The Bugle Dordogne - Aug 2020

Anger as Burger King launches Croissan'wich Food purists are up in arms as fast-food chain Burger King turns the iconic French patisserie into a breakfast burger.

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What will replace the EHIC card?

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a temporary stay in any of the 27 EU countries. EHIC cards are also valid in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. They guarantee the same level of healthcare when traveling throughout the EU, subsidised by their home country, as a resident of the EU country they are in.

The transition period is due to expire on 31st December, and with no deal currently on the horizon, British nationals who are not already French resident will no longer be able to rely on their EHIC cards for basic healthcare cover in France.

Although the British government has repeatedly expressed its desire to negotiate a reciprocal health treaty mirroring the EHIC system, this appears to be changing. When previously

British jackdaws ravage French crops - pg 6

Eymet is most popular town for expats in most popular region - pg 3

With EHIC cards increasingly likely to be invalid from next year, what are the implications for British citizens travelling through Europe? r a d e negotiations on the future relationships between the EU and the UK have once again broken down with no agreement in sight, making a no-deal exit from the bloc at the end of the year a very real possibility.

While this will have wideranging implications for British nationals across the continent, one emerging fear for many second homeowners is the issue of healthcare cover and the loss of access to the European Healthcare Insurance Card (EHIC) scheme.

Under the rules of the transition period, EHIC cards remain valid until the end of this year and give cardholders access to “medically necessary, stateprovided healthcare” during

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Welcome to

The Bugle

O

ne of the things I have missed most since the coronavir us swept across the world is sport. I love all things sport and will watch virtually anything that has a competitive edge to it. I have heard people use the term “minority sport” in a pejorative sense, but there is nothing too obscure for me.

As a kid I used to particularly enjoy tuning into Channel 4 on a Saturday morning and watching exotic new sports like Aussie rules football and kabaddi.

If I am at a loose end, my default setting is always to put some sport on in the background while I go about my day, in the same way that many turn on the radio for a bit of company. Cricket and golf are always good for this as they have long periods where not much happens, punctuated by bursts of action and excitement. They also tend to attract colourful commentators, as happy discussing the intentions of a wandering pigeon as the

action unfolding in front of them. Test Match Special stands head and shoulders above the crowd in this regard.

During lockdown, however, the sporting world fell silent – as was right and proper given the health crisis. I know some people have a taste for nostalgia, but I must admit I take no joy from watching Premiership football highlights from the 1990s. There was nothing on the telly and I really, really missed it. For many it will have been eating out, others may be looking forward to a trip to the theatre, but for me it was sport.

Which is why it was such a joy when the first events started taking place behind closed doors. If you are a fan of sport, I doubt you have ever been so excited about a mid-week Bundesliga match!

Then Super Rugby came back down under – which was Friday and Saturday mornings sorted - followed

by F1, filling up my Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons with talk of tyre wear and grid penalties as I

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pottered around the house.

And then, the sound of summer... cricket was back.

As I write this, I am listening to England heading towards a series victory against the West Indies after three consecutive Test Matches that took place in empty stadiums inside a socalled “bio-secure bubble”.

With so much fear and uncertainty in the outside world, there was something incredibly comforting for me about having cricket playing again over Radio 4 LW. It was like meeting up with an old friend.

Even the interruption for the shipping forecast made me smile. Despite listening since I was old enough to work a radio I still haven't managed to decipher this gibberish, which inexplicably punctuates the cricket commentary every few hours - usually just as something exciting is about to happen. I

know I could probably look it up on the internet these days, but I deliberately never have and part of me loves the fact that after so many decades, it still makes almost no sense!

I usually get frustrated when it comes on, but there is something comforting about the familiarity and I do quite like the growing tension of wandering what you may be missing in those few short minutes.

While sport was back, it was not back as we knew it. Covid-19 has changed the way the world works and sport is no exception.

After first managing to arrange competitions safely, organisers then had the significant challenge of generating an atmosphere for TV in an empty stadium.

The answer was to overlay generic crowd noise, the rise and fall of which some poor sound engineer had to try and match to the ebb and f low of

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3-11 French News

action on the pitch. Some of the early efforts can most generously be described as a work in progress, but before long it was possible to watch a match and forget that there wasn't an actual crowd.

Necessity, as they say, is the mother of invention.

Still, sport is back and it has definitely calmed me down and cheered me up. It has been a funny old year, to say the least, so anything that makes the world seem a bit more normal, if only for a few hours, is more than welcome in my book.

Until next month!

Steve Martindale, Editor www.thebugle.eu articles.thebugle.eu facebook.com/The BugleFrance

12-13 French Life 14 Practical 15-18 Directory 19-20 What’s On

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FRENCH NEWS ♦ 3

Dordogne is still the most popular area for expats

R

ecent figures released by the country’s statistics gathering body, INSEE, have revealed that, outside of Paris, the Dordogne remains the most popular area of France for expats, but also shows some interesting trends in the type of person making the area their home.

The most recent figures, which were initially gathered in 2016 and released in July this year, show that 148,300 Brits (0.2% of the population) were officially declared as full-time residents in France, 7,198 of whom have taken up residence in the Dordogne. The number is slightly lower than the 7,446 previous recorded in 2011, but is still at historically high levels: the department had just 1,492 British residents in 1990 and 2,863 at the turn of the century.

Only the capital has a higher number of Brits, although the average person moving to Paris is very different from those taking up residence in the Dordogne.

While Paris has a very high number of students and professionals in full-time employment, the majority of Dordogne expats are retired. In the country’s major cities, more than half of all British residents are employed, with just 15% enjoying retirement, whereas in rural areas such as the Dordogne more than half are retired with around a quarter working for a living.

The south-west of France remains by far the most popular area for Brits looking for a new life: the NouvelleAquitaine region is home to more than a quarter of all the expats in France, with the population centred heavily on the Charente, Haute-Vienne and Dordogne departments. There are also large variations within the Dordogne, with Brits shunning the region’s cities; Périgueux and Bergerac have a negligible proportion of expats. Instead, they prefer rural areas around mid-sized towns such as Brantôme, Le Bugue and Thiviers, where 2% of the local population are British, followed by Ribérac (4.8%) and Nontron (5.2%). Top of the tree - a statistic that will come as little surprise to those who live in the area - is Eymet in the south of the department, where 9% of permanent residents are British.

Another surprising statistic to be revealed is the length of time people have been living in France: the vast majority have lived in the country for between 10-19 years, more than twice as many as those who have been in the department for fewer than five years, showing that many who arrived as the Dordogne’s popularity boomed post-Millennium have stayed.

Aside from the 143,800 permanent residents, INSEE reported a further 86,000 second homes owned by British citizens. Previous estimates by the Brit-

ish government have suggested that more than 300,000, and possibly as many as 400,000, Brits may live in France for all or part of the year.

Although the figures were collected in the year that Britain voted to leave the EU, the report does acknowledge the effect that Brexit will have on the expat popula-

tion. The authors predict that many will apply for French nationality, a situation backed up by the number of applications currently being processed by prefectures across the country. In 2016 there were already 22,800 people living here who had been born as British citizens but who are now French. ■

4 ♦ FRENCH NEWS

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Residency permit website delay explained

B

ritish expats were taken by surprise recently when the planned launch of the residency permit application website was at the last minute unexpectedly delayed by three months. Many feared that this would not give them enough time to apply for their residency permit before the end of the transition period, but the British Embassy has moved to calm these concerns and explain the reason behind the delay.

The British Embassy has confirmed that the French authorities have said the delay from 1st July to 1st October was linked to the impact of the coronavirus global health crisis and that all applications will still be processed. “Prefectures have been closed as part of Covid-19 confinement measures and we understand that it will now take them some time to get back up and running,” an Embassy spokesperson confirmed. “The French Interior Ministry have told the British Embassy that the delay is intended to reduce the wait UK nationals would otherwise have experienced between applying for and receiving their new residency card. They assure us that, from October 1, prefectures will be better placed to process applications from UK nationals in a timely way. The British Embassy continues to work closely with the French Interior Ministry and to represent the concerns of

UK nationals strongly to them.”

As detailed in last month's edition of The Bugle, while the transition period will end on 31st December, the French government has confirmed that a six-month grace period will be implemented for British residents in France. Furthermore, expats do not need to be in possession of a valid residency permit by 30th June 2021, they just need proof that they have submitted an application.

This means that when the online applications open up on 1st October, residents will have nine months to complete the application process. “Despite the delay in the portal re-opening, we expect the detail of how applications will be assessed to be made available before the launch date, providing UK nationals with the necessary information to prepare their applications,” the Embassy added. “We continue to encourage the French authorities to take the most flexible approach possible, and to communicate clearly to UK nationals the steps that they need to take to secure their residency status in France.”

Kalba Meadows, head of citizens' rights group France Rights, also had a reassuring message, posting on the organisation's Facebook page: “To put things into context: less than a handful of countries have so far begun implementing the citizens' rights part of the WA [Withdrawal Agreement].

Some don't intend to begin until January 2021 while others still haven't set a date. So even with a start date of 1st October, France will still be one of the earliest to begin implementation.

