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Contents 3
A note from the editors
4
What’s on
6
Craft
9
Latest news
10
Language
13
Food
16
Business & assistance
20
Health
Welcome to the February edition of etcetera magazine.
27
Garden
34
Farm life
36
Animal
37
Angling
As we reach the final month of winter, we can all start looking forward to seeing the first signs of springtime emerging. The ongoing pandemic has kept us at home even more so than usual, we’re feeling a bit like bears slowly coming out of hibernation (but with monthly deadlines!). Will we be in a 3rd lockdown soon? These are certainly the rumours as we’re going to print.
38
Free time
40
Nature
We hope you enjoy this month’s edition, enormous thanks as always to our team of dedicated writers and to all of our advertisers whose loyalty allows this magazine to happen each month.
46
Night sky
Keep safe, keep well.
48
Home & Specialist
50
Getting connected
53
Artisans
60
Motoring & removals
62
Property
64
Classified
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A Note from the Editors
Code APE 5814Z Edition de Revues et Periodique Siret 80903463000016. La Présidente G. Feasey Registered. Le Bourg, 87360 Verneuil Moustiers. Impression: Rotimpres. Pol. Ind Casa Nova. Carrer Pla de l’Estany s/n. 17181 Aiguaviva (Girona) Espagne. etcetera est gratuit. While we always do our best to ensure the content in this magazine is given in good faith and businesses are reputable, we accept no liability for any errors or omissions and do not endorse any companies, products or services. Articles written are the personal opinions of the original authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of etcetera magazine.
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Gayle and Sam
Useful numbers 15 17 18
SAMU (Medical) Gendarmes (Police) 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 0810 333087 EDF breakdown 24 hours +33 (0)9 69 36 63 83 EDF Helpline in English 0033 562164908 (From UK) 05 62 16 49 32 Fax E-mail: simpleenergywithedf@edf.fr CPAM - 09 74 75 36 46 Veolia Water Emergency No: 24h/24 et 7j/7 05 61 80 09 02 (press 1 for urgent problems or 2 for a technician) S.E.P Du Confolens (Water) 05 87 23 10 08 Emergency 24/7 Aéroport Int’l Limoges 05 55 43 30 30 SNCF (train times, buying tickets etc) 36 35 Alcoholics Anonymous For contact details of meetings in your area including those conducted in English, visit www.aafrance.net
Please download the pdf from this link now: www.paysruffecois.fr/sante/guide.pdf
HOSPITALS 05 55 05 55 55 Limoges (CHU) 05 55 43 50 00 St Junien 05 55 47 20 20 Bellac 05 49 44 44 44 Poitiers 05 45 24 40 40 Angoulême 05 49 32 79 79 Niort 05 45 84 40 00 Confolens 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 French Health Insurance Advice line. CPAM English speaking Advice line: 09 74 75 36 46 (from France) 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 No Panic France Helpline: No Panic UK helpline: 0044 1 952 590 545 11h - 23h (French time) 7/7 www.nopanic.org.uk /nopanicfrance@orange.fr English-speaking Crisis Line SOS- HELP 01 46 21 46 46 3pm-11pm 7/7 British Consulate in Paris 01 44 51 31 00 British Consulate in Bordeaux 05 57 22 21 10 www.ukinfrance.fco.gov.uk/en/ Credit Agricole English Speaking Helpline Charente (residents only) 05 45 20 49 60 Anglofile - Radio for British in Charente www.rcf.fr Tues 20h (repeated Sun 11h30). leme 96.8, Chalais 96.9, Confolens 95.4, Ruffec 95.4, Char. Limousine 104.1, Cognac 89.9
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listing
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craft Sarah is the author of craftinvaders.co.uk where she blogs about her original craft tutorials, recipes, foraging, and developing wellbeing through being By Sa rah Wh iting creative, spending time outdoors and connecting with nature
Homemade Honey Soap The Frugal Way!
SOAP MAKING IS GREAT FUN AND MAKES A LOVELY HOMEMADE GIFT. HOWEVER, IT’S SO EASY TO FALL INTO THE TRAP OF BUYING LOADS OF SUPPLIES JUST TO TRY OUT A CRAFT. WHY NOT START OUT BY UPCYCLING A COUPLE OF BARS OF STORE-BOUGHT SOAP BEFORE YOU TAKE THE PLUNGE AND FILL YET ANOTHER CUPBOARD FULL OF SUPPLIES.
Materials: − 2 bars of a translucent glycerine soap, such as Pears or Neutrogena. It does not work with the opaque lotion based ones (I’ve tried!) − Honey − Bubble Wrap (if you want to create the ‘honeycomb’ effect) − a flexible mould (you can use anything as long as it has a bit of flex to help remove the bar) − microwavable jug − Spoon
Instructions 1. Chop up your soap and place in a microwavable jug. 2. Heat in microwave for 20 seconds at a time. Check on the progress after each blast. 3. The photo 2nd from the top (left) shows the soap half melted after 40 seconds. Remember the soap will be hot! 4. If you feel the need to stir your soap, do so carefully – you don’t want to introduce any bubbles.
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5. Once melted, add your honey (I used about a tablespoon) and stir carefully until combined. 6. Immediately pour into the moulds. The soap will start to harden quickly, so don’t hang about! 7. Place the bubble-wrap over the soap, and press gently to ensure it is in contact with the surface of the soap.
Happy Crafting!
craft
Encadrement d’Art
T i c k
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opinion
Brian White lives in south Indre with his wife, too many moles and not enough guitars
“D
ay after day / There are girls at the office / And men will always be men / Don't send him off with your hair still in curlers / You may not see him again” I know - isn’t that a corker? No, you won’t find those lines anywhere on “Now That’s What I Call Feminist Anthems”. Instead, you’ll have to seek out “Wives and Lovers”, a cheerful endorsement of cheating by the prodigious song-writing team of Burt Bacharach & Hal David. Their 1963 hit was recorded by everyone from Ray Charles to Frank Sinatra, plus, surprisingly, several female artists, who apparently managed it without throwing up.
The Beaten Track instrumental version can induce a minor muscle spasm. Numerous songs of that period betrayed the male-dominated industry’s fear of the growing Women’s Liberation movement, seeking to reinforce ‘traditional’ gender roles. The more sophisticated numbers like “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me” wrapped their portrayal of needy, compliant women in lush orchestrations. Only Dusty Springfield’s superlative vocal raised that one to art, somehow masking the queasy lyrics. In contrast, the absurd 1962 hit “Bobby’s Girl” wears its condescension in plain sight and surely sits alongside “Hans Liebermann Yodels Beethoven” as one of the most abominable records ever made.
Despite exceptions like Leslie Gore’s defiant, “You Don’t Own Me”, the role of women in 1960s pop songs was most I was recently commonly meek reacquainted with this acquiescence. It Its origins probably lie at the song on one of those very dawn of our human species goes without saying “1960s Greatest Hits that the decade Repackaged and when simple brute strength produced much of Dragged Out Yet meant dominance the greatest, most Again” albums and I enduring popular was struck anew by its music of all time. blunt sexism. It’s a particularly egregious But it’s easy to forget the attitudes which example from the annals of pop but there lay behind many of its hit songs, are many others. “Wives and Lovers” was particularly in their demeaning portrayal one of those ubiquitous songs, a staple of of women. Worse, there are a few from Saturday night TV light entertainment those years which nobody today would shows. Its offhand cruelty was usually touch with a bargepole, (you may know breezed through by one of the many allthe ones). teeth-and-frilly-shirt types around back then. The words are so indelibly awful that Male chauvinism obviously pre-dates even jazzman Stan Getz’s languid 1960s pop. Its origins probably lie at the
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very dawn of our human species when simple brute strength meant dominance. We can’t date it precisely but most palaeontologists agree that Wilma Flintstone had a pretty miserable time of it. For the most part, the groovy, liberal image of the 1960s is a media construct, an implanted false memory. Public attitudes tend to shift with all the agility of a U-turning aircraft carrier, so for most people the perceived change was minimal. Popular entertainment’s insidious influence was nevertheless important in impeding women’s advancement. The prevalence of the ‘know-your-place’ message was certainly aimed at curtailing ambition and defining horizons. Yet the decade still marks a point of departure and, for many who were born during those years, a call to arms. Just four months after the odious “Wives and Lovers”, Bob Dylan grabbed three minutes and fifteen seconds of vinyl by the scruff of its neck and proclaimed, “The Times They Are a-Changin’”. And changing they were. For in October 1964, one year after the release of Dylan’s anthemic recording - almost to the day - a certain Mr and Mrs Harris proudly presented their new-born daughter to the world in their hometown of Oakland, California. As she grew her parents countered her complaints of prejudice with, “So, what are you going to do about it?” The resounding answer came last month when Kamala was inaugurated as Vice President of the United States.
news
COVID VACCINES FRANCE
1960 BRISTOL AC AUCTIONED A rare 1960 Bristol AC car that had been stored in a garage at the bottom of a garden has been sold at auction for €369,520. The car had just 18,000km on the clock and hadn’t been used since 1971. The owner, Marcel Perier (92), from Mayenne, had helped his friend win a competition and the friend had bought the car with the
prize money. When he wanted to sell the car a decade later, he offered it to M. Perier at a low price, as a thank you for his help with the competition answers. They loved the look of the car and kept it safe in the garage but didn’t really use it, his wife didn’t like driving in it as it messed up her hair.
France, while slow to roll out the vaccination program in comparison to some other countries, has started vaccinating residents and staff at EHPAD nursing homes, healthcare workers (over 50 years of age) and anyone over the age of 75, as well as people with a serious health condition (for example, cancer, transplant patients). The vaccine is open to anyone who lives in France (you don’t need to be a French citizen). This month, it is expected that the 65-74 age range will be invited to book a vaccination (no date has been set at the time of print). The government’s plan is for vaccines to be available to anyone who wants it by August this year. If you want to receive the vaccine, please contact your doctor to discuss your individual situation. Alternatively, you can call 0 800 009 110 (no charge) the line is open 7 days a week from 6am to 10pm. If you prefer to book online, you can visit the public health website Sante.fr (choose your town and then preferred centre) or one of the 3 chosen online platforms: Doctolib, Maiia or Keldoc. As two doses of the vaccine are needed, the second appointment is booked at the same time as the first. When you go to the appointment, you will be asked a series of questions about your health (allergies etc) and fill in a questionnaire. Once everything has been approved, you will then receive the vaccine. The decision to take the covid vaccine is a personal one, it’s up to us as individuals to make our own choice. If you are having difficulty deciding what to do, speak to your doctor, do your own research - ask questions, it’s important to inform yourself.
RURAL NOISES AND SMELLS PROTECTED IN FRANCE
DRIVING LICENCE EXCHANGE Thanks to issues concerning the legal framework for exchange, British driving licence holders are now being told to wait. Following Brexit, Britain and France must now negotiate how exchanges will work and what procedure is necessary. It has been confirmed that British residents in France can continue to drive on their existing licences for the time being, while we wait for the two countries to reach an agreement.
Cow bells, cow droppings, grasshopper chirps, noisy earlymorning tractors, crowing roosters and farmyard smells are now considered part of France's natural heritage that will be codified in its environmental legislation. French senators have given final approval to a law proposed in the wake of several high-profile conflicts by village residents and vacationers, or recent arrivals derided as "neo-rurals".
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language & advice
Parlez Français French conversation, vocabulary & traditions with Isabelle
apprenons ensemble
L’amour et l’amitié L’année 2020 a été très difficile et l’année 2021 sera meilleure mais il y aura encore quelques mois compliqués. The year 2020 has been very difficult and the year 2021 will be better but will still have several complicated months. C’est le moment de se rapprocher mais à distance de ceux que l’on aime et de leur dire combien ils comptent pour nous. It is the time to get closer but at distance of the ones we love and tell them how much they count for us. Heureusement que nous sommes au XXIème siècle parce nous pouvons le faire au téléphone, sur Skype ou Zoom, sur Facebook ou Messenger, sur WhatsApp, ou tout simplement avec une belle lettre écrite à la main. Luckily, we are in the 21st century as we can do it by phone, by Skype or Zoom, on Facebook or Messenger, on WhatsApp, or simply with a beautiful handwritten letter. Voici donc du vocabulaire sur les sentiments d’amitié et d’amour. So I give you here some vocabulary on feelings of friendship and love.
un ami d'enfance a childhood friend une connaissance an acquaintance un copain a friend (m) une copine a friend (f) un inconnu a stranger un voisin a neighbour aimer to love aimer bien to like, to be fond of avoir confiance en to have confidence in compter sur to count on
Broaden your horizons with CONTINENTAL HORIZONS! Bon courage ! Et à bientôt !
