etcetera magazine May 2023

Advertise

Commercial adverts: Please see our Media Pack at www.etceteraonline.org

What’s On/Listings: 12€ per 50 words for a guaranteed spot or free (space permitting)

Classified listing: 6€ per 25 words plus 3€ per photo

Property listing: 10€ per 50 words plus 6€ per photo

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.

A Note from the Editors

CONTACT US:

Tel: 05 17 36 15 32

email: editors.etcetera@gmail.com

website: www.etceteraonline.org

17 rue des Chaumettes 86290 St Léomer

etcetera magazine @etceterafrance

15 SAMU (Medical)

17 Gendarmes (Police)

18 Pompiers (Fire and also trained in medical emergency)

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

119 Child abuse

115 Homeless

113 Drugs and alcohol

112 European emergency not always English

1616 Emergency- Sea & Lake

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

English speaking helpline

0033 (0)9 69 36 39 00

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

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

SFR 1023 or 00336 1000 1023 (Not English)

EDF

8am to 8pm, Monday to Saturday.

+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

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

Women for Women in France offering support to foreign-born (non-French speaking) women dealing with domestic abuse www.womenforwomenfrance.org

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

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

BySarahWhiting

Making Dye from Lichen

THERE ARE A VAST NUMBER OF PLANTS FROM WHICH YOU CAN OBTAIN DYE. I HAVE ALWAYS PRESUMED THAT LICHEN WOULD PRODUCE DECIDEDLY EARTHY COLOURS COMPARED TO THE BRIGHT SYNTHETIC DYES WE TAKE FOR GRANTED IN MODERN LIFE. I COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE WRONG!

Evernia Prunastri - commonly known as oakmoss. this widespread lichen is found growing throughout the northern hemisphere. Used extensively in perfume production it can often be found on the ground beneath oak trees making it an easy lichen to gather. Utilising the ammonia method it yields a lilac/purple dye, alternatively, a yellow colour can be prepared by just boiling the Oakmoss in water.

Materials

Lichen, collected responsibly

Large glass jar

Ammonia (household strength, which are around 10-12% ammonia)

Saucepan and strainer

Time! This project will take a few months while the lichen ferments in the jar

Method

1. Half fill a glass jar with the lichen. Add a mixture of one part ammonia to two parts water. Oxygen is required for the chemical reaction to take place, so the advice is to fill the jar threequarters full with the solution and to

Throughout history, people have dyed their textiles using familiar, locally available materials and archaeologists have discovered evidence of textile dyeing dating as far back as the Neolithic period.

Plants, invertebrates and minerals are all sources of natural dyes with

remove the lid to replenish the oxygen every so often. Keep the jar in a warm place and shake vigorously each day. The dye should be left to ferment for at least three months to achieve an intense dye colour.

2. Pour half of the lichen dye liquid through a strainer into a saucepan. Return the strained lichens to the jar and top up with a new ammonia/water mix – you should get another couple of batches before you lichen is ‘spent’. You want the household strength ones which are around 10-12% ammonia

3. Add water to your dye pot and submerge the material you are dyeing (having prepared it by soaking in water first). Bring to the boil and simmer gently for about an hour or until you achieve the colour you want. Remove your dyed product and leave to dry. A new wet item can be added

the majority derived from plant sources such as roots, berries, bark, leaves, lichen and fungi. Please note that not all lichens produce a dye so please do your research before you forage for them. Many grow exceptionally slowly, so it is essential to gather responsibly to avoid damaging colonies.

to the pot once the dye has cooled and the process repeated.

DENISE

71 Grand Rue 79190 Sauzé Vaussais 05 49 07 78 22

Browse our selection of unique gifts, enjoy a meal from our new menuindoor & terrace seating available.

BESPOKE by Denise can also be contacted directly on 06 75 89 95 55

To view our collection, please visit our FB page: www.facebook.com/bespokedenise.eyre or website www.bespokebydenise.com

Christie’s EI GORGEOUS GIFTS BEAUTIFUL CARDS

MR. PIANO MAN

Former BBC London Tuner Complete piano renovations (grands specialist)

TUNING & REPAIRS

DELICIOUS HOME-MADE CAKES CreamTeas,Cupcakes,Brownies, FruitCake,Muffins… ServingWarmWelcomes Since2004!

www.chezchristies.fr 05.49.50.61.94

Never throw away your treasured piano, until we have seen it! We have repaired and reconditioned pianos in England and in France for over 40 years, from mini pianos to concert grands. Many years of experience.

Telephone: 05 45 21 16 13

Email: mr-piano-man@hotmail.com

Encadrement d’Art

1 Rue du 19 Mars 1962

87150 Oradour sur Vayres

Picture framers to La Galerie de Gabriel

Custom Framing for Arts, Crafts & Memorabilia

John Selley EI - 09 77 00 66 38 Email: encadrement.oradour@gmail.com

EYRE (EI) AT THE LEMON TREE CAFÉ

NÇAY (86) behind la Mairie Siret: 47876969800018

French conversation, vocabulary & traditions

Parlez Français Au

Café

Le beau temps revient, les terrasses des cafés se remplissent, allons prendre un café !

The beautiful weather is coming back, the terraces of the cafés are filling up, so let’s have a coffee!

Le serveur : Messieurs-dames ?

Vous : Bonjour Monsieur. Je voudrais un café crème, s’il vous plaît.

Moi : Bonjour. J’aimerais un thé à la menthe, s’il vous plaît.

Le serveur : Oui. Autre chose ?

Moi : Avez-vous des gâteaux ?

Le serveur : Oui, nous avons une tarte aux pommes et un gâteau au chocolat.

Moi : Miam, ça me plairait de prendre une part du gâteau au chocolat.

Vous : Moi aussi.

Le serveur : D’accord. (Quelques minutes plus tard.)

Le serveur : Voici le café et le thé. Et voici les deux parts de gâteau au chocolat.

Vous et moi : Merci. Ouah, ça a l’air délicieux !

Le serveur : Régalez-vous !

Vous et moi : Merci.

Get the Vocab!

le temps

the weather and also the time revenir (verb) to come back remplir (verb) to fill up / to fill in messieurs-dames ladies and gentlemen

je voudrais

I would like

miam

yum

Avez-vous … ?

Do you have …?

ça me plairait de …

I would be please delighted to … d’accord

OK

une part de gâteau a slice of cake

ça a l’air délicieux it looks delicious

Régalez-vous !

Enjoy it ! (for food)

Essential French Words

There are some words and expressions that you absolutely need to know, even if you are only on holiday in France! See them as the bare minimum that you should learn and use. It concerns politeness of course, but others are some essential ways to express yourself. I am sure that you know them all, but as a little reminder, especially for the beginners, this is a list of some of them.

THE BASICS

(make sure you know all of these!)

bonjour hello / good morning bonsoir good evening au revoir goodbye à bientôt

see you soon bonne journée ! have a good day! merci thank you merci beaucoup thanks a lot

s’il vous plaît please

comment allez-vous ? how are you? - more formal

je vais bien

I am fine

ça va? how are you? / how is it?

– less formal

ça va

I am ok / it is all right – less formal enchanté (e) pleased to meet you

je voudrais

I would like (from the verb ‘vouloir’ (to want) in the conditional tense)

j’aimerais

I would love (from ‘aimer’ in the conditional) voici here it is

voilà there it is)

bien sûr of course

d’accord (ok) bien / très bien well / very well bon / très bon good / very good - for food il y a there is / there are) pour moi / pour vous for me / for you avec / aussi / alors with / also / so donc so / therefore

Marjorie

FRENCH LESSONS

je suis, j’ai, je vais I am, I have, I go je suis désolé(e) I am sorry pardon, excusez-moi ! excuse me

je vous en prie / de rien you’re welcome – formal & informal, after a thank you pouvez-vous parler plus lentement, s’il vous plaît ? can you speak slower please? pouvez-vous répéter, s’il vous plaît ? Can you repeat please?

je comprends I understand

je ne comprends pas I don’t understand

Learn French with Continental Horizons! Contact us by email : continentalhorizons@free.fr Bon courage ! Et à bientôt ! Isabelle

Élargissez vos horizons avec CONTINENTAL HORIZONS ! Broaden your horizons with CONTINENTAL HORIZONS! Isabelle works for CONTINENTAL HORIZONS Language Centre in L’Isle Jourdain 86. She is a specialist Teacher of French as a Foreign Language and has more than 25 years’ experience. Do not hesitate to contact her on 06 20 10 34 49 or 05 49 84 17 73

The Banned Plays On

The TV announcer warns that the following programme contains “scenes which some of you may find upsetting” and I brace myself for somebody putting pineapple on a pizza. In the event, though, it’s just some bloke being garrotted at the hairdresser’s. Phew! To be fair, these advance warnings are handy in helping us avoid anything we deem unpleasant, especially when a film is awarded the full set: Violence, sexual scenes, strong language, copious vomiting etc. Fun for all the family. Radio can’t accommodate similar alerts, of course. With an ‘edgy’ song broadcasters must decide: play or boycott. This came to mind recently while perusing a list of records banned from radio play in decades past to avoid giving offence. They mostly seem innocuous today and I wonder if even at the time the public was so prim as to need such protection. Or was it perhaps a reactionary establishment railing against changing social attitudes? I’m not wading in to the minefield debate around censorship here, merely bemused by some of the records targeted during those years.

