Chimney sweeps are supposed to be lucky in France as well as in England. Is that why they're so hard to come by?

Round here nearly everyone has a wood fire so you would think it would be easy to find a ramoneur when you need one - especially as your house insurance insists on an annual sweep with a certificate to prove it.

But no, it is far from easy to pin down someone to do the business. Every year I ask around, telephone people in the yellow pages who include chimney sweeping in their list of occupations and look for adverts in the local papers but not one chap with a van and brushes can be found.

Then, yesterday, when we were having lunch with Yvette at the local café she happened to say that she had just had her chimney swept. She telephoned her man for me and he appeared on the doorstep, unannounced, at nine o'clock this morning to 'have a look' at the fireplace.

He peered inside to decide what kind of equipment was needed and promised to return at one thirty. He emphasised that he was doing it as a favour because I was a friend of Mme B. He didn't normally have time to tackle sweeping jobs: he was too busy with other work.

Why does no-one want to take advantage of this niche in the market I wonder? In previous years blokes have trouped in, poked around with a brush for less than five minutes, vacuumed the soot, had a beer or a coffee, written the certificate, pocketed the loot and gone away, promising to come again in a year. But they don't turn up (and I manage to lose the certificate with their contact details. In fact the chap who came the first year didn't have any contact details on his certificate.)

Anyway, this man rang the doorbell at 1.30 on the dot and laid down his bundle of rods and brush. He explained that he used nylon so as not to damage the lining of the chimney. After dismantling parts that I have never seen before he proceeded to twist and poke up the chimney letting the soot fall into a bucket  but unable to prevent a fair bit from falling on the floor.

When he had finished sweeping I offered him a coffee and he accepted. But half an hour later he was still struggling to replace the inside of the fireplace that he had taken out. He told me it was to prevent flames from going up the chimney but it wasn't like any other make of fireplace that he knew. OK, he should have taken care to remember how it had come out so he could put it back but he thought it would be the same as all the others.

Poor man, he tried it upside down, back to front and any which way but it just wouldn't go in. He was covered in soot and sweating profusely. His 'ten minute job' had taken nearly an hour.

At last, he managed to place it so it didn't fall down again. I made him a hot cup of coffee as the first one had got cold. He went to have a wash and replace his tee-shirt with a pullover he had in his van. As I paid him his 50 euros I ventured to ask if he'd come and do it next year after he's done my friend's.

Surprisingly he agreed -  but only time will tell.