The Bugle - August 2012

When is a fresh croissant not a fresh croissant...?

With ever complex labelling laws, it is not always easy to know exactly what you are buying. We take a look at >> Page 12 the changing nature of French food.

August 2012 Issue #34

End of the line for the LGV?

INSIDE > > > NEWS - Airlines forced to include 'hidden' fees Airlines such as Ryanair must now include all fees and charges in their advertised prices >> Page 6

NEWS - Tax increase on second home owners

♦ As the government announces that it will be holding a review of all current infrastructure projects as part of its budget cuts, is the writing on the wall for the Poitiers-Limoges LGV? campaign its first piece of good news in years. Despite numerous protests across the region, the project has marched on regardless, with a public consultation period completed, the final route established and financing agreements put in place.

Asked specifically about the future of high-speed train projects around the country, the budget minister confirmed that it would not be possible for the government to meet its own spending cuts and still complete all the projects currently in the pipeline.

He said that where new lines would only provide “a small gain in travel time” the money may be better spent improving the existing network.

>> continued on page 3

NEWS - French town demands Crown Jewels

The French town of Angers has demanded the Queen hand over the Crown Jewels in compensation for 1499 murder

>> Page 9

© 2012 - Sapin88 (WikiCommons)

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ew projects have been as divisive in recent years as the proposed Ligne à Grande Vitesse (LGV) between Poitiers and Limoges. The planned €1.5 billion investment will place Paris less than a 2-hour train journey from Limoges via France’s existing TGV network at Poitiers - current journey times are nearer 3 hours. But the whole future of the project is now in doubt, following an announcement by the government that they will have to “trim” some of the country’s infrastructure projects.

“Il faudra élaguer” - “We will need to do some trimming”. With those three words the new Socialist government’s budget minister, Jérôme Cahuzac, gave the vocal anti-LGV

François Hollande unveils two new taxes on second home owners not tax resident in France >> Page 7

Bradley Wiggins becomes Britain's first ever winner of the Tour de France >> Page 10

Your indispensible guide to the region's Businesses >> Centre Pages

AUGUST 2012 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

2 ♦ IN THIS EDITION

Welcome to

I

The Bugle

s summer finally here…? It has been a bit late starting, but as the end of July approaches the forecast is looking pretty encouraging in the medium term, which suits me just fine. Although I do have a natural scepticism where weather forecasters are concerned.

They are a bit like politicians to me… they’ll tell you what you want to hear, but when the day comes will claim extenuating circumstances and deliver the bad news. I remember hearing Pat Cash on the Wimbledon commentary recently saying something along the lines of: “I don’t get your weather guys over here, talk about hedging your bets. This morning I saw the forecast for London and it was a big black cloud with rain coming out of it partially covering a big shiny sun make up your minds!”

I hope that the current 10-day forecast is correct as Team Bugle are having a week off!! This is as rare as hens’ teeth in my household, thanks to the pressures of running a monthly paper containing 150 advertisers, 20,000 words and which needs to be hand delivered to 350 distribution points!!

We’re not going anywhere, mind, just turning off the computers, playing with the kids and trying to enjoy life a little bit (I need to get my stress levels down

before the annual visit of the in-laws at the end of August!). It is probably just as well that we are not going away, as the first 2 times I tried travelling with children, we ended up in a hospital on both occasions.

The first was on a trip to the UK, when my eldest had an ear infection that resulted in a burst eardrum… 2 days before we had to fly back with all the associated cabin pressure issues… poor thing. The second time we didn’t dare venture as far and were staying in a gite in Normandy with some friends. This time, the same daughter managed to get a piece of “vegetation” embedded in her eye (we never did find out exactly what it was).

When she refused to play ball with the ophthalmologist (she was only 2, what do you expect!) we had to let nature take its painful course.

So the logic is that if we stay put this time and enjoy what the local area has to offer, at least we’ll know where the local hospital is should the need arise!!

Recently, I was given reason to recall just how naïve my wife and I were when we first moved here as city slickers all those years ago. On previous brief visits we had noticed the beautiful caramel coloured Limousin cows for which the region is famous.

But on subsequent trips, the same

fields would often be filled with mostly white cows. It led ‘someone I know’ to once wonder out loud whether the cows moulted and changed colour at a certain time of year. I had to stop and think long enough for the moment to pass, but it has since become a running gag between us how ridiculous that would have sounded if anyone else had been listening.

Then something I heard on the Tour de France commentary this year literally took my breath away. The Tour de France is fascinating viewing, but is much like test match cricket - there are long periods where not a lot happens.

This means that commentators have to be good at talking about nothing - something that the TMS team on Radio 4 have perfected to an art form.

On this particular day in the Pyrenees, the commentators were waxing lyrical about the local Gasconne cows: “Of course, if you see a brown one then it must be very young, as they are born brown and then turn white as they mature!” Had I misheard? No, wikipedia confirmed it. After all these years it turns out that my wife… oops, I mean ‘someone I know’… was actually correct. Had someone overheard, they would have taken her for an expert of the country’s minority breeds of cow. Of course, it has now removed one of the very few things about which I can take the mickey out of her.

The Tour de France was an absolutely amazing watch this year.

I have always been a fan of the Tour, long before I lived in France and even during the years when rider after rider was exposed as a drugs cheat. I

have been following British cycling from a distance in recent years and vividly remember Team Sky forming and announcing that they planned to have a British winner of the Tour in 5 years. To my shame, I also remember laughing inwardly at the possibility.

The Tour de France is a spectacle to most people – a 3,500 km procession around some of the most stunning scenery in the world and the sheer enormity of the physical challenge is lost on many. To win the Tour de France puts you in the very elite of world sportsmen and to win it in such style as Team Sky did is quite extraordinary. I imagine cycling will get a lot more popular back in the UK now and I would be amazed if the bookies are still taking bets on Sports Personality of the Year - if they are I’ll have a tenner on Wiggins!!

Until next month Steve Martindale Editor

INSIDE this edition 1 & 3-5 Local News 6-9 National News 10 Sport 11-15 French Life 16 Letters to the Editor 17 Notice Board 18 Clubs & Associations 19-20 What's On B1-B8 Business Directory B10-B11 Classifieds B12 Games

CONTACT us Tel: 05.55.41.17.76

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www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ AUGUST 2012

LOCAL NEWS ♦ 3

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Future of the LGV Poitiers- New speed cameras Limoges hangs in the balance introduced as the death toll mounts

>> continued from pg 1

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© 2004 - François Proulx (Flickr)

It was also announced that the minister for transport, Frédéric Cuvillier, would establish a commission to create a list of all current planned infrastructure projects in order of their financial viability.

The 125km of new high-speed railway requires 1,100 hectares of land to be acquired by the state, 45 buildings to be demolished (some of which are occupied), as well as the compensation of a large number of farmers and individuals. Opponents have questioned whether the perceived benefits outweigh the cost, with the final estimate for the project standing at over €1.5 billion.

The LGV was a hot local election issue and almost all politicians were in favour of the Poitiers-Limoges LGV line. Indeed, the election of François Hollande, MP for the Corrèze department of the Limousin and outspoken supporter of the new high-speed line, was seen as a major blow to the ‘anti’ campaign.

First to react to the news that the project might now be in jeopardy was Jean-Pierre Limousin, president of the CCI of Haute-Vienne and also head of the group set up to promote the new

line. “The budget minister speaks of a marginal gain in travel time. Does that mean that he thinks one hour cut off a journey from Limoges to Paris is marginal? At less than €2 billion, the LGV Poitiers-Limoges represents a mere 0.7% of the total planned railway investments. There must be a better way to find savings. Besides which, many projects are still in their planning phase, whereas we have already completed millions of euros worth of studies.

What’s more, can the new president of the Republic really abandon the region he holds so dear?”

In better news for supporters of the new line, Le Populaire newspaper

reported that Alain Rodet, deputy and mayor of Limoges, had spoken to the transport minister and been assured that the LGV Poitiers-Limoges would not be affected.

The LGV project is in line with the loi Grenelle de l’Environnement, an environmental policy created to favour more ecologically friendly forms of transport such as high-speed rail.

Also, the désenclavement - literally ‘unlocking’ - of France’s rural areas has been a priority of recent governments. It is hoped that improving infrastructure in France’s poorer areas will open up them up to the rest of France and bring huge financial rewards in the long term. ■

he battle against driving offences has continued in Creuse this month following the seventh death on the roads of the department this year alone. There were 'just' four deaths in the whole of 2011.

As news of the most recent road fatality emerged, officials were gathering on the RN145 to unveil the latest weapon in their fight against speeding - a pedagogical radar on the dual carriageway near Ajain, in the Montluçon-Guéret direction.

This is the fourth such radar to be added in recent weeks, following others in the communes of SaintMaurice-la-Souterraine, Nouhant and Saint-Vaury.

These pedagogical radars are purely for driver awareness and do not register speeding motorists. They will, however, serve as warnings for fixed radars that will be positioned several hundred metres further down the road. One such radar has already been installed at Pont à la Dauge on the RN145, although this one has a difference. It is a new breed of high-tech radar that can

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distinguish between vehicles types, so it can apply different speed limits to lighter vehicles (motorbikes, cars, vans) and heavy goods vehicles simultaneously. There is currently only one other such radar in operation in the Limousin, in HauteVienne.

Also announced was the planned installation of average speed cameras on the RN145 between Guéret Est and Pont à la Dauge, due in autumn.

The authorities hope that this more reliable form of automated speed control will allow then to re-deploy resources onto the department's minor roads, where the more serious accidents tend to occur.

The Procureur de la République, Olivier Quérard, used the unveiling to announce a legal crackdown on road violations, particularly for repeat offences, warning that offenders could expect harsher penalties in the future. The department’s Prefect, Claude Serra, also said that the authorities would be less tolerant from now on and would increase the number of vehicle confiscations, in accordance with the Loppsi 2 law. ■

AUGUST 2012 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

4 ♦ LOCAL NEWS

The musician who “can spin the world on his Bow”

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Fund-raiser for the Guide Dogs School Landouge 2012

By Deborah Knight

irtuoso violinist and Fiddle player, Peter Knight, stalwart of British Folk-Rock pioneers Steeleye Span and Creuse resident, is bringing his own trio, Gigspanner, to the region as part of a short tour of France, during September.

Peter, who has been with Steeleye Span for the past 43 years, originally formed the trio as a fairly casual arrangement when he was still living in Hastings. However, the Band’s unique chemistry and outstanding musicianship won an army of loyal followers, and it became obvious that the music was worthy of a much wider audience.

The trio has since been hailed by Songlines magazine as “another milestone in folk’s rebirth of cool moment”, but those in the know will tell you that there is far more to Gigspanner than simply folk music.

A Bedrock of British traditional music is to be expected from Steeleye Span’s legendary fiddle player, but Gigspanner’s musical reach flirts audaciously with Eastern European, French, Cajun, African and even Aboriginal influences. It is no surprise that author Sir Terry Pratchett wrote

that “Peter Knight can spin the world on his Bow”.

Now established as a powerful presence on the UK concert and festival scene, the Trio's unique and dazzling approach to traditional and world music is attracting the attention of music lovers and the music press alike.

Their Debut album Lipreading the Poet was named as one of the best 15 Global albums of 2009, and their follow-up album Doors at Eight (Live) has received a string of 5 star reviews.

This is the first time that Gigspanner has toured outside of the UK, and Peter is excited about bringing his trio to the area that he now calls home. Peter says “Touring is an inevitable and unavoidable part of being a professional musician, and it is something that I always enjoy. But, I do feel a sense of real sadness every time I leave the Creuse to embark on a tour.

I absolutely love the region, the way of life, our friends, and our neighbours. So, being able to play the music I love, with the musicians I love and to the people I love, in the place that I love, is a joyful prospect. I can’t think of anything better”.

Gigspanner will be playing at

Hello Steve,

the Salle de fêtes, Les Ribières, Saint-Pierre-Chérignat 23430 on Friday 14th September, and tickets priced at 12 Euros are available to buy online from July at www.gigspanner.com.

Enquiries can be made on 0044 7974 842950 (be aware that it is an English mobile number) or by email at mail@gigspanner.com They will also be playing in the Haute-Vienne on Sunday 23rd September at the Salle des fêtes, Marval, a concert being hosted

by Marval Folk Club. Enquiries bandk.cornell@gmail.com.

Full tour dates are available at www.gigspanner.com Peter is joined by Roger

Flack on Guitar, and Vincent Salzfaas on Congas and Djembe, both intelligent and powerful musicians in their own right.

Together they promise “a blistering pace of a flamboyant musical world tour” (Lancashire Evening Post).

But, leave any pre-conceived ideas at the door, and ditch the pigeonholes. If you have a taste for “music of intelligently crafted brilliance” (Songlines magazine) there is something here to nurture your soul.

Music samples can be heard at: w w w. r e v e r b n a t i o n . c o m / peterknightsgigspanner

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We would like to thank you for advertising our 2nd Annual Fund-raiser in aid of the Guide Dogs for the Blind School in Landouge, Limousin, on the 24th of June.

The public responded really well to our appeal for items to sell and the Mairie and volunteers came up with many more tables than last year, allowing us to Etoile - a real star display everything to much better advantage.

The wonderful band of volunteers made everything possible and worked really hard before, during and after the day. We, and the School, are so grateful to each and every one of them.

We are very pleased to tell you that we far exceeded last year's total and raised approximately €2,250 and would like to thank everyone who came and supported the event with such generosity, and also the artisans who supported and added variety and funds to the event.

The Guide Dogs School have asked us to express their sincere thanks to everyone. For more information visit their web site www.limoges.chiensguides.fr Thank you one and all.

Christine and Roger Thomas and Etoile

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www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ AUGUST 2012

LOCAL NEWS ♦ 5

Dordogne river basin recognised by UNESCO as a 'biosphere reserve'

A

n enterprising local duo have launched a new soft drink in time for the summer season. But what did they call their Drink, made using Saffron and Kiwi…?

DSK, of course! “Yes, we know that name is already well-known, but what can you do?” joked its inventors, referring to the disgraced French politician, Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

They have taken the link with the former presidential front runner a step further by emphasising the aphrodisiac properties of their new DSK drink (linked to the saffron, of course, not to the infamous libido of the former IMF chief!)

Stéphane Briault and Patrice Guillard make no bones about the fact that they are playing on the ambiguity of the name.

“Some people will like it [the drink] and some people will not. But one thing is for sure: no one will forget it!”

DSK has entered an already crowded local soft drinks market (2 colas were launched in Haute-Vienne alone in 2011), but their fizzy drink is not just another cola. “With its tiny bubbles, from a distance it resembles champagne,”

explained its creators. “It is sweet, with a hint of honey, but with the distinct taste of saffron. This product is 100% natural, with a base of organic kiwis, organic sugar cane and with no colourings or preservatives.”

“At the end of last year, I was looking for a way to make the most of an unusually large harvest,” explained Patrice Guillard, who produces one and a half hectares of saffron near Préveranges on the border of Creuse and Cher.

It was during a subsequent chat with his friend and entrepreneur Stéphane Briault that the idea for the drink was born.

It took the pair 6 months to perfect their recipe and achieve the right balance between the natural acidity of the kiwis and the powerful flavour of saffron.

10,000 bottles are heading for market in the coming weeks and months and will go on sale at the Aire des Monts de Guéret, amongst other places, although not in large supermarkets. A pack of 6 bottles of DSK will cost you around €16 and the duo behind the drink hope it will make a delicious - and humorous! - gift. ■

Got a story for The Bugle? editor@thebugle.eu

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© UNESCO - F. Ehrhardt, EPIDOR

Duo launch drink with a cheeky name

The Dordogne river basin has been recognised by UNESCO as a ‘biosphere reserve’. The 24,000km² area joins 10 other sites across France in the list of 598 reserves around the world that are of special importance for research into sustainable development.

In its report, UNESCO states that, “The Dordogne’s catchment area shelters great biodiversity and represents a range of mountainous landscapes. It contains one of the biggest estuaries in Europe. Population density is low and there are no large cities.”

The Dordogne river stretches from the west coast of France, through 6 departments, including the Corrèze up to the heights of Sancy in the Puy-de-Dôme department in the Massif central.

“This is hugely satisfying, as it is not an easy thing to achieve”, said Roland Thieleke from Epidor, a public company established 20 years ago to develop methods of sustaining France’s waterways. “It has been a long, tough process over two years involving politicians, members of the public and farmers.”

UNESCO highlighted how the river plays an important role in the economy thanks to its tourism industry, which is based around the Dordogne's heritage and natural landscape, but also works alongside agriculture and forest exploitation.

The aim of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) labelling is to encourage people to “promote sustainable development based on local community efforts and sound science”. ■

AUGUST 2012 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

6 ♦ NATIONAL NEWS Cafe`le Pont de la Pierre, Bellac “A Very Special Place”

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'Hidden' airline charges to be included in price © 2005 - Raboe001 (WikiCommons)

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means that, for example, a group of 14 people travelling together would pay £168 extra for their flights, despite the fact that only one payment is processed for the entire group.

John Holmes, principal economist at Which?, who helped compile a report into excessive card charges which formed the basis of a

avoid the charge.”

The Which? report goes on to explain that the average return fare is £136.09, for which the actual costs incurred in credit card transaction fees should be a minimum of £1.20 and a maximum of £2.45.

Easyjet is further ahead in the process and is already including its £9 per booking charge in

supercomplaint to the Office of Fair Trading earlier this year, said, “The only time the airline charges that £6 admin fee is when a passenger presents a payment method to the airline. The principle of this government legislation is about those charges that are practically unavoidable. You cannot avoid paying for a flight so you cannot

advertised prices, according to the OFT. Other companies that have also already made changes to their pricing structures, websites and marketing material are Eastern Airways, Flybe, German Wings, Lufthansa, Thomas Cook, Thomson (TUI) and Wizz Air. The head of the OFT, Clive Maxwell, said: “This is a great

outcome for the millions of people who buy flights online.

It is important that the cost presented when they search for a flight is realistic and that they are not surprised by extra charges.”

The OFT has estimated the cost to consumers of card surcharges on airfares is £300m a year. ■

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welve airlines, including Easyjet and Ryanair, have agreed to include ‘hidden’ charges in their headline prices, rather than adding additional ‘admin fees’ at the payment stage of a booking.

The move follows enforcement action by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).

Ryanair has announced that its £6 per flight administrative fee will be included in advertised prices by 1st August and will be included in the firm's website headline prices by 1st December.

Under the current system, Ryanair charges a £6 fee per person, per flight, but only adds it to the total due at the payment stage. The low cost airline has denied in the past that the extra cost is a debit or credit card fee and states on its website that this charge “relates to costs associated with Ryanair's booking system”. The charge

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ AUGUST 2012

NATIONAL NEWS ♦ 7

Under new legislation being proposed by the EU, French registered cars could be subjected to a CT (contrôle technique - the equivalent of the M.O.T.) every year instead of every two years.

The European Commissioner for Transport, Siim Kallas, believes tighter regulations regarding vehicle checks would save more than 1,200 lives a year on Europe’s roads and avoid more than 36,000 accidents linked to technical failure: “If you're driving a car which is not fit to be on the road, you're a danger to yourself and to everyone else in your car – your family, your friends, your business colleagues. What's more, you’re a danger to all the other road users around you. It's not complicated; we don't want these potentially lethal cars on our roads.”

Under current legislation, the minimum requirement imposed

by European law is a 4-2-2 rule, meaning a car must be checked for road-worthiness after 4 years and then every 2 years. The new proposals would introduce a 4-2-1 rule, so that all older cars would be tested every year.

Other rules being discussed are tighter controls on vehicles that have unusually high mileage, bringing them in line with stricter rules already in place for taxis and ambulances. Tests for scooters and motorbikes would also be introduced.

The proposals need to be passed by the European Parliament and then ratified by member states before becoming law, but given the recent push in France to increase road safety, such as the requirement to have an alcohol breathalyser in your vehicle, it is likely these proposals would be adopted. ■

Expats to pay more tax on second homes

F

rance’s new Socialist government has announced tax rises worth €7.2bn, largely targeting wealthy households, and aimed at plugging a revenue shortfall this year caused by feeble economic growth.

Among changes that will directly affect foreign homeowners in France are those to capital gains tax and taxation on rental income. The new property charges will apply to all homeowners - both foreigners and French expats - who live abroad and do not pay their taxes in France.

Tax on rental income will rise from 20 per cent to 35.5 per cent; and capital gains tax on property sales will rise from 19 per cent to 34.5 per cent. The extra in each case is being labelled a “social charge”.

President Sarkozy announced similar plans last year, although these were never pushed through.

The rise in tax on rental income is retrospective and will be applied from Jan 1 st this year. The increase in capital gains tax applies from the beginning of August, meaning property owners will effectively have no time to escape the increased

tax by selling their homes.

Holiday homeowners already pay two other taxes to the French government: the taxe foncière, which is paid by the house owner and the taxe d'habitation, which is paid by those who live in it.

Although the new taxes may appear frightening to many expat homeowners, it may not be as bad for most of us as it seems on the surface. Firstly, nothing changes if you already pay your taxes in France. For rental income, the increased taxes only apply to unfurnished rental; income for furnished accommodation (i.e. gite income) is not affected.

Capital gains tax only applies to your second home, so if your French home is your main residence, then you are not affected if you sell it. Also, deductions can be made for work done on the house and the percentage due tapers off over the course of 30 years, after which time no capital gains tax is due at all. In short, if you live in France, did not buy as a short-term investment speculation or do not intend to sell in the near future, then you have nothing to worry about.

All may not go the government’s

© 2012 - Etiennekd (WikiCommons)

France heading towards annual CTs for all vehicles

way, however, in this latest attempt to extract more money from ‘the rich’, as a former French finance minister warned that the retroactive social charges may be declared unconstitutional. The challenge appears to centre on the nature of the increase that could be deemed unfair by the European Union as it imposes a “social contribution” on foreign homeowners who will not gain all the benefits to which such a charge should entitle them.

Opposition politicians dubbed the new measures a “250 million euro lie” by President Hollande’s Socialist government; during their election campaign they had specifically pledged not to raise taxes for non-residents.

There are an estimated total 360,000 non-resident second homeowners in France as well as a significant number of French who live abroad but still own a property back home. ■

AUGUST 2012 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

8 ♦ NATIONAL NEWS

French car industry in crisis?

E

urope’s second largest car manufacturer, PSA Peugeot-Citroën, has announced the first closure of a French car factory in 20 years, as well as plans to cut 8,000 jobs.

France’s largest car maker said its Aulnay plant near Paris, which employs 3,000 workers, would stop production in 2014. Another plant, at Rennes in western France, is set to shed 1,400 of the 5,600 people it employs there. Another 3,600 jobs will be lost across the company’s other operations in France.

Peugeot's chairman, Philippe Varin, said in a statement that the situation was grave: “I am fully aware of the seriousness of today’s announcement, as well as of the shock and emotions they will arouse in the company.” He also said “the depth and persistence of the crisis” had made the reorganisation necessary and that workers who lost their jobs would receive support and help in finding new employment.

The announcement came a week after PSA Peugeot-Citroën revealed its first-half sales had fallen 13% amid a “profound crisis” in its Eurozone markets.

Workers at the threatened plant stopped work after the announcement, with one CGT union leader, JeanPierre Mercier, saying: “Varin has declared war on us, and we'll give him war.”

Social Affairs Minister, Marisol Touraine, said the government would be looking closely at the private company’s figures. “We cannot accept something like this,” she said, adding that the firm had received €4 billion in state aid in the past few years.

The French government ruled out a rescue package unless the company made a number of concessions.

Arnaud Montebourg, France’s Minister of Industrial Renewal, criticised PSA Peugeot-Citroën’s corporate strategy and insisted that there must be a quid pro quo for the carmaker to get support. “We have a real problem with Peugeot’s strategy,

the alliance with General Motors, the behaviour of its shareholders,” he told French radio.

The government has pressured the Peugeot family members - who control the company through a 25.2% stake - to explain why dividend payouts have continued amid a deepening crisis at Europe’s secondbiggest automaker.