George Formby released “With My Little Stick Of Blackpool Rock”, sounding as always like Minnie Mouse on helium. It was three minutes of juvenile innuendo but it so flustered the BBC that they blocked it from being performed on radio, thus sparing a grateful nation.

Or was it perhaps a reactionary establishment railing against changing social attitudes?

The 1960s of course was the boom-time for ‘dangerous’ songs. Among many others, The Rolling Stones’ “Let’s Spend The Night Together” was targeted for ‘promoting promiscuity’. However, “Je T’aime . . .Moi, Non Plus”, the classic heavybreather by permasmoking French icon Serge Gainsbourg and his English girlfriend Jane Birkin, while also banned, topped the UK charts. Evidently, you can’t always instruct people to be shocked.

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

mediocre at best. However, I’m sure all these record companies were thrilled by the fuss. For every howl of complaint, read “Ker-ching!”. Outrage, even when manufactured, is usually profitable. Most of these examples are now regularly heard on radio and I wonder was it worth the controversy? I love the BBC but the affectionate nickname “Aunty” stuck for a reason. During the first Gulf War in 1990, for instance, the corporation assembled a list of records deemed ‘inappropriate’ for such a time. It featured everything from Abba’s “Waterloo”, “Imagine” by John Lennon, The Bangles’ “Walk Like An Egyptian” and even Lulu’s execrable Eurodrivel “Boom Bang A Bang”. But how many of us would have complained, even if we had made the connection?

More seriously, when it’s neither sex nor drugs but politics, a ban acknowledges music’s colossal power to mobilise. The 1942 film classic “Casablanca” has a pivotal scene in which the patrons of Rick's Café Américain drown out the singing of the German soldiers with a defiant rendition of “La Marseillaise”. Director Michael Curtiz filled the bar with actual French refugees from Nazism, when the fate of France was still uncertain; the character of ‘Yvonne’ yelling a tearstricken “Vive La France!” still gets me every time.

Jazz, freedom, and individuality in musical form, was declared ‘verboten’ in 1930s Germany and similarly banned for decades in the Soviet Union. Western music in its entirety is embargoed today in several hard-line countries (some, in a sort of twofor-one deal, outlaw dancing as well). The first move for many authoritarian regimes in silencing the voices of those they oppress, is to ban indigenous music. This visceral power was understood even three hundred years ago when Scottish politician Andrew Fletcher wrote “Let me make the songs of a nation and I care not who makes its laws”.

Most commonly, songs were denied air time due to overtly suggestive lyrics. In 1937, for instance, the British ‘entertainer’

A plethora of songs contained actual or perceived drug references, although sometimes the ban only drew attention to it. (Pete Townsend claimed The Who’s “I Can See For Miles” was merely a song about a man with exceptionally good eyesight). Elsewhere, the BBC refused “I Am the Walrus” by The Beatles, not for hallucinogenic imagery but because it contained the word “knickers”. I mean, really? This heavy-handedness often bestowed a notoriety on records that were

A ban usually arises from fear and I’m generally in favour of the people’s right to choose for themselves. Okay, if I had to make an exception, I believe the world could do without George Formby’s entire recorded works but that would be my limit. And Robbie Williams, obviously. Plus any boy/girl group calling themselves ‘a band’ when none of them actually play anything – that’s got to stop. Okay, while we’re at it, hang on, I have a list here….

THIS MONTH IT’S ALL ABOUT THE SEASONAL PRODUCE THAT IS APPEARING IN OUR POTAGERS

Simply Seasonal

SpringSaladwithLemonyDressing

Ingredients (Serves 4)

300g asparagus spears

300g peas, fresh or frozen

300g broad beans, fresh or frozen

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Dressing

6 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp caster sugar (sucre en poudre)

Handful of fresh mint or parsley (or both), chopped

Method

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Trim the asparagus by cutting or simply snapping off the woody ends and slice into approx.

2cm lengths, leaving a slightly longer tip.

2. Add the peas and beans to the boiling water, cook for 2 minutes, then add just the asparagus stems and boil for a further minute, then finally add the tips and cook for a further minute. Drain all the vegetables in a colander and refresh under cold water to prevent them from cooking further and to retain their bright green colour. Tip into a serving bowl.

3. To make the dressing, place all the ingredients in a screw top jar and shake thoroughly until combined. Season the vegetables, add the dressing, and toss together to serve.

To make this more substantial, add some cubed feta or similar crumbly cheese.

PastaPrimavera

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

200g young broad beans (use frozen if you can't get fresh)

250g asparagus tips

200g peas (use frozen if you can’t get fresh)

350g spaghetti, tagliatelle or other pasta of your choice

1 tbsp olive oil (plus extra to serve)

1 tbsp butter

200ml crème fraiche (either full fat or light)

Handful of chopped mixed fresh herbs

Parmesan to serve

Method

1. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and put a steamer (or colander) over the water. Steam the beans, asparagus and peas until just tender, then set aside. Cook the pasta following pack instructions.

2. Meanwhile, fry the courgettes gently in the oil and butter for 5 mins or until soft. Add the crème fraiche to the courgettes and very gently warm through, stirring constantly. Add the herbs and steamed vegetables with a splash of pasta water to loosen.

3. Drain the pasta and stir into the sauce.

4. Adjust the seasoning, then serve scattered with the cheese and drizzled with a little extra olive oil.

SpringtimeRisotto

This is best made in late spring when the vegetables are tender and at their best. Out of season, you could use frozen peas and substitute other vegetables – perhaps carrots and frozen broad beans – for the fresh vegetables.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

1.2 ltr vegetable stock

4 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

350g Arborio rice

125ml dry white wine

1 courgette, cut into thick slices

100g green beans (fresh or frozen), chopped

100g peas (fresh or frozen)

ByBelindaPrince

30g butter

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

www.chateaumareuil.com

40g parmesan cheese, grated

Method

1. Pour the stock into a saucepan, bring it to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and leave it gently simmering.

Risottacontinued….

2. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan. Add the onion and sweat on a medium heat until softened. Stir in the rice with a wooden spoon and coat each grain with the oil.

3. Add the wine and allow to evaporate, stirring all the time. Stir in the courgette, asparagus and peas. Add a couple of ladles of hot stock and, stirring continuously, cook until the stock is absorbed.

4. Add more stock and repeat. Continue adding stock, cooking and stirring in this way for about 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked. It should be soft on the outside but al dente on the inside.

5. Remove from the heat and beat in the butter and parmesan with a wooden spoon. Leave to rest for one minute, then serve.

HotRhubarbPudding

Ingredients (Serves 8)

400g rhubarb

1 small orange, zested and juiced

100g demerara sugar (cassonnade)

125g butter, softened

125g caster sugar (sucre en poudre)

125g self-raising flour (farine à gâteaux)

1tsp baking powder (levure chimique)

2 eggs

You will need a 1.75ltr gratin or baking dish, approx. 20 x 25cm, well buttered Pre-heat the oven to 180/160/Gas 4

Method

1. Wash & trim the rhubarb and chop into bite size pieces. Place in the

bottom of the dish in a single layer. Pour over the orange juice and sprinkle over half of the demerara sugar, stir to combine.

2. To make the sponge topping, place the butter, caster sugar, flour, baking powder and eggs into a bowl. Beat together, either by hand with a wooden spoon, or with an electric hand whisk until combined. Stir in the orange zest and spoon the mixture over the prepared rhubarb, sprinkle over the remaining demerara sugar.

3. Bake for 35-45 minutes until well risen, golden brown and springy to the touch. Delicious served warm with crème fraiche or vanilla ice cream.

StrawberryandWhite ChocolateSlice

Ingredients (Serves 8)

6-8 Boudoir biscuits

60ml freshly squeezed orange juice

300g white chocolate, broken into pieces

25g unsalted butter

200ml crème entière

3 tbsp icing sugar (sucre glace)

500g fresh strawberries

Method

1. Line a 900g loaf tin with a double layer of cling film, leaving an overhang (enough to thoroughly cover the top of the dessert as it chills in step 4). Arrange a row of Boudoir biscuits along the base and sprinkle evenly with 3 tbsps of the orange juice.

2. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl with the butter and microwave on medium for 1 ½ - 2 mins, stirring gently halfway through. Whisk the cream with 1 tbsp of the icing sugar until it just holds some shape. Fold into the melted chocolate and butter mix until evenly mixed.

3. Choose 8-10 evenly sized strawberries. Spoon half the chocolate/cream mix into the tin, then carefully place the strawberries down the centre of the tin, pressing down gently. Cover with the remaining chocolate mix and smooth the top. Fold over the overhanging cling film.

4. Chill in the fridge for at least 24 hours, but preferably longer, until firm and set.

5. To make a sauce with the remaining strawberries (reserve a few to garnish), roughly chop and put in a food processor with the remaining icing sugar (2 tbsps) and orange juice (1 tbsp) – blitz together until smooth.

