April 2023 etcetera magazine

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15 SAMU (Medical)

17 Gendarmes (Police)

18 Pompiers (Fire and also trained in medical emergency)

114 Text-message emergency number for deaf/hard of hearing

119 Child abuse

115 Homeless

113 Drugs and alcohol

112 European emergency not always English

1616 Emergency- Sea & Lake

3131 Last incoming call, key ‘5’ to connect Orange

English speaking helpline

0033 (0)9 69 36 39 00

Website in English: www.orange.com/en/home

Technical assistance for landlines (French): 3900 (+33 9 69 39 39 00 from abroad)

SFR 1023 or 00336 1000 1023 (Not English)

EDF

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HOSPITALS

05 55 05 55 55 Limoges (CHU)

05 55 43 50 00 St Junien

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Counselling In France Counsellors, psychotherapists, NLP, CBT etc offering therapy in English to expatriates all over France on www.counsellinginfrance.com

SSAFA France 05 53 24 92 38 email france@ssafa.org.uk

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0033 974 75 36 46 (from other countries). The line is open from Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

NHS website : www.nhs.uk/using-thenhs/healthcare-abroad www.ameli.fr

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Sarah is the author of craftinvaders.co.uk where she blogs about her original craft tutorials, recipes, foraging, and developing wellbeing through being creative, spending time outdoors and connecting with nature

BySarahWhiting

Dandelion & Lemon Biscuits

OK, SO THIS ISN’T AN ‘ARTS AND CRAFT’ CRAFT, BUT HEARING THAT CAROLINE WAS FEATURING EDIBLE PLANTS THIS MONTH I HAD TO SHARE THIS RECIPE WITH YOU FROM OUR GARDEN FORAGING!

Dandelions are one of the easiest wildflowers to identify, so are a perfect place to start if you want to cook with wild food. Dandelions contain anti-oxidant vitamins, minerals, calcium, as well as protein, and would have been a food staple for our ancestors here in Europe.

Ingredients

Approx. 20 dandelion flower heads

125g softened butter

100g caster sugar

1 egg

Method

1. Prepare the dandelion flowers: Wash, then remove the yellow petals by pinching firmly and pulling (a little green is ok but too much may impart a bitter taste).

2. Cream the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the egg and lemon zest.

3. Sift in the dry ingredients and combine well. Add in the lemon juice and dandelion petals and mix.

Zest of 1 lemon, plus 1 tbsp of its juice

180g plain flour

20g cornflour

1/4 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

4. Dollop spoonfuls onto a baking tray and cook for approximately 12 mins at 180C/350F/gas four until golden.

5. Cool the dandelion biscuits on a wire rack and enjoy with a cup of tea!

Why not try different combinations of flavours with this biscuit. How about marigold petals and orange, lavender or rose petal?

MR. PIANO MAN

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Parlez Français

French conversation, vocabulary & traditions

Le jardinage

Posséder un jardin est souvent synonyme de bonheur. En ce mois d’avril, le printemps est revenu, les bourgeons sur les arbres vont éclore, les fleurs s’ouvrent, les oiseaux et les insectes reviennent, les travaux de jardinage peuvent reprendre.

Que vous ayez des plates-bandes de fleurs, un potager, un verger, des haies ou tout simplement une pelouse, l’activité de jardinage est de retour.

Entretenir son jardin représente du temps, des travaux plus ou moins laborieux, de la patience … mais c’est aussi un loisir qui peut être très agréable, qui est thérapeutique, qui nous empêche de penser aux soucis quotidiens, qui nous fait sortir en dehors de la maison, qui est gratifiant quand ce que l’on a planté pousse bien.

Pour faire ces travaux de jardinage, nous utilisons des outils de jardin : le sécateur, la pelle, la bêche, la fourche, le râteau, le balai, la brouette, la tondeuse, le tracteurtondeuse, le taille-haie, la débroussailleuse, la scie, le motoculteur, le scarificateur, l’arrosoir, la binette, l’aspirateur-souffleur de feuilles, le broyeur de végétaux, la cisaille à haie, une échelle, un escabeau, le coupe-bordure, l’élagueuse, la faucille, la faux, la houe, la pioche, le plantoir, la serpe, la tronçonneuse…

Nous utilisons aussi des objets comme un pot de fleurs, une jardinière, en plastique ou en grès ; du bois ou du fer pour nos plates-bandes ou carrés de potager. Nous mettons des gants quand nous faisons du jardinage. Parfois, nous nous mouillons quand nous utilisons le tuyau d’arrosage !

Les travaux de jardinage sont : bêcher, planter, rempoter, tailler les haies, tondre la pelouse, mettre de l’engrais, élaguer des arbres, arroser les plantes et les légumes, terrasser, creuser des trous pour planter des arbres, tailler les rosiers et les arbres fruitiers (le pommier, le prunier, l’abricotier, le poirier, le framboisier, le groseillier, les cassissier, le figuier, la vigne…), rattacher les plantes aux tuteurs, arracher les mauvaises herbes, couper les gourmands de la vigne, ramasser les feuilles mortes et l’herbe coupée, composter les déchets végétaux, aller à la déchetterie pour jeter les gros déchets végétaux…

consolider les arches fleuries, nettoyer la fontaine, la cascade ou le bassin, ranger la serre de jardin, arranger les décorations de jardin et les statues, réparer les petites maisons à insectes et pour les oiseaux, acheter ou faire faire de nouveaux objets pour le jardin : une lanterne, une cage décorative, un photophore, un brasero, une sculpture… tout pour bien aménager le jardin.

Entretenir son jardin représente du temps, des travaux plus ou moins laborieux, de la patience

Et puis, quand tout est bien propre, nous n’hésitons plus à sortir les meubles de jardin : les chaises de jardin, le banc, la table de jardin, la balancelle, les poufs, les coussins, le belvédère, le barbecue… Bref, tout pour profiter de son jardin seul ou avec sa famille et ses amis !

Aussi, nous pouvons nettoyer la terrasse au « karcher » (c’est-à-dire au nettoyeur haute pression), repeindre la pergola,

Je vous souhaite un bon jardinage et de bons moments dans votre jardin !

Bons moments dans vos jardins ! Bon courage ! Et à bientôt !

Élargissez vos horizons avec CONTINENTAL HORIZONS ! Broaden your horizons with CONTINENTAL HORIZONS!

Isabelle works for CONTINENTAL HORIZONS Language Centre in L’Isle Jourdain 86.

She is a specialist Teacher of French as a Foreign Language and has more than 25 years’ experience.

Do not hesitate to contact her on 06 20 10 34 49 or 05 49 84 17 73 or by email: continentalhorizons@free.fr

posséder (verb) to own

le bonheur happiness

un bourgeon a bud

éclore (verb) to open for a bud

reprendre (verb) to restart

une plate-bande a flower bed

un potager a vegetable patch

un verger an orchard

une haie a hedge

une pelouse a lawn

entretenir (verb) to maintain

un loisir a leisure activity

empêcher (de) (verb) to prevent (from)

un souci a worry

quotidien (adj) daily

planter (verb) to plant

pousser (verb) to grow (for a plant)

un outil a tool

une pelle a shovel

une bêche a spade

une fourche a garden fork

un râteau a rake

un balai a broom

une brouette a wheelbarrow

une tondeuse a lawnmower

un taille-haie a hedge-cutter

une débroussailleuse a strimmer

une scie a saw

un motoculteur a rotovator

un arrosoir a watering can

une binette a hoe

un aspirateursouffleur de feuilles a leaf vacuum blower

un broyeur de végétaux a wood chipper

une cisaille à haie hedge shears

une échelle a ladder

un escabeau a step ladder

un coupe-bordure an edge-cutter

une élagueuse a pruner

une faucille a sickle

une faux a scythe

une houe a hoe

une pioche a pickaxe

un plantoir a dibber

une serpe a billhook

une tronçonneuse a chainsaw

une jardinière a window box

un gant a glove

se mouiller (verb) to get wet

un tuyau d’arrosage a garden hose

bêcher (verb) to dig over

rempoter (verb) to repot

tailler les haies (verb) to trim the hedges

tondre la pelouse (verb) to mow the lawn

mettre de l’engrais to add fertiliser

élaguer (verb)

to prune

arroser (verb) to water

terrasser (verb) to work the soil

creuser (verb) to dig

tailler (verb)

to cut, to prune, to trim

FRENCH LESSONS FOR

un rosier a rose bush

un arbre fruitier a fruit tree

un pommier an apple tree

un prunier a plum tree

un abricotier an apricot tree

un poirier a pear tree

un framboisier a raspberry bush

un groseillier

a redcurrant bush

un cassissier

a blackcurrant bush

un figuier a fig tree

une vigne a vine

un tuteur a plant support

arracher (verb) to remove

une mauvaise herbe a weed

un gourmand (de vigne) a (vine) sucker

ramasser (verb)

to pick up, to collect un déchet végétal / des déchets végétaux garden refuse / waste

la déchetterie the tip, the dump

jeter (verb) to throw away

nettoyer (verb) to clean

un nettoyeur haute pression a pressure washer

ranger (verb) to tidy up

une serre de jardin a greenhouse

réparer (verb) to repair

aménager (verb) to fit out, to lay out

un meuble de jardin garden furniture

un banc a bench

une balancelle a swing bench

un belvédère a gazebo

profiter (de) (verb) to enjoy, to make the most of

Siret:

Marjorie Barboza

Certified Translator

Registered with the Court of Appeal in Limoges

Proving the Rule

One of the internet’s most endearing quirks is the abundance of inspirational quotes poised to illuminate our day via a simple click. I particularly enjoy those which are wrongly attributed. You know the kind of thing: “Don’t hang with losers coz they be, like, so gross?” (Charles Dickens). For this reason I’m always careful before passing on the observations of others without first doing a spot of corroborative research. A case in point is this: “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.” Now, I have long admired this sentiment as nothing less than a blueprint for civilised living. Online, the quotation is widely credited to the late comedian Robin Williams and, given the contours of his life with which he struggled, I’m certain he would have endorsed it with all his heart. Nonetheless, my digging around in the bottom left-hand corner of the internet revealed the advice actually originated with Scottish author Ian Maclaren, who died in 1907 and who in any case was actually John Watson, a minister in the Free Church of Scotland. I’ll have a crack at that Dickens one next.

