The Bugle Limousin - Dec 2014 by The Bugle

Napoleon's iconic hat sells for €1.9 million The hat, worn by the famous French leader, was one of 1,000 Napoleonic items owned by the royal family of Monaco to go under the hammer. >> Page 8

Limousin December 2014 - Issue #62

France to investigate "pink tax" on women

NEWS - Guéret doctor sentenced to 2 years

The government has said it will investigate claims by a women's rights group that companies routinely charge more for products and services aimed at women, with the most glaring example being razors at one supermarket which cost twice as much in pink.

NEWS - 10 reasons to be proud of France

€1.80 (see photo on page 9). Campaigners called on Monoprix - whose name translates as “one price” and other shops to stop sexist pricing policies, accusing it of imposing a “woman tax”. “At Monoprix there’s no single price! In fact, for similar products, women are paying more than men,” the campaigners wrote. “The company takes advantage of the fact that women’s and men’s hygiene products are in different sections in order to apply different prices on products that are mostly similar, if not identical.” The campaign has the support of Pascale Boistard, the secretary of state for women’s rights, who tweeted: “Is pink a luxury colour?” The Georgette Sand group said that price inequalities

>> continued on page 9

The doctor implicated in the death of a young woman from Aubusson has been given a 2-year suspended sentence. >> Page 3

In response to growing international criticism, the government has released a list of ten reasons to be proud of France. >> Page 12

FRENCH LIFE Chimney Sweeping

When should you get your chimney swept, can you do it yourself and what are the legalities? We answer these questions and more >> Page 14

he French government has agreed to investigate claims that retailers are charging female shoppers more than male consumers for apparently identical products - a so-called “pink tax”. After a petition launched by a women's rights group gathered 30,000 signatures, the finance ministry has ordered an inquiry. The Georgette Sand feminist group - whose name is an ironic take on the famous French female author who wrote under the name George Sand - is citing the example of razors being sold at Monoprix: a pack of 10 blue disposable razors, aimed at men, was being retailed for €1.72, whereas just 5 apparently identical razors in pink were being sold for

INSIDE > > >

The Bugle Business Directory

Elephants could soon be found roaming across the hills of the Haute-Vienne >> Page 7

We all have bad habits. Develop a healthy one that actually saves you money!

8 pages of listings for local English-speaking businesses - your essential guide to finding just what you’re looking for. >> Pages 18-25

Don’t let the banks cash in!

Save time and money by sending your international money transfers Consistent bank beating exchange rates online or over the phone. Move money, pay people and settle bills within seconds. Make and track payments 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Norton security used by 97 of the world’s top 100 banks. HiFX Europe Limited is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Payment Services Regulations 2009, registration 462444, for the provision of payment services.

www.hifx.co.uk

2 ♦ IN THIS EDITION

Welcome to

The Bugle W

ell, like it or not, Christmas is fast approaching. This will be a very special Christmas at Bugle Towers as by the time you are reading this, there is a very good chance that my family will have grown by one. It has been a frantic few weeks as B-Day approached, but the littl'un has very kindly stayed put while I put this paper together and you can almost certainly look forward to me complaining about a lack of sleep in next month's paper! I don't have an advent calendar yet this year; in fact, now I think about it, I haven't been given one for several years now... maybe I should take the hint and buy one for myself. I remember when I was a kid that calendars were the most exciting things ever, promising as they did untold riches once the 24 windows had been opened. Then, just when you thought that excitement levels couldn't get any higher in December, some bright spark thought of putting a chocolate behind each window!! The 10-year-old me

could hardly believe his luck. But looking through the shops this year, it is almost impossible to find a calendar with “just” a picture behind each cardboard flap. Chocolate is now the minimum requirement, and many calendars now seem to have a toy for each of the 24 days. I even saw a feature on a daytime TV show (my wife had it on and I was just passing through the room, honest!) in which they were reviewing popular calendars. One example, presumably aimed at men, featured a bottle of real ale for each day leading up to Christmas and cost well over 100 pounds! I may be coming across as slightly indignant at this break from “tradition”, but please feel free to buy me one of these!! With my email address well and truly in the public domain, all sorts of random things turn up in my inbox. This month was no exception and included one email from a sender who is going to create an elephant retirement home locally! I've heard some crazy business ideas - mostly my own, now

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2014 I think about it - but this one particularly caught my eye. My two current ideas, guaranteed to make me my first million, are scented fire logs and investing in a metal detector. I was stood by my back door recently, enjoying the smell of my first log fire of the year, when it occurred to me that you could “add” some scent to the logs (apple, or a hint of vanilla maybe?) to give a little treat to your neighbours. Hmmm, maybe not, but a metal detector must be a winner. I've not heard too much about this particular pastime in France, and given that France is 5 times as big as the UK where valuable items are found relatively frequently, there must be loads of buried Roman treasure here in France just waiting to be discovered!! I digress, back to elephants. It turns out that his project is deadly serious and being very professionally undertaken by a couple of former zoo workers with a wealth of experience and plenty of other experts already on board (see page 7). Can you imagine a herd of elephants grazing on the rolling hills south of Limoges! I very much hope that they secure the backing to get this project off the ground it can only be a good thing for the region. While writing that I have had another idea to make a million - borrow money from a millionaire! I am convinced that most people could turn one million into two fairly easily. High-end property, artwork, gems and antiques have only

been increasing in value, even in a recession. People may laugh at someone paying €1.9m for one of Napoleon's hats (see page 8), but you can bet your bottom dollar that it will only go up in value as the years go by. So if there is anyone out there with lots of millions, perhaps you could lend me one - I will give it back in 5 years' time, I promise! Hmm, I may have seen the flaw in this scheme. I don't think there will be many multi-millionaires out there and if there are any, I doubt they got that rich by lending out money to deranged expats! Still, if all goes well, I will soon have another pair of hands to help me scour the Limousin countryside with the metal detector that is definitely going on my Christmas list now that logs and lending are off the table! Wishing all our readers a very Merry Christmas!! Until next month! Steve Martindale, Editor

INSIDE this edition 3-7 Local News 8-12 National News 13 French Life 14-15 Practical 16-17 Classifieds 18-25 Directory 26 Language & Games 27-29 Community 30-32 What’s On

CONTACT us Tel: 05.55.41.17.76 General: editor@thebugle.eu Advertising (EN): sales@thebugle.eu Publicité (FR): publicite@thebugle.eu Subscriptions: subscriptions@thebugle.eu Editor: Steve Martindale Write to: The Bugle Les Quatre Chemins 23150 St-Yrieix-les-Bois France

LOCAL NEWS ♦ 3

DECEMBER 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Godson Travaux Publics

All aspects of Fosse Septique Installations incl. Micro-Stations* from concept, planning permission and installation to final inspection 30 years’ experience Civil/Structural Engineer - Assainissement / Mains Drainage Connection / Demolition / Trouble shooting / Foundations / Concrete Work / Groundworks

Chris Godson BSc CEng M.I.C.E web: www.fossepro.com 05 55 62 61 12 / 06 33 78 24 23 email: fossepro@orange.fr

* Agent for Klargester Biodisc®and Aquatiris Reed Bed Micro Stations

Former Oradour mayor honoured The former mayor of Oradour-sur-Glane, Raymond Frugier, has been awarded the German Order of Merit at a recent ceremony in Limoges. The honour was presented by Germany's Bordeaux Consul, Hans-Werner Bussmann and Gerda Hasselfeldt, German MP for the Dachau region, in recognition of the mayor's work campaigning for peace and reconciliation between Germany and France. In 2013, Raymond Frugier saw his dearest wish come true when, for the first time, the presidents of France and Germany, François Hollande and Joachim Gauck, jointly visited the ruins of Oradoursur-Glane, the site where 642 inhabitants were massacred on 10th June 1944 by a Nazi SS division. ■

Bénévent-l’Abbaye 23210 siret no. 47930451100021

Guéret doctor sentenced over death

he Guéret doctor at the centre of the 2010 death of a 23-year-old student from Aubusson has been handed a 2-year suspended prison sentence. It brings to an end a tragic court case that has been ongoing for several years. Four years ago, the female pharmacy student was diagnosed as having a possible pulmonary embolism and transferred to the emergency department of Guéret hospital. The doctor who treated the student wrote a covering letter which was sent to Guéret with the patient, explaining his suspicions. The patient was admitted by doctor Thierry Dumas, the head of Guéret's Urgences (accident and emergency department), who ordered tests to confirm the diagnosis. Several hours later, but before the results had been received, the patient appeared to be recovering and was sent home. Back in Aubusson, her symptoms returned, at which point her father called the emergency services. When they did not arrive, he took his daughter to the local hospital in his own car, transferring her to an ambulance that they finally met half way.

She died later that night of a pulmonary embolism and several days later, consumed by grief, her father took his own life. When her test results were finally checked at Guéret hospital, they showed that markers for a pulmonary embolism were 8 times higher than normal. Despite initially not facing legal action, experts later concluded that the woman “should never have been allowed to leave. She could have been saved with an anti-coagulant the doctor of the Samu should have been more efficient.” Legal proceedings for “involuntary manslaughter” were subsequently taken against the doctor, who claimed at his trial that he did not remember if he had read the letter diagnosing a pulmonary embolism and admitted that he had not waited for the test results before discharging the patient. He also said in his defence that the service was unusually busy on that day and that there had only been two doctors on duty instead of the usual three, a statement that the victim's family described as “shocking”, adding, “He has no excuse - he destroyed our family”. ■

S&P rates Limousin as "AA" Ratings agency Standard & Poor's has confirmed the long-term rating of “AA” for the Limousin region. The agency says that this reflects the very predictable and balanced institutional framework of the region. The report states that the socio-economic indicators are favorable and that “Limousin will be able to partially offset the reduction in financial support from the State, with strong governance and financial management”. The agency also believes that the Limousin has quality budgetary management, a realistic financial strategy and prudent debt and cash management policies. However, the forecast for the future remains negative. “If the long-term rating of France were to be lowered, then it stands to reason that the same should be the case for the Limousin,” said the agency, which believes that local government can not be rated higher than that of the State. ■

Ameublement Décoration Antiquités Mode Cadeaux Accessoires Trouvez des trésors uniques et irrésistibles

A vast range of designer home decor to suit all styles: Classic – Country – Contemporary New stock arriving continuously brands including: Miss Selfridge, New Look, Next, Monsoon, M&S and John Lewis sofas... and many more! 3 Ave. Gay Lussac 87200 St Junien T: +33 (0)5 55 79 57 60 www.moulin-de-tintin.com Open non-stop: Wednesday – Saturday 10h00 - 19h00 Sunday 12h00 - 18h00 (Closed Monday & Tuesday)

Houses on Internet is a marketing service that allows private owners of French property to sell their house without using an estate agent. A method that has proven to be very successful. How does it work? 1. We make a website for your property in English, French and Dutch. The main website is available in Russian too. 2. We connect that website to our main site which gets over 130,000 visitors from 40+ countries per month. 3. We advertise your property on several international French-property websites. This way we reach 1.5 million people a month worldwide. What does it cost? We ask a contribution to the advertising cost up front and after the sale a fee of 2.5%, which is included in the selling price. Houses on Internet operates throughout France with a staff of 7 professionals and 89 local photographers who visit our clients to take photos and gather all information. For more information, call us at 05 55 65 12 19, or visit our website.

WWW.HOUSESONINTERNET.COM Plus Vite!

Moins Cher!

4 ♦ LOCAL NEWS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2014

Les Jardins d’Olivier 100% French eco-friendly pools Unique • Ecologique • Economique The pleasure of water, the warmth of wood

Made from 100% renewable materials, these unique pools do not use foundations, concrete or any harmful chemicals (chlorine, bromine, acid, salt, etc.) Relax in natural, soft water in direct contact with the wooden structure. Fully modular, choose from a range of pools or create your own design. Get in touch today for a FREE QUOTE.

ZA de Sirvenon, 87190 Magnac-Laval Tel: 05 55 68 67 21 (French) Tel: 05 87 77 95 57 (English) www.les-jardins-d-olivier.com

Zone Artisanale de Sirvenon 87190 MAGNAC-LAVAL

Abris Bois LV Your timber building specialist We build bespoke, very affordable wooden houses, log cabins & outbuildings. Full service: design, planning, foundations, construction, roofing, electrics, plumbing, heating, etc. 10-year décennale insurance.

00 € 43,9 cl. tax in

Fully insulated BUNGALOW 55m² built according to RT2012 regulation

Call

05 87 77 95 57

for free advice and quotes

Eng Spoklish en

Bespoke outbuildings (carport, pergola, gazebo) built to your specifications from pressure treated wood For example: 4.5m x 3.9m (see right) from just 2,375 € incl. tax

Show site: Zone Artisanale Sirvenon - 87190 Magnac-Laval, Haute-Vienne

www.abrisboislv.fr

LOCAL NEWS ♦ 5

DECEMBER 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Renovations New Builds Roofing

Trust in us for the realisation of your dream home

paul.rands@orange.fr | 05.55.66.44.06 | Visit our website for more information: www.lanoneix.com

Aquatic centre to open Campaign continues for RN21 dual carriageway

screenshot - www.ville-limoges.fr

C he new aquatic centre in Limoges will be opening its doors in January, less than 3 years after the first stone was laid in March 2012. The centre aquatique de Limoges Métropole features an Olympic-sized swimming pool, as well as smaller pools, saunas, hammams, jacuzzis, massage rooms and even a gym. The new centre will officially open on the 16th January, and will soon be put through its paces when it hosts the French national swimming championships in March. The main pool area can seat 800 spectators, with a further 3,500 seats available via temporary removable stands. The €50 million project is one of the biggest undertaken by the city in recent years, but aims to be accessible and affordable for locals. “The price of entry will be around five euros,” explained Gérard Vandenbroucke, the newly elected president of the conseil régional du Limousin. “Discounts will be available for groups and young people.” Will the ambitious project prove to be a worthwhile investment, however? “Yes in terms of fulfilment, but perhaps not from a shopkeeper's point of view. We are in the realms of investment in the future,” explained the region's top administrator. “This is an iconic building, like the Zenith from several years ago. Our youth needed a top-class swimming pool.” ■

ampaign groups are once again applying pressure on authorities to proceed with a €2.4 billion project to widen the RN21 to a dual carriageway from Limoges in the Limousin to Tarbes in the Hautes-Pyrénées - a distance of 385km. The journey today takes a staggering 6 hours 15 minutes at an average speed of just 60km per hour, with countless towns on the route having to endure the seemingly endless stream of HGVs swarming through each day. Were the road to be widened, it is estimated that the journey time would be reduced to just 3 hours 45 minutes, and Périgueux would be only 1 hour from Limoges by road. Partnerships with private firms - and therefore the creation of a toll road - would appear to be the current preferred option for Jean-Claude Pouxviel, president of “Euro 21”, the association created with the sole objective of bringing about the widening of the RN21: “Tendering the project is the simplest solution, because it is the fastest to implement. If the State gets involved we will be here for 50 years. If it is in the hands of the banks and private firms, things will move much faster.” As if by way of proof, the group points to letters signed by the bosses of Colas and Eiffage, two of France's largest infrastructure

construction firms, who have both indicated their willingness to take part in the project. “Administrators can sometimes be a bit precious with their projects, but road users do not understand why we are quibbling about how this project comes about,” said Mr Pouxviel. The lack of road infrastructure is also hitting the local economies along the length of the route, according to supporters of the project. “I can cite dozens of examples of businesses that have either left the region or not established themselves here,” explained François Gaumet, head of economic development for the CCI of the Dordogne, and part of the Euro 21 lobbying group. There does appear to be considerable political support for the project as well, despite a 2013 report by MP Philippe Duron dampening any immediate prospects; the new mayors of Limoges and Périgueux have both made public their support. The Route Nationale 21 runs from Limoges to Périgueux via Châlus, before passing through Bergerac (Dordogne), Agen (Gers) and Tarbes (Hautes-Pyrénées). Any eventual route could then easily be extended along existing roads into northern Spain. ■

Terror of Limoges is back

or years, residents of the region's capital lived in fear of the “Terror of Limoges”, an adolescent behind a spate of crimes in the city. The pattern was always the same: a violent act was committed, the boy was apprehended, taken back to his legal guardians and released. He would then go on to commit another crime, sometimes the very same night. In one 8-day period, he was known to have committed a theft from a parked vehicle, a mugging and threatened someone with a Stanley knife. Early in his “career” he had at least 17 thefts and one suspected rape to his name... and these were just the crimes the authorities were aware of! The problem for the police was that the boy started his campaign of terror when he was just 12 - under French law, the police cannot detain a child under the age of 13. He was eventually taken off the streets last year, not long after celebrating his thirteenth birthday. He was finally brought before a judge, for the first time ever due to his age, who charged him with aggravated theft and placed him in a secure educational unit in the Puy-de-Dôme. Many breathed a sigh of relief, believing his reign of terror to be over. Unfortunately, those same people are once again holding their breath following the news that his 12-year-old younger brother has now been caught smashing his way through the front window of a pawn brokers with a telescopic baton. “We cannot legally place him under garde à vue [police custody] as he is not yet 13,” said one weary police officer in January 2013, speaking about the boy's older brother. The youngster, who looks to be following his infamous brother into a life of crime, is due to appear before a youth magistrate in December. ■ 32,000ft² of great products incl. Toiletries, DIY, Housewares, Furniture plus loads more at great prices & we are even open on SUNDAYS!!