6. To serve, unmould the dessert and cut into slices. Serve with the sauce and reserved strawberries, decorate with fresh basil.

Château Mareuil

Lunch12pm-2pm/Evening5pm-11pm

SundayLunch12pm-5pm ClosedTuesdayandWednesdays

LeRenardRoux36310Beaulieu

Lunch & Dinner - Music - Events

Full details on T. 07 87 14 96 29

We all need each other

Platdujour13.50€ Reservations recommended

Bingo every other Monday Quiz Night every other Friday Band Night every other Saturday

New Obligations for French Property Owners

All property owners are required to complete a new declaration in 2023. You have from 1 January until 30 June 2023 to do the declaration. This obligation applies to all owners of residential property, whether private individuals and companies, you must declare the occupancy of their homes in the section " Gérer mes biens immobiliers " on your impots.gouv.fr access.

Why do I have to declare?

The Taxe d’habitation was abolished for main residences from 2023. In order to determine precisely those owners still liable for the tax, which is applicable on second homes or rentals) or the tax on vacant housing, the Tax Services (DGFiP) asks all property owners to make an additional declaration to the tax authorities before the 1st July 2023Finance Law 2020.

Who needs declare?

This concerns all owners, individuals and companies, of residential real estate:

1. shared owner;

2. usufructuaries;

3. property companies (SCI).

How do I declare?

All owners must indicate for each of their premises, in what capacity they occupy them and, if they do not occupy them themselves, declare the identity of the occupants on the 1st January 2023.

This declaration must be made online, on the online service "Manage my real estate" from your personal or professional space of the site impots.gouv.fr imperatively before July 1, 2023.

To do this, log in to your personal or professional space on the impots.gouv.fr website with your tax number and password and go to the "Real estate" tab to make a declaration of occupation for each of your properties (main residence, second home, rented premises, premises occupied free of charge, vacant premises) and monthly rent (optional).

What do I declare?

To facilitate this new process, the occupancy information already known to the tax services will be pre-displayed. So you will just have to validate that information or complete the correct information.

If you need to declare different information, you will need to prepare the following:

1. the terms of occupation of the premises (in a personal capacity, by third parties);

2. the nature of the occupation (main residence, secondary residence, rented premises, premises occupied free of charge, vacant premises (unfurnished and unoccupied));

3. the identity of the occupants (persons: surname, first name, date of

birth, place of birth / company: name, SIREN);

4. the period of occupation (or vacancy) of the premises(s) they own (beginning, end of the period of occupancy);

5. In the case of seasonal rentals: the start of the seasonal rental period and the terms of management of the property (self-managed or rental contract with manager which excludes any personal use), the SIREN of the management company or that of the owner if applicable, the possible classification of the gite as meublé de tourisme.

6. monthly rent excluding charges (optional)

Any change of situation will require a new declaration.

If you don’t complete the process or make an error, omission or incomplete declaration, a fine of € 150 per local may be applied. I advise that you do this at the same time as your personal tax return.

Oh no! It is that time of the year again when you have to fill in your income tax form. It’s all in French and there are lots of pages and boxes to fill in! And they may have changed it again!

Well, worry not, help is at hand. I will try to explain it to you and make it simple. I will only cover the most common revenues so for more technical information, contact me directly.

Changes

They have put box 8TK back on the 2042 so no need to also have the 2042-C

Important dates:

You have to declare your revenue for the year 2022 (January 1st to 31st of December). However, the tax office accepts that you use the revenue corresponding to the UK tax year.

You can start filling the forms online (only if it is NOT the first time) from the 13th of April and until the 23rd of May 2023 for Departments 1 to 19 (Charente is 16), 30th of May 2023 for

Departments 20 to 49 and 7th of June 2023 for

French Income Tax

PART TWO - TAX FORMS

in (so more or less or even reimburse you if you had less income than 2021). Or change the % tax on your salary if you are an employee.

What forms and how do you fill them in:

The 2042 is the blue form that everybody has to fill in and it is on this form that you report what you have filled in on other forms. But there are different versions of the 2042:

2042: This is the normal blue 2042 form that everyone has to fill in - no exceptions. Check or fill in the information on page 1 (name, address, etc). On page 2, check or fill in the information asked for (marital status, etc) and make sure it is correct as they can give you allowances or discounts (invalidity, number of children living with you, etc).

Note that this year, the box for employing a gardener or cleaner, giving to charity is on the normal 2042

2042RICI: This is the form on which you report things that give you tax credits such as having kids at collège, lycée, etc or doing some work on your house related to saving energy and ecology. Note that this year, the box for employing a gardener or cleaner, giving to charity is on the normal 2042.

the 17.7% tax credit on your dividends. Those boxes are on the last page of form 2042-C.

2042C Pro: If you are self-employed in France, this is where you fill in your professional revenue.

This is also the form used to declare revenues from gîtes or chambre d’hôtes non-professional.

2044: This is the form to fill in if your gross rental income is superior to 15 000 euro per year.

2047: This is the purple form (or pink) on which you enter your revenue from abroad. It is better if you start with this one and then report the result on the other forms. Here is how to do it:

Departments 50 and above (Deux Sèvres is 79, Vienne 86 and Haute-Vienne 87).

Deadline to send or deposit your paper tax form is the 18th of May 2023.

The result (the bill) is called Avis d’imposition and is sent to you from mid-August.

Note that in September 2023, the French government will then readjust the amount that they take out of your current account monthly according to what you have filled

2042C: This is the form to have if you are under the French health system via an S1 (you are receiving a state pension). You need to tick box 8SH (declarant 1) and/or 8SI (declarant 2) to avoid paying social charges on your interest (see example below). You can also find box 8VL which is

2047: Enter all your pension revenues (even those from the civil service that are taxed in the UK) on page 1, section 1 in the box called « Pensions, retraites, rentes”. Be careful, you now must tick the box stating if the pension is public (ex-civil servant) or privé (private and state pension/old age). So, if you have both, tick both boxes. You then have to report pensions to the pension section on the 2042, page 3, section 1, line 1AM (or 1BM for declarant 2) for pensions taxed in France (state pension and private pensions) and line 1AL (or 1BL for declarant 2) for pensions from UK government employees such as teachers, civil servant, military, NHS, etc).

In section 2, on page 2 is where you put the interest you earned on savings in the UK. And yes, ISAs and Premium bonds are taxable in France as you are French

resident! So, you have to fill them in at the bottom of page 2 in the box 230 “intérêts”. Enter the country of origin, then you write the amount on line 2TR, line 252. Then you report the amount in line 2TR, page 3, section 2 of the 2042. You also need to tick box 2OP on form 2042, page 3 if you want the interest to be taxed according to the rest of your income and not at 12.8% flat tax.

In section 4, you enter the revenues from house rental abroad. Then report on section 6 to get the tax credit (because it is taxed in the UK) and report on line4BE and 4BK, section 4 of the 2042. If revenues from gross rental are > 15000 euro, you have to fill in the 2044 form and report the figures on line 4BA and 4BL on form 2042.

In section 6, you put the revenue from government employees' pension (military, police, NHS, civil servant, etc) and rental income from property in the UK (those will always be taxed in the UK whether you are French resident or not). Then you report the amount in line 8TK, last page of the 2042. This is because those revenues/income get

a tax credit in France equivalent to what the tax would be on it in France as they are taxed in the UK. You must enter the gross amount (before tax for pensions or expenses for rental).

3916: you have a bank account outside France, then you have to declare it on that form (sections 1 and 4). One form per account. Failing to declare them brings a fine of 1 500 euro per account not declared. 10K if the account is in Jersey, Panama or other countries who don’t play nice with the French tax office!

You will also need to tick box 8UU on the last page of the 2042 stating you have a bank account outside of France or 8TT if you have an Assurance Vie investment account.

Don’t forget to date and sign the forms! If it is your first, join a RIB and a copy of your passport.

The exchange rate for 2022 is 1.17 (that is the average of last year). You can get another rate from your local tax office, use theirs if it is lower than 1.17! Note that when you ask the official Paris tax office they tell you to use the rate from the “banque de France” on the day you got paid! Or use the average of the year.

If your pension has been directly transferred to your French bank account, just add up all the figures of last year as long as it is a gross amount (not taxed at source).

Help:

A complete guide on how to fill in your tax form online is on our website:

https://bh-assurances.fr/taxes/ - if you can’t find it, email me!!

If you are one of my customers, you are entitled to free help in 2 of our offices (no appointments, just turn up):

Chasseneuil sur Bonnieure on Tuesday the 9th of May, all day apart from 12-2pm (my lunch)

Ruffec on Thursday the 11th of May, all day apart from 12-2pm (my lunch)

Please make sure you have all the figures ready and the relevant forms (you can get them from your local tax office or online) when you come to see me. Otherwise I get very grumpy! And remember to check out our website www.bh-assurances.fr/en for all my previous articles and register to receive our monthly newsletter. You can also follow us on Facebook: “Allianz Jacques Boulesteix et Romain Lesterpt”.