“The other thing to note is that three months have been taken off the application time, NOT the time available for process-

ing. There is no deadline by which prefectures must process applications - the date of 30th June 2021 is the deadline by which you must apply, NOT the date by which applications must be decided. We will be deemed to have the right of residence until our applications are processed, whenever that is.” ■

FRENCH NEWS ♦ 5

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On what date is food really 'best before'?

T

he makers of the popular La Vache qui rit (The Laughing Cow) brand of cheese have taken the unusual step of reminding customers that the triangular cheese could be perfectly fine to eat after the “best-before date” on the packaging. The Bel group, which also owns the Kiri and Babybel brands, has added the message to its packaging as part of a wider campaign to combat food waste.

“La Vache qui rit is a product with a date de durabilité minimale [best-before date],” the advice reads. “This means that once this date has passed, the product may lose some flavour quality, without presenting any risk to you. If the product has been stored in the refrigerator, and the packaging is not damaged, it can still be eaten after this date.”

Furthermore, the packaging advises consumers to “1. Observe, 2. Smell, 3. Taste,” with a final reminder to “Trust yourself!”

These changes by the Bel group are part of a campaign to reduce food waste, in association with the international app Too Good To Go, which was launched in January of this year and aims to “rescue delicious food from local cafes, stores and restaurants” before redistributing it. Food waste remains a huge issue in the industry, with an estimated one-third of all food produced never being eaten and more than 10% of all food thrown away across Europe being perfectly fine to eat.

Much like in the UK, there are two principle indicators for when food should be

consumed: la date de durabilité minimale (DDM) - the best-before date; and la date limite de consommation (DLC) - the use-by date. Whilst many products, such as fresh meat and fish, can only be safely eaten before their DLC, many others such as dried pasta, rice and tinned goods, may safely be consumed long after their DDM, although there may be a slight drop in quality. A recent survey has shown that more than half of all consumers do not know the difference between these two types of date, resulting in significant waste through a lack of knowledge and a fear of the consequences.

It is not just the public that need to be better informed, according to the campaign group, which has urged retailers to better train their employees: “We have noticed that, in many cases, even our partners are not sufficiently informed that there are these two dates and that they mean very different things. If retailers are better aware, they can take internal initiatives to help further cut food waste.”

“Too Good To Go is committed to deeply changing attitudes to reduce food wastage: we have therefore been working for two years now on the issue of best-before dates, so that consumers can better understand them and waste less,” the company said in a statement. “Collaboration with professionals is crucial, and we are very proud that Bel is raising consumer awareness on a such a massive scale with its flagship brand La Vache qui rit! It's an emblematic product for

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the picnic and summer season, so the project will have all the more impact on reducing food waste.”

Earlier this year, a group of 30 companies signed a joint pledge to reduce food waste.

The group, which includes names such as Nestlé, Danone, Auchan and Casino committed to steps such as setting up dedicated aisles in supermarkets where products that had passed their DDM will be sold at discounted prices, as well as removing the DDM altogether for products that will never perish, such as hard-skinned cheese, honey,

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The group also pledged to abolish the “one-third, two-thirds rule”, which is common practice across the industry: if a perishable product arrives at a retailer with less than two-thirds of its shelf life remaining, it is immediately put in the bin. “A product that goes off after two years and arrives at the shop with 16 months left before this date, is thrown in the skip,” explained Lucie Basch, the founder of Too Good to Go. “Going forwards, these products will instead be put on the shelves.” ■

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British invaders anger French farmers

© Maxwell Hamilton (Flickr)

Say bonjour to the croissant burger!

MR PIANO MAN

F

rance has reacted with a combination of anger and confusion, but above all amusement, at a recent Burger King product launch... the “Croissan'wich”. The breakfast treat - or culinary abomination, depending on your point of view - consists of a meat-free patty, vegetarian cheese and a layer of egg, all inside a traditional French croissant.

Whilst the creation has undoubtedly put a few French noses out of joint, it has also riled traditional carnivores. The “burger” has been created in collaboration with Impossible Foods, pioneers of the Impossible Burger, which has developed a range of meat-free alternatives and already supplies Burger King with a meat-free patty which it uses in its Rebel Whopper.

The fast-food chain is giving away up to 100,000 Croissan’wich sandwiches through its online app in the US, currently

the only country in which it is being sold.

This has not stopped news of the creation spreading to these shores and lighting up the internet with comments such as “AUX ARMES, CITOYENS !!!!”, quoting a line from the French national anthem and another parodying Roosevelt's speech in the aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbour: “June 22, 2020, a date which will live in infamy. The Republic of France was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the United States of America when its fastfood chain Burger King decided to attack French culture. We are at war.”

The traditional butter croissant is the most-loved pastry in France. A 2019 survey showed that it was the most-eaten in the country, beating the pain au chocolat - or chocolatine depending on which part of the country you live in, but let's not also start a civil war! - and is regularly eaten by three-quarters of people in France. ■

F

armers in northern France are calling for jackdaws to lose their protected status following what they say is the widespread destruction of crops.

The small crows have caused as much as €3 million worth of damage in the past ten years to corn, wheat and barley crops and a report from the chamber of agriculture for the Côtes-d'Armor department released in June revealed that as many as 1,000 complaints from farmers in the Brittany region have been logged so far this year. The report came in the same month as the region launched a “distress call” to the government over the problem.

The birds are not native to France and are rarely seen in the north of the country; they are believed to have crossed the Channel from the south coast of England where they roost on the cliffs. “I even see them at night time. We’re having a hard time putting crops in place and now there’s nothing left. Everything’s been ravaged,” explained local farmer Patrick

Vidélo who owns 30 hectares of farmland and for whom crop damage has reached €40,000 already this year.

The main complaint from French farmers is that the jackdaws are a protected species in France and thus cannot be hunted without fear of prosecution. Despite this status, exemptions are given and local authorities estimate that at least 20,000 jackdaws will be killed legally in France in the next two years.

Rather than concentrating on culling the species, environmental agencies have suggested controlling the jackdaw population by instead demolishing nesting spots such as abandoned chimneys, and diversifying food sources in the region so that the birds are not solely reliant on crops. The Direction Régional de l’Environnement has also launched a study into the construction of buildings in Brittany, to help them understand how the jackdaw population is spread throughout the region and what kind of food the birds are eating. ■

F

ormer Prime Minister François Fillon and his Welsh-born wife Penelope have both received jail sentences for embezzling public funds and for their part in a “fake jobs” scandal. Fillon stood accused of paying his wife and two of their children more than €1 million of public money for non-existent jobs as “parliamentary assistants” during his tenure as prime minister under Nicolas Sarkozy.

In a scathing verdict, the lead judge in the trial said Fillon had eroded trust in France’s political class. The court had previously heard that Penelope Fillon was paid “the maximum possible” salary and that the sums were “out of all proportion to her activities” with the judge concluding that “Nothing could have justified the

remuneration she received”.

Mrs Fillon, née Clarke, who was born and raised near Abergavenny in South Wales, was also found guilty of having a “fake” job at a monthly current affairs magazine, Revue des Deux Mondes, run by a billionaire friend of her husband. The couple, who have five children, were also convicted of employing their two eldest, Marie and Charles, in bogus jobs.

The court estimated the pair had misused public funds amounting to a total of €1,156,000. As well as jailing François Fillon for five years, three of them suspended, and handing a three-year suspended sentence to his wife, the couple were ordered to repay €1 million to the Assemblée Nationale. In addition, Fillon was banned from holding public of-

fice for ten years, with his wife receiving a similar two-year ban.

The couple have appealed the verdict.

In January 2017, François Fillon looked set to become France’s next leader. He was the clear favourite to win the presidential elections until the scandal that became known as “Penelopegate” was broken by the satirical newspaper Le Canard Enchainé. The accusations were especially damaging as Fillon had campaigned as a squeaky clean candidate who had never been embroiled in any wrongdoing or put under investigation.

The scandal effectively ended his campaign and opened the way for centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron to surge in the polls and go on to defeat Marine le Pen in the eventual run-off. ■

© bruno_le_maire (Flickr)

Former prime minister jailed over "Penelopegate"

FRENCH NEWS ♦ 7

AUGUST 2020 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

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Ref: 8730-MO 472,500 € HAI DPE: Vierge

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Taux d’honoraires 22,359€ (6%) inclus à la charge de l’acquéreur

Taux d’honoraires 12,250€ (7%) inclus à la charge de l’acquéreur

Taux d’honoraires 22,500€ (5%) inclus à la charge de l’acquéreur

Ref: 8808-MO 335,000 € HAI DPE: D

Ref: 8821-EY 97,200 € HAI DPE: D

Ref: 8752-VI 49,000 € HAI DPE: Vierge

Stone 4-bed house with 10m x 5m pool comprising 2 covered terraces, large living/dining area, kitchen, laundry room and second living room.

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Taux d’honoraires 7,200€ (8%) inclus à la charge de l’acquéreur

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TO REFRESH: 2 Lakes + 175 m² Périgourdine incl. a stone gîte of 75 m².

