" Thanks for your messages on Miracle's Birthday"

Here I am again, this time I would like to thank you all for the support and the kind things that you have said about me, specially to Sue
My story begins at the end of February 2007 when I began to be in contact with Sue.  She was having some difficulties with one of her members of staff.  The person  wasn’t doing ” things correctly” and Sue was feeling disappointed. Consequently I decided to do everything that I could in order to help Sue. She had and still continues to have a lot of patience with me because like everyone I have my faults and different habits!  Spanish ones!
When I arrived at NearlyHeaven the only words I spoke were, “Hello" and "Thanks”!  I was so nervous that I wasn’t able to speak to Sue as I would have liked to.  However, thanks to her I feel that my personality has changed and in fact, I now feel like a different person.
The only thing I can say to her is that I will be eternally thankful to her for opening the doors of her house to me.   She has become like my second mother and I will always be by her side because everything I am is because of her.
Once again, thank you very much Sue and do you know what?  I am proud to be in a place like this but the most important thing for me is to be surrounded by people like you.
Thank you for filling my life with smiles
Love,
Your Difficult One

Lucia

"Happy Birthday Miracle " you have survived against all the odds!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY !

 

I am going to tell you the history of my Miracle a little Thoroughbred foal,he was born one year ago today  and poor thing, he did not imagine that he was coming into a  world full of joy and pain, the pain immediately arrived when Cassie his mother became really ill after his birth and we could not do anything to maintain her life without her suffering terribly.Cassie" or to use her registered name "Greenham Gal" was the proud mother of nine foals, some of whom are now top international 3 day eventers in the UK.

"Cassie" had been "barren" for numerous years and three different veterinary surgeons had told us that she was unable to have any more foals.

She proved us wrong and secretly became pregnant at the ripe old age of 23 years.

During the previous 11 months she had been boarding at the next door farm with lots of other female horses, however she had a secret, she was pregnant by her grandson who was only 2 years old at the date of this" immaculate conception".

Poor "Cassie" she had a very difficult birth but her eyes lit up at the sight of her new born foal.Sue immediately named him "Miracle" and he certainly has lived up to his name.

From the birth Cassie had virtually no milk and she was very uncomfortable and looked so very sad.

 I think that she knew that something was wrong with her because of the look in her eyes, I made her the promise that I would look after her foal.

 This was truly painful for me, because I never have been so close and attached to a horse like I had been with Cassie.

She was constantly sick and in need of huge doses of antibiotics and she was not improving.She loved her baby so very much and tried to show him that she loved him even when she was really ill.

 

 

 She knew that we were helping her and that something serious was wrong with her.

 Her face told us the story. Three weeks after Miracle was born , it happened, one day she went to heaven and left us  with a very special memory of her ,a gorgeous colt.

Poor "Miracle" he cried and cried for his mother and it truly broke our hearts.

 

At this dreadful  time I decided that I would look after "Miracle "as if he was my baby,therefore I began feeding him first every 30 minutes day and night, and then increasing the time after that  to every three hours day and night .At first he sucked from  a syringe then he was able to drink from a bottle and finally from  the bucket, consequently it gave me very little  freedom!

However it was wonderfully satisfying to help him stay alive!

 

 

It was very difficult to let him behave like a horse because he was my baby and he was following me everywhere, he now believed that I was his mother and that he was a human,in fact, he was trying to come with me inside the caravan, washing room, or even trying to come up the stairs with me hahaha !

He had a silly trick of taking the zip of my coat in his teeth and opening and closing this zip all the time ( it was a toy to him)

 

 

  

 When Sue said to me that I should let him go with the other horses, I was very sad because I didn’t want him to be treated badly by them ,so we decided to put him firstly with Woody who was his 18 year old half brother who just adored foals, at the beginning he was looking for me and calling for me constantly like a crazy thing, “Oh my  poor baby”.

I had to  let him become  a horse because if I did not let him go, later it would  be very painful for him if he was rejected by the other horses in the herd.

Now, he is still  the baby of  the herd, they love ,play and protect him as their own  it’s a pleasure to see him playing and galloping around  with his older relatives!