You can get another rate from your local tax office, use theirs if it is lower than 1.17!

HELEN BOOTH

INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVISER deVere France

Have you done everything possible to ensure a comfortable and financially independent retirement?

Your retirement income may depend on several workplace pensions, social security pensions, or investments and savings. Are you confident that you have enough saved up?

Did you know there are ways to optimise your retirement income and reduce taxation?

Pension transfers - You could transfer all your workplace pensions into one taxefficient place where you have control over the investment choices, e.g. a QROPS. Often workplace pensions are invested in generic funds, and returns are not necessarily optimised. You might end up with several smaller workplace pensions. It could make sense to have them all in one

Is it Enough for Retirement?

place where a larger amount can earn more interest.

Private pensions – A private pension is something you have control over and could be the one constant during your working life, e.g. a SIPP (Self-Invested Pension Plan). Because we change jobs an average of seven times in our lifetime, a private pension could be the way to guarantee a specific retirement income. It would be best to decide whether your workplace pension will be your primary source of retirement income or your private pension.

Do you know at what age you wish to retire?

This could significantly impact your retirement planning. Remember that we are living longer, and our retirement will be longer than our parents’. The longer the retirement, the more you must save.

What about supplementing your pension if you want to retire earlier?

A separate investment could help bridge the gap years if you wanted to retire earlier

than expected without eating into your primary source of income, e.g. if your retirement planning and forecasts were planned for 65 and you want to retire at 62. Remember, you earn the most interest on your capital in the last few years before retirement. Retiring early could see you run out of money down the line.

It is always good to have an extra retirement income source that is not part of monthly income plans. These savings could cover any financial emergencies and unforeseen expenses or be used for holidays. Either way, having a pot of gold hidden away at the end of a rainbow for a rainy day is always good.

Chat with your advisor about optimising your retirement portfolio and adding on supplements.

Please note, the above is for educational purposes only and does not constitute advice. You should always contact your advisor for a personal consultation. * No liability can be accepted for any actions taken or refrained from being taken, as a result of reading the above.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We are living longer, and our retirement will be longer than our parents’

Personal Branding (for the Self-Employed)

In a world where competition is intense, and there is a lot of face-to-face contact with clients, self-employed tradespeople should definitely focus on personal branding. Your personal brand is what potential clients buy into. It can help you stand out from your competitors, build trust with clients, and establish a strong reputation in your industry.

It is the process of creating a unique image or reputation. At the most basic level, your personal brand is a culmination of your personality, values, knowledge, and experience. Customers get a sense of 'your brand' when they interact directly with you and find out about you through digital spaces such as your website or social media. Personal branding is about YOU, the qualities that make you and your business different.

You are not relatable to everyone. But you are relatable to those who relate to your personal brand – those unique qualities, values, knowledge, and experience that make up your business. So, for example, a

well-liked, trusted tradesperson with a positive trail of feedback is more likely to secure work than one who pays no attention to their reputation or does not care about it.

People buy from people. Authenticity is important. You can't fake a personal brand because it comes through when you are on the job and through your communication. It's not about vanity or ego. It's about understanding yourself as a business owner and how you communicate your qualities in your day-today behaviour while on the tools, through your website, social spaces, and customer reviews.

A starting point is to assess how you see yourself. What are your values, your principles? What experience and knowledge do you possess? How is this backed up? How do your customers see you? Ask them. How would they rate your customer service and communication skills and the delivery of your work? There may well be some surprises. How clients see you may be similar to how you see

yourself. But if not, some gaps may need to be improved.

If you want to be a well-liked, trusted tradesperson in your area, personal brand and reputation are essential as it helps to attract more clients and establish you as an expert in your field. In addition, over time, a strong reputation can help a tradesperson differentiate themselves from competitors and build a loyal client base.

English-speaking lawyer, registered before French Bar, 25 years’ experience

Amanda is a registered Naturopathic Nutritionist and

Nutrigenomics

OF US ADORE OUR MORNING COFFEE AND CAN’T IMAGINE AN AFTERNOON WITHOUT OUR CAFFEINE PICK-ME-UP

Coffee has been loved for centuries and for some time it was seen as an unhealthy choice, though recent research has proven that coffee is definitely good for you! Coffee does come with a few side effects, however. If you don’t buy the highest quality coffee then you can end up with a jittery feeling if you drink too much and headaches when you begin to withdraw. If you decide to go caffeine free, you also run the risk of drinking residues of solvents that are used in the decaffeination process too. It’s very hard to know just how much caffeine you are getting when some cups of coffee can leave you hyper and wired. Let me introduce you to matcha. Matcha green tea is a newcomer to the healthy drinks market and it boasts a fabulous range of benefits. Like coffee, matcha contains a high level of antioxidants which some believe may have anti-cancer properties. In addition to that, and unlike coffee, matcha contains L-Theanine. L-Theanine is an amino acid, a building block of protein which does almost the opposite of the unwanted side effects of coffee. It works in reducing anxiety and is calming on the nervous system. It promotes relaxation without acting like a

sedative so you remain alert and calm at the same time throughout the day when you drink matcha. It also stimulates the production of GABA which is a neurotransmitter that reduces stress and regulates mood.

It works in reducing anxiety and is calming on the nervous system

I decided to switch to matcha and the benefits were noticeable straight away, I lost that over-caffeinated feeling in just a few days and I felt calm. Feeling calm means that no-stress feeling throughout the day, better interactions with people and generally better relaxation even when exercising. It feels great and is much better for the nervous system!

Matcha contains chlorophyll so I know that I am getting healthy phytochemicals that help my health and improve the appearance of my skin. Chlorophyll is the green pigment in green vegetables and plants. Matcha tastes great, it’s sweeter than coffee and it speeds up the metabolism which increases the number of calories burned too!

Matcha contains a very high number of catechins, which are antioxidants. Antioxidants help your body to remove harmful substances called free radicals

which are unstable atoms that cause cell mutation and damage throughout the body. So you are giving your immune system a boost with every cup and aiding detoxification pathways. Antioxidants are usually found in the rainbow of fruits and vegetables so finding a way to include them in my hot drinks throughout the day is such a boost!

‘Our Healthy Kitchen’ is the new weightloss choice From just 6€ a week (5€ if you commit to 6 months) Ran by trained coaches with years of experience. Weds 9am & Thurs 10.30am - Contact me for full details What you get: A starter pack - Weekly recipe/inspiration card - Simple calorie counting Cooking demonstrations - EXCLUSIVE Facebook access - Milestone certificates Contact Michelle on: +33 (0) 7 84 83 78 13 +44 (0) 7712235151 or email: michelle@rosequartzceremonies.co.uk Siret 91936185700015 Naturopathic Nutritionist Amanda King BSc (OPEN) Dip. Nut. CNM nutrition@amandakingnd.com t. 06 32 83 12 79 Siret 91503451600012 Focusing on the root cause, not symptoms Fatigue • Poor sleep • Weight issues Hormonal Fluctuations • Menopause Fertility, Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Chronic illness • Diabetes • Cancer • Arthritis Sports nutrition • Thyroid support Depression or Anxiety • Chronic Pain MANY

Spa days / Spa Nights: hut tub, massage + lunch / supper + b&b. Gift vouchers available. Specialist in Hot Stones Massage, Indian Head, Reiki, Facelift Rejuvenation, Shiatsu

dinners

with Nikki Digital Photography & Knife-making workshops with Sean

Couples Counselling Mental Wellbeing

The Importance of Pollination

MANY OF US HAVE FRUIT TREES, NUTS, AND VEGETABLES THAT REQUIRE POLLINATION FOR THE PRODUCE TO DEVELOP FOR HARVESTING

Ioften get asked why someone didn’t get any apples, pears, plums, walnuts the previous year. There are many factors involved, including late frosts, but often it is because something has hindered the process of pollination.

First of all, it is useful to understand that (most) fruits cannot develop without the process of pollination having taken place. Literally it is the same as in humans; without fertilisation a baby will not develop, and biologically the process is very similar in humans as it is in plants. Plants have organs that are very similar to animals; there is an ovary where the seeds develop, these organs being contained within the flower. Many plant species are hermaphrodite, and also contain the male parts that produce the pollen. In these

flowers self-pollination is possible, although many plants have developed mechanisms to avoid self-pollination, and promote cross-pollination which strengthens the gene pool. For example apples and pears have evolved a process called Protogyny, where the female parts of the flower reach maturity before the stamen (the male structures) ripen and release the pollen, and therefore selfpollination is avoided. Apples are also unreceptive to their own pollen and for this reason you need to have at least one different type of apple tree growing nearby to ensure that crosspollination occurs and that the fruits develop.