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8 ♦ FRENCH NEWS

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EHIC cards will not be valid from next year questioned about healthcare cover in Europe, then-health minister Stephen Hammond said in a written parliamentary answer: “The department recognises that people with some pre-existing conditions rely on the EHIC to be able to travel.”

This intention now appears to have been dropped. As part of the recently launched “The UK’s new start: Let’s get going” campaign, the government’s official advice now reads: “You should always get appropriate travel insurance with healthcare cover before you go abroad. Your European Health Insurance Card will be valid up to 31 December 2020.

It’s particularly important you get travel insurance with the right cover if you have a pre-existing medical condition. This is because the EHIC scheme covers pre-existing conditions, while many travel insurance policies do not.”

UK state pensioners living in the EU before the end of 2020 will be able to use their EHIC beyond 2020, as will students who have started their courses and so-called ‘frontier workers’ - people who work in one state and live in another - although it is hard to see how this could apply cross-Channel.

There are increasing fears that the loss of access to the EHIC scheme will result in travel insurance premiums that are prohibitively high for many, especially the elderly or those with pre-existing conditions. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) recently warned: “Claims costs within Europe are currently reduced due to the presence of the EHIC, which covers some or all state-provided medical costs. In the absence of the EHIC or a similar reciprocal health agreement, insurers will inevitably see an increase in claims costs - this could have a direct impact on the prices charged to consumers.”

The ABI has also pointed out that, thanks to the NHS and a generation of free European health cover, many Britons are unaware of the real cost of medical treatment. In reality, medical bills abroad can add up quickly, from hospital services to emergency repatriation; the ABI cites as an example a £25,000 bill for an air ambulance from Mallorca back to the UK. The reality is that Brits hoping to travel to France after 1st January 2021 would be very well advised to take out private travel insurance. This can take the form of short-term cover for a specific trip, or an ongoing policy which usually offers better value if you expect to make a number of trips or spend a large amount of time in France, although another change being introduced next year means you cannot spend more

© ALAMY

>> continued from pg 1

than 90 days in France in any 180-day period without first applying for a visa!

If the UK does eventually leave the transition period with no healthcare agreements in place, it is possible, indeed probable, that the UK and EU will still reach an agreement on this at a later date. Alternatively, the UK might sign a convention with France, including provision for travellers’ healthcare, although where these currently exist with nonEU countries, they typically are not as favourable as the EHIC system and do not always include treatment for preexisting conditions.

Other issues being highlighted in the government’s latest information campaign for travellers to the EU are passport expiry dates, mobile roaming charges, driving licences and travelling with pets: - British travellers will need to have at least 6 months remaining on their passport on day of travel and be less than 10 years old (even if it has 6 months or more left).

- Mobile phone companies in the UK will no longer be bound by EU rules obligating them to provide ‘free’ roaming in the EU from January next year, so the government has

warned travellers to check their contracts before travelling to avoid any surprise bills on their return.

- The rules on driving licences remains one of the least clear areas of change, with little concrete information currently available. It is highly likely that you will need extra documentation, but according to the government: “You might need an international driving permit to drive in some countries [these are available from the post office for £5.50]. If you’re taking your own vehicle, you might also need a ‘green card’ or valid proof of insurance and a GB sticker.”

- After the transition period, the European pet passport system will no longer apply for travel between the UK and the EU. Government advice is that: “From 1 January 2021 you will not be able to use the existing pet passport scheme.

Instead, you’ll need to follow a different process, which takes 4 months.” ■ For more information on the British government’s official advice, visit: www.gov.uk/visit-europe-1-january-2021

Mayor bans hiking over brown bear attack fears

S

ince brown bears were reintroduced to the French Pyrenees and offered protected status, there have been regular clashes between local farmers and officials on the one hand, and environmentalists and conservationists on the other. The latest saga involves the mayor of the commune of Ustou in the Ariège department, who has announced a ban on hiking in the area following a series of bear attacks on livestock.

According to the mayor, Alain Servat, “every evening flocks of sheep are attacked.

We now have 80 recorded cases of ewes being attacked by predators”. In the latest incident in mid-July, four brown bears - a female, her two cubs and another adult bear - attacked a flock of sheep near the ski resort of Guzet-Neige. Three agents from the National Biodiversity Office (OFB) were on site and tried to scare off the four bears, “with great difficulty”, according to local newspaper La Dépêche.

The mayor, who is a vocal anti-bear campaigner, is no stranger to controversy and has in the past been criticised by the prefecture for other symbolic decrees such as banning

bears from roaming on his commune's land.

Tourism is important to the area, which overlooks the Cirque de Cagateille and is a popular destination for walkers in the summer season. Despite contact with humans being incredibly rare, attacks on livestock are on the rise and are a cause of major concern for local officials looking to avoid any serious incidents in the future. Bear attacks increased from a level of 164 in 2018, to 214 last year.

The latest headlines come soon after news broke of the illegal shooting of a bear in the Pyrenees which led to a €30,000 reward being offered for information resulting in a prosecution (see last month's edition of The Bugle).

Once native to the area, the first brown bears were re-introduced to the Pyrenees in 1996 but the project proved to be controversial from the outset. Although hailed by conservationists, the policy understandably angered farmers on both sides of the border, who claim their livelihoods depend on the freedom of their flocks of sheep, cattle and goats to graze undisturbed on the high pastures during the summer months. ■

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or most businesses, there were few positives to come out of confinement, but one cheesemaker in eastern France accidentally created a brand new cheese which has become a huge hit, both locally and further afield. The cheese, ironically name “le confiné” the confined - is the result of a batch of cheese wheels which had been placed in a cellar and then forgotten about.

Sales collapsed for many artisan producers across the country when markets and restaurants closed down during the coronavirus lockdown, which was also the case for the Vaxelaire family, who tend a herd of 25 cows in the Vosges department, near the German border. The family turn all of the milk that the cows produce into cheese and during the first two months of the lockdown, sales fell by more than 80%. With storage space running out, they were forced to store some of the

excess cheese in the cellar... which they then promptly forgot about.

“We left about 60 Munsters at the bottom of the cellar; we even forgot about them a bit,” explained Lionel Vaxelaire.

“After a month of maturing, we tasted one that had new flavours! It lies between our normal Munster and a Camembert. It's chalky inside, with a greyish, mottled flowery rind. It took all the flora of our whole raw milk and the flora of the cellar. This cheese matured untouched on its own for four weeks, unlike Munster, which needs to be washed every day.”

The family usually produce a strong-smelling soft cheese with a subtle flavour.

Traditionally, it is made in the morning with fresh milk, which is added to skimmed milk from the day before. This is then heated and poured into a copper cauldron with rennet (which comes from the stomach of calves). The curds are

© Pixabay/JillWellington

The 'confinement' cheese created by accident

salted, put in round moulds and then, crucially, are rubbed and washed daily by hand until a bright orange rind forms giving the cheese its unique flavour. This way of making Munster cheeses dates from the 7th century when monks in the region started to make the cheese as a way of storing milk at the monastery.

The wheels left abandoned in the cellar were not washed or tended and instead developed a greenish-grey flowery rind giving them a distinct, but very different, flavour which proved an instant hit. Being cautious, the couple first tried out their new cheese on their children, aged 12 and 14: “When they said they wanted

more, we knew we were on to something,” confirmed Laura Vaxelaire. “We’ve had people who say they have come on holiday in the Vosges just in order to eat our cheese!”

After the initial batch quickly sold out, the family have since “confined” many more batches down into the cellar to be “forgotten about”. ■

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wo children escaped certain death recently after jumping from a third-floor balcony into the arms of a group of rescuers, as fire engulfed their flat in Grenoble, south-east France. The incident occurred in the Villeneuve neighbourhood of the city, which has a large immigrant population and echoes the story from 2018 that saw the undocumented 22-year-old Malian migrant Mamoudou Gassama earn the name Spiderman - as well as the offer of French citizenship from President Macron - after he scaled the outside of a block of flats to rescue a four-yearold hanging from a fourth-floor balcony.

“We are told this is a ‘sensitive’ neighbourhood, but yesterday we showed we are here for each other, and we save each other,” said Athoumani Walid, a 25-year-old student who was one of several in the crowd below to suffer a fracture while saving the children's lives.

“We didn’t know what to do. We wanted to break the door, but it wasn’t possible.”

The group then went outside and shouted for the boys to jump into their arms: “When they jumped, fear disappeared...

All that mattered was to catch them.”

A dramatic video of the event shows a ten-year-old boy dropping his three-

year-old brother from the balcony into the arms of the crowd below, before himself climbing over the balcony edge to jump into the waiting arms of his rescuers, all while thick black smoke billows out of the open window just behind him. Although escaping major injury, the traumatised boys were hospitalised suffering from shock and smoke inhalation, along with 17 other residents of the building; in addition, four of the group who caught the children also had to be treated for suspected fractures. There were, miraculously, no deaths or serious injuries.

The mayor of Grenoble, Éric Piolle, congratulated residents on the rescue, which he said underscored the city’s “tradition of solidarity and mutual help”.

