Saabnut Posted September 3, 2021 Share Posted September 3, 2021 As next month would be the second anniversary of my last visit to my pad in France, I decided that sod the consequences, I was off. I booked the tunnel in December 2020 for the Disco and a trailer to take the digger over before Brexit happened, but the borders closing the day before I was due to travel scuppered that. I have been unable to clarify customs requirements for taking my own machinery over tempoarily so decided to take a different trailer and some tanks over that I wanted over in France. As the tanks have no value, I was given all of them, I thought it would be a good test and if it became a problem I would gift them to the customs service! I booked the tunnel for 0320 on Thursday morning, and left home around 0730 Tuesday and headed to my brothers near Gatwick. No problems encountered and at 2230 Weds I left his and headed for the tunnel. I arrived at the tunnel at 0020, saw the next train was 0120 and thought it was a pity that all the paperwork would mean no time to catch that one. At check in, the nice young man offered me the earlier train, saying there was loads of time, so of course I accepted. Through to UK border control, a quick look at my passport and waved on. Next was French customs, and every car in front was being pulled in for swabs and checks. Nice young Frenchman said "Empty?" whilst looking at the tanks and I said yes so he waved me through. I asked about bringing machinery through next time, and he said he didn't know, should be OK but things change every day! Next was French border control, stamped my passport (with the wrong date - 3rd instead of 2nd), glanced at my bit of paper issued by queen nicola instead of the QR code the civilised world gets, and he wished me a "Bon Tur". Rest of the journey was on empty if expensive autoroutes because I was towing this trailer On arrival, there is a lot of grass! A LOT of grass! Last cut July 2020! The trailer above is parked on the gravel drive! I am slowly getting it down, after 2 days I have done about a third with the first cut, using a 4wd 28hp Kubota and flail mower. An idea of some of it, though the camera flatters it, it is between waist and shoulder high and thick! One "lawn" after first cut (so much dust!) and the drive I have now had enough and I am sitting under my Linden tree in the evening sun, now it has cooled off a bit to about 22c and I am slowly wrapping myself around a bottle of red! My favourite place and position! Sigmund Fraud, LightBulbFun, Minimad5 and 35 others 38 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairnet Posted September 3, 2021 Share Posted September 3, 2021 bassa Saabnut and privatewire 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaseracer Posted September 3, 2021 Share Posted September 3, 2021 O LUCKY MAN! 😎 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beko1987 Posted September 3, 2021 Share Posted September 3, 2021 Nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangernomics Posted September 3, 2021 Share Posted September 3, 2021 Ahh the joys of gravel/grass. I smuggled 20L of glyphosate last time, French weed killer is shite. Saabnut 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saabnut Posted September 6, 2021 Author Share Posted September 6, 2021 Several days later, large quantities of beer and slightly smaller quantaties of red have been consumed. The weather is not helping with peak temperature today at 32c which was a couple of degrees more than the previous few days. Tomorrow is supposedly warmer! As a result, my daily routine has been a late start, a walk to the village about 1km away to collect a fresh baguette and a couple of croissants for breakfast, usually eaten while watching "Grizzly and the Lemmings" and my favourite "Les Lapins Cretins" on French childrens TV. After breakfast, fire up the lawnmower to go over the previous days cut areas, with the blades still on the highest setting As it is a bit* dusty, as soon as the temperature gets too hot, it is time for lunch and maybe a cold beer or two, sitting in the shade of the linden tree. . When it cools off a bit, it is time to fire up the bigger mower and attack the as yet untouched bits Fortunately, both mowers started easily once the batteries were charged, as they have been untouched since July 2020 (the Kubota was on charge in the pic hence the side panels being off. I am making progress with most of the first cut completed and some second cut Once bored and/or hungry I stop for tea (under the tree) and the time to play with chod. My friend left a couple of cars here in November 2019 while he went back to the Bahamas to sail his boat back. Sadly, things did not go to plan and standing on a bit of wire from a wire brush saw him ending up with a leg amputation and then of course Covid. He is back in the UK at the moment but the cars are still here. Time to resurrect them. First was his 1966 Triunph Spitfire Mk2. Battery charged for 24 hours, a turn of the key and we had life! Drove out and back into the garage fine. Next, his everyday car, bought from this very parish. Unfortunately this ones battery refuses to take a charge, so tomorrow, possibly I will see if the one I brought down with me as a spare for the Kubota will