Normandy - January 2010

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Why the Brits love Normandy We talk to Basse-Normandie’s head of international relations

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January 2010 - Issue 1

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Mayors fight for power line report Photo: maxppp

Towns and villages along route of planned overhead line begin court battle calling for a health inquiry

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THE NEWLY crowned Miss France, Malika Ménard, was set to be greeted with a huge welcome at her homecoming ceremony in Caen as The Advertiser went to press – including lunch with the mayor and a special event at the Zénith.

Normandy has produced more Miss France winners than any other region outside of the capital – six in total since Claudine Anger won the crown in 1958. “I’m on top of the world, but tired,” said Malika, whose friend Sophie started the ball rolling by signing the 22-yearold law student up for Miss Calvados last year.

Her father Gilles, a doctor, said: “We’ve not seen her much since the election because of all the interviews and photos. It’s been a very strange experience but very pleasing. I’ve even had letters of congratulation from patients.”

Photo: cap21photo

Normandy welcomes its sixth Miss France

ANGER: Manche residents demonstrate against plans to run high-voltage power lines near their homes

THT special report What are the health risks and is your area affected?

P8-9

A GROUP of mayors protesting against plans to build a 160km high-power overhead electricity line through Manche are taking the préfecture to court this month to order a full health inquiry.

They want the central court in Coutances to demand that prefect Jean-Pierre Laflaquière commission a study into the risks of living near the 400,000volt THT (très haute tension) lines that electricity supplier EDF wants to run through 45 communes in the department.

The préfecture has come under mounting pressure to carry out the health study and Basse-Normandie president Laurent Beauvais has offered to contribute to the costs.

A court hearing was due in mid-December but will now take place on January 14.

The mayors finally received the findings of an independ-

ent inquiry into the lines just before Christmas, after several months of waiting.

The 1,400-page report recommended further research into the health risks and suggested that part of the line could be buried underground.

Le Chefresne mayor JeanClaude Bossard told The Advertiser: “I don’t see how they could do that. If the overhead line is dangerous for people’s health in some communes, it’s dangerous for all of them.

“Maybe they are considering it for aesthetic reasons. But all of our villages are pretty, so why would they bury a part of the line and not all of it?”

The government has set aside €20m in compensation for communes along the route and will offer to buy homes within 100 metres of the line.

Further details are expected in the coming months.

2 News

The Advertiser, Normandy

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Useful Contacts EMERGENCIES Samu (medical aid): 15 Sapeurs-pompiers: 18 Police/gendarmerie: 17 Duty pharmacy: 3237 More contacts, page 14

HOSPITALS Caen: 02 31 51 51 51 Cherbourg: 02 33 20 70 00 Avranches: 02 33 89 40 00 Flers: 02 33 62 62 00 Le Havre: 02 32 73 32 32 Rouen: 02 32 88 89 90

January 2010

Welcome to The Advertiser Dear reader, Welcome to the first edition of The Advertiser, a new free newspaper for Normandy, brought to you by the publishers of Connexion, France’s national English-language newspaper.

We hope very much that you enjoy our mix of local news and features as well as community information which has been compiled by journalists living in the area.

We aim to cover key issues which affect the community, whether English-speaking or French, and to provide information and service contacts useful to understanding and making the most of life in the region.

For our first issue, we look at controversial plans to run overhead electricity lines through the Manche and ask what effect it will have on

people’s health, we hear from the Basse-Normandie regional council about its plans for 2010 and we take a look at how the port of Cherbourg is doing all it can to weather the economic storm.

We also share some tips on how to tackle loneliness and make new friends, a full page of What’s On information plus advice on what you need to do to get ready for the digital television switchover in March.

Launching a new publication is a considerable undertaking and we appreciate all the help we have received from our distributors (see the full list on page 14), our partners in both the French and British communities, some of whom have written the messages of welcome and support below, and, of course, our

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I am delighted at the arrival of The Advertiser. I recognised the need for local information in English, which was one of the reasons behind launching the OrneLink network and the council’s English-language blog.

The addition of an English-language newspaper will really be the icing on the cake.

Through the events and initiatives that OrneLink organises we hope to get to know our foreign residents better and to help them with whatever projects they have, be it settling in France for the first time, starting a business, volunteering or getting involved in local politics.

It has been very interesting to meet those who have chosen to live in our beautiful department and to hear their stories.

Together, and with the help of this newspaper, we can work towards a bright and dynamic future. Bon courage.

ALAIN LAMBERT President of Orne council

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I was delighted to hear about the launch of The Advertiser in our beautiful region, which is much loved by the British.

Let’s hope that The Advertiser becomes a link between the French and the British, all true supporters of the region through subjects of common interest.

I am sure that by working closely with The Advertiser over time, local businesses and tourist partners in the region will benefit.

I wish The Advertiser every success.

DR PATRICE PILLET President of Manche Tourisme

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The presence all over France, and in particular in Normandy, of a large and growing number of English-speaking residents means that everyone will welcome the launch of The Advertiser.

Long-time residents will appreciate local news and announcements of forthcoming events while new arrivals will benefit, I am sure, from informative articles on how to go about settling in and meeting new friends.

It is with pleasure therefore that I welcome the arrival of this new media service to a part of the Normandy community which I know from experience often feels ‘left out’ by existing press coverage.

I wish The Advertiser a long and beneficial career for both itself and its readers.

GERARD BARRON MBE Honorary British consul

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The Advertiser is a monthly publication, completely free to readers and is thus supported by advertising. So if you do use the services of our advertisers please mention us.

If you’d prefer to receive a guaranteed copy delivered to your home each month, you’ll find details of how to subscribe on page 4. It’s just €12 for the year.

We welcome feedback on our first edition - and if you know of a local issue we should be covering, please contact us via the details on the left.

Thank you for reading.

Sarah Smith Editor The Advertiser

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As an Anglo-French mayor here in Normandy, I am delighted to welcome the launch of The Advertiser.

It will help to stimulate both economical and social relations between the French and British communities and I also expect it will give them a better understanding about local politics and the red tape that can go with it.

All the best and long life to The Advertiser.

KEN TATHAM Mayor of Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei

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LD Lines is delighted at the arrival of a new paper for Normandy from The Connexion team.

Our customers will be able to read The Advertiser on board the ferry when they travel with us from Le Havre.

Here at LD Lines we would like to wish The Advertiser all the best and bon vent.

NADINE CORBEL Passenger sales director, LD Lines

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The arrival of a new publication for Normandy will be greatly appreciated by English-speakers in the Vire Bocage.

We Normans have a strong tradition of offering a warm welcome to our English-speaking neighbours.

In the pursuit of this goal, I launched an initiative to bring the local French and English-speaking communities together a few years ago.

I am delighted how, as a result, the annual Anglo-French event of Faire Play has really captured the local imagination and taken off.

Faire Play is now an established date in Vire’s annual calendar.

I wish The Advertiser every success in encouraging integration and mutual understanding.

JEAN-YVES COUSIN Vire mayor and MP

News 3

The Advertiser, Normandy

January 2010

More capacity on Rouen métro

Golden galette gimmick beaten by copycats

Five stars for Deauville hotel THE HOTEL Normandy in Deauville has joined some of the best-known luxury hotels in France in being awarded five stars, replacing what used to be called four-star luxe.

Electronic trial for driving fines CALVADOS has become a trial department for electronic parking fines. Officers will use digital notepads to issue a penalty, which is designed to save time and stop drivers throwing tickets away. It could go nationwide in 2011.

Region brings in Highland cows TWO young farmers in SaintPierre-d’Entremont in the Orne have started importing Scottish cows to breed because they believe they are more resistant and produce a superior quality of meat.

Winter sales start SHOPS kick off their winter sales at 8.00 on January 6 until midnight on February 9.

Photo: PHOTOPQR/OUEST FRANCE/Stephane GEUFROI

ROUEN president Laurent Fabius has announced a €90m revamp of the city’s métro system, with new trains from 2012 capable of carrying up to 38,000 passengers a day.

GOLDEN SUCCESS: Galette sales rose 400% thanks to the 18-carat ingots

A BAKER who saw sales rocket when he started hiding €400 gold pieces in his galettes has said he will not be repeating the stunt again this year because of copycats.

Julien Vitrebert, who runs a small boulangerie in Frénouville near Caen, gave away two 18-carat gold ingots to customers buying the crusty cakes this time last year.

The €800 investment paid off, with the bakery selling 1,200 galettes during the stunt last January, up from 300 in the previous year.

The giveaway also caught the attention of the national media and received widespread TV and newspaper coverage.

“People have told me that they have heard of other boulangeries doing a similar thing this year,” Mr Vitrebert

told The Advertiser. “It’s a shame but I think our opportunity has been and gone and we won’t be doing it again.”

Julien’s wife Gwendoline, who serves the customers in the village of 1,800 inhabitants, said: “People came from very far – there was a man who drove 150km from Cherbourg just to get one, and we had someone in the Bouchesdu-Rhône phoning us asking for a galette to be sent to them by post.”

The galette des rois is a January tradition across France and is normally eaten around Epiphany.

Made of flaky puff pastry, frangipane and preserved fruit, the cake includes a lucky charm inside and the person who finds it in their slice is crowned king for the day.

The charm is typically made of plastic, however, not 18-carat gold.

Calvados first to allow home swine flu jab RESIDENTS in Calvados who cannot easily travel to a swine flu vaccination centre will be able to get the jab at home, it has been announced.

The department has become the first in France to allow GPs to vaccinate high-risk patients themselves – avoiding the long queues that have formed at many centres.

The service is intended for disabled people and others with mobility problems.

Calvados prefect Christian Leyrit said: “It is better to get

the vaccination done by doctors who know their patients well than to seek help from outside sources.”

GPs will be asked to fill out a list of the patients on their books that they consider most in need of the jab. They will fill in a questionnaire about each patient’s health background and submit the documents to the préfecture.

Doctors will have to keep careful records of which batches are given to which patients, in case of any eventual side-

effects or other problem.

GPs across France have been campaigning for the right to give the flu jab in their surgeries but the Health Ministry says their job should be to treat those who fall ill.

Many vaccination centres around the region have extended their opening hours, including evening and weekends, and hired extra help to get everyone vaccinated.

You must have received a voucher from the Assurance Maladie to get the jab.

JAB: Vaccine centres have extended their opening hours

4 News ABOUT 200,000 of the million trees uprooted during a storm in the Manche in December 1999 have now been replanted, with more to come in 2010.

The Chambre d’Agriculture began the project to rebuild the Manche bocage seven years ago. Individuals can buy their own tree for replanting from any local mairie for a nominal sum of €1.24.

BritAir axes Lyon to Rouen service THE ONLY regular passenger flight service from Rouen airport has been axed in a row over funding. BritAir is understood to have wanted €3.4m in subsidies to carry on running its service to Lyon, which carried just 20,000 passengers a year.

Climate change will make Normandy the new Côte d’Azur HOTTER summers, milder autumns and fewer days of rain will boost the attractiveness of Normandy as a tourist destination, a new study has found.

Temperatures in Normandy will rise between 2°C and 4°C by 2100, researchers at the University of Rouen found.

The findings come in a new report that claims to be the first of its kind looking at the effect of climate change at a local level.

Rainfall in the same period will decline by 12%. According to Météo France, Normandy has just witnessed its second warmest autumn in more than 40 years – slightly behind 2006.

The average daily temperature was 12.5°C, about 1.5°C higher than usual. The region saw peak temperatures of 30°C in September, 21°C in October and 17°C in November.