I reached for the quotation with the intention of using it here to contrast with

the views of a different church, having been recently perplexed by the Church of England. In an open letter, the leadership apologised for the church’s past treatment of LGBTQ+ people, writing, “For the times we have rejected or excluded you, and those you love, we are deeply sorry”. So far, so admirable. I don’t normally follow matters theological but this caught my interest because of what came next.

For in the same letter, the bishops reaffirmed their refusal to marry same-sex couples on their premises. Since the Church of England was granted an exemption from some British laws on matters of equality (I know!) it is quite entitled to do so. But it still appeared to me to endorse discrimination, a sort of emotional apartheid.

The Vatican also commented on this topic with Pope Francis appealing for greater tolerance towards the LGBTQ+ community, asserting that God loves all his children as they are. But again, this was immediately qualified as he declared gay people to be merely sinners and not actual criminals (I can only imagine their relief). Religious faith is surely not the issue here so much as the question of

White lives in south Indre with his wife, too many moles and not enough guitars

officially exempting certain people from rights enjoyed by everybody else. History screams at us where such mandates can lead. It ain’t pretty.

To be clear, being neither religious nor gay, I have no personal stake in this. In fact, I am spectacularly unqualified to debate the theology or church politics involved. I’m sure there is some kind of liturgical framework in which these decisions are made and/or texts which can be employed to justify them. It just seems sadly out of step with those who aspire to a fairer society. Also, given the immense importance of religious faith to so many, I wondered how this plays out within the church itself, the internal dynamics of such inequality.

But exceptions are now very much the rule and the ecclesiastical world is not alone in hosting dual standards. Public life elsewhere is a riot of convenient exemptions: the zillionaires who own UK newspapers criticising the government’s spending priorities but who themselves live abroad and pay no British tax; Police officers, sworn to protecting the public but caught making lethal exceptions based on gender or race; “There’s no magic money tree to alleviate poverty”, repeats the UK government while approving a £7 million front door for the House of Lords, (and don’t get me started on the coronation). Exceptions, everywhere we look.

Never forgetting, of course, those who ordered a frightened population into Covid lockdowns while exempting themselves in their Downing Street offices with ‘wine time Fridays’. The template for this mindset was laid down long ago. The imperial histories of both Great Britain and France, for example, are founded upon the unyielding belief in their own nation’s exceptionalism. Brexit was surely this conviction writ large.

Don’t try to make sense of it all, for down that wretched road only madness lies. Human history reveals a deathly cycle of one group determined to make an exception of another, a darkness made visible. Only the best of us possessed the strength of character to admit errors of judgement and acknowledge their mistakes. I had a quick look online for who best expressed this human frailty. Naturally, the web didn’t disappoint:

“I'm playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order.”

(Nelson Mandela)

Brian

I don’t normally follow matters theological but this caught my interest because of what came next

EggsatEaster

LET’S CELEBRATE EASTER WITH A SELECTION OF EASY-TO-MAKE EGG RECIPES FOR YOU AND YOUR GUESTS TO ENJOY!

EggSaladFilling

This is great way to use up leftover boiled eggs as this recipe can easily be scaled up or down. You can get as adventurous as you want with this simple recipe - try some of these tasty variations!

Ingredients (Serves 4)

8 eggs

8 tbsp mayonnaise

1 salad onion, finely chopped

1 tsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard

¼ tsp paprika

salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot

water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from *hot water, cool, peel, and chop.

2. Place chopped eggs in a bowl; stir in the mayonnaise, onion, and mustard. Season with paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir and serve on your favourite bread, with toast or crackers.

Variations…

Add any of the following for added flavour and texture:-

Grated cheese

Finely diced celery

Finely chopped gherkins

Capers

Chopped fresh herbs

Flaked tinned tuna.

*When cooking hard boiled eggs, keep the water. Once cooled, use this calcium-rich solution to plants, they will love it.

ByBelindaPrince

Belinda, the ‘Accidental Chatelaine’ loves to cook at any opportunity and is delighted to be able to share that love with you

www.chateaumareuil.com

EggsMimosa

This tasty starter or buffet dish is the French equivalent of devilled eggs, only much prettier! The dish takes its name from the mimosa tree which flowers abundantly across the South of France in late winter and early spring - the topping of the egg yolk fragments resembles the fluffy mimosa flowers.

The recipe below will serve two to three people as a starter, or up to six people as part of a buffet.

Ingredients (Serves, see above)

4 eggs

3 tsp mayonnaise

1tsp Dijon mustard

1-2 tbsp finely chopped fresh herbs

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Lettuce leaves of your choice

Method

1. Place the eggs in a pan and fill with plenty of cold water and bring to the boil. Cook the eggs for 10 minutes from the moment the water boils and remove from heat. Place the eggs in cold water for 5-10 minutes to make it easier to peel them.

2. Peel the eggs and cut them in half lengthwise. Gently remove the hardened yolks, setting one aside (two halves) for the mimosa topping. Transfer the other yolks to a small bowl. Set six white halves on a plate –don't waste the other two, maybe pop them in a sandwich filling (see Egg Salad for Sandwiches recipe).

3. Begin by making the mimosa topping. Press the reserved yolk through a sieve over a plate, using the back of a spoon. This takes some patience! Take your time and be sure to scrape all the delicate bits of yolk off the back of the sieve.

4. For the the filling. Add the mayonnaise and mustard to the yolks in the bowl and mash with a fork until very smooth. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings as necessary. When you are satisfied with the flavour, add the chopped herbs. Stir well.

5. You are now ready to assemble the eggs “Mimosa”. Fill the whites with the yolk mixture, piling it up prettily. Sprinkle the eggs with the ‘mimosa’ bits. Prepare a little nest of salad leaves in the centre of a serving plate. Set the mimosa eggs on top. Or sprinkle the eggs with micro-greens.

Egg&VeggieMuffins

Great for breakfast, lunch or anytime!

Ingredients (Serves 4, makes 8 muffins)

1 tbsp oil

150g broccoli, finely chopped

1 red pepper, finely chopped

2 spring onions (or 1 large salad onion), finely sliced

2 large eggs

1 tbsp milk

Large pinch of smoked paprika

50g hard cheese of your choice, e.g. Emmental. Gruyère, Comté

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas

4. Brush half the oil in an 8-hole muffin tin. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and add the broccoli, pepper and spring onions. Fry for 5 mins then set aside to cool.

2. Whisk the eggs with the milk, smoked paprika and half the cheese in a bowl, then add the cooked veg. Pour the egg mixture into the muffin holes and top each with the remaining cheese and a few chives or some chopped parsley, if liked. Bake for 15-17 mins or until golden brown and cooked through.

Egg&BaconPie

Delicious served warm or cold. Enjoy with new potatoes and salad, or just on its own!

Ingredients (Serves 6)

2 x 230g packs ready rolled puff pastry circles (pâte feuilletée)

300g smoked bacon lardons

8 eggs (reserve 1 yolk for glazing pastry)

4 tsp milk or cream

1 small onion, finely chopped

Small bunch of parsley, finely chopped

Freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Remove the pastry from the fridge about 20 minutes before you plan to start cooking to make it less brittle to work with.

2. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan

3. Lightly fry the lardons without using any extra fat until the fat is rendered and they’re beginning to turn brown, remove from the pan and pat dry on kitchen paper. Set aside to cool.

4. Lightly fry the chopped onion in the bacon fat.

5. Whisk the eggs, reserving 1 yolk for glazing the pastry lid. Whisk in the milk or cream.

6. Carefully line a 25 cm (approx.) flan or pie dish with one sheet of the pastry making sure it comes just over the sides. Prick the base all over with a fork, then sprinkle over the chopped fried onion.

7. Mix the parsley and bacon into the egg mixture, then carefully pour into the pie dish.

8. Cover with the other sheet of pastry, crimp firmly together and trim off any excess pastry. You could use this to decorate the top! Snip the pastry top with scissors a couple of times to create air holes. Brush carefully with the spare egg yolk, lightly beaten.

9. Place in the oven on a baking sheet and cook for 25 minutes. Check to see if the pie is browning too quickly, if so, cover with some foil and continue to cook for a further 5 – 10 minutes until cooked through.

WelshAngleseyEggs

This classic Welsh recipe has a French cousin, oeufs à la bretonne !

Ingredients (Serves 6-8, easily be halved)

8 hard-boiled eggs (shelled and quartered)

1 large leek, or 2 small leeks (trimmed, finely sliced, and rinsed thoroughly)

50g butter (cut into 2 x 25g pieces)

1kg mashing potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks

2tbsp milk

salt and pepper to taste

150g hard cheese of your choice, eg Comté (Caerphilly is authentic), grated

Sauce

25g butter

50g plain flour

600 ml milk

Salt and black pepper to taste

Optional – 50g breadcrumbs for topping

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6. Grease a baking dish or tin with a little butter. Fry the leeks in 25g of butter over a medium heat until they are soft, about 5 minutes.

2. Whilst the leeks are cooking, boil the potatoes in salted boiling water for about 10 minutes, or until they are soft but still hold their shape; drain them and add the remaining 25g of butter and milk. Mash them with a masher or with a handheld whisk until smooth, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Add the cooked leeks to the mashed potatoes and mix well. Spoon the mashed potato mixture into the prepared baking dish or tin and arrange the quartered hard-boiled eggs on top of the mashed potatoes.

4. Using the same pan that the leeks were cooked in, add the milk, flour, and butter, and beat together over a medium heat with a wire whisk continuously until the sauce thickens and is smooth. Allow to simmer for a further 2 minutes. Add half of the cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook for a further minute, stirring well. Pour the sauce over the mashed potatoes and eggs.