An investigation has been launched into why the two brothers were alone in the apartment. “The mother left around eleven o'clock to go shopping and the father left for work around eleven thirty. The mother was supposed to return before the husband's departure but was a little late. So the children were not supposed to be on their own,” said local prosecutor Éric Vaillant. The parents potentially face charges of child neglect. ■

Screenshot

Brothers saved after third-floor balcony jump

Government proposes ban British drug on gay conversion therapies kingpin jailed

A

bill due to be presented to the French parliament is hoping to ban all forms of gay conversion therapy. The changes, which are being presented by Bastien Lachaud, an MP from the far-left France Insoumise party and Laurence Vanceunebrock-Mialon of Macron's ruling party La République en Marche, would outlaw any “conversion therapies” or “reorientation therapies” aimed at “curing” homosexuality.

A parliamentary information-gathering mission was launched one year ago with a view to outlawing the practices, which fall into two main categories: religious groups that put young people through “stages” of sexual reorientation and doctors who “cure” homosexuality with the aid of, among other things, anti-anxiety treatments. If it passes through parliament, the bill is expected to introduce punishments of up to three years in prison and a €30,000-€45,000 fine for anyone found guilty.

In March 2018, the European Parliament called on member states to outlaw gay conversion therapies.

Since then, however, only Malta has introduced new laws specifically aimed at combatting the practice, although changes are being debated in the UK and Spain among other countries.

In countries where gay conversion therapy is common, such as the US, the numbers of people being treated at camps, clinics and dedicated therapeutic centres is relatively easy to assess; a study by the Williams Institute has estimated that 700,000 people in the US will have received such treatments at some point in their lives. In France, however, activists have warned that the problem is more insidious as it often takes place

below the public radar, behind closed doors and under the guise of a “seminar” or “internship”. These often see the individual in question completely isolated from society and makes tracking the practice much more difficult.

LGBTQ+ campaigners have associated the rise in incidences of conversion therapy to a resurgence of Evangelism in recent years. It has been estimated that last year in France a new Evangelical church was being built every ten days. “It is a modern movement in form but very conservative at its foundation,” explained Anthony Favier, president of David & Jonathan, a Catholic LGBTQ+ association. “There is no interpretation of religious texts; they take the Bible literally, notably regarding its condemnations of homosexuality.”

MPs have singled out two Christian associations in particular: Courage and Torrents of Life. Although therapeutic work is not explicitly mentioned in their brochures, Torrents of Life claim on their website that “confusion and breaks in our relational and sexual identity can lead us into sin and make us incapable of loving”. For €300 its “programme” aims, over the course of a one-week “restoration” course, to “help homosexual Christians, who feel uncomfortable in their identity, find resources in Jesus”.

Critics claim that such programmes are conversion therapies in all but name, but the National Council of French Evangelicals (CNEF) says it offers such programmes in good faith, without applying any kind of pressure. “These stays are offered to adult believers and volunteers to begin a reflection on their sexual identity. There is no manipulation. We cannot stop someone from thinking about his identity if he wants to.” ■

A

n appeal court in France has confirmed a 22-year jail sentence handed to a British man hailed as one of Europe's biggest drug traffickers. Robert Dawes, who was described by the National Crime Agency (NCA) as “one of the most influential and feared organised criminals in Europe” was initially found guilty at a 2018 trial over a plot to smuggle 1.3 tonnes of cocaine with a street value of €50 million into France from South America.

The 46-year-old, originally from Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, was convicted after cocaine was found stashed in 30 suitcases on an Air France flight from Venezuela to Paris in 2013. He was arrested in 2015 when officers swooped on his mansion in the Costa del Sol, where they found guns, cash and encrypted phones. During the 2018 trial, Dawes was heard in secret recordings bragging to a member of a Colombian cartel about his involvement in smuggling the drugs from Venezuela's capital Caracas.

The drug baron's defence team attempted to have the recordings thrown out as inadmissible evidence, but the documentation supporting this claim was found to be forged a crime for which his original advisors now face separate charges.

The discovery of the cocaine in 2013 also caused a stir in Venezuela after a government minister admitted the suitcases had gone through security scanners that had clearly showed the presence of drugs. Venezuelan police arrested 25 people, including members of the military and an Air France manager, over the incident.

Following the appeal court's decision, Dawes' 22-year sentence has been upheld, and the drug dealer will have to serve the first fifteen years without the possibility of parole. The court also upheld an associated €30 million fine. ■

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Lockdown accelerates switch to online banks

A

s the world inexorably moves online, traditional high street banks have faced growing pressure in recent years from digital rivals. This pressure has been exacerbated by the recent coronavirus lockdown, when the public were unable to visit their local branch and were forced to bank online. The situation highlighted existing flaws in the online banking capabilities of mainstream banks and led many to question the relatively high fees that come with a “standard” bank account.

Changes to the law have made it easier than ever to change banks in recent years, with institutions now obliged to automatically and seamlessly transfer any existing standing orders and direct debits you have to your new bank. In 2019, a record 5.5% of people changed banks during the year, up from 4.8% in 2018 and 2.5% in 2014.

But increasingly, people are choosing to move towards dedicated online banks rather than a traditional high street rival.

“The period of confinement represented material gains for digital banks, equivalent to four years on the pre-crisis trajectory,” a recent study

by management consultancy Bain & Company concluded. “The take-up in digital banking could change the balance of power between banks who have successfully gone digital, and those which haven’t.”

According to the study, one of the groups most likely to switch banks is young people aged 1834, with 8% doing so in 2019. The authors believed banks should take this trend seriously, calling this group the “clients of tomorrow”. Another sector highly likely to change bank are relatively wealthy clients who earn over €80,000 per year, with 10% of this group doing so in 2019.

The trend comes at an already difficult time for traditional banks, which have struggled to make money with interest rates hovering at historical lows for several years now. Rates had been expected to rise from this year, but the current health crisis means that this is now unlikely to happen any time soon. As a result, banks have looked to cut costs by increasing home working for staff, closing expensive city centre branches and bringing more work in-house, reducing their reliance on relatively expensive external service providers rather than cutting jobs. ■

Recycle your Bank launches fingerprint old mobile payment card system phone for free

W

e live in a world of increasingly complex gadgets. But technology moves fast, and many of us have bits of 'old' tech languishing in drawers; laptops, phones and tablets that we have recently or long-since upgraded. What to do with these unwanted items can be a problem, however, as they often contain environmentally harmful materials, not to mention huge amounts of personal data.

The result is that we often keep them lying in that drawer, despite the fact that their contents can be ecologically recycled and their residual value put to good use. It is estimated that there are over 100 million such phones in France alone that are no longer used but have not been recycled.

One solution is to send them for free to Ecosystem, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), via a new website www.jedonnemontelephone.fr (I give my telephone).

Members of the public can either order a pre-paid envelope via the website, or download and print a pre-paid address label to use with their own packaging. As many as three phones can be posted at one time.

The phones are then sent to a processing centre where any data is erased and the phone is either refurbished for sale via the country's network of Emmaus charity shops, or broken down for recycling with the most polluting components first removed.

The project is an extension of the NGO's existing work recycling electronics which would otherwise be destined for landfill or incinerators. The organisation recently reported that it had collected more than 62,000 tonnes of goods in June alone as families looked to clear out their households after two months of confinement. ■

I

n the wake of the current coronavirus crisis, one major French bank has accelerated a project to introduce a card that will allow people to pay by using their fingerprint.

As the health crisis swept through Europe, the government brought forward changes to allow contactless payments of up to €50 - increased from €30 preconfinement - but from this autumn, customers at BNP Paribas will be able to use a new contactless fingerprint payment system that has no upper limit.

The bank is planning to issue up to 15,000 of their biometric Visa Premier cards following successful trials. They work in a similar way to contactless payments, but contain a small window that can verify the owner's fingerprint to authenticate the payment, allowing them to make purchases without touching anything other than the bank card. While traditional contactless payments have a limit of €50, this new biometric system, which can only be used by the owner of the card, has no upper limit.

When the new cards are issued, customers will also be given a small card reader equipped with a biometric fingerprint scanner. After inserting the card and entering their PIN, the reader performs five scans of their fingerprint,

the results of which are then stored on the card. The first time the card is used for a purchase the PIN must be entered for security reasons, but all subsequent purchases can be made by placing your finger on the small window of the card while holding it against the payment terminal.

For security reasons, biometric data is held only on the card itself - there is no “central record” of fingerprints held on a database anywhere else. With identity theft on the rise, the absence of centralised data makes the cards far less vulnerable to hackers. “It will significantly reduce the risk of an attack on what would otherwise be one centralised database,” explained Ro-

main Perray, a lawyer at McDermott Will & Emery. “It is obviously much more complicated for hackers to target the phones and the bank cards of every individual citizen.”

