Just wanted to say hi to everyone as I am a newbie on here!

Originally from London, England but now living in SW France I am new to the whole frugality/recycling scene but learning fast. This forum is brilliant - so dynamic and full of wonderful ideas, I've yet to read through every single thread & shall make sure I have my notebook handy, and I may have to ask about some of the words use you to describe things as I won't always know what they are (we share the same language only some of the time!!!!)

As a novice I won't have many ideas of my own just yet but we have just had our farmhouse re-modelled and so far I have managed to salvage and re-use the following:

1. Old plastic covered electrical wire makes great plant ties. It is pliable but very strong so there are probably hundreds of other uses.

2. Our old lavatory will be buried in the ground and used to contain (and restrain) mint plants. Similar plans for the old basin and shower tray.

3. Old roofing tiles have become path edging/bed borders.

4. Old guttering pipes will become bottomless plant pots.

5. Old windows have become the tops of cold frames, old fireplaces and shelves have become the sides.

6. Wooden pallets (from various deliveries)are now the sides of 20 feet long compost heaps, and others have been transformed into gates.

7. Our old bath is now our donkeys water trough.

8. Every single old piece of timber has either found a new use as a shelf/support etc or kept us warm when we have added it to our wood burning stove.

We are very lucky in that we live in a rock-strewn area - I have a thousand uses for rocks & hope to try my hand at dry-stone walling in the near future.

Thanks for a brilliant forum.

Penny