-X W 'LVMWXQEW EX 8LI 7LIH

'EVHW, CVEGOIVW QMRGI TMIW KMJX[VET HIGW PSEHW SJ XS]W IXG MR WXSGO

+VIEX WIPIGXMSR SJ [MRIW HMVIGX JVSQ XLI GLmXIEY\ TPYW E RMGI WIPIGXMSR SJ FIIVW PEKIVW

30% off ALL Xmas decorations* as indicated in store.

*crackers, cards and some other items are excluded from this offer

50 pallets of assorted TESCO (non-food) stock hitting the shelves in time for Xmas including toys, gifts, etc. etc.

Luxury mince pies only 1.49€ per 6-pack. Also Luxury Mincemeat for the DIY mince pie brigade.

40kg sacks of building sand and gravel - IN STOCK all year round!! Cement, Thistle multi-finish plaster, Tile adhesive, PVA, Scrim, Tools, Aluminium hawks

Route de l’Isle Jourdain Opposite the Gendarmerie Just off the RN147

87320 Bussière-Poitevine

Tel: 05 55 68 74 73

Open Tue - Sat: 09h00 - 12h00 & 14h00 - 18h00 (closed Mon) Sun: 09h30 - 12h00 & 14h30 - 18h00 GPS: Long: 0° 53’ 33’’ 40 E Lat: 46° 13’ 45’’ 10 N

6 ♦ LOCAL NEWS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2014

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

Living life in France with the French Le Pub’s famous

Rump Steak

Every Wednesday evening

Christmas & New Year @ Le Pub We are filling up fast for Christmas Day, so BOOK NOW to avoid disappointment

!! €30 all inclusive !! 250g - €12.95 400g - €14.95 600g - €18.95

Mini Fish & Chips

only €6.95!

Le Pub now stocks Wells Brewery English beers: Bombardier, Banana Bread Beer & Chocolate Stout!

Yes, for just €30, you get an apero, wine, 4 courses and a digestif!!! And not only that, but this year we will also be adding fun games in the afternoon to make your Christmas Day the best ever!!

New Year’s Eve Buffet - €15 pp Finger buffet all night long for just €15 as well as a DJ and Disco and all with normal prices at the bar!!

Open: Wed 7pm-midnight, Thu 6pm-midnight, Fri 12-2pm & 6pm-2am, Sat 6pm-2am, Sun 12pm-11pm 58, rue d’Orjon, Argenton-sur-Creuse - www.danielallen.fr

02 54 60 02 14

L’Eté Indien - The Indian Summer FIND US ABOVE LE PUB Open every Friday, Saturday & Sunday evening: 02 54 60 02 14

Takeaway now available telephone to order! Main Course with rice €10.95 Two Courses €15.95 Three Courses €19.95

Papads, pickles, naans and chapatis also available

ALL of our dishes are freshly prepared in house!!

DECEMBER 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

H 20 Creuse HEATING Gas and

& PLUMBING ENGINEER oil fired boiler specialist

LOCAL NEWS ♦ 7 Qualigaz certiﬁcates arranged Winterising of heating & plumbing systems Kitchens & bathrooms ﬁtted and tiled Advice given Jason Green: 05.55.63.89.23 Email: h2ocreuse@orange.fr Siret no: 487 425 639 00027

TVA No: FR86487425639

alking around the Limousin countryside, there is always plenty of wildlife to see: cows, sheep, buzzards, deer and even wild boar are never too far away. If you live in the south of the Haute-Vienne, however, you will soon be able to add another animal to the list of local wildlife... elephants!! Although this may sound rather far-fetched, a project is under way to build Europe's first sanctuary for old and retired elephants on the rolling countryside outside Oradour-sur-Vayres in the south-west of Haute-Vienne. Under the name “Elephant Haven”, the sanctuary is the brainchild of Flemish couple Tony Verhulst and Sofie Goetghebeur, who each have 20 years' experience working with animals at Antwerp Zoo - before embarking on this adventure, Tony had been a full-time carer for the zoo's elephants since 2001.

“A big factor in deciding to launch this project is the gradual phasing out of live animals from circuses across Europe. Belgium, Austria, Denmark, Croatia and Bulgaria are already in the process of banning animals from the circus and many other European countries are looking to follow suit,” Tony told The Bugle. “Animals which have been part of a circus, such as elephants and lions, cannot usually be returned to the wild and we want to provide somewhere they can live out their days in peace as the alternative is often euthanasia.” Having decided to establish a sanctuary for these ageing pachyderms, the couple began searching for locations, but their native Belgium did not provide a suitable environment. “Land is more scarce in Belgium, and elephants need a lot of land,” explained Tony. “We soon began searching further afield and the Limousin had everything we needed: rolling hills in a national park, with plenty of water

The Bugle got in touch with Tony to find out more about the unusual and ambitious project. Firstly, why an elephant sanctuary and why choose the Limousin?

and readily available supplies of hay.” There is already a good deal of interest and support on a local level. “In smaller communes

Europe's first elephant sanctuary to open near Oradour-sur-Vayres

such as ours, we should certainly be encouraging this type of project,” said the mayor of Oradoursur-Vayres, Guy Ratinaud. “If this project takes off, we will see real returns for the local economy. Elephants have a very positive image and tourists being able to come here and see these animals will be a boost for us, the Périgord-Limousin Regional Natural Park, the department and the region.” Whilst the Elephant Haven will be open to the public, its founders are keen to stress that they are not creating a zoo. There will be not be any other animals at the sanctuary, there will not be any breeding programmes and the public

will remain separated from the elephants at all times. According to Tony, they will be looking to provide educational opportunities, encouraging school trips and running workshops. The land for the project has already been found and the couple have moved permanently to the region, but their project is still in its early stages. The plan is that the 25 hectares found for the Elephant Haven will allow a maximum capacity of around 10 elephants, with the first arriving as early as 2016, although there is a lot of work to be done. Thanks to their decades of experience, the team know what the elephants need and how to build

it, but finding the money to do so is now crucial. It can cost as much as €100,000 per year to house each elephant and the estimated total investment required in the long term will be around €5 million. Exactly how this money will be raised and how much will be invested by regional authorities is not yet known, but public donations will play a crucial role. To find out more about Tony and Sofie, their project and how to get involved or to make a donation, please visit their website www.elephanthaven.org Alternatively you can meet them on 7th December at the Christmas Market in Saint-Laurent-sur-Gorre. ■

8 ♦ NATIONAL NEWS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2014

hat worn by Napoleon Bonaparte has sold for €1.9 million at a recent auction in Fontainebleau on the outskirts of Paris - nearly 5 times the guide price for the item. The iconic, two-pointed, bicorne hat was one of 120 estimated to have been worn by the French leader throughout his life, although only 19 are known to still exist today and most of those are in museums around the world. Other items that were sold at the two-day auction at Fontainebleau included a pair of Napoleon's stockings, a scarf, a shirt, a lock of his hair and even a leather razor strop. The 1,000 items that made up the sale were originally collected by Prince Louis II of Monaco (1870-1949) and they had remained in the royal family's possession, housed in the principality's Napoleon Museum in Monte Carlo. The family said that they were selling the items to make room for a new museum dedicated to Prin-

cess Grace of Monaco, the former Hollywood actress Grace Kelly. The hat, the star of the auction, was initially acquired by Joseph Giraud, a vet in Napoleon's household, and remained in his family until 1926 when it was sold to Prince Louis' collection. “It's a very wellknown collection, the provenance of the pieces is incontestable,” Thierry Lentz, director of the Napoleon Foundation, told AFP news agency. Interest was high and many of the items that went under the hammer sold for up to ten times their guide price. The South Korean chicken magnate that eventually won the bidding war for the iconic hat said he would have gone higher to secure this “priceless” piece of history. “I can understand and relate to many passages of his life,” Kim Hong-Kuk, the 57-year-old founder and chairman of the poultry giant Harim Group, told AFP. “I've always thought there were certain similari-

RESTAURANT

ties between him and me in terms of thinking and decision-making, though I'm nowhere near being as great as Napoleon. Napoleon struggled a lot when he was young and trying to be successful but never gave up. For years I've admired his challenging spirit that nothing is impossible. Napoleon had this sense of optimism even in the most trying circumstances and was also a very meticulous leader, something all entrepreneurs including myself should learn from.” Napoleon was something of a sartorial pioneer, wearing the bicorne hat parallel to his shoulders and contrary to the fashions of the day. This was apparently so that he could be easily identified on the battlefield. The “little emperor's” red leather wallet, estimated at €3,500, fetched €22,000, a gilt metal watch key estimated at €600 fetched €6,500 and even the leather razor strop from his toilet bag fetched an impressive €9,500. ■

here was shock and mild panic in November when sightings began to emerge of a “large cat” prowling around a built-up area not far from Paris. The alarm was first raised when a local resident in the small town of Montévrain, around 40 kilometres east of the capital, spotted the animal in a supermarket car park. Photos were soon circulating of the “orange and black striped cat” and local residents were warned to stay indoors. Experts from a nearby wildlife park were sent to the scene and identified the animal on the loose as an “adolescent” tiger from paw prints although no one seemed to be missing one of the deadly predators. More than 200 firefighters and police officers were deployed in the search, as well as a thermal imaging camera and a dog trained in tracking bears and large game. Local schoolchildren even got a police escort home as the hunt for the tiger continued. As more and more sightings emerged, panic levels amongst local residents rose. “It's becoming hysteria. That was to be expected,” said a police source. Speaking to Le Parisien, Frédé-

LA VEYTIZOU (87130) Open every lunchtime Mon to Sat evenings COME AND SEE OUR NEW LOOK RESTAURANT

+++++++++++ SAT 13TH DEC - OPEN MIC NIGHT +++++++++++ SUN 14TH DEC - CRAFT FAIR 10h-16h - PHONE TO BOOK A TABLE +++++++++++ THU 18TH DEC QUIZ & CURRY NIGHT +++++++++++ PHONE NOW TO BOOK FOR NEW YEARS EVE. LARGE BUFFET (HOME MADE OF COURSE) Music from john & shirley martin

Tel: 05 55 69 33 38 Email: susan_dorrington@yahoo.co.uk

ric Edelstein, an animal tamer from the Pinder Circus, said that the best thing to do if coming face to face with the animal would be to shout at it! At one point, security staff at Disneyland Paris, which is located just 2km from the initial sighting, were on the lookout in case the mysterious animal got into the park. A Disneyland Paris spokeswoman said at the time: “There is no reason to worry; we’re aware of it and we’ve done all that’s necessary for the safety of our customers - we’ve already got security staff, who are watching out, and the prefecture is doing all that’s needed too. I really don’t think it will come as far as us.” Addressing concerns that visitors to France's most popular tourist attraction may have confused the escaped tiger for one of their own costumed characters, Tigger, the spokes-

woman added: “Tigger is bright orange; his colour is completely different, I don’t think they can confuse the two”. After a frantic 24 hours and almost constant speculation on rolling news channels, the threat level was eventually downgraded, as what was initially thought to have been a 70kg animal was subsequently believed to be “between a domestic cat and a bigger feline,” according to Eric Hansen from the national hunting office. The local director of public safety, Chantal Baccanini, said there was “no danger for the general population” and the Seine-et-Marne administration concluded that the “presence of an animal of the tiger species is now excluded”, although at the time of going to print, the animal was yet to been found or positively identified. ■

CENDRILLON IMMOBILIER Bilingual French Estate Agency in Creuse

We have over 200 properties ranging from 12,000 EUR for a renovation project, up to 903,000 EUR for a ʻDomaineʼ.

AUX CEPES

Napoleon's hat sells Tiger spotted near Paris for €1.9 million

Ref 1923 – €25,500. Large town house in need of renovation, on three floors with a garden at the back in the heart of Bourganeuf. Ground floor: entrance hall, kitchen, utility room, lounge, large bathroom/wc. 1st floor: five rooms (one with a sink). 2nd floor : four rooms. Attic & cellar, connected to mains drainage. Exempt from DPE. Ref 1917 – €33,500. Huge building in good structural condition situated in a village an hour away from Limoges airport. It was once an old school and an old hairdressers shop on two floors. It has a habitable surface of about 175m², exclusive of the basement and garage. Possibility to buy a garden of 320m² not far away. Exempt from DPE. Ref 1928 – €71,500. Two bedroom cottage in good condition ten minutes from the market town of Bourganeuf. Ground floor: kitchen/dining room, lounge, utility room, bathroom/wc. 1st floor: two bedrooms. Cellar and workshop. Needs work on septic tank. Pretty terraced garden of 517m² with a garage. DPE vierge. Ref 1922 – €88,000. Three bedroom house in good condition close to Aubusson. Ground floor: hall, kitchen/dining room, lounge, cloakroom. 1st floor: three double bedrooms, bathroom. Connected to mains drainage & gas fired central heating. Lovely garden of 532m². Garage. DPE E 255 & E 5. Ref 1914 – €141,700. Farmhouse with many outbuildings & 17,150m² of land in private hamlet location. Ground floor: kitchen, living room, hallway, storage room, toilet/shower. 1st floor: four large bedrooms, shower room, dressing room. Oil fired central heating as well as a wood burner. Fenced vegetable garden and large field. DPE vierge.

23 rue Zizim, 23400 BOURGANEUF Email: bourganeuf.immobilier@wanadoo.fr

Telephone 05 55 54 95 85

www.limousin-bilingual.com

TRANSITION REMOVALS

Family run business based in France which prides itself on a personal professional service 7.5 tonne truck to and from the UK and Europe, with a highly experienced staﬀ. We provide a door to door service with packing and dry secure storage. We are a professional furniture removal company and NOT a man and a van.

Phone: (+33) 05 55 34 19 46 - Mobile: (+33) 06 80 75 87 14 Email: p.evans@orange.fr - www.transitionremovals.com siret: 482 524 907 00011

Mayday computer services

Operating system support Application support Network support System security pc • mac • network Virus and Malware removal Call for friendly no-obligation assessment and advice Haute-Vienne & surrounding areas 05 55 68 47 33 06 82 26 31 54 siret 500 443 536 00015

Phil Monaghan - maydaymayday@orange.fr

Le Moulin du Breuil 23140 PIONNAT Tel: 05 55 80 37 70 Christmas quiz

Sat 13 December, 7.00 pm

€10 pp

Only a few tables left - don’t leave it too late. Book now!!

E: info@lemoulindubreuil.com W: www.lemoulindubreuil.com

Opening Hours: Bar open every weekend The restaurant is now closed until Spring @lmdb_pionnat www.facebook.com/Lemoulindubreuil

NATIONAL NEWS ♦ 9

DECEMBER 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

DAVID CARDWELL

OSTEOPATHY & ACUPUNCTURE

Home renovations / Ground works Block works / Verandas, Abris & Terraces Barn doors & Shutters Also available: digger & driver Planning permission assistance and design available HNC and ONC qualified, 15 years experience & 6 in France

PAUL BODIMEADE, BSc (Hons) OST

PROFESSIONAL

BUILDER

Tel: 05 55 98 24 12 - Mob: 07 82 78 01 31 Email: dave.cardwell@yahoo.co.uk

UK & French Registered Cranial & Structural

OSTEOPATH

UK Licensed Five Element & Traditional Chinese

ACUPUNCTURIST

LINDA BODIMEADE, BSc (Hons) MBAaC

Do You Suﬀer from Back, Neck, Joint Pain, Arthritic conditions, Tension headaches or Sports Injuries, Insomnia, Stress, Sinus, Hayfever? Based in Châteauneuf-la-Forêt

paulbodimeade@eircom.net - lindabodimeade@eircom.net siret: 793 539 826 00016

Tel: 05 87 41 07 93 or 06 18 74 05 08

France investigates so-called "pink tax"

Ryanair loses fine appeal

>> continued from pg 1 aren’t limited to supermarket products, citing a French hairdressing salon where a cut and blow-dry was found to cost men €8 while for women it costs €13. Backpacks, pens and even food have also been highlighted as having discriminatory pricing policies. “We know that there have been investigations in the United States and we knew that we would find differences, but not as many as we did and not as easily,” said Géraldine Franck from the campaign group, speaking to Le Parisien newspa-

siret: 791 847 429 00010

per. “After a three-hour walk in my area I had already taken about fifteen photos that speak for themselves.” “And let’s not forget that women earn around 27% less than men and have pensions that are 42% lower than men’s,” the group added. Responding to the group's claims, Monoprix denied any policy of price discrimination, saying the cost differences were linked to elements “intrinsic” to the items and production costs. It argued that because more men’s razors were bought than those for women they could be sold at a lower price. ■

Low-cost airline Ryanair has lost a highprofile appeal against an €8.3 million fine for avoiding French social security payments. The appeal court in Aix-en-Provence upheld a verdict that the Irish giant flouted French employment regulations and avoided social charges by employing 127 staff at its Marseille hub on Irish contracts between 2007 and 2010. Ryanair said in a statement that the staff were “employed on Irish contracts, operating on Irish registered aircraft (defined as Irish territory) and have already paid their taxes, social taxes and state pension contributions in Ireland, in full compliance with Irish and EU regulations”. The company will now take their case to the French Supreme Court on the basis that they believe European employment law clearly allows mobile workers on Irish registered aircraft to pay their taxes and social taxes in Ireland. French pilots’ union SNPL welcomed the ruling saying it showed that low-cost companies were not above the law. Lawyers operating for Urssaf told journalists that the court’s message was clear: “European law is not a means of defrauding the social welfare system.”

