thank you for your help and advice - the Badgers have just come back from a splendid two weeks at La Garangeoire as recommended by the collective power of MN.
I can personally vouch for the area, the weather, the site, the Angela Bird book, the beach at Paree-Plage by Bretignolles, the Leclerc at Olonne-sur-Mer for emergency baby toys, the Super U at O-s-M for fireworks and craft supplies, including wooden boxes etc to paint and real clay. Also the moules frites in St Gilles Croix de Vie, the teeny hotel restaurant in Coëx and the practice of adding salt to caramel icecream.