 

 

  

 When he was turned out with all the other horses,most days, he was getting  himself into trouble  with them and also with me ,so I had to try to sort out his problems for him, I must be honest some days  it was easy to help him  but other times it was very complicated for me.

 

 

 

 

I feel very proud of him I adore and I love him  with all my soul, I’m very happy  to have helped rear a baby like him,  thanks for being in my life MIRACLE!

Congratulations my boy!

You are truly my "Miracle"

 

LUCIA ANDRADE

Feeds and email subscriptions

Hi everyone. Just a brief post to let you all know that Sue's blogs have now had the subscription services re-enabled and that it is possible to sign up for the updates to arrive automatically via email. All you need to do is to enter your email address in the box on the right of the website and then reply to the confirmation email that the site sends you, then sit back and wait for the updates to automatically find you.

The blog subscription feed has also been enabled and clicking the "Subscribe to this blog's feed" link (above the email subscription box on the right) will put a link on your browser toolbar which allows you to easily navigate directly to any of the blog subjects (click the picture below for the full size image).

Happy reading

Submit Questions

We are always delighted to receive your articles and comments

If you wish to send us questions or comments please view below:

1. If you have any questions or concerns about flying in France, for publication on my blog please submit using  this info@nearlyheaven.com ( question for blog)

2. General enquiries not for publication will be receive on the same e-mail address ( request private answer)

3. Please comments on existing articles through the blog under the heading “ post a comment”.

4.  If you have any problems  we can post the articles for you

Farm Sanctuary

Farm Sanctuary

 As all of the animals at NearlyHeaven are so happy, we decided to share that joy with some new additions.
We started our Farm Sanctuary in the summer of 2008 and it was an instant success with our guests—especially the children, many of whom have never enjoyed the opportunity of seeing farm animals close-up.
Many of our animals were rescued or re-homed when their owners moved away. 

They include sheep,

    Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs

ducks, rabbits, pheasants, quail, pigeons & hens.

 

We find that children love to help with the animals and enjoy such activities as grooming the ponies,  feeding the hens and collecting eggs.
There are additional pictures of the farm animals in our 'photo gallery'

welcome

I am a British Flying Instructor, Ground Examiner and Flight Examiner operating in France.

My training facility, NearlyHeaven, is authorised by both the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the French  Direction Générale de l’Aviation Civile (DGAC) to conduct flight training, in English, for the JAR (FCL) Private Pilot’s Licence.
 
To be clear, the training syllabus is identical to that followed by UK clubs and the JAR licence carries equal privileges in all JAA (Join Airworthiness Authority) countries, which essentially covers Europe.

The main difference is that flying is cheaper here, the weather is more reliable, and the facilities available to private flyers are generally superior to those in the UK.
The aircraft are in top class condition and we have full time mechanics on site.
I give one to one training and generally each student you would fly about three hours per day with me. I am a great believer that my students should be relaxed and confident during their flight training, this enables them to forge ahead with their training.
Given the weather conditions and the wonderful unrestricted airspace in this part of France a PPL can be completed in approximately four weeks.

Training is primarily conducted from Limoges International Airport (Bellegarde) and is provided in association with the Aero-Club de Limoges. The benefits of training at an International airport are second to none ,the circuits are not busy , the experience of flying in a professional environment provides a solid base for the students understanding of  Radio Telephony and formal circuit procedures. this grounding allows the  future pilot to feel comfortable flying into any airport in the world.

 The training would be conducted  in a modern Robin DR 400/140 and there are also various higher-performance aircraft available.

The annual club membership is 153 euros which also covers membership of the Fédération Française Aéronautique who provide the legally-required ‘Public Liability’ insurance cover.

There are no landing charges at Limoges for ‘ home based’ aircraft and charges at other airfields are generally modest compared with the UK.

All ground examinations can be taken with me here in France. It is advantageous if you have studied the ground subjects prior to arrival ( a PPL training pack from Flightstore or other aviation stockists)
It is advisable to have a current JAR medical prior to arriving in France. see link below for list of doctors in your area.
http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=49&pagetype=65&appid=21

I also offer self-catering accommodation about 20 minutes drive from Limoges Airport,
See web site www.nearlyheaven.com
Further information is available on the Nearlyheaven website/NH blog.