PSA Peugeot-Citroën this year entered into an alliance with General Motors, under which GM takes a 7% stake in the company, making it the second-biggest shareholder in the French firm after the Peugeot family.

“We are leaning towards forms of mass support for innovative and clean vehicles, hybrids and electrics,” Mr Montebourg said. “We have with this a very strong competitive advantage in France, with our French manufacturers. We want to push this advantage to ultimately support manufacturers working on French territory.”

The automotive industry is at the heart of the French economy

and PSA Peugeot-Citroën employs around 100,000 people in the country.

Its sales are down 8% in 2012 and 23% compared to 2007. The company’s European plants are operating at just three-quarters capacity, its car operations lost an estimated €700 million in the first half of 2012, and it is consuming €200 million of cash every month.

Europe’s mass-market car manufacturers have struggled in recent years. Competitively priced models by Kia and Hyundai - made in ultra-modern, hi-tech factories in the Czech Republic and Slovakia have performed well; and companies that make high profit margins from selling luxury cars, such as Audi, BMW, and Mercedes, have also seen encouraging sales. Brands such as Peugeot, Citroën and Renault, on the other hand, are mostly stuck with old-fashioned factories with strong unions and well-paid workers. They are unable to compete on price, yet lack the brand to attract profitable luxury buyers. ■

Breath test kit shortage hits launch

S

ince 1st July, motorists in France are required by law to carry a breath test kit in their vehicles as part of ongoing measures to combat road deaths. Under the new rules, drivers face an €11 fine for non-possession.

The kits are becoming increasingly difficult to find, however, something the Bugle's editorial team can attest to, having tried and failed to find an éthylotest in Guéret recently.

A government spokes-

person has put the problems down to “media overkill”.

Alerted by press and TV reports, holidaymakers setting out on the roads this summer have apparently stocked up en masse, leading to the shortage.

The problem is being compounded by the long production times for the kits - about three weeks before a French-made one reaches the shops. A brand being manufactured in South Africa, but which has also received the goahead for use in France (i.e.

the norme française - NF mark), has even longer lead times.

National road safety authorities say there will be 105 million more tests on the market by November, the date when the €11 fine will be enforced.

Manufacturers have said they may petition the government to put the date back to the start of next year if there are further difficulties in meeting demand in time.

The marketing director of Contralco, the company

manufacturing the kits in France, said that people using the breath tests after having a drink or two will become increasingly common over Christmas and the New Year. “People will be blowing into the balloon in a family setting, like a game. That will start to make it an everyday thing,” he told Le Monde.

Breath test kits are meant to be available in such outlets as pharmacies, service stations and specialist motoring shops. ■

Restaurant Camping La Perle We have them again...

Record tourist numbers for France

Despite the many financial woes currently being reported around the world, France saw a record number of foreign visitors in 2011. The 81.4 million tourists who visited l’Hexagone last year easily beat the previous record of 77.6 million set in 2010, according to the annual report by France's DGCIS international competitiveness agency. These 81.4 million visitors spent an estimated total of €33.4bn.

The increase was down in no small part to visitors from emerging nations including China, Brazil and Russia. China alone saw a 23.9% increase, although the total is still relatively low at 1.1 million.

European tourists still make up the vast majority of the total number of visitors to France, increasing to 67.8 million in 2011 - 83.3% of all holidaymakers. This overall 3.1% increase on the previous year comes despite a fall for crisis-hit Portugal, Ireland and Greece.

The US also appears to be waking from its slumber with 14% more Americans crossing the Atlantic last year, up to 3.3 million visitors. This comes after 3 years of decreasing numbers following the subprime crisis.

The number of visitors from Japan was also up 4.3% despite the recent tsunami and Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Although France is still the most popular tourist destination in the world, it is only third, behind the US and Spain, in terms of income earned from tourism.

But no one loves visiting France as much as the French themselves. They spent 67.4 billion euros on holiday in their own country last year, up 10.9%.

The French are lucky in that patriotism does not rule out going overseas; a large number visited exotic destinations like Réunion in the Indian Ocean or Martinique and Guadeloupe in the French West Indies. ■

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Tiger mosquitoes invade France

M

osquitoes can be a problem in parts of France in the height of summer, but their nuisance is generally restricted to a small amount of pain and a degree of itching. A new mosquito threat is creeping into France, however, as the moustique-tigre (Tiger mosquito - Aedes albopictus) is gaining a foothold in the south of the country. Bites from the tiger mosquito can result in rashes and swellings, with heavy flu-like symptoms.

The Asian tiger mosquito, so called due to the distinctive stripes on its body and legs, originated from Southeast Asia, but spread to other island areas of the Indian and Pacific ocean. As trade has increased over the years this invasive species of mosquito has gradually spread to other parts of the world.

The tiger mosquito is responsible for the transmission of viral pathogens, including the West Nile virus, Yellow fever virus, dengue fever, and Chikungunya fever. It was responsible for the Chikungunya epidemic on the French Island Réunion in 20052006 where there were an estimated 266,000 people infected with the virus and 248 fatalities on the island.

There has only been one outbreak of Chikungunya in Europe, which was reported in Italy in the summer of 2007 and infected more than 20 people.

The striped mosquito is attracted to areas of stagnant water, such as water butts and plant pot trays, so homeowners are being asked to tip out water or ensure water tanks are sealed. In order to try to prevent the mosquito becoming a permanent part of French life authorities in Nice have opened a helpline to advise people how to deal with the pest. ■ MARK COLYER

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French town of Angers demands the Crown Jewels as compensation for murder

A

diplomatic incident is brewing in France after the town of Angers has created a petition demanding the Crown Jewels from the Queen as compensation for the execution of its last pretender to the throne!

The city in the Loire valley was the capital of Anjou province and the geographical base of the Plantagenets, who ruled England from 1154 until 1485, providing some of the most celebrated monarchs in British history, including Richard the Lionheart and Henry V. When the Tudors came to power, Edward Plantagenet, the Earl of Warwick, was executed for treason in the Tower of London in 1499, and with him the house’s legitimate male line came to an end. “As redress for the execution of Edward, Angers today demands that the Crown Jewels of England be transferred to Angers,” reads

a petition posted on the city’s official website.

Following the 25-yearold Edward’s “unfair and horrible death” at the hands of henchmen working for Henry VII, England’s first Tudor king, the city believes it is owed an apology and 513 years’ worth of compensation.

The amount would be billions in today’s currency, but the city is apparently graciously prepared to accept the Crown Jewels instead.

The petition has already been signed by hundreds of people and has gathered

support from sympathisers around the world. It describes the murder of Edward as a “state crime” against a noble line that played a huge role in making Britain great and states its intention to put the Crown Jewels on public display at the Saint Aubin tower in Angers.

The current Crown Jewels, which are considered priceless, only date back to the coronation of Charles II – long after Edward, the Plantagenet pretender, was killed. Earlier coronation jewels were melted down

Tax on overtime reintroduced President Hollande’s Socialist government has scrapped a key measure introduced by former president Sarkozy under the banner “travailler plus pour gagner plus”. Translated as “work more to earn more”, the law removed tax on overtime, which in France is time worked beyond 35 hours per week.

The tax break cost France an estimated €4.5bn in 2010 in tax revenue, and many have questioned its effectiveness as studies showed low income families didn't see any benefits and

unemployment continues to rise.

The opposition UMP, who introduced the tax break, say that the spending power of workers has now been reduced. The changes will affect 1 in 3 employees in France and reduce their pay packet by approximately 1.2%.

The legislation, which comes into effect from 1st August 2012, will not be applied to companies with fewer than 20 employees, in an attempt to help boost the fortunes of small businesses. ■

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by Oliver Cromwell after the execution of Charles I in 1649.

A spokesman for Angers council admitted that the petition had “little chance of success” but said the “crime” against the Angevin monarchs was worth highlighting.

In a clear hint that the petition is little more than a publicity stunt, he also encouraged British people to visit Angers, which has medieval buildings including a magnificent castle that recalls the glory days of the Plantagenets! ■

AUGUST 2012 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

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I

f you did not know the name Bradley Wiggins before July, then you must surely know him now. The man from Eccleston took this year’s Tour de France by storm and became the first ever British winner of the race in the 109 years of its existence. As Wiggins flew down the Champs-Elysées, leading out Mark Cavendish for an eventual stage victory, it was the 13th consecutive day that he had worn the leader’s yellow jersey in the gruelling 20 stage, 3,497 kilometre race that he dominated almost from the start.

Britain’s dominance of this year’s event was not confined to the winner’s jersey, however, with compatriot Chris Froome coming second and 7 stage wins in total (3 for Mark Cavendish, 2 for Bradley Wiggins and 1 each for Chris Froome and David Millar).

Bradley Wiggins, already a triple Olympic gold medal winner, stood on the top step of the podium halfway up a sunlit Champs-Elysées on Sunday 22nd July to accept his victory in the world's greatest bike race and, to some eyes, the greatest free show the world has to offer. It was a long wait for Britain, coming 75 years after Charlie Holland led a three-man team on an exploratory venture that ended when his pump broke and he was unable to reflate a punctured tyre. Britain’s previous best result was fourth, achieved in 1984 by Robert Millar and again in 2009 by Wiggins.

Road cycling has never quite made the break through to mainstream sport in the UK and many will not appreciate quite what an achievement winning the Tour de France is. Some believe that his win elevates him to the pantheon of Britain’s greatest. “I may be a bit biased,” admitted Sir Chris Hoy in the last week of the Tour, “because Bradley is an old teammate and a great guy. But if he gets to that finish line it will be as good as anything any British athlete has ever done”.

Wiggins winning, Froome coming second and Team Sky dominating the Tour was not an accident, however.

There is no random piece of luck or myopic linesman involved in such a multi-skilled endurance event. Behind the celebrations lies the structure of British Cycling, which has evolved over the past 20 years into an allconquering machine. Dave Brailsford,

its 48-year-old mastermind, guided the squad to an unprecedented haul of gold medals on the track in Beijing and then supervised Cavendish's successful bid for the road World Championship.

The key to road success was a £25m sponsorship deal with Sky - a deal brokered when James Murdoch, a cycling fan, was still running his father's business. Brailsford at the time publicly stated that Britain would build a team and win the Tour within 5 years.

The sniggers of journalists around the world were audible. Now, three years later, Brailsford was matter of fact: “We made it clear that our ambition was to win this race in five years with a clean British rider and that's what we've done. It may be a surprise to everybody else but it's not a surprise to us.”

Key to Wiggins’ success was the team - and he is the first to acknowledge this fact. Wiggins may take the glory, but you can not win a Tour de France without a strong team around you. It has been compared to 11 players taking the field for the World Cup final, passing, tackling and dribbling for 90 minutes, before giving the ball to Rooney, who scores the winning goal and then marches up to the podium to collect the trophy, while the other players trudge down the aisle to the changing rooms. So strong was Team Sky’s work ethic, however, that at one point Mark Cavendish, the current Road Race World Champion, was dropping back to the team car to fetch water bottles for his teammates.

Science also played its part. Tim Kerrison, Team Sky's sport scientist, spotted that British Tour cyclists were struggling with three particular areas - heat, altitude and the climbs. So the team trained intensively at altitude, in the heat, and on a mountain. A volcano in Tenerife provided all three conditions at once. “Tim's the brains.

He's changed my career, totally”, Wiggins has gone on record as saying.

Wiggins sometimes climbed 4km of vertical ascent in the course of a day's training and climbed to an equivalent altitude of 100km in preparation for this year’s Tour.

Lastly, drugs played a big role, but not in the usual way. When British Cycling began to receive funding from the National Lottery in the wake of the Atlanta Olympics, a conscious

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Bradley Wiggins wins 2012 Tour de France

decision was taken to focus on track cycling, because road cycling was so riddled with drugs. The view was that clean riders, such as Britain’s Chris Boardman, had been fighting a battle they could not win. Team Sky’s entry to the Tour in 2009 was evidence that they believed drugs were on the way out.

But what have the French made of cycling’s new superstar? Initially, there was a certain suspicion - nurtured in some sections of the media - because of his reluctance to speak to journalists in French. Wiggins spent several years with French cycling teams and can speak French fluently, but rarely does so in interviews.

He risked incurring the wrath of the French when he carried out a cutting exchange with the former French rider Richard Virenque via the press.

Virenque was responding to a column Wiggins wrote for The Guardian, in which he expressed surprise that in France ex-dopers (like Virenque) could still be hailed as heroes. Virenque, who is indeed still a huge hero in France, responded by saying that maybe Wiggins should think about working

on his own popularity, for example by attacking a bit more often when he races.

It is a criticism that Team Sky have had to endure all season. They are professional, methodical and wear other teams down, which does not always make for great TV. “Anglo-Saxon teams like Sky are more organised. They are more pro,” says Yves Blanc, editor of Le Cycle magazine. “Every member has a clear job to do, serving the leader, and there's no room for poetry. So, yes, we have lost something of the romance of the Tour. For the French, the history of the Tour is about people who attack, who fail, who overcome disaster to win in the fog or the rain.

It's not like that any more - but that's not Wiggins' fault. It's the times we live in.”

The French have warmed to Wiggins, however, firstly in sheer admiration of his cycling ability, but also for his attitude. When tacks were thrown on the road at the top of a mountain during one stage, 30 riders punctured, including defending champion Cadel Evans. Wiggins, in yellow at the time

and therefore in charge of the peloton, slowed the race down to allow Evans to catch up, before chasing down those that had jumped off the front and escaped.

The act was widely praised in the French media and resulted in an outpouring of English words in the French press. Bradley became “le gentleman Wiggins” and his sportsmanship hailed as an example of “le fair-play”. The linguistic implication is that being a decent chap is such a British concept that only the British could have a word for it! In many ways, Wiggins fulfils the expectations in France of what an Englishman ought to be like. He's seen as stylish, slightly eccentric, gentlemanly, outspoken, and humorous.

Wiggins, a reformed party animal who stopped drinking and adopted a strict diet in order to lose around 10% of his body weight when he got serious about winning the Tour, had his own closing message to the world from the top step of the podium. “Have a safe journey home,” he told the exultant Brits among the multitude, “and don't get too drunk.” ■

The Bugle August 2012

2

12 Page Pull-out Section

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B2 ♦ DIRECTORY ADVERTORIAL

Dave Cardwell - professional builder/designer

E

xperienced builder Dave Cardwell has been based in the Limousin for over 5 years and is able to offer a complete building package from planning right through to the finishing touches.

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As well as covering all the traditional aspects of building, Dave also regularly works with wood to produce high quality doors and shutters, amongst other things. He

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02 54 25 65 08 06 16 91 64 67 SIRET: 510 156 763 00011

SHUTTERS / VOLETS Made to Measure Woodwork

Pine Window Shutters from €35 Pine Ledge and Brace Doors from €69 Bespoke items made

www.scrollart.co.uk

05 55 14 12 43

Oradour-sur-Vayres (87150) Siren 527 854 749

Steven Rofe - 20 Years experience

• NICEIC approved Electrician for 8 years in the UK • Wiring of new installations (including liaising with EDF) • Rewiring existing houses/barns • External & garden lighting • All aspects of electrical works • Fully insured - (10 year Decennale) • Departments covered 19,23 & 87

05.55.69.75.67 / 06.89.47.69.71 email: lsetenergie@yahoo.co.uk www.lumiereserviceetenergie.eu Siret No. 501.792.386.00010

Robert Johnson

ELECTRICIAN SIRET: 493 084 974 00010

Registered in France since 2007 Banque Populaire La Souterraine Décennale Insurance All works to normes NF C15-100 ● Fault finding ● Small Works ● Complete rewires ● Consuel certification arranged ● Temporary EDF supplies arranged ● Permanent EDF supplies arranged ● Free quotations

Mobile No: 06 50 63 65 29

Email: robrjhnsn@aol.com Website: www.rob-johnson.biz

Submissions Deadline 15th of the month

05.55.41.17.76

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ AUGUST 2012

DIRECTORY ♦ B3 ADVERTORIAL

R

oyal Kids indoor playgrounds are specially designed for the amusement of children aged 0-12, accompanied by their parents. Fun family times await at our dedicated themed play centres. We only have one rule – have fun and enjoy yourself!!

In our 1,000 and 1,600m²

Limoges Sud - under 3's

covered and secure soft play parks, away from the heat, cold, wind and rain, you'll be able to have fun and make lots of new friends! At Royal Kids you will find trampolines, slides, monkey bridges, but as you would expect from any good indoor playground for children you will also find ball pools, giant Lego, a disco, a toboggan run, even electric motorbikes... our mascot Leon

ROGER & SON in Creuse

English Speaking, French Artisans

Qualified Electrician

Repairs, Full Re-Wires, New Build Automated Systems Installation

Plumber Experienced Builder

All Masonry Works Plasterboarding Assistance with Architects, other trades and Permis de Construire English References Available

05 55 41 43 56 06 50 27 87 54 the-poulpe@orange.fr

No job too small - give us a call SIRET: 498 672 708 00019

the Dragon is waiting for you to spend hours of madness together!

For smaller children, a special play area dedicated to the under threes is also available.

During your visit to Royal Kids, hot and cold drinks and snacks are on offer all day. A snack menu is available with a number of choices for children and adults! ■

Limoges Nord - 3-12's

Salamandre électricité Keith Sloper Tel: 05 55 64 94 20 Mob: 07 86 38 09 61

* Qualified electrician * All types of electrical works carried out * Free estimates * Departments 23 and 87 No Siret: 494 916 760 00015

Building Services General

ELECTRICIAN

R & B Construction

Fully Qualified French Electrician All electrical work covered, from a light switch to a full rewire Limousin, Charente & Dordogne covered Emergency Callouts 24/7

**Special Summer discounts** Over 30 years experience in the building trade

● Renovations & conversions Specialist in granite stonework ● Roofing - Carpentry Plastering/rendering ● Electrical (NICEIC approved in the UK) fully conversant with French Regulations ● Plumbing - fully conversant with French Regulations ● Kitchens - Bathrooms - Floor/wall tiling

Members of Federation of Master builders in UK

Tel: 06 36 35 56 44 or 05 55 78 16 28

All works carried out by time served tradesmen.

Siret: 533 235 016 00011

siret: 501 792 386 00010

Email: philip.evans@live.fr

Limoges Nord 8 rue de Buxerolles (formerly Penicaut), 87100 Limoges Tel: 05 87 19 86 84 July 9 to Sept. 3, 14h - 19h.

Closed Sunday. http://www.royalkids.fr/parcs/ limogesnord/ Limoges Sud RN 20 lieu dit Crochat 87000 Limoges Tel: 05 55 31 06 82 Open daily from 10h - 19h during school holidays http://www.royalkids.fr/parcs/ limoges/

Tel: Dave - 05 55 37 74 06 Tel. Steve - 05 55 69 75 67 (Depts 23, 87 & 19)

Advertise your business here for only €35/month

05.55.41.17.76 sales@thebugle.eu

Limoges Sud - 3-12's

FREE MOTORBIKE RIDE We are offering a FREE MOTORBIKE RIDE for all readers of The Bugle (password: “Leon le Dragon”!)

From 7 € per child, free for adults. Socks required.

ADVERTORIAL

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

Philip Evans

Two addresses in Limoges:

Traditional Building Services

All aspects of renovation/ restoration covered including bespoke joinery and lime plastering.

All work is fully insured.

References available.

Ring Andy on 05 44 19 15 57 Ring Will on 05 55 37 45 35 siret: 532 981 198 00015

Paul Goldsmith Renovations

www.centralfrancestorage.com All aspects of interior renovations.

Loft conversions, Windows, Bathrooms & Kitchens, Flooring Plastering, Plaster Boarding, Plumbing & Electrics.

lasout@live.com/09.66.03.52.89 Established 6 years - references available SIRET: 494 123 847 00019

Lovejoy’s Scaffolding Hire

Strong, fully adjustable cup-lock scaffolding Collect and erect yourself to save costs or delivery and erection included

Tel: 05 55 68 22 04 www.limousin-builders.com Siret 509 933 784 00027

Mini Digger and dumper hire with driver From €120 per day

06.43.40.58.85 diggerhire@mail.com

Harlequin Kitchen & Bathroom Fitting Developments All aspects of renovation Including Tiling and Plasterboarding

Room construction to finishing touches

T: Ian 05 55 53 37 10 E: ian@zanado.co.uk www.zanado.co.uk Siret. 484 206 624 00014

and refurbishment, big or small, undertaken.

Harlequin Developments are a Distributor and Installer for Solarventi, solar dehumidifying and water heating products, as well as a range of other renewable energies

05.55.68.67.56 06.06.60.46.97

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

REPOINTING PLASTERING RENDERING

will beat any genuine written quote by 10%

REDICAN RENOVATIONS

tel: 05 49 83 01 33 mob: 07 70 41 94 95 siret: 519 475 164 00017

Celotex

Insulation Specialists 05.55.78.57.60 - see pg 9

GODSON

Travaux Publics www.pilgrim23.com 05.55.62.61.12 - pg 3

WASTE REMOVAL SERVICES

• house and barn clearances • dechetterie runs • rubbish removal • cash paid for scrap • general labouring service • mini digger hire - with/without driver

05 55 37 45 35 06 74 21 47 71 siret 532 981 198 00015

CONTINUED NEXT PAGE...

THE AGRICULTURAL MECHANIC LE MECANICIEN AGRICOLE

Richard Settle - Mobile, Agricultural/ Auto Mechanic/ Engineer All types of Fabrication and Repairs.

Possible Mftr of Specialist parts.

Various Tractor/ Plant parts in stock.

Milling and Turning.

Also, Ride on/ Manual Lawnmower, Strimmer and Chainsaw Repairs.

Registered, Reliable and Inexpensive.

Call or pop in for free Quote today - 05 55 79 41 01 Mascureau, Rochechouart 87600

siret: 539 141 385 00017

AUGUST 2012 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

B4 ♦ DIRECTORY Septic tanks

Electrics

systems designed with permissions & paperwork included and independent approval with certification.

Building Services

diagnostic report and remedial works – consuel approvals - liaison with ERDF for changes. full re-wires, new-build, additions, modifications.

La Coterie Entreprise

Approved septic tank installer

05.55.80.83.30 www.lce23.com

See our main ad - pg 9

Builder

40yrs Experience in quality work, available for all your House Maintenance/Projects including Plumbing, Carpentry, Masonry, Structural Work, Decorating.

Plus Key Holding service.

Good References. Dept. 23/36

05.55.80.72.60

email: chris.coxon@orange.fr 497 962 001 00010

Entreprise Hines Building & Renovation ● Roofing - New & Repairs ● Masonry ● Plastering ● Dry Lining ● Sand Blasting ● Equestrian Buildings ● Digger/Scaffold Hire ● ... and much, much more

28 years qualified experience

05.55.89.69.46

www.entreprisehines.com robert.hines@orange.fr SIRET: 503 169 237 00016

Nick Glover

Tiler / Carreleur Walls & Floors Interior & Exterior

I fit all kinds of tiles: ceramic, porcelain, slate, natural stone, quarry tiles, travertine & granite.

Central Limousin

Tel: 05 55 69 23 29 Port: 06 31 37 53 90

Nick.glover@hotmail.com www.glover-carreleur.com siret: 493 766 430 00018

Double D

Renovations & Home Improvements 05 55 65 00 29 - pg 11

Tel: 05.55.80.83.30 Email: sales@LCE23.com Web: LCE23.com

bathrooms & kitchens from design to completion; ceilings; partition walls; drylining.

Tony Hall

Monte Sarginson

CHERRY PICKER /

Masonry

Experience in Roofing, Tiling Floors & Walls, Plumbing, Fitting Kitchens & Bathrooms, Stonework & Rendering, Painting & Decorating

ELECTRIC & DIESEL SELF PROPELLED 4WD

Your advert here

Renovations ACCESS PLATFORM HIRE General Builders House Inside & Out Renovations, Brickwork, We only undertake one job at a time!