Apples are also unreceptive to their own pollen and for this reason you need to have at least one different type of apple tree growing nearby

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

When pollen lands on the stigma (a sticky pad that sits above the ovary) if the pollen is receptive it begins to grow a tiny tube that pushes its way down into the style (a stalk that connects the stigma and the ovary), through tiny channels called ‘stylar canals’, and when it reaches the ovary it connects with an ovule (an undeveloped seed) and the two nuclei fuse to form the first cell that will develop into the seed - this is the process of fertilisation. For plants that produce more than one seed within their ovary, each ovule requires a separate pollen grain to fertilise it. Apples typically produce 5 seeds, and therefore need at least 5 grains

Caroline Wright Le jardin créatif

Male and female courgette flowers, the female with the ovary attached behind

Female kiwi flower

Male kiwi flower

Female holly flower

Male holly flower

Heath fritillary butterfly on the catkin tree

Bumblebee collecting nectar

of pollen for a complete process. If complete pollination does not take place then the apple will develop misshapen.

Some plants produce separate male and female flowers, i.e. some of the flowers will only have the male structures, and some will only possess the female organs. Courgettes are a good example of thisyou can tell which are the female flowers because they have a miniature courgette (the ovary) behind the flower. You need to plant a couple of courgette plants to ensure that there will be male flowers (without the ovary) open at the same time. Cucumbers and squash are the same.

Some plants go one step further and are gender specific, they produce some plants that are male, i.e. possessing flowers with only the male parts, and some that are female. You need to have at least one male and one female in order to get the fruits. Kiwi and holly are examples of this type of plant. So if you have no berries on your holly, it is either a male plant, or a lonely female!

There are two main agents of pollination: insects and wind. Insect pollinated flowers will be bright and showy and often scented, with tiny glands at the base of the petals that produce nectar which entices

the insects to visit the flower. If the weather is bad at the time of flowering and insects have difficulty flying then poor pollination will lead to a lack of fruiting. As I write, it is very windy with heavy rain, and the peach tree is in full bloom, so this will inevitably have an effect on my peach crop this year.

Wind pollinated plants such as walnuts, hazelnuts, grasses, and sweetcorn produce masses of pollen, causing many people with hayfever days of misery, but it is necessary for the plant because the process is much more haphazard; it relies on a chance meeting of the pollen and the stigma as pollen grains drift on the wind. Again high winds and heavy rain can hinder this process.

Therefore it is important to choose a sheltered spot for planting your fruit trees, and for your potager, but avoid the bottom of a slope too because this can cause a frost pocket, where cold air naturally collects. If you already have an orchard which is in an exposed position, consider planting a hedge or shelter belt to protect from strong winds. You can also encourage pollinating insects by planting scented and flowering plants close by that will attract them. Keeping bees will also be a bonusthis is something that we have done for the first time this year.

There is also an interesting biological process called Parthenocarpy, where a plant will spontaneously produce fruit without fertilisation having taken place. In nature this does not ensure the success of the species because ultimately no seeds are produced, but in cultivation this can be a useful process and growers will propagate vegetatively to produce seedless vegetables such as seedless grapes, some citrus fruits, bananas, and some varieties of cucumber.

If you have any horticultural questions, I am happy to take suggestions for future articles, or if you need planting advice you can pop along to our nursery and garden on Saturdays (10am-4pm, March –end of October) and have a chat with us.

You can find details of our workshops, courses and browse our plant list: www.lejardincreatif.net

Wild garlic pesto bread Wild garlic

Some plants go one step further and are gender specific

Le jardin créatif

This Month in the garden

MAY IS THE START OF SUMMER FOR ME! IN MAY, THE DAYS ARE GETTING WARMER, THE DAYLIGHT HOURS GIVE EVEN MORE TIME TO WORK OR RELAX IN THE GARDEN, AND EVEN MORE VARIETY OF PLANT COLOUR AND PERFUME IS PLAYING IN THE AIR AND IN OUR VISION

Every year I warn of the potential danger of ‘les saints de glace’ (11th, 12th and 13th May) - if I’m honest I am now wondering if their potential for destruction is waning with global warming!

In this article I want to look at ways of enhancing our gardens with pots and hanging baskets as many nurseries, garden centres, and even supermarkets are full of bedding plants.

The plants we usually use for summer planting and bedding are those which grow quickly and easily, offering seasonal flower and foliage colour. The plants most commonly chosen are from one or more of the following categories:

▪ half-hardy annuals (HHA) such as nemesia, marigolds and nasturtium. These tend to complete their life-cycle in one season. If grown from seed, they are generally sown indoors and grown on.

▪ Hardy annuals (HA) can be sown outdoors directly into the soil in spring. These will include Alyssum, Calendula (pot marigold) and Iberis (candytuft).

The container or basket you use can be almost anything you find in the garden –from a traditional pot, a wire basket or wall hanging, to an old teapot, a broken pot, an old boot or old wellies – let your imagination take over! I’ve used an old swimming pool filter tank for a large static display. But within these quite broad parameters there are several things which are essential:

1. adequate drainage, ensuring containers have drainage holes in the base, drilling extra holes if necessary;

2. if there is the danger that compost might be washed out from too large a hole, put a stone or crocks (pieces of old broken pots) over the hole;

3. If possible, raise the container on small blocks or bricks to guard against waterlogging

Bedding plants in pots are very hungry plants, and will use all the nutrients in the soil in a single year

4. Bear in mind that small pots, individually spaced, will dry out quickly, so plant in groups, or in large containers to help reduce the chore of watering;

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!

▪ Bedding plants in pots are very hungry plants, and will use all the nutrients in the soil in a single year;

▪ You may think this is only the second year of use of that compost, but are you really certain? Time passes and we all forget!

Finally, before you start planting, I recommend adding water-retaining granules following the manufacturer’s instructions, and some slowrelease fertiliser.

At last, we can get into planting our plants! The method I am going to recommend is one I came across earlier in the year, which sounds very interesting. It was suggested for hanging baskets, but I shall try it in pots also:

1. shred lots of paper

2. fill a bucket or a good-sized container with water and put some general feed in and give it a good stir – I shall use miracle grow or tomato food

3. add the shredded paper and let it soak for at one least hour in the water and general feed

▪ Some hardy perennials or shrubs such as winter-flowering heather, euphorbia and heuchera can give valuable flower and foliage colour through the winter months.

Plants take a little while to settle into their containers and begin to make root growth. At this stage it is very important to ensure the pots and small plants do not dry out. This means soaking the root ball well by standing in water before planting, and then keeping them moist for the next few weeks. Also, when you plant, do make sure there’s enough room to allow for growth from spring and during the summer.

5. But very large containers, such as my recycled swimming pool filter, will require a lot of compost to fill them. In such cases use broken polystyrene pieces at the base. This makes all large pots easier to handle.

Now is the time to decide on the planting medium - compost - you will use. This can refer to either homemade garden compost or seed/potting compost but these are very different things - garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste; seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers. I would recommend newly purchased potting compost, fresh each year. It is possible to use the compost you used last year. I cannot recommend that for two main reasons:

4. line the inside of the basket with a commercial liner, or with black plastic – remember to pierce holes in the latter

5. line with the wet shredded paperline the base and sides of the basket with a good 2.5 cm of the wet paper

6. now fill with a good compost, trim the edge of the basket, then hang up your basket and leave for a couple of weeks to settle. There should be a gap, about 2 cm, between the soil level and the top of the container. This will ensure water has room to soak in.

7. give the baskets a good watering, then just plant up your baskets.

You will find the baskets will want less watering and the plants will love the general feed. (Do give it a try and let me know your results via Gayle (email: editors.etcetera@gmail.com). Now all you

have to do is to keep an eye on your pots and enjoy them:

▪ Check the compost moisture regularly from April to September and water if dry. This may mean watering once or even twice a day

▪ Start feeding four to six weeks after planting, unless the compost contains a slow-release fertiliser

▪ Deadhead regularly to encourage more flowers to form

▪ Prevent the compost becoming sodden. With a bit of effort and imagination you can offer even more interest and colour to every part of your garden, be it large or small, a terrace, patio, or windowsill. Give it a go and try something different!

Two ladies VAN

This may mean watering once or even twice a day

PROPERTY DECLARATION

A few readers have expressed difficulties in completing the new obligatory property declaration, which has a limit of 30 June this year (please refer to Lindsey’s article, on page 19 for more details). If you are experiencing issues for this declaration, the best advice is to visit your local tax office in person so they can help you. You can also call the service d’information des impôts via their telephone line on 0809 401 401. The lines are open between 8:30am and 7pm, Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays. Expect delays in getting through, it has been publicised they have received 150,000 enquiries since January regarding the new property declaration.

GRANTS FOR VILLAGE SHOPS

Anewgrant ofupto80,000€ is now available for people opening new shops in rural areas. Insee (the statistics agency) found that 21,000 communes (which represents 62% of the total number in France) have no shops. In 1980, only 25% were without

shops. Eligible shops should beeithersituatedinvillagesor be mobile (for example, fishmongers, butchers etc.), that used to be a feature of rural life. Food shops will be givenpriorityforthegrant.To apply for the grant you need to contact your prefecture.

France’s Emergency Alert System

A group of French cyclists have made it into the Guinness Book of Records by cycling a 1025km route in the shape of a dinosaur. The trip saw them cycle through Cher, Saôneet-Loire, Indre, Nièvre, Creuse and Puy-de-Dôme. Using the Strava GPS app, creative cyclists and runners have been designing ‘Strava Art’! Visit Strava’s Facebook page for more examples from around the world.