In Ireland, social charges amount to just over 10% of wages, whereas in France they are a rather more hefty 40-45%. ■

Interviewer offered a job A 60-year-old French woman has been offered a job after questioning President François Hollande live on television about the lack of employment opportunities for older people. Joëlle Mediavilla, who has been out of work and on benefits for 2 years, has now secured a 6-month contract as an office administrator following her prime-time appearance. She has her local employment agency to thank in part, who sent her CV along with a tape of the interview with the president to a local business in Drancy, just outside Paris. “This contract is great news for me,” said Mme Mediavilla. “It will allow me to pay off some debts and to once again be in active employment, which is important to me.” “She came across very well on the television,” said Jérôme Laverny from the local Mission Emploi agency, who has long campaigned against unemployment among older workers. “But there are plenty more Mr and Mrs Mediavilla's out there.” ■

Man fined over impounded van A French man is involved in a bitter legal dispute after receiving ten fines, five of which were for speeding... despite the fact that the police confiscated his car more than 3 years ago. The man, named as Laurent T by Le Parisien newspaper, had his Mercedes Sprinter van taken away by police in 2011 following an investigation into handling stolen goods. He told the newspaper that he had already spent €1,500 in legal fees fighting the fines and was now close to losing his licence due to the number of penalties accrued. However, the police in question have allegedly accepted that they did not inform the relevant authorities of a change in ownership and said that the details had now been changed. They say that any future fines will be addressed to the police, although these will presumably be ignored as the police are allowed to break motoring laws in the course of their duties. ■

“A traditional stove is an investment for life that you will fall in love with. Easy to install, it will work on a simple 16 amp socket. Elegant, versatile and with a gentle heat, the Everhot stove will become the heart of your kitchen.”

10 ♦ NATIONAL NEWS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2014

French worst at English Frenchman wins prestigious Route A du Rhum yacht race

or French sailing great, Loïck Peyron, it was a case of seventh time lucky as the 54-year-old finally won the prestigious Route du Rhum transatlantic yacht race, in a record time. The Frenchman crossed the finishing line near Guadeloupe in the Caribbean in 7 days, 15 hours and 8 minutes, shaving more than two hours off the previous best for the 6,560 km race, which is held every four years. The Frenchman took the lead just 6 hours outside of St-Malo following a fierce storm which claimed several other contenders, including his compatriot Thomas Coville who had been among the favourites for the race. It was a lead he would not relinquish. Peyron, who described the early conditions as “Dante-esque”, had only signed to skipper the boat two months prior to the event following a hand injury to Armel Le Cléach’h. Upon his arrival, Peyron commented: “It is a very nice victory, a team victory. I was not supposed to be on this boat two months ago. I was supposed to do the Rhum race on a very small yellow trimaran, which will be the case in four years time, when I come back. But it is not a surprise because I knew that the boat was able to do it. I knew that the team was able to help me a lot.”

“I never imagined that I would win a Route du Rhum on a boat like this,” the veteran skipper added. “A race like this is never simple and that is what is so exciting and incredible about it. It is also very stressful for the boat to withstand such high speeds in bad seas. I was able to sail the boat well but was scared. This is what the multihull game is all about. You have to constantly manage the boat. One night I fell asleep at the helm and nearly capsized the boat. This is a great victory, possibly one of the nicest and breaking the record is the cherry on top of the cake.” ■

ccording to a recent report, France has the lowest level of English proficiency among EU member states and only Russia, Turkey and Ukraine speak less English in the whole of Europe. The report, produced by international language training company Education First and covering 63 countries, gave France a score of just 52.68, ranking it just below Indonesia and its close neighbour, Italy. Denmark took the top spot with an English language proficiency of 69.3, followed by Holland with 68.98 and Sweden with 67.80. Unlike other European countries, the level of English in France has not improved over recent years. “While the rest of Europe is already proficient in English, or steadily working towards that goal, France is on an entirely different trajectory,” the report stated. “There are a few reasons we struggle to learn English, and I think one of the main ones is that we lack exposure to English here in France; for example, we don't get many films in VO [original version - undubbed],” explained Adeline Prevost, from the Paris office of Education First. “Because French is a widely spoken language, we get translations without a problem. In other countries, for example Sweden, where the language is not

spoken around the world, translations from English are not available so easily so people have more exposure to English.” Speaking to The Local, Mme Prevost accepted, however, that Spain does not follow this same rule. “Spain is in the same position, with Spanish being spoken around the world and translations easily available, but Spain has made huge improvements in their levels of speaking English, where France has not. This is because their government has invested properly in the learning of English. The Spanish government has made English one of the main areas of study in Spanish schools, whereas in France it is not prioritized as much - French school pupils are not required to have such a high level of English by the time they leave school.” “We need to be a bit less protective of our language,” she added. “If you look at Sweden, they have the best of both worlds: they keep their own language and culture but they have a high level of English. The French have to understand that just because they are talking, reading or listening in English it doesn’t mean that we will kill our own language. Of course that won’t happen. This is the wrong mentality.” ■

Artificial heart success

he second recipient of a revolutionary, artificial heart is apparently in relatively good health nearly 100 days after receiving the transplant, according to the French team which performed the pioneering surgery. The heart, powered by watch-style batteries that can be worn externally, was first put into a patient at Paris’ Georges Pompidou Hospital in December 2013. The 76-year-old man, who was suffering from severe heart disease and had only days to live, died from complications 75 days after receiving the transplant. The artificial heart, which is designed to operate for as long as 5 years, uses a range of “biomaterials”, including bovine tissue, to reduce the likelihood of the body rejecting it. Unlike previous artificial hearts, created mainly for temporary use before live transplant, the design by the French biomedical firm Carmat is intended to be a permanent replacement for a real heart. The latest recipient of the 900g prosthetic

at the University Hospital Nantes has not been named, but the operation is known to have taken place on the 5th August. Speaking to Les Echos in early November, Professor Alain Carpentier, cardiac surgeon and scientific director of Carmat, said the patient was doing well: “He is able to take care of himself and move around unaided in his room where he regularly uses an exercise bike,” said the professor. “Accompanied by doctors and physiotherapists, he makes regular trips around the hospital, where he is undergoing a rehabilitation programme to restore lost muscle mass.” He went on to say that the patient, whose morale he considered exemplary, had made a very important contribution to medical science and highlighted his “courtesy and patience in allowing the team to proceed with post-operative assessments”. The team behind the artificial heart is hoping to perform a further 20 transplants in the near future into patients with less severe heart failure, as clinical trials continue. ■

DECEMBER 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

NATIONAL NEWS ♦ 11

12 ♦ NATIONAL NEWS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2014

Euro 2016 mascot unveiled 10 reasons to be proud!

t would be fair to say that France - and more specifically the French government - has come in for a bit of criticism recently, be it from international markets, EU bureaucrats or John Lewis executives. In response, under the headline “Stop au French bashing”, the government has released a list of 10 reasons why we should all be proud to live in France.

1. Tourism: France is the top tourist destination in the world. 2. Economy: It's the 5th economic power in the world. 3. Youth: France is 3rd in the world for providing places for foreign students. 4. Wine: The country is the world's top wine producer. 5. Environment: Wind power grew 70% in first 6 months of 2014. 6. Talent: France has 58 Nobel prize winners (15 for literature, topping this category). 7. Culture: Its 1,200 museums receive 62 million visitors a year. 8. Attractiveness: France is 3rd in Europe for receiving foreign business investment. 9. Entrepreneurship: The world's biggest start-up incubator will open in Paris in 2016. 10. Innovation: In the past two years, half of the business employing 10 people or more, and one in six firms, have launched a new product that was not previously available on the market.

rganisers of the Euro 2016 Championship, which will be held in France, have unveiled the tournament's mascot. At the last two major football tournaments held in France, the 1984 European Championship and the 1998 World Cup, the mascot has been a cockerel, but this time the gallic rooster has been replaced by a cartoon boy. The mascot does not yet have an official title and a competition is ongoing to find him a name: the current choices available are Driblou, Goalix or Super Victor. The UEFA website provides some back story and describes the mascot as follows: “Half child, half superhero, the mascot is a curious, witty character who will encourage fans from all over the world to celebrate the art of football. He was brought up in France, and one day acquired special powers when playing football with his friends. Having kicked the ball behind a fence, he went to explore and discovered a mysterious chest with a cape, a ball and football boots, which enabled him to fly as well as play superb football. His outfit is inspired by the French flag and the colours of the host country.” The mascot will now travel around Europe before returning to France for the start of the tournament on June 10th 2016. ■

Bog standard

ave you ever had to turn off the hob to pop upstairs and spend a penny? Well, your problems could now be solved thanks to recent legislation passed in France that finally allows you to put a toilet in your kitchen! Described in the bill as “a process of simplification of regulations”, the change to the building code removes “the prohibition of direct communi-

cation between the closets and kitchens and living rooms”. This will now allow contractors for the first time to build new toilets in kitchens and living rooms, Metronews reported. Previously, toilets could not be directly accessible from these rooms under building regulations. The move will likely be welcomed by Parisian landlords, who have become famous in recent years for charging exor-

bitant rents for tiny apartments - one tenant was recently found to have been living in a 'flat' with just 1.56m² of living space for the last 15 years, paying €330 per month for the privilege. One man who is unlikely to be frying an egg from the pan, however, is Thierry Lepaon, secretary general of the powerful CGT union. The union was recently revealed by satirical weekly Le Canard Enchainé to

have spent €130,000 renovating a 120m² apartment for its boss in a leafy Parisian suburb, including €1,397 for a new lavatory seat (before plumbing), and €689 for a toilet paper holder and towel rack. Although the owner of the flat said it had been completely renovated before being rented to the CGT - including a new carpet, Ikea kitchen and freshly painted walls - the union decided it wasn’t in an appropri-

debarrasser87

House Clearance Specialists We offer an efﬁcient, affordable and honest service. We are able to offer a wide range of specialist house clearances including hoarded property clearance and clearances where there are unsanitary conditions.

05.55.69.68.44 / 05.55.37.45.35 - http://www.ferraille87.com

ate state for Lepaon, although initial plans for a home cinema and wine cellar were eventually abandoned. “Everything needed to be redone,” said treasurer Eric Lafont, who agreed to hand over €130,000 of union funds. The union had claimed they had negotiated a rent reduction in exchange for shelling out on the renovations, but both the owner and the estate agent denied any deal had been done. ■ siret: 510 357 155 00017

Double D

Renovations & Home Improvements

All types of building work, groundwork, renovations, decorating and maintenance

Fosses septiques Roofing Tiling Kitchen & bathroom fitting Conservatories Plaster boarding Masonry Carpentry etc. etc.

Telephone:- 05 55 65 00 29 / 06 33 19 99 64 Email:- double-d-23@live.fr

FRENCH LIFE ♦ 13

DECEMBER 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

fosse-septique23.com Fosses septiques

Steve Johns - Assainissement All aspects of fosse septique systems undertaken Planning permission arranged - Inspections Design - Supply - Installations.

Filter bed systems

Micro stations

Groundworks / landscaping

Design / supply / installation service

Drainage systems Plant hire

25 yrs experience - 10 year guarantee on all work Free quotations

05.55.64.11.73

In the garden - jobs for December

here are signs that the weather is on the turn - snow on the higher ground across France and much cooler weather than recently - though all is relative and the autumn has been unseasonally warm. So there's still a lot of growth happening in the garden, albeit slightly slowing down. Rather strange at a time of year when we're used to frosty seed heads and stalks picked out in ice crystals. But hey, don't knock it! Some of this extra growth can be cut down and just loosely heaped over the top of clumps - say for instance, asters, heleniums, chrysanthemums - to act as protection against the cold. It also gives places for insects and beasties to overwinter. If you really can't stand the idea of such untidiness, remember that the more you prune back, the more your plant will be exposed to the cold. A compromise would be to leave roughly a foot of stalk. Leaves are also very useful gathered up and piled onto beds and borders, or put onto the compost heap. Now is a good season to do 'organising' work in the garden - tidying out of sheds, cleaning up of tunnels and greenhouses, redoing edges of borders or paths, building a new compost heap, etc. Don't forget to give your tools a good clean, and oil them once fully dry. Every year I mean to put up more shelves, hooks and brackets in the shed to keep them off the ground. Who knows, maybe this year...? Once you've finished mowing the grass, when it's too wet, often, put your mower away dry and clean, and think about changing the oil, filters, and having the blades sharpened ready for the spring.

by Michelle Pierce

If you want to plant bare rooted trees, now's the time - as long as the weather is not too frosty and the holes can be dug. If your ground is heavy, or the soil is soaked, make sure you incorporate some good drainage material into the bottom of the hole and plant on a little mound. Things like the dogwoods are often lovely now, their coloured stems bare of the leaves. This gives you an opportunity to see if they are suckering, and if there are young plants that need to be removed to avoid crowding. Pot them up and give to friends. The same can be said for raspberries, other soft fruit and young speci-

Advertise your business here

05.55.41.17.76 sales@thebugle.eu

mens of self sown hedging varieties. Spend an afternoon going round the garden if you can, with a trowel at hand ready to dig up all those self sown individuals that are too nice to get rid of, but will be in completely the wrong place next year. Pay particular attention to gravel paths and patios. Take out a certain quantity of nettles, if you have too many, and put them on the compost, or make nettle tea, but remember not to put the roots on the heap. Tie in climbers to trellises and posts to avoid breakages during the winter winds, and take care that pots which stay outside all win-

ter can't or won't get waterlogged - raise them off the ground a little on blocks, and mulch well. If you need to wrap the plant in fleece because it's not hardy, make sure this doesn't touch the leaves. You might make a cage in chicken wire, or use a latticework of twigs or bamboo. If the weather allows, keep an eye on the weed situation. Harmless types like chickweed or bittercress are easily taken out but you don't want the toughies like docks or thistles to be putting down their roots. With the majority of leaves off the trees, now is an excellent time to go round and see what will need pruning,

what's getting too big, what might need moving, and it's time to get out your garden notes of the past year to refer to long forgotten impressions. It's in December that the polytunnels really come into their own, giving a 'warm', light place out of the wind to work, or potter, grow some veg or dream of next year's flowers. Even in an unheated one the difference between what is growing inside and outside is flagrant, and things are still germinating reasonably so that a rolling production of baby salad leaves is possible, temperatures permitting. So, all the best for a very good gardening year! ■

Très Jolie

Ladies fashion accessories Mail order available or ﬁnd me at a local market

(see Notice Board for more details) Paula Robinson

05 55 78 62 29 06 04 08 29 53

tres.jolie1@orange.fr Facebook: search for “Tres Jolie Milhaguet” siret 753 125 061 00014

14 ♦ PRACTICAL

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2014

tion of the sweep’s brush, but they do not remove all forms of build up from all types of chimney flue. Neither will they remove blockages caused by birds nesting or obstructions caused by fallen masonry.