Isabelle Broaden your horizons with CONTINENTAL HORIZONS! Isabelle works for CONTINENTAL HORIZONS Language Centre in L’Isle Jourdain Isabelle Do and teaches French as a Foreign Language every day in their many classrooms. not hesitate to contact her on 05 49 84 17 73. www.continental-horizons.com
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être disponible pour to be available for être lié à to be close to, connected to faire des reproches à to reproach pardonner to forgive passer du temps avec to spend time with révéler les détails intimes de sa vie à
language & advice
to reveal the intimate details of one's life to
to spend one's time doing …
ouvert(e) open
la qualité the quality
se confier à to confide in
se comporter to behave
profond(e) deep
la relation the relationship
se déranger pour to go out of one's way for
se faire des amis to make friends
réservé(e) reserved
la vie quotidienne the daily life
(se) donner des conseils to give (each other) advice
sentir (que) to feel (that)
affirmer une amitié to affirm a friendship
la fidélité the faithfulness
s'entraider to help one another
maintenir une amitié to maintain a friendship
s'entendre avec to get along with
se sentir to feel
se fâcher contre to get angry with
sympathiser to click, feel compatible
avoir des choses en commun to have things in common
la disponibilité the freedom, the availability
(se) soutenir to support (one another)
s’occuper de quelqu’un to look after someone
un service a favor exiger to demand, require, expect
chaleureux(-euse) warm, friendly froid(e) cold
gêner to bother, to embarrass
indifférent(e) indifferent, uncaring
passer son temps à faire …
(in)sensible (in)sensitive
la complicité the rapport
dire la vérité to tell the truth
la diplomatie the diplomacy
établir un premier contact to make initial contact
le malentendu the misunderstanding
ressentir to feel (something) se remonter le moral to boost one's spirits remonter le moral à quelqu'un to boost someone's spirits
essentiel essential gentil nice, friendly sensible sensitive
Let ’s learn together
fidèle faithful etcetera 11
language & advice égoïste selfish
se retrouver seul to find oneself alone
déçu disappointed
faire un effort to make an effort
se sentir fort to feel strong
bien s'amuser (ensemble) to have fun (together)
bien s'entendre to get on well
donner sans compter to give without counting the cost
rigoler to have a laugh rechercher to look for garder to keep compter sur to count on aller vers to go towards
confier quelque chose à quelqu'un to share something with someone
exprimer to express
avoir besoin de to need trahir to betray
apprenons ensemble
se disputer to argue faire confiance à quelqu'un to trust someone
s'expliquer sur to justify rester en contact to keep in touch
se comprendre to understand each other
discuter to talk réchauffer le cœur to give a warm feeling, warm the heart
CHASSENEUIL BONNIEURE
pardonner à quelqu'un to forgive someone passer de bons moments to have a good time
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By Beli n
Hello from the accidental Chatelaine! I love to cook at any opportunity and delighted to be able to share that love with you da Prin ce
Chateau Kitchen www.chateaumareuil.com
Winter Treats VALENTINE’S DAY IS A GREAT EXCUSE TO TREAT YOURSELF OR LOVED ONES. WHAT BETTER WAY THAN A DELICIOUS HOME COOKED MEAL?
Roasted Prawns
with Tartar Sauce
8 cornichons, chopped very finely 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste 2 tbsp capers, chopped 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (or soy sauce) 1 tsp Dijon mustard Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Ingredients (Serves 4)
for the sauce 250g mayonnaise
Method 1. Heat oven to 400F/200C/180. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. 2. In a bowl, toss together the prawns with olive oil, salt, pepper, and the lemon zest. Turn the prawns out onto the baking sheet and spread into one layer. (If you are doubling this recipe, you may need two baking sheets.
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3. Roast the prawns for 5 to 10 minutes until pink, firm, and cooked through. Serve with lemon wedges and tartar sauce on the side. 4. Combine the mayonnaise, cornichons, lemon juice, capers, dill, Worcestershire or soy sauce, and mustard in a small bowl and stir until well blended and creamy. 5. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Taste then adjust with additional lemon juice, salt, and pepper. For the best flavour, cover and store in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Any leftover sauce can be kept tightly covered, in the fridge for up to one week.
Siret: 840796015 00013
400g large raw prawns, shelled with tails left on 1tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1/2tsp sea salt 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp grated lemon zest 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving
Try to leave some space between each prawn).
Belinda and Lee Prince - www.chateaumareuil.com Château Mareuil, Mareuil, 86290 Brigueil-le-Chantre etcetera 13
food
Mini Mushroom
3. Heat the butter and oil in a large sauté pan and add the shallots and garlic. Saute until they soften and become fragrant.
Ingredients Serves 4
4. Add the button mushrooms, porcini, salt, pepper and thyme leaves to the pan and sauté until the mushrooms are brown and become almost dry.
Wellingtons
40g dried porcini mushrooms 275ml boiling water 30g butter 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 large shallots, very finely chopped 1 large clove garlic, crushed 500g fresh button mushrooms 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves 1 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper 60ml red wine 2 tsp Dijon mustard 4 large mushrooms (for stuffing) 2 packs puff pastry (230g each) A little olive oil 1 egg mixed with 2 tablespoons water Method 1. Pour the boiling water over the porcini in a small bowl and leave to soften for at least 45 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and chop very finely. Reserve the liquid for another use (see end of recipe). 2. Finely chop the button mushrooms either by hand or pulse in a food processor.
5. Add the red wine and keep sautéing until the liquid is basically evaporated. Off the heat, stir in the Dijon and then set the mixture aside to completely cool. 6. Preheat your oven to 400F/200C/180 fan. Place the large mushrooms on a baking sheet, caps up and brush with a little olive oil. Roast the mushrooms for 10 minutes and then remove to paper towelling, caps up to remove any excess moisture. Cool to room temperature. 7. On a floured surface, using a saucer or lid to a plastic container, cut out 4 circles about 1.5cm wider than the large mushrooms (for the bottoms). Roll out the second sheet of puff pastry. Cut out 4 circles about 2.5cm wider than the previous sheet (for the tops). Place the smaller circles onto a tray lined with a baking sheet. 8. Pack 1/4 of the button/porcini mushroom mixture into each cavity of the large mushrooms. Repeat with each mushroom and then carefully place (smooth side up, stuffed side down) onto the smaller circles.
9. Using milk, water or an egg-wash, brush the border of each circle. Gently stretch the larger circle over the mushroom, trying not to trap any air. Fold the edges over and press the edges together with a fork. 10. Brush each Wellington with the egg wash. Using a small knife, cut a slit on the top of each one for venting. Bake at 400F/200C/180 fan for 25 to 35 minutes until golden brown. Note: If you would like to serve a sauce with this, combine the porcini liquid with 120ml of red wine, 2 finely chopped shallots and one crushed garlic clove. Simmer until reduced to 350ml. Strain and return the liquid to the pan and taste for salt and pepper. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of butter. Thicken with a little cornflour paste as you simmer a little more. Ingredients Serves 4
Beef Stroganoff with Fresh Pasta
400g steak, thinly sliced 1 tbsp butter 1 tbsp olive oil 300g small mushrooms, halved 400g fresh pasta 3 shallots, finely chopped 1 tbsp plain flour 300ml beef stock 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 1 tbsp tomato puree 3 tbsp crème fraîche Chopped parsley to serve 1. Method 2. Season the steak. Heat half the butter together with half the oil, sear the steak, then remove and set aside. Fry the mushrooms in the same pan. 3. Meanwhile, cook the shallots for 2 minutes in the remaining butter and oil. Add the flour, stir for a minute, add the beef stock and bubble together for 5 minutes. Stir in the mustard, tomato puree, crème fraîche and season to taste. Let the mixture bubble for 1 minute before returning the beef and mushrooms to the pan. 4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to instructions. 5. Serve the stroganoff with the pasta and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
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Honeycomb Dipped in Chocolate Ingredients Serves 6 100g sugar 4 tablespoons golden syrup or honey 1 ½ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda (not baking powder!) Method 1. It’s vital that you get all your ingredients and utensils ready to go, this recipe is all about timing! First, line a tray with baking paper. Have a whisk and spatula ready. 2. Place a saucepan on the heat with the sugar and golden syrup or honey and let the mixture first melt, then turn to goo. Turn up the heat to medium and let it simmer until it is the colour of maple syrup - this takes 3 minutes, set a timer! Do not to overcook. 3. Turn off the heat, and get ready with your whisk and spatula because the next step happens really fast. Whisk in the bicarbonate of soda fast and stand back and watch the syrup turn into a thick foam. Quickly stop whisking and use your spatula to pour Ingredients Serves 8-12 200g sweet biscuit crumbs 120g butter, melted 750g good quality cream cheese, softened 200g caster sugar 3 eggs, lightly beaten 240g crème fraîche 250g white chocolate, melted and cooled slightly 300g frozen or fresh raspberries Fresh raspberries, extra for decoration, optional Raspberry coulis, optional Icing sugar for dusting, optional
this immediately onto your piece of baking paper. 4. Leave it to set cold and then break it up into shards, it will look like aerated set honey. (To wash your pan, fill it with hot water and then let it sit, the mixture will melt away.)
5. You can leave the honeycomb to enjoy just as it is, but if you would like to recreate a Crunchie, melt good quality chocolate in a bain-marie. Dip your broken honeycomb in the chocolate using a fork. Take out and let excess chocolate drip off. Place on a wire wrack to set in a cool place.
White Chocolate and Raspberry Cheesecake
Method 1. Combine the biscuit crumbs and butter. Press into the base of a greased and fully paper-lined 24cm round springform pan (ensure the paper extends 3-4cm above the top of the pan). Chill. 2. Beat the cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer until just smooth. Beat in the eggs then stir through the crème fraîche and chocolate. Stir through the raspberries. Pour the filling into the base. 3. Bake in a moderately low oven 160°C/150ºC fan for 40-45 minutes or until just set. Allow to cool in the oven with the door ajar. Chill. Decorate with fresh raspberries, a drizzle of coulis and a dusting of icing sugar if desired, prior to slicing.
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LINDSEY QUERIAUD OWNER: CAST T: 05 45 84 14 94 lindseyqueriaud@outlook.com
I
n order to practise certain professional activities, it is necessary to be qualified. For these activities you are required to provide for your business subscription a professional qualification certificate. This obligation applies just as much to micro-entrepreneurs as to all other business structures. The certificate or attestation must provide either the title of the diploma or qualification and in certain cases the equivalent in professional experience acquired. This allows the person to be recognised as qualified. The only other way to surmount a lack of qualifications is to show an engagement to recruit a qualified employee to undertake the qualified work. The creation of the micro-entrepreneur scheme provided an opportunity to subscribe on-line with very few formalities. Especially at its very start, you could sign up for any activity that you wished for and there were no objections or controls, no verifications of compulsory qualifications. After about a year, the Chambre de Métiers had persuaded the authorities that it was intolerable that people were able to set up within the artisanal activities framework without any verification of qualifications. From that point, all trade micro-entrepreneur requests were filtered by the Chambre de Métiers. The controlled artisanal activities concerned are : −
Repairs to vehicles and bodywork
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Building - structural work, secondary work and finition
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Plumbing, heating, electricity, airconditioning, water, gas or electricity installation
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Chimney sweeping
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Compulsory Qualifications −
Beautician
−
Dental Prostheses Technician
−
Baker, pastry chef, butcher, charcutier, fish monger, ice cream maker
−
Blacksmith
−
Hairdresser
The aim of the Chambre de Métiers is to protect their trades and to protect the clients from unskilled tradesmen. The need for qualifications is not restricted to just trade or artisanal activities. There are obviously recognised bodies that control and represent certain professions, such as lawyers, doctors and chartered accountants. Certain commercial activities also require you to produce your qualifications or a certificate of aptitude to legally operate. The activities are numerous that require some kind of qualification. I will give you a few examples: ▪
Bed and Breakfast with meals – you are required to have a food hygiene qualification, an alcohol licence and to have undertaken the permis d’exploitation course;
▪
Estate Agent – official estate agency qualification
▪
Agent commercial en immobilier – a signed mandat with two estate agents
▪
Transport – whether this be a man with a van or a large haulage company a qualification as a transport manager or equivalent experience and an attestation of capacité professionnelle to validate its authenticity in France
▪
Dog kennels or cattery – qualification in animal husbandry and an attestation of capacité professionnelle to validate its authenticity in France
▪
Taxi driver – this type of obligation depends on the clientele or types of services offered, i.e. traditional taxi services or shuttle services, but all require validation by the Préfecture
If you have UK experience or qualifications, you may find that this needs to be validated by the Préfecture or by an organisation who provide an attestation de capacité professionnelle. Other activities require after their registration with a Chamber or URSSAF that you be affiliated to a body or that you complete a further declaration at the Préfecture. This is the case for activities such as kennels and catteries. Even those activities that deal in second-hand objects, such as a brocante, need to declare at the Préfecture as they are deemed to be a reseller. The important point to understand is that this type of information is not thrown at you, you need to realise that you may have further formalities to complete either before or after your registration to be able to be legally operational. You can to find this out by speaking to an expert or the Chambre de Commerce or Chambre de Métiers. Please remember that if you are uninformed and/or unaware of such legal obligations this doesn’t excuse you from your legal responsibilities. It is up to you to find out everything that you need to do in your line of work, so please do take or seek advice from a professional if you are unsure.
business INSURANCE
ISABELLE WANT BH ASSURANCES ▪ ▪ ▪
▪
▪ ▪
Private Medical Insurance for France
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s you know, British people who want to apply to be residents in France must prove that they are on the French health system or that they have health insurance EQUIVALENT to the French health system plus top up. Good news for 2021, we now have it - via our insurance broker, April International. The insurance is called Travel Cover.