According to BNP Paribas, the new technology will become increasingly relevant in the post-Covid world where people are looking for ways to pay that do not require handling money or touching surfaces. “This is a project that we had started before coronavirus, but the crisis has sped up the trend of contactless usage, so this product has become even more necessary,” said Jean-Marie Dragon, head of electronic money and innovative payments at BNP Paribas.■

Eymet barber embarks on second charity ride

S

iôn Fitton, better known locally as Barber Eymet, is this year taking on another epic cycle ride to raise funds in support of the town’s sports clubs. It is not the first time that Siôn has got on his bike to help raise money in this way: “After the success of last year’s ride from St Malo back to our beautiful town of Eymet, which raised money for our local legends, the Eymet pompiers, this year I’ve decided to do the same thing for our local sports clubs,” explained Siôn, who has run his barber shop on rue du Temple since 2018. “Both the football and rugby teams have recently been promoted, which is fantastic, but they desperately need new equip-

ment to compete at a higher level.”

“I had initially planned to cycle back from Benidorm, but due to the recent closure of the borders in Spain I have decided to start at St Malo again, but this time I will take a different route and for an extra twist I’ll be playing my ukulele on the way down to try to collect an extra few bucks!”

Siôn is hoping to raise €2020 for essential and much-needed sporting equipment for the town’s teams. The cycle ride of 1,125 km will take place in late September 2020. For more information, or to support Siôn in his efforts, visit his GoFundMe page below. ■

www.gofundme.com/f/eymet-rugby-club-fundraising-appeal

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What to do with a massive marrow

by Julia Watson

’ve probably said it before, but marrows are the worst vegetables in the world. No! Stuff them, you challenge, and they’re delicious. Yes - because the stuffing is delicious, not the marrow. So why spoil it by encasing it in something the taste and texture of wet wads of sheep’s wool. Yet in our potager every year, our crop of marrows is greater than any other vegetable because I forget to pick the courgettes when they’re in their prime. One day, they’re the size of thumbs, which counts as vegecide if you pick them that small. The very next day, they’ve inflated into inedible torpedoes.

But it turns out there’s a very rewarding solution even for these monsters. One result of lockdown is the manner in which so many people have discovered in themselves a spirit of Victory Garden make-do-and-mend initiative. One of the austerity recipes that have been pressed upon me is for Marrow Rum. It is inspiring enough to make sure that if I do remember to harvest the courgettes while they are still worth eating, I’m going to let two of them expand into marrows, one for each leg. No, not my legs - although it has been said when it comes to alcohol my legs are hollow. The legs of a pair of tights. Read on; you’ll see.

The basic principle is to allow a marrow to grow fat enough that its skin becomes so tough you need a hatchet to break it up. Instead of wrecking it that way, though, you take off its stem end with a bread knife, low enough down to be close to where you can guess the seeds begin to appear. Then scoop them all out and discard them. Pack the hollow with demerara sugar then stuff a marrow down the leg of a pair of tights - or two legs for two marrows, so long as you make sure neither marrow touches the other. Hang the marrow above a clean bucket in a warm place and leave it to rot. What eventually drips into the bucket is Marrow Rum. I can’t imagine you aren’t as excited as me to try this out, so full instructions follow. You don’t need to make it immediately. Once a marrow’s skin has hardened, it won’t rot and you can wait until the end of high summer’s exhausting temperatures to begin brewing.

Ingredient amounts depend on the size of the marrow. You need wine yeast but if you can’t find any, at a pinch bread yeast can substitute. Otherwise, you want demerara sugar and 1 orange per marrow..

Julia Watson has been a long-time Food Writer for newspapers and magazines in the US and the UK.

Marrow Rum

Method for one large inedible marrow: In two tablespoons of cool water from a boiled kettle, dissolve 2 teaspoons of demerara sugar.

Stir it in the juice of the orange. Add the yeast and leave, covered with muslin, for 8 hours or overnight to begin the fermentation.

Saw off the stalk end of the marrow with a good sharp bread knife or a clean saw and set it aside.

Scoop out all the seeds and pith and discard. Hammer a few holes in the bottom of the marrow with a clean skewer. Press d+++emerara sugar tightly inside the hollow then pour over the sugar-and-yeast liquid and put the stalk lid back on top, securing it with duct tape to seal the marrow container.

Carefully slide the marrow, stalk end upwards, into a leg of the tights and hang it above a clean bowl in a warm place.

After two to three weeks, liquid should start to drip into the clean bowl. It will take around 3 months before the dripping slows down and all you’re left with is the hard shell of the marrow and some squidgy marrow pulp. Squeeze it and whatever sludge remains in the tights, to extract every last drop of juice.

Bottle in clean bottles, cork, and leave until next year’s marrow season - if you can - to raise a toast to the glory of vegetable torpedoes as they expand from courgettes into your subsequent rum supply.

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The wines of Bergerac - Blind Tasting

Jill Wellington (Pixabay)

by Martin Walker

T

here is always a sense of occasion about a blind wine tasting, the ranks of bottles lined up, each in its sock-like covering that hides the label and each one numbered to accord with the order in which they will be tasted and marked.

Even though our tasting was not a formal Concours to award prizes, more an advisory session to help the Vins de Bergerac-Duras plan their marketing, these events always remind me of exams at school.

You put your name at the top of each page, and then running vertically down the page there is a line for each of the numbered wines to be tasted.

And then horizontally are various columns in which you give marks for visual impact, for bouquet, mouth feel and aftertaste, a section for notes and then in the final column the score you give, usually out of twenty.

It is more than a little intimidating, especially when the tasting takes place at the Maison des Vins in Bergerac, full of people who make their living from wine rather than treat it as a very enjoyable hobby.

Some of them are members of

the four tasting teams.

There is one team for the sweet wines of Monbazillac and Saussignac, a second for the dry white and rosé wines, a third for the wines of the Pécharmant and Montravel, and the fourth team for the red wines of Bergerac, Côtes de Bergerac and Duras. This is the one I am in, and although there are nearly thirty of the red wines to taste, I feel relieved that I’m not tasting the dessert wines.

Don’t get me wrong; I am very fond of the vins liquoreux of our region, which go so well with foie gras, or with blue cheese and with most desserts. But tasting them one after another is daunting.

Even though in a tasting we spit rather than swallow, one gets a kind of sugar high. The relentless assault of sweetness has a numbing effect on my amateurish taste buds and I’d be gulping water and nibbling on bread between sips to make any sense of them all.

Even more intimidating are the other tasters, some of whom I know well, including the sommelier who looks after the wine for my favourite restaurant, the Vieux Logis in Trémolat and his new colleague, the charming young

woman who has just been appointed the sommelier for that other Michelin-starred restaurant, the Tour des Vents. They know much more about wine than I ever will. Then there are wine journalists, some of the expert staff of the Maison des Vins and various figures in the wine trade and we start at ten in the morning.

I remind myself to get rid of any preconceptions, not easy to do when I have visited so many of the vineyards whose wines we’ll be tasting. At a vineyard, you know something of what to expect from the geography, whether this is a Montravel or a Saussignac or Pécharmant or somewhere down south near the Lot, or I have been there before and have looked up my old tasting notes.

Four of us around our own small tasting table, two glasses and a bottle of water for each of us and two crachoirs to share between us. Nearly two hours later, we are done, and like dutiful schoolchildren we hand in our completed forms to the mistress of ceremonies. Then we start to undress the shrouded bottles to discover which were the wines we had scored most highly, at seventeen and

eighteen out of twenty.

Broadly speaking, at my table we agreed that the bottles we had most admired had been the cuvée Picata of Château Poulvère; the cuvée Juste Terre of Château Laulerie; the cuvée Les Anciens Francs from Tour des Gendres; the Grand Vin from Les Verdots, and Lei Peires from Clos du Breil. They were five distinct wines, each with its own style and in each case, the quality was quickly apparent in the bouquet, to be quickly confirmed in the mouth.

Like most of the wines we tasted they were special wines of each vineyard, the grapes most hand-picked from special sections of the vineyards. The Juste Terre was made entirely from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape and had been made in the old Roman style, in a terracotta amphora rather than a barrel. Les Anciens Francs was made entirely of Cabernet Franc. The Clos du Breil had been kept in an ovoid vat, like a giant egg, whose shape is said to keep the wine moving gently as it matures.

Then we began to mingle with friends at the other tables, and to tell each other which wines had scored most highly, so a buzz emerged when we

found that Château Poulvère had also scored very well indeed among the Pécharmant wines, along with the ever reliable Christian Roche of the Domaine de l’Ancienne Cure. And I was pleased to see that Château de Peyrel had done very well among the white wines, a vineyard I have wanted to visit since a friend served a bottle of their excellent cuvée Renaissance at dinner.

By this time, the tasting being over, we were free to drink rather than spit, to compare notes and to share particular favourites with old and new friends, before heading out to the cloisters behind the Maison des Vins for a convivial lunch they had kindly prepared. ■

Martin Walker, author of the best-selling ‘Bruno, chief of police’ novels, is a Grand Consul de la Vinée de Bergerac. Formerly a journalist, he spent 25 years as foreign correspondent for The Guardian and then became editor-inchief of United Press International. He and his wife Julia have had a home in the Périgord since 1999 and one of his great hobbies is visiting the vineyards of Bergerac.