If you would like to discuss the various options, do give me a call—evening is best on good flying days.

Telephone (France) 0033 555481750
Telephone (Skypein) 0207 193 8229 (Calls via Skype at UK rates)
Mobile 0033 689713603 
Skype ID nearlyheaven (free pc-to-pc calls)
email info@nearlyheaven.com (preferred contact method)

 
 

Kobi is shattered...............

Just to say that Kobi has had another wonderful 'away day' with his family and favourite Spanish human who speaks to him with that beautiful, soft Spanish accent.  We arrive at La Chataigneraie and Kobi does not even glance back at us when we hand him over and leave, he is far too interested in what fun and play are in store for him with Teddy, his brother, although  I am not so sure that the older members of his family, his parents and aunts and uncles are too thrilled with another silly, bouncy, and unruly pup coming back to disturb their peace.  They seem to be very tolerant of him though and just look rather aloof and disinterested with his youthful exhuberance.  When we return to collect him, he is happy to leave but would, I am sure be just as happy to stay for more play.  It is incredible to see the difference between the full of energy Kobi we arrive with and the totally 'doggo' Kobi on the journey home.  He needs a long rest when he gets back and by the look of the twitching tail and legs, he is busy dreaming about his wonderful fun day with his doggy family and the lovely Spanish senorita!  I wish our 'exciting' day at Mr Bricolage was as memorable!

Space is at a premium with five Vizsla's.

Unusual sleeping habits

.

  

     

 Zack and Teddy sharing!     .

   Blanchette!

   

 

   Teddy after exercise.

Leko  in his normal  sleeping position

    Teddy waiting his turn for the chair

" Dogs vs Frogs"

" Dogs vs frogs"

Spring has really arrived in the Limousin with blue skies and temperatures of 26° last week. The leaves are on the trees and everywhere looks beautiful. I am truly privileged to teach flying in this beautiful unspoilt part of France.
On the downside, Lucia is mowing the lawns daily as the grass grows so quickly.
During the last week, I have stayed close to the Limoges airport area as I have been doing some concentrated teaching with a lovely couple, Jason and Nicole.
This young couple originate from Australia and are currently living in The Hague.
Both served with the military in Australia, spending many hours in helicopters though not as pilots.
However, this previous experience helps with their training as they are already familiar with general aviation terminology as well as the basic flight instruments.
As Jason and Nicole have a baby son called Jack, they take turns at flying and childminding which seems to be working very well as both were ready to train in the circuit by mid-week and this is what we have been doing over the last few days.
Limoges Bellegarde is in class D airspace so we have to integrate with commercial IFR arrivals and departures as well as military training flights.
This provides excellent training for my students who become used to performing 360° orbits and extended downwind legs to make way for Ryanair or other IFR traffic. This gives them the confidence to fly into other large airports without undue concern.
Quite often, Ryanair and FlyBe flights have to wait until we have landed though the commercial flight crews usually give us a friendly wave.
I am delighted with the progress of my English Radiotelephony class for French pilots and I am now receiving enquiries from prospective students who are not even members of our club.
No problem. It is very rewarding to support French PPL holders in this way and I am sure that we will be able to accommodate a few 'outsiders'—by prior arrangement, of course.
The puppies are now six weeks old and have discovered how to bark!
We have a steady stream of visitors to see them as the dogs will spend another few weeks with their mother before transferring to their new owners. It is so nice to meet these people and to offer advice on bringing up these delightful dogs.
Now that the weather is warmer, the older dogs have been going for a daily swim in my neighbour's lake which is presently full of very noisy frogs whose 'mating' calls can be heard from a mile away!
Being bred for hunting, my dogs are swimming in all directions to catch the elusive frogs who are pretty good at diving out of trouble. However, the dogs never tire of this frog-hunting sport.

   

 " I'll catch you one day!"

  

"  I got all my onions on! hahaha!"

   

"Mayhem in the kitchen, calm at the AGM"

The puppies are three weeks old today and have trebled their birth weight of 400 grams, which is excellent considering that Meg has ten mouths to feed!
At present we have only two puppies unsold. The others have new homes lined-up in Spain, Britain and several areas of France.