WISH YOU WERE HERE: Asnelles-sur-Mer on Calvados coast could have similar climate to Nice

Local diet full of butter and too little veg

Economy top of region agenda THE ECONOMY and the state of the rail network are among the top preoccupations of voters in Basse-Normandie, according to a poll ahead of the regional elections on March 14 and 21. Non-French nationals cannot vote in the poll.

Photo: Steve Parker

Johnny cancels Rouen and Caen JOHNNY Hallyday has cancelled his mid-January concerts in Rouen and Caen for health reasons. Refunds are available from the point of sale.

January 2010

VEG: Region eats less fresh produce than national average

BASSE-Normandie residents might consider making it a New Year’s resolution to eat more fresh veg after a major survey found the region’s diet is amongst the worst in France.

More than 1,000 volunteers from across the area are taking part in the Health Ministry study, keeping an online diary of what they eat and the exercise they take.

The data is analysed and compared with participants in other regions.

The first set of results, covering the first six months of a five-year project, put BasseNormandie near the bottom of the league table in terms of a

nutritionally balanced diet – although not as bad as Picardie and the Nord-Pas de Calais further up the Channel coast.

Fresh vegetables were lacking in most of the participants’ diets, with the region consuming 9% less than the national average.

Dairy produce The nutrition diarists were also found to consume more butter and margarine than other regions in France – 22% more than the national average – not surprising given the importance of dairy produce in the region and the wide-

spread use of butter in local recipes instead of oil.

Researcher Serge Hercberg said Basse-Normandie was the centre of “a France of butter” in the north, compared with a France of olive oil further south.

“The regions of the north and east are characterised by an intake that is less favourable to well-balanced nutrition,” he said.

The Health Ministry is looking for more people in the region to take part in the survey. If you would like to take part see www.etude-nutrinet-sante.fr

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1999 storm trees being replanted

The Advertiser, Normandy

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The Advertiser, Normandy

News 5

January 2010

UK links are essential for our future Isabelle le Déaut is the director of European affairs and international relations for Basse-Normandie.

She talks to Patricia MansfieldDevine about reaching out to English-speakers and improving what the region has to offer What does your job as director of European and international affairs involve?

I look at legislation and ideas coming out of Brussels and how they might impact the region, and I’m also responsible for obtaining European funding, especially in areas such as research, energy efficiency and rural development.

My job also has an international dimension, which is important given BasseNormandie’s sea links.

Why do you think the region of Basse-Normandie is so special for the British?

Britain and Normandy share a very close historic past and in Normandy there is a real care to preserve our way of life, environment and heritage. I think that may be one reason that Britons feel good in this region.

What kind of people live in Basse-Normandie?

All kinds, although many people choose to retire here, it's a long way from being a retirement region. We have a university at Caen with 24,000 students, and a very rich and strong cultural life. Overall, this is a very dynamic region in terms of the economy, culture and education.

Surface area: 17,568km (3.2% of France) Population: 1.45 million (83 per km ) Three departments: Calvados (pop 664,000) Manche (pop 489,500) Orne (pop 292,500)

Britons and any other Europeans who settle here.

Work has started on a TGV link from Paris to HauteNormandie. Will BasseNormandie be left out?

The TGV will serve both Haute-Normandie and BasseNormandie and will form a Y shape, with one axis going from Paris to Rouen and Le Havre, and the other going from Paris to Cherbourg. The TGV line will be like a spinal column, into which all the other rail lines will link.

Investment in the region will also improve the connecting lines into the Manche and the Orne.

The line from Paris to Granville is noted for its delays. Are there plans to improve it?

All our elected officials are pressing for guarantees of improvement from SNCF. Normandy is well served by sea, but what about air?

Can more be done to encourage low-cost airlines to serve the region?

We are keen to develop the international dimension of the airport at Deauville, especially charter flights, and we are putting in very strong

Administrative centre: Caen

WELCOME: Isabelle le Déaut says there are many initiatives to help foreign newcomers Will the plans for wind turbines in the Channel have an impact on tourism?

There was some talk of them being built within sight of the Mont Saint Michel.

This has no basis in fact – it really is just a rumour. The windfarm projects have to submit many studies and follow tough procedures and although we are keen to develop new forms of energy, this cannot be at the price of destroying the coastline.

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the production of vegetables and white meat – pork and fowl. In terms of milk and meat, organic farming is already well developed in Basse-Normandie – in fact 2.2% of our agricultural land is used for organic production compared with a national average of 2.12% and there are 500 organic farms in the region.

In a recent study by La Vie magazine the three departments in Basse-Normandie did not score very well in terms of how green they are. What can be done to improve this?

Actually, Basse-Normandie as

Is the region doing enough to encourage people to set up businesses and create jobs here?

There is a lot of economic ability in this region and it is our job to look at all the challenges we face economically.

There is abundant financing and investment by the region in the economy and we have made a particularly large investment in innovation and research – we are hoping to devote 5% of our budget to it this year.

Basse-Normandie works closely with OSEO, the national agency promoting innovation, and has also created its own innovations agency called Miriade (www.miriade-innovation.fr), which helps businesses to develop joint projects.

Big projects such as the development at the Pôle d'Equipementiers Automobile in Flers are also supported keenly by the region. For smaller projects, the local chambres de commerce help people who want to set up a business in the region.

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Today we’re all part of Europe and we are keen to welcome Britons and any other Europeans who settle here

regional investment. The airport was originally only intended to administer the two regions of Basse and Haute-Normandie but flights to the UK now make up 60 per cent of the private traffic.

a region has won points for its preservation of the environment – the region has firm policies on the protection of the environment and the sensitive development of tourism.

We also hope to increase organic agriculture, notably

GREEN: Basse-Normandie has 500 organic farms, but the region wants there to be more

What about people living in the zones blanches who cannot get a decent internet connection to work from home?

Over the next few years, a strategy called BasseNormandie Numerique will be rolled out to provide highspeed and very high-speed broadband.

The objective is to provide broadband for everyone and

Other districts: Saint-Lô Alençon Bayeux Lisieux Vire Avranches Coutances Argentan Cherbourg Mortagne-au-Perche Communes: 1,812

There is a willingness to work towards a Grande-Normandie [merger] in the future. Each region has its own assets

Photo: J.F.Lefevre/CRT Normandie

What contribution do the British make to French life?

Are they an asset socially and economically?

Of course. Our links with the UK are essential to our future.

It’s an asset in today’s world to have our residents open to another culture.

There are many initiatives at a regional and communal level to welcome newcomers, both French and foreign.

Today we’re all part of Europe and we are keen to welcome

The region

to prepare the way for highspeed broadband, including fibre-optic cabling. The zones blanches will benefit from a general improvement in the quality of the network as a whole.

There has been talk for several years now of Basse and Haute-Normandie merging. What stage is it at?

There have been difficulties in the past but there is a willingness between the regional governments to work towards a Grande-Normandie in the future.

The question now is one of

President: Laurent Beauvais (Socialist) procedure – how it would be done – and this partly depends on the French laws on territorial reform. The president of our region, Laurent Beauvais, is in favour of a merger, but the procedures would have to be worked out.

Haute-Normandie has a huge industrial infrastructure, while Basse-Normandie has a lot of research and innovation, and also a very rich heritage, so each region of Normandy has its own assets, and those assets are complementary.

6 News

The Advertiser, Normandy

Make-or-break year for Cherbourg port

Meet your mayor

Guy Romain Vimoutiers (Orne)

Photo: e_cathedra/Flickr

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LOCAL: Paupers’ graves in the town of Vimoutiers

Photo: S. Dévé

By Maggie Wakefield DEPARTMENTAL councillor, vice-president of the communauté des communes in the Pays du Camembert, mayor of Vimoutiers and hands-on businessman – Guy Romain takes all this and much more in his stride.

“I’m fortunate in that working under pressure has never bothered me,” he says with a disarming smile.

“Getting stressed simply isn’t in my nature.”

Having held the office of conseiller général since 1998, Mr Romain saw it as the natural next step for him to take on the duties of mayor as well. He stood for election in 2008 and was elected by a clear majority.

He stresses that he is first and foremost a businessman. As the owner of two successful hardware, white goods, bricolage and gardening stores (Catena Romain in Vimoutiers and Argentan), making crucial business decisions is second nature to him.

And he is still at the sharp end: despite his many commitments in public life he has no intention of taking a back seat in his business, and under his attentive eye both shops have continued to thrive despite the difficult trading conditions.

Mr Romain believes that it is partly because of his track record in business that Vimonastériens chose him as mayor – the town recognised it needed a person with proven business acumen, somebody who was not afraid of taking difficult decisions, to take over and run its finances.

Certainly there have been visible improvements in the town in the past two years. Most striking, perhaps, the Halle au Beurre, which prior to 2009 had been standing sad and empty directly opposite the mayor on the town’s main square, has been transformed into an impressive glass-fronted médiathèque. Pavements and roads have been improved.

But the invisible changes are just as important. For instance, one of Mr Romain's first actions as mayor was to orchestrate a radical reorganisation of the town’s catering services, which were running at a loss.

The town is His scheme to combine the hosheavily in pital’s catering provision with the municipal kitchen has resulted in debt. I felt I greatly improved efficiency and had no right halted this drain on public finances. to expect He is also doing everything in other groups his power to hold back the tide of to tighten rising unemployment in Vimoutiers and the surrounding their belts area. During the summer of 2009 unless I was he passionately opposed the cloprepared to set sure of the Pamco factory in Alençon, and the plight of joban example seekers remains high on his agenda.

In March last year, Mr Romain’s decision to award himself a 40% cut in his mayoral salary, and reduce the salary of his deputies by 10%, attracted considerable media attention.

“The town is heavily in debt,” he says. “I felt I had no right to expect other groups within the commune to tighten their belts unless I was prepared to set an example.”

Vimoutiers is home – or second home – to many British families, and Mr Romain appreciates the fact that a considerable number of them take an active part in community life.

“Some of them have set up businesses here, and several are on the town council,” he says. “The British families in Vimoutiers tend to integrate well.”

January 2010

UNCERTAIN: Local opposition to plans for a massive coal terminal in Cherbourg could derail the port’s recovery plan

By Ray Clancy CHERBOURG port is battling to bring in new money this year after falling into the red and losing its newest crossChannel ferry route.

The port was once the second biggest after Calais with more than 1.6 million passengers a year and a thriving freight business, but has been loss-making in recent years after losing a huge Toyota contract in 2000.

Passenger numbers have dwindled to 750,000.

A new private operator, SAS Port de Cherbourg, took over a year ago. The partnership between Cherbourg-Cotentin Chamber of Commerce and shipping giant Dreyfus Amateurs has largely pinned its future on building a giant coal terminal to supply power plants in the south and west of England, but a second public inquiry into the proposed terminal and storage facility could have a serious effect on its future.

The plan involves a new offshore anchorage where giant container ships from Colombia and South Africa would unload. The coal would then be transferred on to barges by a fleet of floating cranes and stored in Cherbourg before being shipped to England when needed.

Backlash However the port underestimated the backlash from local residents and environmental campaigners. They claimed there could be health effects from the amount of coal dust in the on-shore storage facility and the potential for a major environmental disaster if there was an accident as sea.

The port claims it has answered all concerns about health and safety. Port chief Didier Aumont said: “I’m very optimistic about the future of the project because we have answered all the questions on environmental protection.

“I understand that there are worries. We know that coal can emit dust and it is possible that one day there might be a spill at sea, but studies have shown that the quantity to

Dwindling passenger numbers and uncertainty over new freight plans mean Cherbourg port is fighting to keep its head above the water reach the foreshore would be very low – without any significant impact on flora and fauna. And, of course, every precaution will be taken to avoid spillage at sea or the emission of dust into the air.”

