House notes
Books
You are welcome to read any of the books on our shelves.
Bottles
Please take glass bottles/jars/plastic bottles to the bottle bank at the entrance to the village (see village map).
Breakages and Things which don't Work
If anything breaks during your stay, please let us know straight away so that we can replace it speedily for you. Please also let us know if light bulbs go, or anything else doesn’t work, so we can put it right. We are always interested to hear how we can improve our service, so please do tell us.
Children
Due to the lack of holiday amenities or swimming facilities in the village, the property is not considered suitable for children.
Cleaning
If you are staying for more than a week, we will change your bed linen at a time which suits you.
Washing and Ironing
You will have sole use of a washing machine in your house, with a revolving washing line in the garden. We provide Calgon tablets, needed because of the comparative hardness of our water, but not normal washing powder/tablets etc. You will also find an electric iron and ironing board in the entrance hallway cupboard.
Electricity
There is the occasional power cut, over which, of course, we have no control. Now and then a thunderstorm may cause a trip-out at the fuse-boxes, all of which are in our side of the premises next door. We have a supply of emergency candles if needed.
Garden
We may need to water the garden from time to time during the summer months, and hope that it will not inconvenience you. You will find sun loungers, chairs and BBQ equipment for your use.
Heating
The central heating system is operated from a single boiler for both our properties, located in our house next door, and controlled by individual thermostatic valves on nearly all your radiators. Should you feel chilly in spring or autumn, there is a wood-burning stove in the sitting room.
Insects and Wildlife
Stigny is relatively free of stinging insects, though the warm weather inevitably brings our quota of harmless flies and similar. At certain times of the year, often in the sunny evenings, the swallows muster around the houses and sometimes are tempted to come in through any open windows. Try to watch out for this, and temporarily close the windows or shutters until they have dispersed. They are harmless, and if they get in, they usually swoop round and straight out immediately. If not, try to gently usher them out the way they came in. If you have any difficulty, let us know, and we will happily come round to assist! There are deer and wild boar in and around the nearby woodland – the former are nervous creatures while the latter can be more aggressive.
Lavatories
Please do not flush alien objects down the bowl.
Maps
The most useful road map of the immediate area is Michelin’s folding Departmental map for “Nièvre, Yonne”, at scale 1:150,000. For walking in the local area use the blue IGN Carte Randonnée folding map, at scale 1:25,000.
Payment
For settling payment of your final balance, please send two personal cheques, both in Sterling or Euros, one for the balance rental, one for the refundable Security Bond of £100, both payable to J M G Humphreys. We will hold the latter cheque unbanked, to be returned to you or destroyed at the end of your stay, subject to the "Security Bond" provisions of our Letting Conditions.
Pets
Pets are not permitted to be brought into the property.
Rubbish
Please drop off your plastic bags of household rubbish at the village dustbins which are in the courtyard of no. 26 Grande Rue in the centre of the village. Go to the village square and drive through the gateway just beside the public phone-box - (see village map).
When you leave
It is likely there will be new guests arriving on the day of your departure, so please would you vacate and hand back to us your keys by 10am, to allow us access for cleaning. If you have an unavoidable late departure, please feel free to leave your cases with us, to collect later.
Finally, please feel free to let us know how we might improve the service we offer!
09.07.10