Now that the puppies are three weeks old, we have introduced cereals and milk as supplementary feeding. This causes mayhem in the kitchen as they manage to scatter their weetabix in all directions.

'Miracle' is nearly six months old and has now moved from the baby paddock to join the older horses in the larger field.
He is still drinking gallons of milk from a bucket but is more independent now and enjoys playing with the “big boys” as well as chasing the sheep whom he sees as the perfect-sized playmates.
Thanks to the extra hour of daylight in the evenings, I have managed to 'back' Pasha, the stallion who is the father of Miracle.
Pasha is now four years old and comes from a winning bloodline. It is therefore time to begin his training as either a showjumper or an eventer.
Phoebe has been training him on the ground and the time had come for someone to sit on his back for the very first time. That person, I decided, should be me.
The unexpected outcome of this 'terrifying' moment was that de did not even twitch his ear and just accepted me without a second thought. We have now progressed to walking and trotting around the paddock each evening when I return from the airport.
On the flying side, congratulations’ to Fiona Renton for completing her qualifying cross country. The local weather was dominated by a pressure system which caused poor visibility but this did not deter Fiona who managed to navigate without a problem.
Stop Press
Last night's AGM of the Aeroclub de Limoges was a quiet affair and went smoothly compared with the mayhem of last year’s meeting—French people can turn very ugly when a meeting overruns by two hours and dinner awaits (faint cries of "fooood" were heard from the English contingent).
Our new President is Christian Dalbin who is presently joint Chief Flying Instructor and head of the engineering department.
Michel Kofyan has stepped down from this position to be Vice President of the Aero Club. Further news on this at a later date.

Feedback

If you have enjoyed your experience with NearlyHeaven, or even if you have some suggestions for improvement, please let us know by leaving a comment below.

Copyright © 2009. Copyright Notice: All rights, including copyright, in the content of these/this [web pages/Technical Manual] are owned or controlled for these purposes by Nearlyheaven . No reproduction of any content herein is authorised without prior written permission of the copyright owner. 

INTERCEPTION AND/OR PHORM PROHIBITED: The contents of this site, and all communications between this site and its users, are protected by database right, copyright, confidentiality, and the right not to be intercepted conferred by section 1(3) of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. The use of those contents and communications by Internet Service Providers, other organisations or individuals to profile or classify users of this site for advertising or other purposes including unsolicited correspondence is strictly forbidden.

Contact Details

Sue Virr
La Chataigneraie
87310
Gorre
Limousin
France

info@nearlyheaven.com (preferred contact method)

Mobile: 0033 689 713 603

Telephone: 0033 555 481 750

Telephone: 0207 193 8229 (Calls via Skype at UK rates)

Skype ID: nearlyheaven (free pc-to-pc calls)

 

SatNav users can locate the property by postcode or, more-accurately, by LAT/LONG coordinates 45° 44' 7.83" N / 0° 59' 24.60" E
  

Send to a Friend If you found this web site interesting, use this link to pass on the details to a friend or colleague.

NB Works with most email clients though not with browser-based webmail services.

  

  

  

  

Join Now | Ring Hub | Random | << Prev | Next >>   Copyright © 2009. Copyright Notice: All rights, including copyright, in the content of these/this [web pages/Technical Manual] are owned or controlled for these purposes by Nearlyheaven . No reproduction of any content herein is authorised without prior written permission of the copyright owner.  INTERCEPTION AND/OR PHORM PROHIBITED: The contents of this site, and all communications between this site and its users, are protected by database right, copyright, confidentiality, and the right not to be intercepted conferred by section 1(3) of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. The use of those contents and communications by Internet Service Providers, other organisations or individuals to profile or classify users of this site for advertising or other purposes including unsolicited correspondence is strictly forbidden.

Bookings and Payments

For accommodation only, you can use the Welcome Cottages on-line booking service to check availability, book and pay.

Check availability of La Chataigneraie (main house) here

Check availability of La Porcherie (Gite) here

However, as you have come to us via this web site, we can offer you a reduced rate for booking directly—contact us for details.

Please note that we charge 30 euros heating supplement from October to May to cover the gas central heating & the logs for the wood burner.