All areas covered

General

Renovation

Tél: 02.54.06.91.54

hall.anthony@orange.fr

Tel: 05 55 63 88 70 Mob: 06 21 34 18 20

Dennis Fry Timber Services Dave Cardwell - Builder

Fosse Septique Specialist

See our Display Ad - pg 11

See our Display Ad - pg 4

Scaffold and Plant Hire Please ring Robert

TERRY DIMMOCK

Siret: 504 350 604 00014

05.55.08.40.67/06.06.44.35.28

05 55 89 69 46 www.entreprisehines.com robert.hines@orange.fr

Siret no 507 516 748 00013

RSW Entreprises

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

La Noneix

Quality UK Paints at the lowest prices

www.ukpaintdepot.com see main ad - pg 7

Masonry & More

Construction & Property Services Established, Professional and Personal Building Services. Fully registered with décennale insurance covering all works.

●Renovations ●New builds ●Roofing ●Stonework ●Carpentry ●Ground works

Groundworks Mini-Digger with driver

05.55.78.62.29

05 55 41 17 76

john.bonella@gmail.com

See Main Ad - Pull-out pg B3

T J Renovations 30 years experience in building trade

Full refurbishments undertaken • Stone/Brickwork • Patios • Repointing • Studwork • General Repairs & Maintenance

All areas in the Limousin covered Contact Tim

Tel: 05 55 61 08 02 Mob: 06 52 23 89 54

Email: tjrenovations96@yahoo.fr

Skilled Workman Prices from €15/hour

Large or small projects undertaken - please view our website.

Contact: Paul or Joanne Rands

www.lanoneix.com

Or visit my website

SIRET: 501 144 596 00019

Steve Booth

Property maintenance Haute-Vienne and surrounding area Project help.

Renovations interior & exterior.

General maintenance.

Conservation and restoration trained in the UK.

Tel: 05Siret55 06 52 36 Registered

Submissions Deadline 15th of the month

Building Services

Siret: 750 068 116 00011

● Building Renovations & Small Jobs ● Velux Windows ● Roof Repairs ● Tiling ● Plumbing ● Plaster boarding ● Garden Projects & Maintenance For more info please call Barrie

Paul.rands@orange.fr

martin_sprague_1@ hotmail.com SIRET: 531 768 182 00010

Your advert here

Home: 05.55.02.66.58 Mobile: 06.76.09.68.37

05.55.66.44.06

General building Renovation & maintenance Reliable, good quality work 30 years exp Based central 23 - will travel Martin Sprague

05 55 61 93 07

info@rlotley.fr

SIRET 538 982 414 00012

Unbeatable Price and Quality References Available Siret 511 127 763 00015

Building Services

02 54 47 65 37

Renovation Specialist

Phone: 05 55 63 65 81

05 55 41 17 76

R & L OTLEY sas, 36170 SACIERGES-ST-MARTIN

05.55.80.00.57

SIRET: 503 169 237 00016

UK Paint Depot

WORKING HEIGHTS FROM 8 TO 22 METRES SCISSOR AND BOOM LIFTS AVAILABLE FROM €80 HT / DAY SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR DETAILS www.rlotley.fr

www.bw-renovations.co.uk

Painters/ Decorators Ken Nickless Interior/Exterior Painter & Decorator

SIRET: 501 338 230 00011

with over 25 years experience

Michael Courtin

Wall Papering - Tiling All Repairs Undertaken

French Stonemason with 20 years Experience in ● Masonry ● Stonework ● Brickwork ● Pointing ● Structural Repairs

Major & Minor works undertaken throughout the Limousin 10% discount for new clients Free Devis/Estimates References Available

Call:Siret: 0952278 23 38 59 076 546 00012

Advertise your business here for only €35/month

05.55.41.17.76 sales@thebugle.eu

SkyTVI

Tel: 05 55 60 05 26

heather.nickles@orange.fr siret: 518 225 545 00012

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

Sky TV Installations Satellite Engineer

INSTALLATION, DISH, CABLE AND QUAD LNB - just €180

Sky Subscriptions Available - no UK address necessary All needs, advice, help catered for. All depts covered

06 60 85 93 41 admin@sky-tv-installations.com 05.55.67.01.04

www.sky-tv-installations.com

SIRET: 534 352 802 00019

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ AUGUST 2012

DIRECTORY ♦ B5 ADVERTORIAL

La Noneix Construction and Property Services Limousin residents Paul and Joanne Rands moved to France with their two young children 6 years ago and established their successful construction company, La Noneix Construction and Property Services, offering a full range of building services, from a small job right through to a total renovation or complete new-build.

H

ere at La Noneix Construction, we are into our 6th year of trading in France and business is going from strength to strength. We find that there are still a lot of people moving to France from other countries and many of those are buying properties that require substantial renovation.

When carrying out a large renovation, the customer needs to be sure that the company they choose is fully qualified, insured, reliable and has a good track

record. We pride ourselves on meeting these criteria and for the attention to detail and level of customer service that we provide.

We are in constant contact with our clients; we effectively run a 24/7 business via phone and email.

Often, our clients will be based offsite or overseas and we send weekly updates, with photos of how the work is progressing. They are able to get back from work in an evening and email us from wherever they are in the world to find out how things are going - we will always respond. This not only provides peace of mind, but also avoids the need for constant, costly trips back and forth to make sure that the work is being carried out effectively and efficiently.

Something that we unfortunately see a lot of are enquiries from people who have been let down by other companies who have either not finished the job or have not carried out the

work to the relevant standard.

La Noneix Construction and Property Services is a professional enterprise that is registered at the Chambre de Métiers. We operate under a full, mandatory 10year insurance (décennale) and we have an excellent customer service record.

We would like to thank all of our customers past and present for trusting in us for the realisation of their projects.

We are aware that some of our customers have been prepared to wait some time, but we have found that they are prepared to wait due to our growing reputation. We are also aware that there are a lot of competitors who offer promotions, discounts and gimmicks. We do not do this as we consider that we offer a fair price for a high standard of workmanship and customer service. Don't take our word for it, though, please read what our

customers have to say: “I would highly recommend La Noneix Consrtuction. I initially chose La Noneix based on recommendation and I certainly made the right choice. My build is a full renovation and I knew I would be away from the build the majority of the time and I wanted to be secure that it was in safe hands. La Noneix is a husband and wife team who work brilliantly together. Joanne is the organiser of the team who keeps you fully updated with e-mails and pictures about every aspect of your build, whether you’re at site or away. Paul is the workman of the operation, with a dedicated group of skilled craftsmen around him.

The quality of craftsmanship can be not be bettered and the eye for detail second to none. I'm certainly glad I chose La Noneix.” - Beverly Macdonald “La Noneix Construction did

my barn conversion and I would recommend them to anyone. Paul offered really good advice, made the process of getting the permis de construire dead easy and carried out the work in good time and to a very high standard. I was kept up to date by email of each stage of the project as I could not be on site.

My French neighbours are very impressed with the result!” - Tim Claydon, 23250 Monteil Bardoux La Noneix Construction & Property Services Tel: 05.55.66.44.06 Email: Paul.rands@orange.fr Web: www.lanoneix.com

ADVERTORIAL

Building Services

Le Plâtrier du Limousin The friendly and reliable plasterer Registered in France.

Fully insured offering 10 year guarantee.

Call Stuart on:

05 55 80 92 91 06 87 92 83 63

Plasterers

info@platrierlimousin.fr

MARK COLYER

Multiskilled Artisan

LIMOUSIN PLASTERING LIMOUSIN STUKADOORS

19 years experience in: ● Solid plastering ● Skimming ● Dry Lining ● Rendering ● Plasterboard Studwork

Specialising in both French lime plastering and English plastering techniques.

10 years tiling experience.

Covering Creuse (23), Haute-Vienne (87), Northern Corrèze (19) & Southern Indre (36) For a free quotation & friendly advice call Mark or Mareike on

05 55 54 95 63

mcolyerplasteringandtiling@orange.fr siret: 539 941 450 00014

« LE PLATRIER »

Chris the Plasterer A genuine plasterer French and English spoken Traditional Plastering Rendering, Floor Screeding Stud partition dry lining Lime mortar stone pointing

FOR A QUOTATION CALL

05 55 63 53 06 06 23 29 48 19

christopher.willis@orange.fr Le Bourg, 23360 Nouzerolles SIRET: 504 612 441 00015

Pro-Point Facades

Re-pointing - Rendering - Plastering

05 55 78 80 31 See our Display Ad - pg 10

Siret: 534 396 908 00012

Graham Carter Plastering

• Plastering • Rendering • Stud Walling • Tiling and associated works • Bespoke polished concrete surfaces for Window Sills, Shelves, Fire Surrounds etc.

• General Renovation interior and exterior of buildings to customer's specification.

Tel: 05 55 76 69 32 Mob: 06 43 11 95 87 Siret No. 513 415 091 00018

GLEN VINEY

PLASTERER Quality Plasterwork, Internal & External

Plasterboarding, Partitioning, Skiming, Solid Plastering, Floor Screeding, Rendering: Mono Couche/Coloured Render Waterproofing Render Systems

Tel: 06 45 18 86 10

(18 Years Experience) Email: glenviney1@btinternet.com Siret: 527 736 326 00010

Building Services

FRENCH REGISTERED CERTIFIED PLUMBER

CN Plumbing & Building Services • bathrooms • kitchens • tiling• painting and decorating • emergency repairs • central heating Fully registered and insured Free quotes - Based Dept 23

Your advert here

Siret no: 533 893 327 00015

Rick Fife

Plumbing & Heating Engineer

23 Years Qualified (Previously UK CORGI registered – Oil / Natural Gas / LPG) Established and registered in France for 7 years.

05 55 63 89 23 - see pg 10

05 55 41 17 76

sales@thebugle.eu

Contact Barry Manning

Tel: 05 55 66 14 11 Mob: 06 31 59 81 08

barry@toutesweep.com

05 55 41 17 76 Building Services

Chimney Sweeping

Tel: 05 55 62 34 66

H20 CREUSE

REMEMBER - BLOCKED FLUES AND CHIMNEY FIRES CAN BE FATAL...

DON'T TAKE THAT RISK!

Email: amanda.rick@tiscali.co.uk Office Hours: 8:30 – 18:00 Please give us a call to discuss your requirements. If you get the answer machine we WILL return your call the same day.

* All types of chimneys cleaned * Brush & Vacuum * Smoke Tested * Fully Insured * HETAS Approved and member of NACS * Official certificates of cleaning issued (Certificat de Ramonage) * Clean, tidy, professional & friendly service

Siret 522 804 723 00016

Tel: 05 55 81 39 74

Areas Covered: North Creuse (23) & South Indre (36)

TOUTE SWEEP

Chimney Sweep Service

Tel 02 54 24 84 62

(22 years qualified)

Your advert here

Heating & Plumbing engineer

All types of plumbing and general maintenance work undertaken Friendly, reliable, professional service Fully registered and insured

SIRET 538 689 530 00011

siret: 494 380 264 00015

Plumbers

Plumber

(29 years experience) ALL PLUMBING & HEATING INSTALLATIONS OR ALTERATIONS EMERGENCY WORK UNDERTAKEN ANDY IVES - 06 02 37 62 57

All aspects of Plumbing and Heating work undertaken.

Chimney Sweeps

Martin Walters

Sandblasting Sand and Blast Sandblasting &

Floor Sander hire

We provide a fully operated sandblasting service for wood, stone and metal.

Perfect for stripping away years of grime or paint. Contact us for a free quote or see our website.

www.sandandblast.com

05.55.78.43.71 / 06.67.81.63.46 steve@sandandblast.com SIRET: 488 522 921 00037

SIRET: 534 351 754 00013

• Flue ways cleared • Birds nests, vermin & debris removed • Smoke evacuation & gas tightness tests • Official certificates of cleaning issued (Certificat de Ramonage)

www.stovesellers.com

05 55 63 78 72 Siren: 502 409 949

05.55.41.17.76 sales@thebugle.eu

CONTINUED NEXT PAGE...

05.55.41.17.76

AUGUST 2012 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

B6 ♦ DIRECTORY Chimney Sweeps

GOODWIN SATELLITE

SALES & INSTALLATION OF ALL SATELLITE SYSTEMS & AERIALS. FAULT FINDING.

Courses & Classes

Clean and Efficient Certificat de Ramonage issued with every chimney swept Woodburner repairs/installation Accredited Flue liner Installer Chimney repairs/maintenance Fabrication & welding to E.N. 287

TEL. 02 54 06 40 80 sootylesweep@orange.fr siren 535 199 483

Computers & Satellites

Email: garygoodwin@wanadoo.fr

www.lecreusoisbistro.com

Marengo

Websites Done Right www.marengo.cc see pg 11

NO FIX... NO FEE !!

IT Support for Creuse, HauteVienne, Indre and Vienne

www.indre-it.com 02.54.25.65.08 06.16.91.64.67

We provide a fast and friendly service either at the client's home, via remote software or computers can be left with us and collected when the work is complete. ● Ordering/Installing wireless & broadband ● Fixing results of a virus attack ● PC healthchecks ● Virus , trojan , worm removal and protection ● Backups/Disaster recovery ● Hardware/software upgrades. ● Website and graphic design. ● Printer/scanner assistance.

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

Mayday

computer services - pc • mac • network

05 55 68 47 33 / 06 82 26 31 54 see pg 5

05.55.63.90.79

Reiki Training in France

Tel: 05 55 09 76 10

Book club open every day

05 55 41 17 76 Food & Drink

06.79.07.91.56

libre.antenne87@gmail.com Fast dependable service Based Séreilhac (87)

Computer Problems?

Limousin & Charente PC & Mac Internet Assistance WiFi, ADSL, Dial-up Helpdesk, Data retrieval Call Dave

05.55.53.37.06

david.paver@wanadoo.fr SIRET: 479 095 705 00014

Sky TV Installations Sky TV/Tous travaux satellite 05.55.67.01.04

See Main Ad - Pull-out pg B4

SIRET: 510 117 328 00011

Freshly home-cooked Food

Daily Plat du Jour from €9 2-course Sunday Lunch from €10 with real Yorkshire puddings.

Every Friday Night – Fish & Chips 8,50€ (Fillet of Haddock or Cod Loin) - eat in or take away

Every Saturday night is Curry Night Two Curries of your choice & Carafe of Wine 19.50€

05 55 12 99 45 - 06 04 09 03 10

Le Moulin du Breuil BAR, RESTAURANT, TERRASSE 23140 PIONNAT

Atelier d'Art du Jardin Jardin du Thé

Gateaux, scones, sandwichs.

Ouverture samedi et dimanche 11h00 à 18h00, lundi à vendredi sur RDV svp.

Du 1 mai au 30 septembre.

tel: 05 55 81 31 85

email: artdejardin@gmail.com www.atelierdartdujardin.net

05 55 41 17 76

5 Rue Andre Jouhannaud, Compreignac

Or email for a menu: L_escale@yahoo.fr

2 km de Chénérailles et le Chateau Villemonteix

Your advert here

L’Escale

Restaurant & Bar

Party bookings welcomed

26, Ecurat 23150

martin@creusetec.com http://www.creusetec.com

Fourneaux, 23200 St-Médard-la-Rochette info@camping-laperle.nl 05.55.83.01.25 - see page 8

We will open on any evening that we are closed for parties of 10 and over.

Creusetec 05 55 66 60 21

Restaurant Camping La Perle

Open: Mon–Sat 11.30–2pm, Fri & Sat eve 7–11pm, Sun 11.30–3pm

05 55 80 37 70 - see pg 10

"Tooway" High speed internet via satellite TV Satellite Sales, Service & Installations.

TV Receiver & Electronic Repairs.

Dish alignments. Sky/Freesat/TNT/FTA. Most of depts 23,03,63,87,36 covered.

05.55.66.37.10

(alternative menu available)

siret: 353 613 227 00035

Satellite Systems

5 Rue de L’Abreuvoir Aubusson

Children's menu available

For all your TV and satellite installations and repairs (Sky TV, Internet etc.)

Submissions Deadline 15th of the month

www.cestcheese.fr 09.66.87.02.74 cest.cheese@orange.fr

Restaurant

See website:

Your advert here

Also available online.

For more information, see our website:

BAILEYS

Traditional French and English dishes Menu du Jour 16€, 4 courses incl. wine Open Mon-Sun 12pm-2pm & from 7pm Closed Tuesdays Restaurant Menu

www.therapiesinfrance.com

Find us at local markets selling a small and tasty selection of excellent quality english cheeses.

SIREN: 409 679 578

Bar & Restaurant

Kinesiology / TFH Alergy Testing for Foods, Candida, Dogs, Cats, Cosmetics etc Other treatments and Courses

C’est cheese

SIREN: 483 988 853

Levels 1, 2 and Master

Call Patrice:

Connect-Français

Les Genêts, Azerables

Dept 23 & surrounding areas

siret: 453 067 910 00019

All types of chimneys cleaned

Bar/Restaurant

High quality British & French food at reasonable prices.

Menu du Jour €12, Traditional Pub Food, Vegetarian dishes, Childrens & Snack menus also available

Tel: 05 55 62 05 61 Mob: 06 06 47 89 66 CLEAR CHIMNEY SERVICES

Le Creusois

Submissions Deadline 15th of the month

La ferme du Duc noir

AUX CEPES LA veytiZoU

FISH & CHIPS €10 4 Course Sunday Lunch €15 For Further Information

Tel: 05 55 69 33 38

Your advert here 05 55 41 17 76 Daniel welcomes you at

Le Pub 58, rue d'Orjon Argenton-sur-Creuse

02 54 60 02 14

Open Late!!

Sunday roast & pudding ONLY A TENNER (€) Fish + Chips + Mushy Peas, every Fri + Sat night Opening hours:

Free range, rare breed pork 02.54.30.51.95 See our Display Ad - pg 3

Thu 12-2pm & 6pm-midnight Fri 12-2pm & 6pm-2am Sat 12pm-2am, Sun 12pm-11pm

Le Green St Lazare

RIVE DROITE

Hotel - Restaurant - Events

www.legreensaintlazare.com 05 55 06 00 00 - see pg 2 Microbrewery Bar

Bières 23

4 rue Tanneries Bénévent-l’Abbaye, 23210 For further information

Tel: 05 55 63 59 17 Mob: 06 86 55 18 78

8 rue Ledru-Rollin 36200 Argenton-sur-Creuse

02 54 24 01 06

Restaurant - Pizzeria ● Italian Specialities ● Traditional Cuisine ● Home-made Desserts Moules de bouchot available from July to December High Quality Food, a Warm Welcome and a Friendly Atmosphere await Closed Sundays & Mondays

Cross Cut Tree Surgeons

for all your tree requirements 27 years experience Grass & hedge cutting service We will not be beaten on price or standard of work Fully qualified arborist - Fully insured Covering depts: 87, 23, 86, 36, 19 & 16 Reliability guaranteed

beverley.pawson@yahoo.co.uk

05.55.60.62.14 / 06.78.38.42.44

siret: 530 840 958 00017

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ AUGUST 2012

DIRECTORY ♦ B7 ADVERTORIAL

La Perle - Bar, Restaurant, Campsite Nestled in the heart of the Creuse department of the Limousin lies Camping La Perle. Set on 3 hectares of land, just outside Fourneaux on the D942, La Perle offers everything you would expect from a three-star campsite and more. Bugle Editor, Steve Martindale, paid a visit.

C

amping La Perle is run by Dutch couple Carola and Roy Rijkx, who live onsite with their two children, Danique and Donovan. After moving to the region 5 years ago, Carola and Roy have worked hard and built a thriving, established business in the lush Creuse countryside.

Surrounded by nature, this child friendly campsite has 33 pitches, a swimming pool, children's playground, a restaurant/bar with terrace and even a number of animals for the children to meet: ponies, rabbits and chickens - all of which are open to the general public, not just campsite guests. As well as traditional camping, caravan and mobile home options, there are also brand new wooden chalets that are available to rent year-round.

Although the campsite and the chalets provide the perfect place to house friends and family coming to the region to visit, it also has a lot to offer those of us who live here permanently.

Carola and Roy have gone to great lengths to make the campsite, the bar and the restaurant family friendly (children under eight stay on the campsite for free!) There is plenty to keep the young ones entertained and all the facilities are open to the public. When I paid a visit to try Roy’s spare ribs that I had heard so much about, I took my three-year-old along with me on her first official Bugle

Café le Pont de la Pierre Bar-Restauarant, Bellac

05 55 60 20 79 - Page 6

Your advert here 05 55 41 17 76 Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

outing to test this out.

Sitting in the evening sun on the covered terrace I was able to enjoy my cold beer whilst looking down on my daughter happily playing in the fenced children’s play area. Trampolines, swings, slides and a wealth of other attractions meant that she was in her element as she played with all the children from the campsite.

There is also a swimming pool and separate paddling pool that we did not try out on this occasion, but which could also be easily watched over from the other end of the terrace. For me, this makes La Perle the perfect place to come with young energetic kids. The pool and the play area are open to the pubic for just €2.50 per person for the whole day - you do not have to be staying on the campsite to enjoy its facilities.

One problem with going out to eat with a young family is that it is not always easy keeping the little ones entertained.

This usually results in a rushed meal to get them home or ‘displays of public

disobedience’.

Not so here. In fact, the biggest problem I had was convincing her to sit down for long enough to eat - she just wanted to play. On the plus side, this did give me a chance to enjoy my food in peace and to chat with Carola and Roy. Roy is the chef and clearly knows his way around a kitchen. The much-hyped spare ribs did not disappoint, although Roy was not about to reveal his secret recipe to me! All the food served in the restaurant is locally sourced - the beef and pork both come from the Limousin.

Ribs are not an easy meal to come by in Central France - it is not something the French typically eat - but Roy has been teaching his local butcher a thing or two and now has a regular supply. There were also steak, fish and salad options available.

Both Roy and Carola speak perfect English, although they have kept a Dutch feel to the bar and restaurant; the coffee that I enjoyed after my meal came with a small cream-topped coffee liqueur on the side, which I am assured is typically Dutch. Either way, it was delicious!

The bar, swimming pool and play area are open all day every day until the end of September and food is served from 7pm every evening. The campsite has occasional themed nights when the standard menu is not available, so it is always best to phone ahead if you are planning to eat. ■

Camping La Perle Fourneaux 23200 St-Médard-la-Rochette Email: info@camping-laperle.nl Tel: +33(0)555830125 http://www.camping-laperle.nl

ADVERTORIAL

Maintenance La Petite Fontaine Garden Services Garden via Cheque Emploi (CESU) 15 Grande Rue, Le Dorat Café, Bar and Events Venue Lunch Menu Free WiFi

● Hedge cutting ● Grass cutting ● Planting of trees/shrubs ● Firewood cutting ● General garden tidying ● Weeding ● Watering ● Strimming

05.55.60.29.74

info@lapetitefontaine.com www.lapetitefontaine.com

COMPETITIVE RATES

Call Darren: 05.55.51.19.67

SIRET: 489 218 636 00012

All areas covered

JJ’s Cafe Bar Some customer quotes:

Qualified Tree Surgeon Climber

Come and see for yourself - Open all week.

See ad pg 10

‘...more than just a bar’ ‘....a bit like Allo Allo and Cheers!’

See our Notice Board events listings 39 Place du Champ de Foire 36140, Aigurande

02 54 06 30 77

www.frenchweb.eu/jjscafebar/ cafebarjj@yahoo.co.uk SIRET: 508 754 314 00013

Grimpereau Elagage

02.54.25.66.58

Cross Cut Tree Surgeons for all your tree requirements beverley.pawson@yahoo.co.uk 05.55.60.62.14 / 06.78.38.42.44 see main ad opposite

sales@thebugle.eu

Your advert here 05 55 41 17 76

TERRY DIMMOCK

Renovation Specialist

has now opened a fencing dept.

All types of fencing supplied and erected.

Stock fencing a speciality.

Please call for a quote.

Phone: 05 55 63 65 81 Siret 511 127 763 00015

CONTINUED NEXT PAGE...