1. What it is: It is a medical cover for anybody staying outside their home country for more than 15 days whatever their nationality or country of residence. So it is not only for British people staying in France permanently but even for British people on holiday in France for less than 12 months. 2. How long for: Anytime between 15 days and 12 months. Note that you decide on the period. You can only extend the period once and it has to be accepted. It might not be accepted if you have made too many claims. The policy can be cancelled after a minimum of 3 months with proof that you are accepted onto the French health system. 3. The cover: - Transport by ambulance (if
hospitalisation is covered by April International) ▪ Hospital room and board (including the daily charge in France) ▪ Medical and surgical fees ▪ Examinations, diagnostic tests and drugs ▪ Medical treatments and procedures: 100% of actual costs ▪ Prior agreement is required for all medical care costing more than €2,000 and referral to the most suitable hospital (based on the medical condition and the costs charged by the facilities) ▪ Hospitalisation for the treatment of mental or nervous disorders: 80% of actual costs, up to 30 days per year ▪ Private room up to €50 per day ▪ Consultations, treatments and procedures carried out by general practitioners or specialists, Laboratory tests and examinations, x-rays and pharmacy items ▪ Care provided by nurses and physiotherapists: 100% of actual cost ▪ Emergency dental treatment up to €400 per year
Dentures (following a reported accident) up to €600 per year Other prostheses (following a reported accident) Vision care: lenses and frames or contact lenses (following a reported accident) up to €500 per year Contraception, vaccines and antimalarial treatments on prescription up to €100 per year Medical transport 100% of actual cost Maximum cover is 200 000 euros
4. The cost: It depends on how long you want it for and your age. For example, for someone born in 1976 for a stay in France for 6 Months, it’s 786€. For someone born in 1965 for 3 months cover in France is 513€, 1020€ for 6 months. For someone born in 1955, it is 1503€ for 6 months. Note that it is an extra 18€ per month if you want to pay monthly and there is a health questionnaire so acceptance or price quoted might depend on the answers of the questionnaire. To do a quote I simply need your full name, occupation, birthdate and address in France. Note that the cover is for a determined period (up to 12 months) and the cover can be stopped with proof that you are on the French health system (attestation de droit). To conclude, I found that a lot of people panic about it but please remember that you have until the 31st of June to apply for residency hence loads of time to apply to be in the French health system. Note also that if you are going to be an autoentrepreneur, you will automatically get into the French health system. If you apply to PUMA, CPAM will backdate the cover to when you first apply so you only need cover for the first 3 months you are in France (you can only apply to PUMA once you have been in France for 3 months).
Isabelle Want Mob•: 06 17 30 39 11 / Email•:isabelle.want@bh-assurances.fr N° Orias 07021727/16005974
22 rue Jean Jaures 16700 Ruffec Tél:+33 (0)5 45 31 01 61
102 Avenue de la République 16260 Chasseneuil sur Bonnieure Tél:+33(0)5 45 39 51 47
10 Bd du 8 mai 1945 16110 La Rochefoucauld Tél:+33 (0)5 45 63 54 31
2 Avenue de la Gare 16270 Roumazieres-Loubert Tél:+33(0)5 45 71 17 79
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business FINANCE
HELEN BOOTH INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVISER deVere France
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s UK banks close accounts, what steps can you take to safeguard your investments and pension? Recent concern has been expressed over additional charges and administrative delays in 2021. And warnings of costs to withdraw savings abroad could significantly increase at the end of the transition period. In addition, savers may also be forced to confront low interest rates - likely to have an effect on the amount retirees ultimately receive. Problems may arise when British banks close the accounts of overseas savers upon departing the EU. This will force retirees to use European bank accounts to access any pension savings they may have. Administrative delays are also likely due to the documentation needed to make switches to bank account details.
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UK Banks Closing Accounts Brexit is likely to cause upheaval, particularly in the short-term, but many hope any problems will eventually resolve themselves with time. But it is evident many savers will need to be prepared for any eventualities that arise with their retirement savings. And this means pension providers must work quickly to adapt their systems and provide costeffective solutions for their customers, in order to avoid leaving overseas pensioners in limbo without access to their retirement savings. Expats already withdrawing from their pensions should investigate whether receiving pension payments from the UK will have tax implications in their country of residence and may wish to seek advice from a local tax adviser. Assurance Vie is a really great option to look in to. As a French resident, you are liable to French taxes on all your worldwide income and gains, except for anything that might be exempted by the terms of a Double Taxation Treaty. Even if certain income is exempt from French taxes, it is usually the case that the exempt income must still be declared in France and will be included with your other incomes when calculating your
French income tax liability. The fundamental point to note is that including such ‘exempt’ income has the effect of increasing the rate at which other sources of income are taxed in France, including investment income. An Assurance Vie (AV) is an insurancebased investment product. Assurance Vie offers French residents a tax efficient way of investing/withdrawing money with distinct inheritance tax advantages. What needs to be remembered is that an assurance vie is simply a special "wrapper". It is not in itself an investment fund or style, it’s a blank piece of paper where an individual can establish a portfolio of investments within a tax favourable environment. Investments made can range from low risk through to high risk depending on an individual's attitude to risk and their long-term expectations and needs for these funds are. It is also important to note that many of these plans are also tax compliant should you move elsewhere within Europe. Back to the UK, for example. Therefore, if you are a foreign national living in France, Assurance Vie should be a key investment consideration - especially if you are anticipating living in France for the long term.
business
Marketing Makeovers T
his month, let’s talk about how a marketing makeover can significantly improve business survival. Marketing is a necessary business activity for your business's survival. We have all experienced challenges during 2020, with many routes in marketing being shut down. Social networking has not been an option. In social groups, you will often hear – "do you know so and so", or "I'm looking for someone to". Social networking provides hot spots for sharing who you know and making referrals. Many business owners, such as trades rely on this traditional marketing style and cannot resume until it becomes safe to do so. Business owners have had to adapt, fast, to marketing online. Unfortunately, some business owners are still lagging, but there are plenty of opportunities to develop other avenues. 2020 was a year that many small businesses had to buckle up and paddle like mad to get their businesses seen, and sales ramped up. Every business owner markets based on their know-how and what they have time for and tend to stick to what they know best. Throw in a global pandemic, and
suddenly many are floundering because they have not enhanced their marketing skills for 2021. Fear not there are marketing channels that you can explore and develop to gain some visibility. Having just a Facebook page is not enough. In the same way as relying solely on social networking is not enough. Having just an advert running in your local magazine is not enough. Having just a website is not enough. Business owners need to look at several marketing channels and integrate those that will work well for their business. What Other Marketing Channels Can You Explore? −
Website Print Google My Business Social media Email Referral channels Word of mouth Video SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) Direct mail Paid
The start of a New Year is always a good time to revisit and review your business
MARKETING
MICALA WILKINS ALACIM SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
and marketing activity. As you take your business forward, now would be a good time to look at what worked last year. Did last year’s marketing work for or against you? Your business success in 2021 will require marketing more than ever. If you have only adopted one or two marketing methods, what new channels do you need to explore? If social networking and word of mouth referrals were your main inquiry drivers, you will definitely need to adapt new marketing channels. Potential customers are now more than ever flocking to the internet for information and services, and if you are not showing up, you stand to lose out to a competitor who is. 2021 should be about selecting relevant activities that you gear to not only new growth but customer retention.
Sandrine TUYERAS Insurance Agent All Insurances Finance & Investment Email : tuyeras.bellac@allianz.fr website : www.allianz.fr/tuyeras
N°ORIAS 14001253
5 rue Lamartine 87300 BELLAC Tél. 05 55 68 11 80
4 Place de l’Hôtel de Ville 87140 NANTIAT 05 55 53 51 18
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Let’s talk currency Sue Cook Regional Coordinator Centre Ouest 87600 Rochechouart +33 (0)555 036 669 +33 (0)689 992 889 E: sue.c@currenciesdirect.com www.currenciesdirect.com/france Siret: 444 729 008 00011
TONY FARRELL INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL ADVISER The Spectrum IFA Group, with over 20 years’ experience advising expatriates throughout Europe on all aspects of financial planning T: 05 55 89 57 94 E: tony.farrell@spectrum-ifa.com TSG Insurance Services S.A.R.L. Siège Social: 34 Bd des Italiens, 75009 Paris. R.C.S. Paris B 447 609 108 (2003B04384). Société de Courtage d’assurances. Intermédiaire en opération de Banque et Services de Paiement. Numéro d’immatriculation 07 025 332 – www.orias.fr Conseiller en investissements financiers, référencé sous le numéro E002440 par ANACOFI-CIF, association agréée par l’Autorité des Marchés Financiers
Advertise Your Business Call Sam or Gayle on 05 16 32 13 42 or email: editors.etcetera@gmail.com etcetera 19
health
Diets Don’t THAT GOT YOUR ATTENTION. I WILL EXPAND A LITTLE. DIETS DON’T WORK ON A LONG-TERM BASIS. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT 80% OF PEOPLE WHO LOSE WEIGHT ON A DIET PLAN PUT IT BACK ON WITHIN 2 YEARS OF LOSING IT AND MOST OF THOSE 80% PUT ON MORE THAN THEY LOST IN THE FIRST PLACE
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dvertising, social media, doctor’s long period of time. There are many orders, peer, partner or family diet-plans out there, internet based, pressure. Whatever the reason, most group based, shake replacement diets of us have succumbed to a diet at and those that deliver calorie and some stage in portion-controlled our lives. There meals to your door. is a place in this There is no such Now to tackle that everworld for those thing as one diet fits ‘quick fix’ diet increasing waistline without all. A lot of these plans that help giving up everything we love plans do not take you lose a few into consideration pounds or kilos the machinery they to get you into are working with, that outfit for a special occasion or i.e. the individual body. Everyone is just before you go on holiday. They different, what works for one person are short term and normally cannot will not work for everyone. and should not be sustained over a 20 etcetera
What are the most common causes for being overweight? When it comes to calorie intake these are normally one or a combination of the following:−
Eating too much.
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Drinking too much alcohol or sugary drinks.
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Eating processed foods which are high in salt and sugar.
Now to tackle that ever-increasing waistline without giving up everything we love. I would like to say this is easy, but to be honest it is not. Exchanging bad habits for good and viewing food in a different light is
health
By Louise Cotton
Louise works with the Fit for Life Association as a Clinical Weight Loss Coach. She is also a Hypnotherapy Practitioner Specialising in Hypnotic Gastric Band Therapy email: louise@fitforlife.one
work! probably one of the hardest things many of us face. Trust me, I have been there and I still have to work at it, but not so hard as I used to – there is light at the end of the tunnel. There are some easy steps to put you on the right road.
tea with a friend or a treat at the weekend. 2. Smaller portions. This single change can make a huge difference.
3. Increase fluids. No folks this is not your alcohol intake! If you 1. Keep a food diary. This is best think you are hungry, trying done on a daily basis. Try thinking having a glass of water or a cup of about what you had for dinner two tea or coffee. We sometimes days ago and you mistake will see what I hunger for mean. You may We live in an age where so thirst. Drink a think this is much of our food is processed glass of water boring, but you 10 minutes with added salt and sugar will be surprised before you eat what it reveals or whilst you especially if you are cooking. It are honest with yourself. After a is amazing how this affects week, review your diary for your appetite. patterns. A chocolate biscuit with 4. Reduce alcohol intake. If you are morning coffee, a piece of cake an all or nothing person, have a with afternoon tea. Are they really couple of nights each week necessary or just a habit? Save that piece of cake for afternoon without alcohol. If you have more
self-control, use a smaller set measure and stick to it. 5. Reduce processed foods. We live in an age where so much of our food is processed with added salt and sugar. Don’t be misguided by labels that say no sugar added or low fat. Introduce more fruit and vegetables into your diet. Start eating fruit to help with any sugar cravings and add more green vegetables to your dinner plate, but remember everything should be in moderation. Eating too much of anything can affect your weight. Most diet plans don’t work as they tell you what you can and cannot eat and this leads to cravings. If you start with small changes to you will be surprised what effect they have. You might not lose weight immediately. You may put less on or start to maintain your current weight – all of which are positive changes. Good luck! etcetera 21
health
Taking a Break 22 etcetera
health ALCOHOL AFFECTS US ALL IN DIFFERENT WAYS. SOME OF YOU MAY ENJOY THE ODD DRINK OR TWO NOW AND THEN, OTHERS MORE. EITHER WAY, HAVING A BREAK IS GOOD FOR YOUR BODY AND MIND AND ALLOWS YOU TO RESET YOUR TOLERANCE LEVELS By Jill M
F
inally! The last month of winter is with us and we can twitch the curtains and slam the shutters after 5pm to say good evening and good riddance to the last of the day’s grey skies. Mind you, covid is still with us as is Brexit red tape and all manner of other real or surreal concerns.
FACTS:
Tell me truthfully though, whilst being distracted by the daily published doses of doom, gloom and general dismay, have you remembered to keep tabs on your consumption of alcohol? Has mother’s little helper been extra helpful over the past few months? Have you been paying attention to exactly where in the world it happens to be past 5pm or the sun (the ‘what’ I hear you say?) happens to be over the yardarm at any given point in your day?