You may have heard about the UK recently testing their new national alert system on mobile phones and are wondering if France has the same. FR-Alert has been operational since last June, sending messages to a group of people in a certain geographical area, as well as nationwide. The system is triggered if there is a natural disaster (e.g. storms, cyclones, fires), a biological or chemical accident (e.g. gas leaks, nuclear incidents), health accidents (pandemics, agri-food incidents), technological and industrial accidents (malfunction of telecommunication systems, serious accidents on road, rail or air networks, industrial incidents) or a serious public security issue (e.g. an act of terrorism). As with the system in the UK, it doesn’t work if the phone is switched off or in flight mode but it will work if it’s on silent. No registration for the system is needed. The system works by cell broadcast, which means it uses radio waves (not SMS) from telecommunication antennas, which is sent to all phones within a certain radius of the antenna. Mobiles that are out of the 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G signal range will not receive the alert. For more information visit: www.fr-alert.gouv.fr

IMAGE CREDIT: Strava, Facebook

FRENCH CYCLISTS BREAK GPS ART RECORD

Bank Holiday Predator Fishing

THE LAST WEEKEND OF APRIL SIGNALLED THE OFFICIAL START OF THE PREDATOR SEASON WHEN RESTRICTIONS ON USING LURES AND FISH BAITS ON CATEGORY 2 WATERS WERE REMOVED

Double check with your departmental fisheries website though as some zander close seasons have been staggered, remaining open until March, and are now closed. Because of the bank holidays that seem to be every other day in May, bank space may be at a premium on some waters as the opening of the predator season is eagerly awaited by many local anglers. Perch, pike, and zander are the most popular target species and these are present in many of the region’s waters –still and flowing. The mecca is of course de Vassivière up in the Millevaches where there is ample bank space, but there are plenty of places more locally that hold specimen pike, perch, and zander. Being so far inland and of a higher altitude our rivers and lakes are well suited to these cold water-loving predators. The local anglers fish for these species using soft latex lures mounted on special leaded hooks, or using small roach live baits that may be bought from large tackle shops. Pike have sharp teeth and so a wire trace is advisable to avoid a bite off. Zander are almost as well equipped in the dentistry department, but hard fluorocarbon or Kevlar traces are increasingly being favoured where pike are not likely to take the bait or lure.

Zander often respond better in low light conditions and given that night fishing is not allowed for any species other than carp on public waters, that leaves overcast or cloudy days as potentially offering the best chances of sport. That said there is a school of thought in France that the two or three days either side of a full moon offer the best chances for specimen zander and pike.

By Clive Kenyon

wire, fluorocarbon, or Kevlar attached to a single hook of around size 6 to 10, or a small treble hook. This method will work in still water too. Despite their fearsome appearance zander are notoriously shy biters and often just one tap on the quiver tip is all you will see, so the advice is to strike at every knock and do not wait for things to develop into a run as you would with pike. Zander will be found in the fastest current, around features such as bridges and gravel bars but predominantly prefer shady areas especially in bright conditions.

As the water warms up, catfish will become more active and the last hour before dusk can be a productive time to fish for them as they move out of their daytime hidey holes and into their ambush points in preparation for night time feeding. Just remember that only carp fishing tactics are allowed on public waters at night and then only in designated places usually identified by ‘Carpe de Nuit’ signs alongside the water’s edge. Whilst the gardes de pêche might overlook you using a string of two large pellets on your hair rig ostensibly for carp, they might not be quite so understanding about your using live bait at night.

Just remember that only carp fishing tactics are allowed on public waters at night and then only in designated places

You don’t need any special tackle other than suitable traces to catch zander. Anglers fishing the River Severn in England have adapted quiver tip methods using swimfeeders loaded with fishy groundbait to catch large zander. Apart from the groundbait which can be made from conventional white breadcrumb with mashed sardines added, the only difference between a barbel rig and one used for zander is the uprated trace of

Duffer’s Fortnight

Fly-anglers who fish rivers such as the Test, Itchen, and Derbyshire Derwent will know of the ‘Duffer’s Fortnight’, a period which,when it is reputed, forms the easiest fishing of the season. Mayflies hatch in considerable numbers towards the end of that month and into the early days of June. When the flies begin to hatch, trout can become increasingly preoccupied with the ascending nymphs and hatching flies and will abandon all suspicion to gorge on this annual feast, or so legend has it. One of the most eminent of fly-fishers,; John Waller Hills, stated that the best fishing of this fortnight, the ‘crème de la crème’ of fly-fishing for trout, occurred on the 4th and 12th days from the commencement of the hatch. Of course to take advantage of this you would have to be aware of the annual hatch starting. On rivers that issue day tickets it is often difficult if not

impossible to book tickets in the period of the last week of May through to the second week in June and some anglers only bother to take their fly-fishing tackle out for this period.

For those who simply cannot wait for the mayflies to put in an appearance you can always fall back on the hawthorn fly that begins to emerge around the 25th April, or St. Mark’s day accounting for its Latin name of bibio marci. The hawthorn fly is easily identifiable in being black all over and having long trailing legs. They fly clumsily and can fall onto the water in large numbers and will be eagerly taken by trout, chub, and dace. Caddis grub imitations and sedges are always worth a shout too.

There is good fly-fishing on the higher reaches of the Vienne, Creuse and Dordogne rivers as well as the famous stretch of the Touvre near to Angoulême that is a short stretch of chalk stream emerging from the ground close to the village of the same name as a fully-fledged river and discharges into the River Charente just 12km from its source.

Nearby you will find the Bonnieure and the delightfully named Son-Sonnette, both Category 1 trout rivers. Going towards Dordogneshire, the upper reaches of the Tardoire and Bandiat hold trout as does the large Lac at Saint-Mathieu.

Probably the best trout fishing in the greater region, or close to it, is the River Dordogne and the well known parcourses of Argentat-sur-Dordogne, Saint-Bazile -de-la-Roche, Saint-Céré and Beaulieusur-Dordogne. These are all ‘No Kill’ zones where barbless hooks are mandatory and all fish should be returned. For those with camping-cars, caravans, or camping equipment there are some lovely little campsites in the Rocamadour area where fly-fishing can be practised. As well as indigenous brown trout and grayling, the Department de Pêche have stocked rainbow trout and there is an annual run of salmon and shad.

For my part May is when mullet start to migrate inland, and the estuarine areas of the Marais-Poitevin is where I will be heading this month in search of the grey ghosts.

Hooray, Hooray, the First of May

SO RUNS THE FIRST PART OF AN OLD AMERICAN CELEBRATORY GREETING

You have to be careful how you use it; the second line of the couplet is: Outdoor sex begins today!

I knew of a lady who used to say the whole couplet whenever she answered her telephone on May Day. Since it was in the days of old black Bakelite telephones, with no Caller Identification, she must have startled quite a few commercial callers!

But that is what May has always represented. It is the time when animals and birds are getting on with producing the next generations of their various species, and what is more natural than that humans should pick up on this.

Here we come gathering nuts in May

Oh, no, you don’t! Not unless you are living south of the Equator, and even then it would be a bit late. What you would be gathering is “Knots of May”, or bunches of hawthorn flowers (although since 1752, when Britain reformed its calendar, and everything slipped by 11 days, hawthorn has tended to flower in late May or June). This floral expedition of course could be quite innocent, but the system of ladies to “Go Maying”, ostensibly to

pick flowers in the woods, was often a cover for more robust activities. Talking about flowers in the woods, it seems that bluebell woods are as scarce in France as they are sadly becoming in England. There are lovely woods full of daffodils - tiny wild daffodils - but I had never encountered any bluebell woods. However, our beloved Editor is familiar with a beautiful wood near her home that is filled with bluebells, so perhaps my assumptions have been wrong. There seem to be plenty of grape hyacinths by the roadsides, but I hadn't seen a bluebell. I must look around more carefully.

All the birds of the air … … should by now be raising families. I saw my first Hoopoe of the year, and the first House Martins, before the end of March, so they have had plenty of time to get their acts together. Remember, the adults are running themselves ragged trying to push enough food down their little ones’ throats to keep them alive, and the poor adults can do with a bit of help, so please keep your bird-feeder tables stocked for them.

ByMikeGeorge

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

with anything so large, not even to spit it out! Ensure your feeders can only deliver small samples of food, especially fragments of larger nuts.

Later on, the adults may well bring the fledglings to share food at the feedingstation. This can be a wonderful thing to see, especially if the woodpeckers bring their young. Watch out for cats, though; young woodpeckers have a tendency to wait their turn near ground-level, which makes them easy targets for cats.