The port is remaining posi-

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We have not been officially told by Celtic Link that the service is terminated. We will wait and see Thierry Lenepveu Cherbourg port

tive as it awaits the outcome of the public inquiry.

Development manager Thierry Lenepveu said: “We do not anticipate any delays and would hope to be operational during 2010.”

However the port suffered a further blow last month with the loss of its newest passenger ferry service to Portsmouth operated by Celtic Link Ferries – just weeks after it started.

The port had hoped that the new service to Portsmouth would help it boost passenger numbers in 2010, but that Celtic Link director and coowner Denis O’Flaherty has revealed that the operator has no plans to restart the service.

Speaking exclusively to The

Advertiser, Mr O’Flaherty blamed the port of Portsmouth for the service being suspended, claiming it had hiked its freight fees.

He said the company decided to operate the route after research showed there was demand on both sides of the channel from ordinary freight and passengers on the one hand and a huge demand from British farmers wanting to export animals to Europe.

However shortly after starting the service, Portsmouth upped the fees from £25 per truck to £5,000, Mr O’Flaherty claimed. “Our figures were based on getting 900 trucks per week and we had already reached 550. We felt we could make a go of it,” he said.

“Portsmouth knew this hike in fees would make the service unviable, they effectively put the route out of business.”

A spokewoman in Portsmouth said the port had welcomed the new route and fees had always been high for animal freight, as it wants to discourage this kind of trade.

Animal rights activists had staged a protest in Portsmouth after they found out that Celtic Link was proposing to carry live animal freight.

It is a highly sensitive issue since animal rights protestor Jill Phipps died after being crushed by a lorry carrying veal calves for export at Shoreham in February 1995.

The short-lived Celtic Link route from Portsmouth to Cherbourg was also marred by

safety problems. The Norman Voyager ferry that the firm had chartered from LD Lines was impounded by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in Portsmouth for two days in November over concerns about crew safety training and the system that monitors the closing of the bow and shell doors.

Although the ship has now been cleared to sail it will operate only on the Cherbourg route to Rosslare in Ireland.

Mr Lenepveu said: “We have not been officially told by Celtic Link that the service is terminated. We will wait and see.”

New investment One light at the end of the tunnel could be a bailout from PNA (Associated Normandy Ports). It is investing €1.6 million in Caen-Ouistreham over six years including a ferry terminal extension, bigger car parks, modernising the Blanville freight area and work on the outer harbour, locks and drawbridges – and Cherbourg hopes some of the money will come its way.

PNA’s port development manager Tristan Larsen told The Advertiser: “We would like to position Cherbourg as a transhipment port, for the United Kingdom and Ireland in particular, by welcoming new bulk transport and container ships.

“We are willing to consider any development proposal.

“Current prospects include projects for the installation of off-shore wind turbines, whose production would require extensive port capacities.”

Firm plans are not in place – and a confirmed future for the port seems a long way off.

CELTIC LINK: Axed its Portsmouth-Cherbourg service in a row over live animal transport

The Advertiser, Normandy

Food 7

January 2010

Vital year to support the local oyster trade

The world is your oyster LOVE them or loathe them, there is certainly no avoiding oysters here in Normandy. A quarter of all huîtres in France are grown along the coast stretching from Calvados to the bay of Mont Saint Michel.

Normandy oysters flourish in the highest tides in Europe, where abundant plankton, an excellent source of nourishment for young oysters, results in the renowned quality of what once was the fisherman’s snack.

Their reputation as one of life’s great luxuries and an aphrodisiac – Casanova was said to eat at least 50 every day – has contributed somewhat to their popularity, and oysters are readily available here at every market, in every poissonnerie and on almost every menu.

Safe and healthy Folklore states that oysters should only be eaten in months with Rs in them, perhaps due partly to the spoilage in the past resulting from inadequate refrigeration during the R-less months of May, June, July and August.

Another reason is because they become a tad soft and milky during the summer breeding period, but some people prefer them this way – today it is more a question of taste than a health issue.

Oysters are nutritionally

OYSTER producers in Normandy have been banking on a successful Christmas and New Year sales period to stay in business after a deadly virus wiped out hundreds of thousands of oysters this summer.

The illness hit almost all of the French coastline, from the Mediterranean up the Atlantic coast and along to Brittany and Normandy. It killed about half of the young oysters that were destined to be eaten next Christmas.

This is the second year running that the trade has been affected. A similar virus in summer 2008 killed millions of oysters that would have been on this year’s festive dinner tables.

Oysters thrive off the Channel coast and make a delicious and nutritionally balanced dinner dish.

Sinéad Allart takes a look at one of life’s great luxuries and cooks up a tasty starter on a Norman theme very well-balanced, containing protein, carbohydrates and lipids – an ideal food for inclusion in low-cholesterol diets. They are also an excellent source of vitamins A, B1(thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), C (ascorbic acid) and D (calciferol). Four or five medium-sized oysters supply the recommended daily allowance of iron, copper, iodine, magnesium, calcium, zinc and phosphorus.

A thoroughly flexible and festive dish, the ultimate in fast food, oysters feature on most Norman tables at some stage over the Christmas and New Year celebrations, either as a pre-starter mise en bouche, washed down with a dry white or a glass of Champagne, a starter with lemon wedges, or as part of a seafood platter (plâteau de fruits de mer).

They can be eaten raw, but if you are new to them and a little oyster-shy, you might prefer to cook them.

Raw oysters should always be served chilled on a bed of ice.

They are easier to shuck (open) if you toss them in the freezer for about 10 to 15 minutes, but do not forget them.

Your local fishmonger will happily shuck the oysters for you, but you should give a little notice – 24 hours should suffice. If you really want to shuck them yourself, oyster knives are sold in supermarkets throughout Normandy (either somewhere around the fish counter, or with the kitchen utensils). Use a tea towel to hold the oysters and to protect your hands – apparently a great percentage of casualties in the accident and emergency wards on New Year’s Eve are oyster-shucking victims.

Poached in wine Oysters are salty by nature, so most recipes using oysters will not need to be salted.

They can be frozen but first you need to remove them from their shells, making sure to drain all the water from

Prices

MARKET: Oysters are readily available across the region them, then poach them in wine, cider, Champagne or Noilly Prat for about a minute, put them back into their well-cleaned shells, place a sauce on top and freeze on a tray until required.

Remember to defrost thoroughly before baking.

As with many foods, size and age make a difference. In the following recipe, size three oysters are recommended, although not necessary.

Oysters in a creamy camembert sauce Serves four as a starter 2 dozen oysters 1 camembert au lait cru (from unpasteurised milk) 4 soup spoons of crème fraîche 1 glass of cider or dry white wine 3 shallots pepper coarse sea salt

Here is a special treat, using the best that Normandy has to offer – oysters, cider, camembert and crème fraîche.

Any leftover sauce can be frozen and goes well on top of steak or burgers.

Preheat the oven to 200°C Using a knife, scrape most of the

outer skin from the camembert and chop the cheese into small pieces.

Peel and finely chop the shallots and

place them in a pan with the cider/wine.

Heat gently and allow to reduce before adding the crème fraîche, the camembert and some freshly milled pepper.

Pour the water off the oysters. Place a layer of sea salt on a large oven-totableware dish, and put the oysters on

top. Spoon some camembert sauce onto each oyster and bake for 10 minutes until bubbling and golden brown.

Serve immediately with some crusty bread and a bottle of chilled dry white wine or cider.

A number of producers have warned of severe financial problems and the government has given several hundred million euros in bailouts to keep the industry afloat.

The Basse-Normandie regional council issued a decree in November fixing a minimum sale price for each type of oyster in an attempt to restabilise the market, a move that has been welcomed by the Organisation des Producteurs de Normandie Mer du Nord.

France is the biggest oyster producer in Europe, selling more than 130,000 tonnes every year.

Sinéad Allart lives on the Cotentin peninsula with her two daughters and husband, Philippe, the local vet.

Three years ago, she started her own cooking school, the Wilde Kitchen, from home which was a natural development for the former home economics teacher from Ireland.

Sinéad is now hostess to visitors from as far afield as the States who come to cook the wonderful local produce and experiment with culinary treats in the Wilde Kitchen.

8 Spotlight

Health fears mount over EDF’s plans for 163km high-voltage power line Thousands of Manche residents are worried about the health risks of a huge high-tension power line that EDF is planning to run through the picturesque Normandy countryside. Ray Clancy investigates

“

Our health isn’t for sale. We want to create a precedent for all high-voltage lines Christophe Gosselin Anti-THT campaigner

Photo: PHOTOPQR/OUEST FRANCE/Jean-Yves DESFOUX

The Advertiser, Norm

WHEN it comes to having power, French electricity company EDF is a global giant.

Not only is it the world’s biggest operator of nuclear reactors but it is using the green fields and small towns of Normandy to push forward its next generation of highvoltage power lines (très haute tension or THT).

EDF’s €4bn Evolutionary Power Reactor (EPR) is currently being built at Flamanville near Cherbourg – the first of many that EDF hopes to sell eventually to countries including Britain, the United States, China and Italy.

However it needs a new highvoltage power line to carry the electricity down through the Norman countryside. This means building a new 163-kilometre line of 200-foot high steel pylons capable of carrying 400,000-volt cables.

Those whose homes and businesses will be next to the new pylons say it will pose serious health issues. They are campaigning for a public health study to be carried out and a new law setting out clearly what compensation people will get.

Impact The new line through Normandy will not be the only high-voltage line in France but it represents an issue that will affect hundreds of thousands of people as there are currently 21,000 kilometres of line capable of carrying 400,000 volts in the country which could be used for transmission of the next generation of nuclear power.

“Our health isn’t for sale. We want to create a precedent for all high-voltage lines,” said Christophe Gosselin, a coordinator of an anti-THT group based near Le Chefresne.

The campaign against the THT line began with a few small local protests but has grown over the past four years into a major movement that now has the backing of mayors, councillors, the president of the Basse-Normandie regional council and environmental group Greenpeace France.

In recent weeks the calls for a health inquiry have been growing. Basse-Normandie president Laurent Beauvais has demanded a study and has even offered to contribute to the cost. He has also written to ecology and energy minister Jean-Louis Borloo asking for a health study to be done.

Mayors from at least half of the 64 communes in the Manche, Mayenne and Ille-et-Vilaine that are affected by the new line have gone to the courts claiming that the European Charter on Environment and Health, which states that everybody has a right

to live in a stable environment that respects health, means that the pylons should be banned on the grounds that they could be harmful to health. Article five of the charter also states that if a development could affect the environment in a serious and irreversible manner, even though current science may not be able to determine its effects, then public authorities should undertake a risk assessment and adopt provisional measures in order to prevent damage and the mayors are also using this to argue for a health study.

Courts in Caen and Nantes have thrown out these legal arguments but there is one chink of hope.

The Tribunal de Grande Instance in Coutances is expected to rule on January 14 whether JeanPierre Laflaquière, the prefect of the Manche, should order a health inquiry into living conditions along the THT line.

“

All we want is for the line to be suspended until a proper health study has been carried out Steve Nuttall Stop THT

As the State’s representative in the Manche, Mr Laflaquière has the power to order such a study, but when approached for a comment by The Advertiser, his spokeswoman said: “The prefect has nothing to say on the issue.”

The ecology ministry said it had not replied to Mr Beauvais’ request for an inquiry. Under French law the ministries of health and ecology have joint responsibility in this instance for ordering a study but neither seemed keen to discuss the issue when approached by this paper.