3. Drinking doesn’t actually warm you up!
It is a sad fact that the amount of alcohol we drink can increase without being particularly noticed and it can rapidly reach the point where we care not. The thing to remember is this: Alcohol affects us all in many different ways. To start with it makes us feel relaxed and less anxious, we perhaps feel that we can do anything whilst under the influence. How often as a younger person did you manage to get home from the bar on your trusty beer scooter whilst wearing your warmest beer coat? Perhaps you would only drink enough to become ‘clever’ or ‘witty’, maybe even ‘good looking’ or an ‘inspirational speaker’?
artin
1. There are up to 54 grammes of sugar in a 750ml bottle of wine. That’s thirteen sugar cubes!
Jillian Martin MSc is a qualified and accredited counsellor. Jill started her counselling career in 2006 for the charity MIND & IAPT (NHS) - She is an experienced mental health practitioner and counsellor living in the Vienne
2. Alcohol affects men and women differently!
4. Sugar is addictive! 5. Alcohol can damage our body's ability to break down harmful substances. 6. In the long-term, the overconsumption of alcohol causes many serious health problems including dependency issues, mental health problems, physical health problems with heart, liver, pancreas, pretty much any and all body organs and it can even lead to certain specific types of cancer. 7. Our blood pressure rises when we drink alcohol and at the same time, it depresses the nervous system making our actions and brain functions slower. What to do then?
The best course of action on recognising we are drinking too much is to reduce or give up. After a fortnight, you are likely to start losing weight as a result of giving up the empty calories of alcohol. If you were to stop drinking six 175ml glasses of wine per week, you would have saved 1920 calories at this point, and Has mother’s little helper 2160 if you’d stopped drinking been extra helpful over the around six pints of lager.
Of course, payback time has always past few months? After 4 weeks of zero alcohol been just consumption, our blood around the pressure will begin to return corner in a to normal. matter of hours. Tongue like a ditch digger's flipEverything in moderation flop? Breath like a cat's bottom? Head like The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse a ball of fuzzy felt? The mental agility of a and Alcoholism defines moderate conker? All very funny but frankly just the drinking for men and woman as 14 units start of a longer term problem if not held per week. What is a unit? in check. A unit is 10ml or 8g of pure alcohol. Perhaps we should think about the Of course, there’s the argument that a long-term effects of excessive alcohol glass is good for you but as always, the consumption? truth is very simple: Everything Let’s start with a few facts and figures to in moderation! better help you understand the long-term effect on your body and mind if we If you have serious concerns please continue to overindulge on a regular basis contact your Doctor or health care (or an irregular basis for you binge practitioner. drinkers out there).
RESETTING YOUR TOLERANCE − If you’re finding that you need to drink more to get the same effect (for example, you need 2 glasses of wine, as opposed to just one), it means your tolerance to the alcohol has risen. Use this has a handy warning sign that your body needs a break from alcohol with some booze-free days each week. − Aim to have at least two days a week that are completely alcohol-free. − If you feel you need or want a total break, stop for a few weeks and notice how different you feel. Clearer thoughts, sleeping better, more energy, easier to focus. (You don’t notice these are missing until you get them back!) − Once you’ve reset your tolerance you will notice that you don’t need to drink as much to get the same effect. So you’ll be drinking less and feeling better the next day! −
There are apps to help us track our alcohol consumption and set goals. For example Drinkaware’s free app (available from Google Play or the Apple Store). etcetera 23
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The Art of Aromatherapy
By Linda Bullivant
Linda Bullivant is a highly qualified Aromatherapist, Reflexologist and Reiki Master with over 20 years of experience in treating clients. She is based in Jouac (87890)
NOW THESE WINTER MONTHS ARE HERE, WHAT COULD BE MORE RESTORING THAN A BATH OR MASSAGE WITH NATURE’S PURE ESSENTIAL OILS MADE FROM FRAGRANT FLOWERS, SEEDS, TREES AND HERBS
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romatic oils were used in ancient Egypt, India and China at least as far back as 2000 BC. Oils such as cinnamon, cedarwood and juniper were used by the Egyptians for embalming. When the Wise Men brought frankincense and myrrh for baby Jesus the oils didn’t just smell nice but were known for their effectiveness in combating pathogens (bacteria, viruses and fungi).
whereas ginger oil is extracted from the stems which grow under the ground.
For effective therapeutic use, it is essential that only 100% pure essential oils are used as some oils may be synthetically made and not suitable for use on the skin and some oils may be diluted. (For authenticity, check for the Latin name on the label as well as the French or English name). Some oils can cause allergies in individuals so it is always a good idea to The Romans used essential oils for consult a qualified aromatherapist or a bathing and massage in abundance and in chemist. It is also wise the fourteen, to carry out a skin test fifteenth and It takes approximately patch at least 24 hours sixteenth centuries it 200 kg of fresh flowers to before use. Essential was reported that oils need to be obtain 1 kg of essential glove makers who measured in drops used aromatic oils lavender oil and sixty before adding to a base were some of the few thousand rose blossoms to oil or bath and people to survive the produce one ounce of rose oil remember that two or plagues that struck more essential oils Europe during mixed together will create a synergistic this time. blend which can be more potent than one The word “Aromatherapie” oil on its own. When, for example, (Aromatherapy) was coined by a French lavender oil is added in the correct chemist, René Maurice Gattefossé in 1937. proportion to chamomile oil, the antiIn 1910 he suffered a burn after an inflammatory properties are explosion in his laboratory. After applying greatly increased. pure essential lavender oil he was One of the most positive benefits of using astonished to find that it healed his hand essential oils is they enter and leave the quickly. Today I always keep a bottle of body with great efficiency, without any lavender essential oil in the kitchen in leaving toxins behind. case I suffer a burn from cooking and it really does help. There are many uses of aromatherapy oils which include massage, inhalation, or use Nature provides us with a multitude of in the bath or shower. You can for flowers, trees, plants and roots from example add a couple of drops to a flannel which essential oils are extracted. They or sponge for your shower as you stand can be relaxing, stimulating, antiunder the running water and breathe in inflammatory, anti-viral or anti-fungal to the aromatic steam. Aromatherapy oils name just a few of their properties. Pure can instantly alter the mood of a room and essential oils are normally more expensive it is easy to add one to six drops to than artificial oils as, for example, it takes a diffuser. approximately 200 kg of fresh flowers to obtain 1 kg of essential lavender oil and sixty thousand rose blossoms to produce one ounce of rose oil. Essential oils are not just chosen for their wonderful smells but, they are powerful and healing.
To make a wonderful room spray, add 4 or more drops of essential oil per 300 ml of warm water in a new plant sprayer. You can then spray bathroms, carpets, curtains and sofas (avoiding any wood).
Essential oils are concentrated in different parts of the plant. Geranium oil, for example, comes from leaves and stalks
For massage, pure essential oils must be diluted in a base oil at the correct dosage. It may be that only one one or two drops
of each of the essential oil are needed. Base oils have their own properties and include almond, evening primrose, apricot kernel, grapeseed, jojoba and olive oil. Almond oil for example is excellent for dry or itchy skin while evening primrose oil may help prevent premature aging of the skin and in the treatment of psoriasis and eczema. There are many other uses for essential oils which include cooking, caring for animals and gardening. However, my main speciality is creating wonderful smelling therapeutic blends for massage and reflexology treatments for my clients for salon and home use. After a brief consultation, my clients enjoy being involved in smelling and choosing the oils tailored for their individual needs. To book a free consultation visit my website: www.cabinetcerises.fr
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health Swedish Massage Sports Massage
Reflexology Myofascial Release
EFT
siret: 85160551900012
Mobile Service from 87440
well-beingtherapies emmajhodgson@hotmail.co.uk 0656 872967 (Fr mob) 07870 667159 (UK mob)
Couples Counselling • Mental Wellbeing • Addiction Initial consultation FREE Face-to-Face or
Jill Martin MSc Counsellor Tel. 06 48 96 02 07 Email: jillm@rootscounselling.fr
86150 Queaux
Siret 88116179800015
www.rootscounselling.fr BY
MICHAEL WILLIAM PARK
Ian Scott - Coiffeur anglais
Hair designer with many years’ experience, including the Vidal Sassoon team. My salon is based in the heart of Le Dorat in the Limousin.
T. 06 47 43 01 66
19 Place Charles de Gaulle. 87210 Le Dorat
HAIRDRESSER ANNETTE VAN ES Chez Martin 16150 Pressignac For an appt please contact: 05.45.71.56.02 06.50.23.61.37 annette.vanes@orange.fr
�Covering many areas within dept 86 & 87 �32 plus years’ experience �Professional colouring and cutting services READ REVIEWS ON
siret: 518 364 989 00013
Support Local Business We all need each other
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Using a wide range of plants in a mixed border is a great way to provide colour and impact all year round
Designing with Plants for year-round interest
By Caroline Wright
Caroline has been a lecturer in horticulture for 20 years and is now running a nursery and 'garden craft' courses in the Haute-Vienne at Le jardin creatif lejardincreatif.net
PART 1
A GREAT GARDEN COMES WITH A GOOD PRACTICAL LAYOUT AND WELL THOUGHT OUT PLANTING SCHEMES
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or many of us (including myself!) gardens ‘evolve’ over time as we find gaps to fill, extend planting areas to create space for more plants – often when we have bought them on impulse! And this can lead to some great unplanned planting combinations, but very often you can end up with a border that lacks continuity of interest or structure and balance. Over the next few months, I am going to focus on planting design and how to create a garden full of seasonal interest and also with structure, texture, harmony and balance. As we go forward into the main planting season lets have a look at how to choose plants wisely and make the most of your ornamental garden, whether you are
starting from scratch or want to enhance existing borders. It is a good idea to take photos through the year and plan what you need to enhance existing borders. When we buy plants it is easy to be drawn to the ones that are in flower or catch our eye with colourful, decorative foliage and generally buy them on impulse, then go home and try and find a place for it in the garden. When customers buy plants from our nursery they ask lots of questions and I am frequently asked ‘will this plant come back next year’. One of the key things to planting up a garden with lasting interest is to choose a variety of hardy perennial plants, i.e. those that live for many years and can survive not only the hot dry
summers but also the freezing winter temperatures. It is a good idea to do some research and create a planting plan before you start a new border or give an existing border a ‘make over’ - this will help you to create a successful and pleasing planting scheme. For this it is important to understand your plants. It is very easy to buy an innocent looking plant in a small pot that ends up being way too vigorous for the space you have, so make sure you are aware of the eventual height and spread of a plant, whether it is evergreen or deciduous, what are its main decorative qualities – foliage, flowers, fruits, coloured stems etc, when is the main season of interest, its habit (for
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garden
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Herbaceous perennials for ever changing seasonal interest
garden
Wispy ornamental grasses are versatile plants in any landscape that can provide four seasons of interest
Euonymus alatus, short lived but spectacular autumn colour
example; ‘fastigiate’ (tall and narrow), or low and spreading, arching, climbing, trailing etc), is it an annual or perennial, herbaceous or woody, and most importantly, is it hardy enough to tolerate the cold winters outdoors in the ground. Evergreens and Deciduous Shrubs To create a mixed border full of interest it is important to know all of these factors to be able to plan a combination of interest and decorative features throughout the seasons. A ‘mixed border’ consists of a Alliums - the 'fireworks' of springtime mixture of shrubs, herbaceous perennials, bulbs, maybe trees and grasses and is the best way to get all year-round interest in a Herbaceous perennials tend to flower for small to medium size garden. To begin maybe 4-6 weeks before going to seed, so with you need to choose the plants that you need to choose some that will flower give you structure throughout the year – in spring, some for early and midthese will be the framework for summer, followed by late summer and interplanting with plants that will give you autumn flowering herbaceous perennials decorative qualities over the seasons. For and spread them throughout the border. this we are really looking at foliage, so a Complementary colour combinations and selection of a mix of heights and evergreen and habits will also A ‘mixed border’ consists of a deciduous shrubs increase the chosen for mixture of shrubs, herbaceous aesthetics. Some contrasting perennials, bulbs, maybe trees and herbaceous perennials colours and grasses and is the best way to get all will naturally flower textures should two or even three year-round interest in a small to make up around times over the long medium size garden 30-40% of your growing season here border, their in France and this can height and be encouraged by spread proportional to the space that you deadheading and cutting back faded have available. You can include some trees flower stems immediately after flowering. for height and shade too. Ornamental These seasonal interest plants should also grasses are also great for their long season take up 30-40% of your border design. of colour and texture. Don’t forget to The ‘Fireworks’ include some winter interest too (see my The remaining 20 -30% should be made January article for some suggestions of up of what I call the ‘fireworks’ - these are great winter interest plants). plants that give a short but spectacular Herbaceous Perennials and display. Again, some of your deciduous Sub Shrubs shrubs and trees already chosen for form Next you need to select some plants that and structure can add to this with maybe will give you shorter bursts of everblossom, fruits or autumn colour. Bulbs changing seasonal interest. This is where are also a great choice for this and can add plants with mainly flowering interest take ‘pop up’ colour right from the early front stage. Some of your chosen shrubs snowdrops in January through to the will add to this but the main stars will be summer flowering Gladioli and Crocosmia and Dahlias. herbaceous perennials and sub shrubs.
The cold dark days of winter are a great time to do some research and planning, and give you plenty to look forward to for the growing season, so get your books out, search the internet, have a pencil and paper at the ready and start making some wish lists and draw out a sketch plan. Over the next few articles, we will take a closer look at these different plant groups and investigate suitable varieties for the climate here and discuss their decorative qualities.
le jardin creatif… Our nursery will be reopening for the 2021 season on 27th February – every Saturday 10-4. Our latest plant list will be available online from late February and will be updated monthly as we make more new introductions. We are happy to give on the spot advice on nursery open days and we also do consultancy, planting plans and garden design. Our garden is also open on nursery open days for more inspiration. Check out our website for more details: https://lejardincreatif.net We also post weekly pictures of our seasonal plants on our Facebook page.
etcetera 29
garden
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garden
Oriental Poppies
Japanese Anenome Geum
Phlox Primula denticulata
Hemerocallis ‘Frans Hals
Eryngium
32 etcetera
garden
Preparation Time In the garden
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!