14 ♦ PRACTICAL

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Five tips to get your finances Brexit-ready - Blevins Franks Reviewing your currency, investment, tax planning and pension options now can help you secure financial security for 2021 and beyond.

N

ow that the extension deadline for the Brexit transition period has passed, it is certain that the UK will be leaving the EU in the new year. Reassuringly – deal or no-deal – UK nationals lawfully settled in France before 2021 will have locked in the right to remain and enjoy uninterrupted citizens’ rights. But there are still many unknowns.

Other than establishing your residence, what steps can you take to make your financial position as secure as possible?

1) Review the best currency mix for you - It is common for UK expatriates to retain financial connections with the UK, such as property or bank accounts, with many preferring to keep their savings and investments in British pounds.

While there is comfort in the familiar, this does expose you to exchange rate risk. Once you are living in France and spending euros in your daily life, it can therefore become more expensive to take your income in sterling. Explore investment structures that offer the flexibility to invest and make withdrawals in different currencies.

2) Avoid overexposure to UK investments - Likewise, many expatriates favour British investments, such as UK corporate bonds or FTSE-listed shares.

This could especially be the case if you are still using a UK-based adviser. If so, your financial planning may actually be better suited to a UK resident than to someone in your situation. Note also that UK advisers may not be authorised to continue advising you as an EU resident after the transition period, so check with yours.

A local adviser with in-depth knowledge can help you avoid costly mistakes and take advantage of tax-efficient opportunities in France that could work

more favourably for your circumstances.

3) Diversify, diversify, diversify - Achieving higher returns in today’s difficult conditions and low interest rate climate means looking further than bank savings and fixed interest investment options. While market movements can be unsettling, those invested for the medium to long-term in a well-diversified portfolio are best placed to see their wealth grow over time. Your financial adviser should undertake an objective assessment of your risk appetite to ensure your portfolio offers the right balance of risk and return for your peace of mind.

Amidst today’s economic uncertainty, it is more important than ever to make sure your portfolio is not overweight in UK assets and is suitably diversified.

You can reduce risk – Brexit-related or otherwise – by spreading investments across regions, asset types and market sectors to limit your exposure in any one area.

4) Get your tax planning in order - When it comes to the taxes you pay in France, there is no reason for anything to change post-Brexit. Your tax treatment as an expatriate is determined by the UK/ France tax treaty that exists independently of the EU. There are, however, some circumstances where taxation may be affected.

For example, if you hold UK bonds, you may lose beneficial tax treatment in France once the UK leaves the EU. An adviser can recommend more tax-efficient ways to structure your investments, such as a suitable EU-issued assurance-vie that can also offer additional benefits such as currency flexibility.

5) Review your pension options - As things stand, Brexit should have no impact on how expatriates can access funds from UK-registered pension schemes or transfer to a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS).

However, many speculate that the UK could widen the 25% ‘overseas transfer charge’, which currently

only affects EU residents who transfer UK pensions to a QROPS based outside the EU/EEA. Once outside the bloc, the UK gains freedom to tax capital within EU borders, so there may be a limited time to transfer to a QROPS tax-free.

Transferring now can shelter pension funds from future changes to UK rules and provide flexible currency options to protect your income from fluctuating exchange rates. However, it is not a one-size-fits-all solution. As with any pension decision, it is crucial to seek personalised, regulated advice to establish the right approach for you.

In any case, it is important to regularly review your financial arrangements. Regardless of Brexit, your circumstances and objectives can change over time, so what is right for you now may not be suitable in years to come.

Now has never been a better time to build a good relationship with a locally-based financial adviser who can keep you informed of developments that affect you and your family. They can explain the crossborder implications and help you plan if and when you need to take action so you can continue enjoying your chosen lifestyle in France. ■ All advice received from any Blevins Franks firm is personalised and provided in writing. This document, however, should not be construed as providing any personalised taxation and/or investment advice.

Tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any statements concerning taxation are based upon our understanding of current taxation laws and practices which are subject to change. Tax information has been summarised; individuals should seek personalised advice.

Keep up to date on the financial issues that may affect you on the Blevins Franks news page: www.blevinsfranks.com Tel: 05 53 63 49 19 Email: bergerac@blevinsfranks.com

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Little Maisie and her chums are the lucky ones. Out of the thousands of homeless cats in France, they are in Acorn Cat Rescue’s care and are waiting for homes.

If you can give a good, forever home to a cat or kitten, contact Lynda on 05 53 81 30 44 or associationacorn@gmail.com

www.associationacorn.com

Facebook & Instagram: Acorn Cat Rescue Managing Editor: Steve Martindale Editor-in-Chief: Steve Martindale Registered Address: 19, route de Champagnac

17500 MEUX SIRET: 514 989 748 00025 Printed by: Charente Libre

16340, L’Isle d’Espagnac Monthly circulation: 12,500 copies All copyright, unless stated otherwise, is reserved to The Bugle.

Reproduction in whole or part of any text without permission is prohibited. Dépôt légal à parution.

Directeur: Steve Martindale Rédacteur-en-chef: Steve Martindale Siège: 19, route de Champagnac

17500 MEUX SIRET: 514 989 748 00025 Imprimé par: Charente Libre

16340, L’Isle d’Espagnac Tirage mensuel: 12,500 copies Tous droits réservés. Toute reproduction, totale ou partielle, des articles et illustrations du présent numéro est strictement interdite.

Dépôt légal à parution.

The Bugle cannot accept responsibility for the claims of advertisers or their professionalism. We strongly advise readers to verify that the company you are dealing with is a registered trading company in France or elsewhere in the world.

DIRECTORY ♦ 15

AUGUST 2020 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Business Directory

Your indispensable guide to finding local businesses & artisans Building Services Architects/Surveyors

Activities & Leisure

Boris’s School of Art Learn How to Paint in English or French.

Landscapes, still-life & Bob Ross technique.

M: 06 47 98 50 71 E: guidetoeasypainting@gmail.com W: borishuguenelart.com

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

Architectural DRAWING SERVICE Renovating your French property?

New build?

Dossiers prepared Permis de Construire Déclarations Préalables

Tel: 05 53 52 36 05 lavieilleabbaye@orange.fr www.latuspeter-architecturaldrawings-24.com SIRET: 493 770 358 00015

CHARTERED STRUCTURAL ENGINEER

Auto Services MOTOR PARTS CHARENTE

Suppliers of Car & Van Spares & LHD headlights, anywhere in France JOHN SOWERSBY

+44 (0)7830 170761

motorptscharente@aol.com www.motorpartscharente.com

Your advert here 06 04 17 80 93

Pre-purchase & Structural Surveys.

Verbal & written reports.

Structural calculations & drawings.

Redevelopment ideas & solutions.

Tim Haw B.Eng C.Eng M.I.Struct.E

FR: 0033 (0)6 52 06 22 79 UK: 0044 (0)7448 466 662

Member

of

Chamber

of

Architects

P r o v i d i n g A L L architectural services V ery s ma l l to v ery b i g projects welcome P r e-p u rc h a s e a s s i s ta n c e Feel welcome to ask for a non-binding meeting 05 53 56 52 27 a@mon.archi 06 42 86 59 12 (www)mon.archi Based in Périgord vert 24340 A l l o f F ra n c e c over ed

Building Services Carpenters/Joiners Darren Piper

Carpentry &

Building Services Qualified craftsman with over 20 years experience running his own business in the UK - Specializing in:

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06 04 17 80 93

06 89 18 35 89

Web: www.versineer.com Email: enquiries@versineer.com Siret: 498 843 051 00018

At Masterplans.eu we can help guide you through your planning application in France.

From initial feasibility to completed dossiers.

We will compile all the relevant drawings and complete the necessary paperwork to ensure your application proceeds smoothly.

We are equally at home working with clients here in France or those living abroad.

Tel: 05 55 80 72 83 Mob: 06 33 07 29 72 Email: info@masterplans.eu www.masterplans.eu Siret: 790 016 984 00011

Dan Dan the odd Job Man!