Direct Payments

Payment, for all services, can be made by debit or credit card.

These payments are taken via the 'Paypal' secure server which does not reveal your credit card details to the merchant.

This does not require you to have a Paypal account though you will be offered the opportunity to open one when the transaction is complete.

Payments in Sterling—£	Payments in Euro—€

We can also  accept payments in Sterling or Euros into English or French bank accounts.

For your convenience, we have included a link to the Reuters Currency Converter in the 'links'  section of the sidebar.

Horses at La Chataigneraie

When you visit La Chataigneraie, you will meet our family of thoroughbred horses.

The horses are directly descended from 'Lady Sunshine' who was born in England in the early 1970's.

She was a tremendous performer over jumps and won numerous competitions in many different equestrian disciplines.

Several of her grandchildren are now 'famous' in England as winners of show jumping and three day events at national and international level including Phoebus and Venerable.

You will find her grandchildren happily grazing on the fields of La Chataigneraie and being trained ready to be sold for their future careers in the equestrian sport horse world.

We also have Shetland ponies and riding horses available for the use of guests.

The countryside in the area has many wonderful rides in the forests where you may be lucky enough to see some of the numerous deer, wild boar and the abundance of birds of prey. 

There are additional pictures of the horses in our 'photo gallery'.

 

Copyright © 2009. Copyright Notice: All rights, including copyright, in the content of these/this [web pages/Technical Manual] are owned or controlled for these purposes by Nearlyheaven . No reproduction of any content herein is authorised without prior written permission of the copyright owner. 

INTERCEPTION AND/OR PHORM PROHIBITED: The contents of this site, and all communications between this site and its users, are protected by database right, copyright, confidentiality, and the right not to be intercepted conferred by section 1(3) of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. The use of those contents and communications by Internet Service Providers, other organisations or individuals to profile or classify users of this site for advertising or other purposes including unsolicited correspondence is strictly forbidden.

Accommodation

 Our two properties are within walking distance of open countryside, woods, lakes and the local village where there is a bar, restaurant, tobacconist and bakery.

Both properties have been renovated to a high standard, retaining the exposed beams and furnished with antiques. 

We have over 5 Hectares of private land which is available to anyone staying at the farmhouse or the gîte.

The surrounding area provides many fine woodland walks, where one might catch a glimpse of wild boar , deer or birds of prey. 

Additional on-site facilities include flying lessons,horse & pony riding, pets corner, table tennis, badminton, bicycles and a 10 x 4 metre swimming pool (available to guests in the main house only).

Fishing permits are available for local lakes and rivers.

There is a model aircraft club nearby and a go-cart track within 10 minutes drive.

There is also a beautiful swimming lake, with a large sandy beach and picnic area, at nearby Flavignac.

Other local attractions include porcelain factories,museums and many local farmers markets in the surrounding villages.

The historically-minded can travel the route of Richard the Lion Heart, who was shot in the eye at nearby Chalus, or visit the burnt-out village of Oradour sur Glane which is preserved as a monument to those who died in a notorious World War II atrocity.

La Chataigneraie

This is a Traditional French farmhouse in the heart of the French countryside.

4 double bedrooms
4 bathrooms
30 ft lounge with large inglenook fireplace
Kitchen with all essential appliances
Private swimming pool

Ideal for families, corporate holidays, training sessions or large groups

Double bed +single bed, cot and high chair available in the family room.

La Porcherie

The gîte is a cosy self-contained property which was the old piggery used for smoking bacon and ham.

Renovated to a very high standard with it's own private garden next to La Chataigneraie.

Sleeps up to 4—one double-bedroom and sofabed in lounge.

Can be booked separately or in conjunction with the main house. 

Kitchen and bathroom
Gas central heating and wood burning stove
Cot and high chair available

NB Property rentals are made on a self-catering basis only.

Both properties have free broadband internet access.

Typical spring/summer lets are for a week or two but we are happy to negotiate favourable rates for long-term occupation during the winter season.

Well-behaved pets and children are most welcome at NearlyHeaven.

There are additional pictures of the properties in our 'photo gallery'.

Booking and Payments

Please refer to the 'Bookings & Payments' page for booking and payment details.