TRADITIONALLY THIS MONTH IS ABOUT CLEANSING, FROM THE LATIN WORD ‘FEBRUUM’ WHICH MEANS PURIFICATION. WE’VE SURVIVED CHRISTMAS, NEW YEAR SO NOW WE’RE GETTING OURSELVES READY FOR SPRING
I
n the garden it’s a time for preparation: attending to the last bits of tidying, making sure all our tools are clean and sharp, and enjoying the first bulbs of spring. If you planted any seeds last month some of them may be just be showing, now you need to be prepared to pot them on when they are big enough. If you didn’t sow seeds last month this is a very good month to start – look back at my January article for tips and guidance. You can now start more detailed planning of how to fill your garden borders and vegetable plot. A cost effective way to add more colour to your herbaceous borders is by buying bare-root perennials. Many perennials are sold as bare-roots at this time of the year – the growers lift the plants, clean off the soil and sell them while still dormant. Many of these plants cope with being free of soil for a while, but others such as hostas dry out quickly, and so need planting more rapidly. Plants from garden centres, ready packed, have probably been in transit for longer, so may need planting either in soil or a pot quickly. There are several advantages to purchasing bare-root plants: there is less packaging so no plastic pots to dispose of; because there is less packaging, they don’t carry such high transport costs; usually they are cheaper to buy; and there are many websites where you can look to find the plant, size and colour to fit your space. Once you receive your plants check them over – they shouldn’t be too dry, mushy or spongy although they could be thin and wiry or thick and fleshy or fibrous and dense, depending on variety. Large clumps, about 7.5 cm wide can be planted straight into the soil, though for some plants it is possible to divide these and put them in pots to develop until their growth is obvious. Smaller roots should be put into a pot and grown on until they are ready to go into the garden later in the spring. When planting don’t put them too deep - bury the roots but ensure the crown is at or a couple of millimetres below the soil surface. In a pot put about 1 cm of
compost on top of the crown and then water to settle the soil around the plant. Key points to remember: ▪
Keep bare-roots cool and plant as soon as possible. Phlox and hostas particularly need to be planted quickly.
▪
If you can’t plant out immediately lay them in a tray of MOIST compost, watering gently once a month if needed.
▪
If planting in groups, make sure you leave enough space between plants – they might look small, but they spread out into full size plants rapidly.
▪
After planting water the plants, even if rain is forecast.
▪
DON’T plant if the ground is frozen or waterlogged.
▪
▪ ▪
DON’T buy from garden centres before November or after March as plants are likely to be dead or in poor condition. DON’T buy plants that are dry and brittle, spongy or mushy. DON’T forget their aftercare - for the first year they will need watering regularly to encourage root growth, even if they are drought tolerant plants.
There are other ways in which you can increase your stock of perennials – by division and by root cuttings. Snowdrops can be divided once they have stopped flowering. Cut down into the soil around the clump of snowdrops and lift it up with the roots. Pull the plants apart retaining a small amount of soil, and then replant in other sheltered parts of the garden. It helps to put some grit around the plants as you transplant so that you will remember where they are after their leaves have died back. − Root cuttings can be used to propagate plants that naturally produce new shoots from their roots. The advantage of taking root cuttings include:
− They don’t require special aftercare. − You can obtain large numbers of new plants from each parent plant. − The plants derived from root cuttings are relatively large and vigorous. − Root cuttings are taken when there’s not quite so much to do in the garden. − They will be identical to the parent plant. These are some of the herbaceous plants that can be propagated from root cuttings - Japanese Anemones, Echinops, Oriental Poppies, Phlox, Primula denticulata and Verbascum. Choose vigorous plants to propagate, lift the plant when dormant, and wash the roots. ▪
Select and cut off young, vigorous pencil thick roots, close to the crown, with a sharp knife or secateurs.
▪
Remove no more than one-third of the available roots and replant as soon as possible.
▪
Cut each root into 5-10cm lengths, making a horizontal cut at the upper end and an angled cut at the lower end.
▪
Insert the cuttings about 4cm apart with the horizontal cut surface at the top of the root just below the surface of the compost, and top dress with a 1cm layer of grit.
▪
Water lightly and place the pots in a cold frame.
▪
Until root cuttings are growing strongly and well-rooted take great care not to over-water.
▪
In the spring, pot up when the cuttings show signs of growth and are wellrooted. Grow plants on and plant out the following year.
Root cuttings cannot be used to propagate variegated plants as the new plants will have plain leaves.
etcetera 33
farm life
Starting a Smallholding FOLLOWING A DESIRE FOR NATURE AND SIMPLICITY, MY PARTNER AND I LEFT BEHIND OUR OFFICE LIFE IN KENT TO SET UP A SELF-SUFFICIENT SMALLHOLDING ON THE BORDER OF MAYENNE.
S
uch a change in lifestyle required a huge learning curve, especially in the care and treatment of livestock. I was fortunate to find agricultural college courses in England before I left, as I haven’t been able to find short courses for the smallholder here in France. However, valuable experience can be found in volunteering at farm animal sanctuaries, if you are lucky to have one near you, or on a local farm, and local smallholders are normally happy to help and advise. A sanctuary is a wonderful place to learn about animals’ needs and care, which often get compromised in a highproduction environment. I found my grounding at a goat sanctuary in Kent invaluable for balancing goats’ needs with farmers’ recommendations, which often focus more on production and efficiency. As a smallholder, I have the luxury of not needing to maximize production, while I can optimize my animals’ enjoyment of
34 etcetera
life. Farming is a continual learning experience, both hands-on and through reading smallholder and veterinary manuals. Online advice can be contradictory, so I seek out websites with veterinary or university backing.
Tamsin Cooper is a smallholder and writer with a keen interest in animal behaviour and welfare
By Tam s
in Coop er
www.goatwriter.com
a good mobile butcher. You need emotional strength too. It is easy to get attached to your animals and, in caring for them, you become aware of how sentient, intelligent and emotional they are. On the other hand, good homes for surplus males can be difficult to find.
We threw ourselves into setting up a Like many people who decide vegetable plot and to raise their own livestock, Backs that have sat at desks fruit trees, fencing one of my motivations was to all their lives don't lend and housing for consume products from themselves well to digging animals who enjoy high goats and chickens. A word of warning, welfare. When we buy prospective commercial food products, smallholders: backs that have sat at desks welfare is normally compromised for all their lives don't lend themselves well to economic feasibility. Another was to digging – and this only becomes more become as self-sufficient as possible. We difficult as we age – so, core muscle simplified our lives to basic living in an strengthening exercises are well advised! old farmhouse with a wood burner, and Our livestock goals are for eggs and milk. If you farm for meat, you need skill to despatch animals humanely. Again, I strongly recommend training or access to
concentrated our efforts on growing vegetables, keeping hardy breeds of farm animals and making our own cheese. Our concession to modernity is the Internet.
farm life
with their mothers until six weeks old. Through all this time, I milked the dams daily as well as letting them suckle. Then, I Despite researching our project and separated the kids into their own stall at livestock needs, there were so many night, so they had one another's company mistakes along the way, things I wish I'd but could not suckle their dams. After four known before I started. Having goats of evenings of initial protests, the kids settled my own has made me realize how down to this routine, and I had a larger sensitive they are and how they can easily milk yield in the morning. Between two be disorientated by our management goats I received 2–3 litres per day. After techniques. I decided early on that I milking first thing, the kids rejoined their wanted to try natural motherhood mothers and went out to pasture with techniques, rather than separating kids them in the day. By four months old, the from dams shortly after birth. I feel all dams frequently reject suckling attempts mammals and birds need to learn from in an attempt to wean their kids. However, their mothers to grow up well balanced milk goats still produce a with effective life skills. good amount each day at Recent research in dairy this stage. It may take some cows and goats certainly My mistake was to time to wean more backs up this opinion. As become overstocked, as it persistent sucklers. a smallholder, I'm in a Occasionally, you have to is easy to get attached position to share the remove an overenthusiastic goats' milk with the youngster to enforce herd, as I don't need to weaning. This is less stressful if they maximize my output for commercial remain with familiar companions and can reasons. We don't need more milk than still contact their mother through a fence. one goat provides, so with two goats My mistake was to become overstocked, as lactating, we have plenty to share with it is easy to get attached and want to keep their offspring. Even then, we have a the offspring. Overstocking means less freezer full of frozen cheese that keeps us space, less forage and more risk of going through the winter months. As goats parasites. There is also increased are herd animals, it would not be fair to competition between herd members and keep just one anyway. A small family less space to avoid aggression. I took steps group is ideal, as goats are reluctant to to resolve it: some good, some bad. accept strangers. Being in a remote rural area, we work online to pay the bills.
Natural motherhood worked satisfyingly well. Taking advice from recent studies in animal welfare, I kept the kids full-time
Dividing our pasture into paddocks for rotational grazing gave grass, weeds and brambles time to recover and regrow and
enabled me to improve parasite control without relying on chemical wormers. Cutting and supplying tree, bramble and undergrowth allowed the goats to feed on their natural choice of woody foliage, without having to eat close to the ground where parasite larvae can reinfect them. As well as improving their diet and gut health, these steps gave them more interesting foraging choices. Provision of elevated levels in the goat house and shelter gave vulnerable animals places to escape from butting horns. Less successful were attempts to sell on a mother and her kid. I found a wonderful home for one goat, but they did not want her kid, so I sold them separately. Knowing now how difficult it is for goats to integrate in a new herd, I would not split companions again. The mother returned to me somewhat emotionally scarred after being bullied by another goat. I misjudged her ability to adapt: she had her limits. Researchers have found introductions are stressful for new goats, but that regrouping a goat with familiar companions reduces the level of stress in the newcomers. A herd is more harmonious when members are related or long-term companions. Such pearls of wisdom have made animal husbandry much easier and enjoyable, allowing us to enjoy our animals and environment. France is a beautiful country, and I'm so happy and grateful to be able to farm my small part of it!
etcetera 35
animal
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angling
FEBRUARY BLUES By Clive Kenyon
AS I HAVE MENTIONED BEFORE, FEBRUARY IS THE WORST TIME OF YEAR FOR ME, FISHING WISE
T
he predator season closed at the end of last month and the Trout season does not open until the second Saturday in March when all the Category 1 rivers will again be thronged with anglers. The ‘ouverture truite’ is the biggest annual event around these parts reminiscent of what Cup Final day or The Grand National used to mean to us years ago. For the most part I use this month to repair and replace tackle and stock the bait freezer up ready for the better weather that usually arrives in March. The Last Fish of 2020 Because of the covid situation many of us were unable to fish for the periods of confinement defined by the Government. It was pretty frustrating to be prevented from practising what for many is a solitary sport especially when the chasseurs were out every other day mixing together and sharing their repas. The date of the easing of restrictions was eagerly anticipated in this household and plans were put in place to clear all commitments to enable a day’s fishing to be enjoyed on the 15th December. On the appointed day I was up and ready at the crack of 10 o’clock and with the weather forecast in mind I headed up to one of the two large lakes that can be found near to Massignac in the HauteCharente. The lakes are around 110 hectares each and are made up of a central basin which is subject to regular extraction, and smaller basins, called digues, that usually remain full all year. These digues are separated from the main basins by sluices that enable water to flow through, but not fish so each digue is like a separate lake. Despite their impressive size there are only a few places in these digues that allow easy access and as such some places are hardly fished. Access to these places is often fraught as the banks can only be reached by a long walk over pastures or crop fields. In the warmer months feisty Limousin cattle and ten foot high, dense barriers of maize crop present a formidable challenge to the intrepid pêcheur, but in December the cattle are tucked up in their sheds and the crops have been reduced to stubble. The first digue that I reached was mostly lifeless. It is deeper than most and other than a small patch of bubbles that appeared randomly nothing else disturbed the surface. I stood back from the water’s
edge and scanned the surface using binoculars for over ten minutes before retracing my steps back to where I had parked the car.
hanging loose between the reel and rod ring tightened. I clamped the reel with my thumb and lifted the rod firmly and it responded by bending and kicking on my hand. The carp ran strongly straight across the digue causing a bow wave that traced its path, and then turned to the right. Creating two more bow waves caused by other carp exiting the area. I stopped its run and began to pump some line back. On the second backward stroke of the rod the rod straightened suddenly and the line hung limp. The raggy end of my line indicated that the fish had found a rough snag that had rubbed the line.