NEU DplG ARCHITECTURE

e: darren.piper@hotmail.com Siret: 847 651 072 00013

Building Services Electricians CONFORELEC

06 32 91 13 15 see main ad - pg 5

Entreprise Electricité Générale All aspects of electrical works undertaken Departments 36, 23 and 87 UK / French Satellite and TV Aerial installations

06 16 91 64 67

contact@reactive-resource.com www.reactive-resource.com Siren: 808 481 170

Building Services General CHARKER DAVID

Specialist in the renovation and restoration of period and contemporary buildings All small works undertaken

Stonework, Traditional renderings in Lime, Doors and Windows, Dry line walls, Zinc work, Electrical wiring and interior finishes Based near Brantôme

E-mail : dn.charker@sfr.fr

Tel: 05 53 09 42 18 No Siret: 402 444 871 00030

ANGLO SCAFFOLDING HIRE UK scaffolding supplied and erected here in France Qualified and fully insured FREE no obligation quotes Call Ian on

06 34 24 64 11 or see

www.lakesidebandb.net

Email: akbrunnstrom@yahoo.co.uk SIRET: 799 067 939 00014

Based near Bergerac General Maintenance - Shelving Woodwork and Carpentry Dry Walling - Small odd Jobs Garden Maintenance

Tel: 06 78 67 02 91 siret: 831 746 193 00018

POINTING FOR ALL YOUR REPOINTING WORK

Email: repointfr@icloud.com Tel: 04 73 52 14 43

Your advert here 06 04 17 80 93 Nigel’s Handyman Services Based near Beynac/Sarlat (24)

Garden/General Maintenance, Metal Repairs, Property Maintenance, Small Odd Jobs & General DIY A friendly & experienced service, all enquiries welcome

Tel: 06 02 16 76 37

Email: jillcarney68@aol.co.uk siret 848 588 919 00011

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16 ♦ DIRECTORY

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ AUGUST 2020

ADVERTORIAL

Pensions – QROPS vs SIPPs

– Rosemary Sheppard, International Financial Adviser

Q

uite often people will say to me that they don’t have any money for me to help them with, but what about your pensions? Now you have moved abroad are they in the most tax-efficient situation for you as an expat and can you really be sure that your existing pension fund will still be sufficiently funded to provide for your long-term retirement needs? It’s never too early, or too late, to discuss this and plan for the succession of your pension, if you indeed plan on leaving anything.

There is a lot of misinformation being touted

around with regard to the differences between QROPS and SIPPs. Some of the most common questions that people are asking us relate to issues including; If I have a SIPP am I covered by the UK FCA and FSCS compensation scheme?

If your French-based financial adviser is directly registered with and regulated by the UK FCA, then this is correct, but it is very unlikely. This means you may have no right to complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service or to claim compensation from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme if things go wrong.

I have been told I shouldn’t do a QROPS; I should do a SIPP - if I do a QROPS I will be subject to a 25% UK tax charge?

Philip Hammond introduced the OTC (Overseas Transfer

Charge) effective from 9th March 2017, which means certain transfers to and from a QROPS will be liable to a 25% tax charge. If the QROPS is outside the area that the member lives in then the OTC applies, so if you live in the EEA and your pension provider is in the EEA i.e Malta then you are not liable for this tax. Also this tax is not applicable after the relevant 5-year period has expired.

So you may ask what’s the problem? Well, due to Brexit this is a grey area. If you move back to the UK within the 5-year period will this tax apply or not? This now depends on the outcome of Brexit negotiations; therefore, the OTC may apply (again a grey area, the UK could decide members moving back to the UK are exempt).

SIPPs are subject to UK emergency tax on income payments, which can be as high

as 45%?

All SIPP Income paid to you, including flexi-access drawdown is subject to UK income tax under PAYE, so if you don’t have a UK tax code, an emergency tax code will be applied by HMRC; this can be as high as 45%.

To avoid this you simply need to complete the HMRC form SI 2009 number 226 application for relief at source from UK income tax and CLAIM to repayment of UK income tax.

If I have a SIPP and die after 75, my SIPP will be subject to up to a 45% UK death tax, whereas if I have a QROPS this is not the case?

This is currently true at the moment. The fund can be paid to any beneficiary, but will be taxed at their UK marginal tax rate, as a lump sum, annuity or as a drawdown pension. The fund can be paid to a trust as a

lump sum less a 45% tax charge.

So, depending on age, it may be more appropriate to do a QROPS to avoid this potential tax for your beneficiaries.

If you would like to arrange an independent, professional and impartial consultation, please contact me by email: Rosemary. sheppard@blacktowerfm. com, visit our website www. blacktowerfm.com or call me on 06 38 86 99 70. Blacktower Financial Management has over 32 years’ experience helping expats to make sure that their money works for them.

The above information was correct at the time of preparation and does not constitute investment advice and you should seek advice from a professional adviser before embarking on any financial planning activity.

Blacktower Financial Man-

agement Ltd is authorised and regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority. Blacktower Financial Management (Int) Ltd is licensed in Gibraltar by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) through whom we have a registered branch and passport for financial services in France. License number 00805B.

Advertising in The Bugle Business Directory Advertising your business couldn’t be easier. Text only, boxed listings are available in our Business Directory from just €12.50/month.

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Advertising is payable on publication. All prices are HT.

ADVERTORIAL

“SolarVenti”- the solar solution to damp and humidity

A

simple solar energy system that runs on its own, even when you are not there! – And provides a free heat supplement in winter.

The Solarventi air panel was invented more than 20 years ago by Hans Jørgen Christensen, from Aidt Miljø, with the backing of the Danish government. He wanted to use the sun’s energy for airing and ventilation of the thousands of holiday homes on the West coast of Jutland, - houses that were left empty and unheated for long periods - houses with damp problems, mould and bad odours - houses that left their owners with discomfort, lots of work and expense. He wanted a system that would be safe, simple, without the need for radiators, water and/or mains electricity. Slowly but surely, the first Solarventi model came

together.

How it works The principle behind Solarventi is simple: a small, builtin, solar cell powers a 12V fan that is connected to an air vent, a control unit and an on/ off switch.

Whenever the sun shines, the air in the solar panel is heated and the fan, receiving power from the solar cell, introduces warm, dry air into your home at the rate of 20 to 100 cubic metres per hour.

The initial models were more than capable of keeping the cottages dry (and ventilated), even with the limited sunshine hours available in Denmark during the winter season. Since that time, the technology has really come along in leaps and bounds. Now, more than 20 years later, the 3rd and 4th generation Solarventi have exceed-

ed all expectations.

In Southern Europe, Solarventi is not only used for ventilation/dehumidification purposes; with far more winter sunshine hours, it also provides a substantial heating supplement. Several technical and governmental studies show that incoming air temperature can be increased by as much as 40°C. A DIY Solution?

The installation process is very straightforward and should only take two or three hours. All that is needed is a drill, hammer and chisel to make a hole in the wall. Roof installations are also possible. In fact, the Solarventi was originally designed to be a DIY product - in Scandinavia it still is.

There are no electrical or water connections and it can be safely left running, even when

the property is empty. Solarventi requires no maintenance - if the property is unoccupied during the hot summer months, then it can be left running at low speeds for ventilation and dehumidification purposes or simply switched off.

With a range of panel sizes, and the option for wall or roof mounting, Solarventi is suitable for all types of buildings, caravans or even boats!! Following the patenting of its design in 2001, Solarventi has only recently been actively commercialized. Over the last six years, Solarventi units have been installed in more than 24 countries and demand is increasing rapidly. From Greenland to Australia, Solarventi is finally getting the recognition it deserves. ■ Units start from €490 TTC.

SOLARVENTI - Available in the Dordogne From Harlequin Developments Mobile: 06 06 60 46 97

DIRECTORY ♦ 17

AUGUST 2020 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Building Services General

Computers, Internet & Satellites

Harlequin Developments est. 2007

All aspects of renovation and

refurbishment, big or small.

Kitchens fitted and tiled Replacement doors and windows Parquet flooring Oak framed porches Plasterboard and Insulation Covering northern Dordogne

05.55.68.67.56 06.06.60.46.97

harlequindevelopments@live.com www.harlequindevelopments.com SIRET: 494.501.067.00016

Building Services Plumbing & Heating

PLUMBING & HEATING ENGINEER - Installation, from kitchen taps to full central heating systems - Breakdown / Replacement boilers - Emergency plumbing repairs - Full analysed testing

M : 06 72 47 88 00 T: 05 53 20 64 02 E : wellers@orange.fr

CCTV

Protect your Home Free Estimates

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06 04 17 80 93

--------------------------------Contact either Lawrie: +44 7968 984888

DMS gardening & cleaning services

Cabinet d’Ostéopathie Lederman

janinedisney@aol.com

06 42 14 26 56 siret: 827 791 054 00014

Or Liam: 06 01 10 19 75 Email: LAsurveillancefr@gmail.com Siret: 880 473 525 00017

Stephen Wisedale

WiFi Anglais Solve your Internet, Wi-Fi and computer problems

For more information on advertising in the Bugle Business Directory, give us a call or send us an email: sales24@thebugle.eu

Wi-Fi networks for homes, gîtes and small businesses. Outdoor Wi-Fi 4G Internet. Windows and MacOS.

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www.wifianglais.com Email: hello@wifianglais.com Tel: 05 53 30 23 96 Mob: 07 78 52 20 46

Handholding & Language Services

Siret: 800 525 040 00013

Food & Drink

All venues are in the evening between 6pm & 8.30 pm Wednesday: Mauzac, Le Barrage Thursday: Eymet 1st & 3rd Friday: Lauzun 2nd Friday: Ste-Alvère Last Friday: Campagnac-lès-Quercy See our website for full details:

www.thedordognechippy.com 05 53 74 01 91 or 06 19 99 25 62

05.53.91.46.67 41 rue du 26 mars 1944, 24600 RIBERAC

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Access, guidance & support for the French healthcare system in the Dordogne

06 04 17 80 93

sales24@thebugle.eu

sales24@thebugle.eu

with a native French speaker Why commute? Long distance learning is the answer!

C’est simple, call Sophie...