The joys of a wood burning stove

The art of the chimney sweep

At The Bugle, we are regularly asked for the rules and regulations surrounding having your chimney swept and this year was no exception. How often do you need to sweep your chimney, can you do it yourself and what are the rules with regards to home insurance? Barry Creighton from Stovesellers answers these questions and more.

t’s that time of year again with the new heating season well and truly under way when we are all firing up our heating systems and lighting up those wood burners in preparation for this season’s inevitable cold snap. It’s a busy time too for the trade as many people are having wood burners fitted or requesting chimney sweeps and this has prompted many queries about what the chimney sweeping regulations actually are in France and whether our chimneys need be swept at all. So in this month’s edition we are going to discuss the black art of the chimney sweeps and chimney sweeping also known as... Ramoneurs and Ramonage Always employ the services of a sweep that is professionally qualified, registered and insured to conduct a full and thorough chimney sweep whilst being able to give you advice where necessary about your stove or fire and the fuels to burn in them. The sweep should also be able to issue you with a valid chimney sweeping certificate known as a ‘certificat de ramonage’. Chimney sweeping is a real and regulated profession in France just as it is in many other countries, so do not be led into thinking that just because you can buy a cheap set of flimsy flue brushes from the local DIY shop that you can legally sweep your own chimney for yourself. These brushes are for the most part unsuitable for cleaning the majority of flues that they sweep. We were called out a while back to retrieve a set of these bendy brushes from a client living in the Corrèze when his set of rods fell apart mid sweep and the brush head (known as the ‘herrison’ or ‘hedgehog’ due to its appearance) as well as half a dozen rods became trapped in the customer’s flue, paradoxically increasing the likely risk of a chimney fire rather than reducing it! Specialist equipment is sometimes required in order to clean many flues as well as an experienced eye being cast in order to tell whether your chimney, fire

or stove is still up to scratch. Most people who choose to sweep their own chimneys for themselves simply neither have the necessary equipment nor the experience to know what is required when sweeping and inspecting a chimney. The chimney sweeping scam (L’arnaque du ramoneur) Be wary of the army of casual chimney sweeps that turn up on your doorstep unannounced every year offering to sweep your chimney. Some of these characters have neither the kit, nor the qualifications or the insurance required and their certificates would not be worth the paper they are printed on. Be on your guard also of the seasonal sweep-cum-gardener/builder who has added chimney sweeping to his list of artisanal activities in order to make a few quid during the heating season. It’s likely the credentials of this chimney sweeping chancer may not stand up to legal scrutiny in the event of a claim arising from a chimney fire in a flue which he swept - even if he has managed to blag some form of insurance cover in the meantime. Chimney sweeping logs (Les bûches de ramonage) So what about these chimney logs or so called ‘bûches de ramonage’? How do these work and surely they can be used instead of a sweep’s brush to clean my chimney? No. According to the manufacturers, chimney sweeping logs work by emitting smoke with additives which attach themselves to creosote deposits and reduce the likely chance of a chimney fire. Some of the creosotes may fall back into your fireplace or stove. These deposits will need removing. The regulations on this are clear. Chimney logs cannot replace a mechanical sweep using rods and brushes. They can be used prior to and in preparation for a proper mechanical sweep as they can help loosen certain types of soot deposits from the inside of flue walls before the interven-

The Regulations So what exactly are the regulations? Let's clear up this FAQ once and for all whilst forgetting everything else that you have read elsewhere before now which conflicts with the following. Having a chimney sweep is not a lifestyle choice but an obligation and a legal requirement in France in accordance with French regulations (DTU 24.1 Travaux de Fumisterie). For solid fuel and oil appliances this should be a minimum of TWICE a year according to the regulations (and more if necessary). Chimneys should be swept once at the start of the season and again during the period of use. For gas burners this should be at least once a year. This requirement is in fact fixed by your commune's Departmental Sanitary Regulations (RSDT) and not your insurance company. The regulations apply to ALL departments in France. Failure to comply with this regulation could lead to a fine of similar gravity to what you would receive from the police arising from speeding or other road traffic infraction. This is a fixed fine (known as an ‘amende forfaitaire de la troisième classe’) in France which can run into the hundreds. Additionally you may not be covered by your insurance and even if your insurer tells you that you are (as most household multi-risk policies will provide some cover in the event of a chimney fire) the amount of your claim could be significantly reduced (by over 50%) if you cannot prove that your chimney had been swept by a qualified sweep. You could also receive a bill from the pompiers for their intervention, which is sharply on the increase in many departments in France, for extinguishing the blaze. Remember that if you do have a fire in your chimney you must have it inspected and tested by a sweep before it is put back into service. Over 80% of chimney fires are caused by not having the chimney swept and with over 1200 chimney fires every year recorded in the Limousin region alone there is a good chance statistically that you will become a victim yourself if you do not have your regular sweep. Indeed there are many minor chimney fires which go undetected in many flues and most of us will have heard of someone who has already had a chimney fire. It’s an event that occurs much more often that you’d imagine, increasing in likeliness when moving into a new house or holiday home this essential service can be easily overlooked but it is not the sort of housewarming most people would wish for. There is of course nothing to stop you sweeping you own chimney and at this time of year you will see sets of chimney sweeping rods and brushes available most DIY shops. They can even be purchased in some supermarkets nowadays but you will not be covered by your insurance if you do not have a valid chimney sweeping certificate issued by a company which is registered, qualified and insured to issue them. We have also heard that some insurance brokers will tell you that you do not need to have to have your chimney swept at all! Whilst this may well be true from your insurer’s standpoint if you do not have a fire in your chimney, as we have already point-

ed out, it is the RSDT who obliges you to have your chimney swept rather than the insurance companies – even though it may be the insurer who is responsible for settling your claim. Official confirmation of this can be found via the French federation of insurers website, known as the FFSA (Fédération Française des Sociétés d’Assurance - www.ffsa.fr). Always read the small print of any policy regarding fire cover here as quite often you’ll find that insurance brokers in France, just like their counterparts in the UK, only give you part of the full picture unless you are specific. The devil really is in the detail and the detail in this case is the fine print of your French policy document. The old French proverb “les paroles s’envolent, les écrits restent” springs to mind in such cases reminding us that, compared to spoken words, the written word cannot vanish into thin air, leaving instead compromising traces which could turn out to be (legally) incriminating. Christmas Competition Therefore, with all of this in mind we’ve teamed up with our partners at The Bugle for a Christmas competition in the form of a Chimney Sweeping Challenge! That’s right, we’re giving away a free certified chimney sweep (not that you’ll need one paradoxically if you can prove otherwise!) to the first Bugle reader living anywhere in the Limousin region who can provide written proof to the Editor from their insurer that they do not indeed need to have a chimney sweep when a fire is used or a stove is fitted in their fireplace, and that in the event of a claim arising from such a ‘feu de cheminée’, their policy will cover them in full without applying an excess or reduction for the total amount of the damage caused being claimed.■ So what about us? What qualifies Stovesellers to make any of the above stated claims? To the best of our knowledge, we are currently the only company to hold simultaneously both the UK HETAS and French QUALIBOIS qualifications relating to the proper & legal installation

PRACTICAL ♦ 15

DECEMBER 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

FRENCH LESSONS WITH A NATIVE FRENCH SPEAKER Individual/Group lessons, all levels - Skype lessons via the INTERNET also available

Free trial lesson!

Lessons in La Souterraine & Dun-le-Palestel (23) OTHER SERVICES: Accompanying and interpreting - house purchase, arranging new utilities, car registration, healthcare, liaison with French administration, etc... I am always looking for new students in the English Library in La Souterraine! Sophie Arsac -

05 55 89 15 74 - scarolinea@yahoo.fr

Don't let the bed bugs bite

of solid fuel appliances. With nearly ten years of trading experience in France we have knowledge of and access to all of the building regulations relating to our profession and we have been called on by local maires, architects and legal advocates in the past who have required our assistance as acknowledged specialists in our field. In addition Stovesellers are registered as wood heating installers and qualified chimney sweeps and are affiliated with the French confederation of small business building professionals (CAPEB). If you’d like to know more about the topics raised here, take a look at Stovesellers' website for more information on wood burning stoves and cookers, central heating systems, chimney installations and chimney sweeps at www.stovesellers.com or call 05.55.63.78.72

ou may think an article about bed bugs in the December edition of The Bugle is in bad taste. The festive period is a time when neighbours and families get together and hotels are full, a time for giving and sharing presents… not bed bugs! Unfortunately, there is a worldwide resurgence in bed bug infestations, especially when people get together in large numbers. After the 2000 Olympics, for example, there was a 2,500% increase in bed bug infestations in Sydney. There is also a peak every holiday, especially at Christmas time. A ten minute check before you leave and when you arrive could save you the stigma, stress and cost of bed bugs. Bed bugs do not jump or fly, but they are very accustomed to hitchhiking their way into people’s lives, attaching themselves to luggage by the claws on their feet. An adult is clearly visible and resembles a brown apple pip. The eggs are opaque (around 1mm long). Before adulthood, a bed bug will shed its skin 5 times (instars). Before each instar, the bed bug needs a blood

meal. The speed of change from egg to adult depends on temperature and the availability of a food source (your blood). First rule: never put your suitcase on the bed... or any bed, ever! The best place for packing and unpacking your case is in the bathroom. You often see spiders in the bath and that is because the surface is too smooth for them to get out; the same is so for bed bugs. Before you pack, shake your case over the bath, check the bath for signs of bed bugs, vacuum the zips and seams. Place clothes in plastic bags, then pack.

Upon arrival, (don’t forget, bag in bath!) check your surroundings for live bed bugs, faecal stains, cast skins, blood smears. Check the bed, sheets, seams and buttons of the mattress, the headboard, bed legs, bedside cabinet, in and under drawers, screw holes and handles, and behind any paintings above the bed. They can hide in tiny cracks, peeling wallpaper or paint and behind light fittings. When you get home, wash everything, not just the clothes you have worn. People react differently to bites, from an almost immediately vis-

ible red welt, to no reaction after several weeks, so you shouldn’t assume that the last bed you slept in was the source of the problem. Bed bugs need to have direct contact with the host’s skin in order to feed, so if in doubt... wear pyjamas! Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. For more information on bed bugs, or how to deal with them, please contact Robert Moon from Applicateur 3D: 02 48 60 83 72 06 74 33 02 38 www.applicateur3d.com

How to Avoid Double Taxation

any people who moved to France last year, and completed their first French tax return this year, will have noticed that on their tax assessment “Avis d’Imposition” they have actually paid tax twice, since HMRC is still taking tax at source on their UK income. So, what can be done to avoid double taxation? Well, the UK and France have a Double Tax Treaty which ensures that you cannot be taxed twice, but how double taxation is eliminated depends on the type of income you are declaring. For UK government pensions (civil or military service, police, teachers, etc.) the UK will always have the right to tax and it is the French who give you a tax credit to ensure that your pension is not retaxed in France. For share dividends, you should have received a tax credit in France, equal to the amount of UK tax paid at source. For all other income (UK state pen-

sion, private pensions and bank interest), it is up to you to request from HMRC the repayment of the tax paid in the UK, since you left the country, and the right for your pension providers and banks to pay income gross for the future. This problem is resolved by completion of the ‘France/Individual’ form, available from the HMRC website. The form is in English with a copy in French; both copies should be completed and submitted to your local French tax office at the same time as filing your French tax return. The French tax office will stamp the form to confirm you have appropriately declared the various sources of income to the French tax authorities and then send it, via their head office in Paris, to the HMRC non-residents centre. Thereafter, HMRC will change your tax code and contact the providers of your various sources of income, arranging for them to be paid on a gross basis, and calculate a refund of tax paid since you became liable to French

tax. Unfortunately, this process can take several months to resolve as you will have to wait until the submission and assessment of your French tax declaration. As a consequence, in the short term, you will have been taxed twice on the same sources of income, until the refund is calculated and paid. One ongoing problem with this form is that UK banks normally refuse to pay interest gross, even after receiving the instruction from HMRC, so, if you wish to avoid being taxed twice on UK bank interest, you may have to repeat the request for reimbursement every year, via the R43 tax repayment form. ■

David Hardy is Regional Manager of Siddalls France, Independent Financial Advisers, specialised in tax, inheritance, pension and investment planning for the British community in France since 1996. Telephone 05 56 34 75 51 Email: bordeaux.office@siddalls.net Web: www.siddalls.fr

16 ♦ CLASSIFIEDS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2014

The Bugle CLASSIFIEDS are brought to you in association with WWW.HOUSESONINTERNET.COM electrical fittings Wall sockets, wall light switches, ceiling light fittings, reels of new electrical wiring, ducting etc., All for 35 euros. €35.00 Tel: 05 55 62 25 18 FOR SALE: Patio or path bricks Pinky grey wavey edged bricks that fit together. 24x15x5cm. Approx. 380 bricks (previously used but in good condition), would make an attractive patio of around 330 x 370 cm. Email for photos or more info. Bussiere Poitevine area. Buyer collects. €60.00 Tel: 05 55 60 06 53 Email: jayne.woods@talktalk. net FOR SALE: Woodturning Hardwood Bowl Blanks Professionally prepared hardwood various timbers. 15no - 5 euros each. Tel: 02 54 62 01 87 Email: mike. crevant@hotmail.com FOR SALE: Industrial/ Construction Grade Transformer 240V to 110V - great for all 110V power tools. €60.00 Tel: 02 54 62 01 87 Email: mike.crevant@ hotmail.com FOR SALE: QUANTITY OF RECLAIMED ROOF TILES Some with a distinctive 'diamond' shape in them but with no makers name moulded into them and these are probably the oldest of the styles. The majority of the tiles have 'ROUMAZIERES and PASCAUD - POLAKOWSKI moulded in. Another style is a JEANDELAINCOURT - MEURTHE & MOSELL DEPOSE tile. Sizes of all tiles approximately 23/24cm x 40/41cm. 55 euros the lot. €55.00 Tel: 0555 787902 (near Rochechouart)

ANIMALS & PETS FOR SALE: Lurcher bitch pups - last two Home bred from champion winning and excellent working lines. Mother (chip no. 900008800112108) - collie/ greyhound x collie/greyhound/ bedlington and father deerhound x deerhound/ greyhound. Both parents can be seen, are good with livestock including cats and are loyal, affectionate, calm and well-behaved. A black and a fawn bitch available. Wormed and well socialised, these gorgeous pups will make great working dogs or fantastic family pets. Ready now. Photos available on request. €250 to loving responsible homes only. Tel: 05 55 60 14 18 SOS Romeo 21⁄2 old month

kitten, recently abandoned, living out in the woods. He/ she is very sociable, purrs when in contact with people, loves petting. Romeo urgently needs to be adopted before the snow arrives! We could bring the kitten to your home. Tel: 07.85.78.42.31 (English/French) Email: urbanfolkarts@yahoo.com FOR SALE: Home needed for Leo, English Setter X Border Collie Urgent home, or foster home, required for this young male (around 1 year old), who was found abandoned by the road. Tel: 02 54 38 81 76

FURNITURE FOR SALE: BEAUTIFUL DISPLAY/DRINKS UNIT Featuring a cupboard with glass door, 3 drawers and a shelf, in light oak finish. Excellent condition, can be used as a TV cabinet. H.76cm. W.100cm D47cm. SainteSévère Area 36. €50.00 Tel: 02 54 30 76 86

BUILDING MATERIALS & EQUIPMENT FOR SALE: Record Power power chuck RP 300X. €150.00ono Tel: 02 54 62 01 87 Email: mike.crevant@ hotmail.com FOR SALE: Various new

FOR SALE: ELECTRIC RECLINER CHAIR Light brown velour with wood handles, good condition. Sainte-Sévère area 36. €100.00 Tel: 02 54 30 76 86 FOR SALE: Furniture 4 Beech Carver Chairs. Strong well made chairs, but the finish needs some attention. 60 euros. Solid Oak Refectory Table 6ft x 2ft.6 / 183cm/75cm. 60 euros. Tel: 05 55 03 15 82 FOR SALE: Various Furniture Pine headboard - 4ft 6in - medium stain - 20€; Ikea pine effect kitchen doors, drawer fronts, side panels, etc. Reasonable offers. Text 06 41 99 57 40 (St Yrieix la Perche) FOR SALE: Dining Furniture DUCAL PINE DINING TABLE, MATCHING SIDEBOARD and 8 DINING CHAIRS (including 2

Leyrenne, 23400. Email for photo. €25.00 Tel: 05 55 64 46 27 Email: tiony_48@ hotmail.com FOR SALE: MYERS double bed Very comfortable larger size MYERS double bed (ideal for bad backs). Base has four drawers. VGC. Call Lili (Chateauroux area). €180.00 Tel: 06 95 91 53 09 FOR SALE: Large rattan & cane arm chair With upholstered cushions, made to order for us in Bali, Indonesia. Style is called Princess Chair. €90.00 Tel: 02 54 62 01 87 Email: Mike.crevant@ hotmail.com FOR SALE: Good quality dining room suite Comprising oval table (59 x 36 inches [194 x 90 cm], extending to 76 x 36 inches [194 x 90cm]), 4 chairs plus “carver” chair and sideboard on castors

How to place a Classified Advert To place a classified advert, please email:

notices@thebugle.eu

BY THE 20th with the details you would like include. Your advert will appear online and in the next print edition of The Bugle. Classified adverts are currently free for all small items (less than €500). For more expensive items and photos a small fee applies: ● Items more than €500 are charged at €5 per month ● Photos are charged at €2.50 per month CARVERS). Also nest of 3 TABLES and a WINE TABLE. (Table 168 x 103cm, extending to 213 x 103cm, sideboard 173 x 44cm with height 87cm). €325.00 Text or tel 06 41 99 57 40. (StYrieix-la-Perche) FOR SALE: Pair of Occasion Tables (Mahogany) 24” W x 21”H – 1 has small patch surface wear - 25 euro the pair. Based St-Dizier-