I was more fortunate at the second digue. As I approached the neck end I heard a splash and the binos were brought out to locate the source of the disturbance. Scanning the water revealed at least half a dozen patches of bubbles scattered around the shallowest part of the digue. Carp in winter are habitual in that in the absence of a warm wind they head for shallow water as the sun rises high enough to warm the water. Just a fraction of a degree By the time I had re-tackled up the carp is enough to make a difference to a cold that had been disturbed by the commotion blooded creature like a fish. Their were back feeding. I moved a few metres metabolism is much slower in winter than further away from the snag and tried again summer so we do not see the gorging using the same sprees where they act like method and bait. pigs in an orchard, but This time I waited graze randomly picking The water in front of me over half an hour off the meagre offerings darkened and I saw a shape before the surface that the winter pass over something light of the water diet allows. heaved slightly coloured on the bottom I returned to the car to and showed signs collect my rod and tackle of disturbance then made my way to a from below. The suitable area where bushes would disguise line tightened lifting a small piece of reed I my presence. Whilst baiting up, a had leaned across it. The rod responded beautiful golden carp broke the surface with a healthy bend in the old cane. The and swam twenty or more metres carp ran around thirty metres straight diagonally across the digue with its head across the digue and then suddenly out of the water like a golden dolphin. My doubled back to my right and by the time I bait was a Frolicks dog biscuit with a small had caught up with it my line was over piece nipped out to allow it to be retained some hazel branches and the carp was on a latex band attached to a size 8 hook. trying to burrow itself into the bank A simple running ledger of ¼ oz around twenty metres to my right. I completed the rig and this was cast out a applied as much pressure as I dared and few metres and the rod rested so that the after a few seconds the carp again ran reel could turn to indicate any bites. Three across the lake thankfully freeing the line more biscuits were broken up and that had been laid across the branches. scattered around my hook bait. From my Once under control and almost within position laying back on an unhooking netting distance we had the usual slugging mate behind a screen of reeds I could see match that carp anglers will be all too that there were six or seven fish feeding familiar with as the Ring-a-Ring- a-Roses within my restricted sight line, the patches tactic that carp employ purely to frustrate of bubbles rose every few seconds to allow the angler. me to track their movements, which I Eventually it tired and was begrudgingly realised were totally random and so eased towards the folding net that I use for proved a useless exercise. these pedestrian fishing excursions. A After around fifteen minutes I noticed the lovely unblemished golden mirror carp presence of a carp or carps around my weighing I think, in the mid-teens. And bait. The surface of the water heaved that was my last fish of 2020. A blank on a gently and although there were no tell-tail small river the next day was followed by a bubbles I readied myself for action. The long spell of horrible weather. Let us hope water in front of me darkened and I saw a that by the time you read this, we should shape pass over something light coloured have a brighter outlook in more ways than one. on the bottom. Then the line that had been
etcetera 37
free time
38 etcetera
free time
etcetera 39
nature
Buzz, Buzz, Buzz, I Wonder Why He Does?
Honey bees filling their hexagonal storage-cells with food for the colony.
EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT HONEY COMES FROM BEES. THIS SEEMS TO BE IMPORTANT, OR WHY WOULD THEY SELL IT IN SUPERMARKETS, OR ON MARKET STALLS, OR IN VERY EXCLUSIVE HEALTH-FOOD SHOPS? BUT WHERE DO THE BEES GET IT? AND IS IT REALLY ANY GOOD FOR YOU?
By Mik
H
ominids have probably sought honey for longer than modern man has existed on earth. Its sweetness and nourishing quality have attracted the attention of a set of taste-buds attuned to recognise sweet flavour as a guide to what is good to eat. Other animals with a similar built-in preference for sweetness, such as bears, will also seek out honey. The rewards were well worth the pain of the stings that the raiders suffered from the outraged workers whose hard-won stocks they were stealing. A very odd partnership A very strange partnership has developed because of this need. There is a bird in Africa, a relative of the woodpecker, called the Great Honeyguide (Indicator indicator).
40 etcetera
Primitive man grew to know it because it started to attract his attention, then lead him to sources of honey. When the men broke in to steal the honey, the Honeyguide waited until they had gone, then feasted on the grubs, pupae and wax that had been disturbed (it is one of the few birds that can digest wax). There is even evidence that the bird responded to calls from men signalling that a honeyhunt was underway. This is a very strange symbiosis. It seems to have developed only since hominids discovered their liking for honey, which is a very short time in evolutionary terms, certainly for a co-operative system with a totally wild creature to evolve. It was once thought that the Honeyguide originally had this relationship with another creature, the Ratel or Honey-badger, and found Mankind a more efficient hunter, so switched allegiance, but now it is thought that this is not the case, and that the partnership was new-minted for Mankind. Not surprisingly, now that the availability
e Geo r ge
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
of sugar in the local shops has made honey hunting a rarer occupation, the relationship seems to be “cooling�. Why make honey? But what caused bees to make honey in the first place? Do they have a liking for sweetness? Well, they certainly react to it, in that they seek it out and find it, and store it, and use it as food, but not by any means in the way we understand. The chief use for honey in a bee-colony is as food, primarily for the queen, who by laying eggs maintains the colony, for the worker bees, whose labours sustain the colony system, and for the developing grubs, who will form future members of the colony. Even the otherwise useless male bees partake, as they are needed to service new queens and found new colonies. It is for these purposes that the
nature A honey-bee collecting pollen. Note the pocket of yellow collected pollen on the hind-leg
bees create this store of sweetness. But how this whole system was started, and which came first, the colony or the honey, are still matters for speculation.
proventriculus. In addition, the bee will ingest a proportion of its load to supply energy for flight. Ref: Mary Poppins:
The honey bees that fetch the nectar Honey itself is taken by the bees from From the flowers to the comb reservoirs of sweet, sugary solutions – the Never tire of ever buzzing to and fro nectar - usually deeply hidden within the flowers of plants. The reason why the Because they take a little nip plants provide this lure is to encourage the From ev'ry flower that they sip bees to brush past the reproductive organs of the flowers in order to pick up pollen And hence they find (the male element of the plant’s sexual Their task is not a grind. reproduction) on its body and carry it to the female organs of other plants of the The honey at this stage is mainly longsame species, to ensure cross-fertilisation. chain sugars in aqueous solution. This is This is why the plant provides the nectar not suitable either for storage or rapid as a reward. For the energy supply, and bee, the nectar and the must be processed. pollen are both The collecting bee Thermal control bees adjust important – the pollen begins a digestive the temperature of the stored is used as a source of process to break honey at about 35 °C protein for rearing down the longlarvae. However, chain sugars into getting covered in fructose and pollen is an occupational hazard, as pollen glucose. On reaching the hive, the forager for the hive is carried in special pockets on will pass his stomach-load of sugar to the bees’ legs. other worker-bees within the hive. They will continue the digestion process, The gristly details passing the aliquot of honey from one to Each foraging bee takes a small sip of another, and also actually blow bubbles flower nectar into its “honey stomach” or with the fluid to encourage water proventriculus. This has a capacity of evaporation. This continues for about 20 40mg nectar, which is about half of the minutes, after which the fluid, with other bee’s own weight. It would need visits to loads, is placed in wax storage cells and left uncapped. Thermal control bees adjust about 1000 flowers in one trip to fill the
the temperature of the stored honey at about 35 °C. At this temperature the water will slowly evaporate from the solution, leaving the sugar in an ever-increasing concentration, which the worker-bees will monitor using subtle clues that they can recognise. The honey is not capped until its water content has dropped from 70% to 18%. At this point it is a supersaturated solution of short-chain sugars, and the inevitable yeast enzymes that are present cannot cause it to ferment. As long as it remains sealed with its wax cap it has a very long shelf-life. Of course, the honey will also contain certain qualities unique to the flower from which it came. In a normal foraging situation, when a whole range of flowers is visited, these tend to average out to give a standard flavour of honey, but when a species of plant predominates in a foraging area, a characteristic savour may develop, which gives the honey a special appeal to aficionados – thus heather honey, clover honey, etc. It is impossible to train bees to concentrate on a particular species of flower; the bee-keeper must ensure by positioning his hives that a certain flower-species predominates. What other uses are there for honey besides eating? For millennia, honey was the only way of sweetening things. Sugar was virtually unheard of, and when you did hear of it, it
etcetera 41
nature
Queen
Drone (male bee) Gullet
Honey stomach
Bee’s own stomach
Poison sac
Rectum
Worker bee
Bee workers tending and possibly feeding larvae in their brood-cells
Get to know your bee. A visual guide to the bee unwrapped. Line-drawings (from the top to bottom ) Queen, Drone (male), Worker.
was very, very expensive. In Elizabethan times, nobles and royalty put on sugar parties where strange and complex sculptures of sugar were offered for consumption, not because they were sweet, but because they were inordinately costly. Conspicuous consumption! Honey, on the other hand, was not that expensive and easily obtained. If you put sugar in a modern recipe, in olden days you would have used honey. One good thing – the short-chain sugars are claimed to yield sweetness with less weight-gain.
resistant bacteria around, honey is once again attracting medical attention.
Honey, properly diluted and given the right yeast, produces a very drinkable wine more usually called mead. It is quite intoxicating, and has been popular for centuries. The monks of Buckfast Abbey in Devon produce splendid mead. Sadly at one time this became the intoxicant of choice for the “get drunk quick” element in Britain, and “Bucky” got rather a bad name. Honey has quite strong antiseptic qualities. It was used as an early form of mummifying medium, but more effective methods superseded it. In our day, it is not recommended as an antiseptic as it carries a lot of micro-organisms and its sterility cannot be guaranteed, but it probably saved countless lives in the days before modern antiseptic treatment became the norm. Now, with so many penicillin-
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Dangerous honey? The natural mixing of honey is usually a good thing, in that it ensures that any problem associated with a particular flower’s honey is diluted and neutralised. When, for some reason, the problem is concentrated, it can lead to trouble.
About 250 years later, when the local king Mithridates was under attack by the Roman general Pompey, he left barrels of this honey where Pompey’s troops could find it, waited until they were all down with the malady, then attacked and inflicted a considerable defeat on Pompey. Clearly, Mithridates had read his classics!
The problem was caused by Rhododendrons. Certain local species The locals called it “Mad About 400 BC, the Honey”, and avoided it or used produce a toxin now called grayanotoxin, Greek general it as a recreational drug, or for which has a severe effect Xenophon was religious purposes on the digestive and leading the remnants circulatory systems, of his defeated army though is rarely fatal in across part of Turkey to try to reach the humans. It carries across into the honey, sea and a rescue fleet (you can read all however, and if it is the only nectar source, about it in his excellent account, The will produce toxic honey. Strangely, the Anabasis). At one point, his men honeybees of Western Europe are also discovered wild honey, and they set to affected by the toxin and will not collect work to eat all they could. Within a few the nectar, whereas Turkish honeybees are hours, dizziness, stomach cramps and not so affected. In Western Europe, one severe diarrhoea set in, but in some cases, bee will collect this nectar, however. It is a heart problems, hallucinations and bumble-bee which is unaffected by the extreme weakness were also noted. They toxin and, being larger, pollinates the stopped eating the honey, and after a few large flower of the Rhododendron much days everyone had recovered. They then more effectively than honey-bees would. found out that this was a characteristic of the local honey at certain times of the year and in certain places. The locals called it “Mad Honey”, and avoided it or used it as a recreational drug, or for religious purposes.
But please don’t worry. These things are checked these days, and your local supermarket is not likely to try to poison its customers. However, if you go on holiday to Turkey ...
history
Mud in the Cathedral?
By Mike G eorge
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
THE CATHEDRAL WAS WARM AT LAST! BUT WHY WERE THE CHOIR AND THE CLERGY SLIDING ABOUT? AND WHAT WAS THE STRANGE MUD THAT APPEARED EVERYWHERE? THE ANSWER TOLD AN OLD AND SURPRISING STORY ...
T
he Dean and Chapter of Durham Cathedral were delighted. The 1960s had ended with the installation of underfloor heating. Now they had lovely hot-water pipes that snaked their way under the sandstone flagstones throughout the whole building, replacing the inadequate radiators. At last, an end to frozen congregations throughout the mean Northern winter. When they switched the heating on, however, as well as warmth they were presented with a curious liquid that covered the flagstones at the eastern end of the Cathedral. Not everywhere, but many of the flagstones, from the Transept
eastwards, seemed to be covered in patches of fine oil, and were dangerously slippery. The choristers were sliding about, and some of the older clergy were finding it hard to keep their feet when processing to service. Cleaners were sent in. They washed and scrubbed the flagstones, and got rid of the oil. Everything seemed well. Until, that is, the spring arrived, and the underfloor heating was switched off. Back came the oily liquid! My old friend Canon Pattinson, the Cathedral’s Precentor, told me about it over coffee one morning. He showed me the problem, and I collected some of the
by now slimy mud that had been the liquid. I was pretty sure that it wasn’t oil. There was no source for oil, and no smell, which oil nearly always has. I took the sample back to my laboratory, but more pressing problems forced me to leave it on the windowsill for a while. The mass solidified as the weather cooled again. Then one morning I noticed that it had turned to liquid in the warm sunlight of early summer. Quickly I collected a few drops and placed them on a microscope slide, then gently warmed the slide until the liquid crystallised, which it did to produce a sheaf of needle-like crystals. I submitted them to the tests that I usually
Durham Cathedral in its mighty strength, the River Wear gorge encircling it like a moat, viewed from the north-west. Image credit: "Durham Cathedral" by ADTeasdale is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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River Wear, and although the river surrounds the Cathedral on three sides, it would need a flood of Biblical proportions even to moisten the Cathedral’s flagstones. We checked the water in the Cathedral well, and found it virtually free of nitrates. Then Dr Whitworth remembered that, just after the Civil War, Oliver Cromwell had had occasion to chastise our Scottish neighbours. He had inflicted a crushing defeat on them at the Battle of Dunbar, then marched a large number of them down to Durham. About 3000 survived the march, and these Cromwell threw into Durham cathedral and locked the door. He left them there for some months, with just enough food and water for most of them to survive. He wasn’t a very nice man. Now imagine yourself locked for months in a huge, cold, echoing structure of unforgiving aspect (those who know Durham Cathedral will have less difficulty imagining this). How do you make yourself comfortable? Where is it warmest (relatively speaking). The west end! So you live at that end. Where, then, do you perform those functions that we all must perform? As far from where you normally live as you can – in other words the east end. So these 3000 hapless Scottish soldiers used the east end of the cathedral as a toilet and saturated the flagstones with urine.