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Fully bilingual

FRENCH HEALTHCARE

06 61 56 47 17 scarolinea@yahoo.fr

Traditional Fish & Chips in a town near you

UK Trained Osteopath

FRENCH LESSONS Via Skype

The Dordogne Chippy

siret: 444 925 630 00014

Health & Beauty

Now taking on new clients for 2020 for all your cleaning and gardening needs, including changeovers and key holding.

Reliable, trustworthy and experienced.

Areas 16/87/86/24 covered

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For more information on advertising in the Bugle Business Directory, give us a call or send us an email:

Garden Services

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

Have everything explained by

EVELYNE DROUIN

(fully bilingual) Healthcare specialist: Carte Vitale and Mutuelle cover for individuals and businesses Free quote, direct contact Get in touch for more information or a free appointment: email: evelyne.drouin@axa.fr tel : 06 76 46 13 43

sales24@thebugle.eu

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Pools & Spas Limousin Spas

The region's leading distributor of Spas, Swim spas, Saunas & Hot tubs

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We are pleased to announce our new range of over 80 Spas, Swim spas, Hot tubs & Saunas from top European and U.S. manufacturers. *Platinum Spas* *Superior Spas* *BeSpa* * California Spas* *Superior Saunas* *Baltic Hot tubs* *Baltic Saunas*

Prices from €2,200 www.limousin-spas.com enquiries@limousin-spas.com Tel: 05 55 63 26 20 Siret: 752 157 610 00011

Your advert here 06 04 17 80 93 CONTINUED NEXT PAGE...

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We can deliver a copy to your door, hot off the press

France €25 pa; UK and Europe €40 pa

Email us for more details - subscriptions24@thebugle.eu or visit www.thebugle.eu

NEDWA - North Eastern Dordogne Women’s Association Come along and meet us at our regular Coffee Mornings at Auberge du Pont in Cherveix Cubas.

Always be sure of a warm welcome, good company and genuine friendship. For more information and details of upcoming events, see:

www.nedwa.com

NEDWA is a dynamic, multi-national group of around 100 women of all ages... Whether you are retired and feel like meeting some friendly faces, work from home and want to network, or just need to get out and attend some good monthly events, NEDWA fills the gap.

Activities include a book club, sewing circle, coffee mornings, walks, lunches, speakers on topics which relate to you and much more.

18 ♦ DIRECTORY

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ AUGUST 2020

ADVERTORIAL

Get in touch today to find Advertising with The Bugle out how we can put your business in front of

W

30,000

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06 04 17 80 93

Property Maintenance

Can your business fill this space?

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06 04 17 80 93

La Conciergerie Taking care of your home all year round providing you with a wintering service, managing your summer rentals or organising a happy holiday for you.

www.laconciergerie-housekeeping.com

24600 Villetoureix laconciergerie24@orange.fr Tel: 06 42 67 94 50

Support

Give us a call or send us an email:

SOS Help

anxious? stressed? feeling down? call us up!

siret: 840 556 228 00010 - APE 9609Z

ith 10 years’ experience delivering print advertising to an expat market, The Bugle represents one of the most cost-effective ways to let English speakers know about your business. An advert with The Bugle starts from just €12.50 HT per month – that’s less than 42 cents a day to put your business in front of 30,000 people each month.

In the Dordogne we have more than 150 distribution points across the region and surrounding areas where readers can pick up a copy for free.

We also distribute 3,000 copies through Bergerac Airport, which means that we are in the perfect position to target not only residents and secondhome owners, but also tourists and those new to the region.

The Bugle is the only English language newspaper dedicated to the Dordogne - in fact, today, The Bugle is the only free English language newspaper in France and we are growing all the time.

If you would like to discuss any of our advertising options further, why not give us a call today to find out more about the ways that we can help you grow your business.

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3 - 11pm daily Confidential & Non-profit

bookstop English second-hand books Tea room Art exhibitions

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bookstop24@gmail.com facebook.com/bookstop24 19 rue Victor Hugo, 24310 Brantôme

Psychologist (MBPsS) looking for part-time work giving affordable care and respite to dementia sufferers in their own home / environment.

Native English speaker.

Please contact Catriona:

catcool61@aol.com Périgord Noir, will travel up to 45 mins from 24170. siret: 841 001 456 00018

Smart Moves For a fully insured, careful service

FORTNIGHTLY SERVICES TO FRANCE FULL OR PART LOADS WELCOME WE COLLECT FROM ALL AREAS OF THE UK AND DELIVER TO ALL AREAS OF FRANCE Find us on Facebook: @smartmovesukfrance Please CALL or EMAIL Stephen

sales24@thebugle.eu

smartmovers@hotmail.co.uk

06 04 17 80 93

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Transport, Removals & Storage

+44 (0)7966 287 430

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Retail & Commerce

06 04 17 80 93 Local and European Removals France to France, Spain, Portugal, Italy etc We Offer: Removals, Storage, House Clearance, also Car, Caravan, Plant Transport.

French Registered Business.

Local Friendly Service.

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www.dordognestoragesolutions.com

Legal advice from English-speaking lawyers Also the #1 portal for property auctions

www.frenchpropertylawyer.fr

Man & Van Transport

Genuine/Reliable/Honest Local + Europe + UK runs House/Barn clearances!

15m3 capacity 4m load length English & French Spoken

09 82 12 69 73 06 06 40 81 07 87150 Oradour-sur-Vayres

www.frenchvanman.eu Siret 530 213 644 00012

For more information on advertising in the Bugle Business Directory, give us a call or send us an email:

Franklins Removals

sales24@thebugle.eu

Contact Stephen or Ben: 0044 121 353 7263 sales@franklinsremovals.co.uk www.franklinsremovals.co.uk

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

A family business offering a quality, professional service since 1985

Buying or Selling French Property?

05 55 82 18 99

T: 06 04 17 80 93 E: sales24@thebugle.eu W: www.thebugle.eu

Worship services in English held throughout the Dordogne: Bertric Burée, Chancelade, Eymet Temple, Limeuil, Négrondes, Sainte Nathalène (near Sarlat).

All are welcome!!

Please visit our website for more information: www.churchinaquitaine.org Find us on Facebook: English Church Aquitaine

06 04 17 80 93

AUGUST 2020 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

WHAT’S ON ♦ 19

17ème Marché de potiers, Beauronne (on the D709 between Mussidan and Ribérac)

Saturday 15th – Sunday 16th August Potters market with around thirty professional exhibitors.

Food available Sunday lunchtime with a local farmers market.

10h-19h. Free entry.

Do you have an event for The Bugle?

06 04 17 80 93 - sales24@thebugle.eu

During the confinement, the City of Bergerac organised a competition via social networks to encourage the residents of Bergerac to develop their artistic talents. These works of confinement will be exhibited at the St Jacques presbytery from 15th July to 30th August, Tuesday to Sunday, from 2 pm to 6 pm. Free entry.

Prizes for the most original works will be awarded on 29th August.

20 ♦ WHAT’S ON

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ AUGUST 2020

CINÉMA PLEIN AIR 2020

Ciné-Passion has a programme of mobile open-air cinema for the summer season with movie teams visiting a score of venues across the department.

In July and August, 45 screenings are planned with a large choice of films for the whole family.

What better way to spend a hot summer’s night?!

For programme and venue details visit www.cine-passion24.com Pre-booking highly recommended as numbers are limited. The wearing of a mask is compulsory from 11 years to access and leave the site. Once seated, film-goers may remove their masks but must respect social distancing.

Don’t forget a blanket and cushion to make yourselves comfy!

The Périgord Noir Festival is an established musical festival that recognises ambition and artistic quality and stands out among other major events by presenting three genres : baroque, classical and jazz.

The Festival is associated with a region that is famous for its national heritage and concert venues all bear witness to this fact: Romanesque churches, historical parks and gardens, abbeys, chapels and medieval towns and villages situated near the prehistoric Lascaux caves. It celebrates cultural diversity and creativity, annually presenting over 150 artists in a wide range of events, from concerts, recitals and jam sessions to competitions, masterclasses, meetings with artists and exhibitions.

Due to Covid-19, this 38th edition will be on a smaller scale but with a nonetheless exciting line-up, opening with Vivaldi’s Four Seasons on 6th August at the Abbaye de Saint-Amand-de-Coly.

For full programme details and tickets visit festivalmusiqueperigordnoir.com

Discover our award-winning Cognac and Pineau des Charentes Guided tours in English, in the heart of the Cognac region CLASSIC TOUR

PRIVATE TOUR

Enjoy a guided visit of our family domaine and discover the essentials of Cognac and Pineau des Charentes production.

Tasting of 2 Cognacs and 2 Pineau des Charentes.

Monday to Friday.

Duration 1 hour. Price: €10 per person.

A privileged, multi-sensory discovery of the history and craft of our Domaine. A private and guided tour which also includes the distillery, ageing cellars and vineyards.

Tasting of 3 Cognacs and 4 Pineau des Charentes accompanied by gourmet canapés. Ideal for families and groups.

Monday to Sunday. Duration 2 hours. Price: €20 per person.

* by appointment only - free for under-14’s

* by appointment only - free for under-14’s