Drains flowing ! Hurrah !

A combination of megableach and the patient application of the small ferret.
We got it screwed into the blockage and pulled gently till the thing came out.
Hurrah !

A word of explanation - whereas in Britain outlet pipes and drains run all over the outside of the house, somewhat unsightly but accessible in the event of problems, in our French house the drain is set into the foundations, a plastic pipe running right through the middle of the house... This means that when it blocks you can't just take it off and blow or whatever. You can't even SEE it ! so it's a bit... frustrating. But it maintains the glory of the wonderful saying, pourquoi faire simple quand on peut faire compliqué.

But we got it. Us and our trusty ferret.

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