5. Mix the remaining cheese with the breadcrumbs, sprinkle over the mashed potatoes, eggs, and cheese sauce. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese has melted and the dish is bubbling and golden brown.

Château Mareuil

LittleCustardTarts

These delicious tarts are so tasty! You can use ready-made sweet pastry instead of making your own. This recipe only uses the egg yolks, so why not whip up a batch of meringues with the left-over egg whites?

Ingredients (Makes 12)

For the pastry

180g plain flour

120g butter

25g icing sugar, sieved

1 egg yolk

For the filling

400ml full-fat milk

4 egg yolks

50g caster sugar

grated nutmeg

Method

1. First, make the pastry. Put the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter with

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your fingertips, then stir in the icing sugar. Add the egg yolk and 2 tsp water and mix to a stiff dough. Roll out onto a lightly floured surface. Using a 9cm or 11cm cutter, depending on the depth of the tin, cut out 12 rounds. Line the tin with the pastry circles, then put in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes. Alternatively, you could use readymade sweet pastry (Pate sucrée)

2. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas

6. Begin by warming the milk in a small pan. Beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale and creamy. Pour the warm milk onto the egg mixture, stirring well. Decant to a jug, then carefully pour the custard into the pastry cases, filling to the top. Sprinkle each tart with a little grated nutmeg.

3. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4 and bake for a further 10 -15 minutes until the custard is lightly set. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes before removing.

CHÂTEAU GALLERY & BROCANTE

CHÂTEAU GALLERY & BROCANTE

Open for private viewings Call 05 49 48 02 93

Open for private viewings Call 05 49 48 02 93

Château Mareuil, Mareuil, 86290 Brigueil-le-Chantre

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Why You Should Complete a Tax Return Every Year

11 Good Reasons to Do It

All persons living in France must complete an income tax return. All income is to be declared even if you have paid tax on it in the UK OR abroad. If you live in France for six months or more of the year, this is obligatory. If your main assets are here or you have your principal residency here, you are seen as a French tax resident. You are therefore liable to complete an annual self-assessment return in France every May. You are required to declare all your income, whether earned in France or abroad or taxable in France or abroad.

There are many reasons why you need to fill in your tax return each year…

1. TAX IN FRANCE IS LESS – Generally compared with the amount of income tax paid in the UK, you win here. Also, the French tax authorities evaluate the income for a short period (often your first year can be assessed as a whole year, even if it’s only actually part of a year), so you are in a win/win situation.

2. TAX RESIDENCY – it is important to define residency as rapidly as possible, so that the French tax authorities know who you are and what your family situation is.

3. VISAS – One of the ways to prove residency, income, and the number of years of residency is through the completion of your personal tax

assessment and the production of the avis d’impôt sur le revenu.

4. TAX REBATES - if you are taxed here you can reclaim tax paid in the UK on the period 2021/2022 and 2022/2023.

5. TAX EXEMPTION - You can apply for tax exemption on income not to be taxed in the UK. This can be interesting where for example you have UK rental income, it means that the whole of your tax allowance can be moved on to this income and reduce your UK tax bill

6. TAXE D’HABITATION – you are exempt from taxe d’habitation if your address is registered as your principal residency. The completion of the income assessment defines your home address.

7. GRANTS FOR HOME IMPROVEMENTS

– if you wish to benefit from any grants, you need to give ANAH (the agency that deals with the attribution of grants), your fiscal number and your fiscal income calculated from your self-assessment.

8. TAX CREDITS ON HOME IMPROVEMENTS – If you have made improvements to your home to make it more energy efficient and your income is too great to benefit from a grant then you can in certain cases reclaim tax credits on the material

cost and labour of these installations. This is particularly relevant for those persons who have just moved over as this is when you are likely to do the majority of your renovations. The tax credit varies on the type of installation, it is deducted from tax due or rebated.

There are also other advantages to completing a déclaration de revenus:

9. EVALUATION OF SOCIAL/FINANCIAL AID –school/university grants, prime d’activité, home assistance for elderly people etc. Your rights are calculated from your fiscal income. This is collated via your avis d’impôts.

10. ACCESS TO LOANS/CREDIT – unlike in the UK, all access to credit is based on your fiscal income; if you don’t complete a return and have an avis d’impôts, which is the calculation of fiscal income and tax due, you can’t borrow.

11. CAPITAL GAINS ON YOUR FRENCH HOME – if your home is here, then you should not pay capital gains on that property. The notaire will ask for a copy of your last avis d’impôts to define that the property is your home.

I hope that this has helped you understand the importance of your tax return.

Yes! It’s that time of the year again when we start receiving the dreaded income tax form to fill in (from mid-April to mid-May)! Despite monthly payments taken at source (prélèvement à la source), you still have to fill in a form!!

As the forms were not available at the time of writing this article, I have decided to give you a prelude on French income tax. I will be explaining who must fill in a tax form, what revenue you have to declare, how the double taxation treaty works between France and the UK and lots of other information.

Next month, when the new forms are available, I will explain how to fill them in, in detail.

Who has to fill in the tax form:

Basically, everybody who is a French resident (lives in France for more than 6 months per year) whether they are employed, self-employed or retired and even if they are obliged to pay taxes in the UK!

Also, non-French residents who have rented property in France.

If it is your first time, you have to go to the Trésor public office (tax office) and ask for the forms, which are available from the first week of May. Or you can download them from the tax office website.

The reason we still fill in a form is because of tax advantages such as children, employing a cleaner, etc. If you have children or a spouse earning much less than you it will lower your taxable income as you are taxed as a family, not an individual. Adults count as 1 point, the first 2 children as ½ point each and the

French Income Tax

PART ONE

third child and so on as 1 point. You then divide the total revenue of the family by the number of points you have, to know what your taxable income is. Unmarried couples (and not PACSed) must fill in a tax form each.

When:

You fill in a tax form one year after, meaning you declare your revenue of 2022 (Jan to Dec) in May-June 2023. So, if you officially moved to France at any point during 2022, then you fill in your first French tax form in May-June 2023 on which you declare your revenue for 2022 (pro rata since your arrival date in 2022). Since 01/01/2019, we are now taxed at source (monthly amount taken from our current account or percentage of salary) and the amount is determined by the tax paid in 2022 for the year 2021. The form we fill in this year will determine if we have paid the right tax in 2022 and the new amount which will be taken monthly from 01/01/2024. If you paid too much, they will reimburse you or reduce your monthly payments, if not enough they will increase the monthly payments till the end of the year.

If you moved to France in 2022, you will pay two years of tax: 2022 & 2023! You will pay a bill for 2022 at the end of August in one go and have another bill for 2023 which will be taken monthly from September to December (amount of 2022 tax bill divided by 4). Then from 2024, the monthly amount will be your 2022 tax divided by 12. You can fill in a form now to start paying those amounts monthly from now instead of September (form 2043) which you can download from the tax office website. Only do it if you think you

will pay tax. For your information, the tax threshold for 2022 for a couple was around 25 000 euro.

Deadline to send or deposit your paper tax form is the 18th of May 2023. The online declaration deadline is the 23rd of May 2023 for Departments 1 to 19 (Charente is 16), 30th of May 2023 for Departments 20 to 49 and 7th of June 2023 for Departments 50 and above (Deux Sevre is 79 and Vienne 86).

What forms:

Hopefully if they have not changed them again this year, these are the forms you might need:

2047: This is the pink form on which you enter your revenue from abroad and you then transfer all those revenues on the blue form called 2042.

2042: The blue form that everyone has to fill in.

2042C Pro: The one to fill in if you are self-employed or if you rent a gîte or chambre d’hôte.

2042C: This is the form on which you need to say you have an S1 form to avoid paying social charges on interest and to enter the amount of income taxed in the UK (Civil servant pension, Government pensions, rental income from UK- Box 8TK).

2042RICI: To declare tax credit like using a cleaner or gardener or doing ecological work on your main residence.

2044: If your rental income is more than 15 000 euros per year, this is the form to fill in.

3916: To declare your bank account abroad. Failure to do so could carry a fine of 1500 euro per bank account not declared, much more (10K per account) if the account is in Gibraltar, Isle of man,

Panama, basically countries not agreeing to financial transparency. All they want is the name and address of the bank and the account number.

The exchange rate for 2022 is 1.17 (that is the average of last year). Your local tax office can give you an exchange rate, but you don’t have to use it. Use it if it is lower than 1.17!

If your pension has been directly transferred in euros to your French bank account, just add up all the figures.

What income:

Pensions (even if they are taxed in the UK like army, police, civil servant), salary, interest on savings (even ISA, which are not tax free in France), rental income, dividends, bonds, etc. Basically, anything that has been earning money or making money for you.

Double taxation:

There is a treaty between France and the UK meaning that you cannot be taxed twice.

To avoid being taxed twice, you must fill in this form: United Kingdom/France

Double Taxation Convention (SI 2009 Number 226), which you can download from the internet.

However, you can only fill in this form once you have been taxed in France as you must put your French tax reference on the form. Indeed, once the form is filled in, you take it to the French tax office, they

stamp it and either they send it to Paris, who send it to the UK, or give it back to you to send yourself to HMRC (depends on the office). Then 6 months later, you get reimbursed the tax you paid in the UK since you arrived in France and stop being taxed at source in the UK.

Note that ex civil servants, police and military are taxed in the UK for their pension related to that government job. But when they fill in the French tax form, they fill in that pension revenue on a special section which gives them a tax credit equivalent to what the tax would have been on it in France.

Note that the monthly amount is determined by your income without the tax deduction so some of you probably should not have paid

set up a monthly direct debit for your taxe d’habitation and taxe foncière. You can also adjust your income tax monthly payment from your personal account. Note that the monthly amount is determined by your income without the tax deduction so some of you probably should not have paid. Note that you can go online and change it if you think you should not be paying as much or nothing at all. This is often the case for people who have rental from UK or Civil servant pensions.