05.55.41.17.76

AUGUST 2012 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

B8 ♦ DIRECTORY

Gifts & Crafts

Health & Beauty

English Hairdresser All aspects of hairdressing, in your home or mine Call Jane:

Language Services

Retail & Commerce

05 49 91 02 23 06 47 94 95 75

Based La Trimouille (86290) siret: 502 867 211 00018

The Exchange Rochechouart

SECOND HAND BOOK SHOP. GREAT SELECTION OF GIFTS, CARDS, CANDLES AND HAND-CRAFTED PRODUCTS 500+ DVD's now in stock

Tue 2.30pm - 5pm Thu, Fri 9:15-12 & 2:30-5pm Sat 9 - 12

05 55 78 19 24

www.theexchangerochechouart.com 9 rue Dr Charles Poitevin SIRET 484 479 480 00010

26, Ecurat 23150

Atelier d'Art du Jardin is open each Saturday and Sunday 11h00 to 18h00 from 1st May until the end of September.

Artisan art for your garden.

Cream teas on the terrasse.

RDV for weekday visits SVP. 2km from Chénérailles and the Chateau Villemonteix

tel: 05 55 81 31 85

email: artdejardin@gmail.com www.atelierdartdujardin.net

Handholding Services

OSTEOPATHY & ACUPUNCTURE

www.osteopathyforbackpain.com www.acupunctureforhealthwellbeing.com 06 18 74 05 08 - see pg 8

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

Mobile Hairdresser

Submissions Deadline 15th of the month

meadowsdonna@hotmail.co.uk www.donnasbeautytreatments.com Based La Châtre. Covering 36 and surrounding.

Siret No. 530 364 744 00017

Insurance & Finance

SMALL & FRIENDLY GROUPS

Vacancies for various levels in Chénérailles.

Elisabeth Sicard

05 55 80 44 83

japprendslefrancais@sfr.fr Not sure? Attend once for free!

Online Shopping

FLEA MARKET / BROCANTE

13 rue Ledru Rollin, 36200 Argenton-sur-Creuse YOU NEED SOME FURNITURE? ASK ME - I HAVE EVERYTHING!!

I SPEAK ENGLISH AND I CAN DELIVER TO YOU!

tel: 06 08 50 36 26

Arfeuille Antiques All types of furniture

05 55 83 14 47

Contact Debra on

www.stovesellers.com

05 55 53 37 10 06 15 63 70 22

See our Display Ad - pg 8

debra@zanado.co.uk www.zanado.co.uk

Stove Sellers 05.55.63.78.72

Siddalls

Financial Solutions & Expert Advice

05.56.34.75.51

Siret. 482 420 114 00019

See our Display Ad - pg 14

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

HiFX

05.55.60.87.37

05.55.89.15.74 - pg 15

06 35 92 77 83 / 02 54 06 07 48

WITH FRENCH TEACHER

See our Display Ad - pg 13

Hair salon, Le Dorat

French lessons & handholding services

A moment of luxury for your body, mind and spirit. The finest skincare, massage and wellness treatments await you.

All in the comfort of your own home

LA GRANGE ANTIQUE

discount available for multiple bookings

La Petite Place Sophie Arsac

Donna’s Beauty Treatments FRENCH CLASS

International money transfer

www.hifx.co.uk

UTOPIA

Your advert here

in the comfort of your home or mine.

Call UTOPIA today:

05 55 89 31 79 06 62 32 41 76

Location, 23800 Maison-Feyne Siret: 750 721 581 00015

Advertise your business here for only €35/month

05.55.41.17.76 sales@thebugle.eu

05 55 41 46 88 - pg 9

Property Sales

Blevins Franks

05 53 63 49 19 - see pg 5

Mobile Hairdresser for all the family,

UK shopping delivered to your door

05 55 41 17 76

Eco Entrepot Get down The Shed

87230 Bussière-Poitevine

05.55.68.74.73 - see pg 4

Moulin de Tintin Furniture, interiors & gifts

www.moulin-de-tintin.com 05.55.79.57.60 - see pg 3

Planète Automobiles

Integrated Tax Planning & Wealth Management

See our Display Ad - pg 5 coiffure à domicile mixte

La Maison Shopping

New & used cars

www.gueret-auto.com see pg 4

Houses on Internet www.housesoninternet.com

05.55.65.12.19

Auwell Piscine

Pools, Hammams, saunas, spas, furntiure...

See our Display Ad - pg 3

www.auwellpiscine.fr - see pg 7

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

Submissions Deadline 15th of the month

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ AUGUST 2012

DIRECTORY ♦ B9 ADVERTORIAL

“SolarVenti”- the solar Harlequin solution to damp and Developments humidity A E stablished and registered in France since 2006, we specialise in all aspects of property renovation and refurbishment, along with barn conversions and extensions. No job is too big or too small and we will provide you with a detailed devis at a competitive rate.

Our work includes full renovations, extensions, insulation and plaster boarding, tiling, replacement windows and doors, re-pointing walls, parquet flooring, staircases, kitchens and bathrooms fitted.

We undertake insurance work - floods, fires etc - and send regular update emails, together with photographs, to clients who may live outside France, to keep them fully up to date with their project. References are gladly given from previous/current clients.

We are now able to offer an even wider range of renewable energy products from some of the world’s leading manufacturers.

Harlequin Developments have just been appointed Distributors and Installers of industry leading wall and window mounted controlled ventilation systems from SIEGENIA-AUBI. These award-winning German products offer: Effective protection from mould, damage caused by humidity and safety hazards. Healthy fresh air without harmful substances or noise. Truly cost effective and sustainably energy efficient.

For more information, a devis, or simply to discuss your project, please feel free to contact us.

Soie et Bois Depot Vente des Vêtements Dress agency and gallery, specialising in designer and high quality pre-owned clothes for women and children, together with accessories, footwear, jewellery, gift items, and hand made furniture.

4 rue Principale, St Mathieu, 87440

turneramandajane@gmail.com Tel: 05.55 48.28.89 SIRET: 510 995 681 00010

Transport, Removals & Storage

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 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.

How it works The principle behind SolarVenti is simple: a small, built-in 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 collar cell, introduces warm, dry air

Parking For Limoges Airport

Cheaper parking for all types of vehicles Book now!! www.parkinglimoges.com

05 55 03 37 96

Your advert here 05 55 41 17 76

MAN + VAN

Fiat Ducato with 11m² load capacity Collections / Deliveries Removals / Brico Runs All over France.

Competitve hourly rate incl fuel.

Please ring or e-mail for a quote.

Based nr Aubusson Dept 23

05 55 83 02 77 / 06 81 33 07 15 jonathanpiddock@orange.fr SIRET: 523 955 151 00015

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

A2B (Sussex) Removals Ltd France/UK UK/France

We move, collect and deliver anything. Vehicles and plant to a maximum of 2 tons.

We operate 3 vehicles with a load space of 16m² and tail lift.

We will match or beat any genuine printed quote.

Our rates are the best.

0033 (0)2 54 37 76 24 0033 (0)6 87 66 31 41 a2b.removals@hotmail.com

into your home at the rate of 20 to 100 cubic metres per hour.

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.

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.

There are no electrical or water connections and it can be safely left running, even when the property is empty.

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!

SOLARVENTI - Available in the Limousin From Harlequin Developments Tel: 05 55 68 67 56 Mobile: 06 06 60 46 97

ADVERTORIAL

Airport Direct

A new service offering 'Peace of Mind' to car owners in the Limousin.

General

45cm Oak - €40/m3 45cm Mixed Hardwood - €35/m3 (poplar/cherry/hornbeam)

1) You drive your car to the airport. We will meet you there, take your car and securely store it.

2) We will then meet you at the airport in your car upon your return.

No flat tyres, no starting problems, no flat battery.

Servicing and CTs can also be arranged in your absence FULLY INSURED For more details contact Terry:

Buyer collects from 36160 Lignerolles

02 54 30 51 95 (evenings best) siret 508 166 642 00019

Your advert here

05 55 63 65 81

tableywsm@hotmail.co.uk

The Man

With A Van Who Can

Affordable Moves/ Single Items House/Barn/Garden Clearance Regular UK runs/ Europewide E: pancentral@hotmail.com

FIRE LOGS FOR SALE

05 55 41 17 76 BABY/INFANT EQUIPMENT FOR HIRE

Quality handmade wood furniture

Siret : 532 526 001 00013

To raise funds for the SPA dog rescue centre in Guéret.

See our main ad - pg 20

Central France Storage

High chair, buggy, play pen, travel cot, fire guard, stair gate etc.

Carrefour du bois Limousin

Tel: (+33) 07.61.21.85.15

www.centralfrancestorage.com All your storage needs both long & short term.

Fully insured through Axa and alarmed.

Each item will incur a hire charge of 7 euros, plus a refundable 8 euros deposit.

Call Karen or email for a quote:

For more INFO or to HIRE Call Jean: 05 55 54 96 36

SIRET: 494 123 847 00019

jeanwhitham@orange.fr

lasout@live.com/09.66.03.52.89

Ebénisterie Hemming 02 48 63 15 09

www.chauffagebois-limousin.com

05 55 63 72 45 - see pg 11

05.55.41.17.76 sales@thebugle.eu

To advertise in the Business Directory 05.55.41.17.76 / sales@thebugle.eu

AUGUST 2012 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

B10 ♦ CLASSIFIEDS The Bugle CLASSIFIEDS are brought to you in association with WWW.HOUSESONINTERNET.COM

Classified Adverts

Classified adverts are currently free for all small items (less than €500). For other types of classified adverts a small fee does apply:

● Items more than €500 are charged at €5 per month ● Accompanying photos are charged at €2.50 per month To place a classified advert, please phone 05.55.41.17.76, or email notices@thebugle.eu with the details you would like included in your advert.

FOR SALE ANIMALS & PETS FOR SALE: 2 x Female 1 x Male Kune Kune Pigs 4 months old. 150€ Tel: 02 54 25 62 84 FOR SALE: Small flock of Ouessant Sheep Consisting of 6 ewes, 1 young ram and 1 old boy called Del Boy. 300€ for the 8. Tel: 02 54 25 62 84 FOR SALE: 2 beautiful Dexter Bull Calves Khan was born 27th April 2010 and Storm 3rd May. They are both a really dark cinder toffee colour. Double tagged. 495€ each. Tel: 02 54 25 62 84 Nigerian pygmy family of goats looking for new homes All together or separated. 2 male kids still suckling.

We can arrange the transport. Tel 06 72 47 17 31 Email: dianamockridge@ orange.fr FREE TO GOOD HOME: 18-month-old cross Collie Labrador (looks like a black lab) Very affectionate and loving, sadly must be re-homed due to imminent return to UK. Good with cats and children. Also 11-year-old black and white long-haired cat. Bellac area. 09 62 24 11 88 FOR SALE: Rare Breed Poultry Pairs of Silver and Gold Laced Wyandottes, Limousin Blue, White Brahma bantams, Pekin and cross bred Silkies.

Sensibly priced. Email for photos. Tel 05 55 81 15 03 Email: iansimper@ hotmail.co.uk FOR SALE: Horse Equipment masta deluxe turn out rug, black, 6ft €55masta flysheet and neck cover white with blue trim, 6ft €30rambo turn out green with red trim, 6ft3 €45brown check travel rug, 6ft €30greenstable rug chill cheeta, 6ft €25sweat rug red blue trim, 6ft €10monty roberts dually head collar black full size never used €20head collar black full size €6fluorescent waterproof exercise sheet €102 sets leather reins brown €5 eachplus boots crops brushes over reach bts.All above in very good condition.dept 23 near Chenerailles.

Tel: 05 55 62 77 41 evenings please FOR SALE: Horse rugs for Shetland size or foals Two indoor and two outdoor. Bridle with white rubber bit made for Shetland sized or foals. Buyer collects. €200.00 Telephone Nigel on 06 04 46 73 92

BUILDING MATERIALS & EQUIPMENT FOR SALE: Chainsaw Husqvarna Professional 45cc 18" + 3 spare chains, elec chain sharpener, safety trousers, helmet with ear muffs and face guard. €395.00 Tel: 05 55 51 91 79 FOR SALE: WACKER upright plate fitted with upgraded foot Latest model, very little use, can be seen working. €395.00 Tel: 0254 377624 Email: a2b.removals@hotmail.com FOR SALE: STIHL disc cutter 410 Excellent condition, can be seen working, collection only from 36220. €325.00 Tel: 0254 377624 Email: a2b. removals@hotmail.com FOR SALE: New shutter hinges & hooks 8 x 400mm, 24 x 500mm and hooks 12 x 300 mm. Total cost new EUR 228. The lot for EUR 100. €100.00 Tel: 05 55 51 91 79 FOR SALE: New RSJ girder Heavy section, 12.5 metres long x 25.5 x 27 cm. €1,000.00 Tel. 05 45 85 92 34 evenings FOR SALE: Dulux white gloss paint & white undercoat paint In 5 litre tins.

20 euro per tin. Tel. 05 45 85 92 34 evenings

FURNITURE FOR SALE: Various Items - House Clearance IKEA round (107 cm diam.) extendable kitchen table - wood effect surface / white pedestal base with four chairs. Matching sideboard.

60€.G-PLAN two seater sofa with matching armchair - floral pattern. 50€.

Two G-PLAN armchairs - beige. 20€

each.Three seater beige leather sofa and two matching armchairs. 150€.Midoak coffee table (slightly marked) 90 x 47 cm. 20€.Nest of three pine tables.

30€.Circular coffee table 30cm diam.

15€IKEA TV stand (105 x 80 cm) on castors with two matching bookcases.

50€.Pine double headboard. 30€.Two single beds each with storage space and mattress. 50€ eachTwo single beds each with storage space, mattress and blue upholstered headboards. 70€ each.NOTE - THESE ITEMS ARE AVAILABLE FROM 25TH AUGUST. Tel: 06 41 99 57 40 to arrange a viewing FOR SALE: Rattan Armchair In good condition. Well made and strong.

Sadly we don’t have space for it. We are in the Creuse, dept 23, 10 minutes South East of Gueret, direction Ahun. €60.00 Telephone 05 55 80 04 31 Email: info@la-petite-maison.eu FOR SALE: Clic clac generous 3 seater Makes good size double bed, very comfy, summer colours yellow & orange, hardly used. As new, covers washable. We are in dept 23 near Chenerailles. €130.00ono Tel: 05 55 62 77 41 FOR SALE: Three-seater black thick leather sofa Very heavy and the older it gets the better it looks. Just too big for our house in the town centre of La Souterraine. €200.00 Contact 05 55 63 15 47 FOR SALE: L-Shaped Brown Leather Sofa Excellent condition.

Photos supplied on request. €200.00 Tel: 0555631782 Email: joseph. worsley@yahoo.co.uk FOR SALE: BUTCHER'S BLOCK

NEW AND UNUSED.Oak top with solid wooden frame.Dimensions 63 x 62 x 91 cm.Surplus to requirements in kitchen re-fit.Can deliver, within 30 miles, for cost of fuel.Location: 10 mins north of Bellac. €95.00 Tel: 05.55.76.45.19 Email: nigel.lupton@ orange.fr FOR SALE: 3 & 2 Seater Sofas

214L & 183L x 93W x 93H cms blue, additional covers green, cotton, washable. VGC. Buyer collects. €550.00ono Tel: 05 55 60 47 34 FOR SALE: Wardrobe Probably

about 1910, mahogany, for sale in the Felletin area. Make an offer, more photos available. Tel: 06 77 83 82 94 (Christine) FOR SALE: 4 x Single Beds 185cm x 90cm - each with dusty pink headboard, as new. €70 each. Based near Ussel, dept. 19. Can deliver within reasonable distance. €70.00 Tel: 05 55 95 80 09 FOR SALE: Pine Table & Chairs / Bar stools Round extending Pine table plus 4 chairs €50. Two pine kitchen/bar stools with backs €40. Tel: 0555 60 63 87

FOR SALE: Large mirror 135cm X 106cm. Gold leaf effect coloured frame.

Excellent condition. Buyer collects. €400.00 Telephone Nigel on 06 04 46 73 92 FOR SALE: HABITAT round dining table 42"/ 107 cm in diameter.

Handpainted and antique waxed in soft white. Very sturdy. A beautiful piece of furniture in very good condition. €75.00 TEL: 05 55 08 46 53 FOR SALE: Two pine dressers One has a top unit with two cupboards and one centre glass cupboard with shelves below. The other one is a pine base unit with three cupboards wide 150 x 45 cm.

125 euros for the base cupboard and 200 for the dresser unit. Tel: 05 55 67 58 87 FOR SALE: ROUND STURDY FARMHOUSE KITCHEN STYLE TABLE 1.1 Diameter. Dark oak finish.

Very good condition. €50.00 Tel: 0555784524 FOR SALE: Single Beds + Almost new matress Bed - metal frame and dismountable. €35.00 Tel: 05.55.03.08.19 Mob: 06.02.32.46.31 (Daniel McNally)

GARDEN FOR SALE: 2005 Topper - Gyromass G1252 B40 1.2m width - excellent

condition, hardly used. €900.00 Tel: 05 55 78 54 20 FOR SALE: Fleming Transport Box Suit compact tractor, very good condition. €250.00 Tel: 05 45 85 92 34 (eve) FOR SALE: Folding Chain Harrows 4 meters very good condition. €300.00 Tel: 05 45 85 92 34 (eve) FOR SALE: Flail Mower As new, suit compact tractor, c/w roller €800.00 Tel: 05 45 85 92 34 (eve) FOR SALE: INTEX "easy set" pool 3.36 metres (12 foot). Used twice, includes cover, electric filter, instruction manual plus instruction CD. €20.00 Tel 05 55 69 79 71 (Eymoutiers ) FOR SALE: New above ground steel wall swimming pool Still in package with assembly instructions.

Cost 600 euros now 500 euros. To be collected (Bessines-sur-Gartempe). €500.00 Phone 05 55 60 88 30 Email: ianmags@tiscali.co.uk FOR SALE: BROYEUR de VEGETAUX (garden waste grinder) 2500w. Brand new, still sealed in original box. Guarantee : 2+ years. €100.00 Tel. 05 53 62 59 63 (near Thiviers) FOR SALE: Hexagonal Outdoor Teak Table - with 6 Chairs €50.00 Tel: 05 55 89 15 59 FOR SALE: 18 Solar Heating Panels for Swimming Pool Brand new, still in box, complete with all fittings. EUR 500 the lot. 135cm x 81cm each. €5.00 Tel: 05 55 89 15 59 FOR SALE: Log Saw Blade diameter 500mm. Cutting depth 150mm. Motor 230V. 1.8kW. Little used. Excellent condition. Cost new EUR 650. €325.00 Tel: 05 55 51 91 79 FOR SALE: Virtually New Hover Flymo Mower Ideal for banks. With 6 packets of cutting lines. Buyer collects. €150.00 Tel: 05 55 48 82 79 FOR SALE: Pair of Ox Cart Wheels Buyer collects. €140.00 Tel: 05 55 48 82 79 FOR SALE: Log Saw Rocking bed type 3 phase motor. €250.00 Tel: 05 46 33 18 75

GENERAL FOR SALE: WULF, portable coal fired forge In very good condition.

Email for further details and photos. €230.00 Email: haynes.peter@yahoo. co.uk

FOR SALE: Plancher 1 Plancher in

full working order. €500.00 Tel: 05 55 62 91 97 FOR SALE: Carvery Unit In full

working order. €750.00 Tel: 05 55 62 91 97 FOR SALE: Carvery Unit In full

working order. €750.00 Tel: 05 55 62 91 97 FOR SALE: VAN VAULT 2 Size: 920 x 560 x 490mm (LxWxH), Weight: 46kg. High tensile steel storage box.

2mm sheet steel body & lid. Tamper proof single pin hinge. Anti-drill 70mm disc lock. Gas strut for soft open/close lid action. Siren holes for optional antitheft alarm. Excellent condition. Email for further details and photos. €190.00 Email: haynes.peter@yahoo.co.uk FOR SALE: 6 rolls Laura Ashley Toile de Jouy wallpaper Pale lavender on white background. 6 metres matching curtain material - pale lavender. €70.00ono Tel: 05 55 60 46 33 FOR SALE: Beautiful old 2 wheeled, 1 horse Gig with hood looking for a loving home Needs appreciation and restoration. Ideal for a collector or Equestrian centre. Email for further details and photos. €220.00 Email: haynes.peter@yahoo.co.uk FOR SALE: SUPRA wood burning stove Black finish. 96 cms high (main

stove) plus 61 cms (cowling); 85 cms wide and 50 cms deep. Buyer to collect (near Eguzon). €300.00ono Tel: 06 04 40 60 41 Email: lajaussee@gmail. com FOR SALE: Various Items - Garage Sale Having a clear out so come to see if there is anything you need. Pop in and make an offer.Cot, High Chair, Pushchair, Car Seat.Lights, Unused cable, Circuit breakersFiamma Two bike Carrier "Pro" for campervan, Two Bike Carrier for CarVarious tools, spanners etc, torque wrenchesDisplay Shelf unit, suitable for garage, garden shed.Builders Trestles, swivel bases.

Pair of ceramic bathroom sinks.Old wine rack, needs painting.Wet suit and buoyancy vest Rechargeable camping Lamps x 2Old Metal Whisky Tins.Paperbacks, mainly thrillers.

Mountain Bike.7 Route d@Aubusson, Ahun. Tel: 05 55 80 40 44 Email: graham.d.hay@gmail.com FOR SALE: Sky boxes 1. Grundig Freeview or Sky subscription Digibox in perfect working condition, can be collected or I can deliver at cost. 60€.2.

Thompson/Sky Freeview/subscription latest box in perfect working condition, can be collected or I can deliver at cost.

70€. Tel: 0254 377624 Email: a2b. removals@hotmail.com FOR SALE: Printers 1. HP PSC 1510 All-in-one printer, 12 months old, complete with power supply and cables, can be seen working. 65€.2. HP Photosmart C4580 All-in-one wireless printer, less than 1 year old, complete with all cables and manual, 80€.3. HP Photosmart C4480 All-in-one printer, less than 1 year old, complete with all cables and manual, 75€.4. HP Scanjet 4400c business colour scanner, still boxed with software CD and all cables, very little use. 35€. Tel: 0254 377624 Email: a2b.removals@hotmail.com FOR SALE: Beacons in Orange for tractors, garage vehicles and general purpose use 12V or 24V, 4 available.

12€ each. Tel: 0254 377624 Email: a2b.removals@hotmail.com FOR SALE: Lexmark X240 Printer/Scanner/Copier Unopened and unused. Still inoriginal box.

Realistic offers considered. Tel: 05 55 76 05 44 FOR SALE: ART-DECO style metal wall lights 15 euros each.

Phone 05 55 64 77 60 FREE TO GOOD HOME Freestanding shower cubicle. An ideal temporary solution for anyone who is 'camping' whilst renovating a house.

Phone 05 55 64 77 60 FOR SALE: Staywell magnetic cat flaps complete with magnets and collers One white still in box and as new, one brown with slight damage but works well. These are 90 euros each in france - 40 euros for the two. €40.00 Tel: 05 55 68 27 80 FOR SALE: Microsoft Media Desktop 1000 & Logitech querty keyboards Microsoft Media Desktop 1000 (querty ultra-thin keyboard and optical mouse). Unused, still in sealed box. €35.Logitech querty keyboard.

Used, but in working order. €10. Tel: 05 87 36 00 50 FOR SALE: Hotel quality crockery by "Churchill" Beige speckled with brown rim. 55 dinner plates, 43 small side plate, 43 large side plates, 34 oval plates, 34 cups, 34 saucers, 37 soup bowls, 41 cereal/dessert dishes.

Contact Harry or Ann. €250.00 05 55 78 58 62 Email: annmlambo@ yahoo.co.uk FOR SALE: Caravan or Sale Lunar Delta 2-berth Cood condition - electric mover. Large shower room.

Includes full awning and all equipment.

Ideal for living in whilst renovating. €4,500.00ono Tel: 02.48.56.49.15 Email: roy.stevens03@gmail.com FOR SALE: MEDIAEVAL FETE / FANCY DRESS PARTY? Roman Legionnaire's tunic, by Misty Thicket.