Larks in the clear air

The bird rises, singing constantly, from ground level up to as high as 1000 feet, where they hang, far from motionless

But please remember to ensure that they cannot take a large piece of food back to the babies. A whole peanut shoved into a hapless chick’s mouth can easily mean death, as it hasn’t the equipment to deal

May is a good time to listen for skylarks. Go out on a sunny day into a rural area with cultivated fields and listen. You will find it hard to spot the larks but you will hear their high-pitched chirruping song coming from high above you. These are the males, and they are trying to impress their females. The bird rises, singing constantly, from ground level up to as high as 1000 feet, where they hang, far from motionless, but not moving any distance. They sing uninterruptedly for up to an hour. It is a display of endurance and fitness to show what strong fathers they would make.

The song of the lark has inspired some fine music and poetry over the centuries.

Ralph Vaughan-Williams’ Lark Ascending,

in its original form of duet for piano and violin, or in its later orchestral incarnation, is stunning; actually to hear a real lark can seem something of an anticlimax! Still, it is one of the sounds of early summer that should be sought out and savoured. Sadly, it is one of the joys of summer that is lost as one’s hearing deteriorates with age, so do take the opportunity to listen while you can.

Pond-watching

During May the tadpoles that hatch from the frog- and toad-spawn that was laid in February should be pretty active by now. Frog tadpoles are black with brown or golden speckles; toad tadpoles are black. Fully aquatic and taking all their air through gills from the water in which they must live, they gradually fill out and start sprouting limbs: hind-limbs first, then fore-limbs. Gradually they will reabsorb

A baby Green Toad, so young he has only just finished re-absorbing his tail. Soon he will be the same size as the hand!

A skylark mounts into the heavens, singing lustily to attract a mate

A hoopoe brings food to its mate in its nest-hole. Be grateful you cannot smell the nest!

A glorious display of bluebells in an English wood in May

A House Martin skims over water on its way home to breed

their gills and begin to gain the ability to breathe air directly, so necessary for their adult existence. While it is true that an adult frog can stay underwater and remain able to absorb oxygen, it is a very inefficient process. It can just keep a frog alive if there is no high oxygen demand, but it is sad to observe that, during the February mating frenzy, some female frogs can drown underwater if they cannot reach the surface.

About now, dragonflies and damselflies start to appear on ponds and rivers. These charming creatures are a triumph of evolutionary specialisation as far as hunting and food-capturing goes, but the compromises that they have had to develop to enable species propagation are astounding. Rearranging the positioning of genitalia to facilitate mating on the wing has in some cases been extreme. The need then to lay their eggs in plant-tissue underwater has led to even more extreme developments. The female of one damselfly species has even been found to be able to submerge herself and perform an extended laying process whilst breathing air trapped in the hairs around her body.

Incidentally, though some folks find a good-sized dragonfly can be a

disconcertingly large insect to find flying around their head, the insect’s eyesight and sense of position are so welldeveloped that there is virtually no chance of an accidental impact. Think, though, how one might have reacted to some of the earliest manifestations of the dragonfly clan. Meganeura monyii, a dragonfly found preserved in coal-measure strata from the Carboniferous era, which therefore lived some 330 million years ago, had a wingspan up to 30 inches (about 75 cm).

Enjoy your early summer. Soon it will be June, and things really kick off!

These charming creatures are a triumph of evolutionary specialisation as far as hunting and food-capturing goes

A young house-martin awaiting food in his mud-built nest.

A juvenile Greater Spotted Woodpecker winning a peanut from a feeding station. Now grown and fledged, it can cope with a whole peanut; smaller, unfledged birds might die if given such a large morsel

Pairs of damselflies preparing to lay eggs. The male clasps the female behind her head, to shield her, while her abdomen is free to do its work.

A reconstruction of , the giant 30-inch wingspan dragonfly of the Carboniferous coal-forests 300 million years ago

THERE ARE MANY INCONSISTENCIES IN THE SCIENCE OF NATURAL HISTORY. ONE OF THE CHIEF PROBLEMS IS THE WAY WE IDENTIFY THE THINGS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.

You would think that this would be the first thing to get settled before we could even begin, but it wasn’t so.

The trouble is that the whole thing started from the outside inwards. When they wanted to discuss something they had seen, people with no scientific background (which was, basically, everybody) had to make up a name for the flower/butterfly/small furry rodent/large ravening carnivore they were talking about, and be agreed on that fragment of nature to which the name referred, before they could start discussing it. The name they ended up with in any given situation would depend on the knowledge and imagination of the speakers, their language, history and probably their belief systems.

Even the people in the next valley probably had a totally different name for whatever-it-was

Redbreast (English), Roodborst (Dutch), Rotkehichen (German), Rödhake (Swedish) are all reasonably interchangeable – at least you know some red component is involved (Robin is a nickname originally tacked alliteratively onto Redbreast, probably just for fun, that has now actually become the bird’s name in English). Even an American Robin is a different bird from our European friend. Mostly, however, the name applied only in that small neck of the woods – even the people in the next valley probably had a totally different name for whatever-it-was.

ByMikeGeorge

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

Sometimes this might mean that the name could be usable all over the place, especially if you were naming it for some outstanding physical characteristic. Thus

Over the centuries, by agreement, many of these names became more widespread, until we get to the stage when we can say, “It’s called the Red Admiral in English, the Vulcain in France, Atalanta in Dutch, Admiral in German, Rod Amiral in Swedish,” etc. In point of fact, the English

name is itself an alteration, having originally been, “Red Admirable”. This problem was solved, at least for the scientists among us, by a Swedish botanist, biologist and doctor named Carl von Linné 1707-1778 (he liked to use the Latin equivalent of his name, Carolus Linnaeus, because it sounded more learned!). He took a fledgling idea, that names should be systematised and worldwide, and made it the formal system that it is today. He is known as the “Father of taxonomy.” In his system all creatures were grouped first into a Kingdom (plant or animal – now also fungi), then into a Phylum depending upon a major characteristic, then into a Class, then an Order, then a Family, then a Genus, then a Species, each criterion being narrower. There may be intervening groupings also, but these are the chief

ones. For example, the Large White butterfly, scourge of your cabbages, is an animal (Family), with jointed legs (Arthropod – Phylum). It has six legs and three body divisions (Insect – Class), large, leaf-shaped wings (Lepidoptera –Order), Club-ended antennae (Rhopalocera or Butterfly – Superfamily), large, flamboyant wings and flight (Papillionidae – Family) then its main form puts it in the Genus Papilio, and its detailed form and mating restrictions put it in the Species brassicae.

All living things, plant, animal – and fungus – can, with a bit of jiggling and experience, be fitted into this system. The important bits, for most of us, are the last two designations, genus and species. Everything is given a generic name and a

species epithet, which defines it worldwide. It may seem meaningless, being based often on a combination of Greek or Roman mythology and the name of someone you’ve never heard of, but it refers to just one species, and if you use it, your interlocutor, no matter what language he or she speaks, can know to what piece of life’s jigsaw you are referring. Even better, there are fixed rules for using this system. The generic name, which is like a family name, is always given a capital initial letter, while the species epithet, which is the equivalent of a

forename, has a lowercase first letter. Moreover, if written they should be in italic script.

This non-capitalisation holds even where the species epithet is derived from a person’s name. Thus Diplodocus carnegii, although named after Andrew Carnegi the philanthropist, takes a lower-case letter. You can name your animal after anybody you like. Some pop-fan named a trilobite Agerina boygeorgei after his favourite pop-star. The ultimate is Anophthalmus hitleri , a small (5mm long) blind cave beetle that a German entomologist named in honour of the Chancellor of Germany in 1937. The Führer was apparently delighted. In fact, the only person you can’t name a species after is yourself!

There are a few weird rules. I said just now that this “binomial” was unique to one being. In fact, you can have the same genus name for a plant and for an animal, e.g. Pieris is the generic name of the White butterflies and the Ericaceae shrub. Also, you can have the specific and the generic name the same for an animal (e.g. Bison bison, the North American Bison, or Gorilla gorilla, the Western Lowland Gorilla), but never for a plant.

Once a species has been described and all the protocols have been followed, the name stays forever after linked to that species, specifically to the actual specimen described, which is designated the holotype specimen. One of the main things that the great museums do is guard holotype specimens very carefully. The name can only be changed if it is proved that the same organism has been correctly described under a different name by an earlier researcher (the earliest name has precedence). Thus we are stuck with Anophthalmus hitleri, as the name is genuine and all the criteria have been fulfilled.

However, when I am writing for you, my faithful and well-loved readers, I tend to mention the Linnaean names, but I refer to the animals in the language you will understand and by the names which you are likely to know. However, there are complications even with this.

The people who write on gardening and horticultural matters frequently use the common names of plants without any capital letter, e.g. “It’s time to plant your zinnias and thin out your delphiniums.”

Editors like this; it cuts down on capital letters, which can look intimidating if there are too many on a page. However, when those of us who write about animals take up our pens, it is a different matter.