Avis d’imposition:

This is a very important document not to be lost as it proves you are a French resident and it also proves your revenue. If you want to get some social help in France (CMU, CAF, RSA, etc), you must show them this document. Some ISA savings accounts (LEP) are only available if you can show this document to your bank as it is only available for people with low income. It is the bill of your income tax and you receive it in August.

www.impots.gouv.fr

This is the official website of the French tax authorities. You can download tax forms, fill in your tax form online and also

Note that since 2019, everybody must fill in their income tax form online. You cannot do this if it is the first time you fill in a form.

Help:

Free help for filling the tax form for all my customers will be on the 11th of May all day in Ruffec (not lunch hours!!) and on the 9th of May all day again in Chasseneuil sur Bonnieure.

Conclusion:

It is an obligation! So, if you live in France, you must fill in a French tax form. Next month, when the new forms are available, I will explain how to fill them in and give you dates and places where I will be available for free help so do not panic yet!

HELEN BOOTH

INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVISER deVere France

The underperforming markets over the last few years could leave you stressing over finances, especially if retirement is on the cards soon. These markets can be problematic for retirement, especially in the long term, if you plan to use your assets to draw an income.

Poorly performing markets mean that your total portfolio value is worth less, and when you start drawing an income, its value decreases even more. This could leave you with a shortage of funds later in retirement.

If you still have a few years left till retirement or plan to work more years instead of retiring, then time is on your side, as markets tend to recover. For every downturn, there is usually an upturn.

It is vital that you manage this risk and allocate your income drawdown in such a way that reduces risk to your portfolio.

IS IT A RISK TO RETIRE?

Now is the time to chat with your advisor to manage the risk of your portfolio and avoid income shortages down the line.

▪ Diversification is vital – Ensure that your portfolio is invested in diversified funds to mitigate risk. These are funds that consist of different economic regions (e.g. America, Europe, and Asia), different asset classes (equities, bonds, and cash), and different sectors (e.g. financial, energy, technology, infrastructure) etc.

▪ It is a frequent practice to lower one’s risk profile the closer you get to retirement age. This is to protect your accumulated wealth and prevent it from losing value.

▪ A significant risk is rising inflation and cost of living – This can eat away at your retirement savings. Ensure your money is earning inflationbeating returns to help cover this loss.

▪ A rainy-day fund is essential to cover unforeseen costs. Otherwise, any extra medical expenses, major repairs, or

income supplements needed will eat away at your retirement capital. It is always good to have separate savings to cover such things or to use if you run short of money instead of your retirement capital.

Your advisor will help lower your retirement risk according to your individual financial circumstances and needs.

Please note, the above is for educational purposes only and does not constitute advice. You should always contact your advisor for a personal consultation.

* No liability can be accepted for any actions taken or refrained from being taken as a result of reading the above.

Helen Booth works as a financial adviser for deVere France S.a.r.l and has lived as well as owned property in the Deux-Sèvres region. Having worked in the financial services in the UK for over 15 years, Helen prides herself in being fully diploma-qualified for the services that she provides. Helen has lived and worked in France for over 8 years and enjoys being part of deVere France S.a.r.l., a division of one of the world’s leading independent financial consultancies, deVere Group.

With over $10 billion of funds under its advice and administration and with more than 80,000 clients around the world, deVere Group truly offers a myriad of unique products and notes that are not available anywhere else in the market. This, as Helen puts it, gives clients the pick of the crop when it comes to investing.

deVere France S.a.r.l. are regulated by ANACOFI-CIF and ORIAS which will only recommend French regulated products.

deVere France can advise you on ways to help safeguard and increase your wealth, as well as helping with HMRC-recognised pension transfers to a Qualified Recognised Overseas Pensions scheme (QROPS) to give you potentially more flexibility in your pension plans.

If you would like to know more about how deVere France can help you, contact

Helen Booth DipPFS , EFA : +33 (0) 77 171 2879 : helen.booth@devere-france.fr

Dénomination sociale: deVere France S.a.r.l, RCS B 528949837, 29 Rue Taitbout, 75009, Paris, France. Gérant: Mr. Jason Trowles. Registre avec ANACOFI-CIF (Association Nationale des Conseils Financiers). Nombre enregistré: E008176, association agréée par l’Autorité des Marchés Financiers. Courtier d’assurances ou de réassurance, Catégorie B, inscrit à l’Organisme pour le Registre des Intermédiaires en Assurance (ORIAS) numéro enregistré 12064640. Garantie Financière et Assurance de Responsabilité Civile Professionnelle conformes aux articles L 541-3 du Code Monétaire et Financier et L 512-6 et 512-7 du Code des Assurances. Registered name: deVere France S.a.r.l, registered company number RCS B 528949837, 29 Rue Taitbout, 75009, Paris, France. Gérant: Mr. Jason Trowles. Registered with ANACOFI-CIF (National Association of Financial Advisers). Registered number: E008176, association approved by the Financial Markets Authority. Insurance and re-insurance brokers, Category B, registered with the Organisation for the Registration of Assurance Intermediaries (ORIAS). Registered number 12064640. Financial and Professional Liability Insurance Guarantee conforms to article L 541-3 of the Monetary and Fiscal Code and L 512-6 and 512-7 of the Assurance Code. 6XKWSX •V1.1/230418

What is a Virtual Assistant?

You might have heard the term 'Virtual Assistant' but do you know what they are and how they can help your business?

We all know that running a business can be tough and sometimes it feels as though there aren't enough hours in the day. As a business owner, you're not only delivering your service or product (the bit you're good at!), but you're also taking care of the day-to-day administration, emails, finances, marketing, social media – all of which can be massively time-consuming, can have a huge impact on your work/life balance, stress levels and, in many cases, is simply not making the best use of your skills. Time is such a precious resource, and getting bogged down in everyday admin can prevent you from focussing on opportunities to develop and grow your business. If any of this sounds familiar, then maybe you need a VA!

Essentially, a Virtual Assistant (or VA) is somebody who works remotely for your business as a subcontractor, either fulltime or part-time, or even on an ad-hoc basis. VAs can provide a range of support services including:

▪ Administration

▪ Email management

▪ Diary management

▪ Customer services

▪ Data input

▪ Social media management

▪ Marketing support

▪ Research

Many specialise in certain areas (eg. marketing, website management, systems administration, bookkeeping). Typically you can work with a VA in one of three ways:

1. Pay as you go. As simple as it sounds - you pay the hourly rate for the agreed amount of time on an ongoing, ad-hoc, or one-off basis;

2. Fixed-rate. You agree a fixed amount for a specific job or task (eg. a project);

3. Retainer. More commonly used in ongoing, long-term working relationships with a fixed payment per month for an agreed set of services/amount of time.

One of the biggest advantages is getting much-needed support for your business without the costs and constraints of employing somebody (which as we know is not possible under certain business regimes for those of us in France!). You can literally pay for the hours you need with no overheads or employment/recruitment costs. Your VA can be based anywhere in the world, so you’re not restricted to the local market and thanks to modern technology, working together effectively isn’t an issue. VAs are already professionals in their field and what's more, they know about running a business – they’re already doing it themselves. This means you get a professional, dedicated, flexible VA who can not only become a valued team member but also a useful sounding board whilst you free up time to do the bits of the business that you do best.

Magnesium

We hear about it all the time - we need more magnesium, eat this food, it is a good source of magnesium, we need to supplement magnesium - but what is it? What does it do for us? How do I know which supplement I need?

Studies show that over 75% of people do not get enough magnesium in their diet, not even meeting the RDA (recommended daily allowance) which is the minimum we should look at including every day to avoid diseases of deficiency.

Abundant in green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds and lentils, magnesium helps our heart to beat, our muscles to contract, and our nervous system to signal properly. If we don’t get enough we develop a range of unpleasant symptoms and eventually illness.

Magnesium is one of the most important minerals in the body, the fourth most prevalent. Every single organ in the body uses magnesium and if you have been suffering from any of the following symptoms then you may be deficient in magnesium:

Loss of appetite

Fatigue or tiredness

Lack of energy

Muscle cramping

Difficulty swallowing

Anxiety

Shaking

Weakness or loss of strength

Irritability

Depression / low mood

Poor memory

Brain fog

There are many different kinds of magnesium on the market in supplements, but not all are made the same. Each has different qualities, and some are more bioavailable than others

(how easily the body absorbs the nutrient). Some help the heart and some help with anxiety…. So what kind of magnesium is right for me?

Magnesium citrate

Magnesium citrate is best for the gut as it behaves a little like a gentle laxative, relieving constipation. It helps to control gut bacteria and even contributes to healthy bone formation.

Magnesium glycinate

Magnesium glycinate is a combination of both magnesium and the amino acid glycine. This form of magnesium is best to aid sleep and relaxation. It helps the release of GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid, a neurotransmitter) which promotes feelings of well-being and happiness.

It doesn’t have a laxative effect like the other forms of magnesium so it’s a great choice of supplement if that effect isn’t needed.

Magnesium stearate

Magnesium stearate is used as an additive in food, cosmetics, and medications and is best avoided. It has been known to cause allergies.

Magnesium malate

Magnesium malate is a combination of malic acid, which we get from apples, and magnesium. It is a good all-rounder, being used in over 500 physiological processes from muscles to nerves.

Magnesium oxide

Magnesium oxide is less effective at raising blood magnesium levels than other forms due to its lower bioavailability.

It is often used in nutritional supplements so caution is advised and more absorbable forms are recommended. It has a laxative effect. If it is combined with magnesium glycerophosphate, however, it becomes very bioavailable.

Magnesium carbonate

Magnesium carbonate is essentially chalk.

Amanda is a registered Naturopathic Nutritionist and Nutrigenomics Practitioner. Gut, Digestion and Microbiome Specialist www.amandakingnd.com

It has no real place in food except to neutralise the pH of the stomach, as in for example an acid attack/heartburn.

Magnesium taurate

Magnesium taurate is best for heart health. It prevents arrhythmia (irregular heart rate) and protects from heart attacks. Supports detoxification.