XL/XXL. Fine quality linen, dark olive green. Never worn. €50.00 Tel. 05 53 62 59 63 (near Thiviers) FOR SALE: CARPET Top quality Wilton plus underlay. 9m by 1m. Silver green. Never unwrapped. €250.00 Tel. 05 53 62 59 63 (near Thiviers) FOR SALE: COOKER HOOD Sauter Hotte Decorative Murale (for 6-ring cooker). Dark brown with bronze rail for tea-towels etc. Excellent condition, rarely used. €150.00 Tel. 05 53 62 59 63 (near Thiviers) FOR SALE: 1 Snooker Table €99.00 Tel: 05 45 31 19 84 Email: denisthompson@hotmail.co.uk FOR SALE: Metal wall mounted shotgun safe for 2 guns, carry case, 2 cleaning kits and cartridge belt €75.00 for the lot. Contact 05 55 66 22 19 Email: david.toppingk@ googlemail.com FOR SALE: Webber Domed Charcoal BBQ €50.00 Tel: 05 55 89 15 59 FOR SALE: Attention Harley Davidson Enthusiasts 1 men's chrome HD open face helmet. Size

L. Boxed, as new condition. €80 ono1 HD handlebar hold-all. €40 ono1 HD heritage soft tail classic scale model 1:10 made by Franklin Mint.

Unopened, still in box. €60 (to buy new approx 130 GBP)Also a Bieffe blue full-face helmet. Size XS. €30 ono. Tel: 02 54 36 60 50 (dept 36) FOR SALE: Esse WN Woodburning Range Cooker Colour black. 4-5 years old. Very good condition. €2,400.00 Tel: 05 55 66 05 76 (Brian) FOR SALE: A lovely old character French Pendulum Clock in oak case, with bevelled glass Strikes on the

hour and half hour. Size approx 800 x 360. €95.00 Tel: 05 55 787902 (Near Rochechouart) FOR SALE: FIAMMA CARRYBIKE Garage 400 plus. 4-cycle rack for interior of motorhome garage.

Never used. €75.00 05 55 78 51 21 FOR SALE: Various PETMATE AIR TRAVEL and TRAINING KENNEL Through flow ventilation for safe air and auto travel. Safe way to help solve behaviour problems. For dog/cat up to 51 cms tall by 61 cms long. Meets international air travel requirements.

(IATA) Kennel bed-pad also included.

Unused. Easy to carry. €50INDESIT TUMBLE DRIER. 6kg load. White.

Hardly used. As new. Front loading. €100.NORDIC TRACK CROSS TRAINER CXT1200. Power ramp, Fan cooling, many programmes and training zones. Perfect for indoor training whilst watching the great outdoors. €350. SINGLE PINE BED including mattress. Comprised of head and footboard and slatted base. €50.

BATHROOM WASH-HAND BASIN AND MATCHING PEDESTAL. White. New and unused. Includes two taps. Basin measures 66 cms wide by 56 cms deep. €30. Telephone 05 55 14 28 09 FOR SALE: 15 pieces of slate 50mm thick 1.8m x 0.73m. 75 euros each.

Can be cut to any size. Suitable for worktops, hearth, table top etc. Tel 06 69 44 32 96 FOR SALE: 3 Full sized tournament snooker tables 499 euros each. Can deliver and erect for a small fee. Tel 06 69 44 32 96 FOR SALE: Single treadle sewing machine & demijohns Singer treadle sewing machine to restore.

10€Demijohns 1€ each. Tel: 06 26 07 72 75 FOR SALE: Four Man Tent Includes four sleeping bags and four mats, plus one blow up single mattress.

Tent has central section for storage or undercover eating. €120.00 Call: 05 55 81 32 20 (ask for Terry or Viv) FOR SALE: Lexmark Easy Colour Printer Z640 Comes with cable, CD and instructions. €25.00 Call: 05 55 81 32 20 (ask for Terry or Viv) FOR SALE: Gaggia K111 Espresso Coffee Machine Comes with 30 Caffitaly capsules. You can see the machine by putting Gaggia K111 into Search. It's a good machine for making Espresso and Capaccino. The machine was bought for £99, for sale at €40 complete with 30 Caffitaly capsules.

Bénévent-l'Abbaye - Dept. 23 €40.00 Tel: 05 87 40 91 26 FOR SALE: A Stove log effect convector electric fire Black, on legs with 2 front doors. €100.00 Tel. 05 45 85 92 34 evenings FOR SALE: Golf Equipment Regretfully, ill health forces the sale of all my gear including: Clubs, Bags, Trolleys, Shoes etc. All top brands and in good condition. Offers accepted.

Tel: 05 55 60 25 92 FOR SALE: To Rent - Large Garage/Workshop Available Good for storage/work space. Multi-uses etc. Secure Environment. Tel: 04 70 51 79 29

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ AUGUST 2012

CLASSIFIEDS ♦ B11 The Bugle CLASSIFIEDS are brought to you in association with WWW.HOUSESONINTERNET.COM FOR SALE: Various - WC, Wash Basin, Steel Bath, Corner Bath, Cooker, Cement Mixer Unused items: White WC. Low flush 30euro.

White pedestal wash basin 30euro.

White steel bath 40euro. Ivory 3 corner bath GRP. White LPG cooker s/h 35euro. Electric cement mixer in good order 75euro. Confolens 16500.

Tel. 05 45 89 22 05 FOR SALE: UPVC Door Lock Ferco 635 multipoint sprung door lock. €40.00 Tel: 05 55 68 37 58 FOR SALE: 'Rosières' CORNER CHIMNEY COOKER HOOD

Stainless Steel.4 Spot Lights. 4 Fan settings.Near Chabanais. €225.00ono Tel 0545 30 69 72 FOR SALE: WOOD BURNER SUPRA NORVEGE 6.5kw. Cream

and grey. H 1040mm W 540mm. Near Chabanais. €325.00ono Tel 0545 30 69 72 FOR SALE: Large picture print

by Beckindale Fine Arts (framers of quality pictures and mirrors) Name of picture "Spirit 1" in frame n° SM16 - of horse and man is only way of description. Buyer collects. €400.00 Telephone Nigel on 06 04 46 73 92 FOR SALE: CHILD'S BUGGY XTS 3 WHEELED, OFF-ROAD/ JOGGING BUGGY. EXCELLENT CONDITION, NEW TYRES, CARRY CASE. €60.00 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT 05 55 63 43 35 FOR SALE: BASS GUITAR IBANEZ SR305DX 5 STRING ACTIVE, VERY GOOD CONDITION, PROFESSIONALLY SET UP, NEW STRINGS. €195.00ono FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT 05 55 63 43 35 FOR SALE: TV Thomson TV 52 cm with remote. €30.00 Tel 05 55 03 87 56 FOR SALE: A SELECTION OF ANTIQUE FURNITURE AND KNICK-KNACKS 1) Baby High Chair/Stroller Combination. Antique.

Condition Excellent/Good. Wood.

Total height 3'8.5". width 19.5". As low chair 2'6". 200€ or very near offer. 2) YOU REALLY NEED TO SEE THE PHOTOS OF THIS ONE. Vegetable Serving Tureen. By removing the handle this can transform from a single Vegetable Warmer into two individual serving trays. Brilliant Idea. Made in Sheffield of Electo Plated Nickel Silver (EPNS) it dates between 1890 - 1910. Measures approx 12" long x 9.5" wide x 3" high (not including removable handle). Weighs approx 1kilo730g before packing. 130€ or very near offer. 3) Antique Vase made

by A J HARLEY JONES, FENTON, STAFFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND between 1907-1934. The principle colour is blue - called Bleu de Feu because of the type of firing the glaze.

The picture on the side shows 2 peasant women in a woodland setting. Approx 10.25" tall x 16" round the body (not including the handles). This vase has been valued by two local Antique Dealers (in France) as being worth between 150€-200€. 150€. 4) Large Wall Clock with Westminster Chimes.

Runs for 20 days per wind-up. In very good over-all condition. Measures approx 28" high x 12" side to side x 6.5" front to back. 140€ or very near offer. 5) A set of 3 jugs. coloured green decorated with various fruits.

Unmarked. 1) 4.75" high x 4.5" handle to spout x 2.5" wide. 2) 5.25"high x 5" handle to spout x 2.5" wide. 3) 6" high x 6.25" handle to spout x 3.25" wide.

40€ 6) Very unusual Brass Lamp with 2 wicks. Marked DUPLEX. MADE

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

NEW LIFE – NEW BUSINESS

AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE AN ESTABLISHED PROPERTY BUSINESS IN THE HAUTE-VIENNE (LIMOUSIN) AREA OF FRANCE. »» »» »» »»

Established 15 years ago Sale due to retirement Full Training and Continuing Support will be given Knowledge of French useful but willingness to learn essential (help available) »» Fully supported by Accountants / Bankers (Information only available to serious parties) »» Ideally suited for a couple »» Further information available on request

+33 (0)5 55 60 04 79 / +33 (0)6 82 13 86 51 enquiries1@orange.fr IN ENGLAND on both wick handles.

Patterned glass shade. Overall height 18.5". 150€ or near offer. Email for photos. Tel: Jannie 05 55 89 98 47 Email: janniesjunkandjems@gmail. com FOR SALE: Various 2 x Free standing electric heaters. Different models/styles in very good/ excellent condition. Very little use. 20€ eachFlame effect electric fire. 54cm x 44cm x 30cm. In good/excellent condition. Very little used. 50€Free standing Fire Grate with attached Back Plate. In good used condition. 45cm x 53cm x 29cm. 250€ or very near offer.Heavy dining table and 6 chairs.

Malaysian Oak. Not sure of the age but at least 10yrs old (possibly older). In very good/excellent condition. Table 96cm x 152cm x 78cm. Chairs height to top of back 115cm. Height to seat 47cm x 52cm x 47cm. 300€ or very near offer.Email for photos. Tel: Linda 05 55 89 31 97 or Jannie 05 55 89 98 47 Email: janniesjunkandjems@ gmail.com FOR SALE: Various - House Clearance 1) 6 Chairs and a Dinning Room Table. Solid oak. Very good condition. €250 2) 2 Single Beds. €100 the pair. Metal framed. 3) 2 Reclining Chairs. Cream leather. 4) Electric Bike. Needs new battery. EUR 50 ono.

Tel: 05 55 64 18 33 FOR SALE: Hay Bales Small Bales 2.50 per bale. Tel: 05 46 33 18 75 FOR SALE: Various equipment for handicapped person Wheelchairs, stanner stair lift, 3 wheel electric scooter etc. Tel: 05 55 42 75 92 FOR SALE: Hot Tub Spa Lay-Z with digital control for 4 adults Unwanted present. As new, still in packaging. Sells on amazon.fr at €489.

Area 87130. €399.00 Tel: 05 55 56 62 84 Email: pugsley.homer@gmail. com FOR SALE: Godin solid cast iron woodburner fire Size 660mm long 600mm high - 320mm wide. V.G.C. Buyer collects. Phone Patricia for details. €200.00 Tel: 05 55 41 19 28 FOR SALE: Ikea oven White. Used only few times. V.G.C. Buyer collects.

Phone Patricia for details. €50.00 Tel: 05 55 41 19 28 FOR SALE: "PETIT GODIN" multi fuel circular stove 10kw output.

Majolica enamel brown finish, with decorative ash tray and cast iron tool for opening door catches. £1600 new.

In good condition. €300.00 TEL: 05 55 08 46 53 FOR SALE: Antique woodburning stove dating from the 1900's Excellent condition with bread oven.

Delivery possible. €450.00ono Tel: 0613363979 FOR SALE: 2 off Shimano Baitrunner 6000b GTE Carp reels C/w spare spools and boxes, instructions etc. Hardly used, as no time. In excellent condition. 75 Euro each or 140 Euro for the two.

Also a tackle box trolley/barrow still in box never assembled. 50 Euros.

Phone Andy 0555-483062 (nr Rochechouart) FOR SALE: 5 pairs of original wooden windows Varying sizes, with original window furniture and fittings.

All fitted with the original glass. 75,00 euros for the lot. €75.00 TEL: 05 55 08 46 53 FOR SALE: Licence IV Enables sales of beverages and spirits in Bars/ Restaurants etc Email: jsezer@ yahoo.co.uk

FOR SALE: Antique French cast iron fire dogs with iron basket

Height: 59cms, Overall Width: 90 cms, Basket Width: 63 cms, Depth: 57 cms. €300.00 Phone: 05 55 65 00 04 Email: pc.cullen@yahoo.co.uk

VEHICLES / PARTS 1931 RENAULT PRIMAQUATRE

RARE CLASSIC COLLECTORS CAR, R.H.D., NEW TYRES, V.G.C., 4 DOOR. ONLY 22,000 KLMS, CT 4/2013, BEIGE/BLACK. LOVED & POLISHED, MUST BE SEEN.

ONLY €6,000 ono

55 76 05 44 FOR SALE: 1931 RENAULT PRIMAQUATRE RARE CLASSIC COLLECTORS CAR,R.H.D., NEW TYRES, V.G.C., 4 DOOR. ONLY 22,000 KLMS, CT 4/2013, BEIGE/BLACK.LOVED & POLISHED, MUST BE SEEN. PHONE FOR DETAILS & EMAIL PHOTOGRAPHS. €6,000.00ono Tel: 05 45 21 76 75 FOR SALE: TOYOTA COROLLA 28,000 MILES (45,000

Km) (PROOF OF MILEAGE) 1.6 VVTI 5DR AUTO, TAX MAY 2013, MOT APRIL 2013, Hatchback, Petrol, 2001 Y Reg, AC, SUNROOF, 6 CD PLAYER, BEAUTIFUL CONDITION. Auzances 23700. €2,200.00 Tel 05 55 67 18 39 FOR SALE: English reg Rover Metro diesel 60k, mot till feb 2013, very clean, very economical, located 87190. €499.00 Email: ingm80@ hotmail.com FOR SALE: 1997 Renault Megane Scenic 1.9 TD Red, 224 800km, tow bar, good condition for age.Please phone or e-mail for pictures and more information. La Souterraine area. €1,500.00ono Tel: 05 55 63 71 79 Email: rosiegert@hotmail.com FOR SALE: FORD FOCUS 1.8TDi Sept 2004 French registered but RHD, with French headlights.

62,000miles. Alloy wheels. Pale blue metallic. CT until 07/13. All round good condition. €3,500.00 05 55 29 39 15 - Correze (19) FOR SALE: BIKE CARRIER (Desmo Easy2 from Halfords). New. Assembled but never used. For two bikes. €30.00 Tel. 05 53 62 59 63 (near Thiviers) FOR SALE: Ford Mondeo 2L Ghia X 2002 163k miles. Full Leather heated seats, 6 CD, EW, PAS, Sunroof, tyres good. Surplus to requirements. Slight fuel problem when less than ¼ tank but fine when more than that. €500.00ono Tel: 09 78 23 38 59 FOR SALE: Citroen AX 1.1 - 1994 CT to Jan 2014. 4-door. Petrol. 4 spare tyres. Recent oil change. French registered LHD. €1,100.00ono Tel: 05 55 51 19 67 FOR SALE: Spares or repair Peugeot 206cc coupe 2001. Problem with head gasket and radiator. Only sensible offers considered. Email: helen@guardcrest.com FOR SALE: Toyota MR2 Soft top,

PHONE: 05 45 21 76 75 FOR DETAILS & EMAIL PHOTOGRAPHS. FOR SALE: Nissan X-Trail Aventura 2007 Right hand drive.

Immatriculated in France. 93000 miles. Full leather upholstery, built in sat nav, cd, heated seats, zenon headlights, panoramic sun roof, air con, can be 2 or 4 wheel drive. Excellent condition, serviced annually. €8,450.00 Tel 05 55 66 44 06 or 06 42 64 38 95 FOR SALE: Jeep Cherokee 4x4 87,000 miles, French reg, RHD, new CT 06-2014. 1,250 euros or exchange/ part x for van. French reg.

Tel: 05 55 51 91 79 FOR SALE: Kubota B1400 Tractor C/w Grass Cutter, Rotavator, Plough and Collection Bin. Purchaser to collect. €5,900.00 Tel: 05 55 64 21 61 FOR SALE: Pre-2002 Mercedes C-Class Saloon Roof Bars Excellent condition. Châteauponsac area.

Realistic offers considered. Tel: 05

always serviced to manufacturers schedule, with FSH from new incl receipts. RHD on French plates and CT to 04/2013. Very spacious and comfortable, and has been very reliable and extremely economical - average 54mpg easily achieved. €3,500.00 Tel: 06 06 40 87 89 FOR SALE: Renault Master T35D (ex ambulance with seats removed) Used to move down to France now selling. Good mechanical condition, lots of space, on French plates & part registered in France. Only needs new Controle Technique, and registration to complete. €1,000.00ono Email: stephenfoune212@msn.co.uk FOR SALE: UK headlights for a 2001 Ford Fiesta 25€ the pair. €25.00 Tel: 05 55 61 00 13 (Near Guéret) FOR SALE: Caravan awning Suitable for 5 mtr van, exc condition, must sell - bargain at 60E, area 87. €60.00 Tel 05 55 60 27 03 FOR SALE: DACIA Logan Estate French registered. LHD. 2009.

60,000 kms. Regularly fully serviced.

New tyres. Excellent condition. €11,000.00ono Call Nico - English speakers - 0254 07 55 19 / 0658 12 47 73. French speakers - 06 15 42 04 22 after 6pm FOR SALE: ISUZU TROOPER 3.2 V6 PETROL MANUAL SWB English registered 1992. Needs new starter motor. Runs well when bump started. Clean for its age. Tow bar fitted with double socket. No C/T or MOT and needs to be registered in France. Hence only 500,00€. €500.00 Tel: 06 04 46 73 92 FOR SALE: Nissan Primera GX TD French reg. RHD. CT- Sept 12.

VGC. A/C. Front electric windows.

Hands free Connection. Kenwood CD/Radio (1999). 168,000 miles.

FSH. €1,500.00 Tel: 05 55 81 07 13 FOR SALE: MERCEDES SPRINTER 308 CDI VAN RHD,

FRENCH REG, PLY LINED, CD PLAYER, CT OK. €4,750.00ono Tel: 06 37 71 20 57

WHITE GOODS FOR SALE: FREE - Brandt Dishwasher In working order, needs door handle repair but still opens and top missing but supplied with one close to right size. Buyer collects from 03370. Email: ingle.graham@ neuf.fr

WANTED 2000, 56000 miles, French reg, CT until 01/14, FSH, A/C, silver with black leather seats, Sony CD, lovely condition. Ring for details. €3,950.00 Tel David: 05 55 94 38 35 FOR SALE: French LHD Headlights to fit Mercedes E-Class saloon or estate 1997 onwards Condition "as new" - bought new 6 months ago but car since sold in UK. Cash on collection. €250.00 Tel: 05 55 63 70 17 (near La Souterraine) FOR SALE: Skoda Octavia Elegance 2.0TDi Corrida red First reg UK 1.01.2005. French reg 2009.

Control Technique July 2013. 93,000 miles. VGC. €4,100.00ono Contact 05 55 03 14 91 or 06 34 64 59 89 FOR SALE: CITROEN C5 1.6 HDi 110 HATCHBACK 2005 Metallic

black. Climate control and front electric windows. Careful owner,

WANTED: Small watertight caravan to use for storage Internal condition not important. Will pay up to 100 euros. Must be towable. Tel: 05

FOR SALE

Building Plots / Economic Activity Areas The Brame Benaize Community of Communes would like to inform possible entrepreneurs in Limousin or elsewhere - interested in developing or setting up a business - that we have building plots / economic activity areas available for sale in JOUAC (87890) and MAGNAC-LAVAL (87190).

Interested parties can email in English for enquiries.

mairiestleger@wanadoo.fr

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

Shop to let in Grande Rue, Guéret

(pedestrianised shopping street) Bail derogatoire availiable (23 month let) or I may be willing to back any good ideas (as a sleeping partner).

The shop is well positioned and has been recently refurbished.

For more information or to discuss any business ideas contact me on: cboniface@hotmail.com 55 78 58 62 Email: annmlambo@ yahoo.co.uk WANTED: Exercise Bike Preferably Fold-up. Tel: 05 55 51 19 67 WANTED: ENGLISH teacher, 50s, divorced from French husband and living in the Haute-Vienne, would like to meet intelligent, humorous, affectionate non-smoking man, similar age. Please, no hang-ups and no complicated baggage! Contact by email. Email: fraises_des_bois@ ymail.com WANTED: Property Wanted I am looking for a house, building or land to renovate. Quick cash purchase.

Any area considered. Tel: 05 55 65 84 95 WANTED: PEUGEOT 107 or CITROEN C1 Must be in good condition, low mileage, French registered and left hand drive. Tel: 05 55 78 79 02 WANTED: French and English people to meet I am 29 and would like to meet more young French and English people to socialise and improve my language skills. Email: dawm82@hotmail.co.uk WANTED: Covered parking to store a car For approx. 12 weeks a year in the region of Limoges or Bergerac airports. Tel: 0044 1748 884526 Email: thiernswood@ talk21.com WANTED: For compact tractor Transport box (bennette), rotovator, plough and snow plough all in usable condition. Tel: 05 55 64 33 71 WANTED: Chain harrow / grass rake Approx 8' x 8'. Any age considered, for use on a small tractor.

Tel Barbara 06 30 02 35 73 WANTED: Tea chests/ stong boxes for packing Tel: 05 55 51 91 79 WANTED: Land With or without buildings, with or without planning permission. All types of land considered: woods, fields, houses with attached land etc. Preferably in the Blessac/Ahun area of Creuse.

Tel: 06.03.07.82.10 WANTED: Motor Vehicle Car, van, motorbike, moped. Anything considered. Tel: 05 55 65 84 95

Classified Submission Deadline: 15th of the month for the next edition

AUGUST 2012 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

B12 ♦ GAMES Crossword

Caption Competition - August Send your entries for this month's Caption Competition to: editor@thebugle.eu Winner receives a modicum of kudos.

Clues and answers in English

Many thanks to Anthony Clive for this month's photo

Last Month's Winners

WINNER:

Across:

1. Choice (6) 4. Abridged (6) 9. Plus (3) 10. Emancipation (7) 11. Gnarled (7) 12. Consumed (5) 13. Banquet (5) 15. Vagabond (5) 20. Type of drum (5) 22. Garden feature (7) 24. Simpatico (7) 25. Football stand-in (3) 26. Gluttonous (6) 27. Toilet for men (6)

Down:

1. Citrus fruit (6) 2. Frog larve (7) 3. Meat not fit for human consumption (5) 5. Shaky from age (7) 6. Lure (5) 7. Swooping (6) 8. Disreputable, unkempt (5) 14. Ended (7) 16. Spouse's male offspring (7) 17. Rectangle (6) 18. Stable-person (5) 19. Part of a drum-kit (6) 21. Audacity (5) 23. Provide (e.g. food) (5)

Please be aware that the deadline for all submissions for content and advertising is the 15th of the month for the following month’s print edition.

SUDOKU - EASY

"Whoooa, can someone ring Ann Summers and ask her how to turn this thing off!" - Mike Scott HONOURABLE MENTIONS: "Ooh! I've just sat on my monkey nuts." - Alan Board "That's why they call me the 'Howler' Monkey!!" - John Martin "Yes, you've guessed it! I AM 'monkey nuts'." - Jane Ginham "Stop the car I want a wee wee." - Rob Southwell "Baboon, he just wanted to play with my wifi!" - George Durell "I do wish parents would stop telling their kids to grab a handful of monkey nuts" Mike Scott

SUDOKU - MEDIUM

SUDOKU - HARD

The solution to this month’s puzzles can be found on pages 16

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ AUGUST 2012

FRENCH LIFE ♦ 11

All in a Day’s Work Bugle reader, Neil Parkyn, in association with the Conseil Général de la Creuse, has recently completed his book ‘Mémoire Ouvrière de la Creuse’, a handsome 144-page hardcover volume celebrating the lives and achievements of the industrial working class in the Creuse through the medium of watercolours, postcards and photographs.