The nave of Durham Cathedral, looking towards the cold east end, showing the flagstones
used, and at last identified them. They were magnesium nitrate. Now that presented me with a problem. Magnesium was not surprising – magnesium-rich limestone (Dolomite) is widespread in that part of the world, and the records showed that the flagstones had been bedded on crushed magnesium-rich limestone before they had been raised to install the heating (they were now bedded on concrete). No, it was the nitrate part of the formula that worried me. Nitrogen itself is very common – it forms 4/5 of the air we breathe – but it is very non-reactive, and to get it into the chemistry of the living earth is hard. About the only way that it can be captured is by bacteria which work with plants to “fix” atmospheric nitrogen into useable compounds, which then make their way into the food-chain and are used by plants and animals to create vital chemicals. The only way I could think of for an active nitrogen acid to get into the magnesian limestone, create Magnesium nitrate and then soak into the sandstone flags was from decaying corpses. Normally a Cathedral is well-supplied with these, as the rich down the centuries felt that they
44 etcetera
were likelier to achieve a state of grace if they were buried somewhere really holy, like in a Cathedral. However, Durham houses the remains of the country’s premier saint, Cuthbert, and very, very few were deemed worthy of sharing his sanctuary. There just aren’t the bodies there! I puzzled over it for a long time, and then I found that the Master of my College, Dr Whitworth, also a geologist, had been asked to consider the problem. I talked it over with him, and we batted ideas around but could not come up with an answer – at least not one we felt we could defend as likely. Then I read a report on the terrible problems that art conservationists had encountered in Florence following the flooding of the River Arno. Centuries-old murals were being damaged by the products of dilute sewage that had soaked into the plaster on which the murals were painted and were now crystallizing out – in the form, among other things, of nitrates! It was the uric acid in the sewage that was converting to active nitrate and picking up magnesium. Now we only needed a source of sewage. Unfortunately, Durham Cathedral is perched on a rocky outcrop some hundred feet above the
Over the subsequent centuries, a few flagstones were replaced. In the rest, uric acid changed into active nitrate, and scavenged magnesium from the bedding beneath the flagstones, then soaked back into the stones in solution. And so it remained until the stones had their first taste of warmth. We observed that the solution we were dealing with was only liquid over a very short temperature range – one or two degrees. Either side of that it was crystalline. So when the heating was switched on, the flagstone was heated through the critical temperature range and some of the solution was driven out. Then it crystallised, mixed with the normal grime associated with flagstone surfaces, looked like oily mud and could be washed away. When the heating was switched off, the flagstone cooled again through the critical temperature range and the solution appeared again. This explained the “on and off” phenomenon. So what to do about it? The only thing we could suggest, short of replacing the entire flagstone floor (not an option!) was to do a full clean each time the effect appeared. Eventually the chemistry of the solution would change, or it would all be washed away. Either way eventually the “oily liquid” would stop appearing, and the Dean and Chapter, with its choir, could process safely to service. And that is indeed what happened. But it is, as Dr Whitworth remarked, salutary to think of the vicarious revenge of the cruelly illtreated Scottish soldiers.
nature
View of the west end of Durham Cathedral; towering over the River Wear and its tiny Fulling Mill. Image credit: "Durham Cathedral - Durham" by Glen Bowman is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
etcetera 45
astronomy
The
Night Sky
By Clair Wardla e w
Claire Wardlaw, originally from Edinburgh, lives in the Charente with her husband. Since their move over 4 years ago, Claire has become passionate about astronomy.
WELCOME TO WHAT I HOPE WILL BE A GREAT WINTER MONTH OF ASTRONOMY OBSERVING
F
ebruary always promises to be one of those ideal months for stargazing, with still long, dark nights, cool temperatures and some hopefully dry and not too humid hours outside. The 14th may be the perfect time to gaze at the sky with a special someone!? It can be a very romantic activity I have heard tell. I am particularly looking forward to observing (and possibly imaging) the meeting in the night sky of the Moon, Mars and The Pleiades open star cluster on the19th. This month I will point you in the direction of our constellation of the month 'Canis Major'. Our 'Spotlight' will this month be focussed on 'The Moon' and I will explore our second little bit of astronomy jargon, 'Conjunction'. I began sketching astronomical objects a couple of years ago and this month I hope to sketch a few more details of the Moon, sitting at the telescope and working from photographs. It's a great way to observe more details and learn a little more, so do give it a try using my Moon crater image below.
observed over the course of a few nights they will seem to journey more closely to one another. From our viewpoint here on Earth we can see at times these closer 'meetings'. The astronomical name for these events are 'Conjunctions'. You may have been fortunate to observe the 'Great Conjunction' in December of Jupiter and Saturn! The two Planets seemed so close that they looked like one bright 'star'. You can usually observe conjunctions each month, when, most commonly the Moon and one or two other celestial bodies seem closer to each other in the evening or morning skies. It is possible to view many conjunctions with the naked eye, with binoculars and at times with a telescope. I have mentioned the possible conjunctions for February above... Bonne chance! Spotlight on 'The Moon'
This month we explore our natural satellite: The Moon. I never fail to marvel at that object suspended up there, sharing its Moonshine with us and seemingly so close. It is The Moon and Planets this month the second brightest object in our skies. It is so easy to explore, even with the naked eye, as it is a mere We can expect to be dazzled by a few beautiful meetings in 384,400km away, in orbit around us. This distance does the sky this month. The main 'stars' of the show (no pun increase (roughly every month) to 406,700km because the intended) will be the Moon, Hyades, The Pleiades and orbit is more of an oval shape. It orbits every 27.3 Mars. These stunning views of Conjunctions will be between I never fail to marvel at that days. It is a quarter the size of the earth and shows the 18th and the 20th. If you us different parts of the same side depending on object suspended up there, its point in orbit. These views are called 'phases'. are outside looking up from after dark really from the 17th sharing its Moonshine with us As we spin in our orbit, the Moon rotates anticlockwise and therefore we see the same sunlit onwards you can begin to track and seemingly so close the passage of the waxing side. After a couple of days it is possible to enjoy a very thin crescent and see the Earthshine on the Moon as it moves closer to and rest of the moon surface. This is light reflected from earth then passes The Hyades, The Pleiades and then has a fairly back onto the moon. It is thought that our Moon was close conjunction with the Planet Mars. Look towards the west. The closest conjunction of the quarter Moon with formed when a large object (about the size of Mars) collided with the Earth. It is made up of rock and metal Mars will occur on the 18th, while on the 19th it will form a very much like our own and the other rocky planets. While triangle with the other features. By the 20th the Moon will it is possible to see light and dark areas on the surface with sit just above The Hyades. By the 28th Mars will have moved much closer to The Pleiades. These two objects will, the naked eye, using a small telescope will reveal a wide range of features and details on the surface of the Moon. I hope, be extremely photogenic and should you have Seas (or Maria) are so called as it was thought, in ancient binoculars you will also get a grand view. The darkest skies times that they were large oceans. They are in fact flatter for our stargazing will be around the New Moon on the 11th while the Full Moon falls on the 27th in a plains formed by molten rock flows. Craters, fairly spherical in shape, were formed when objects collided with morning sky. the surface. They often have sloped walls and central Shining a light on astro jargon: 'Conjunction' peaks. We can explore many other features such as Mons Conjunctions - in our night skies - can serve as occasional (single mountains), Montes (mountain ranges), and Valles reminders that everything around us is in motion and flux. (systems of valleys). I hope that, with a little of this As the Earth spins, so do the Planets or much faster information, I have added a few more 'Selenophiles' - or flashing meteors. This motion, when observed over a Moon lovers - to an already vast group. One last little period of time, will show that the Planets are following a thing: it is amazing to think that only twelve human beings set path. This is the path of their orbit round the Sun. If (four of whom are still alive) have walked on the surface of
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home & specialist dogs standing on his hind legs. You can also find it by following a line down from the three stars in the belt of Orion. The constellation is formed by five other bright stars and on a clear night it may be possible to spot a lovely open star cluster (excitingly called NGC2362!!!) sitting near the dog's tail. With binoculars the view will be even better. Sketching a Crater on the Moon I realised after a couple of years of trying to master astrophotography, that the time I spent actually 'looking' at and 'seeing' what is in the night sky had diminished a little. My love of art was very simply redirected to astro-sketching and my starting point was of course our Moon. You really do have to focus on details and the time spent working on a small area such as a crater results in a greater knowledge of these features. If you would
This is one of the best months for viewing the constellation of 'Canis Major', or The Great Dog
this close neighbour, but a marvel that we have achieved so much to visit it at all. Constellation of the month : Canis Major This is one of the best months for viewing the constellation of 'Canis Major', or The Great Dog. After dark it will be easy to find
rising in the east behind The Hunter 'Orion'. The hunting dog follows his master accross the sky. The beautuful 'alpha' star Sirius sparkles as if held in the mouth of the dog, so once you have spotted Sirius (the Dog Star) the rest of the constellation will be easy to find. Canis Major represents the larger of two hunting
like to have a try at a sketch, then the simple form of a crater is a good place to start. Working from an image, at a table, in the warmth of your home, can be so much more straightforward than sitting with a pair of binoculars outdoors, with frozen fingers. All you need to start is paper (black or white) and black and white pencils or charcoal. Start to lightly pencil in the form of the crater. It may be fairly spherical in form, or more of an oval. Gradually add lighter and darker areas to the walls of the crater, noticing which areas are the lightest and darkest. I have seen sketches done of the same crater and none of them are exactly the same. We all make marks in different ways and have our own styles. The important thing is to record what you see. The next time you look at that area of the moon you will have a much more subtle understanding of the forms and shapes and of how the sunlight casts its shadows on each passing night.
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getting connected
H
email: robert13560@gmail.com
Robert Foulkes
The new 4K Freesat+ receivers (the ones that record stuff) are now available from Amazon UK. However, they won’t deliver to France. So, that’s not really that much use. Another seller is Currys/PC World, who also don’t deliver here. And,may it’s well still not same this as Freeview. You havethe missed and shame on you if so, but Court TV is now available on the Freesat platform on channel 177. A little late to the party, as I wasn’t Yes, it is just as you would imagine. notified until after last month’s article had been submitted, at present, are Oooh, this is also but a good time to there remind no new Tooway (satellite you that domestic channel 177 on Freesat is unlikely internet) activations. This duegeneric to the to be channel 177 on Sky orisyour fact to that 15, receiver. which covers ouraentire free airBeam satellite If using region of France, is atyou’ll full capacity. If you generic type receiver, be like Eric have a Tooway system, you may wellhave have Morcombe playing the piano. You’ll noticed it running slower during the all the right channels, but not necessarily lockdown subsequent school holidays. in the rightand order. Business tariffs remain available but these Please notemoney that I am on a mobileH.T. cost more andonly are advertised number from now on. Feel freeTVA to leave (hors taxe) meaning that 20% will a message or added send afor textuse as by I’mprivate likely to be need to be up a ladder, driving or both.
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ofthick seeking solution, I put it back in the skin.a Which I guess, is all another six (yes, six) boxes it came in, and sent it downside to my features. back in a huff (well, in a van actually). Oddly, I’ve yet to hear back from them. So, I STUART am unable amount to supplyofthe system but, aif Anstill increasing new TVs have you source it yourself, happy to install satellite tuner alreadyI’m built into them. WALLACE itThis for you. means that you do not need to use a seperate satellite receivera(Sky box, by Like a politician avoiding question THE FRENCH HOUSE Freesatrepeating box etc) the for UK TVthing reception. You simply same over and will know if it has one by a) looking for over, may I remind you that Freesat is not, DVB-S onbeen the specifications never has and never willor, be,more the same ello dear readers and welcome to likely, b) by Yes looking to see if itcan haslook a as Freeview. the hardware February's drivel. ‘No Stu’ I hear you threaded similar, butmale theyconnection are not thepoint same.next If itto says cry. ‘It is so much more than that. It’s utter ‘Freeview’ the traditional aerial socket.The If it on thepush box,fit leave it alone. rubbish’. For this I thank you. If you didn’t ‘sat’ has,bit you’re good to sometimes of Freesat is go.They what youare want. read it,and youwelcome. would never a little less user friendly Hello How It’s always the case, thannot something like a but have been to make are you allable doing? Well, I The test of the new often, if you connect an Freesat box, but you can hope.a Surviving heat such decision. Ithe hope Nordnet equipment did external sound bar list or any create a favourites to and you the continuing that are keeping safe sort speaker not go well makeoflife easier.system Do nottobe requirement to wear and well in these difficult your TV,have you’lltoneed told you buy to a masks? I’ve actually times. However, fear been not, change thereceiver TV's settings. Indon’t. most cases, seperate box, you told that wearing a mask Bake Off will be back soon.makes me more within the ‘sound’ menu there will be an attractive. I’m not sure if that's in a '50 Satellite internet update. Well, the test of option to choose either ‘TV Speakers’ or Shades of Grey' scenario, or, more likely, the Nordnet equipment didI’ve notgot go 'External Speakers’ or such like. You know it’s new an insult. Still, I don’t care. well. Mine didn’t work! So, in the true spirit which to choose.