Magnesium sulphate

Magnesium sulphate is otherwise known as Epsom salts. They have a strong laxative effect if taken internally. They are best known as a powerful relaxant for bathing and have been said to allow absorption of magnesium through the skin, although more research needs to be done in this area.

Tri-Mag

This form has three different forms of magnesium that promote calmness, boost energy, and soften stools.

Magnesium SRT

Magnesium SRT is a new form of magnesium which doesn’t act as a laxative. This is available in a spray so is especially useful for supplementing children.

Note: Taking supplemental Vitamin D can interfere with magnesium absorption so check your Vitamin D levels before you begin supplementation.

You should always consult with your nutritionist or health professional before you begin any supplement regime.

FOODS RICH IN

MAGNESIUM

Dark chocolate - AvocadosNuts - Legumes - TofuSeeds - Whole grainsFatty fish (e.g. salmon, mackerel, halibut)Bananas - Leafy greens

MAGNESIUM IS ONE OF SEVEN ESSENTIAL MINERALS THAT THE BODY NEEDS IN SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS TO FUNCTION AND MAINTAIN GOOD HEALTH

Every single organ in the body uses magnesium

Edible Wild Plants Eat Your Weeds!

THIS ARTICLE WAS REQUESTED BY GAYLE AFTER BEING TOLD ABOUT PURSLANE, THAT LOW SPREADING SUCCULENT PLANT THAT APPEARS DURING THE SUMMER AND THRIVES IN HOT, FREE-DRAINING POSITIONS, AND IS VERY DIFFICULT TO REMOVE.

There are many, many, wild plants that are edible, but some are less tasty and others quite unpleasant, so I am going to focus on some common wild plants (that are often considered as weeds) that are tasty and nutritious.

Of course, when foraging it is really important that you correctly identify the plants so as not to confuse them with inedible or poisonous plants, so make sure that you are very familiar with their characteristics before picking them. Likewise some plants are protected and should not be picked from the wild, so always look things up thoroughly.

Here are some easy-to-find, tasty, and non-endangered forage plants:

PURSLANE

You may consider it a weed but it is actually edible and some people even cultivate it! The scientific name is Portulaca oleracea (the common name of

purslane refers to several different wild plants so check it out using the scientific name to avoid confusion). It is used in salads, sandwiches, and stir fries for its light refreshing flavour and beneficial properties as it is rich in vitamin A and C and high in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids.

SORREL

Sorrel has to be my number one forage plant. I do actually cultivate it too, but in early spring it is abundant along the roadsides and in fields and woodland edges. It has a superb citrusy flavour and makes excellent soups, sauces, salad, and tempura. It is very satisfying to use up the last of our home-grown onions and potatoes to make the soup with entirely free ingredients. Rich in vitamin B9, vitamin C, iron, magnesium,

Make sure that you are very familiar with their characteristics before picking them

Caroline has been a lecturer in horticulture for 20 years and now runs a nursery and ‘garden craft’ courses in the Haute-Vienne at Le jardin créatif

and potassium, it is nutritious as well as tasty. There are 3 or 4 edible species, but the one that you are likely to find growing wild is Rumex acetosa. Pick the youngest leaves for the best flavour and texture. When foraging for sorrel it is really important not to mistake it for arum which grows in the same environments and has similar shaped leaves. Both have sagittate (arrow) shaped leaves, shiny deep green with no hairs, but the sorrel has long, narrow leaves and the arum has a much

Caroline Wright Le jardin créatif

Purslane with beetroot

Sorrel tart

Nettle soup

Purslane

Sorrel

Nettles

broader leaf, sometimes with dark spots or blotches on them, and all parts of this plant are poisonous.

NETTLES

Nettles are my second favourite. Pick just the tips in early to mid-spring. Again, they are super nutritious, packed with vitamins and antioxidants, not quite as tasty as sorrel, but generally abundant and easy to find and identify. You don’t need to worry about the sting; once it is cooked the sting is denatured. You might want to wear gloves to pick and prepare them (nettle stings don’t bother me so I pick them with my bare hands). I make nettle soup using the same basic recipe as the sorrel soup (link below) but they also make good tempura. They are not really suitable for eating raw though as they will sting!

WILD ONIONS

There are several species that grow locally, some are really more like large chives, others like small leeks or spring onions. The very narrow leaves are almost grass like when young - I pick these and use them as chives, and later when the base develops they can be used like a spring onion or baby leeks. Easy to identify by the onion smell, the flower heads often contain young bulbs (bulbils) which can be gathered for planting too.

WILD GARLIC

Wild garlic can also be found in abundance in the woodlands in spring. This has a broader leaf than the wild onions and a distinctive garlicy smell. The leaves are harvested and used in any recipe that requires garlic (I hate garlic so this is not one of my favourite forage plants!). They have a strong garlic/onion flavour and you can add them to soups, quiche, salads, you can make pesto, garlic oil and garlic butter out of them, and the flowers can be used to dress salads. The

botanical name is Allium ursinum, the common French name is ‘l'ail des ours’.

DANDELIONS

One of many gardeners' most troublesome weeds, dandelions, are often cultivated in France - you can even buy them in the supermarket veg section! They have many uses - the fresh young leaves can be used in salads, pesto, stir fried, the petals can be used to decorate salads, and the whole flowers can be used to make fritters. You can use them in baking (breads and cakes). The roots can be made into tisanes as an alternative to coffee. They are rich in calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, and antioxidants, such as vitamin A, vitamin K, and vitamin C. The French common name for dandelion is ‘pissenlit’, referring to the diuretic properties!

All foraged plants should be washed thoroughly before cooking or eating raw. They are a great way to add seasonal flavour and vitamins to your diet. Most can easily be cultivated in your potager or forest garden, but although all of these plants can be picked from the wild as they are not protected you should never dig up wild plants. If you wish to grow some at home then source the seeds or plants from reliable suppliers.

For my soup recipe and further information check out my blog post on our website: www.lejardincreatif.net/ 2020/04/17/ sorrel-soup-and-other -easy-foraging-plants

Wild garlic pesto bread

Dandelion fritters

Wild garlic

Pool

I grind tree & hedge stumps away leaving no trace Less mess than a digger, quicker than burning and will not break the bank

~ Hedgecutting and paddock mowing

~ Flail mowing for rough/long grass areas

~ All excavations and groundworks undertaken

~ Woodchipper and operator for hire

~ All fencing carried out

~ Patio's, driveways and excavations

Springtime in the garden

It's an exciting month, with any seeds you planted indoors well into growth, and it's also time to start sowing outdoors. Just watch out for frosts. And remember the snow we had that one day in April last year?! In France we’re told not to plant delicate plants outside until after the ‘Saints de glace’, but that’s not until May 11th-13th, and I for one am not sufficiently patient to wait until then. So be prepared with some form of protection for tender plants and seedlings.

WHEN TO SOW SEEDS

Hardy plants (annuals, biennials and perennials)

Mainly spring and early autumn, plus summer for biennials such as foxgloves and honesty.

Half-hardy annuals

Late spring, after the last frost, choosing smaller, fast-growing cultivars of, for example, cosmos, nasturtiums and French marigolds.

Vegetable seeds

Mainly spring and/or summer, plus early autumn for certain hardy or fastmaturing crops.

Bear in mind too that in milder regions sowing can begin earlier, while in colder regions it may need to be later. Also, lighter soils warm up more quickly in spring, ready for sowing, while sowing may need to be delayed in heavy, damp soils, which stay colder for longer.

HOW TO PREPARE YOUR SOIL

1. Choose a sowing site that’s suitable for the plants you want to grow.

2. Weed the area, either by hand or with a hoe, and loosen the soil, firm it gently, then rake level, removing any lumps of soil and large stones.

Sowing in a drill makes it easy to tell which are your seedlings and which are the weeds, so you know what to remove and what to keep.

HOW TO SOW IN DRILLS

1. Make a shallow drill using a stick or trowel. Straight drills are ideal for sowing vegetables, but with flowers you may want a less regimented result, with curving or wavy drills, or drills in random directions within your sowing area.

2. Water along the drill to dampen the base.

3. Pour a small amount of seeds into the palm of your hand. If the seeds are large enough to pick up individually, simply place them along the base of your drill at the given spacing. If they are small, take a pinch of seeds between your thumb and finger and drop them as thinly as you can along the drill.

4. Fill the drill with the soil you removed, then firm down gently.

5. Label the drill, water along the row using a watering can with a fine rose.

6. If sowing more than one row, check the seed packet for the recommended spacing between rows.

7. The smaller the seeds, the shallower you should sow them. Some of the smallest can simply be scattered on the soil surface. If you sow small seeds too deeply, they won’t germinate, so always check seed packets for sowing depths.

HOW TO SOW WITHOUT DRILLS

If you want your plants to look more natural, perhaps for a wildflower patch, you may not want to sow in drills. Scattering, or broadcasting, seeds is very straightforward:

1. Mark out your sowing area with a line of sand or insert short sticks at the corners

2. Prepare the soil by weeding and levelling, as above.

3. Scatter the seeds thinly and evenly over the area. To get an even

By Ronnie Ogier

Ronnie is a passionate gardener and now loves sharing her years of experience of success and failures in her own garden and sharing it with you. Also a keen runner, having been bitten by the ‘Couch to 5K’ bug!

coverage when sowing very fine seeds, you can mix them with some sand. This lets you scatter them more thinly and you can see where you’ve sown.

4. Firm the seeds into the soil with the back of your rake or trowel.

5. Small seeds generally don’t need covering, while larger seeds can be covered with a light scattering of soil or compost.

6. Water using a watering can fitted with a rose.

7. Add a label, so you remember what you’ve sown and where.

With this method, weeding has to be done by hand, so it’s useful if you can recognise which seedlings are weeds. You can also sow seeds into containers, either as their final growing position, or temporarily until large enough to plant into the ground.

It's worth noting that whilst most seeds can be sown direct from the packet, a few with tough seed coats may need presoaking, scraping or nicking (with sandpaper or a knife) to aid germination. A few others need a period of cold or heat before they will germinate.