I

f you, as I do, subscribe to the ‘half full’ rather than ‘half empty’ view of retirement, then our Département de la Creuse has proved an absolute winner. Yet when we finally committed ourselves to living here en permanence in 2008, I do recall a certain anxiety as to how to fill the first Monday. After all, 35 years’ of globetrotting in 20 countries as an architect and town planner had made me resourceful, but also restless.

but not of the Let’s Re-open an Old Railway persuasion - Bless ’em - rather to explore and present abandoned sites and buildings that once were, literally, Hives of Industry.

The story had already been told, but in print, not pictures. I read that there had once been over 3,000 tapestry weavers in Aubusson, that until the 1960s Crocq had housed a thriving industry making furs from rabbit pelts, that in Lavaveixles-Mines, 4,000 coal miners went

Paris.

So I started hunting down the sites and remaining buildings, many of them overgrown, part demolished or completely obliterated, yet still imbued with all the memories of hard lives lived, families raised and community celebrations. Sainte Barbe, I learnt, was the patron saint of miners, weavers, firemen - and architects - hence a fine excuse for an annual knees-up.

So far, so vague. What I needed to do was simply to GET STARTED. I

Tardes Viaduct

Old Shops in the Rue du Centre, Lavaveix-les-Mines, showing subsidence due to the collapse of underground mine galleries I needn’t have worried. What I soon discovered is that this socalled ‘forgotten’ corner of France is Opportunity Central for those with ideas and a bit of focused ambition, provided that you have a personal project which you can pursue with passion. In my case it turned out to be Industrial Heritage,

underground at the peak of production, supplying SNCF, not forgetting France’s second largest gold mine near Budelière, where the mine manager in his top hat would share a glass (or three) of champagne with the stationmaster at Letrade to celebrate another gold ingot on its way to the Banque de France in

Got a Question for The Bugle...? editor@thebugle.eu 05.55.41.17.76

siret: 510 357 155 00017

found a venue for a small exhibition of watercolours and fixed a date in June 2010. Thus far I didn’t have a single painting, but then I’ve worked to deadlines all my life so nothing new there. The show went well, with friends and (French) colleagues confirming my hunch that there had been very little in the public domain to celebrate the lives and achievements of the industrial working class in the Creuse.

Things now got serious. My idea of a book of watercolours and explanatory texts on this theme was warmly supported by key players, notably Michel Manville, who heads the Conservation Team at the Conseil Général de la Creuse, and Guy Avizou, the elected member with the portfolio for Culture and Sport. Every year the Team produce what they call a ‘Fine Book’ alongside their many other publications; mine was to be their offer for 2012.

Keep warm this winter

order online now

Double D

Renovations & Home Improvements

All types of building work, groundwork, renovations, decorating and maintenance Fosses septiques Roofing Tiling Kitchen and bathroom fitting Conservatories Plaster boarding Masonry Carpentry etc. etc.

Covering depts: 03, 23, 63, 87 Telephone:

Email:-

05 55 65 00 29 06 33 19 99 64

double-d-23@live.fr

www.chauffagebois-limousin.com

QUALITY Dry Firewood

Stored under cover

Oak, Beech, Hornbeam Logs of 50, 33 & 25 cm Delivered loose or by pallet to departments 23 & 87

And so it was straight down to work. Producing some 80 original watercolours is undeniably daunting, but also exciting to choose the subjects, the views and the best techniques.

Proverbial carte blanche - a ‘French’ expression that I’ve never heard the French use. Visiting sites with camera and sketchbook always produced surprises, but I soon got used to the usual four dogs of all sizes who would confront me at the gate, followed by their owner who shouted ‘Ils ne sont pas méchants !’ - ‘They won’t bite you!’

But watercolours alone wouldn’t do. I was fortunate to know the La Montagne journalist, Paul Colmar, who generously let me have my pick of his marvellous collection of old postcards, many depicting industrial sites in their heyday. Michel Manville brought in the Conseil Général’s own in-house photographer, the very talented Simon Parouty. Freelance graphic designer Anne-Marie Gaudillet completed the team, with the sterling support of Pierre Pinaud and Eglantine Pacquot from Michel’s own office.

Thus the book was woven from three visual threads - my watercolours, Paul’s old postcards and Simon’s site photographs - a powerful graphic blend

which in Anne-Marie’s hands became a handsome 144-page hardcover volume of which we are all proud. There’s been no compromises, cuts or failures of nerve. It’s far better than any of us dared hope, a fitting, if belated, memorial to all these nameless workers hitherto in the shadows of history.

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AUGUST 2012 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

12 ♦ FRENCH LIFE

bakery, often part-cooked and/or frozen, where they are simply reheated onsite and sold to the public.

It is easy to have some sympathy with the bakers. An industrially prepared croissant can be bought from a catalogue for as little as 20 cents, a price hard to match when hand-making a ‘true’ pure butter croissant. One baker in a chic quarter of the 1st arrondissement of Paris complained: “I make my patisseries myself but I’m losing money. It’s not on. While they haven’t resolved the problem of the cost of home-made croissants, lots of bakers will call on the industry.”

Some traditional bakers have decided enough is enough and are hitting back. Pierre Couderc, a baker in the 19th arrondissement, has placed a large sign in his window that reads: “All our products are prepared on site. They have not been chosen from a catalogue and delivered frozen by the industry.”

Elsewhere, the bakers’ federation of the Loir-et-Cher department has decided to take unilateral action.

They have recently launched a new “home-made viennoiseries” label that local bakers can stick in their shop windows to assure customers that their products really are ‘made’ at the bakery in question.

Do consumers mind that their croissants were made days ago in a factory in another part of France?

Will they pay more for ones that have been made by hand that very morning? Many would argue that the answer to those questions is irrelevant, that it is the principle of disclosure that counts; consumers should be made aware of exactly what they are paying for. When the bread is made by the baker, the consumer will assume, unless told otherwise, that he has also made the croissants.

Under the current system for bakeries, the bakers selling massproduced industrial croissants are doing absolutely nothing wrong and are not lying... but, strictly speaking, neither are they telling the whole truth.

There are many more examples of this kind of half-truth marketing: Dijon mustard, Aosta ham, Laguiole knives, Marseille soap, Paris mushrooms, Camembert de Normandie... the list goes on.

The marketing for all these products centres on the French idea of ‘terroir’, which is not an easy word to translate into English.

Terroir is the concept that the product is inextricably linked to the land from which it comes, and this includes everything from the actual physical land, the weather, even down to the tools and skills used to harvest and process the ingredients. The same product from anywhere else in the world would not be the same. Many brands trade off this concept, which is the basis of the AOC and AOP protected statuses.

The website Achetons Français, which champions French products made in France, recently highlighted a number of famous brands that use terroir to market their products, but

Handmade this morning, or frozen from the factory...? which are anything but French.

Dijon mustard, for example, is simple in essence: vinegar, water, salt and mustard seeds from…

Canada! Following World War II, the introduction of the Common Agricultural Policy prompted farmers to lose interest in growing mustard because it offered no access to CAP subsidies. The result is that 90% of mustard seeds used to make Dijon mustard now come from Canada.

Laguiole knives: the bee emblem, the slightly raised thin blade and the cross on the handle are the hallmarks of this famous brand, which many

The list goes on. Champignons de Paris: it has been a long time since mushrooms were cultivated anywhere near the capital.

Camembert: the word Camembert can be used by any cheese maker anywhere in the world. Although “Camembert de Normandie” has AOP protection, “Camembert fabriqué en Normandie” does not.

Charentais melons: without AOC protection, many come not from the region around Cognac but from Spain and Morocco, or in winter (when they theoretically shouldn’t be available) from the Caribbean and Senegal.

© 2010 - LAGRIC (WikiCommons)

S

everal stories have emerged in recent weeks and months that, whilst not necessarily directly linked to each other, do serve to highlight the changing nature of food in France and the wider world. In today’s shops and markets, consumers need to have their wits about them if they want to avoid being taken for a ride.

The French have long been associated with the quality of their food and wine and are rightly proud of their gastronomic heritage.

Indeed in 2010, the “Gastronomic meal of the French” was inducted into UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. In their report, UNESCO stated that: “Important elements include the careful selection of dishes from a constantly growing repertoire of recipes; the purchase of good, preferably local products whose flavours go well together; the pairing of food with wine; the setting of a beautiful table; and specific actions during consumption, such as smelling and tasting items at the table.”

There is money to be made out of this cultural heritage. Attaching certain labels to certain foods can enormously increase their value, but in today’s world of trademarks, copyrights, AOCs and cheap international imports, there is also money to be made in ‘duping’ consumers over what they are actually buying. Often this is down to basic economic forces, sometimes the issue is a legal one and occasionally it is as simple as ripping off consumers.

One staple of French society that has come under threat from a combination of the above is the humble croissant.

If you believe the warnings of baking purists, this Gallic gastronomic icon is in danger of dying out. It is not that the French are turning away from their favourite crescent-shaped pastry, however, more a case of where these buttery treats are being ‘made’.

One federation has claimed that half of all ‘home-made’ croissants sold in France’s 30,000 boulangeries are industrially made and simply heated up on site.

“Around one viennoiserie [croissant, brioche, pain au chocolat, etc.] in two in our ‘traditional’ bakeries is now industrial,” Philippe Godard, spokesman for the French bakery and patisserie business federation, said recently.

Following laws passed in 1998, a bakery can only call itself a boulangerie if the bread is made and prepared on site. But as JeanPierre Crouzet, president of the national confederation of bakers and patissiers, explains: “the rule doesn’t extend to viennoiseries. One can be a baker and not make ones’ viennoiseries oneself.”

The result is that many of France’s bakers are choosing to purchase their croissants from catalogues run by companies such as Coup de Pâtes, which offers 700 pre-prepared bakery products, from lemon tarts to chocolate éclairs and pizzas... and almost a dozen varieties of croissant.

These industrially prepared products are then delivered to the

© 2007 - avlxyz (Flickr)

The changing nature of French food

Camembert de Normandie - AOP protected believe guarantee authenticity.

Apparently not. Most of these knives are in fact Chinese imports because the cutlery manufacturer never filed a patent on their most famous French knife. It makes it very hard for consumers to know if they have an ‘original’.

Marseille soap: even though this famous soap has been made in the south of France since the Middle Ages, the lack of a registered trademark means much is now made abroad to a different set of standards, most often in China and Turkey.

One new product that may attract imitations in the future, but for the time being is almost certainly unique, is Vinbovin beef. You may well have heard of beer-fed Kobe cattle from Japan, but now a herd of lucky French cows have been enjoying up to two bottles of high quality wine every day, as farmers attempt to produce the best beef in Europe.

It follows an experiment in Lunel-Viel, in the southern Hérault region of France, which saw Angus and Camargue breeds being fed

special diets supplemented by local Languedoc wine.

Farmer Jean-Charles Tastavy told the AFP news agency that he hit on the idea after reading about studies carried out in Canada and Spain, which showed that happy cows give the best meat. How could a cow be happier than while enjoying a glass or two of the local red with its evening meal?

“For each animal, alcohol intake should be equivalent to the amount recommended by health authorities for a human being, namely two or three glasses of wine a day, which in cow terms amounts to about one or one and a half litres a day,” he said.

Together with the Conseil Général de l’Hérault, Mr Tastavy has now registered the “Vinbovin” trademark, so anyone producing imitation meat under that name will be doing so illegally, although you are unlikely to see Vinbovin beef on the supermarket shelves any time soon - it is not cheap to produce!

The added cost of the high quality, wine-enriched diet, even if it is only introduced in the last 4 months of the cow’s life, takes daily feed costs from 5 to 15 euros. This is offset, however, by the retail price of the final product, where a kilo of beef will cost “hundreds of euros for the noblest cuts”.

Whether there is a commercial future for Vinbovin beef is not yet known, although some exclusive Parisian restaurateurs believe there may well be. Laurent Pourcel, a Michelin-starred chef, is among those enthusing about the ‘luxury meat’, saying: “It has a very special texture - beautiful, marbled and tender, and which caramelises during cooking.

All the best Parisian restaurants will take it.”

The French still have an awful lot to offer the world in terms of gastronomy and its associated cultural heritage; but the world also needs to pay attention if it does not want to be ripped off! ■

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ AUGUST 2012

FRENCH LIFE ♦ 13

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In the garden - August

W

e haven't had a « typical » year here in the Charente Limousine, and more generally in the whole of France, so in the garden you have probably had challenges to deal with, and surprises, both good and bad. But let's be positive. Some of the plants and trees that were so damaged by the cold winter have probably appreciated a cooler, damper year, and have most likely recovered better than if we had had the raging temperatures of other years. And the meadows, road verges and wild places that make our region so special have soaked up the water like a sponge, clearly needing it. In fact, while I have the impression of endless water, this is not reflected in my soil, which is rather dry.

Harvesting What an intense pleasure it is going down the garden with an empty basket, and returning

up time that could be better spent outdoors. But in the deep dark months of winter, when the garden is mostly producing cabbages, leeks, roots and leaves, how comforting to open up a jar of home-made pesto or rich tomato sauce! Freezing, pickling, jam-making, drying, salting, leathering, etc. give you a wide range of options, and are not always time consuming.

After all, it takes roughly 60 seconds to fill a jar with cinnamon basil leaves, or dill, or any other green herb, top with vinegar and screw the top on. Leave a few weeks, then filter, and you have the type of flavoured vinegar that costs an arm and a leg. It makes an excellent Christmas gift.

Before you get too inspired, however, decide where you will keep your conserves, and any autumn fruit.

It is the right time to plan where you could store your produce. Clean sheds or cellars and ensure you have enough shelves and

André Thouin (1746 - 1824) André Thouin was a French botanist, born in Paris into a family of gardeners: his father, Jean-André, was the king's head gardener; his younger brother, Gabriel Thouin, was a noted landscape architect. Gardening was clearly in their blood. It was also a time of great changes and excitement in gardening, with new plants being introduced from abroad, and an aristocracy that were busy having gardens and chateaux constructed for them. He studied botany under Bernard de Jussieu, and in 1793 attained the chair of horticulture at the Museum of Natural History in Paris, where his educational lectures were always very popular. Thouin is remembered for contributions made in the field of agronomy, including scientific studies that involved improved grafting techniques and seed selection. He was a pioneer conservationist, stressing the importance of replacing woodlands to compensate for their destruction due to human encroachment. He was a good friend of US President Thomas Jefferson, both of them linked by their common passion for gardening, and members of the literati.

Thouin is the person who introduced Dahlias into France, probably in 1802, due to his contacts in Spain, where the Dahlia had been brought back from Mexico. At first, it was planned to be grown as an edible tuber but, tasting bitter, the ornamental aspect quickly took over, and naturally enough, the great showy flowers, at the end of the summer, became all the rage. Josephine at Malmaison developed a collection, and very quickly growers were vying with each other to produce different colours and shapes. Thouin wrote a book on the cultivation of the Dahlia. Poets wrote odes to it, and it entered into popular culture with the exoticism of the Black Dahlia.

Now we are liable to think of Dahlias as rather brash, if not to say, a little vulgar, but this is to forget that fashions change and that what is the bee's knees one year is only good for cutting or the compost heap the next. ■ Michelle Pierce - Un Jardin en France plant nursery unjardinenfrance@gmail.com - 05 45 89 36 54

Recipe provided by Chef George

Oven poached peaches with lemon & thyme Pêches pôchées au thym-citron

This is a quick and easy recipe for a summer dessert, using fresh or tinned peaches. Serve with a big dollop of vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche.

Ingredients (Serves 4):

05.55.41.17.76

Michelle Pierce Un Jardin en France plant nursery unjardinenfrance@gmail.com 05 45 89 36 54

editor@thebugle.eu

Storing You could say to yourself that you can't be bothered to store much produce from your garden because it is extra work, and does take

Planning ahead Yep, the good weather has only really just started and we need to be thinking about the winter. August is a good time to sow the things you want to be eating when the days are short: oriental greens, spinach, chicory, roots like beetroot or carrots, herbs, kales, and japanese bunching onions. There is loads you can plant, and with a little protection, loads to harvest all through the winter.

Collect your strawberry runners for planting elsewhere, take cuttings of things that won't make it through the winter, and divide perennials that have finished flowering.

Most of all, take time to enjoy your garden. Sit in it, eat out in it, laze around in it. Just BE in it. ■

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C/300F. If you are using fresh peaches halve and stone them, then place the peaches into an ovenproof dish, cut side up. If you are using tinned, tip the syrup into a pan and put the peaches cut side up into the dish.

2. If you are using fresh peaches put the water, sugar, half the lemon juice and 2 sprigs of thyme into a pan. Heat until the sugar has dissolved. If you are using the syrup, add half the lemon juice and 2 sprigs of thyme to the syrup and bring to a simmer to infuse with the lemon and thyme.

3. Pour the syrup over the peaches, cut the butter into knobs, and place into the hollows of each peach. Place the other 2 sprigs of thyme over the top of the peaches.

4. Place in the oven and cook for about 20-25 minutes until soft, leave to rest for a few minutes, then serve with vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche.

The Bugle...?

crates. Spaces should be clean and dry, and keep an even temperature. Guard against rodents and insects.

Got a Question for

with it full of this and that!!! Knowing that you can feed yourself and your family, and taste all sorts of flavours that you just can't find in the shops. How fantastic it is that a sprinkle of freshly picked chives, a handful of ripped basil leaves, and a few starry blue borage flowers can transform the most boring of salads into a divine dish.

Now the veg garden is getting into full swing, with the arrival of the cucurbitae - the squash family. Where would we be without the generosity of courgettes? They produce enormously and should be picked regularly to avoid the marrow syndrome. But then, even if they get too big, hey, that's ideal for soup. And if you really can't face another, give them to your chooks. They love them! We tend to see gluts as a problem but it's better to have too much than not enough. It just takes managing.

So pick all your veg over regularly. What use is having fifty mature iceberg lettuces? Better to have avoided the problem by harvesting some early, and replanting with something else.

Large tin of peaches or 2 large peaches 120g/4oz Sugar 4 Sprigs of thyme 100ml/4floz Water Juice of 1 lemon 60g/2.5oz Unsalted butter

AUGUST 2012 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

14 ♦ FRENCH LIFE

Do you have "70 GB" on your driving licence...?

A

recent enquiry from a reader about their French driving licence proved to be very enlightening and revealed a few facts that not everyone may be aware of. The question was simple enough: “On my driving licence, under ‘Restrictions’, it says ‘70 GB’. Does that mean I can’t drive at more than 70 miles per hour in the UK or that I can’t drive over the age of 70 in Britain…?”

A good question, but not one with an easy-to-find answer. A trip to the forums (not exactly renowned for accuracy and impartiality) revealed a split in the 2 camps. Many people confidently asserted that because a British driving licence is only valid until a certain age, that restriction is carried forward onto your French one. The other camp are convinced that it is reminding you of the speed limit in the UK. The reader was concerned about a planned a trip back to the UK in which they were intending to hire a car. Would the hire company refuse to rent them one because the principle driver had recently turned 70…?

After some extensive research, the answer is that it has nothing to do with speed or age and is actually not that exciting. In the “Restrictions” column there are a number of codes that are explained on the reverse of the licence. For example 74 means you can drive a category C vehicle or one up to 7,500kg. It happens that 70 means that the current licence replaces one from a different country. In the case of the vast majority of British expats, this would be Great Britain – GB. So “70 GB” means “this French licence replaces a British one”. On the reverse of the licence, next to the code 70 you will see “ECH”, an abbreviation for “échangé” (or exchanged), followed by your old British driving licence number.

This has a couple of interesting implications for expats. It is true that British licences are only valid until you are 70 years old, after which they need to be renewed every 3 years. French driving licences, however, are valid for life and only expire when you do. Therefore, a British expat in their 60s can avoid the need to renew their British driving licence every three years by switching to a French one. As a driving licence from any EU member state is equally valid in all other member states, the difference between a French and British one is very small… except that French ones last forever! ■

We didn't have the Green Thing back in our day

I

n the queue at the supermarket, the cashier told an older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.

The woman apologised to him and explained, “We didn't have the green thing back in my day.”

The clerk responded, “That's our problem today.

Your generation did not care enough to save our environment.”

He was right, our generation didn't have the ‘green thing’ in its day.

Back then, we returned milk bottles, pop bottles and beer bottles to the shop or off licence. They sent them back to the plant to be washed, sterilised and re-filled and reused. So it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.

But we didn't have the ‘green thing’ back in our day.

We walked up stairs, because we didn't have lifts and escalators in every shop and office building.

We walked to the local shops and didn't climb into a 200-horsepower machine every time we had to go to a supermarket. We bought fruit and veg loose, and washed them at home. We didn't have to throw away bins full of plastic, foam and paper packaging that need huge recycling plants fed by monster trucks all day, everyday.

But she was right. We didn't have the ‘green thing’ in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby's nappies because we didn't have the throwaway kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts; wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-medown (mostly handmade or

hand-knitted) clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand new clothing shipped from the other side of the planet.

But that old lady is right, we didn't have the ‘green thing’ back in our day.

Back then shops repaired things with funny things called spare parts, we didn't need to throw whole items away because a small part failed.

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house, not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of Scotland.

In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us.

When we packaged a fragile item to send in the post, we used a scrunched up old newspaper to cushion

it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn petrol just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power and hand clippers for the hedges.

We exercised by working, so we didn't need to go to a brightly lit, air conditioned health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity, and then drink millions of bottles of that special water from those plastic bottles.

But she's right, we didn't have the ‘green thing’ back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty, instead of using a plastic cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new plastic pen, and we replaced blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole

plastic razor just because the blade got dull.

But we didn't have the ‘green thing’ back then.

Back then, people took the bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their parents into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerised gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest fish & chip shop.

Isn't it sad when the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the ‘green thing’ back then? ■ Arthur Smith Harlequin Developments www.harlequindevelopments.com Tel: 05.55.68.67.56 Mob: 06.06.60.46.97

Transferring a Pension Abroad Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS) For an overseas pension scheme to receive a transfer from a UK pension fund it must register with HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs). The registered schemes are known as Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes.

For the scheme to qualify, various caveats must be satisfied, such as it must be recognised as a pension scheme in the country where it is based, and the benefits must be subject to taxation.

The scheme also reports any payments out of the scheme to the UK Inland Revenue if the transfer took place within the last ten years. If any payments are made which are not allowed in the UK then there may be a tax charge applied of up to 55% if the individual has been a UK resident in either the current or any of the previous five tax years.

The majority of overseas transfers have focused on transfers of UK pension funds to QROPS in offshore locations,

such as Isle of Man or Guernsey, but tightening up of the QROPS rules earlier this year has reduced the availability of such jurisdictions. This has acted as a reminder that with any QROPS transfer there is additional risk that HMRC may subsequently amend legislation or remove QROPS status of any schemes without warning.

The advantages of QROPS Transferring a pension fund abroad has several advantages: it enables a pension fund to be Euro-denominated, and therefore provides income payments in Euros, reducing exposure to currency exchange fluctuations.

An offshore scheme may offer greater control of the fund, and the potential to pass funds to children free from UK taxes, although tax consequences in France remain to be clarified.

The disadvantages of QROPS The main potential disadvantage of a

QROPS is that the scheme could be deregistered as a QROPS, which could mean that any individuals who transferred to the scheme may be liable for up to 55% tax.

One key area that is often omitted by advisers is that a QROPS’ income is not secure, and based on the investment performance of the fund.

It is important to seek advice from independent advisers who are familiar both with UK and French legislation, as any decision made with your pension funds will last your lifetime, and it may not be possible to unwind an arrangement in the future.

David Hardy is Regional Manager for Poitou-Charentes for Siddalls France, who have been providing specialist independent financial advice to the British community in France for the last 15 years.

If you wish to discuss your own financial planning requirements in more detail, please contact David on 05 56 34 71 77.

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ AUGUST 2012

BILINGUAL ♦ 15

Eurotunnel - bringing Britain closer

N

othing has brought France and Britain closer together in recent years than the Channel Tunnel. Both politically and geographically, the tunnel has literally connected these two nations.

Although the idea of digging a tunnel under the Channel between the two countries was first suggested

by French engineer Albert Mathieu in 1802, it would be nearly 2 centuries before the dream became a reality.