Although the view of JeanClaude Bossard, mayor of Le Chefresne, that locals affected by the new line “will be living in a microwave oven” is perhaps a little extreme, little is known about the effects of living next to such a concentration of power or for the consequences for livestock and crops. Mr Bossard claims that farmers with electric pylons on their land are already suffering problems because of the adverse effects on their animals. A court in the Corrèze, in the Limousin region of France, ordered EDF’s grid operator Réseau du Transport d’Electricité to pay €400,000 in compensation to a farmer whose cows had become ill because of a nearby THT line.

According to the World Health Organisation there has never been a definitive study into the effects of high-voltage lines on

mandy

Spotlight 9

January 2010

45 of the 64 communes on the proposed route of the power line are in Normandy: Saint Sébastien de Raids Le Mesnil Gilbert Marchésieux Saint Martin d'Aubigny Feugères Hauteville La Guichard Le Lorey Marigny Cametours Carantilly Cerisy La Salle Dangy Notre Dame De Cenilly Le Guislain Maupertuis Villebaudon Percy Montabot Le Chefresne Margueray Montbray Beslon Saint Maur Des Bois Boisyvon Saint Martin Le Bouillant Coulouvray Boisbenatre Saint Laurent De Cuves Cuves Le Mesnil Adelée Les Cresnays Reffuveille Juvigny Le Tertre Le Mesnil Rainfray La Bazoge Fontenay Chèvreville Milly Parigny Lapenty Villechien Saint Symphorien Des Monts Buais Ferrières Heussé Saint Aubin Des Bois

people. A spokesman said: “It has become increasingly unlikely that exposure to electromagnetic fields constitutes a serious health hazard, nevertheless some uncertainty remains.”

Cancer In 2005 a study led by Oxford University’s Childhood Cancer Research Group found a higher risk of blood cancer and leukemia among children living within 200 metres of the cables.

A survey funded by Stop THT, a co-ordinating body for communes and associations in the Manche, Mayenne and Ille et Vilaine – the three departments affected by the proposed line – looked at 2,000 households in 160 communes. They were divided into three groups: one within 300 metres of an existing high-voltage line near Flamanville which operates at 75% capacity, one within 300 metres of a line that is regarded as medium output, and another along the current proposed corridor for the new THT line that currently is not affected by high voltages.

The report found that those living in the high- and medium-risk areas suffered more from sleep disorders, memory and hearing loss, headaches, irritability and depression than those in the unaffected zone. Certain illnesses requiring major treatment or surgery and leukaemia, breast and thyroid cancer were more frequently found in the exposed population. It also found that cows in the medium- and highrisk zones were more likely to be restless and aggressive, produce less milk and suffer from weight loss and slow growth.

“This evidence confirms our fears: the presence of very highvoltage power lines effectively changes living conditions,” the report says. “It is no longer

acceptable to continue to deny the impact of very high-voltage power lines on residents.

“The survey and its conclusions are sufficiently convincing. They form a reasoned warning that requires the commissioning of complementary studies on existing lines. It is necessary to have a better understanding of the impact of very high-voltage power lines on people and animals.”

As the pressure mounted, the Manche préfecture announced a public inquiry that finished taking evidence at the end of July. A series of meetings were held in affected communes. It announced the results would be known in the middle of September, but that was postponed until the middle of October and then November.

The 1,400-page report was finally handed over to mayors just before Christmas, as The Advertiser went to press.

A spokesman for Reseau du Transport d’Electricité (RTE), said: “Our plans are on target. We are preparing to submit plans for permission and we expect to be able to start work towards the end of 2010 or the beginning of 2011.

“We are entirely open about the project. We do not believe there are any health risks associated with the pylons. We are engaging in an active discussion with all parties concerned. We do not anticipate any delays.”

However campaigners believe

“

We are entirely open about the project. We do not believe there are any health risks Reseau du Transport d’Electricité

they have detected signs of impatience on the part of RTE. “Officials have been sending engineers and photographers on to private property. They are starting surveillance. I chased them away,” said one person near Percy in the Manche who did not want to be named. The claims are backed up by Steve Nuttall of the Stop THT group who knows of two instances in his commune.

“It is making people suspicious and adds to the feeling that RTE is not wholly following proper procedures,” he said.

RTE denied it was being underhand. “We carry out surveillance all the time. This is necessary to make sure all our lines are working,” the spokesman said.

Compensation The final decision about the THT line lies with the ecology ministry. It has already decided that some €20m will be available in compensation for affected communes. At present the government will buy property belonging to those within 100 metres of the new line. Those within 300 metres might also be bought out but at a price determined by state valuers.

Ecology secretary Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet said: “We are doing the maximum possible to gain acceptance from local people. We have offered compensation for homes people might want to sell that sit directly along the route.”

There is no doubt that this is a battle of David and Goliath proportions. “Nicolas Sarkozy isn’t going to want his flagship programme delayed,” says Mr Nutall.

“At the end of the day all we want is for the line to be suspended until a proper health study has been carried out and a law is put in place to determine exactly what people will be entitled to in terms of compensation.”

10 What’s On

The Advertiser, Normandy

January 2010

What’s On Listings Out and about Until January 15 – Spectacular light show every evening at the Mont Saint Michel from 18.00.

Many activities accompany the illuminations. More info at www.ot-montsaintmichel.com

Caen and Le Havre circus fun

January 24 – Guided tour of Bricquebec hôtel de ville and its history, architecture and archives as part of the Dimanches du Patrimoine series. Call 02 33 95 01 26

Music January 23 – Celebrated French singer and actress Juliette Gréco plays a special concert in Deauville’s Théâtre du Casino Barrière as part of the town’s 150th anniversary celebrations, which run throughout 2010. The event starts at 20.30, with tickets priced between €36-€45. www.deauville.fr January 24 – The Orchestre des Champs-Élysées travel back into the 18th Century with performances of Mozart’s 11th and 13th piano concertos and Haydn’s 60th symphony.

Théâtre de Caen, 17.00, entry €26.95. Call 02 31 30 48 00 or see www.theatre.caen.fr

THE PHENIX Circus kick off a gruelling nationwide tour schedule with an opening night at the Zénith in Caen on January 15.

The stars of the former Peking Circus take the 5,700-seater grey, red and blue Big Top on the road with their show Li Ya, La fille de l’Empéreur.

No two seasons are the same for Phénix and performers start work on new shows January 30-31 – Warm-up for this spring’s Jazz Sous Les Pommiers festival in

Weekly markets SUNDAY: Mézidon-Canon, Cabourg, Trouville-sur-Mer, Caen, Honfleur, Evreux, Cherbourg, Argentan, Rouen MONDAY: Pont-l’Evêque, Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives, PontAudemer, Vimoutiers TUESDAY: Deauville, Dozulé, Touques, Villers-surMer, Beuzeville, Courseullessur-Mer, Evreux, Cherbourg, Saint-Lô, Argentan, Bagnoles-de-l’Orne, L’Aigle, Dieppe, Gournay-en-Bray, Rouen WEDNESDAY: Bonnebosq, Honfleur, Cabourg, Orbec, Trouville-sur-Mer, VillersBocage, Evreux, Granville, Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët, Alençon, Bagnoles-de-l’Orne, Flers, Dieppe, Rouen

THURSDAY: Blangy-leChâteau, Touques, Livarot, Argences, Houlgate, Caumont-l’Éventé, Courseulles-sur-Mer, Cherbourg, Dieppe, Rouen FRIDAY: Cambremer, Cormeilles, Deauville, Blonville-sur-Mer, Villerssur-Mer, Pont-Audemer, Caen, Vire, Evreux, Brecey, Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët, Saint-Lô, Argentan, Bagnoles-de-l’Orne, EuVallee-De-La-Bresle, Gournay-en-Bray, Rouen SATURDAY: Deauville, Dives-sur-Mer, Honfleur, Lisieux, Touques, Troarn, Aunay-sur-Odon, Evreux, Cherbourg, Granville, SaintLô, Alençon, Bagnoles-del’Orne, Flers, Mortagne-auPerche, Dieppe, Rouen

two years before they open. Light and laser shows give a new look but it keeps classic touches like velour seats and an orchestra.

Tickets are priced from €33 and €45 from 02 31 73 74 75.

If you cannot make it to Caen performance, the group will be back in Normandy on February 26 at the Docks Océane in Le Havre. See www.cirquephenix.com

Coutances with a guest appearance from critically acclaimed jazz guitarist Pat Meheny. €32.10. Théâtre Municipal: 02 33 76 78 68 or www.theatre-coutances.com

Exhibitions January 15-17 – The Salon du Bien-être opens for the second year in Le Havre. Entry to the Docks Cafe venue is free.

Themes include health and hygiene, beauty and bodycare, organic foods, fitness, personal development and eco-friendly living. For more information see www.normand-expo.fr Until January 18 – Exhibition dedicated to the unique drawings of 18th-century French painter and print-maker JeanHonoré Fragonard at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Caen. Entry is €5.20, concessions €3.20, under 18s free.

See www.mba.caen.fr or call 02 31 30 47 70.

January 26 – Opening of a new D-Day and Battle of Normandy exhibition at the Mémorial de Caen. Includes

audiovisual contributions from soldiers and civilian eyewitnesses. Call 02 31 06 06 45 or see www.memorial-caen.fr or www.calvados-tourisme.com

Family January 24 – Discover how people lived in past centuries with a guided tour of the Château de Carrouges tailored for children, including a hot chocolate in the monument’s old bakery afterwards. Adults €8.50, children free. Phone 02 33 27 20 32.

January 9-10 – Getting married? See dozens of dresses and get inspiration for the special day at the Salon du Mariage in the Salle du Vaudeville, Vire. Dress parade daily at 11.30, 14.30 and 17.30.

Entry €3.50.

Cinema

Church services in English FORMER British Aerospace engineer Peter Hales found out about the Anglican church in Coutances in the Manche while on holiday in the region seven years ago.

He later received an offer he could not refuse and moved to France with his wide Pippa to become the lay reader at Christ Church in 2005, and he is now a fully ordained Anglican priest.

The church holds services every Sunday, drawing a congregation of English-speakers from all over Normandy.

With a “parish” that covers an area about 100 miles by 50, it has been a very different experience to a traditional local church.

The services are ecumenical – designed to appeal to a broader range of religious disciplines – and the congregation includes Catholics, Methodists and United Reformists.

“It’s a huge area we serve, and the congregation has

quite a few French people in it,” he says. “A lot of French in the area have worked in the UK and they bring their friends along.”

Christ Church Collège St Germain Rue d’Ilkley, Coutances Services every Sunday, 11.00 For more info, see www. christchurchcountances.com

Other services in Normandy Vezins (just outside SaintHilaire-du-Harcouët) Communion service in the local church on the first Sunday of every month at 17.00.

Call 02 33 58 86 76 Caen Anglican Chaplaincy Chapelle de la Miséricorde, Rue Elie de Beaumont Sundays at 17.30 http://tinyurl.com/caenchurch Rouen Reformed Church of Rouen Place du Pasteur Martin

Luther King Contact: Quentin Braddock q.braddock@free.fr 02 35 71 08 66 Hautot-Saint-Sulpice Traditional Anglican communion Reverend Anthony Chadwick 02 35 96 30 36 http://tinyurl.com/hautot Is your service not listed here?

Please let us know by emailing details to normandy@ connexionfrance.com

Event listings are free in The Advertiser Send details to: normandy@connexionfrance.com

Treasure hunt January 22-24 – Les Puces Rouennaises is one of France’s biggest antiques fairs, with 350 sellers from France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands spread across five halls in the Parc des Expositions in Rouen.

As well as the usual furniture, books, postcards and clothes, gems this year include a 1916 Comédie Française brochure and a 1930s perfume flask.

Call 08 91 701 703 or see www.pucesrouennaises.com

January 25-February 9 – 20th annual Hispanic cinema festival in Cherbourg.