(length 48 inches, width 17 inches and height 31 inches [L 122cm, W 43cm H 79cm]) with 2 cupboards and 3 central drawers. Excellent condition. Tel/email for more more details/photos. €220.00 Tel: Angus on 05 55 71 76 36 Email: gubrath44@gmail.com FOR SALE: Kitchen table Oval, extendable, beech or light wood colour. 4 matching chairs, upholstered with

cream seat covers. Size length 106cm extends to 135cm. Good condition. €100.00 Tel. 05 55 64 87 91 after 6pm, or text 0044 7722 032348 FOR SALE: BATHROOM CABINET All stainless steel, lockable with key. Vgc. €30.00 Tel: 02 54 30 67 86 Ste Sévère area (36) FOR SALE: Beautiful old oak dresser Top cupboards glass fronted with lock and key. There is a mirror under the cupboards 40cms x 24cms. There are two drawers and underneath two cupboards with lock and key. All the front of the dresser has hand carvings on the doors and drawers. €90.00ono Tel: 02 54 25 38 97 Dept 36 – Orsennes FOR SALE: Adjustable office chair Black. €15.00 Tel: 02 54 30 67 86 Ste Sévère area (36) FOR SALE: Large wall hung mirror With decorative gilt frame. €15.00 Tel: 02 54 30 67 86 Ste Sévère area (36) FOR SALE: Small chest of drawers With 3 drawers. Pine top, white drawers. Ideal size for side of bed. Excellent condition. €30.00 Tel: 02 54 30 67 86 Ste Sévère area (36) FOR SALE: Two seater sofa with cream covers Good condition. €30.00 Tel: 02 54 30 67 86 Ste Sévère area (36) FOR SALE: Sofa bed settee Makes full size bed. As new condition. €125.00 Tel: 02 54 30 67 86 Ste Sévère area (36) FOR SALE: Pine Headboard for double bed Excellent

condition. €18.00 Tel: 05 55 78 79 02

GARDEN

FOR SALE: 2 electric chain saws A MAKITA and a RED DEVIL (B&Q make). Both in good working order, but need new chains 16 inch (410cm). Both have long cables. Makita 40 euro, Red Devil 30 euro. Tel: 02 54 30 67 86 Ste Sévère area (36) FOR SALE: Greenhouse heater Petrol (paraffin) with two burners. Good working order. €15.00 Tel: 02 54 30 67 86 Ste Sévère area (36) FOR SALE: HZS280 Inline pool/pond pump Monophase pump, 50HZ and 280W, pumps 8000 litres/ hour to a max height of 8m. Recommended for use with Polaris and similar pool robot cleaners. Only 6 weeks old and used for less than 10 hours. €80.00ono Tel Dave: 05 55 64 83 13 Email: dshawleycett@ hotmail.com FOR SALE: Grey heavy duty plastic hostess trolley Ideal for garden use, top and bottom shelves both removable for cleaning. Boussac area. €10.00 Tel: 04 70 06 37 99

GENERAL FOR SALE: Commercial Kitchen Equipment E500 Commercial Dishwasher 600€ ono; 900 x 300cm Falcon Grill with Shelving and S/S Splashback Plate 400€ ono; Large Hot Counter (approx 1,5 mtr. in length) 4 hot plates and hot cupboard underneath 600€ ono; 22" Firstline Colour TV with remote control 120€ ono; Convection Oven (needs attention) - offers; 12 x 1.5kg Catering Moules Bowls with lids (like new) 75€; 50 wine glasses, 14 x 25cl carafes and 8 x coffee liqueur glasses 50€; 6 x 8" and 6 x 7" Creme Brulee Dishes 25€; Job lot

K I A , T H E O N LY M A N U FA C T U R E R TO O F F E R A 7 Y E A R WA R R A N T Y

NEW KIA DEALERSHIP

NEW MODELS TO DISCOVER ON YOUR DOORSTEP

E:- kenvesty@gmail.com

Tel:- 05 55 80 34 26

Wishing all our customers a wonderful Christmas St-Sébastien (pl. du Champ de Foire) 18h-20h Wed 03-Dec Bourganeuf (Esp. Martin Nadaud) 18h-20h Thu 04-Dec Châtelus-Malvaleix (Auberge de Voyageurs) Fri 05-Dec Sardent-Masmangeas (Auberge du Lac) 18h-21h Sat 06-Dec Bonnat (Bar des Sports) 18h-20h Thu 11-Dec Marsac (Chez Jacques) Fri 12-Dec Boussac (pl. de l’hôtel de ville) * Note, 2nd Sat this month Sat 13-Dec X

St-Sébastien (pl. du Champ de Foire) Bonnat (Bar des Sports) Marsac (Chez Jacques) Sardent-Masmangeas (Auberge du Lac) Bourganeuf (Esp. Martin Nadaud) Boussac (pl. de l’hôtel de ville)

18h-20h Wed 07-Jan 18h-20h Thu 08-Jan Fri 09-Jan 18h-21h Sat 10-Jan 18h-20h Thu 15-Jan 18h-20h Sat 17-Jan

Please try to email your order in advance to avoid disappointment All 6pm - 8.30pm unless stated - Please consult our website for any updates.

Kia Motors France 38391529500067 RCS Nanterre

www.ohmycod.net

SIREN: 520 807 660

Venez inaugurer votre nouvelle concession KIA ! Nos équipes se feront un plaisir de vous accueillir et de vous faire découvrir tous nos modèles garantis 7 ans* comme la nouvelle Picanto, la nouvelle Rio, le Venga, le Soul, la gamme cee’d, le Sportage et le Sorento... Des véhicules qui vous étonneront par leur design, qualité et leurs équipements de haute technologie, alors réservez votre essai. Avec Kia, vous n’êtes pas au bout de vos surprises !

Consommations mixtes et émissions de CO2 des modèles présentés : nouvelle Kia Picanto : de 4,2 à 5,3 L/100 km - de 99 à 125 g/km ; nouvelle Kia Rio : de 3,2 L à 6,4 L/100 km – de 85 à 150 g/km ; Kia Sportage : de 5,2 à 7,0 L/100 km - de 135 à 183 g/km ; Kia Venga : de 4,7 à 7,0 L/100 km - de 124 à 164 g/km ; nouvelle Kia pro_cee’d : de 4,3 à 6,3 L/100 km - de 113 à 150 g/km.

* Garantie 7 ans ou 150 000 km (1er des deux termes échu) valable pour tous les modèles KIA en France métropolitaine et Corse (hors DOMTOM) et dans tous les Etats membres de l’UE ainsi qu’en Norvège, Suisse, Islande et à Gibraltar. Hors véhicules utilitaires et véhicules à usage commercial.

EVOLUTION 23 Par RN 145, sortie 48 rue Johannes Gutenberg, 23000 GUERET

Tél : 05 55 52 82 15 Mail: teamgueret@orange.fr GPS: 46.1831, 1 .8800

CLASSIFIEDS ♦ 17

DECEMBER 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

The Bugle CLASSIFIEDS are brought to you in association with WWW.HOUSESONINTERNET.COM of crockery to include 3 x 16" Giant Serving Plates, 8 x 12" Large Dinner Plates, 25 x 8" Dessert Plates, 19 x 6" Side Plates, Tea & Coffee Cups, Espresso cups, variety of saucers, 2 Large & 3 Small Teapots, 3 small Milk jugs and 1 Large Milk jug, 8 Pepper pots and 1 salt pot, also 4 x 145ml s/s sauce boats and 2 x 275ml sauce boats and 6 glass vinegar bottles 150€; 12 x Wicker breadbaskets with detachable covers 8€. Contact Mrs M Taylor 05 55 48 92 84 or 06 04 09 03 10 FOR SALE: In ground pool kit - 36ft x 18ft Includes: pump, filters, liner, roman end steps, lights, pipework, fittings, etc. Original cost £8000.00. Email for further information. €5,000.00ono Email: emmawheeler12@ hotmail.com FOR SALE: Wood Burning Fire (excellent condition) SUPRA, Model COLMAR 5-7 Kw. Flue size 125mm (rear). 61cm H, 56cm W,36cm Dp. Chénérailles area. €250.00 Tel: 09 72 31 69 61 Email: pbrslr@hotmail.com FOR SALE: Sewing Machine Husqvarna Viking Sarah. In full and good working order. Buyer to collect please - Bourganeuf area. Photos available if required. €60.00 Tel: 05 55 64 22 25 Email: geeinfrance@gmail.com FOR SALE: Various George Foreman Lean Mean Grilling Machine. New still in box. Ideal Xmas gift. 30 euros; Pressure cooker 6lt. Prestige. Never used. 25 euros; Duvet cover double. White background with poppies on. New. Never used. 15 euros; HP printer copier scanner with cartridges. Needs Bluetooth. Used 4 times. 30 euros; Dell 15 inch monitor and keyboard. Flat screen. Good condition. 40 euros; Computer table. Pine 3 shelves. H. 79cm W. 90cm. d. 49cm. 8 euros; Rustins wood dye medium oak. 2 x 1lt tins. 18 euros; Unibond wall tile adhesive. 13kg tub. Ultimate grab. 12 euros. Tel: 05 55 03 26 42 FREE: Tektronix 453 dual trace 50meg 'scope Needs some attention to the power supply, trace dead. But for spares, etc. a good item. Don't really want to throw it away. Will not ship, collection only. Tel: 04 70 06 37 99 Free to good home Samsung

flat screen 30"/76cm television with dedicated stand with one glass shelf. In silver and very

good working and cosmetic condition, inc remote control. Dolby sound, etc. Tel: 04 70 06 37 99 FOR SALE: Large quantity of boys clothes All in good condition, age 0-13 years. Some toys. Will not split. Offers. Tel: 02 48 56 74 73 FOR SALE: Cot x 2 + Child's desk Wooden pine cot, Mothercare, with mattress, as new, hardly used - 50 euros. Travel cot (collapsable) blue, with mattress, as new. 20 euros. Child’s desk, wood with lifting desk, wipe clean lid and chair. Good condition 20 euros. €50.00 Tel: 02 48 56 74 73 FOR SALE: Large antique cast iron standing Paris street lamp Ornate vine patterns, glass lantern top. Embossed with “Marquise”. Height: 3.36m. €985.00 Tel: 02 48 56 74 73 FOR SALE: Log burner Lovely blue colour. Good condition. €100.00 Tel: 02 54 24 29 76 FOR SALE: Why take Victorian? 1 sink left like on

photo from French chateau, 1920s, brand Porcher. Good condition, no cracks. With pedestal and original soap holder. Buyer collects (10 min from airport, Bellegarde 87). €50.00 Tel: 06 66 24 85 49 FOR SALE: 50 packs of 12 different English Christmas cards 2 euros per pack or 50 euros the lot. Tel: 05 55 68 08 42 Email: buryfrogman@ gmail.com FOR SALE: Various Super Kingsize duvet, unused. 10€. Also John Lewis duvet cover and matching sheet, unused. Pale blue. 15€. Mirror 80 x 65 cm. Painted wood yellow with small decoration. Matching wall lights, toilet roll holder, shelf and soap dish holder. 40€. Ice cream maker Philips. Little used. 20€. Text 06 41 99 57 40 (St Yrieix la Perche) FOR SALE: PVC white shutters Used for 6 months, various sizes with brand new hinges. They were made to measure.Quatre de 1350mm de haut X 1380mm de large( 2 vantaux).Un de 2160mm de haut X 1380mm de large (2 vantaux).Un de 1200mm de haut X 580 mm de large (1 vantail).Un de 1200mm de haut X 1200mm de large (2 vantaux).Un de 1150mm de haut X 890 mm de large (2 vantaux).Available for collection from Lubersac. €495.00 Tel: 0044 7747 851 971 Email: lutmarsa@hotmail. com

FOR SALE: Lord of the Rings

Iron Rings, 1,60 in diameter, for flower beds or other. 7-8 cm wide. €25 for one, €20 each from 2 onwards. 5 left. Buyer collects (southwest Limoges). Call Katharina 06 66 24 85 49 FOR SALE: Various Full-size (board size 150cm x 100cm) floor standing engineering drawing board with professional engineering head & scale rules 150 euros; Cast iron fire surround (w 92cm, h 125cm) 80 euros; Swan's nest, fire dogs, and cast iron fireback (w 63cm) 150 euros; Black iron fire guard (70cm x 70cm) 25 euros; Cast iron fire front (40cm wide) 15 euros; Portable oil-filled radiator 20 euros; Pair of bar stools 20 euros. Tel: 05 55 60 08 06 Email: iconnortyler@orange. fr FOR SALE: Collection of Pewter Ingots In rosewood case, inaugural edition from 1975 marking the opening of the National Railway Museum in York in 1975 with certificate of authenticity. €200.00 Tel: 02 54 62 01 87 Email: Mike. crevant@hotmail.com FOR SALE: Old two wheel farm cart Great as garden decoration or large planter. €90.00ono Tel: 02 54 62 01 87 Email: Mike.crevant@ hotmail.com FOR SALE: PAIR (2) 'SKYTEC' PA SYSTEM/ DISCO/KARAOKE SPEAKERS Suitable parties,

karaoke, and events. 150watt. 8 ohm. 44x26x28 cm. €30.00 Tel: 0555 787902 (near Rochechouart) FOR SALE: Nardi insert oven Good working condition and has smoked glass oven door. €70.00 Tel: 05 55 60 64 03 FOR SALE: Steel Flue 8 metre length of 150mm stainless steel flexible flue, type 316. Also top plate (for chimney capping), register plate with 3 pre-cut blanked off holes, stove to flue pipe adapter, and top insert. All brand new and in perfect condition. Cost £200. Will sell for £140 or 170 Euros. €170.00 Tel: 0545 89 08 46 (Montrollet) FOR SALE: Uplights Matching pair. Chrome effect colour. 1.8m high. Domed top.

Lovely look. Euros 35.00 the pair. Tel. 05 55 64 87 91 after 6pm, or text 0044 7722 032348 FOR SALE: Floor and Wall tiles FLOOR TILES 13 x 13inch (33 x 33cm) greyish white colour, approx 40 tiles 25 euro the lot. WALL TILES 4 x 4inch (10 x 10cm), approx 600 tiles, mixed colours sand yellow, white, rouge, 45 euro the lot. Tel: 02 54 30 67 86 Ste Sévère area (36) FOR SALE: Electric Mincer With sausage making attachments. V. g. working order. €15.00 Tel: 02 54 30 67 86 Ste Sévère area (36) FOR SALE: BLACK LEATHER 3/4 length coat Size 16 vgc. €20.00 Tel: 02 54 30 67 86 Ste Sévère area (36) FOR SALE: HP printer and scanner Excellent working condition. Includes user guide and disc. €15.00 Tel: 02 54 30 67 86 Ste Sévère area (36) FOR SALE: Taps to fit on sink Black granite colour. Still boxed with all fittings plus instructions for fitting. Never used. €35.00 Tel: 02 54 25 38 97 Dept 36 – Orsennes FOR SALE: Cot and Travel Cot Graco travel cot approx 1m x 70cm. Folds to go in car, or store away, 20 euro. Wooden cot, 1.4m x 70cm. 25 euros. Tel. 05 55 62 25 18 FOR SALE: Pram/Pushchair 2 in 1 'Elite'. Winter and summer covers, zip cosy, hoods, parasol, nets, very smart, practical, adaptable, very big basket tray under. All folding. Suitable from birth to 4 yrs. All detachable, suitable also for use as carry cot for new born. Olive green and cream. Matching bag. Excellent around town, garden and farm. €140.00 Tel: 05 55 62 25 18 FOR SALE: Portaloo 'Thetford' Virtually new, only used 2 days. With some chemicals. €50.00 Tel: 05 55 62 25 18 FOR SALE: Child's pedal tractor with trailer Suit up to 5 years old. Replica of Claas tractor. Excellent condition. €25.00 Tel: 02 54 30 67 86 Ste Sévère area (36) FOR SALE: Wii Sports Resort Pack Wii Sports Resort pack complete and hardly used bargain price. €120.00 Tel: 02 54 62 01 87 Email: mike. crevant@hotmail.com FOR SALE: Rug Size 224

x 167 cm. Rose & cream coloured and in good condition. €25.00 Tel: 0555 787902 (near Rochechouart) FOR SALE: BIG OLD JERRY CAN US 1952. 16 litres. €15.00 Tel: 0555 787902 (near Rochechouart)

FOR SALE: Two vintage french wood burners (small) Both in good condition, one green one turquoise enamel cast iron. 85 euros each. Tel: 02 54 62 01 87 Email: mike. crevant@hotmail.com FOR SALE: 2 Sleeping Bags Almost good as new and only used 3 times. 15 euros each. Tel: 0555 787902 (near Rochechouart)

VEHICLES / PARTS FOR SALE: Leyland DAF Van Spares Brake shoes - €20. Brake pads - €20. Handbrake cable - €10. All new, unused (might fit Land Rover). Tel: 02 48 56 74 73 FOR SALE: 6 Leyland DAF Van Wheels With tyres. Might fit Transit. €60 - won't split. Tel: 02 48 56 74 73 FOR SALE: Yamaha 125 Black off road bike no papers. €500.00 Tel: 02 54 24 29 76 FOR SALE: Mazda Red. Full service history. Two years Control Technique and French registered 1994. Very good condition. €600.00 Tel: 02 54 24 29 76 FOR SALE: Land Rover - Left Hand Drive Headlights A pair of left hand drive headlights for a 300 TDI or early pre facelift TD5. Approx 2 years old and in near perfect condition. Cost almost £100.00, for sale at €60.00. Can post but prefer collection because of the delicate nature. For more info/ images please phone. €60.00 Tel: 04 70 06 37 99 FOR SALE: Renault Espace 2.2 DCI, 10CV LHD Manual Silver/blue metallic in very good condition. Six seater. Partial glass roof and alarm system. Registered 23 November 2006. 99,000 km. CT November 2014. Please telephone evenings or leave a message. €7,500.00ono Tel: 05 55 60 77 69 FOR SALE: FIAT FIORINO 1.7d van White1997 94,000k. French registered, left hand drive. New tyres-cam belt-fan belt-battery, large roof rack. Good little workhorse, clean and tidy. Reluctant sale due to returning to UK. Sainte-Sévère area 36. €1,000.00ono Tel: +44 07550010194 FOR SALE: 2002 Dethlleff Camper In good condition, 6

berth, fully winterized, with full size summer awning and half size winter awning. Ideal for living in while renovating your chateau. Caravan is currently not registered but I can deliver within 100km and will pass any inspection required to register. For further details or viewing

please email. €6,400.00 Email: whitingj1@hotmail.co.uk FOR SALE: Dog Guard to fit Jeep €60.00 Tel: 05 55 60 64 03 FOR SALE: To fit 1971 VW Beetle 1300, 4 wheels and tyres 2 Town and Country wheels and tyres with snow studs also numerous new spares. €175.00 Tel: 05 55 60 64 03 FOR SALE: Internation 454 tractor with heavy duty topper One owner from new 3600 hours. Recent full service with new oils and filters. Ideal for smallholder. €4,600.00 Tel: 05 55 68 22 04 FOR SALE: Trailer Enclosed timber trailer with sturdy tarp to roof to ensure watertight. Drop down rear door, spare tyre. Internal dimensions - length 3.6m, width 1.4m, height 1.15m. €250.00 Tel. 05 55 64 87 91 after 6pm, or text 0044 7722 032348 FOR SALE: Roof bars for Mitsubishi Lancer Adjustable, lockable. €20.00 Tel: 05 55 62 25 18 FOR SALE: 4 nearly new tyres - still with pimples on Only done 600km. Size 185/65 x 14n 6ply rated so therefore can be fitted to vans, trailers, or cars. Price new £270 now asking €130. Contact by email. €130.00 Email: thompsonandrew722@ gmail.com