For the first 100 years, the project was often discussed, but very little was actually done. In 1881, British railway entrepreneur Sir Edward Watkin dug a test tunnel from Shakespeare

Cliff and a similar tunnel was constructed on the French side at Sangatte. Both were over 1.5km long but the project was soon abandoned as public pressure grew over fears of national defence.

After the First World War the idea was again discussed, but this time with a design feature that would allow both the French and the British to flood the tunnel from their side if required for security reasons, but the concept was again rejected. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, when security issues were much less important, various proposals were again considered, but it was not until 1988 that work began on a tunnel between Calais and Folkestone.

When the tunnel was

finally completed in 1994 it was 50km long and 75m deep at its lowest point and is still the longest undersea tunnel in the world.

The Channel Tunnel has had its problems over the years, most significantly two fires in 1996 and 2008, both on heavy goods vehicles. As well as costing millions to repair and causing disruptions to services for 6 months, the fires were a public relations disaster. However, despite the problems, passenger numbers and the amount of freight carried have both risen steadily over the years: an estimated 17 million people travelled through the tunnel in 2010 and over 15 million tonnes of freight were transported.

With the recent completion of a dedicated high-speed line on the English side, the journey time between Paris and London on Eurostar has fallen to just 2h20 at speeds of up to 300kph. The speed of the service, as well as the benefit of the trains running from city centre to city centre, have resulted in Eurostar effectively killing off the market for air travel between London, Paris and Brussels.

Today, Eurostar controls 80% of this passenger market.

The company has also recently announced ambitious plans to add destinations in southern France, the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland in a move that will again directly take on established airline routes. ■

The Bugle thanks local French teacher, Sophie Arsac, for the translation of this month's bilingual article on another topical aspect of Franco-British culture.

Bilingual Crossword Clues in English - answers in French

Across:

5. slipper (9) 7. positive (7) 8. lily (3) 10. then (3) 11. ton (5) 13. summer (3) 14. cherries (7) 16. grandson (5,4)

Down:

1. baskets (7) 2. tin (5) 3. wall (3) 4. wedding rings (9) 6. toilets (9) 9. noodle (7) 12. nerves (5) 15. pine tree (3)

Answers on Notice Board - page 17

So you think it's easy to learn English..?

(Read this out loud) Au terme des travaux, en 1994, le tunnel faisait 50 km de longueur et sa profondeur maximale était de 75 m. A ce jour, il reste le tunnel sousmarin le plus long du monde.

Un certain nombre d’incidents affectèrent le tunnel au fil des ans, notamment les incendies de 1996 et 2008 qui n’impliquèrent que des poids-lourds. En dehors des coûts de réparation qui se chiffrèrent en millions et de l’arrêt du trafic des navettes pendant 6 mois, ces incendies furent un désastre en termes de relations publiques.

Malgré tout, le nombre de passagers et le volume de fret n’a cessé de s’accroître au fil des années pour atteindre 17 millions de voyageurs en 2010 et 15 millions de tonnes de

marchandises.

Depuis l’achèvement récent d’une ligne à grande vitesse du côté anglais, Eurostar permet de relier Paris à Londres en 2h20 à une vitesse de 300 km/h.

Aujourd’hui, Eurostar contrôle 80 % du trafic voyageur entre Londres, Paris et Bruxelles. La liaison entre les centres villes et la rapidité du transport ont eu raison du trafic aérien entre ces villes.

La compagnie a aussi récemment fait part de ses nouvelles ambitions de desservir de nouvelles destinations dans le sud de la France, aux Pays-Bas, en Allemagne et en Suisse et sera donc en concurrence directe avec les lignes aériennes existantes. ■

editor@thebugle.eu

à Shakespeare Cliff tandis son jumeau était construit côté français à Sangatte, les deux tunnels étant d’une longueur supérieure à 1,5 km. Cependant le projet fut abandonné sous la pression populaire, pour des inquiétudes relatives à la défense nationale.

Les discussions reprirent après la 1ère guerre mondiale.

Grâce à la nouvelle conception, le tunnel pouvait être inondé à ses deux extrémités si la sécurité des deux pays était en jeu mais le projet fut de nouveau rejeté.

Puis l’aspect sécuritaire devint beaucoup moins important et d’autres propositions furent à l’étude dans les années 60 et 70. La construction du tunnel entre Calais et Folkestone ne fut cependant entamée qu’en 1988.

05.55.41.17.76

C

es dernières années, rien n’a autant rapproché la France et la GrandeBretagne que le tunnel sous la Manche. Il a littéralement connecté les deux nations, tant sur un plan politique que géographique.

L’idée de creuser un tunnel pour relier les deux pays germa dans l’esprit de l’ingénieur français Albert Mathieu en 1802 et pourtant, le rêve ne devint réalité qu’environ deux cents ans plus tard.

Pendant cent ans, le projet donna lieu à beaucoup de discussions, sans que rien de vraiment concret n’aboutisse.

En 1881, l’homme d’affaires Edward Watkin qui oeuvrait pour les chemins de fer britanniques creusa un tunnel

1. The bandage was wound around the wound.

2. The farm was used to produce produce.

3. The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

4. We must polish the Polish furniture.

5. Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.

6. The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

7. There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

8. They were too close to the door to close it.

9. To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

10. Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.

AUGUST 2012 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

16 ♦ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letters to

Unbearably hot airport

The Editor I

Anonymous

By Email

Dear Editor

Responses to airport parking Farmer Mike

By Email

T

here are only 2 reasons I can think of for parking by the roundabout at Limoges airport: either you have broken down, in which case you should put a warning triangle out and be wearing a fluorescent jacket, or you are trying to obtain free parking, which cheats/ deprives the airport authority

Mick

By Email

I

have never flown in or out of Limoges Airport but on several occasions have picked up and dropped off friends and relatives. My first time was some years ago when the departure/arrivals lounge was a TENT. Since then during subsequent visits I have seen the airport grow to what it is like today. I have also seen how the amount of UK registered cars parked long term grew to such a level that there were more spaces occupied than available.

Bearing in mind that the parking was free the Brits were parking there from one holiday to the next, getting off the plane into their cars which were UK plated but without tax discs (probably uninsured and without MOT), having their holiday, parking up and going home.

So after a while the airport parking became a dumping ground for UK registered cars.

Obviously the French were

of income and ultimately costs all fee paying parkers more. I applaud the authorities for issuing parking tickets and hope that more are issued and/or cars towed away.

As I understand the law in France, you have a legal right to park in designated areas.

You have no legal right to park anywhere else. Parking is illegal in designated no parking areas.

Parking may be tolerated in non designated parking areas. At last

the authorities have decided not to tolerate parking around the airport in non designated areas. Even in designated parking areas (i.e. car parks), if you are not parked between the white marking lines, you can be fined. This, I believe, applies to supermarket car parks as well as municipal car parks.

Pay the parking fees like most law abiding citizens or walk/take a taxi/get a friend to drop you off.

not impressed and cleared out the car parks and introduced barriers and parking fees.

So thanks to a few Brits everyone suffers.

I used the car park once and found it to be more hassle than it was worth - finding a way in, finding a space and finding the way out again, all for 1€ and having to pay by debit/credit card.

So I started using the rough ground by the roundabout to park when collecting or

dropping off (short stay) like other people, which did not seem to be a problem to the authorities. Obviously now if people are using it for long stay it will more than likely get blocked off and become unusable.

So thanks again to a few Brits, everyone will suffer.

Alan Whitten

By Email

J

ust a couple of comments following on from your July issue.

Re the lady who got a ticket for parking by the roundabout on the entry to Limoges airport; I wonder if the lady would try to park at the roundabouts leading to Southampton, Gatwick, or East Midlands airports? If she did, I think she might find her car had gone to the pound within 15 minutes, rather than just getting a ticket! What is wrong with the long stay car park? It

Managing Editor: Steve Martindale Editor-in-Chief: Steve Martindale Registered Address: Les Quatre Chemins

23150 St-Yrieix-les-Bois

France SIRET: 514 989 748 00017 Printed by: Rotocentre

348, rue Marcel Paul

45770 Saran

France Monthly circulation: 14,000 copies All copyright, unless stated otherwise, is reserved to The Bugle. Reproduction in whole or part of any text without permission is prohibited.

Farmer Mike

Regards,

Mick

isn’t expensive and it could not be more convenient. Regarding cars on pavements, it’s France, it’s their thing, live with it.

Still on the subject of parking, for anyone who might not be aware, the long stay car park at La Souterraine SNCF station is no longer free. Go on the web to www.resaplace.com to reserve your space (I believe you have to use the web; you cannot book at the station). Again it is not expensive; I recently left my car there, from a Thursday to the following Tuesday, for €12.00.

Directeur: Rédacteur-en-chef: Siège

SIRET: Imprimé par:

Alan Whitten Steve Martindale Steve Martindale Les Quatre Chemins 23150 St-Yrieix-les-Bois France 514 989 748 00017 Rotocentre 348, rue Marcel Paul 45770 Saran France

Tirage mensuel: 14,000 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.

departed from Limoges airport on 28th of June, with temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius. The Ryanair flight was called to board at -1.30 hours to scheduled departure, a final call at that. Several final boarding calls were made, despite the scheduled departure time being well over 60 minutes away. On proceeding through security and passport control, I found myself in a holding pen which was like a greenhouse with an intermittent spraying of water as an inadequate substitute for air conditioning.

Despite adhering to the departure calls, the flight was delayed over 30 minutes, resulting in the vast majority

of the passengers left sweating in this glass box of a departure lounge for nearly 2 hours. The ridiculous point being that this was the only departure from this exceptionally quiet airport for the next 2 hours!

Why on earth were we summoned to proceed to this holding area, which was unbearably hot, when the departing flight would not board for at least 2 hours? Also, how can Limoges airport subject its customers to such unbearable temperatures with no air conditioning? The facility is far worse than I have experienced in so-called Third-World countries.

My career involves me travelling all over the world on a regular basis and I have never experienced such an inadequate departure area as I experienced at Limoges. I am a relatively young and healthy male, however many of my fellow travellers

were elderly, several of whom required wheelchair assistance and their discomfort was plain to see.

It cannot be beyond the remit of the airport management to install air conditioning in the departure gates. I would expect a serious review of departure announcements to ensure passengers are not summoned prematurely to endure the obviously inadequate facilities in the 2 departure gates.

I enjoyed my visit to the Limoges area, however the airport experience left me totally unimpressed by the whole experience. I strongly urge an urgent review of facilities or I am convinced that visitors will avoid what could be a quite pleasant airport and travel elsewhere.

Regards,

Anon

Forum scam - warning!

Anonymous

By Email Hi,

I

have recently ALMOST been the victim of a well-organised scam and thought it might interest your readers.

I advertised on French Entree my 2 Dexter Bull Calves for sale as well as some pigs. I received enquiries from different people for both these advertisements.

A very friendly guy who introduced himself as Matthew Lennon contacted me, supposedly from Amiens.

EASY

MEDIUM

HARD

He agreed the price and said he would deposit the money via BACS. After 2 weeks I received a cheque from a Mme Ducas in the South of France for a lot more than I asked. I contacted Matthew who apologised profusely and said he had sent me the wrong cheque and please could I forward the difference to an address in Lewisham, South London. He gave me the name and address of where it was to go to. At this point I told him I wouldn't release any monies until the cheque had cleared. It turned out the cheque had been stolen!!

I then received an email from a Tomas Kovas who was interested in 5 of my Kune Kune pigs. Again he agreed the price and gave me an address in Leiden, Netherlands and a telephone number and I did get to speak to him. Duly a banker's draft arrived on a JPMorganChase name. Tomas kept contacting me and again I asked why

he had sent too much money and he asked me to send the remainder of the money to his transporter in London. I again refused and said nothing would be done until I had verified the authenticity of the banker's draft. I contacted JPMorganChase who asked me to fax a copy to Paris.

This was done by my bank - it had been forged. I bank with Crédit Agricole in St-Benoitdu-Sault and I can't speak highly enough of them and their security measures both on my and their own account.

Since this time (which was only 3 weeks ago) I have received 2 more approaches from the same kind of person.

When you are 62 and live alone this is a very worrying experience. I could have ended up with no animals and minus 5000€.

Regards,

Anon

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ AUGUST 2012

COMMUNITY ♦ 17 Creusetec

SPECIAL OFFER - "tooway" satellite broadband from €29.95 per month

Tel: Martin - 05.55.66.60.21 Web: http://www.creusetec.com Email: tooway@creusetec.com

@ La Petite Fontaine 15 Grande Rue, Le Dorat

August

Fri 3rd August - M L C band playing live Sat 11th August - Sugaree playing live Fri 24th August - the amazing Jake Morley ....................................

September

Fri 7th September - Punk at its best with C P R ....................................

Tel Lynn or Jonathan: 05 55 60 29 74 Web: www.lapetitefontaine.com

Bugle Notice Board JJ’s Café Bar Aigurande JJ’s Café Bar Saturday 25th August Aigurande

Soirée Chilli n Blues with 'Taurus Blues'

Saturday 25th AugustAigurande) (In aid of the Association Sapeurs-Pompiers,

This is going to bena Blues fab evening and 'Taurus will be supporting a Soirée Chilli with Blues' very good cause. €1 from each meal will be donated to the

(In aid of the Association Sapeurs-Pompiers, Aigurande) Association. We will also be passing round a collection box

This is going to be a fab evening and will be supporting a to relieve you of your small change!!!! very good cause. €1 from each meal will be donated to the Concert (free entry) 9pm Association. We will also be passing round a collection box Meal Starts 7.30 - 9 pm (Chilli Con Carne + Tiramisu) €12 pp to relieve you of your small change!!!!

Reservations optional but advisable Concert (free entry) 9pm Meal Starts 7.30 - 9 pm (Chilli Con Carne + Tiramisu) €12 pp Music Club Reservations optional but advisable 2nd Sat of every month.

8.30 pm.

Next event: 11th August

Atelier d'Art du Jardin is open each Saturday and Sunday 11h00 to 18h00 from 1st May until the end of September.

Artisan art for your garden.

Cream teas on the terrasse.

RDV for weekday visits SVP. 2km from Chénérailles and the Chateau Villemonteix 26, Ecurat 23150

tel: 05 55 81 31 85 email: artdejardin@gmail.com www.atelierdartdujardin.net

Nearly new clothes sale and bric-a-brac

To be held at L'Escpade, 2-4 Jules Courivaud Magnac Laval, 87190 on Saturday 29th September from 2pm until 5pm. All proceeds to be given to Cancer Support France, Charente-Plus.

Donations of good quality clothes would be welcombed, please telephone Rosemarie on:

05 55 68 45 82

Music ofClub JJ's Music club is for musicians all levels and genres entry is Sat of every pm. who loves free, there is2nd no membership andmonth. is open 8.30 to everyone event: music. You can alsoNext buy fish and 11th chips August from the van in the marJJ's Music club is 6.30 for musicians of eat all levels genres entry ket square (from - 8.30) and them and in the comfort ofis free, is nostarts membership and but is open to everyone loves JJ's.there The club from 8:30, we are open for who all those music.

Youtocan alsoearlier buy fish from vanever in the marwho want come to and eat. chips In fact we the hardly shut !!!! ket square (from 6.30 - 8.30) and eat them in the comfort of JJ's Cafe Bar, 39 Place du Champ de Foire, JJ's. The club starts from 8:30, but we are open for all those 36140 Aigurande who want to come earlier to eat.

In fact we hardly ever shut !!!!

Tel: 06du30 77 de Foire, JJ's Cafe Bar,02 39 54 Place Champ www.frenchweb.eu/jjscafebar/ 36140 Aigurande Email: Tel:cafebarjj@yahoo.co.uk 02 54 06 30 77

www.frenchweb.eu/jjscafebar/ Email: cafebarjj@yahoo.co.uk

Pont de la Pierre

15 Faubourg du Pont de la Pierre, Bellac

Live music Sundays

All free entry and starting at 4pm: 5th August - Jack Law 12th August - Ian Connor 19th August - Sophie Partridge Fish & chip evenings 24 & 25 August from 6pm.

Tel: 05 55 60 20 79 www.cafepontdelapierre.com

Godson Travaux Publics We are now local agents for Klargester BioDisc® Micro-Stations For more information call Chris Godson: 05 55 62 61 12 / 06 33 78 24 23 www.pilgrim23.com

L'Escale

Restaurant & Bar

5 Rue Andre Jouhannaud, Compreignac Daily Plat du Jour from €9 2-course Sunday Lunch from €10 Every Saturday Night is Curry Night 2 Curries of your choice & Carafe of Wine 19,50€ Fish & Chip Night every Friday To Eat In or Take-away 8,50€ See Business Directory for more information and opening hours Tel: 05 55 12 99 45 email: L_escale@yahoo.fr Or see us on Facebook for more details.

BAILEYS Bar Restaurant We currently offer a selection of authentic Indian currys along with our Fish & chips and scampi.

Tuesday 14th August

Beer festival in the parking area outside the restaurant. Beer supplied by Bieres23.

5 Rue de L'Abreuvoir 23200 Aubusson Tel: 05 55 66 37 10 or 05 55 66 22 92

RESTAURANT

AUX CEPES La Veytizou

On the main road (D979) Between Limoges & Eymoutiers

Open Mic Night - Sat 11th August

All music lovers come along and join in the fun!

Chinese Night - Sat 1st September With live music 4 course meal + 1/4 carafe of wine + Apéritif 25€ - RESERVATIONS ONLY. Other bar snacks available. Rooms available.

05 55 69 33 38

Limousin Dog Training

Now enroling for a new basic puppy training class to start mid-September.

For more details call Elaine on:

05 55 68 67 56 or 06 04 47 35 19 www.limousindogtraining.fr

Le Moulin du Breuil 23140 PIONNAT

Wednesday 15th August - 16h00 onwards Hog Roast - Family fun afternoon Live Music - Bouncy Castle

Friday 31st August 08h30 - 11h30 Breakfast Club

Last Friday of every month, come and enjoy a superb value 'Full English' Breakfast or 'lighter alternative', with tea, coffee and fruit juices Tel: 05 55 80 37 70 Mail: lemoulindubreuil@gmail.com Web: www.lemoulindubreuil.com

Pro-Point Façades At Pro-Point Façades we don't do septic tanks, we don't do electrics and we don't do plumbing!!

We do exactly what it says on the tin We specialise in Façades.

Traditional repointing using sand and lime, and repointing with high pressure injection systems using pre-bagged coloured mortars that are available in 100% lime and sand.

We specialise in coloured rendering of new and old builds applied by our high pressure rendering system.

We can render any structure - blocks, stone or even wood, so if you are building a new house or renovating an old cottage or château...

Pro-Point Façades can do it.

Online portfolio available, site visits to see our finished works, references from past clients.

Tel: 05 55 78 80 31

AUGUST 2012 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

18 ♦ COMMUNITY

CLUBS, CHARITIES & ASSOCIATIONS

Church Notices English-speaking church services Guéret Come as you are... This is an invitation to join us at our CHURCH SERVICE IN ENGLISH. Whether you have a faith or would just like to attend a church service you are welcome at 5pm on the 2nd Sunday of each month at the Eglise Evangélique, 9b Place Bonnyaud, Guéret, 23000.

We welcome all who want to join a group of English-speaking Christians for a time of worship and learning together. Children are very welcome.

For more details contact Jim & Pat Scott on 05.55.67.54.78 or email: scott. james@neuf.fr Christians together in Limousin La Souterraine Area We hold a time of fellowship and Bible study every Tuesday afternoon.

Barbara and Cedric look forward to welcoming you. Tel: 05 55 71 09 04 The International Free Church in Creuse The church presently meets at 10, La Chaudronnière, a small hamlet midway between Crozant and Eguzon. Sunday worship meetings are held on the first and third Sundays of the month at 10.30am. Fellowship meetings, for mid-week prayer, bible study and discussion are at the same venue every Thursday at 7.30pm.

For further information contact Eric Sutton tel 05 55 89 26 62

Fitness & Fun Association Equilibre, le mouvement du corps Yoga for all levels: Tue 18:30 Aubusson, Pied au plancher (Espace Philips); Wed 18:30 Vallière, salle polyvalante.

Pregnancy/Post Natal: Tue 17:00 Aubusson, Pied au Plancher (Espace Philips) For further information tel 06 83 24 62 72 or visit www.spaequilibre. yolasite.com Chinese Gym & Karate Mondays & Thursdays at the DOJO, Allée Jean-Marie Couturier, Aubusson.

Warm and friendly atmosphere. For more info tel 06 08 92 30 53 Tai Chi at Boussac and La Châtre Tai Chi classes in Boussac (Tue 18.15 - 19.45) and La Châtre (Thu 18.15 - 19.45).

The first two lessons are free, the subscriptions are 36 euros per month and members can go to both venues having paid this fee. The style is that of Yang. All ages and abilities welcome, but folk must bear in mind that they will be on their feet, doing the equivalent of what one might classify as light exercise, for about an hour and a half. For more information contact 05 55 65 08 20.

Gym Bien-être Would you enjoy an afternoon of gentle exercise with a cheerful, lighthearted group? Each week we exercise a different group of muscles, do a little country dancing & some floor exercise and laugh a lot. The aim of the activities is to increase suppleness and mental agility. We meet every Tuesday afternoon upstairs at the Capitole in Rochechouart between 2pm and 3.30pm. It isn’t necessary to speak French because you can copy but you will learn some. Come for 2 weeks’ free trial. For details contact: pauline.maskell@sfr.fr Learn to Meditate Learn to meditate and meet other like-minded people. Simple mindfulness technique. Dechen Choling, Le Mas Marvent, St-Yrieix-sous-Aixe, 87700.

Also, ongoing regular group meetings and events. Contact tel Christina 05 55 03 82 01 www.dechencholing.org Gardening Les petits jardiniers du Limousin http://jardiniers-du-limousin.webs.com Do you love gardening or are you keen to learn more about it? Then why not come along and join Les Petits Jardiniers? We’re a friendly group of English, French and Dutch residents and normally meet on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 2.30pm in the salle de fêtes in St-Amand-le-Petit, between Peyratle-Château and Eymoutiers. Our meetings are held mostly in English and we have guest speakers, organise garden visits and swap plants and seeds.

Annual membership is 15 euros pp or 20 euros per couple or pay as you go for 3 euros per meeting. For more information or to be put on our mailing list for our quarterly newsletter or monthly agenda contact Carolyn at Carolyn@ cnlees.eu or Gill at gillinfrance@orange.fr Agenda for 2012: 19th July Growing herbs for culinary/medicinal use; 16th August Annual BBQ; 20th September Plants for free – splitting perennials; 18th October AGM plus 'All about apples'; 15th November Gardeners Question Time; 6th December Natural Christmas Decorations & party Club Liseron – Gardening Club Meets on the 2nd Mon evening of the month at 19.30 at the Salle des Fêtes in Massignac. We're a mixed bunch of English & French, who are united by a passion for gardens and gardening, sharing plants, seeds and information. More info contact Michelle Pierce on 05 45 89 36 54 or at unjardinenfrance@gmail.com Aux Plantes etc We are an association of independent, ethically-minded and passionate plant producers. Our aim is to encourage consumers to know more about the

Not enough Drama in your life?

Look no further!

A small core of experienced and dedicated 'Theatre Heads' are preparing to launch a new Drama Group, “Castaways”, in the La Souterraine area, with a view to mounting plays and musicals in the near future.

If you would like to have fun developing your theatre skills, whether it be acting, singing, dancing or backstage activities as part of a group of like-minded people at our workshops, run by an experienced director and actor, please come along.

Experience is not necessary! All you need is a genuine interest in putting on shows for the public in English, with the dedication and motivation that is needed to work together as a team.

We aim to be up and running by September 2012.

To find out more and register your initial interest, please contact Castaways23@yahoo.co.uk for further details.

We look forward to seeing you!

plants they buy, how they were produced and their needs, thereby avoiding the disappointments that so often come with mass produced plants. It's not just about us selling you plants - we want them to thrive and do well for you!