Screenings, concerts, debates and exhibitions. 02 33 52 77 37 or www.ville-cherbourg.fr

Below are some of the other brocantes for this month: January 2 Evreux Hall d’Exposition January 2 Alençon Halle au Blé 06 83 79 88 93 January 3 La Bouille Quai de Seine 02 35 93 89 02 January 10 Turretot Salle polyvalente 02 35 55 83 77

January 10 Ouistreham La Grange aux Dîmes 02 31 77 50 36 January 15-17 Lisieux Parc des Expositions 02 31 48 45 35 January 16 Caudebec en Caux 02 35 96 18 48 January 16 Cabourg 06 19 12 66 32

January 17 Le Havre Place Auguste Perret January 17 La Ferrière sur Risle 02 32 30 71 00 January 24 Saint-Lô 02 31 22 94 64 or 06 66 61 69 87 January 31 Lisieux Parc des Expositions 06 03 06 94 83 www.kouny.com

The Advertiser, Normandy

Community 11

January 2010

Keeping busy to beat the blues

Couple buy ‘life-saving’ restaurant

By Mick Austin A BRITISH man whose local bistrot helped save his life five years ago has returned the favour – by buying it.

Steve Skinner and wife Jean dashed to Le Bistrot du Coin in Passais la Conception in the Orne to seek help from its English owner when Steve started to get chest pains.

The pompiers arrived within minutes and the problem was later diagnosed as a burst artery in his heart. Steve is convinced that had he not got to the bar he would not be alive today.

“This bar will always have a special place in our lives, especially after all that trauma with Steve,” said Jean. “It has been closed for almost a year and the locals have missed it. It was the hub of the village and we hope to get it back to that.”

Running a business takes a lot of work, but Jean’s priority will be keeping an eye on her accident-prone husband, who has been hospitalised seven times in as many years with broken feet, ribs, wrists, toes, cracked vertebrae as well as countless cuts and bruises.

Just as they were due to sign the contract to buy the bar Steve went down with a severe case of shingles and he was taken to hospital shortly before the reopening with a suspected thrombosis in his leg.

“Now he’s only got kitchen knives and a hot pizza oven to worry about,” said Jean. “So he’s going to be all right, isn’t he?”

“

It is surprising, but we still meet English residents who have been here 10 years or so and refuse to speak French Ros Birley

Settling in a new country can be a lonely experience.

Sally Ann Voak explores ways to beat off isolation, make new friends and feel at home in Normandy

Photo: Sally-Ann Voak

GETTING READY: Jean and husband Steve on crutches

YOU have made the big break and moved into a wonderful new home in France – but what about your social life?

It can be hard to adapt, especially if you have retired here, and while your other half might be happy pottering about in the garden or transforming the old barn into a guest house, it is not easy to make friends.

Normandy is huge and sparsely populated and people here can be reserved. They might say bonjour courteously, but they will wait for you to take the initiative.

Seventeen years ago, when we moved to the tiny village of Baillolet, near Londinières, in the beautiful Pays de Bray, my husband Pat was occupied with renovating our cottage, but I needed more.

My first step was to look at the local paper and the noticeboard at the mairie in our village and in our largest local town, Neufchatel-enBray. The tourist office became my favourite hunting ground for news of concerts, sports events, art exhibitions.

I dragged my husband away from his paint pots and plumbing to watch rugby games at Dieppe. We were welcomed into le club and now have good pals there.

Speaking some French, however badly, is essential. Your mairie or local library will be able to help you find a class or one-to-one tutor. It is not as daunting as you might think.

Tuition is designed to develop confidence and equip you to deal with different situations.

French TV is helpful, too.

Catch the news, weather, soaps and sport. Read French magazines, newspapers and

INTEGRATE: Ros and Chris Birley soon made French friends novels to pick up the slang.

If you are an art fan, Normandy is perfect. The area has inspired so many great painters and the galleries are excellent, especially in Rouen, Honfleur and Le Havre. Most towns have an art group if you have always wanted to learn.

Like most of rural Normandy, our area is also top for shows, fairs, and the Foire à Tous. This is much more fun than a simple boot sale, with all kinds of treasures from old farm equipment to kitchen implements. My neighbours, Danielle and Nenette, are interested in antiques as well, so we go to the fairs together, buying or selling.

More energetic ways of spending your time are on offer everywhere in Normandy. There are plenty of swimming pools, tennis courts, judo, badminton and some excellent spas. The country lanes are perfect for cyclists.

Ros Birley moved from Sussex to Lucy, near Londinières in the Eure with her husband Chris and nineyear-old son Simon 13 years ago. At the beginning of their adventure, they concentrated on lovingly restoring their gite and making sure that Simon was happy in school. Working hard was essential but they realised that to live properly here, you have to integrate.

“We quickly learned that Normandy people are very conservative,” says Ros. “You must go out there and work at it, even if your French isn’t very good. It is surprising, but we still meet English residents who have been here 10 years or so and refuse to speak French.”

Ros and Chris’s first success came when they offered to cook dinner for the local hunting group after a day’s shoot. “We could tell that some of them were wary, but we persevered, ushered them

into our warm kitchen and poured the wine,” she recalls.

Chris remembers the occasion well: “At 1.30am, JeanLuc, the last man to leave, put his arms around me and said ‘thank you’. He later told me that, at first, his friends thought he was mad to accept an invitation from English people, as the meal was bound to be bad. It was actually very simple and very French: homemade chicken liver paté with calvados followed by boeuf bourguignon.

He is now a firm friend, and we laugh about it.”

The meeting broke the ice with the local people, and helped Ros make female friends who have, in turn, helped her. She keeps chickens and ducks and has received plenty of help and advice from neighbours.

Ros has also discovered some unexpected amenities since living in the French countryside. “There are dressmaking and book groups, a weekly walking club, and frequent concerts. You have to dig a bit to find out about these things but it is worthwhile,” she says.

Contacts Your mairie will have a list of local associations that welcome volunteers. The local comité des fêtes is a good first port of call if you want to get involved in organising social activites.

The Association Française des Solos ( ) aims to help single, divorced or widowed people make new friends and take part in local activies. There are five Normandy branches: CAEN Les Solos du Calvados Annie: 06 08 37 06 11, solosdu14@yahoo.fr SAINT-LÔ Les Solos de La Licorne Jackie: 06.34.47.47.64 licorne50@yahoo.fr CHERBOURG Les Parapluies Solos Evelyne: 06 45 50 57 69 soloparapluie@laposte.net DIEPPE Les Cauxcôtiers Jean-Pierre: 06 61 16 68 84 solos-cauxcotiers@laposte.net ROUEN Les Seino Marrants Suzi: 06 60 18 54 91 solo-76@hotmail.fr Another group, Accueil des Villes Françaises, runs social events for people settling in a new town. It has 23 branches dotted around Normandy. For the full list and contact details see http://tinyurl.com/avfnorm

ANTIQUE SALES: Sally-Ann Voak (centre) with neighbours

YOUR STORIES

Please send community stories or events for possible inclusion to normandy@connexionfrance.com

2010: Find out what lies in store New laws and the latest on the tax credits and loans available this year as well as changes to technology and healthcare that could affect your everyday life in France. Read our special report.

JANUARY edition in newsagents now

Find a stockist near you at www.findthepressinfrance.com or call 04 86 68 50 40

For residents in the Orne, the departmental council has its own English-language network that aims to bring together expats and French locals. OrneLink currently has about 1,500 members. To find out more, see http://ornelink.orne.fr or call Scarlet Merrill on 02 33 81 62 97.

See page 14 for our list of useful Normandy contacts

12 Directory

The Advertiser, Normandy

Directory

January 2010

English-speaking businesses in and around Normandy

Adverts here cost from just €144HT for the year. Contact our sales team on 04 83 93 60 08 Help with the French system • Paperwork, Phone calls • Translation, Interpreting Call Hilary Reynolds 00 33 (0) 2 33 59 17 07 www.leapfrogservices.net

NORMANDY KENNELS Small, caring and qualified English run kennels and cattery Contact Jon or Sue Tel 02 31 67 93 48 Near Vire Dept 14 www.normandykennels.com jonathan.moir@orange.fr Siret 48914001200019

Acorn Kennels & Cattery Qualified and professional care of your pet while you are away

www.AcornKennelsandCattery.com Tel: 02 33 49 63 22

Siret: 479 825 168 00012

Penny Graphics Amazing web sites Fantastic Prices www.pennygraphics.net 02 33 90 92 15

PC Repairs, Upgrades New and Second Hand Sales.

Help with dial up and Broadband Internet Connexions Call out or Bring to Us. Tel: Mark 02 33 90 64 93 Mobile: 06 72 66 61 51 Email: swcomputers@ wanadoo.fr Siret: 483 973 863 000 10

Comprising of underfloor heated kennels Qualified staff Top Quality food and exercise Only 45 minutes south of Caen Convenient Ferry Access

GOLDENWAY INTERNATIONAL PETS

Qualified bilingual teacher Small groups, 1 to 1, intensive courses, translation, paperwork Tél: 02 33 65 39 73 www.normandyfrenchtuition.com

AllianZ Insurance

Insurance in Lower Normandy

Christophe Marie, Vire Tel: 02 31 68 01 96 Email: christophe.marie@agents.allianz.fr Siret N° ORIAS 07/022 348

We insure UK registered cars ENGLISH SPOKEN (call Angeline) 02 33 49 12 34 agence.lecluze@axa.fr

Axa INSURANCE English registered cars House insurance Health cover 1700 British clients trust us 02 96 87 21 21 contact@angloagence.com Dinan, Brittany

SWORN TRANSLATIONS

All legal translations

by FrenchEnglish speaking sworn translator

World Wide Pet Transporter / Relocator Ministry approved

Property-legalbuilding Administrative help Expat assistance

No. 61195004 – 61195001 Offices CDG Airport Paris Offices and Kennels Normandy Tel: 01 48 62 87 25 CDG Paris Tel: 02 33 38 41 32 Normandy www.goldenwaypets.com Siret: 397549551

Regions : All FRANCE Karen RENEL-KING Tel: 06 18 03 18 38 Email: karen.king@wanadoo.fr Web: www.certified frenchtranslation.com Fast and cheap

with 25 years of experience

Siret: 38058374000028

Kilrush Cars Ltd

HUGE SAVINGS!!!

BRAND NEW LHD CARS NOW IN STOCK

Roofs, Loft conversions Plumbing & Electrical, Groundworks.

Experienced team for all renovation work. ________________________ TIMBER PRESERVATION Eradication of rot and woodboring insects 20 year certificated guarantee covering all France Tel: Jim +33 ( 0 ) 679274563 Email: jimmoto@hotmail.co.uk Siret 488081233

French Registered Over 35 years experience David Christie 02 33 51 05 91 Mobile: 06 31 97 58 15 Email: Christie.david@wanadoo.fr South Manche Siret: 481 604 411 00019

Mesnil Renovation Areas 14/50/61 Full / Part Renovations, carpentry, masonry, plastering, tiling, kitchens, replacement windows and doors. www.buildersnormandy.com Tel. 02 31 09 26 54 Siret 48423125300010

www.kilrushcars.com

SPARES, SERVICE & REPAIRS Mowers, Tractors, Generators, Mixers, Dumpers, Diggers and More 25 yrs. Experience 06 83 27 04 17 andy.mechanic@hotmail.com

Siret: 508 702 974 000 17

WIDE OAK FLOORING LOW PRICES DIRECT FROM PRODUCER

www.wide-oak-flooring.com Phone Bill 02 31 63 94 36

( Many can be Viewed )

Seans Garden Services

Backed up by 10 year Insurance 14 years working in France

Lawns – Hedges – Trees Overgrown plots cleared.