WHITE GOODS FOR SALE: Curtiss DT 25 2 door fridge/freezer Height 148cms, Width 58cms, Depth 60cms. Volume Fridge – 197 litres, Freezer – 48 litres. Good working order. €60.00 Tel: 05 55 60 45 90 Email: yogisheena@ gmail.com FOR SALE: Zanussi Washing Machine 1400 spin cycle. Silver colour, 57 cm depth at widest point... too big for my new bathroom. Call Lili (Chateauroux area). €180.00ono Tel: 06 95 91 53 09

WANTED WANTED: Companion pony ... for our 12 y.o. mare who has recently lost a true friend. Tel: 05 55 76 27 18 WANTED: Digger or Excavator Any age or condition. Any other plant or machinery considered. Prompt cash buyer. Tel: 02 48 56 74 73 WANTED: Long reach hedge cutter/trimmer The longer the better! Electric or petrol. Tel: 05 55 78 79 02 WANTED: Log or Coal Burner Preferably with oven but not important. Tel: 02 48 56 74 73 WANTED: Piano Good price, preferably able to deliver to Chambon-sur-Voueize 23170. Anything considered. Email: barry.blundell@yahoo.com WANTED: Trailer - any age or condition Tel: 02 48 56 74 73

18 ♦ DIRECTORY

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2014

Business Directory

Your indispensable guide to finding local businesses & artisans Animals & Pets Auto Services Building Services Architectural Services Carpenters/Joiners Electricians Fosses Septiques General Groundworks Painters/Decorators Plasterers

Animals & Pets

Plumbers Sandblasting Chimney Sweeps Computers/Satellites >> pg 18 Engineering >> pg 18 >> pg 18-19 Food & Drink Garden Services >> pg 19 >> pg 19 -21 Gifts & Crafts Handholding Services >> pg 21 Health & Beauty >> pg 21 House Clearance >> pg 21 >> pg 18 >> pg 18

The Orchard Kennels & Cattery (Farges, nr. Aubusson)

Small & friendly, English run. Viewings welcome. Certificat de capacité. Also available: Pet foods, treats & accessories.

Mon - Sat: 9.00 - 7.00

Contact Dave Grant: 05 55 67 58 87

www.the-orchard.eu siret: 504 584 228 00010

Champlong Chatterie

Caring, quiet accommodation just for cats JUNCT 22 off A20, Arnac la Poste

Alison & Ray

Tel: 05 55 60 27 83

champlongchatterie@me.com www.champlongchatterie.com SIRET: 520 896 671 00010

Animal communication Gentle healing for people and pets. Complementing conventional treatments by easing the side effects. Helping to identify the causes of allergic reactions and behavioural problems. More information at:

The Caring Cattery Rochechouart

05 55 03 76 87 / 06 30 02 35 73 Only 30 mins from Limoges airport. Established, purpose built secure cattery. Large individual/family units, tiled floors, shelving, adjoining outside areas. Heated, individual needs catered for. NEW - purpose built isolation unit. Certificate of Capacity. Contact Barbara:

bdowning77@wanadoo.fr SIRET: 494 125 016 00019

Auto Services

Tel: 05 55 58 87 94 / Mob: 06 61 01 12 21 Email: zdh@ze-dog-house.fr Certificat de capacité n° 87-203 RCS Limoges 750 912 057

Architectural Services Plans, Permissions & Photo-Realisations

RING BILL! Registered Car Mechanic

05.55.81.31.85

See Display Ad pg 20

LCS23 AUTOS

Left Hand Drive Specialists Sales, Recovery and Transport www.lcs23.com - see pg 17

Insurance & Finance Language Services Pest Control Property Maintenance Property Sales Retail & Commerce Transport/Removals /Storage General

CHARTERED STRUCTURAL ENGINEER

Pre-purchase & Structural Surveys. Verbal & written reports. Structural calculations & drawings. Redevelopment ideas & solutions. Tim Haw B.Eng C.Eng M.I.Struct.E

05 53 56 72 59 / 06 05 56 42 81 +44 (0)7448 466 662 Web: www.versineer.com Email: enquiries@versineer.com Siret: 498 843 051 00018

Comprehensive CAD drafting & design service for your planning application. Dossiers compiled and submitted, including all local & departmental liaison.

Your advert here

web: www.masterplans.eu email: info@masterplans.eu

05 55 41 17 76

Architectural DRAWING SERVICE

Building Services

Tel: 05 55 80 72 83 Mbl: 06 33 07 29 72 siret: 790 016 984 00011

New build?

English, French, German - and Animal spoken! Katharina Maiss

ZE DOG (& CAT) HOUSE

Building Services

Renovating your French property?

www.ame-et-corps.com Tel: 06.66.24.85.49

Family, cage-free boarding for dogs and cats. Positive dog training and counseling. We make sure that “Ze Dog (& Cat) House” is a real home from home for your companions so that they, as well as you, spend a great time on holiday! June Altman, Le Puytren, 87800 Meilhac

>> pg 22 >> pg 22 >> pg 22 >> pg 22 >> pg 22 >> pg 22-23 >> pg 23 >> pg 23 >> pg 24 >> pg 24 >> pg 24

Dossiers prepared Permis de Construire Déclarations Préalables

Tel: 05 53 52 36 05

lavieilleabbaye@orange.fr SIRET: 493 770 358 00015

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

Carpenters/ Joiners WOODWORK MADE TO MEASURE

DOORS, WINDOWS, SHUTTERS, STAIRCASES, OAK FRAMES... FROM LOCAL HARD AND SOFT WOODS. SHUTTERS FROM 35 EUROS. Please explore our website for more information:

>> pg 24 >> pg 24 >> pg 24 >> pg 24 >> pg 24 >> pg 24-25 >> pg 25 >> pg 25

Le Charme De Chêne Handmade solid oak joinery and furniture Our joinery expertise includes barn doors, barn door frame openings, staircases, kitchens, windows & doors. We also make handmade furniture. Every item is bespoke and made to measure. Please visit our website for recent installations and references.

www.lecharmedechene.com contactus@lecharmedechene.com

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

Building Services Electricians INSTALLATION23

- Electricity - Plumbing - Air conditioning and heat pump - Small renovations (bathrooms, kitchens, etc.) Dutch and English spoken Creuse / Puy-de-Dôme E-mail: installation23@gmail.com

www.scrollart.co.uk scrollartfrance@gmail.com

Mob. 06 40 56 96 12 Tel. 05 55 67 57 64

Oradour Sur Vayres (87150) - siren: 752 051 482

Siret: 753 054 030 00014

05 55 14 12 43

DIRECTORY ♦ 19

DECEMBER 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

ADVERTORIAL

Winter is on its way and what better time to start to perfect your language skills...

ntroducing “Ecole de Langue” - the new language school which opened its doors in La Châtre (36400) on October 18th 2014. The new school, situated on Rue Nationale in the centre of the town, aims to provide essential language skills that all too often the expat community goes without. The school is run by a British woman who has lived in the Indre since 2012. It was due to the lack of language schools in the area that she decided to open the school which has the motto 'high quality tuition for an affordable price'. “I have found learning French so difficult, everyone speaks English! But the speed at which our children were learning and leaving us in the dark was astonishing,” says Emma Pattinson, founder of Ecole de Langue. “Problems with the CAF, URSSAF and getting the

Lumiere Service et Energie Steven Rofe 20+ Years experience

CT done on the car are only a handful of times where speaking French is essential. We can't all avoid answering the phone forever!”

Emma and her family previously lived in Germany before moving to the area and she hopes the school will be able to help others out when it comes to integrating into the local communities. “The idea is to get people talking - to get people involved

BARWICK ÉLECTRICITÉ

Email: barwick.shaun@gmail.com

Siret No. 501.792.386.00010

@iret: 794 282 368 00016

Ruth & Geoff Kowalczyk All electrical work, home automation & security. Project management. See our website for more information. French qualified and insured. 30+ years worldwide experience. Departments covered: 23, 36, 87.

Tel: 05 55 63 10 68 Mob: 06 64 59 48 64

Email: info@pink-electrique.fr www.pink-electrique.fr SIRET: 788 709 871 00016

Your advert here 05 55 41 17 76 Leigh Dodd

Electrical Services Full house rewiring, renovations EDF/Consuel arrangements Fully qualified & Decennale insured Established in France since 2007 Based near St-Yrieix-la-Perche

Available for all types of electrical work Small jobs, new builds, renovations, rewires Consuel assistance and certification service available Fully insured with 10 year workmanship guarantee Based near Châlus (87230)

Tel: 09 72 35 74 73

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 * Fault finding * Consuel certification arranged * Temporary and permanent EDF supplies arranged * Departments 23 and 87 No Siret: 494 916 760 00015

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

O5.55.48.95.86

sales@thebugle.eu

contact@saraleigh.com

05 55 41 17 76

www.saraleigh.com Siret: 507 643 336 00013

Building Services

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

SHAUN BARWICK QUALIFIED ELECTRICIAN

• 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: rofesteven@yahoo.co.uk

Pink Electrique

in what's going on right under their noses.” The school provides a wide range of languages: French, German, Spanish, Italian, Arabic and it will soon be offering Russian. The courses run on an individual basis, so you book your classes when it is convenient for you - and there are wide range of options available from 1-to-1 and group courses, to intensive week-long classes. Courses start from age 5 onwards, so there is also the opportunity for students to get language support that they may not receive at home. Running until 31st December 2014 the offer “Book 10 hours and receive 4 at a reduced price” means that 10 hours of 1-to-1 French tuition could cost as little as €345, with payment options including cheque, cash and PayPal. Perhaps a perfect Christmas gift for a loved one who has been saying for years “I'll learn French one day!” ■

Building Services

Fosses Septiques Steve Johns

Fosse Septique Specialist

General

20+ years experience All aspects covered:

Eurl Réno-Gén

ROOFING SPECIALISTS

Paperwork and permissions arranged Installations (full/part) Upgrades (to current regs) Inspections

Digger and dumper hire

Groundworks, foundations, driveways, etc.

Building & Renovation services Free devis and site visit

05.55.64.11.73

We guarantee to beat any like for like quote ! siret: 514 556 208 00015

LES VIDANGES LIMOUSINES ▪ Emptying septic tanks ▪ Unblocking pipes ▪ Cleaning wells ▪ Group rates available between neighbours Call David - 24/24 7/7

06 49 66 44 25 87800 Jourgnac Siret N° 750 725 780 00019

All types of roofing External insulation Carpentry work Dormer windows Velux windows Zinc guttering Chimney repoints Lead flashing, etc. Contact Phil Andrews:

Mob: 06 42 38 54 22 Tel: 02 54 30 11 20 Email: philip.andrews@orange.fr siret: 509 180 410 00011

Harlequin Developments All aspects of renovation and refurbishment, big or small, undertaken.

Your advert here

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 41 17 76

harlequindevelopments@live.com www.harlequindevelopments.com

sales@thebugle.eu

05.55.68.67.56 06.06.60.46.97 SIRET: 494.501.067.00016

All enquiries to:

Emma Pattinson emma@ecole-de-langue.net 86, Rue Nationale 36400, La Châtre www.ecole-de-langue.net

02 54 31 12 55

Max Huggett

Experienced and fully registered builder with 10 year Décennale Insurance Offering a broad selection of building services in depts. 87, 19 & 23. From one off installations to complete renovations, construction, landscaping and ground works. E: info@maxhuggett.com

T: 05 55 69 37 64 M: 06 80 92 23 82

www.maxhuggett.com

English & French spoken - Siret: 518 511 340 00011

Your advert here 05 55 41 17 76 Paul Jones Renovation

Experienced and fully registered artisan, offering a high quality finish and service • 10yr Décennale Assurance • Full house/barn renovation • Plasterboarding walls and ceilings • Tape and Jointing • Kitchen Installation • Roofing works • Carpentry • Patios/Decking

Tel: 05 55 69 28 12 Mob: 06 73 18 63 47 Email: pauljones@orange.fr www.pauljonesrenovation.com siret no: 495 067 829 00020

CONTINUED NEXT PAGE...

05.55.41.17.76

20 ♦ DIRECTORY

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2014

Entreprise Hines Building Services All Internal & External Works, completed to a high standard.

We also supply KWIKSTAGE scaffold for hire - either DIY or full scaffold service provided. siret: 503 169 237 00016

See website for more info - www.entreprisehines.com - 05 55 89 69 46 - robert.hines@orange.fr

Building Services

Davis & Davis

30 years' Experience in Construction, Renovation & Project Management Quality Workmanship Guaranteed Internal/ External Developments

General

Courson Construction

Every aspect of building & renovation work, groundwork, fosses, etc…

Concrete & formwork specialist, including concrete stairs. Large scaffold stock. 25 years + experience. Honest & fair quotations. References available. Rapid response estimates and start dates. Insured & registered

Call Dave: 06 42 73 83 37 Email: coursonbuild@gmail.com Siret: 795 207 067 00013

Building & Property Services

Pointing. Brick, Stone, Blocks laid. Handyman/Gardening. Cleaning Services & Key Holding. Dept. 23 & surrounding areas. call Barry or Kim:

06 42 19 20 06

e: sussex.kim@orange.fr siret: 807 664 263 00017

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

KWIKSTAGE Scaffold Hire DIY or Full Scaffold Service See our website or phone for details

05 55 89 69 46

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

Barn conversions, loft conversions, new-build, drylining, plastering, rendering, spray rendering, tiling, installation of kitchens/ bathrooms, painting, carpentry, replacement doors & windows, velux installation, groundworks, landscaping, decking & much more...

No job too big (or small). Give us a call for a free competitive quote.

05 55 60 29 50 / 06 04 13 30 57 email: davis-davis@sfr.fr

Based Arnac-la-Poste - Covering depts 87, 23 & 19 Siret: 498 203 652 00017

Dave Cardwell - Builder

05 55 98 24 12

See our Display Ad - pg 9

Your advert here

La Maison

Building and woodwork info@la-maison.biz www.la-maison.biz 06 40 30 70 90 - see main ad, pg 9

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts Steve Johns Assainissement

fosse-septique23.com

05.55.64.11.73 - see pg 13

WASTE REMOVAL SERVICES

• house/barn/garden clearances • dechetterie runs • rubbish removal • cash paid for scrap • general labouring service • mini digger - with/without driver • Vehicle with 1.5 tonne crane

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

Entreprise Hines 05 55 41 17 76 Building & Renovation 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

05 55 61 08 02 / 06 52 23 89 54 web: www.builderinthecreuse.co.uk

Email: tjrenovations96@yahoo.fr Siret: 750 068 116 00011

Monte Sarginson

House Renovations Inside & Out

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

Tel: 05 55 63 88 70 Mob: 06 21 34 18 20 Siret no 507 516 748 00013

sales@thebugle.eu 05 55 41 17 76

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

R & B Construction ALL ASPECTS OF RENOVATION & CONSTRUCTION • House & barn renovations • Garage/loft conversions • Bathroom/shower rooms • Doors/windows • Roofing • Patios/decking • Plumbing & Electrical • 10 year Guarantee Insurance

See our website: www.rb-first-construction.com Tel: 05 55 37 74 06 (Dave) Tel: 05 55 69 75 67 (Steve) (Depts 23, 87 & 19) siret: 501 792 386 00010

05 55 41 17 76

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

Large or small projects undertaken - please view our website. Contact: Paul or Joanne Rands

05.55.66.44.06 www.lanoneix.com Paul.rands@orange.fr SIRET: 501 144 596 00019

www.creusepropertyservices.eu

Rochechouart SIRET: 520 275 504 00022

A. Robins Construction Roofing Specialist www.robinsbuilders.com 05 45 61 40 15 - see pg 3

Property Maintenance Services

Siret: 792 049 025 00010

sales@thebugle.eu

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

INSTALLATIONS AND REPAIRS TEL: 05.55.06.05.69 MOB: 06.04.44.26.36

PLUMBING/ELECTRICITY

SIRET: 503 169 237 00016

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

& Property Services

Creuse Property & Lake Services

05.55.89.69.46 www.entreprisehines.com robert.hines@orange.fr

Construction

CHRIS STONE SERVICES

Qualified Tradesman 20+ years experience Offering extensive handyman and general maintenance services Small jobs a speciality, able to work with you on your renovation projects Affordable & reliable, a quality job every time Servicing 23 and surrounding areas. Call Jim:

28 years qualified experience

La Noneix

- General maintenance including grounds - Change overs - Meet and Greets - On call / Emergency help - Key holding - Handyman Building projects also undertaken For full details visit or call 06 02 67 72 19 Siret No: 804 568 020 00015

French Lily

Kitchens & Interiors 05 55 80 92 91 - see pg 10

Paul Goldsmith Interior Renovations Registered for 8 years in France

RSW Entreprises

High quality work, excellent references available • Kitchens • Bathrooms • Tiling • Wood flooring • Loft conversions • Pointing • Windows • Plasterboarding Covering Creuse and Indre

05.55.80.00.57

t: 09 66 03 52 89

05 55 66 23 97 06 27 25 07 78

Fosse Septique Specialist See our Display Ad - pg 8

Old Style Creativity Rural Renovations Multi-skilled Professional Workmanship for every aspect of your build Please see our portfolio at : www.oldstylecreativity.weebly.com Contact Kristian Woodgate on:

kristianwoodgate@icloud.com

05-55-62-24-27 / 06-48-77-79-19 siret: 511 277 527 00012

e: lasout@live.com SIRET 494 123 847 00019

Your advert here 05 55 41 17 76 RING BILL!