HOW TO LOOK AFTER SEEDLINGS

1. For best results, seedlings need regular attention until they are sturdy and well rooted. Seedlings are very vulnerable in the first few months. Seedlings will usually appear within a couple of weeks – check the seed packet for exact timings.

2. Keep slugs and snails at bay - Slugs and snails like to eat soft, juicy seedlings, so keep populations at bay and/or put protection in place.

3. Keep the compost slightly moist at all times – seedlings will soon die if they get too dry as they don’t have deep roots.

4. Weed every few weeks.

SPRING IS FINALLY IN EVIDENCE AS DAFFODILS AND FLOWERING TREES START TO BLOOM. LET’S HOPE FOR APRIL SHOWERS, BUT WITH SOME SUNNY DAYS

5. Protect from frost - hardy seedlings from autumn sowings should cope with light frosts, but keep horticultural fleece or cloches handy and cover them if a hard frost is forecast.

6. Thin out after about a month - first remove the weakest, smallest seedlings. Then, if you still haven’t reached the correct final spacing, remove a few more where necessary, leaving strong, healthy, wellspaced seedlings.

7. With flowering plants, it’s usually beneficial to pinch out the tips of long shoots to encourage branching. This will result in bushier plants that will carry more flowers.

I hope this article has helped more people to understand that sowing seeds outdoors is an easy, inexpensive, and fun way to grow new plants. It’s ideal for a wide range of hardy flowers and vegetables.

Happy sowing!

Two ladies

STRIKES AND DELAYS UK PASSPORT APPLICATIONS

It is expected that more than1000unionmembers will walk out at all seven passport offices (England, ScotlandandWales)from 3 April to 5 May in a disputeoverjobs,payand conditions. The 5-week walkout may result in an estimated one million passport applications

beingcaughtupintheHM Passport Office staff strike. There are also reports that the Belfast Passport Office may join thestrikelater.Theunion has warned that the walkout will have a “significantimpact”onthe processingofpassportsas summer approaches.

VOLUNTEERS PARIS 2024

Applicationsarenow open for the 45,000 volunteersneededfor next year’s Olympic GamesheldinParis. Tobeabletoregister, you must meet three criteria:speakeither French or English fluently;beatleast18 years old on 1 January2024andbe available for at least 10 days while the Olympics are taking place (July 26 to August11,2024)and Paralympics (August 28 to September 8, 2024). Around60%of volunteers will be greetingandhelping thepublic,35%willbe helping at the sporting events and the final 5% will be dealing with

logistics. You will be expected to work a 6-day week (one day off), averaging around8hoursaday. Your meals and transport are covered, but not accommodation. It doesn’t give you access to watch the events, unless of course you are volunteeringforthat particular event. To apply, you must register here: www.paris2024.org/e n/volunteers and all applicants will be contacted in the autumntoconfirmif they have been successful or not. Applicationscloseon Wednesday 3 May thisyear.

AMAZON PRIME WARNER PASS

A new ‘Pass Warner’ allows Amazon Prime(France)memberstosubscribeand view content from Warner, which includes HBO and dozens of other channels.Therewillbeahugeamountof English-speaking content on here, although not all channels have been added (and the time of print). The Pass Warnerwillbe9,99€amonthtoexisting Amazon Prime members, there is a 30day free trial.

April Opportunities

produced by CEKA, DEP, and SAP were almost identical and were aimed at the salmon fishing market. All the reels manufactured with worm drive had a triangular or hunchback shape in order to accommodate the small gear attached to the handle shaft that sat over a longitudinally mounted worm gear that drove the rotor.

APRIL CAN OFTEN MARK THE START OF THE GOOD TIMES REGARDING FISHING IN OUR REGION

By the end of the month most species will be in season although it is a good idea to check the regulations in the department where you intend to fish. Of late there have been several prefectural changes to the dates when zander can be fished for. The zander close season in three lakes in the Charente - Lavaud, Mas Chaban and Sérail - has been put back so that it closes a couple of months later than in the rivers and other lakes, the closure extending beyond when you can fish for zander elsewhere. There are also new areas of Mas Chaban that have been classified as réserves de pêche and as such are now out of bounds to anglers.

April also offers a brief period after the early spawning of roach and perch and before the carp, barbel and chub begin their reproduction. As the weather warms up all species will move towards shallower water from the depths where they spent winter. Carp will particularly be active and some good catches can be made this month. Later this month I will be travelling down to Spain to renew my acquaintance with some mullet.

The Worm That Turned

How many anglers consider what goes on inside their reels? Not many I would say. The mechanics of fishing reels has become increasingly complicated with bait runner, free spool, and variable oscillation in fixed spool or spinning reels, and some fixed spool and multiplier reels feature twospeed gearboxes. Then there are the complicated and ingenious anti-backlash brakes on bait casters to consider.

When what is now known as the fixed spool or spinning reel was invented by Illingworth, he had to overcome a 90degree change in direction in the same way that prop shafts turned axles via a differential in rear wheel-drive vehicles. Like now, early reels were made with two shafts, one being powered by the handle and the other being turned by the interaction of cogs or gears. You can see by the shape of the bodies of the early reels that there was a large crown gear attached to the handle shaft and a smaller pinion gear attached to the rotor shaft. The crown gears were often made from cast alloys of varying hardness and the smaller pinion gear that turned the rotor was often brass. These gears sat on steel shafts that were

By Clive Kenyon

set into bushes moulded in the cast alloy reel cases that invariably wore loose. In order to give sufficient oscillation for a wider spool, Mitchel reels were given eggshaped bodies rather than the conventional round shape that hugged the crown gear.

Before that, the English Hardy company had patented a different mechanism for powering fixed spool reels via a worm drive. The patent, taken out in the 1930s, was fiercely guarded by Hardy, preventing English manufacturers from bringing out their own versions. The Midland-based JW Young company did negotiate an arrangement with Hardy to use a worm gear to produce their Ambidex and Ducross reels. These differed from most in that the worm gear was made from Tufnol, a type of plastic.

On the continent however, worm drive reels were being developed in Italy, France, and Germany. Worm drive reels had a massive advantage and an equally massive disadvantage over the crown and pinion gear system. Firstly, the amount of contact between the worm gear and the pinion gear was greatly increased, entailing smoother operation and less wear and tear on the gears. The downside was that the cost of machining a brass helical drive was phenomenally expensive compared to stamping out gears made from alloy. The Italian Alcedo company, founded in 1945, brought out several variants of worm drive reels before the manufacturing process bankrupted the company around 30 years later. The German form of DAM produced worm drive reels including the DAM Quick range and achieved huge success. In France, worm drive reels were first introduced by MEPPS, a company founded by a former Peugeot engineer. The MEPPS Vamp was the first fixed spool reel to be made in France and was subsequently sold worldwide. In Cluses, the home of the company that eventually sold 10 million Mitchell reels with crown and pinion gearing, several smaller companies produced reels manufactured with worm drive gears from the 1940s. The reels

The company that enjoyed the most success with worm drive reels entered the fray around the mid-1960s. ABU of Sweden had become world famous for their high-quality multiplier reels and diversified into the ‘spinning reel’ (as they called them) market with their Cardinal range. ABU introduced a groundbreaking anti-reverse with their new range of reels. Instead of a steel pawl acting on a cast alloy gear that historically had led to many failures, the Cardinal’s anti-reverse locked the much harder teeth of the rotor pinion. Conventional reels typically had a gearing somewhere around 3:1 to 6:1 where one turn of the handle resulted in multiple turns of the rotor. When the anti-reverse pawl locked onto the drive gear, that gearing was reversed causing the undue force of the steel pawl on the more fragile alloy gear. Once a Cardinal was locked, it remained locked and there was no chance of a powerful fish stripping the gears. In the British carp fishing world, the ABU Cardinal was the game changer and was quickly adopted by most of the names of the day. ABU had the upper hand for twenty years until a Japanese company, Shimano, introduced the baitrunner reels that took carp anglers into a new dimension. Shimano knew all about gears having been involved in making bicycle transmissions for decades before the American Lew Childre asked them to make fishing reels for his company. Shimano Baitrunners were aimed specifically at the carp fishing market that was dominating British tackle sales. It allowed fish to take line in a controlled manner by use of a secondary drag system that could be engaged or disengaged quickly. This has been found to be useful in other types of fishing including big game angling for sailfish. The American company Penn introduced their Liveliner range of bait runners with a hardened CNC cut gearing to tackle these aquatic monsters. Most modern reels now use hypoid drive to transfer the direction 90 degrees. Hypoid drive differs from the conventional crown and pinion in that the gears are cut in a spiral bevel and are not straight cut like the old reel’s gears were. This type of gear increases surface contact and is used in heavy haulage trucks. Next time that you turn the handle on your silky smooth six-bearing example of the reel maker’s art just remember the engineers and designers who created it.

The mechanics of fishing reels has become increasingly complicated

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how he resembles a predator

The flowers look shy and harmless, but every part of the Lily of the Valley is deadly

Two hares boxing - "Not tonight, Josephine!"

Apricot blossom greeting the spring sunshine

A cuckoo in flight. Notice

A male Orange Tip butterfly at rest

Nature in April

Well, we’ve endured March with its bizarre weather-changes and “willit-won’t-it” animal emergences. The little Gendarmes are hardy, and will stay, but many of the early-risers may not make it to spring. It was quite a good start for plants, though. Crocuses were blooming in sheltered spots before the end of February, and the daffodils in my little local wood were starting to show yellow spikes before March had started. Trees were early, too. Remember I told you about the hazel trees and their aerial pollen distribution? I saw a cloud of golden pollen blowing from my local hazel trees about two weeks before the end of February. It was a dry, sunny day, with a light but gusty wind blowing. Ideal for them!

Now we shall have the flowering trees geeing into action. Blossoms will appear on the trees by the end of the month. The Juneberry tree (Amelanchier) is usually the first to blossom, because, as its name suggests, it bears its fruit very early. By the same token, Apricots are fairly early to blossom.