Free quotes for one-off jobs.

Tel: 02 31 67 62 51 Mob: 06 19 91 29 48

Email: ave.goosey@wanadoo.fr Siret: 48877612100011 JOHN DAVIES RENOVATIONS

All types of renovation work undertaken 15 years experience in France. tel 02 33 57 12 22 mob 06 13 72 75 53 john.davies@nordnet.fr siret 444.648.828.000.10

Call Sean 02 33 57 86 02 Email: sean.melanaphy@ wanadoo.fr Siret: 50139841600013

CHIMNEY SWEEP Expert, mess-free service from a dedicated and professional English Sweep.

Please contact; Steve Bainton-Smith at Black Cat Services on; 02 33 50 84 91 or email; steve@baintons.com Depts: 50,14,61

GARDEN MAINTENANCE Garden Clearance Grass Cutting Hedge Cutting Strimming and Weed Killing Tel: Charlie 02 33 91 78 05 Email: habin.charlie@wandoo.fr St Sever Area

Tel: 0044 1483 811313 www.kilrushcars.com

One owner - FSH - C.O.C Tel: 0044 1483 811313

Loft conversion specialist Bespoke staircases Bespoke Joinery Call Ken or Natalie Tel: 02 33 66 22 47

Siret 83661000014

ASTRAS & CORSAS ALSO AVAILABLE

A large selection of European Left Hand Drive Cars

BENTLEY DESIGN All restoration & renovation work.

Large or Small Projects

ZAFIRAS FROM £14,995

Kilrush Cars Ltd

GENERAL BUILDER

ELECTRICIAN / PLUMBER and HEATING ENGINEER

WWW.BOCAGE RENOVATIONS.COM For All Your Building & Renovations Works

CAR HOME HEALTH

HOME - CAR - HEALTH

Architect.

Resident in Normandy.

Wide experience including interior and garden designs.

Tel: 02 33 49 69 26.

Regions: 14/15/50/61 Siret: 50409652000011

www.devilleservices.com Areas: 14 , 50 , 61 Siret: 45026366000018

www.angieshelpline.com contact@angieshelpline.com 05 53 67 66 39

J. LECLUZE ST HILAIRE DU HARCOUET 50600

Siret: 49427469900011

TEL: 02 31 67 76 90

No Good on the Phone?

Want to Complain?

AXA INSURANCE

Electrician All works guaranteed and carried out to French regulations standard.

Tel: 02 31 67 34 40 Email: morbox@orange.fr Regions Covered: 50,61,and 14

Full 10 year insurance backed guarantee.

WE CAN PARLEZ 4U

SW COMPUTERS

SAFETY COMFORT AND CARE FOR YOUR PET, PEACE OF MIND FOR YOU www.goldenwaypets.com Telephone 02 33 37 49 19 Emergency 02 33 38 41 32 Fax 02 33 38 44 16

NORMANDY FRENCH TUITION

We legally employ English speaking staff & do not sub-contract.

Affordable, standardscompliant websites designed for the 3 audiences that matter: you, your clients and the search engines, giving your business maximum visibility.

Siret: 419 490 297 00027

5 Star accommodation for Dogs/Cats

Tel: 02 31 67 60 55 / 06 79 86 22 69 Siret 451 736 318 00010

We undertake all aspects of renovation & improvement projects.

PARLEZ 4U ANGIES HELPLINE

Tel: 05 62 67 39 98 rt@rob-tomlinson.com Regions Covered: All France

English Run

Translator-Administrative Help Lifetime experience of the French system.

Privacy Guaranteed.

Barn & attic conversion specialists.

FIRST-RATE WEBSITES

www.rob-tomlinson.com

Chenil Les Mille Calins

Mascha Tania

DEVILLE PROPERTY SERVICES

Andrew Morgan

Siret 49763502900018

Stuart Upton

Kitchens, Bathrooms & Loft Conversions

Full 10 year Insurance Backed Guarantee Tel: 02 33 64 89 28 Email: upton_stuart@hotmail.com Regions Covered 61, 14, 50

Renovations, all aspects of building works, electrical, plumbing.

CARPENTRY & ROOFING

Siret 48036552700013

English Carpenter/Joiner Michael Bambridge BSc Very experienced in renovation and carpentry including stairs and furniture Tel: 02 33 50 40 24 Email: summit@west-telecom.com Siret: 48131662800017

Tel: 03 22 32 50 02 Email: office@mrdesign.eu.com All Northern Regions Considered Siret No. 394 360 945 00015

Mark Dupee

LANDSCAPE GARDENER Est 1994

Mowing, Hedge Cutting, Clearance, Maintenance, Fencing, Decking, Patios.

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Tel: 02 33 90 92 28 Mobile: 06 68 74 83 41 Email: markdupee@hotmail.com Siret 49509842800016

The Advertiser, Normandy

January 2010

Directory 13

Advertising feature

Our big idea for personalised work clothing IT MAY be fairly unusual for a new shop to open nowadays but Nick Church says his new work clothes and safety wear shop, in the Orne, is proving exceptionally popular.

Especially as he is able to offer a garment printing service.

What’s the thinking behind opening Veti-Travail?

Well, I suppose the basic reason is demand. We’d had the business in England and a lot of our clients were small businesses that wanted a professional image and an economical way to promote their business. So we brought our equipment and stock with us when we moved over here. It was then we discovered that it was far from easy to set up a business here. So we just kept trading in the UK. Then we decided to get rid of some of our old stock at a foire à tout in the village.

We were amazed at how popular it was. After that people kept asking us if they could buy unprinted garments, especially in larger sizes.

So, in January of this year I regis-

OPEN FOR BUSINESS: Veti-Travail sells work clothes in a range of sizes, up to 7XL and can print them as well tered under the autoentrepreneur scheme, and started to decorate and fit out the shop, which had been just the workshop and our office up until then.

You mentioned large sizes, how large?

We have Polo Shirts up to 7XL; T-

shirts to 3XL; fleeces to 7XL and waterproofs up to 4XL. Safety boots up to size 13/48. We carry stock of navy, bottle green, red and light blue in the polos. The T-shirts only go up to 3XL in navy, black and white.

Can you supply other types of garments?

Yes, one of my main suppliers is a leading UK wholesaler that carries an extensive stock – so chef ’s wear, bar aprons and also many well known brands like Regatta, Dickies and Bella.

The stock I have is basic workwear.

Good quality, at a sensible price but certainly not haute couture.

If somebody wants some printed Tshirts or polos do they have to order thousands?

No, not at all. The minimum quantity is one, although for less than ten we make a small set up charge. The printing is done using modern technology – the design is done on the computer and then cut out of special materials using a cutter linked to the computer. This is then heat pressed onto the garments using a high pressure commercial press. There is no ink or any screens and the material is very durable and washable. This is ideal for most uses, but it is also possible to produce full colour logos printed onto special material and then applied in the same way.

How can people place an order?

They can visit our website at www.veti-travail.eu for more details and prices or phone 09 73 00 84 34.

Or they are welcome to visit us at 43 Grande Rue, 61370 Ste Gauburge Ste Colombe. We are open Wednesday to Saturday from 9.00 to 18.00 or by appointment.

Beat the taxe carbone with a wood-burning stove IN THIS current climate of ecofriendly directives and reducing our carbon footprints, every sector of our lives is subject to scrutiny and in some cases – such as oil and gas pricing – punitive taxes now that the taxe carbone has come into force.

In many cases (travel for example) we have little choice but to pay when we fill up our car or fly off on holiday. By contrast when heating our homes we have a choice – we can choose to be ecologically considerate by burning wood which is an inexpensive and sustainable fuel and carbon neutral.

In France where wood is plentiful the government, by means of tax credits (crédits d’impôt) create an incentive to buy wood-burning stoves. In contrast to open fires, a modern wood-burning stove that meets or exceeds CE ratings as set by government is highly efficient.

Nigel and Julie are the joint owners of Wood Stove Studio and the Poêle à Bois Boutique. They have more than 35 years of experience with wood-burning stoves and are happy

Reno - Peter Coppen Kitchens, bathrooms, loft conversions, electrical work, carpentry.

Complete renovations, to minor works.

All work carried out by quality, registered tradesmen.

10 yr decennale insurance.

Tel: 06 32 02 76 33 Email: peter.coppen@free.fr normandymaisons@yahoo.co.uk

Chimney Sweep Wood Stove Installation Property Management Iain Davison www.propertycarepeople.com Tel: 02 33 14 09 55 Email: property.care@orange.fr Siret: 494799968

CARBON NEUTRAL: The Orne showroom includes a broad range of stoves, from traditional to designer to share their expertise with all of their customers.

Their St Gervais des Sablons showroom (in the Orne) exhibits selected products from leading European and British manufacturers. Customers have a choice of more than 400 stoves from traditional to designer with prices starting from €660.

The success of the business other

than very hard work has been meticulous attention to detail and unrivalled personal service which has been well-rewarded.

Nigel says: “More than half of our orders now come from referrals from existing clients. Unlike internet sellers, we offer a full service from chimney sweeping to complete installations where customers’

REFLEX MOODYS LTD SALISBURY

PJM LOCATION

REMOVALS

PLANT HIRE & SALES

Mini diggers and machinery available.

For hire and sale.

Tel: +33 (0)2.33.30.89.20 Email: pjmlocation@orange.fr Web: www.pjmtoolhire.com Regions Covered: Lower Normandy Siret: 449247550

THE ADVERTISER DIRECTORY THIS TREBLE COLOUR DIRECTORY COSTS

€540HT for a year Call our Sales Team for more information Tel: 04 83 93 60 08 Email: directory@ connexionfrance.com www.connexionfrance.com

requirements are carefully discussed and all aspects of the job are personally project managed.

“We have exclusive agreements with independent installers in different departments in France ensuring we can offer a local and competitive service.

“In Normandy, Brittany and the Mayenne our local installer Iain

George White European Transport

Special rates to S/W France 13.6m/45ft trailer - Full/Part loads Removals/materials/vehicles Owner driver. RHA member Tel: +44 (0)7768 867 360 Fax: +44 (0)1773 570 090 Fr Mobile: +33 (0)6 23 03 85 59 www.georgewhiteeuropean.co.uk

UK - FRANCE - UK • Weekly Service to France • Full & Part Loads • Container Storage • BAR Members • Instant On-line Quotation

Tel: 0044 17224 14350 Email: info@reflexmoodys.com Web: www.reflexmoodys.com Company Regn No: UK 5186435 TVA / VAT No: UK 864 7217 04

D & K REMOVALS

Plain/Printed, Polos to 7XL, T's to 3XL, Boots to 13 +Much More!

CLASSIFIEDS HEALTH

www.veti-travail.eu 09 73 00 84 34

THE ADVERTISER DIRECTORY

THIS ADVERTISEMENT COSTS €216HT for a year Calll our Sales Team for more Information Tel : 04 83 93 60 08 Email: directory@ connexionfrance.com www.connexionfrance.com

Wood burning stoves and Cuisinieres from

Cashin Camina Cleanburn Esse Hunter Parkray Stovax

T: + 44 (0) 079705 30723 E: ambassoxford@btinternet.com

UK - FRANCE - UK Full and part loads You pack, we move, you save!

UK: 0844 2324090 FRANCE: 02 33 04 52 44 Email: info@fishfaceremovals.com www.fishfaceremovals.com

Work & Safety Wear

WOOD STOVE STUDIO

Removals to and from France.

Best prices, best service.

FISHFACE REMOVALS

Davison has become our expert in the construction of our Selkirk twin wall chimneys.

