipe transforms regular ingredients into a feast!
This is an easy, delicious, and moist almond and orange cake that is also gluten-free!
Videix is a charming hamlet deep in the heart of S W France. It is exactly half way between Limoges and Angouleme and, near the lakes of the Haute-Charente, it is an ideal family holiday destination. Only ten minutes from the medieval town of Rochechouart and half an hour from Saint Junien and La...
Artists have long used chalk pastels, and more recently, oil pastels for drawing and sketching. The medium can be used in a linear manner, or in a painterly way, so you can talk of pastel drawings or using pastels to creat pastel paintings, and as oil pastel is a particularly painterly medium, you...
With Ryanair you really can find cheap flights but take care, there are many traps. This is a guide to getting bargain flights with low cost carriers and avoiding the pitfalls.
How to mark a route on Google Maps. This is a simple, illustrated explanation which will save you time and effort. Use add a route or add a shape to mark boundaries, walks, roads and areas. Useful for me to mark footpaths in and around our B&B in France
This easy, no-bake chocolate truffle cake is the perfect celebration cake for children, for a Halloween treat, or for the fat rat in your life. Great cake for birthdays and feasts.
Limoges porcelain lamps are very special. Beautiful lamps made from the famous Limoges porcelain. Some are traditional oil lamps, others hand painted lamps. Some of the most interesting use the translucent quality of Limoges porcelain to creat wonderfully luminous lamps. Let the light into your...
Lampe Berger or Berger Lamps are charming collectables with a history and even more attractive when made from the famous Limoges porcelain. The Berger lamp today is prized as an object of beauty and curiosity as usful to freshen and pefume the air. Add perfumed oils to the Berger lamp and you have...
This is a real, traditional English Christmas cake recipe that was passed down to me from my Great Aunt. It is a wonderfully moist, heavy fruit cake that we used to cover in marzipan and ice. We also gave it to first footers at New Year.
Grow your own medlars. The common Medlar, Mespilus germanica, is an easy tree to grow and makes a pretty, flowering garden specimen. It's a hardy tree or shrub, a flowering tree and a fruit tree. This is an easy how-to guide to grow your own medlars.
This medlar jam recipe makes a wonderfully special and spicy medlar cheese which is perfect for Christmas breakfasts (we serve this jam in our bed and breakfast near Rochechouart, S W France). The Common Medlar (Mespilus germanica) is an old-fashioned fruit much prized by the Victorians.
The medlar (Mespilus) belongs to the Rosaceae family. There are two species: the common medlar (Mespilus germanica) and Stern's Medlar (Mespilus canescens). They are pretty, small trees with beautiful flowers and tasty fruit. Learn about medlars and all the great things you can make with them.
Our English Pointer puppy was adorable and she's grown into a fine hunting dog! English pointers are beautiful, medium sized dogs that make great family pets if you can give them enough excercise. Molly, our English pointer, went on to have her own puppies, and thereby hangs a tale or two.
This art gift guide, drawn up by a professional artist, makes finding the perfect gift for artists easy. It takes the guesswork out of choosing. There are basic starter art materials and art equipment for beginner artists and sumptuously luxurious gifts for more advanced students or professionals.
York has long been a centre for chocolate. The great chocolate names of Bettys, Rowntrees, Thorntons and Cravens have all been associated with the historic city of York. More recently we could add the names of Lush, Chocoate Hotel, Chocolate Heaven and Fudge Kitchen. Time move on but we all still...
York is full of surprises. Everyone has heard of York Minster, but there are many secret things to see and do as well. Discover York's snickets, observatory, and chocolate trail.
Buying Limoges porcelain in Limousin is fun. Explore this hidden and beautiful region, visit porcelain museums, see the china being made and even see the old kilns, but above all visiting Limousin is about choice and price. Why not take a porcelain vacation in France and bag a bargain at the same...
Oradour-sur-Glane, the martyr village in Limousin, France was destroyed on 10th June 1944 by a Nazi unit. The village, the memorial and visitor centre is a haunting reminder of the evil of war.
Cherry Clafoutis, or clafoutis, is a traditional French dessert and a speciality of Limousin. Serve as a hot pudding or cold as a cake. It is most often made with cherries, but you can replace the cherries with other fruits. When apples are used it's called flognarde. Variations on a fruit...
Do you need a tajine pot to cook tajines? I tested the tagine and the French Casserole and as far as I could tell the food was the same. Where the tajine pot wins is in presentation, exoticism and romance.
Limousin in south west France is a land "of savage beauty, ancient castles, werewolves and witches – a land of magical obscurity”. (The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova). Witches, werewoves, wolves and healers all feature in the legends of Limousin. The Werewolf of Rochechouart is just one of many....
The chateau or castle of Montbrun is on the Route of King Richard the Lionheart. It is near the village of Dournazac, Limousin near the Dordogne border. It is about thirty minutes from Les Trois Chenes Bed and Breakfast at Videix. The rich history and beautiful countryside, forests and lakes make...
Looking for ecological lawn mowers or labour-free lawn mowers? Why not try geese? Keeping geese can help you manage your grass, but they are not just good for grass cutting. They lay wonderful eggs, are good watch dogs and provide an excellent Christmas dinner. Interested?
Change your life - buy a B&B in France. I ran a four bedroom chambres d'hotes and three star gite in Limousin and these are my tips for how to run a bed and breakfast in France. Live the dream!