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I have heard you all talking about overwintering onions and I haven't really paid attention I think!! I don't have much in the garden in the way of winter crops (this dry September has buggered up all my sowings), could I try onions for an earlier harvest in spring?  When to plant and can I use just ordinary onion sets, or is there a special variety?

Around now is about right for over wintering onions to allow them to get some roots down and a bit of growth ready for next year.
Not so sure about varieties - I would think that you do need cold tolerant ones rather than your usual summer sets but could be wrong.  Plenty in the local GC now though..

Normally they overwinter ones are Japanese varieties.  They have names like SENSHYU YELLOW or electric.  Over here they have recently come into the garden centres. 

Where do you buy seeds etc?    Do they have onions sets now?  They are not all that early in the spring but are ready before the normal ones.  They do not keep as well.  I tend to use them from quite small.

http://www.jeanpaullejardinier.com/145-oignon-jaune-senshuy-yellow.html

I presume from the price these are seeds but really want small bulbs to plant out now. 

http://www.truffaut.com/produit/oignon-jaune-senshuy-yellow-barquette-de-50-plants/58084/25344

Cannot see where to buy them, they also seem to have one called Ebenezar which you harvest in April.

http://www.truffaut.com/produit/oignon-blanc-white-ebenezer-calibre-14-21-filet-de-500g/50490/50273

They say that Senshyu is ok to -10 but they are ok at -16.

I ordered my overwintering sets from T & M in the spring when I did my potato order the variety is Tornado, I expect they will be delivered soon    (I hope)

I would think that the uk companies would send them over to you in France Antipodes.  I cannot find much on offer from French companies.   

I am sorry to say but T&M have a bit of a reputation for being a bit slow with back orders.

I got mine from local garden centre (Wyevale) last week and they are already just showing above the mulching.

Yes, I was asking as my neighbours here don't seem to adopt this practice. But at least this confirms my question that I do need a specific variety.. hmmm will have to investigate.
Oh well maybe I would be better off going and buying a few cabbage plants!!!!
Thanks for the answers!