“Since formalising an exclusive agreement with the Canadian manufacturer to stock the full range of Selkirk twin wall pipe and accessories in France a new world of opportunity has opened up. We can design and build chimneys where no existing chimney exists.”

Poêle à Bois Boutique is a division of Wood Stove Studio specialising in modern design stoves. Julie says: “Many of our French clients are looking for a stove that makes a statement and is regarded as a focal point to the home as well as being an efficient heat source.

“Many of the stoves we offer are enamelled and available in a range of colours that will compliment the most modern décor.”

For more information on the stoves and services offered, email info@woodstovestudio.com or call 02 33 12 57 26. See the websites at www.woodstovestudio.com and www.poele-a-bois-boutique.eu

on display at our dept 61 showroom

THE STOVE SHACK

ESSE - HUNTER - WOODWARM Woodburning Stoves and Cookers Supplied and Installed Tel 02 33 17 25 21 E-mail john.purslow@orange.fr www.thestoveshack.eu La Manche (50) Siret No 510 070 535 00016

Selkirk chimney and flexible liner Full installation service www.woodstovestudio.com info@woodstovestudio.com Tel 02 33 12 57 26 Siret 498 597 632 00013

TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED ADVERT log on to www.connexion france.com and click on ‘classified ads’

14 Local information

The Advertiser, Normandy

January 2010

Normandy bilingual crossword

Did you know?

Some answers are in English, some are in French. All accents should be ignored.

CROSSWORD fans can learn about the region, brush up their French and get a chance to keep their brain cells in action with our bilingual crossword.

It will use French and English words but also contain Normandy references that will make this a unique addition to the Normandy Advertiser.

We will provide the answers for this month’s crossword in the February issue of the Advertiser.

See page 4 for our subscription offer so you do not miss an issue.

Normandy man invented the dustbin

By Maggie Wakefield IT’S hard these days to imagine life without recycling, or tri sélectif (which apparently we should now be calling tri écologique). As for life without any kind of dustbin at all – unthinkable.

In fact the domestic dustbin has only been in existence for a century and a bit, and its inventor, Eugène Poubelle, was not only a Frenchman but a son of Normandy, born in Caen in 1831.

Eugène Poubelle studied law at university and went on to become a very highlyregarded figure in public life. In 1884, as prefect in charge of Paris, he decreed that all Parisian landlords

must provide receptacles for their tenants’ rubbish.

What’s more, he specified that there must be three separate containers: one for biodegradables, one for paper and rags, and one for glass, pottery and oyster shells. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.

Despite some initial resistance, the scheme caught on and the word poubelle officially entered the French language in 1890, when it was included in the supplement of the Grand Dictionnaire Universel du XIX Siècle.

If France got the rubbish sorted, then it was an Englishman who designed that other important waste disposal system, the flush toilet. Interestingly, while

POUBELLE: The brains behind the tri sélectif late 16th-Century England saw little point in Sir John Harington’s invention – Elizabeth I apparently wouldn’t use one because she didn't like the noise it made – in France, Harington’s flushing toilet was adopted with great enthusiasm. Infer from that what you will.

ACROSS 1 Recess; hollow; kennel (fr) (5) 3 These are local specialities and are a bit like a sweet roll or bun (fr/eng) (8) 6 Mussels and chips/fries, a speciality of the region (fr) (6,6) 10 The open countryside (ideal for camping?) (fr) (8) 12 Cultural capital of Basse Normandie with a large student population (4) 13 This enormous cathedral was famously painted by the artist in 9 down (5) 15 Years; j’ai vingt... (fr) (3) 18 Pain grillé; arroser; raise a glass to (eng/fr) (5) 19 If you’re a fan of fishing, check out the “saison de la...”; a soft summer fruit (fr) (5) 20 Very popular alcoholic drink made from apples (eng) (5) 22 Used extensively in cooking to make “sauce Normande” (eng) (5) 23 Season of the grandes vacances (fr) (3) 24 Can’t see the bocage for the trees (eng) (5) DOWN 1 If you only own nine things make sure that one of them is a wonderful soft cheese (10) 2 In came Bert smelling of

Useful Normandy contacts Accueil des Villes Françaises For newly arrived Normandy residents http://tinyurl.com/avfnorm Airports Dinard: 08 25 08 35 09 Cherbourg: 02 33 88 57 60 Caen: 02 31 71 20 10 Le Havre: 02 35 54 65 00 Rouen: 02 35 79 41 00 Deauville: 02 31 65 65 65 Alcoholics Anonymous www.aabassenormandie.com Bilingual meeting every Friday in the Centre Socio-Culturel Prieuré, Picauville (50) Call Alan on 02 78 08 41 23 Alliance Anglo-Normande A helping hand to integrate, through French and English lessons, meetings and a social calendar. Based between Livarot and Vimoutiers. anglo.normande@orange.fr www.alliance-anglo-normande.info Amicale Culturelle Européenne Offers cultural events and welcomes all nationalties www.amicale-culturelle.org 02 33 50 38 16 Anglo-French Club, The Perche Ecole de Français Du Perche (61) Regular events including convivial lessons, monthly events and walks Danielle Houzé or Maureen Phillips: 02 33 25 25 63 www.efdperche.com efdp@wanadoo.fr

Association Franco-Britannique de Buais (50) French tuition, all levels welcome Juliet Sharp: 02 33 69 36 55 juliet.sharp@yahoo.co.uk Association Franco-Britannique, Barneville Carteret (50) An informal group of French and British residents who meet for social events on the Cotentin peninsula Claude Bastian: 02 33 93 10 70 http://francobrit50.wordpress.com Assurance Maladie Help in English: 08 11 36 36 46 CPAM Manche: 08 20 904 212 Bocage Gardeners For gardening enthusiasts in the the Bocage, offering advice, meetings and outings Vivienne Baker: 02 33 90 41 45 British consultate in Lille 03 20 12 82 72 British embassy in Paris 01 44 51 31 00 Calvados Polo Club Polo matches and events in Lisieux area (14). Open to non-members.

Mme Garmond: 02 31 31 19 85 polocarol@wanadoo.fr Cancer Support Basse Normandie Jenny Luck: 02 33 60 27 82 jennyttluck@hotmail.com www.cancersupportfrance.info

Anglophone Association,Coutances A social and cultural association for English-speakers of any nationality.

Liz Armstrong: 02 33 72 25 32 lizarmstrong22@hotmail.com

Classic Car and Bike Club of Désertines (53) Meets last Thursday of every month at the Red Lion Pub, Désertines Alan Soutter: 02 33 69 55 62 alan.soutter@orange.fr

Association Française des Solos www.asso-des-solos.fr Caen: 06 08 37 06 11 St-Lô: 06.34.47.47.64 Cherbourg: 06 45 50 57 69 Dieppe: 06 61 16 68 84 Rouen: 06 60 18 54 91

Club de Conversation Anglais/Français de Gacé (61) Weekly conversation exchange between local French and English at the mairie in Gacé Peter Strugnell: 02 14 18 40 62 p.strugnell@laposte.net

NOTES

cheese (9) 3 This part of Normandy sounds like a fish with a deep voice perhaps? (5) 4 Positive; agreed; yes (fr) (3) 5 Couleur; apparence; pigment (eng) (3) 7 This bright yellow plant adorns the Normandy fields; used for making vegetable oil (4) 8 William (1028-1087) was Duke of Normandy and King of England (3,9) 9 Artist Claude had a beautiful house in Giverny (5)

11 Biscuits; buckwheat pancakes; flat, round or freeform crusty cakes (fr) (8) 14 This battle (1066) was the decisive Norman victory in their conquest of England (8) 16 Alcoholic beverage made by mixing two thirds of apple juice with one third of Calvados (fr) (7) 17 Natural colour; sort of creamy beige (fr) (4) 19 The Impressionists used acrylics for this (eng) (5) 21 Sans plus de cérémonie; without further... (eng) (3)

Our distributors EDF (Electricité de France) 05 62 16 49 08 Epona Trust Charity helping sick and mistreated horses and ponies Ann: 02 33 61 88 41 www.eponatrust.org Ferry operators Brittany Ferries: 08 25 828 828 Celtic Link: +44 844 576 8834 Condor Ferries: 02 33 88 44 88 Irish Ferries: 02 33 23 44 44 LD Lines: 02 35 19 78 77 Transmanche: 02 32 14 52 03 Ferry ports Cherbourg: 02 33 43 23 87 Le Havre: 02 32 74 73 31 Dieppe: 08 20 00 35 55 Caen-Ouistreham: 02 31 35 63 00 The 50 Photo Club Meets on the first Thursday of the month at 14.00. Venue Laforge Pub in Le Petit-Celland (50) Jackie: 02 33 48 89 64 laforge@nomotech.net France Telecom/Orange English helpline: 09 69 36 39 00 Gay Normandie Website with gay and lesbian news www.gaynormandie.com Groupe Ornithologique Normand Regular bird-watching outings 02 31 43 52 56 www.gonm.org Mayenne and Orne Writers Relaxed, friendly creative writing group which meets on third Tuesday of every month.

Kitty Stephens: 02 33 64 12 20 kitty.stephens@virgin.net Météo France Manche: 08 92 68 02 50 Calvados: 08 92 68 02 14 Orne: 08 92 68 02 61 Eure: 08 92 68 02 27 Seine-Maritime: 08 92 68 02 76

Orne Link Anglo-French network for the Orne http://ornelink.orne.fr Scarlet or Véronique: 02 33 81 62 97 Préfectures Calvados: 02 31 30 64 00 Eure: 02 32 78 27 27 Manche: 02 33 06 50 50 Orne: 02 33 80 61 61 Seine-Maritime: 02 32 76 50 00 Royal British Legion Normandy/Calvados district branch http://rblnormandy.wordpress.com Goona Naidu: 02 31 78 36 40 Ron Matthews: elronmat@wanadoo.fr Royal Naval Association France Nord branch Nigel Fox: Nef4@wanadoo.fr Société Protectrice des Animaux Cherbourg: 02 33 20 49 74 Cabourg: 02 31 28 09 71 Etalondes: 02 35 86 88 51 SOS Help Trained listeners provide confidential, anonymous counselling service in English to English-speakers living in France.

01 46 21 46 46 from 15.00 to 23.00 daily. www.soshelpline.org Trains SNCF: 3635 Eurostar: 08 92 35 35 39 UK passport advice +44 208 082 4729 Cost of an international call plus 69p/minute on your credit card “Ville-Beau-Son” Choir Anglo-French choir based in Villebaudon (50). Welcomes enthusiastic singers of all abilities. Meets every Wednesay at 20.30 at the Salle Culturelle.