Advertise your business here

Registered Car Mechanic

05.55.41.17.76

05 55 81 31 85 ■ Services ■ Brakes ■ MOT Prep

sales@thebugle.eu

(contrôle technique)

SIRET: 494 617 798 00017

■ ... much more Dept. 23 & surrounding areas

DIRECTORY ♦ 21

DECEMBER 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

ADVERTORIAL

La Noneix Construction and Property Services Limousin residents Paul and Joanne Rands moved to France with their two young children nearly a decade 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.

only be good for the region, with old properties being given new life. 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 to find out how things are going - we will always respond. We find that this service is essential to our customers who do not live permanently in France, allowing them

ere at La Noneix Construction we are into our 9th 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. The number of barn renovations, extensions and re-roofing jobs we are doing on old properties can

to remotely see exactly what has been happening in their absence. 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. When doing any kind of work, but especially when the work is structural, it is imperative that customers ensure anyone they use has a valid insurance policy to cover them for this work. La Noneix Construction and Property Services is a professional enterprise that is registered at the Chambre de Métiers. We operate under

Before

After

a full, mandatory 10-year insurance (décennale) and we have an excellent customer service record. Don’t take our word for it, though, just listen to what our customers have to say about our business in their own words: “I have used La Noneix Construction for a number of projects on my house in France, the biggest project being a new roof. Joanne and Paul are very helpful and

project very carefully, and have been really impressed with your careful approach to our proposed extension. We particularly like your attention to detail and your honesty about what needs doing to make it the best possible job.” - Jim & Viv ■

offer great advice, without any pressure to accept a quote. The quality of work is second to none and all work has been completed quicker than expected without compromise on quality. You pay for what you get, and with La Noneix Construction that is guaranteed quality workmanship. I would recommend them to anyone wishing to have some work done on their house." - Andy “We've been considering our

La Noneix Construction & Property Services Tel: 05.55.66.44.06 Email: paul.rands@orange.fr Find more information on: www.lanoneix.com

To advertise in The Bugle Business Directory, call 05 55 41 17 76 GODSON

Travaux Publics www.pilgrim23.com 05.55.62.61.12 - pg 3

Double D

Renovations & Home Improvements 05 55 65 00 29 - pg 12

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

Building Services

La Coterie Entreprise Approved septic tank installer

05.55.80.83.30

www.lce23.com See our main ad - pg 22

Masonry & More

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

05 55 61 93 07

martin_sprague_1@ hotmail.com SIRET: 531 768 182 00010

sales@thebugle.eu 05 55 41 17 76

CALL KATH Painting and Decorating Interior and Exterior Colour Consultations

Painters/ Decorators

Room Re-designs

Simon Carter

Groundworks Mini-Digger with driver

05.55.78.62.29

john.bonella@gmail.com See Main Ad Below

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

05 55 41 17 76

Mini Digger

with Driver for Hire

Landscaping, ditching, land clearance etc. Also general Garden Maintenance John Bonella

87440 Marval

05 55 78 62 29

siret no. 523 183 580 00019

Building Services

john.bonella@gmail.com

Montluc Painting & Decorating Qualified craftsman with over 25 years UK experience, now based in Haute-Vienne Specialist services: Interior & exterior painting, wallpapering, plastering & boarding, floor restoration, tiling.

kathleen.willis@orange.fr

christopher.willis@orange.fr

05 55 63 53 06 siret 802 262 35200015

Building Services Plasterers Graham Carter Plastering

05 55 41 17 76

05 55 63 53 06 06 23 29 48 19 Le Bourg, 23360 Nouzerolles SIRET: 504 612 441 00015

sales@thebugle.eu 05 55 41 17 76 GLEN VINEY

Multiskilled Artisan

Your advert here

A genuine plasterer French and English spoken Traditional Plastering Rendering, Stud partition dry lining Lime mortar stone pointing

CALL FOR A FREE QUOTATION

Tel: 05 87 19 91 50 Mob: 07 81 26 88 65 siret: 792.130.932.00017

the Plasterer

Kathleen Willis

FREE QUOTES

Web: www.sjcmontluc.fr Email: sjcmontluc@yahoo.fr

Chris

• 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

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

CONTINUED NEXT PAGE...

50,000 sq ft of covered showrooms & 2 large external display areas - All reclamation bought & sold - Demolition undertaken - Specialists in oak beams - Metalwork & stonework - Indian stone flooring - Plywood, all in 8x4 sheets: internal, external and marine grade Open Mon-Sat 8.30am to 6pm - www.reclamation-yard.com Only 1km from Confolens on the D952 Ansac-sur-Vienne road

22 ♦ DIRECTORY

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2014

Septic tanks

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

Concrete

concrete ﬂoors, concrete terraces, concrete retaining walls, openings, underﬂoor heating, insulation, steps.

Renovation

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

trading 6 years

see our portfolio at www.LCE23.com

05.55.80.83.30

Building Services

registered and insured for all work we do

Building Services

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

Siren: 502 409 949

siret: 353 613 227 00035

Martin Walters

Sand and Blast

TOUTE SWEEP

sandblasting

* 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

Caught out last winter? Don't worry! We can now offer winter checks, drain downs, caretaking, general DIY, key holding, as well as our usual friendly plumbing services.

Tel 02 54 24 84 62 Siret 522 804 723 00016

sales@thebugle.eu 05 55 41 17 76 Benjamin Jourdan

Plumber/Electrician

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 67 77 83 05 steve@sandandblast.com SIRET: 534 759 337 00015

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

05 55 63 78 72 Chimney Sweep Service

barry@toutesweep.com

Big Dish Satellite

SIRET: 534 351 754 00013

see main ad - pg 12

REMEMBER - BLOCKED FLUES AND CHIMNEY FIRES CAN BE FATAL... DON'T TAKE THAT RISK!

Computers & Satellites

www.helplomberie.com e: benjaminjourdan@hotmail.com

05 55 63 89 23 see pg 7

Your advert here 05 55 41 17 76

Sat-Elec Formerly Electrosat

UK & French Satellite TV

Dishes & Freesat boxes always in stock Terrestrial digital aerial installations From a single outlet to multi-point systems Approved Supplier

H20 CREUSE CLEAR CHIMNEYS Heating & Plumbing engineer

All types of chimneys cleaned Clean and efficient Certificat de Ramonage issued with every chimney swept Woodburners supplied & fitted Accredited flue installer Woodburner repairs Safety surveys Chimney repairs/maintenance

02 54 06 40 80

sootylesweep@gmail.com siren 535 199 483

Machining services Manual turning and milling Component manufacture and repair Also manual gearbox rebuilds Competition transmission specialist MARSAC 23210 John Richard Hoare

05 55 61 18 60 richardhoare1@orange.fr Siret no. 801 650 573 00018

Food & Drink

sales@thebugle.eu 05 55 41 17 76

05 55 66 60 21

Wi-Fi, Data Networks, CCTV For sales, service or advice call Mike G on:

siret: 517 848 826 00023

05 55 78 72 98

Satellite Systems

TOOWAY BROADBAND

m: 06 42 65 83 44 t: 05 55 60 84 69

www.bigdishsat.com

MARSAC LIGHT ENGINEERING

Creusetec RIVE DROITE

sales@thebugle.eu

Chimney Sweeps

Your advert here

Contact Barry Manning

05 55 41 17 76 Installation, servicing & maintenance of all types of boiler: wood, gas, fuel, pellet... Solar panels installed and maintained. Underfloor heating, bathrooms, kitchens, etc... General electric works up to full house rewire. Will travel.

Based Séreilhac (87)

05 55 41 17 76

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

Engineering

06.79.07.91.56

www.stovesellers.com

Plumbers

Plumber

For all your TV and satellite installations and repairs (Sky TV, Internet etc.) Call Patrice: libre.antenne87@gmail.com Fast dependable service

Sandblasting We provide a fully operated

sales@LCE23.com

05 55 09 15 73

We only use our own qualified staff No call out charge Free quotations All areas covered Quality work from qualified Staff 5 Place de la Republique Sauviat-sur-Vige 87400 siret no 798 364 600 00014

GOODWIN SATELLITE

SALES & INSTALLATION OF ALL SATELLITE SYSTEMS & AERIALS. FAULT FINDING. Dept 23 & surrounding areas

Tel: 05 55 62 05 61 Mob: 06 23 40 18 64 Email: garygoodwin@wanadoo.fr siret: 453 067 910 00019

sales@thebugle.eu

"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.

martin@creusetec.com http://www.creusetec.com SIRET: 510 117 328 00011

Mayday

computer services - pc • mac • network

05 55 68 47 33 / 06 82 26 31 54 see pg 8

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

05 55 41 17 76

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 AOC available from July to December High Quality Food, a Warm Welcome and a Friendly Atmosphere await Closed Sundays & Mondays

Robert and Sue Manning

FARM TO FORK Farm-raised Limousin Beef, Lamb and Poultry

All the meat we sell is bred, fed and finished here on the farm Beef available as 1/16 or 1/8 side at just €10.90/kg Order your Goose or Turkey for Christmas Duck/Chicken available all year round Lamb available from 2015 EARL Les Fromentaux 10 Route de Vilenne, 36200 Celon

Tel: 02 54 25 34 73

05.55.41.17.76

DIRECTORY ♦ 23

DECEMBER 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

ADVERTORIAL

Advertising with The Bugle SAT-ELEC - Satellite & Broadband solutions

ith 5 years’ experience delivering print advertising to an expat market, The Bugle represents one of the most cost-effective ways to let English speakers know about your business. An advert with The Bugle starts from just €11.20 HT per month – that’s less than 37 cents a day to put your business in front of 30,000 people each month. In the Limousin we have more than 300 distribution points across the region and surrounding areas where readers can pick up a copy for free. We also distribute 3,500 copies through Limoges Airport, which means that we are in the perfect position to target not only residents and secondhome owners, but also tourists and those new to the region. The Bugle is the only English language newspaper dedicated to the Limousin - in fact, today, The Bugle is the only free English language newspaper in France and we are growing all the time. If you would like to discuss any of our advertising options further, why not give us a call today to find out more about the ways that we can help you grow your business.

T: 05 55 41 17 76 E: sales@thebugle.eu W: www.thebugle.eu

oor or No Broadband? Satellite is your answer. There are two main providers in Europe. Rent or buy, the choice is yours. DIY or we can install it for you, again the choice is yours. The equipment is delivered to your door. TOOWAY offers speeds of up to 22M down and 6M up and the monthly rental (dependent on package) starts from €19.95. SES offers speeds of up to 20M down and 2M up and the monthly rental (dependent on package) starts from €10.95. For very light users SES offer a pay as you go option at €7.75 per Gigabyte. Is UK TV reception a problem? We have over 25 years' experience in the satellite industry and Mike G is here to assist you. Call him on 05 55 09 15 73. CCTV - four cameras and a DVR fitted from €800.00 and you can view it from an iPhone or laptop anywhere. Ideal for checking if the gardner, cleaner, etc. has come, or for just projecting the view from your window in France on to the wall, as a screen saver to impress your friends in the UK. Now have you wanted a UK phone number

in France? We are able to provide you with a UK phone number with the rental starting from £5.00 per month. There is a wide range of phones to choose from and it will work over Broadband and Satellite Broadband. If you are interested please call Mike T on 03 66 88 06 29.

The two Mikes are happy to prepare a custom package for you on all or any of the above. Call Mike G on 05 55 09 15 73 or Mike T on 03 66 88 06 29 or email: info@sat-elec.co.uk SAT-ELEC where knowledge and experience provide the complete solution.

To advertise in The Bugle Business Directory, call 05 55 41 17 76 Le Moulin du Breuil

Oh My Cod Fish and Chips

BAR, RESTAURANT, TERRASSE

www.ohmycod.fr

23140 PIONNAT

05 55 80 37 70 - see pg 8

05 55 80 34 26 - see pg 16

Le Pub

Restaurant AUX CEPES LA veytiZoU, 87130

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

Tel: 05 55 69 33 38

02.54.60.02.14 - see pg 6

see main ad - pg 8

Le Creusois Les Genêts, Azerables

High quality British & French food at reasonable prices. Menu du Jour €12, Traditional Pub Food, Vegetarian dishes, Childrens & Snack menus also available

JJ’s Cafe Bar

Some customer quotes: ‘...more than just a bar’ ‘....a bit like Allo Allo and Cheers!’

05.55.63.90.79 SIREN: 483 988 853

Petticoat Lane

Come and see for yourself - Open all week.

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

02 54 06 30 77

5 Rue Nationale – 16150 Chabanais

www.frenchweb.eu/jjscafebar/

Tel: 05 45 29 03 99

cafebarjj@yahoo.co.uk

open all year regular events private parties

Visit us and compare our prices

www.lechampsac.com

lechampsac@orange.fr 12, Rue des Fontaines, 87230 Champsac

Merry Xmas to all our customers, new and old!

QUALITY CARDS AT UK PRICES! E: ANGI@CARDBUBBLE.COM FREE DELIVERY ON ALL ORDERS OVER €10 WORLDWIDE

Unique handmade gifts and jewellery for Christmas

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 below

Gifts & Crafts

Christmas shopping weekend 5th, 6th & 7th December, 2pm-6pm 21 La Tour, 23130 St-Dizier-la-Tour

www.helenclarence.com tel: 05 55 81 00 97

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

B&B Restaurant Bar Tabac & Salle des Fêtes

good food! good company! good night out!

BUY YOUR BRITISH GREETINGS CARDS ONLINE!

Helen Clarence Designs

Le Champsac

English groceries, Fresh British Beef & Steaks (to order only), Gammon Steak, Bacon, Sausage & Cheddar Cheese. Wide range of frozen items including vegetarian. Traditional English beers, Sherries & Wine. Cards for all occasions. Opening hours: Mon - Sat 10am – 6pm

WWW.CARDBUBBLE.COM

siret: 751 978 917 00019

SIRET: 508 754 314 00013

Visit: www.petticoatlaneshop.com E-mail: sales@petticoatlaneshop.com

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

Garden Services

sales@thebugle.eu 05 55 41 17 76

Bar/Restaurant

www.lecreusoisbistro.com

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

05 55 78 19 24

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

Ivan Petley

3D Puzzle Maker Handmade, fully interlocking, multi-layered 3D puzzles from just €9. Keyrings €2 plus other unique gift ideas. Customisation and personalisation possible. Come and visit the workshop by appointment.

Tel: 05.55.80.29.88 Les Bregères, 23150 St-Martial-le-Mont alison.petley@wanadoo.fr

Your advert here 05 55 41 17 76

'CARTES DE CHRISTINE' HAND-CRAFTED CARDS FOR ALL OCCASIONS

Quality product at affordable prices. Customized, if required, especially for you. Available blank or with either English or French greetings.

Email: ellinghamroam764@yahoo.com VISIT ME AT THE FOLLOWING MARKETS: PIEGUT (Wed), Brantôme (Fri) AIGRE, CHASSENEUIL & CONFOLENS (Monthly) FIND OUR CARDS AT: Magazin Artisanat, Confolens Send an email to sign up to the newsletter

Tel: 06 86 89 81 02 siret 528 539 448

LE DORAT (Pl. Charles de Gaulle)

Mon Chic Cottage

(formerly Vera Laine Cadeaux)

Home Decor & Gifts

Tea, coffee & home-made scones / cakes Official Stockist & Workshop for Chalk Paint™ by Annie Sloan & Neal’s Yard Remedies Organic Open Tue-Fri: 10h00 -17h00 Sat: 10h00-13h00 Contact Jay:

05 87 77 95 59

www.monchiccottage.com info@monchiccottage.com

Très Jolie

Ladies fashion accessories 05 55 78 62 29 / 06 04 08 29 53 see main ad pg 13

sales@thebugle.eu 05 55 41 17 76 CONTINUED NEXT PAGE...