The name “Apricot” derives from the same root, Latin praecox, as “Precocious”, and indicates an early maturity. It is the first stone-fruit to ripen.

Birds will be starting to nest and lay their first clutch of eggs. That is why all hedgetrimming and tree-lopping should be over by now. However, it’s not just trees that afford a good home. The whole of the front of my limestone-built house is a tenement of sparrows’ nests. Every gap in the stonework is home to a vociferous family, and later on, when the weather is more amenable, a quiet drink on the terrace will be drowned out by the youngsters’ demands for food.

Butterflies will be starting to appear. One or two may have been seduced out earlier if we have one of March’s confusing short warm spells, but now they are starting to appear in earnest. The Brimstone (Fr: Citron) Gonepteryx rhamni may well be one of the first. This butterfly can overwinter as an adult, hiding in ivy clumps, and awakens to begin a new

generation which will emerge in summer. Indeed, I saw one or two in late February. In a good year there may even be an autumn brood. The male is a startling sulphur-yellow, the female is considerably paler, but both display the characteristic “hook” on the front corner of the forewings (Gonepteryx = sharpangled wing).

The Large and Small Whites, and the Green-veined White, should also start to appear. Please don’t just dismiss these as “Cabbage Whites”. They go through the same stages of metamorphosis as the most spectacular butterflies and are every bit as wonderful. It is true that the Large and Small White caterpillars do eat the odd cabbage – that is our fault for deciding to eat this cruciferous plant as a vegetable. Cruciferous plants are these butterflies’ natural food. The Green-veined White’s caterpillars also feed on wild cruciferous plants, but seem not to like cabbages.

Towards the end of the month the lovely little Orange Tip (Fr: Aurore) Anthocaris cardamines will appear. Remember, only the male has the orange tips to its forewings; the female has a black tip to these wings, and can look like a Greenveined White at a casual glance. It can be distinguished by the chequer-board pattern of green spots on the underside of its hind-wings.

Rabbits will soon be bringing their young out to learn about the world. During April the naked, blind kits will gain strength underground. Hares, of course, which nest in the open, bear their young fully-pelted and wide-awake, so they can immediately take evasive action if required. You may still see “Mad March hares” rushing around crazily in April, and boxing each other for all they are worth. It used to be said that the boxers were male hares fighting for mating-rights, but of late it has been realised that in fact the combatants are of opposite sexes. It turns out it is the leporine equivalent of “Not today, I’ve got a headache!” Not good news for the male hare, but such a sighting is supposed to bring good fortune for a human, so keep your eyes open.

ByMikeGeorge

Mike George is our regular contributor on wildlife and the countryside in France. He is a geologist and naturalist, living in the Jurassic area of the Charente

This is usually the month when the cuckoo announces his reappearance after his winter sojourn in Africa. “In Aprill, come he will,” as the old poem has it. It used to be that one heard the cuckoo but rarely saw it. It had somewhat the appearance in flight of a small bird of prey. One theory was that this scared the small birds which the cuckoo parasitised, making them hide and giving the cuckoo the few moments it needed to lay its egg in a suitable nest. The cuckoo’s really useful trick is to eat up prodigious quantities of Processionary caterpillars. Most creatures avoid these pests like the plague, and wisely so, but the cuckoo has developed a technique to deal with them. It swallows them whole, so that the poisonous hairs from the caterpillars collect in the bird’s upper digestive tract. This is well-supplied with mucous, which traps the hairs.

Periodically the bird ejects the mucous and its cargo of hair, without apparent harm to itself. So, avoid cuckoo-spit! This, of course, is distinct from what we English-speakers used to call “Cuckoospit”, that frothy glob on a plant-stem that marked the nursery of an immature Froghopper bug.

Sadly, the Cuckoo is becoming scarce. When I first moved to the Charente it was not uncommon for spring to be punctuated by the calls of both the Cuckoo and of the Hoopoe; now the Cuckoo is rarely heard, and the Hoopoe seems to be getting more elusive.

One more word of warning. As April ends, the month of May bursts forth in all its glory. The French mark May Day by handing out (or selling) Lily of the Valley, in French Muguet (Convallaria majalis). This exquisite little plant is a sign of love, and with its soft perfume is a gift any girl would be glad to receive. It is also deadly poisonous in all its parts! It contains glycosides which interfere with heartrhythms. Symptoms include blurry vision, diarrhoea, vomiting and nausea, disorientation, drowsiness, headaches, red skin rashes, excessive salivation, sudden alterations in your cardiac rhythm and possible death. So, give it to your lovedones, enjoy its gorgeous perfume, but do not eat any part of it!

Enjoy the burgeoning Spring!

The whole of the front of my limestone-built house is a tenement of sparrows’ nests

“APRIL BRINGS THE SWEET SPRING SHOWERS … ON AND ON FOR HOURS AND HOURS!” AS MICHAEL FLANDERS SO SUCCINCTLY PUT IT

Hunters of the Skies

WE ALL LOVE HAVING LOTS OF BIRDS IN OUR GARDENS, AND WE LOVE TO HEAR THEM SING OR TWITTER AS THEY GO ABOUT THEIR DAILY TASKS. BUT SOMETIMES EVERYTHING SEEMS TO CEASE.

Not a sound is heard, and no bird moves. Then if you look up into the sky, as likely as not, you will see a stately shape drift serenely past, high overhead. You are in the presence of a raptor, and every bird and small furry animal knows it and cowers in fear until it has passed. Man has used birds of prey for his hunting for centuries, probably millennia. In the 15th century the hierarchy of this “sport” was laid down: “An Eagle for an Emperor, a Gyrfalcon for a King; a Peregrine for a Prince, a Saker for a Knight, a Merlin for a Lady; a Goshawk for a Yeoman, a Sparrowhawk for a Priest, a Musket (male Sparrowhawk) for a Holy water Clerk, a Kestrel for a Knave.”

In this region we are lucky to be able to see many birds of prey during daylight. Broadly they fall, in this part of Europe at least, into two divisions; Falcons and Accipiters.

THE FALCONS

narrow, curved wings that come to a point at the tips. This is reflected in the name falcon, which derives from the Latin falx, a sickle. If you can get close enough, you will see that the upper bill has a projection on each side like a tooth near the tip, which fits a depression in the lower bill (very useful for dismembering a spinal column). Falcons will chase their prey, usually other birds, in flight, and the kill is often made in the air.

ByMikeGeorge

Falcons are the fighter-planes of the raptor world

The monarch of the falcons is the Peregrine (Falco peregrinus) (Fr: Faucon pèlerin). This is the acknowledged master of the “stoop” or deathplunge. It will fold its wings when its trajectory is set and it has been known to reach 200 miles per hour in freefall. The impact is sufficient to kill its prey (though the falcon’s talons will make quite certain) but the falcon itself is unharmed, and will unfold its wings and fly on.

Mike George is our regular contributor on wildlife and the countryside in France. He is a geologist and naturalist, living in the Jurassic area of the Charente

urban living and will nest on a cathedral, a high chimney, even an electricity pylon, if it can be certain it will be undisturbed. Much smaller - only slightly larger than a blackbird - is the Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) (Fr: Faucon crécerelle). This neat bird is often to be seen perching on telegraph poles and electricity lines. It has a reddish back and spotted breast, long pointed wings and a long tail in flight, and has the habit of hovering, head into wind, rapidly beating its wings, a habit which gives it the alternative English name of Windhover. Its prey is normally sought on the ground.

Falcons are the fighter-planes of the raptor world. They are built for speed, with

The Peregrine will nest in strange places. By choice a cliff-dweller, it has adapted to

The other falcons you may see are the tiny Merlin (Falco columbarius) (Fr: Faucon émerillon) and the slightly larger Hobby (Falco subbuteo) (Fr: Faucon hobereau). If the specific name subbuteo seems familiar to you, it is because Peter Adolph, the man who invented table-football, wanted to

A very dramatic view of a Peregrine - at full stoop, probably approaching 320 kilometres per hour

market the game under the name “Hobby” but the authorities refused to grant a trademark. As an ornithologist, he used the Latin name of the Hobby instead (subbuteo = smaller than a Buzzard).

THE ACCIPITERS

The Accipiters are far more leisurely hunters. The word derivs from the Latin accipiter, a generic term for birds of prey. They may make the odd pounce from ambush, but usually they sail the skies looking for something of a size they can tackle, and then swoop down rapidly to grab it. The wings of the Accipiters are long and wide, with rounded ends fringed by the spread-out primary feathers. This enables them to ride on even tiny thermal currents in the air, and in suitable conditions to soar to considerable heights.

The Buzzard (Buteo buteo) (Fr: Buse variable) is the most easily recognised. These very large birds, shades of brown in colour, are usually

A Kestrel at hover, balancing on the wind and using its wide tail to control its position

A Kestrel at rest

A Merlin at rest

A Merlin in flight

A Peregrine Falcon caught in an unusual pose, at rest airing its wings.

seen circling serenely, on their broad round-ended wings, at some height above open areas, looking for lunch. If they see something likely, they will swoop down to try to catch it. Perched in a tree or on a haybale they seem

impossibly large, and will often stare unwinkingly at you over a prominent yellow beak before taking flight in a rather untidy and heavy way. Thus, it is something of a surprise to hear their call. You will hear a faint mew, like a lost kitten, and spend ages wondering what caused it until you realise there is a pair of buzzards circling above you talking to each other.

Normally these birds are relatively solitary, but when the prey is plentiful, they can collect in surprising numbers. I have seen a freshly-reaped corn-field in which there was a buzzard on every other straw-bale. There must have been a dozen buzzards sitting, waiting hopefully for a mouse to scuttle out.

There are other Buzzards that may be seen, the Booted Buzzard (Buteo logopus) (Fr: Buse pattue) and the Honey Buzzard (Pernis apivorus) (Fr: Bondrée apivore).