Ornithologists and zoologists tend to write the common names of their subjects with a strict attention to capital letters. Every word on the name should begin with a

("Dippy the Dinosaur") as he looked in the Natural History Museum, London

Some pop-fan named a trilobite Agerina boygeorgei after his favourite pop-star

Our beloved Robin sings to welcome the spring - or to warn off his rivals!

capital letter, unless it is linked to another word by a hyphen. Thus: Golden Eagle, Lesser Spotted Eagle, White-tailed Eagle. This fills the page with angry-looking capital letters. However, it is the correct thing to do. Where you can cut down is when you are referring to the creatures in a more generic way. Thus, you would not write that your house was overrun with Mice, but with mice. You would not describe your garden as full of Woodpeckers, but of woodpeckers. However, one must be careful of using this approach. If I wrote that, “Florence Nightingale kept a little owl in her pocket” or, “Florence Nightingale kept a Little Owl in her pocket”, I am saying two completely

different things. In the first case, she could have been playing host to a Scops Owl, a Pygmy Owl, a Little Owl, or any one of several other owls of restricted size, or even a small stuffed toy owl. In the second case I am telling you that her pocket-pet was Athena noctua, a Little Owl. Scientific papers, of course, are teeming with capital letters, italic script, and other intimidating symbols, and they are hard to read. In a magazine for general distribution, we scientists and specialists try to be less frightening, but we still need to say what we have to say as accurately as possible. So please be patient with us!

Scientific papers, of course, are teeming with capital letters, italic script, and other intimidating symbols

Florence Nightingale, who kept a Little Owl as a pet - in her pocket.

The Little Owl, , barely 8 inches high, daring anyone to come near it!

Globular Star Cluster M75 in Sagittarius

The Night Sky

WELCOME TO THE MAY EDITION OF THE NIGHT SKY

As the summer time approaches, we say goodbye to the winter constellations (and the rain!) which have dominated the night skies over the past few months. Orion, Gemini and Auriga will drift off below the western horizon to make way for other spectacular, summer objects. One of the brightest things in the night sky this month will be the star Arcturus. Once you have located this it will help to guide you towards many other objects. This beautiful star will be easy to spot, facing directly north. It will guide you towards the asterisms (star patterns) of 'The Plough', which is part of the Great Bear and 'The Kite', which is part of the constellation of ‘Bootes’. Looking further east, after dark, we can see the beautiful summer asterism of 'The Summer Triangle' returning. It is always a great marker in the skies to help show us where the constellations of Lyra, Cygnus and Aquila can be found. You can easily consult a free app such as Stellarium or SkySafari to find a detailed sky map and search for hundreds of other objects.

The Moon phases and observing tips

Full Moon Phase - 5th May

Last Quarter Moon - 12th May

New Moon - 19th May

First Quarter Moon phase - 27th May. Something of an observing challenge for any 'Selenophiles' this month now.... On the 17th of the month, during daylight hours, we may be able to see a close encounter between a very thin crescent Moon and the planet Jupiter. Now, this will depend on a number of things. A clear sky will be necessary of course, and the view will vary depending on how far south you are. If we were in Scotland the lunar occultation of the planet Jupiter would be visible. The farther south we are located, the planet will be seen to pass very close to the Moon. It is important to remember that the sun will be high in the sky, so ensure that you NEVER look in that direction. Binoculars or a small telescope will give an even better view of the 5% Moon and Jupiter.

The Planets this month

Mercury is not well placed for observing in the morning sky. Venus, however, will be looking stunning this month. On the 22nd and 23rd, towards the west, this sparkling planet will be fairly close to a crescent Moon. Later in the month, if observing with a small telescope you may be able to see Venus in its 50% lit phase. Jupiter and Saturn are not so easily observed as they are morning planets at the moment.

Image of the monthThe Great Globular Cluster (Messier 13)

ByClaire Wardlaw

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

The most active period - or peak - of this shower will be on the night/morning of the 6th/7th when a maximum hourly rate of around 60 meteors is anticipated

As the summer brings many beautiful objects to our night skies, 'The Great Globular Cluster' slowly comes into view within the Hercules Constellation. The image which you can see here on the left of this stunning deep sky object was probably taken by the Hubble Space telescope as it is so detailed. It can be possible, on a clear night and in very dark skies, to find it within the 'Keystone' constellation of Hercules. The Keystone is in the central area of Hercules and is formed by four bright stars. The cluster will look like a very small faint fuzzy blob of light. With binoculars it will be more impressive as a fuzzy star, and with a telescope we can see with more clarity the cluster of perhaps 250 thousand stars. It sits at a distance of 25,000 lightyears from the Earth. This is now a great time of the year to try to observe and image Messier 13. Using one of the free applications mentioned above will help with the precise location of this stunning object. I am looking forward to imaging this again very soon.

Meteor shower for May - The Eta Aquarids

From the last week in April through to the 24th of this month this meteor shower 'could' be observed here in the northern hemisphere. It is known however as a

southern shower and so the 'radiant' is below our horizon until late in the night/early morning. If you are able to wait until then, you could observe some very fast and bright meteors which are associated with Comet Halley. The most active period - or peak - of this shower will be on the night/morning of the 6th/7th when a maximum hourly rate of around 60 meteors is anticipated. Make sure you are comfortable, warm and in good company to enjoy some time with a few 'shooting stars'. To make the most of your views allow your eyes to adapt to the night sky for around 30 minutes first.

Virtual Space Journey No.2 - To our nearest Star 8.3 light-minutes away! If you have twenty minutes or so to spare, we will take a 'virtual' trip to our nearest star, the Sun. Travelling at the speed of light, we wouldn't be away for too long on this space journey. Before we begin to observe anything during this visit to this

SPACE NEWS IN HISTORY

On May the 28th, 1959: Two monkeys, Able and Baker, became the first living beings to survive a trip to outer space. The monkeys were launched from the Eastern Space Missile Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on top of a Jupiter rocket to an altitude of 360 miles. They both returned safely to Earth, although I'm not sure they would have wanted to have made the trip in the first place!

ball of gas we must keep our eyes protected at all times. As we approach we will see the outer surface or photosphere which has a temperature of 5,500 degrees celsius. Closer, as we now are, we can also observe the chromosphere which is made up

When we turn a light on, any light, we instantly see it. The light travelled to our eyes at 300,000km per second! This is known as the speed of light. As you can see above, M13, the 'Great Globular Cluster' is 25,000 light YEARS away from our eyes! We are truly looking back in time.

mostly of Hydrogen. It is likely that massive eruptions will be visible to us from the chromosphere. These eruptions or 'prominences' can be over 2000 miles deep and will soon seem to surround us. As we travel around the Sun we can see a few of the darker 'sunspot' areas which are also visible through special telescopes from Earth. They change position as the Sun rotates each month.

Clear skies and Happy Star Gazing!

It is likely that massive eruptions will be visible to us from the chromosphere

Hello one and all and welcome to this month’s nonsense. Before we get into it, can I please ask you to take note of the bottom paragraph. I know some of you are using old copies of etcetera, but I moved away over 2 years ago now. If news is travelling that slowly, then can I suggest you try satellite internet via Starlink. It really is very good. And better still, you can rent the equipment for 15€ per month. One side-effect of the transition of BBC One to HD only is the number of people who still use a scart cable to connect their HD satellite receiver to their TV. No, just no! There is absolutely no need to do this. Use an HDMI cable instead, scart cannot carry HD signals and so if you have your Sky+ HD box connected to your snazzy high-def TV with a scart cable, you’re still going to have a crappy picture. HDMI is the way to go.

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

Use an HDMI cable instead, scart cannot carry HD signals

It does however remain difficult to get the latest Freesat recording boxes sent to France. Sometimes Amazon UK will send the 1TB (hard-drive size) if they have stock, but this is becoming increasingly rare. I feel your pain, I have the same issues as you do. Please remember the service is Freesat (and Freesat+ for recording boxes), not Humax. They no longer make Freesat boxes.

It really is worth trying a ‘factory reset’ on your box if you see the dreaded ‘no signal’ message. I visited a client last month who had 3 Freesat boxes that he believed were not receiving a signal from the dish. Understandably, he thought it was probably a problem at the dish. However, each one had reacted badly to a software update and simply frozen. Just like your computer might do every now and again. After restoring each to their factory settings (though don’t do this with your computer!), normal service was resumed. It’s not always the case, but trying this can save you having to wait a few days for a professional to be able to get to you.

Please remember that I no longer cover the same areas as I used to. See my advert for details. I cover a 90 mins radius of 79240. Google Maps will help you with this.

getting connected / artisans

BUILDING / MULTI

Steve’s property maintenance

ALL TYPES OF ROOFING, RENOVATIONS, CONVERSIONS, PLASTERING, STUD WALLS, MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS

FULLY INSURED

T. 05 55 50 52 02

E: lowe.steven@orange.fr

Siret 84223310800013

WASTE REMOVAL MULTI SERVICES

~ CASH PAID FOR SCRAP ~ House/Barn Clearances - Pre & Post-sale Rubbish Removal / Déchetterie Runs Collections / Deliveries

Call Will Whiting 06 74 21 47 71 www.facebook.com/willwhiting87 covering depts 87, 16, 19, 23 & 24

HANDYMAN

Over

HILL TOP TILING

LIFE

Become

No need to head to your local distribution point, join our evergrowing list of subscribers and we’ll arrange for etcetera magazine to be delivered to your door every month. That’s 12 editions a year!