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T. 05 55 50 52 02 E: lowe.steven@orange.fr Siret 84223310800013
ADRIAN AMOS SPECIALIST CARPENTER/JOINER BESPOKE JOINERY & RENOVATIONS DOORS-SHUTTERS-STAIRS-FLOORINGKITCHENS FULLY EQUIPPED WORKSHOP & 40 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE LOTS OF SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR REQUIREMENTS REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST
05 45 31 14 58 / 06 63 20 24 93 adrian.luke.amos@gmail.com SIRET : 508 248 747 000 18
H TAYLOR KEITARTISAN Depts 79, 16 & 86
Javarzay 79110 Chef-Boutonne
Building - Renovation - Carpentry Fully qualified stone mason with 25 years’ experience
House Renovations • Barn Conversions Roofing • Masonry • General Building Competitive rates, high quality & reliable workmanship guaranteed
T. 05 17 30 18 35 / 06 33 85 65 66 Email: ktaylor.renovations@gmail.com www.ktrenovations.com Siret: 478 608 105 00029
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AC Kitchens & Bathrooms
Charente / Haute-Vienne / Vienne Specialist Fitter, over 15 years’ experience PLUMBING - CUSTOM WORKTOP FITTING - CARPENTRY TILING - WOOD & LAMINATE FLOORING - DESIGN SERVICE
Free quotes
www.ackitchens.fr
Email: antschapman1971@gmail.com 05 17 36 17 74 or 05 55 48 27 17 / Mobile: 06 40 08 08 81 Siret 834026437 00022
I’m free…. But I could be yours Advertise Your Business From just 35€ ttc per month
www.etceteraonline.org
artisans
Tim Shepherd garden care ✓ painting ✓ fencing cleaning ✓ caretaking ✓ maintenance key-holding ✓ admin help ✓ changeovers
Tel : 05.49.87.02.96 shepherd.timothy@orange.fr Siret 752 049 932 00011
M C SCAFFOLDING
MV Services Covering 79, 86, 16, 17
Mick Van Ackeren T. 07 50 63 19 37 mvservices79@gmail.com www.mvservices79.com
Full English Scaffolding Service Safe, secure, adaptable. Meets all safety regs. Covered by full public liability insurance. Delivered, erected, and dismantled Over 20 years’ experience. Free Quotes.
Depts 16, 87, part 24, 17, 79 & 86 Day: 07 85 44 26 66 / Eve: 05 45 66 49 87 martin.clare6@gmail.com
Siret: 49411778100018
▪ Tube & Fitting Scaffold ▪ Free Quotations ▪ Fully Insured
Siret: 80025145600011
Siret 85105133400015
SCAFFOLDING
Kitchens & Bathrooms Dry Lining - walls and ceilings Tiling - walls and floors Painting and decorating Wood and Laminate flooring Fully insured with 10 year guarantee Based in Dept 16 but will travel
Tel. 05 45 31 60 68 / 06 72 90 24 90 Email: aghearmon@gmail.com
ARCHITECT Siret. 500 835 189 000 16
John Hartie B.Arch. A.R.I.A.S, R.I.B.A ORDRE des ARCHITECTES no. 073326 Based in La Rochefoucauld for over 12 years 14 Rue des Bans 16110 La Rochefoucauld T: 05 45 91 73 90 / 06 81 90 18 87 Email: john.hartie@orange.fr Eco-Buildings - New Build Renovations - Barn Conversions
Monique PEYNAUD
BUILDING / MULTI SERVICE
Troy Davey
All aspects of building work undertaken: 3 Renovations 3 Barn Conversions 3 Plasterboarding / Plastering 3 Brick/Blockwork/Stonework/Repointing
05 55 60 47 78 06 10 49 49 57 troy.davey@orange.fr
Based 87330 References Available
French Architectural Designer
Andrew Hadfield 05 55 60 72 98 07 81 53 71 91 dandahadfield@aol.com
Permis de construire Déclaration préalable monique@dessinarchi.fr www.dessinarchi.fr
06 30 91 81 84 GLEN VINEY
One Builder
Tout Batiment
www.timhartley.fr Lathus - Le Dorat - Bellac - La Souterraine Dompierre-les-Églises - Saint-Léger-Magnazeix - Magnac-Laval
Registered in France 2001 05 55 60 86 62 / 06 71 78 94 34
Siret 434972303RM87 tim_hartley@hotmail.com
Plasterer
With over 20 years’ experience (8 in France)
Plasterboarding; stud work; rail; skimming boards existing walls; rendering; floor screeding; tiling floors and walls T: 06 45 18 86 10 Email: anitaviney1@btinternet.com Decennale insured
Siret 527 736 326 00010
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artisans
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artisans
TRADITIONAL REPOINTING - HIGH PRESSURE REPOINTING - COLOURED SPRAY RENDERS EXTERIOR PAINTING AND FULL MOBILE SANDBLASTING SERVICE Find us on Facebook: Propoint facades Email: paulchester@club.fr T. 07 81 297 420/ 09 67 351337
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artisans
Siret 489 815 258 00012
Sun Terraces (traditional joinery),
Roofing, Carpentry, Stonework, Renovations & Restorations 30 yrs’ experience
Depts 16, 24, 87 Tel: 05 45 21 63 96 Email: wesley.halton@orange.fr www.facebook.com/wezconstructions
ROOFING SPECIALISTS Insurance guarantee on all work. 15 years’ experience
CONTACT: PAUL CHARLESWORTH T: 06 28 28 04 63 E: pmcbatiment@yahoo.fr
Based Saint-Junien. Covering Depts 87-16-24 Siret : 531 655 231 00 11
Roofing / Renovations Roofing / Renovations ALL ASPECTS OF ROOFING / RENDERING & POINTING - Zinc / PVC guttering - Anti-moss - Insulation & Plaster boarding - Interior / exterior renovations For a free quotation please contact: Howard (fully bilingual, living in France since 1990, 10 yr décennale Insurance)
Tel: 05.55.60.23.70 / 06.85.43.13.58 Email: rcc87@live.fr Depts: 87,86,16 & 23 Siret: 799 894 860 000 11
Fully registered and insured Trading in France since 2007
Call Mark for a free quotation: T: 05 55 44 71 44 / M: 06 78 60 96 16 mumford.toiture@gmail.com Siret no. 493 159 412 00037
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artisans
M&M Sandblasting ~ Services ~ Superior Services - Good Workmanship - Honesty
RUST REMOVAL - OAK BEAM BLASTING BRICK CLEANING - METAL - CONCRETE & STONE - TIMBER - CHIMNEY RESTORATION 3500 PSI HIGH PRESSURE CLEANER
05 55 63 58 85 / 06 42 23 38 57 mandmblastinglimousin@gmail.com www.mandmblasting.com Siret 82184631800011
Minidigger, Driver & Tipper Truck Free estimates Gravel driveways, rubbish/ tree stump removals, trenches etc www.davesdiggers.com Email davesdiggers@aol.com Dave Good 0549 073358/ 0675 180913 Based near Couhé 86/79/16 siret 5250162590018
EXCAVATION SERVICES Siret 82184631800011
3 ton Digger Dumper/Tipper & Driver Demolition Cherry Picker Hire Hydraulic Concrete Breaking For more information and a quote
please contact Matthew or Mandie Farraway 05 55 63 58 85 / 06 42 23 38 57
South West France Fosse We are the only dedicated installer Trained-Approved-Recommended by SPANC
Can you trust your installation to anyone else! With over 30 years’ experience
See all our work on
Siret 8234 2070 800013
southwestfrancefosse
etcetera 59
motors & removals
CARS MOTORCYCLES LIGHT TRUCKS
CHABANAIS WORKSHOP Free courtesy cars - Valeting - Car storage with free airport drop offs - Cambelts - Diagnostics - Welding Electrics - Tow bars - Tyre-fitting/Punctures - A/C CT Prep - Garden Tools & Chainsaws Sharpened Email rmbservicesfrance@gmail.com Tel. 06 01 59 60 75 Siret: 815 114 7720 0016
Walton Coachworks 87600 Vayres Nick Walton
Typically 40% cheaper than French prices
Tyre fitting, inc balancing : 12€ Tracking/Alignment : 35€ Car/Van servicing : 75€ + parts E: dixontyres@gmail.com T: 0545 306707
Full and Part Loads Relocations in France
siret 53821341400013
Depts 16, 86, 87 & 24 (Car & van servicing, Towbars & LHD lights) Any make of Car or Van Fully mobile service at your address
MECHANICAL WORK ON ALL MAKES & MODELS IRRESPECTIVE OF AGE • Welding • Servicing • Diagnosis • Stereo & CD installation • LHD lights & tow-bars fitted • Wheel alignment • Replacement tyres & balancing • Interior & exterior valeting
NEW
• Pre-Controle Technique check • Top quality tyres (within 48 hrs) • Parts available same day or in 24hrs - less common cars 3-day delivery walton-coachworks@hotmail.com Tel: 07 87 65 53 11 / 05 55 78 67 02
Siret 502 021 660 00019
Packing & Storage Options
Tel: 05 49 07 24 85
Franglais Deliveries siret: 48252490700011
Est’d 2007
A Family Run Storage Firm in the Heart of the Limousin
TRANSITION REMOVALS
Brexit-busting Super Low Prices! Secure, dry, insulated storage NEW! 14.5m HIGH CHERRY PICKER
Now storing cars, caravans and camping cars Call Karen for a quote on 09
66 03 52 89
Advertise Your Business Contact Sam or Gayle on 05 16 32 13 42 60 etcetera
Family run business based in France which prides itself on a personal professional service. 7 tonne truck to and from the UK and Europe, we also have a box trailer for larger loads. Our highly experienced staff provide a door to door service with packing and dry secure storage We are a professional furniture removal company NOT a man and a van. Please call Phil and Jean Evans....
Phone (+33) 05 55 34 19 46 Mobile (+33) 06 80 75 87 14 Email p.evans@orange.fr Visit www.transitionremovals.net
UK & OVERSEAS REMOVALS & STORAGE WEEKLY SERVICES UK - FRANCE - UK
motors & removals
ROCKET VAN
PATRICK NICHOLLS
Charente based
Siret en cours
Dedicated loads France - UK - France. Deliveries & Collections ~ 14m3 capacity / 4.2 m length Email: pat.nicholls@hotmail.com UK mob 0044 (0)7711 235 668 FR mob 0033 (0)617 038 858
REMOVAL & STORAGE
UK & INTE INTERNATIONAL REMOVAL
60 DAYS FREE USE OUR ONLINE EN ENQUIRY NQUIRY R PA RY P PAGE GE FOR A NO OB OBLIGATION BLIGAT A ION QUOTE AT QUO
WWW.WATSONEUROPEAN.CO.UK WWW.WATSONEUROPEA ATSONEUROPEAN.CO ATSONEUROPEA TSONEUROPEA .C . CO.UK .CO CO K CO
OUR SPEC SPECIALISED VEHICLES CAN ACCOMMODATE FULL OR PARTIAL ACCOMMO CARS, CARAVANS HOME REMOVALS, REM AND MUCH MUCH MORE.
CALL TO TODAY
OFFICE: 0044 (0) 1522 569 099 ANDY: ANDY DY: DY Y: 0044 (0) 7876 504 547 DAVE: A AVE: 0044 (0) 7515 722 772 EMAIL: ENQUIRY@WATSONEUROPEAN.CO.UK
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property
PROPERTY SALES IN FRANCE Private Property Sales with Expert Advice
www.propertysalesinfrance.com
Sell Your Home Privately on an Established Website With Excellent International Coverage
NO SALE NO FEE
Advertise Your Home FOR FREE
To advertise your property contact us on enquiries@propertysalesinfrance.com
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listing
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listing
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Simon Hayman
Le Beau Bois Carpentry, Rancon 87290
Tel: 06 28 93 56 28 E: simon.hayman@sfr.fr
BESPOKE OAK FURNITURE - please visit my website to see the full gallery of my work
SKIRTING BOARD MADE TO ORDER PINE 7.50€ PM - OAK 17€ PM (torus shaped)
For more info visit: le-beau-bois.business.site siret 50428351600012
DO YOU USE
OR
FOR HEATING?
DO YOUR BILLS KEEP RISING? HERE IS THE SOLUTION
Installation of an air to water heat pump * Are you eligible for the new "prime CEE coup de pouce pac" (3500€ or 5000€)? IT is now deducted straight from your quote AND combinable with the grant MaPrimeRénov*
(up to 4000€)
*please note the MaPrimeRénov grant depends
upon approval from MaPrimeRénov, not New Wave Energies
REDUCE YOUR HEATING BILL BY UP TO 70%
Visit our facebook page to see customer feedback and get tips on energy saving.
WE TAKE CARE OF ALL THE ADMINISTRATION
ENERGY SAVING (Heating)
Return form to: New Wave Energies, 51 Rue Descartes, 87000 Limoges
FAST RESPONSE
www.newwave-energies.com New Wave Energies • Siège social : 51, rue Descartes 87000 Limoges Tel : 0 981 324 237 • S.A.S.U. au capital de 50 000 euros • N° de Siret 800 247 274 00035 66 etcetera
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