Sylvia Miles: 02 33 59 21 81 moulin50410@hotmail.com For our list of hospitals and emergency contact numbers, see page 2

If you would like your club or association listed here, please email: normandy@connexionfrance.com

14 – Calvados Aquavire, Vire Barclays Bank, Caen Bar de la Poste, La Graverie Bar Patio, Lisieux Les Bons Voisins Bricomarché, Dives sur Mer, Vire Café at Intermarché, Vire Carrefour Market, Honfleur, Villers Bocage Le Comptoir Irlandais, Deauville Flying Fish, La Graverie, St Manvieu Bocage Gedimat, La Graverie Intermarché, Condé sur Noireau Leclerc, Vire Marc Trouverie Estate Agents, Vire Marché U, Bayeux Normandie Wine Warehouse, Ouistreham Le Patio, Lisieux Le Petit Chambourin, Champ du Boult Steve's Fish and Chips, Champ du Boult Subway, Caen Shopi, St Sever, Vassy Tourist Bar, Orbec Terminal Building, Ouistreham 27 – Eure Hippofaim, Cormeilles 35 – Ille-et-Vilaine Dinard Airport 50 – Manche Association Franco-Britannique de Buais A Propos du Jardin, Ste Cécile Axa Lecluze, St Hilaire Bellefontaine Park Les Bons Voisins Bricomarché, Avranches, Carentan, Coutances, Parigny, Saint-Lô, Tourlaville Carrefour Market, Barneville Carteret, Ducey, Haye du Puits, Mortain, Pontorson Château de Tallis, St André de Bohon Chez Madeleine, St Maur de Bois Christ Church Coutances La Clé des Temps, Coutances The Country Kitchen, Sourdeval Epicerie Barenton Epi-service, Chaulieu Flying Fish, Moyon La Forge, Le Petit Celland Gimazane Immobilier, Barfleur, Cherbourg, La Haye du Puits, Les Pieux, Valognes

Gedimat, Gavray, Mortain, Périers, St Hilaire, St James IBS Bréhal, Avranches Jug & Jazz, Ger Leclerc, St Hilaire Majestic Wine, Cherbourg Marché U, Gavray, Sourdeval Normandie Wine Warehouse, Cherbourg Le Relais de St Jean, St Jean de Daye Steve's Fish and Chips, Mortain, Le Petit Celland Subway, Cherbourg, Saint-Lô Super U, St Sauveur le Vicomte, Ste Mère Eglise Le Tie Break, Le Luot Marc Trouverie Estate Agents, Mortain and Villedieu Vive La Différence, Montpinchon Terminal Building, Cherbourg port 53 – Mayenne Le Bon Choix Dépôt Vente, La Baroche Gondin Le Famous Knight Public House, Couptrain Gedimat, Gorron The Red Lion, Desertines Steve's Fish and Chips, Couesmes-Vaucé 61 – Orne AngloFrench Club of the Perche Bar au Relais, St Fraimbault Bar du Pêcheur, l'Epinay le Comte Bricomarché, Flers Carrefour Market, Tinchebray Catena, Argentan, Vimoutiers Club de Conversation Anglais/Français de Gacé Cinema, Tinchebray Hairchic, La Ferté Macé Le Coin Secret, La Ferté Macé Leclerc, Argentan, Flers Les Favorites, Domfront Le Réveillon Jazz Café, near Mortagne au Perche Le Secret Knight Public House, Champsecret Rugby Tavern, Taillebois Steve's Fish and Chips, Taillebois SuperU, Bagnoles de l'Orne 76 – Seine-Maritime Subway, Le Havre, Rouen Jersey Maison de la Normandie Interested in stocking The Advertiser? normandy@connexionfrance.com

The Advertiser, Normandy

Property 15

January 2010

Houses for sale in and around Normandy More details of all the homes shown here - and 14,000 other properties for sale across France - can be seen at www.connexionfrance.com Enter the code listed with the property to take you to the details Buying or selling a property in or around the Normandy? We can help.

Our website www.connexionfrance.com carries details of more than 14,000 homes for sale across France.

We also feature properties for sale in this dedicated

€61,257 Manche, Juvigny le Tertre We have a collection of 8 two or three bedroom holiday cottages set in a holiday park. Prices start at 61,257 including agency and Notaire’s fees.

REF: M 31706 / MH

section of The Advertiser every month. Use the code under each property to find out more on the website.

For sellers, the adverts are also displayed across a range of popular English-speaking websites which ensures they are seen by thousands of potential buyers

EVERY day. Prices start at €119TTC for a year’s online advertising. Online advertisers can also place adverts in The Advertiser for an extra €60TTC for one month, €150TTC for three and €275TTC for six. Contact us on 04 83 93 60 08 or email sales@connexionfrance.com

€120,000

€294,000

Domfront, Lower Normandy Charming rural property in four acres of orchard, with approx. 40 mature apple and pear trees.

Extended and renovated to provide a family home with three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

REF: JS198

Honfleur Set in a peaceful location near the delighful port of Honfleur.

Light-filled house surrounded by spacious garden. Three bedrooms, two reception rooms, two bathrooms, two w.c's.

REF: IFPC16065

More details on all these properties - and how to contact the seller directly - can be found in the property for sale section of www.connexionfrance.com. Simply enter the code under each home to find out more €66,960

€139,100

€335,000

Domfront, Bagnoles Stone built property in need of modernisation. The property can also be extended. It has a garden of 100m2. Accommodation 58m2, two bedrooms.

Orne, Ceaucé Set within 3.39 acres of garden in a small village. The property comprises a fitted kitchen, two living rooms, a library, two bedrooms, a laundry, shower room, and mezzanine.

REF: 20183

Manche, Saint-Lo In a tranquil setting near Barenton this renovated 5 bedroom stone house is ideal as a b&b or a superb family home with almost 10 acres of land and a well stocked carp pond.

REF: 11010

REF: DOM1144

€87,500

€181,012

€349,950

Manche, Buais Detached stone and slate property, sits back from a road within 5 minutes drive from a village and a town, with a land/garden area of 4,650 sqm) to the front and side of the property.

REF: BUAIS51552

Vire, Region Saint Sever Fully renovated, it comes with a dining room, lounge, fitted kitchen, Wc, entrance lobby on the ground floor with a large mezzanine, 2 bedrooms, bathroom and 3rd bedroom or office.

REF: M 31745 / MH

Yvetot 6 bedroom country manoir with original mill, thatched cottage and garage.

Small island in the free flowing trout river.

REF: DOM784

€101,650

€213,485

€352,000

Orne, Domfront This stone house comes with a large garden, convertible attic and vast outbuilding. With an entrance hall, living area with fireplace and kitchen, two bedrooms, storage room, bathroom.

REF: 22240

Calvados This house is almost a step back in time. A small restored living area with 2 bedrooms, bathroom, living and kitchen opens up to an enormous barn with masses of potential.

REF: 28244

Lisieux, Le Mesnil Germain Beautiful 6 bedroom Norman property, 40 kms from Deauville and 10 kms from Lisieux.

Renovated 1995-99. Heat pump heating, air-to-air, from 2007.

REF: IFPC18752

The adverts above cost from just €179TTC for a whole year of web advertising and one edition of advertising in The Advertiser.

10,000 copies of The Advertiser are distributed at key points across departments 50, 14, 61, 27 and 76 as well as onboard ferries between the UK and France and at Dinard airport. Let our distribution get you a sale. Contact our sales team on 04 83 93 60 08

Gardening notes

Plants grow taller here

By Patricia Mansfield-Devine BRITONS gardening in Normandy have to learn some new rules about plants and planting, and one key reason is the weather.

France has four types of climate: maritime, continental, Mediterranean and Alpine, and Normandy is principally affected by the maritime climate.

This maritime influence means that the weather is moderate but also very changeable, rarely remaining constant for more than two to three days at a time.

There are also large day/night temperature fluctuations, especially in spring and autumn, which means that gardeners must keep an eye out for sudden frosts, especially when hardening-off plants.

Traditionally, no one plants out until after the Saints de Glaces (ice saints days: May 11, 12 and 13).

Above all else, the most characteristic type of weather you will find in

Normandy’s maritime climate means plants grow differently here Normandy is rain. It rains between 800mm and 1,000mm per year and although most of it falls in winter, when it can feel incessant, we are rarely without rain for more than a week at any time of year.

Although this may be irritating for tourists, it is a boon for gardeners, as it means that if you plant and mulch carefully, you can eliminate a lot of watering.

However, the rain also means that xerophyte plants such as lavender, sage and rosemary may not do well.

If you have a heavy soil, which again is common throughout Normandy, it is often better to plant these herbs in large pots, in free-draining, sandy soil, rather than risk them in the

ground. Leylandia and other conifers also often rot at the base due to the high rainfall and may be better planted as standards rather than, for instance, hedging.

Throughout Normandy, you can generally grow the kinds of plants that will grow in the south of England, while shrubs and trees that required a warm wall in England, such as hoheria, hibiscus, wisteria, camellias and magnolia grandiflora, can often be grown out in the open.

However, tender fruiting plants such as grapes, kiwi, peaches, nectarines and apricots will still ripen better on a house wall.

Plants grow rather larger in Normandy than in the UK, due to the longer hours of sunlight and slightly higher temperatures, so your three-foot plant will probably reach five feet, while your six-footers could easily reach eight to nine feet. If you buy your plants in France, the height will be a more reliable indicator than you will find in English textbooks.

CLIMATE: Plants grow larger than in the UK due to the longer hours of sunlight

16 News

The Advertiser, Normandy

Digital TV: are you ready?

Google tricycle snaps Mont St Michel DETAILED photos of the Mont-Saint-Michel will finally appear on Google’s StreetView service in the spring, thanks to a special high-tech tricycle.

StreetView allows web users to pick a road in France and see close-up 360-degree pictures. The Mont has been unavailable because Google’s camera car cannot reach it.

To solve the problem, the search engine giant kitted out a tricycle with eight cameras, weighing 140kg, to negotiate the site’s narrow cobbled lanes. The photos are now being processed – with car number plates and people’s faces blurred out – and are due online in the next few months.

HOMES across BasseNormandie have two months to make sure their television is ready for the digital switchover.

The old analogue TV signal will be switched off throughout the region on March 9. About 200,000 homes near Cherbourg and Lisieux have already made the switch – while HauteNormandie will not go fully digital until next year.

Digital TV (télévision numérique terrestre or TNT) means improved pictures and sound and 18 channels instead of six, but if you do not already have it you will need to buy a set-top box, starting at €20.

All ordinary TVs bought in France since 1981 have the capacity to show digital – the key point being whether or not they have a scart (péritel) socket to plug a decoder in.

Recently-bought ones should come with digital as standard.

If you are still watching on analogue, you will start to see banner messages on your screen in the coming weeks warning of the need to switch.

The analogue switch-off will happen between 8.00 and 14.00 on March 9. After this time, you will have tune your TV channels again (even, in some cases, if you already get TNT) because it is possible they will have moved during the transmitter reorganisation.

Over-70s and disabled people are entitled to a free home

January 2010

Saint-Lô loses town court THE TRIBUNAL d’instance in Saint-Lô has closed its doors permanently. All trials from the beginning of January will be heard in Coutances. The Palais de Justice will either be sold or will house other departments belonging to the préfecture.

Briton killed in hit-and-run crash

PUBLICITY: Normandy is one of the first regions to switch visit to help them set up a digital receiver or retune their TV. A helpline in French is available, at the cost of a local call, on 09 70 818 818 or you can visit www.tousaunumerique.fr Financial help Some low-income households and people currently exempt from paying the TV licence (redevance audiovisuelle) are entitled to financial help to buy digital equipment.

Aide à l'équipement of up to €25 goes towards a decoder, new TV or subscribing to cable, ASDL or satellite televi-

sion. You could also get an aide à l'antenne of up to €120 under the same conditions if you live in an area where an adjustment of your aerial, or possibly a new aerial, will be needed for good reception.

In some remote areas it will still be necessary to have a satellite dish and an aide à la parabole (up to €250) can help pay for this.

Those who qualify should get letters before the switchoff telling them about the grants, which are for purchases made in the three months before the switch-off and up to a month after.

POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a 48-year-old British man was killed in an apparent hit-and-run while walking home from a party in Saint-Vaast-La-Hougue in the Manche. The incident happened at about 5.00 on the morning of November 29. The Cherbourg gendarmerie can be reached on 02 33 88 74 10.

Granville line to get new trains BASSE-Normandie regional council has ordered 15 new trains to run on the ParisGranville line, which is notorious for delays and breakdowns. The trains will cost a total of €148m and are due to enter service in 2013.

How well do you know Normandy?

An online game has launched testing knowledge of the areas of Normandy. You can play at http://tinyurl.com/normgame