Current members include plantspeople specialising in unusual shrubs & trees, butterfly plants, heritage vegetables and flowers, irises, perennials and drought-tolerant plants.

For more info contact Michelle Pierce 05 45 89 36 54 or vitist www. auxplantesetc.jimdo.com

Integration Faceaface An association founded to facilitate and encourage interaction between all members of the local community. As our first venture we have created a library.

Where? In the Mairie of St-Priest which is just off the D4 between Mainsat and Chénérailles.

When? The 1st and 3rd Mon afternoon in every month between 2 - 5pm.

To join all you have to do is donate six books and pay €5 per person or €8 per household. If you would like more information please contact us at: faceaface23@gmail.com or just come by and see us. Everyone is welcome!

Learning Together – Apprenons Ensemble Our main aim is to foster understanding and good relations amongst the local French-speaking and English-speaking populations. To this end we are offering courses of tuition in English and in French, and organising social and cultural events and visits.

LANGUAGE CLASSES (take place at the Maison des Associations, Rochechouart) Beginners and Intermediate - Mon am; French/English Conversation – Tues am; Advanced and Children’s – Wed am.

SOCIAL EVENTS (start again in Sep/Oct) Games Night (Rochechouart) 1st Thur; Games Night (St-Junien) 2nd Thur; Lunch Club – Last Thur.

For more details visit www.learningtogether.me or contact Mike or Christine ELLINGHAM 05 55 03 27 67 For your calendar: Pig Roast Picnic - September; Murder Mystery Evening - September; Telethon Race Night - November; Xmas Dinner & Dance December The Melting Pot Members of the Ambassador's Club of the Welcome en Limousin Association. We are a group of around 70 members, both French and British, who meet with the aim of sharing things and trying to integrate with the French community. We meet every week at the Ancienne Ecole in Darnac, on a Wednesday morning from 10am - 12noon, except for the first Wednesday, when we meet in the evening at 8pm. We hold information meetings, plant swaps, BBQ's, games nights, visits and have guest speakers about topics relevant to living in France. Contact: info@meltingpot-limousin.com Charente Limousine Exchange The Charente-Limousine-Exchange (CLE), founded in 2003, aims to improve the provision of French language courses and to share experiences and skills among members who live in Charente, Vienne and Haute-Vienne.

CLE provides information to members living and/or working in France and works with local communities and organisations to tackle practical issues through forums and workshops, as well as organising a wide range of cultural and social events throughout the year. The recent launch of English lessons has been well attended by Confolentais. If you would like to know more about this group of volunteers, please look on our new website www. charente-limousine-exchange.com or contact the Chairman, Barry Leech, on 06 35 96 77 46.

Libraries & Books Sale of Second-hand Books, La Croisille-sur-Briance On the 18th of every month, during the monthly market at La Croisille-surBriance (87130), there is a sale of second-hand books (both English and French) from 9am to 12 noon, at the old garage in La Place - next door to the pharmacy. All proceeds towards the restoration of the church.

St Jean English Library, La Souterraine The La Souterraine Library and Information Centre is now firmly installed in a beautiful medieval building at the Porte de Puy Charraud, Route de Portail, La Souterraine. The library has over 5,000 books, DVDs and other items, as well as its café, Caxtons, which serves English cakes. The Library also provides French lessons and organises Anglo-French conversation groups.

The Information Centre provides support and assistance with bureaucratic, family and legal problems to British residents and new arrivals. The library is open from 9.30 -12.30 on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Contact

OPEN EVENING – Theatre Chabanois

Monday 3rd September 7.30pm – Salle des Fêtes, Chabanais Theatre Chabanois was formed in 2009 by a group of enthusiasts who wanted to get back on stage.

Since then we have produced several shows. We have just staged our Summer Cabaret Show and we are rehearsing currently for our fourth Christmas show, ''Snow White'', a traditional Pantomime with all the usual characters.

Although our members are for the most part of British origin, we have enough French members and young people educated in France to give our summer shows a strongly bilingual flavour. One of our panto performances each year is put on for the local schools with a French translation provided. The local children join in wholeheartedly and boo and cheer in most of the right places.

The aim for the future is bigger and better productions and to achieve this we need more people to go on stage, or if that's not your idea of fun, to make costumes, build scenery and to carry out the 101 other tasks vital to a successful production.

Like all other societies where music is an important part of its activities, what we really need is an accompanist, who can play for us in rehearsal and for the public performances.

So if you would like to have a go, on stage or off, we would love to welcome you any Monday evening at the Salle des Fêtes Chabanais between 7pm and 9pm.

For more information call 05 45 85 71 77 or email pgorridge@orange.fr

Rodney Sabine on 05 55 63 03 87 or at stjeanbiblio@yahoo.com. Our website is www.frenchweb.eu/biblio The English Library, Dun-le-Palestel Located in the Route des Rateries, just behind the Biblithèque Municipale, you will find the Anglophone Library, which offers a wide variety of reading material, DVDs, talking books and videos. It is also a meeting point and arranges a host of activities including: Café Franglais; Club Scrabble; Café Philo; Sewing Group; Art Group. Library opening hours: Thu 10am – 4pm & Sat 10am – 12.30pm. For details of activities or general information visit www.ententecordiale-creuse.org or email library@ententecordiale-creuse. org.

Music Club de Musique Takes place on the last Fri of each month from 8pm at La Grange, Chassignolles (5mins from La Châtre). Open to all musicians, singers, groups and audience. PA and drum kit available. Bring your instrument, mic and join in a great French / English musical and social evening. Bar, hot and cold snacks. Meals available if reserved – see website for contact details of La Grange. For more info email: geoff@clubdemusique.fr http://www. clubdemusique.fr Open Mic Night/Boeuf, Le Vieux Soldat, 7 rue de La Fontaine, 87250 Fromental If you like music and have ever fancied getting up and having a go, please come and join in. This monthly evening (first Fri @ 8pm) is designed mainly for amateurs who would like to play or sing or just to meet some like-minded people with similar interests. There is no age limit. So if it be guitar, violin, spoons, triangle etc (get the gist?) or maybe you might like to read a poem, then please come and see what it's about. jacqueline.grant@sfr.fr The Harmonics This is our 6th season of singing as a group. Our music is varied classical, madrigals, spiritual, songs from the shows etc and we sing in French, English, Swahili, Latin - whatever the music demands. Our concerts are in support of a variety of charities including the British Legion, L'Oregon at Civray and Retina and thus non profit making. We meet Wed 14h – 16h in the Salle d'Annexe behind the Mairie in Civray. Interested? We'd love to see you so contact: David Lee tel 05 49 87 53 93 email dave.lee@cegetel.net or Dolly Ait Boualou email sylvia.murray@wanadoo.fr Amateur open mic night @ Vautredeix (Just outside Gouzon, next to Saint-Sylvain-sous-Toulx). Poets, musicians, whatever you may be... Everyone welcome to perform or just enjoy the company. Every Fri night 7pm onwards. Free. Bring a bottle. For more info contact stonryop269@hotmail.com Support Alcoholics Anonymous If you or someone you know has a drinking problem, there is now an English-speaking meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous at 2 Avenue Pierre Traversat, Limoges Thu 7.30pm - 9.00pm.

Alcoholics Anonymous is a Fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership and A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.

Contact tel Roger 05 55 76 22 65 or Nancy 02 54 24 09 74 or visit www. aafrancesud-ouest.com Cancer Support France, Creuse If you or anyone close to you has been diagnosed with cancer and would like help or support, we are here for you. If you need someone to talk to we have a helpline available and if we are not there we will call you back within 24 hours. Our helpline number is 06 06 47 18 60.

If you would like to get involved with the work of CSF Creuse (perhaps you have some free time and can help to organise and run fundraising events) please get in touch with Mike Walsh on 09 50 49 33 04.

Cancer Support France, Charente Plus Offers free and confidential support to English speakers affected by cancer in departments 16, 17 & 86. Our helpline number is 06 45 35 32 30.

If you need any more information, please get in touch via csf.charenteplus@ gmail.com Cancer Support France, Haute-Vienne We offer free and confidential support to English speakers affected by Cancer in the Haute-Vienne (87). Our helpline number is 06 04 43 39 87. If you would like more information or would like to become a member or help in any other way, please contact Sue Ware 05 55 00 31 15, csfhv@frangle.fr

Société Philharmonique de La Souterraine

Based in La Souterraine, the Société Philharmonique de La Souterraine is an orchestra of enthusiastic amateur musicians created back in 1886. There are many reasons for its longevity, such as the varied music it plays and the support given by the town of La Souterraine, but the main factor has been the dedication and enthusiasm of the musicians. Over the years, it has given concerts all over Limousin and further afield. It has been on regional radio and recorded several cassettes and CDs, the latest of which was background music for the Cirque Valdi at La Souterraine. For 126 years the members of the orchestra have welcomed musicians of all ages into their ranks. It is particularly good at encouraging and developing young musicians. The current membership includes a young oboist and a young violinist, both 11 years old, up to retirees in their 60s. In between, there is a mix which includes a theatre nurse and a meteorologist, all with one thing in common… their love of music and the desire to play music.

If you or one of your family are interested in playing in an orchestra and think your standard might be adequate do get in contact with us. We meet weekly on Friday evenings in La Souterraine (apart from the summer holidays) to rehearse. Most of our concerts are around Xmas or May-July.

Our members come from all over Limousin so lifts to and fro may be possible if necessary.

If you should join the orchestra you will enjoy an absolutely exceptional camaraderie that is second to none.

Contacts: French language - Marie- France Martinie 05 55 30 76 23 English language - Alan Kerr 05 55 56 34 52

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ AUGUST 2012

WHAT’S ON ♦ 19

This is accompanied with Ambiance Retro-Musette to get you in the mood for the free Disco.

From 10.30pm there will be a firework display with participation from the Cavaliers du Feu. Entry: All day 5 euros adults, 2 euros children under 12 years.

For further information please ring Annie on 05.55.63.08.48 or Clare on 05.55.63.05.36 Thu 9th to Wed 15th Aug CONFOLENS Festival de Confolens 55th edition of this annual international festival of folk music and dance, attracting over 200,000 visitors. For over 50 years, Confolens has been organising the most popular traditional arts festival in the world. During the summer, the town becomes the 'home port' for like-minded travellers. Lovers of dance, music and singing all come together making music a universal language, enriching different cultures. Reawaken your senses during this amazing week and embark on a fantastic voyage to all the different continents discovering dancing and singing, without forgetting the craftsmen and their creations. The biggest international folklore ballet and big names like Touré Kunda, Manu Dibango, Tri Yann, Johnny Clegg, Bernard Lavilliers, Les Ogres de Barback, Celtic Voyages and new group Caravan Palace will all be welcomed this year.

Visit http://www.festivaldeconfolens.com/ for the full programme.

Sat 11th Aug ROCHECHOUART Marché de nuit Night market organised by local shop owners and artisans. 18h - 1h in the centre of Rochechouart.

Tue 14th to Fri 17th Aug Tour du Limousin - 45th edition

The Tour du Limousin is one of the most important sports events in the Centre Ouest region of France… but it’s also a festive and popular event for more than 150,000 spectators.

Stage 1: 14th August Limoges (87) - La Souterraine (23) Stage2: 15th August Oradoursur-Glane (87) - Saint-Junien (87) Stage 3: 16th August Jumilhacle-Grand (24) - Trélissac (24) Stage 4: 17th August : Varetz (19) - Limoges (87) For more information visit: http://www.tourdulimousin. com/

Fri 17th Aug BOUSSAC Concert by the Soloists of the Paris Symphonic Orchestra Concert of Vivaldi, Bach, Albinoni, Pachelbel...

Eglise Sainte-Anne. 20h30. Tickets €14 (free for Under 12s). To book contact the Boussac tourist office.

Sun 19th Aug VERNEUIL Phoenix Summer Fayre The Phoenix Summer Fayre will be held at Le Soleil Couchant, 16310 Verneuil, Charente alongside a beautiful lake setting (sailing and kayaks for hire nearby).

Entry is free and this full day commences at 10am. We have planned a packed day of entertainment, food and drink for you and you won't be disappointed! · Dog Shows * (nothing serious but great fun for dog and owners) · Dog Agility exhibition by Joy . Special guest Brantome Retirement Home Police Horse · Classic Car exhibition (bring your own car – prize for the car that Linda would like to take home) . Members photography competition with the winner having their entry painted on the day . Zumba demonstrations by Gemma · Artisans (too many to mention) · Archery (come and try it out) · French traditional music and dancing with Cadanses Folk · Rock/Pop music with Oui3 . Modern music with Senior Moments · Cream teas and homemade cakes (with real clotted cream) · Good dood (extensive menu) on site all day and evening · Bar · Children’s activities (bouncy castle etc) . Grand Raffle Draw with some really great prizes

Crime Pays

Reflections from the Front Line of Criminal Justice

by Mike Welham JP, Resident in the Limousin Mike Welham is the author of Crime Pays that are the reflections of a Justice of the Peace who, having spent 16 years on the front line of criminal justice, is not slow in courting controversy. There are few books that openly challenge the criminal justice system from an insider’s perspective. Crime Pays is therefore a unique insight into a Justice of the Peace’s view on the real impact crime is having on UK society.

Mike was a magistrate for sixteen years and a chairman of the Bench for most of that time. He sat on a wide and diverse range of cases in the adult courts. Mike is resident in the Limousin.

Talk Radio Europe presenter Hannah Murray talks to Mike on a regular monthly interview about crime in the UK - www.talkradioeurope.com at 2.10 local time on 23 July, 27 Aug, 24 Sept, 22 Oct, 26 Nov.

Book signing on Saturday 11 August from 10am Signed books for sale after that date The Bonbons Cadeaux, Ave Jules Courivaud, Magnac-Laval See www.crimepaysuk.com

We really look forward to meeting you in the Phoenix Association marquee. * Vet on site all day A small number of exhibitors stands are still available – please contact Linda Hill on 05 55 78 75 22 or email fundraising.phoenix@gmail. com for details.

For more information visit www.phoenixasso.com/ Sat 25th Aug MONTBRUN TOOTS SWEET - NICELY SEASONED

Come and join us at the Montbrun Taverne for a gig destined to go down in local folklore.

Haute-Vienne residents Jeff Whittaker and Jean-Pierre Galliot, together with Toots Sweet - a band made up from the musicians who helped Peter Green, Erick Bamy and David Gilmour sound great - are playing on August 25th. The Taverne will echo to the kind of stomping soul, rock and blues that would have made former bandmates - including Syd Barrett and Jimi Hendrix - nod in appreciation. Whilst playing together last summer at the St-Mathieu Festival percussionist Jeff and guitarist Jean-Pierre realised the time was nigh for Toots Sweet to play at their local. Youthful band members topped the bill at every venue in Cambridge throughout the 60s, remained friends and have never stopped making music, either together or with world-famous bands playing major venues around the world. Between them, they’ve racked up air miles and experience with names including Pink Floyd, Stephen Stills, Kolors, Erick Bamy, Pierre Groscolas, Balavoine, Albion Country Band, Herbert Léonard and Mungo Jerry.

So on August 25th, the Montbrun Taverne is THE place to hear cracking numbers from original artists including Elvis, Howlin’ Wolf, Percy Mayfield, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Gene Vincent, Oscar Brown Junior, Peggy Lee, Jerry Lee Lewis, Marvin Gaye, Norah Jones, Pussycat Dolls … oh and The Stones! See YOU there.

Gig venue: Taverne de Montbrun, 7 Route du Château 87230 Montbrun (Commune de Dournazac) Fri 28th to Sun 30th Sep Writers Abroad Weekend of talks and workshop activities for writers Many famous writers have lived abroad at some time in their lives. Often their writing has been enriched by the experience. Is this the same for you? This writers’ weekend is for those writers working and/or living abroad. Writing may be a hobby or you may have greater ambitions. Come and spend some time with published

writers who may be able to help you unravel a plot line or sharpen up your characterisation. This weekend could inspire and motivate as well as provide interesting advice on the latest technology and aids at your fingertips. There will be opportunities for individual advice. The weekend will be held at the Chateau de Bellefond http://chateau-bellefond.com/uk which is tucked away in the middle of the Correzien countryside. It is surrounded by beautiful parkland and has its own lake. The Chateau is run by Janie Busch and Ashley Waltz who are members of our Limousin Writers’ Group.

There will be opportunities to explore the woods and surrounding countryside and to enjoy the peace and tranquillity. A marked footpath surrounds the Chateau and the local village is only a 20 minute walk away (5 minutes by car). The Chateau is also the home of The English Library of Correze - https://sites.google.com/site/ englishlibraryinthecorreze (so you will have plenty to read!) and the event will be used as a fund-raiser for the library. To reserve a place, receive a full programme and book accommodation get in touch with me:- (Sue Crampton organiser) gironagrapevine2004@yahoo.co.uk Sat 29th Sep MAGNAC-LAVAL Nearly new clothes sale and bric-a-brac Nearly new clothes sale and bric-a-brac to be held at L'Escpade, 2-4 Jules Courivaud Magnac-Laval from 2pm until 5pm. All proceeds to be given to Cancer Support France, Charente-Plus. Donations of good quality clothes would be welcomed. Please telephone Rosemarie on 05 55 68 45 82.

CALLING ALL CLASSICAL MUSIC LOVERS Creating an electronic mailing list

Classical music is something of a minority interest but that minority is a large one. Unfortunately, we music lovers are spread thinly across our sparsely populated region, and often miss out on great concerts because publicity does not cover a large enough area or because posters placed in shops and Tourist Offices are easily overlooked among the huge number of leaflets that appear every summer.

For example, the superb Lyndhurst String Quartet, very distinguished professionals from London, recently gave a magnificent concert in Lussacles-Eglises to an audience of only 80 people despite the distribution of many posters and radio publicity. Throughout our region, from Montmorillon to Limoges and beyond, fine artists too often perform to small audiences: low ticket sales make it difficult to pay the fees of high quality performers and so organisers have to seek subventions from the limited funds of the Conseil Général to cover costs.

All of us who struggle to organise, fund and publicise such events to enliven our small communities will know the frustration of being told I would certainly have been there, with several friends, if only I'd known about it.

So why not profit from modern technology by creating a PRIVATE MAILING LIST to circulate information about classical music events?

Whether you are a listener to music or a concert organiser you can benefit from free publicity at absolutely no cost and if we all spread the word to like-minded friends we can revolutionise the cultural life of our region.

This is a private initiative with no connection to any commercial organisation so there will be no spam or any irritating marketing tricks, just information. Addresses will not be passed on to any other person.

Interested? Then send an e-mail headed Musique Classique to Christopher Sears at searscpher@gmail.com to join the mailing list. Any concert information received will be sent out immediately in French and in English to all who have subscribed to the list.

AUGUST 2012 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

20 ♦ WHAT’S ON

UPCOMING EVENTS ACROSS THE REGION Mon 9th Jul to Fri 31st Aug LA SOUTERRAINE Photography Exhibition

(facing the Apollo theatre). Teams to be mixed British/French. The challengers are Le Creusois, Azerables.

There will be stalls with sandwiches & cakes, a beer tent & tombola etc.

Free entry.

For more information visit www.rando-festivalrichard.fr Wed 1st to Sun 5th Aug FELLETIN 35e Festival Danses, Musiques et Voix du Monde

Sun 29th Jul CHÉRONNAC Lascauxfest - Open Air Music Festival 'Le Son de la Source' presents an open air music festival on 29th July from midday til late! Entrance costs 10€ (accompanied under 16s free), from which proceeds will go to 'Ensemble contre Mucoviscidose en Limousin' and 'Clowns Sans Frontières'. There will be food and a bar available.

More information at www.lascauxfest.webs.com Exhibition of the work of Florence Meunier at café << Caxtons >> at the English Library & Information Centre, Porte du Puy Charraud, La Souterraine. August opening - Thur & Sat 9h3012h30.

Sun 15th Jul to Fri 31st Aug LUPERSAT Exhibition: Le Nouveau Romantisme Painting exhibition of the work of Gabriel Du Rivau.

Haut Vent Galerie, Le Croizet Linard, 23190 Lupersat.

Sat & Sun from 14h to 19h or by appointment on 06 75 03 48 90.

For more information visit www.gabrieldurivau.com Sat 28th Jul DUN-LE-PALESTEL Annual Fete & Cricket Match Organised by the Entente Cordiale to raise funds for The English Library. The cricket match will take place at the stade de foot in Dun-le-Palestel

Tue 31st Jul to Thu 2nd Aug Concerts - Voix d'été Concerts by world-famous a cappella and dance group from Zimbabwe, BLACK UMFOLOSI. 31st July - Eglise de Soumans. 21h.

2nd August - Eglise de Bourganeuf. 21h.

Tickets (€14) available from the Boussac & Bourganeuf tourist offices.

Thu 2nd to Sun 5th Aug Richard the Lionheart Festival Follow the footsteps of this famous king as the festival procession recreates the "Richard Coeur de Lion" tourist route. The procession can be followed on foot, bike or horseback and participants dress up in medieval costumes. This year there will be three simultaneous departures, from the Château de Pompadour (Corrèze), the Château de La Rochefoucauld (Charente) and Saint-Etienne cathedral in Limoges (Haute-Vienne). All three groups will converge at the same time upon Châlus where the son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine was mortally wounded in 1199.

Quality handmade furniture, joinery and woodwork

Period style to contemporary chic.

Furniture restoration and repair.

Bespoke joinery made and fitted.

General woodwork, doors, windows, gates, shutters etc.

Have that hard-to-find item individually hand made to your own specifications.

Find us on Facebook - search for “Ebenisterie Hemming” Covering central France - call for more information 02 48 63 15 09 Nicholas Hemming 18170,Montgenoux 06 83 56 46 41 Maisonnais n.hemming@orange.fr France SIRET: 533 607 115 00011

This year's music and folkdance festival welcomes performers from around the globe: Serbia, Trinidad and Tobago, Indonesia, China, Tahiti, Paraguay, Goergia and ... Limousin.

For more information & to view the festival programme visit: www.portesdumonde.net Fri 3rd to Sun 5th Aug LA SOUTERRAINE Fresque historique de Bridiers Annual medieval weekend in La Souterraine. The Fresque historique brings together over 400 actors in stories from bygone days with light shows beamed onto the walls of the Bridiers Tower. You can choose to sample the medieval fayre or just come and watch. Not to be missed!

Price: Adults €15, Under 12s €8. Repas du terroir from 19h by reservation €13.

For more information visit http://www.bridiers.fr/ Tickets - contact the La Souterraine tourist office, Centres commerciaux Leclerc or visit http://www.

ticketnet.fr/ Fri 3rd to Fri 31st Aug LE TRIMOULET Visit of Blueberry Farm Every Friday at 10h30 at the Exploitation des myrtilles du Trimoulet, 23600 Le Trimoulet.

Free tours (in English and French) of the orchard, packhouse & distillery. Tasting and direct sale of blueberry products. Lasts 1 1/2 hours.

For more information visit www.myrtille.fr Sun 5th to Sun 19th Aug TOULX-STE-CROIX Summer time lunches La Ferme du Rocher, a small farm in the beautiful village of Toulx-Sainte-Croix, invites you to a series of "summer time" musical lunches: delicious home farm spit roast pork & concerts featuring Frogs & Roastbeef (rock 'n' roll blues), Morvan (folk) and Steve & Greta (guitar duo playing country blues and rock & pop) on Sun 5th, 12th & 19th August respectively.

Price: 18 euros. Reservations: 05 55 65 87 72 Sun 5th Aug SAINT-SÉBASTIEN Fête du Cheval Come along to our 12th Fête du Cheval of stunt riders, "Les Cavaliers du Feu", country dancing, children's and adult games and this year try out the Pig Rodeo!!

Beer tent and refreshments served all day.

We start off at 11am with a riding display, country dancing and games.

The midday meal - entree, entrecote frites, cheese and dessert - is available for 15 euros per adult, 5 euros for children up to 12 years.

Spectacle of the stunt and riding diplays, country dancing, games throughout the afternoon, followed by an evening meal of terrine, ham omelette with salad & fruit - all for 10 euros.

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