fit Realistically, I have probably done 2 days work since I arrived on Thursday, with the remainder either faffing or sitting under the tree drinking beer, but I really don't care! Life here is hell* and I am making the most of it! chaseracer, timolloyd, wuvvum and 19 others 22 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coprolalia Posted September 6, 2021 Share Posted September 6, 2021 The environs certainly look hellish, do you ever suffer visitors? (How do I achieve this life) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saabnut Posted September 8, 2021 Author Share Posted September 8, 2021 Visitors can always be accommodated and I am hoping things will have returned to near enough normal next year to resurrect the International Shitefest idea. As how you get this life, hard work, saving, remaining single and most importantly Bullshit! Today it was a bit cooler at 26c so had a look at the pug. It was parked in November 2019 expecting it to be for 3 or 4 weeks so no lay up precautions were done. It had been established the battery was dead so decided to see if the spare I had with me could be made to fit, but whilst the size looked ok this one is my winch power battery from my trailer as it is well past its best. Removed the old battery and was amused to see a quality* brand (Pro-bat) but surprised to see it was an 063 as my spare is also a 063. I also noticed my battery (a YUASA) weighed approximately twice the old one! Connected up the battery and gave it a try. It fired once immediately much to my surprise. Another couple of tries and it spluttered into life and settled down to a smooth tickover. Blew up the flat tyre and drove it out without issue. Not bad after 22 months sitting. Left it outside tonight as rain is forecast and it might* save me washing it tomorrow! Crackers, Dan_ZTT, Dick Longbridge and 11 others 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted September 8, 2021 Share Posted September 8, 2021 Excellent. I have fond memories of sitting under that tree and not doing very much. A fine spot indeed. chaseracer and Saabnut 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minimad5 Posted September 8, 2021 Share Posted September 8, 2021 Blimey, you sir are living the dream 😎 Can we have more pictures of the tractor (please), and hope all is going swimmingly out there 👍 Saabnut 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorfolkNWeigh Posted September 9, 2021 Share Posted September 9, 2021 Coincidentally, my Dad went to his house in Brittany last week , for the first time since March 2020. Apparently he had to cut back roses and wisteria to open the door, since then he’s spent his time uncovering windows and cutting grass. Seems red 1960’s Triumphs don’t mind being left as his TR4 also started easily , this is just as well as his modern Defender lost its clutch on the way to Portsmouth and is booked in to his local Land Rover specialist for next week, booked solid. He at least is glad the Brits are back! Saabnut 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saabnut Posted September 9, 2021 Author Share Posted September 9, 2021 19 hours ago, Minimad5 said: Blimey, you sir are living the dream 😎 Can we have more pictures of the tractor (please), and hope all is going swimmingly out there 👍 Well you asked! It is a 1989 Kubota L2850 which spent its working life on golf courses in South Yorkshire. It has close to 5500 hours on it, so not huge numbers. Because it was only ever on golf courses, it was fitted with grass tyres, but when the rears wore out a set of super singles as fitted to artic trailers were fitted. I suspect they will never wear out the tread! It is fitted with the Kubota 4 cylinder engine and has 4WD, high and low ratios and in addition has a "planter" gearbox which when engaged in low 1st gives a speed of about 200m/hr, the idea being the operator can get off and walk behind planting by hand. I bought it about 5 years ago and brought it here where it does general tractoring duties but mainly drives the 1.75m flail mower. As to things going well, the car owner phoned me from Montrose today and informed me they had heavy rain and about 12c. He was quite upset when I said I was sitting under the tree in shorts and tee shirt with a cold beer LightBulbFun, Dick Longbridge, Minimad5 and 5 others 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minimad5 Posted September 9, 2021 Share Posted September 9, 2021 Brilliant, thanks for the info' and pictures, sheer Tractor Porn 😎 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tul66 Posted September 10, 2021 Share Posted September 10, 2021 On 9/8/2021 at 8:31 PM, Saabnut said: Visitors can always be accommodated and I am hoping things will have returned to near enough normal next year to resurrect the International Shitefest idea. Is this the LeMans thing from a couple of years ago? If it's on for 2022, count me in! Saabnut 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saabnut Posted September 22, 2021 Author Share Posted September 22, 2021 Not much to report as grass cutting makes for boring photos, but I do have a visitor at the moment LightBulbFun, Coprolalia, Fumbler and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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