A bird of similar size but very different appearance is the Harrier. There are two you may see, the Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus) (Fr: Busard Saint-Martin) and

the Montagu’s Harrier (Circus pygarus) (Fr: Busard cendré). In summer the males are white, with black wing-tips, while the females are brown with a white bar on the back just above the tail. Telling the two apart is not easy; the Montagu’s male has a black bar along the white of each wing, and the wings in flight tend to be rather more tapering. These birds fly fairly low across open land, and males may be mistaken at first glance for a large seagull. There is a third harrier, the Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) (Fr: Busard des roseaux) which is reddish on the body and is restricted to marshy areas; you may see this in the Marais.

If you look up and see a large circling bird that looks like a bird of prey with long, narrow wings, pointed rather more than other accipiters, and a wedge-shaped, forked tail, you are almost certainly looking at a kite. The commoner is the Black Kite (Milvus migrans) (Fr: Milan noir), the other is the Red Kite (Milvus milvus) (Fr: Milan royal). The rule of thumb to tell them apart if you can only see the profile against a bright sky (and that is how one usually sees them) is that the fork in the tail is much deeper in the Red Kite. It used to be said that the Red Kite lived east of the Charente and was rarely seen here, but I have seen one hunting right outside my front door, and a stirring sight it was!

The Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) (Fr: Épervier d’Europe) is slightly larger than the kestrel and is very different in appearance, having shorter rounded wings, though still a long tail. Its back is dark (slate-grey in the male) and the breast is barred. It behaves a bit like a falcon, and will “stoop” or drop like a stone at speed on its prey, which it may even take in flight. I have seen a Sparrowhawk dive onto a Woodpigeon and bear it to the ground. This is exceptional; normally they will only take smaller prey. In this case, the pigeon freed itself and flew off at speed, with the Sparrowhawk in close pursuit.

Similar in appearance, but quite a bit larger, is the Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) (Fr: Autour des palombes). It has the rounded, broadish wings of the Sparrowhawk, but it is grey, with heavy dark barring on the breast and underparts. This bird preys extensively on other birds (hence the reference to palombes – wood-pigeons – in its French name). Its talons are easily large enough to take a bird of that size. I am told it can even aspire to taking a young hare! Male and female are similar, but the iris of the male’s eye is a fierce red, growing darker and fiercer with age, while that of the female is yellow.

There are a few eagles that may pass over, but the only one you are likely to see (since it can nest in this part of France) is the Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus) (Fr: Circaête Jean-le-Blanc). This magnificent bird measures almost 2

A male Hen Harrier in summer plumage

A Hobby in flight. Note the pointed, curved wings, built for speed

I have seen one hunting right outside my front door, and a stirring sight it was!

metres from wingtip to wingtip, but curiously its favoured food is snakes. It prefers non-venomous varieties (who wouldn’t!) and will settle for lizards and slow-worms as well.

There are a few other birds of prey that may be seen in the region, but they are much rarer, and probably off course. You are in twitcher territory here!

Books to help

The excellent book “Guide des Oiseaux de Poitou-Charentes et Vendée” is a great help, well illustrated with easily understood captions. It even lists the extreme rarities for the dedicated seeker. Recently a Dutch book has been translated into French, and may be purchased under the title, “Rapaces Diurnes & Nocturnes D’Europe”. The illustrations, all painted by a highly skilled bird artist, including many profiles of the birds in flight, are stunning, though the French text is rather more demanding.

A Buzzard drifts lazily overheadone can see why its alternative name is "The Tourists' Eagle".

A Black Kite. Note the long, broad wings for soaring and the slight fork in the tail

A Red Kite. Note the reddish colouration of wings and underbody, and the deep notch in the tail

A Northern Goshawk alighting

Male Sparrowhawk Note its weaponry - the efficient claws which do the killing!

The Night Sky

WELCOME TO THE APRIL EDITION OF THE NIGHT SKY

Before we get into all that April has to offer, did any of you lovely fellow stargazers manage to spot the close conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Venus at the start of March? Did anyone take a picture? I for one would love to see any images taken, so please do post them on our Facebook page which you can explore at @Astronomy and Astrophotography France.

Through April we can look out for a number of highlights. On the 9th and 10th it will be possible to spot the planet Venus close to The Pleiades star cluster. Look towards the west after dark as the two bright objects set together. We can prepare for another annual meteor shower which will peak between the evening of the 22nd and the morning of the 23rd. Read on to find out more about The Lyrids and find out how it may be possible to see a little more of the Moon on the 21st. Prominent constellations to observe this month include Leo, Gemini and Hercules. Within the constellation of Hercules you can look for the prominent 'Keystone' asterism (star pattern) where, with binoculars or a small telescope, you could spot the bright M13 Star Cluster.

The Moon Phase and Observing tips

Full Moon phase - 6th around 5.30 a.m.

Last Quarter phase - 13th just after 10 a.m.

New Moon phase - 20th just after 5 a.m.

First Quarter phase - 27th after 10 p.m.

On the 21st of the month the Moon will be showing a very thin (approximately 2 %) phase. We observe the same side of the moon at all times, but not completely the same. Because of a slight wobble in the Moon's movements - caused by its tilt and shape of orbit - we do see a little more at times. This effect is called 'Libration' taken from the latin word 'Libra' meaning scales. Look to the eastern limb and you may spot a few more details around the very edge of the Moon.

Planet activity this month

Mercury is quite close to the Sun at this time and better observed towards the start of April as it will set a couple of hours after the Sun.

Venus will be shining brightly in the western evening skies and sets four hours after the Sun. Try to spot it near The Pleiades on the 10th.

Mars is fading now as it drifts further out in its orbit but can be spotted just below an almost first quarter Moon on the 28th.

Unfortunately Jupiter is too close to the Sun now for observing and Saturn too is close to a rising Sun so is not best placed for observing either.

Meteor ShowersVirginids and Lyrids

We talked about the Virginids last month and they will continue to be active during the first three weeks of April. Another meteor shower returning to our skies are The Lyrids. The peak of activity for this shower is expected to be between around 7pm on the 22nd and the morning of the 23rd. All of these meteors will seem to radiate out from the area of the sky where the constellation of Lyra is found. The bright star of Vega, which is the lead star of this constellation, will point the way. These meteors are fairly fast and peak when the Moon is out of the way, thus making observing conditions very favourable.

During the peak dates the maximum hourly rate is anticipated to be around 15. Remember to head outside half an hour in advance to allow your eyes to become dark adjusted.

Virtual Space trip for the MonthThe Dark Side of the Moon

We are about to travel - in space time - a mere 1.28 light-seconds. So, it won't take long if you want to join us. This, our first

ByClaire Wardlaw

Claire Wardlaw, originally from Edinburgh, lives in the Charente with her husband. Since their move nearly 6 years ago, Claire has become passionate about astronomy

virtual trip, will take us to the side of the moon which we never see from Earth. So why, I hear you ask, can we never see the other side of the Moon? Well, the Earth is 81 times more massive than the Moon and so, over time, has slowed the orbit of the Moon down. It used to complete one orbit in only a few hours but now it completes an orbit in a little more than 27 days. At the same time, the Moon spins on its own axis. It completes a spin in just over 27 days! So, one face will always be hidden from us. Unless you join us on our trip, to the 'dark side'. The view will be a bit different around there. We will see, as we fly by, the only 'Sea' or Mare present called 'The Mare Orientales' (Eastern Sea). We can view the craters and peaks around the vast rim of this 'Sea' but we will notice a lack of large mountain ranges which are more typically observable on the other side back on Earth. We are making our return trip to Earth now, but we look forward to welcoming you on another 'Virtual Space Trip' soon!

On the 9th and 10th it will be possible to spot the planet Venus close to The Pleiades star cluster

SPACE NEWS IN BRIEF

In April 2023 it is expected that the European Space Agency will send their Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, or JUICE, off to Jupiter. Upon entering orbit around Jupiter in 2031, JUICE will make detailed observations of the gas giant's three large ocean-bearing moons: Ganymede, Europa and Callisto.

Only 41% of the Moon remains completely hidden from us here on Earth. The 'Libration' which occurs each month allows a little more of the very edge of the Moon to be revealed to us. As a result we can, on occasion, spot a tiny portion of the Mare Orientales which was discovered by Patrick Moore in 1946.

Artist's concept of JUICE spacecraft at Jupiter. Image Credit: ESA

The Dark Side of the Moon. Mare Orientales can be seen in this image towards the lower left hand side

April already, eh? Where does the time go? Don’t actually write in to tell me, I’m aware of how these things work. It was more of an existential question. You see, I’ve been trying to get into reading some mind-expanding books, but they were quite challenging and, if I'm honest, incredibly boring. So I gave up and put the football on. It was like listening to Mrs W talking about things we need to do. I know she’s saying something and it may even be interesting or important. But my head just fills with noise and I drift away. Anyway, how are you all? Still with me?

Freesat is not the same as Freeview. Do not buy a Freeview box for UK TV reception. I’m trying to let this go, but it keeps happening.

Whilst on the subject of Freesat, those of you with a standard-definition Freesat box or Sky box or such like should have noticed by now that you can no longer receive BBC One. If you haven’t noticed, that may tell you everything you need to know about how much you need TV, as nobody watches advert-laden ITV. To get it back, you need a high-definition satellite receiver. That’s all. Freesat HD boxes can be sourced from Amazon UK for around 80 euros.

The channel features roundthe-clock performances from the period’s best artists

One thing I did miss a little while back was the launch of Freesat channel 506, dedicated to the swinging 60s. Hosted by an array of old DJs who apparently didn’t get swept up in Operation Yewtree (and some of the names will surprise you!), the channel features round-the-clock performances from the period’s best artists. Will have a specific audience that one.

I’ve been asked a couple of times about replacement viewing cards for TNTSAT boxes. Please note, these are available from www.tntsat.tv for a fixed price of 15 euros. Just go to ‘renouveler votre carte TNTSAT’.

I went to a job recently which had 6 joins in a single cable run! Other than the fact that the installer will have spent more money on connecting pieces than the actual cable itself, it's just not the done thing. Joins are acceptable if done properly, but 6 joins are not. And if you do use them, use satellite screw types, not terrestrial push-fit ones.

getting connected / artisans

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