Mike

Mike,

No wonder you have been quiet, creating all that Web material! It all looks VERY neat, and it is good to finally hear how you are getting on - I did wonder what was making you so quiet. I am so pleased things are going well for the two of you, tis great to hear and see.

I have to say I would not normally advise any member to do quite what you've done there, and you are a lot older and wiser than me so I won't for a second say this is aimed at you.. but for others here, I have to explain what worries me... it isn't setting up a Web site etc, I love that.. and in fact for the asking we would have built that into ukexpert as a section for expats for you to manage or whatever if you'd wanted. We'd always add areas and so on for keen members if asked.

So, onto my concern.. I worry a lot about anyone who can be identified right down to exact location and contact numbers and email address by anyone wandering the Internet.... Sorry I have to say that.. just me worrying a little that others might put up such info and come a cropper because of it. We spend a lot of time and effort here trying not to display personal info as we want to try and help protect our members.

Why do we think it can matter. Well, we all know that a lot of folks are criminally minded..or frankly a little nuts.. and they will push into a pensioners house to steal even their meager money from the post office etc...as the media seems to constantly show.. So, giving every such thief in the World such a lot of info and talking of quiet and darkness and ages and every detail re numbers and location and all the rest - well I hope you don't mind me voicing my concern about the general idea.

That is ALL I would change about what you've done though, toning down all the personal and location and contact detail - and personally I don't see what gain there is from any of that over just a special email address setup only for that Web site, probably with an email at the same domain as the site as that makes it all very hard to use for the wrong purposes and finding/tracking the email user/owner.

One thing you may want to do is to throw the switch on that domain name that removes the public display of the owner. At present it says your full name and location.. but gives the location you just sold/left. You will have to update that at some point to get notifications about the domain.. but making it non public before you do that will help prevent that being another way of finding an exact location for you.

I'm so pleased you are settled in and that everything looks to be going so well. I hope we'll still see some photos on here from your new location - a French town and what is living in your garden etc etc will interest heaps of folks I'm sure. It is fine to link such things back to your own Web site too so it is a way to get folks to know about that also.

All the best from London, England, the UK...

Steve

Mike,

Thanks for the private reply you sent re my first comment.

I'm more than a little sad that all the dozens of folks here who have been to your UK home and met you at meets etc etc are not commenting on such a dramatic move. Why not beats me...

I think if we arrange a ukexpert visit to your new place we should only allow those who bothered to at least talk to you about it here to put their names down to attend!

I had been thinking of hiring a coach to bring all those interested over to see you if/when you fancied that... as it stands I can do it using a mini...

I don't know if you will be in the UK at the time but there is talk in the subscribers area about booking for the Christmas meet.. and you may want to say in that if you expect to be over for that or trapped in foreign lands still...

Have a great weekend, and not too much wine...

Steve

Mike,

I was away when you posted this and somehow managed to miss it. Very interesting to see how you are both getting on and lots of useful info for anyone planning to follow in your footsteps. What's the bird life like there?

Andy

Hi Mike

Nice to hear you are getting on well. I was not aware of the blog and the website. I had a look at the website , very interesting with lot of details. Hope to see you soon some time.

Binu

Mike,

It all looks and sounds good!! Nice choice of car ;-) I followed your water-pump saga and tried to visualise you tangled in lengths of plastic hose. You're obviously having fun with the coffee cup editor and the website ...I didn't know about the website until today. You both stay well,

Roger (& pp Lorri)

Mike,
That is a good pile of sweet Chestnuts that you collected from your own garden as shown in the photo!
You seem to be vey busy with life in Brittany in France.

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the comments, we really are settling in well over here in deepest Brittany

Steve: It would be really great if you did organise a trip over here next year, you would be very welcome indeed, I have quite a bit of room and could accommodate up to about 8 people here in the house which wouldn't be a problem at all.

Andy: There isn't that much bird life to be honest however I am seriously thinking of building a hide at some point as there are deer around and generally see tracks of them in the garden from during the night, so I was thinking of maybe sitting out on a good moonlit night.

Binu: Thanks for the comment, I am a bit of an amateur concerning building websites, It is only what I've picked up along the way, I really should get some instructions on the software I use but I do enjoy it even if it is frustrating at times.

Roger: I haven't given up on the Hydraulic water ram pump as I like the idea of being able to pump unlimited water uphill from my own stream with very little start-up costs and no running costs at all. I have tried a few website editors but settles on Coffee Cup as the most user friendly, I like putting together websites but really should look up a detailed guide for Coffee Cup as I do find it frustrating at times.

Walter: Yes I have a huge amount of sweet chestnuts and a lot more to come, you are welcome to come over for a few days and pick some If you like!

Mike,
glad to hear you have settled now in France, love your web site by the way.