Cross Cut Tree Surgeons

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

beverley.pawson@yahoo.co.uk

05.55.60.62.14 / 06.78.38.42.44

siret: 530 840 958 00017

24 ♦ DIRECTORY

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2014

sales@thebugle.eu Handholding Services

AMMARA Call Alex, your English nail technician now

Insurance & Finance

05.55.41.17.76 Pest Control

Property Sales

Central France Pest Control

Leggett Immobilier

Gel nails starting from €40 a set

Tel: 06 22 93 14 57 ammara.onglerie@gmail.com siret: en cours

to meditate A HELPING HAND Learning Meditation class in Limoges for beginners Translation/interpretation Dealing with utilities/banks Permis de construire Sourcing/supervising artisans 1-2-1 conversation classes

05 55 62 50 38 Jonathan Critchley jcritch.7@gmail.com siret: 792 285 025 00013

NEED HELP? Sworn Translations from English or Dutch to French (birth certificates, etc.) Online translation service

Help and advice with moving to and living in France (EDF, CPAM, RSI, Notaire) I can accompany you if required

05 55 08 06 71 / 06 26 83 77 97 www.pr-translation-services.com

Sophie Arsac

French lessons & handholding services 05.55.89.15.74 - pg 15

Your advert here 05 55 41 17 76

and advanced participants Each Tue at 7pm at 7-9, Rampe du Pont Neuf, in the dojo of Ashtanga Yoga Limoges First session free of charge, then 4 evenings at a total fee of €35. Working in small groups in a beautiful space. NEW- Class in St-Junien 2nd Sun of every month www.ame-et-corps.com or call Katharina Maiss on:

06.66.24.85.49

OSTEOPATHY & ACUPUNCTURE lindabodimeade@eircom.net paulbodimeade@eircom.net

05 87 41 07 93 - see pg 9

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

05 55 41 17 76

HiFX

International money transfer

www.hifx.co.uk

Siddalls

Financial Solutions & Expert Advice

05.56.34.75.51

See our Display Ad - pg 15

www.applicateur3d.com Email: info@applicateur3d.com Curative and preventative

easyfrench87@orange.fr www.easyfrench.fr

www.housesoninternet.com

05.55.65.12.19

See our Display Ad - pg 3

www.limousin-bilingual.com

SIRET No. 498 544 741 00024

sales@thebugle.eu 05 55 41 17 76

Bilingual Estate Agent in Creuse

05 55 54 95 85 - see pg 8

Retail & Commerce

Property Maintenance Limousin Spas Alongside the amazing "Rotospa" spa range, we are now able to supply the "Durasport" & "Strong Spas" ranges of quality spas.

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

Annet Karhof

sales@thebugle.eu

06 37 08 92 09 - see pg 3

05 55 41 17 76

French lessons & Language Services

Houses on Internet

La Petite Barre, 18210 Bessais Le Fromental

See main ad pg 10

06 75 56 99 06 – 05 87 77 90 39

see main ad - pg 5

Cendrillon - Bourganeuf

www.LBVfrance.com

Training institution in partnership with the State. Lessons in either of our premises or at your home. 12 rue Thiers, 87300 Bellac ... or 11 ave Cruveilhier, 87130 Châteauneuf-la-Forêt

05 53 56 62 54

rats, mice, moles, flies, woodworm, bed bugs, fleas, wasps, hornets

Help with all property related issues

FREE FRENCH LESSONS

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

02 48 60 83 72 / 06 74 33 02 38

Language Services

Easyfrench

www.ferraille87.com see main ad - pg 12

05.55.60.87.37

TSG Insurance Services S.A.R.L. Siège Social: 34 Bd des Italiens, 75009 PARIS "Société de Courtage d'assurances" R.C.S. Paris B 447 609 108 (2003B04384) Numéro d'immatriculation 07 025 332 - www.orias.fr SIRET No.: 500 064 183 00014

House Clearance

debarrasser87

See our Display Ad - pg 9

Tel: 05 55 89 57 94 Mob: 06 15 28 54 82

Dératisation, Déinsectisation, Désinfection

Les Bons Voisins

House Clearance Specialists

Hair salon, Le Dorat

The Spectrum IFA Group with over 20 years' experience advising expatriates throughout Europe on all aspects of financial planning. Represented in Creuse by Tony Farrell:

Email: tony.farrell@spectrum-ifa.com

Health & Beauty

La Petite Place

TONY FARRELL INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVISOR

www.leggettfrance.com

All our spas are manufactured to the highest standards & have full manufacturers warranty. These spas have relatively low power requirements & are very economical. Prices start from €3,750. Models seat 2 to 7 people. For more information on our range check out our website:

www.limousin-spas.com or telephone: 05 55 63 26 20 Numéro Siret: 752 157 610 00011

Your advert here 05 55 41 17 76

Would you like to receive your copy of The Bugle by post each month? We can deliver a copy to your door, hot off the press

France, UK and Europe - €16 per year

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

DIRECTORY ♦ 25

DECEMBER 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

ADVERTORIAL

“SolarVenti”- the solar solution to damp and humidity

simple solar energy system that runs on its own, even when you are not there! – And provides a free heat supplement in winter. The Solarventi air panel was invented more than 20 years ago by Hans Jørgen Christensen, from Aidt Miljø, with the backing of the Danish government. He wanted to use the sun’s energy for airing and ventilation of the thousands of holiday homes on the West coast of Jutland, - houses that were left empty and unheated for long periods - houses with damp problems, mould and bad odours - houses that left their owners with discomfort, lots of work and expense. He wanted a system that would be safe, simple, without the need for radiators, water and/or mains electricity. Slowly but surely, the first Solarventi model came

together. How it works The principle behind Solarventi is simple: a small, 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 solar cell, introduces warm, dry air into your home at the rate of 20 to 100 cubic metres per hour. The initial models were more than capable of keeping the cottages dry (and ventilated), even with the limited sunshine hours available in Denmark during the winter season. Since that time, the technology has really come along in leaps and bounds. Now, more than 20 years later, the 3rd and 4th generation Solarventi have exceed-

Stove Sellers www.stovesellers.com 05.55.63.78.72

See our Display Ad - pg 14

ed all expectations. In Southern Europe, Solarventi is not only used for ventilation/dehumidification purposes; with far more winter sunshine hours, it also provides a substantial heating supplement. Several technical and governmental studies show that incoming air temperature can be increased by as much as 40°C. A DIY Solution? The installation process is very straightforward and should only take two or three hours. All that is needed is a drill, hammer and chisel to make a hole in the wall. Roof installations are also possible. In fact, the Solarventi was originally designed to be a DIY product - in Scandinavia it still is. There are no electrical or water connections and it can be safely left running, even when

Transport, Removals & Storage

FABRICA

Eco Entrepot Get down The Shed

87230 Bussière-Poitevine

Camion Removals Dedicated transport service -

part or full loads

UK - France - UK, or local removals. Maximum 46m3 capacity. Specialist horse / pet transport available. We offer a professional, reliable and competitive service.

Tel: Carl 05 55 81 39 74 or Colin 09 83 04 57 36

05.55.68.74.73 - see pg 5

Soie et Bois Depot Vente des Vêtements

MAN + VAN Fiat Ducato with 11m² load

4 rue Principale, St Mathieu, 87440

Email: soieetbois@gmail.com Web: www.soiebois.net Tel: 05.55 48.28.89 SIRET: 510 995 681 00010

Alinéa

Meuble & Déco

05.55.57.09.34 see advert on pg 2

Moulin de Tintin Furniture, interiors & gifts

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

Bergerac & Limoges Airports

www.buggscarhire.com see pg 7

Siret: 533 893 327 00015

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 30 90 58 90 jonathanpiddock@orange.fr SIRET: 523 955 151 00015

Parking For Limoges Airport Efficient parking for all types of vehicles Book now!!

www.parkinglimoges.com

06 13 38 59 68 05 55 14 49 45

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

Your advert here

Carrefour du Bois Limousin

www.chauffagebois-limousin.com

05 55 63 72 45 - see pg 13

www.transitionremovals.com

05 55 41 17 76

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

Van Rouge

General

Looking for help?

see main ad - pg 8

Email: Camionremovals23@gmail.com

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.

Buggs Car Hire

(+33) 05 55 34 19 46

www.fabricadesign.com - see pg 9

Kitchens & Interiors 05 55 80 92 91 - see pg 10

Units start from €630 TTC

Transition Removals

Everhot stoves supplied & installed across France

French Lily

the property is empty. Solarventi requires no maintenance - if the property is unoccupied during the hot summer months, then it can be left running at low speeds for ventilation and dehumidification purposes or simply switched off. With a range of panel sizes, and the option for wall or roof mounting, Solarventi is suitable for all types of buildings, caravans or even boats!! Following the patenting of its design in 2001, Solarventi has only recently been actively commercialized. Over the last six years, Solarventi units have been installed in more than 24 countries and demand is increasing rapidly. From Greenland to Australia, Solarventi is finally getting the recognition it deserves. ■

Affordable Moves Europewide 18m3 Van / 4.5m load length 29m3 available on request Full loads/ part loads/ single items Regular UK runs. Check website:

www.themanwithavan.info vanrouge@mail.com

Please phone Margret Holste:

(+33) 07.61.21.85.15

06 95 02 52 43

Siret : 532 526 001 00013

Man & Van Transport

Genuine/Reliable/Honest Local + Europe + UK runs Now also available for House/Barn clearances! 14m3 capacity 4.2m load length French Spoken

05 55 33 21 59 87150 Oradour-sur-Vayres

www.frenchvanman.eu Siret 530 213 644 00012

sales@thebugle.eu 05 55 41 17 76

Do you need help with housekeeping, searching for care for ill or older people, or do you want someone to look after your pet?

Cash paid for scrap All Limousin covered Anything considered Any quantity

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

Your advert here 05 55 41 17 76

BABY/INFANT EQUIPMENT FOR HIRE

To raise funds for the SPA dog rescue centre in Guéret. High chair, buggy, travel cot (plus mattress/bedding), changing mat, etc. Each item will incur a hire charge of 10 euros, plus a refundable 10 euros deposit. For more INFO or to HIRE Call Vanessa: 05 55 64 32 08 or email: eq6763@gmail.com

sales@thebugle.eu 05 55 41 17 76

To advertise in The Bugle Business Directory sales@thebugle.eu - 05 55 41 17 76

26 ♦ LANGUAGE & GAMES

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2014

Would you like to receive your copy of The Bugle by post each month? We can deliver a copy to your door, hot off the press

France, UK and Europe - €16 per year

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

Crossword

Festive Bilingual Wordsearch

Clues and answers (page 29) in English

Across:

1. Gem (5) 4. Shade of yellow tinged with orange (7) 8. Symetrically arranged (7) 9. Pouch (3) 10. Two-wheeled vehicle (7) 11. Publish (5) 12. Patisserie (6) 14. Syntactic category (6) 17. Wanderer (5) 19. Stone pillar (7) 22. Mesh (3) 23. Floorshow (7) 24. Stayed clear from (7) 25. Groups of cattle (5)

Try to find the Christmas-themed French words in the letter grid below. Some clues are in English, but those without obvious translations have been left in French in italics.

Down:

1. Jests (5) 2. Male witch or demon (7) 3. Source of illumination (5) 4. Remuneration (6) 5. Surreptitious (7) 6. Hazards (5) 7. Type of power (7) 12. Very rich vein of precious ore (7) 13. Made smaller (7) 15. Vagrant (7) 16. Prohibit (6) 18. Slogan (5) 20. Planet (5) 21. Praise (5)

SUDOKU - EASY

apples candle Christmas Christmas carol Christmas Eve Christmas tree enfant soleil Epiphany Father Christmas

Festival of Lights Fête des Rois fève galette des Rois game manger midnight Mass mistletoe New Year’s day

Festive Joke!! A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel, and were standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories. After a while, the manager came out of the office and asked them to disperse. “But why?” they asked, as they moved off. “Because if there’s one thing I can’t stand,” he said, “it’s chess nuts boasting in an open foyer.”

SUDOKU - MEDIUM

The solutions to this month’s sudokus can be found on page 29

SUDOKU - HARD

COMMUNITY ♦ 27

DECEMBER 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Bill and Alma from

“Ring Bill” and

“Atelier d'Art du Jardin” wish all our customers a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Petticoat Lane

** Christmas Stock now available ** We will be at Panazol market on Sun 14th Dec Christmas Markets: Civray - 2nd Dec Aigre - 6th & 7th Dec

(please note, the shop will be closed all day on the 6th)

On 24th December we will close at 4pm Over Christmas & New Year we will be closed on the following days:- 25/26/27 Dec & 1/2/3 Jan

We would like to wish all out customers old & new a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

http://www.petticoatlaneshop.com/ 5 Rue Nationale – 16150 Chabanais

Tel: 05 45 29 03 99

Petticoat Lane

It has come to our attention that on AngloInfo there is an English grocery shop for sale and they have put that it is in Chabanais. Please note this is an error - it is not us and we are not closing down!

http://www.petticoatlaneshop.com/ 5 Rue Nationale – 16150 Chabanais

Bugle Notice Board JJ’s Café Bar Aigurande Music Club

DATE CHANGE FOR THE DEC MUSIC CLUB - 20th DECEMBER This is a very special Christmas Fund Raising Music Club/Variety Show in aid of raising money for food, clothes, medicine and seeds for the orphans in TOGO. (In Association with NOUKOU - a registered charity please go to their site for more info) Its going to be a great evening so come along & have fun - eat! drink! be merry! and help those kids in Togo too in the true spirit of Christmas!!!!

Chicken in white wine sauce or Chilli con carne - €8 (by reservation before Fri 19th Dec if poss)

Sat 6th December - All day from 10h30

We are looking for all participants who would be willing to run a stall selling goods, clothes, cakes, gifts, etc., with all proceeds to go to the orphans in Togo for our mini Christmas Fair chez JJ's, (in association with VSO/Seed Bank France). Why not come along and buy something! Please contact Jacky (details below) to book your place. A huge thank you in advance from Jacky, Jon and the orphans in Togo - who really need your help to buy food, medicine and to set up the school.

JJ's Cafe Bar, 39 Place du Champ de Foire, 36140 Aigurande

Tel: 02 54 06 30 77

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

Tel: 05 45 29 03 99

Caring Cattery

Carraciola Sardo

Italian restaurant in St-Etienne-de-Fursac

We will be closing for winter on 1st December & re-opening on 25th March 2015 Thank you to all our customers in 2014. Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year to you all! See you in 2015. Steve and Elena

www.carraciola.com

Tel: 05 55 63 86 05

I wish all customers and readers a very Merry Christmas, fun, laughter and good Health for 2015 Barbara - 05 55 03 76 87

Hacks/Trail rides NE Creuse area (23140).

Must be experienced in 3 gaits. FFE licence recommended. To find out more contact Karen on:

Singers

Two tenors and an alto required for a new small group based in the Confolens area. Classical repertoire. Intending singers should be good readers of music, competent and confident. No beginners, please. For further details, please make contact via email: roland.brown@wanadoo.fr or hilstoev@gmail.com

05 55 80 83 30

or email: holidays@la-coterie.com

Le Moulin du Breuil Restaurant, Bar, Terrasse

23140 PIONNAT

Sat 13th Dec, 7pm - Christmas Quiz Come and enjoy a pre festive evening in the company of friends at Le Moulin du Breuil. Quiz entry and meal still only €10. Max 6 per team. Only a few tables left don't leave it too late. Book now!!

Pianist/ vocalist available for events/ gigs/ private parties etc... New Orleans old time jazz n blues n boogie... Call: 07.61.21.85.15

RESTAURANT

AUX CEPES La Veytizou

On the main road (D979), Between Limoges & Eymoutiers

~~~~~~~~~

COME AND SEE OUR NEW LOOK RESTAURANT +++++++++++ SAT 13TH DEC - OPEN MIC NIGHT +++++++++++ SUN 14TH DEC - CRAFT FAIR 10h-16h - PHONE TO BOOK A TABLE +++++++++++ THU 18TH DEC - QUIZ & CURRY NIGHT +++++++++++ PHONE NOW TO BOOK FOR NEW YEARS EVE. LARGE BUFFET (HOME MADE OF COURSE). BRING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH JOHN & SHIRLEY MARTIN FOR YOUR MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT ~~~~~~~~~ For more information & reservations call Sue on 05 55 69 33 38

Limousin Dog Training We have new puppy training and beginners classes starting at Les Grands-Chézeaux & St-Barbant For more information, please contact Elaine on:

05 55 68 67 56 or 06 04 47 35 19

Mon Chic Cottage

LE DORAT (Pl. Charles de Gaulle) Home Decor & Gifts Tea, coffee & home-made scones / cakes Please note, Official Stockist & Workshop for Chalk Paint™ by Annie Sloan & Neal’s Yard Remedies Organic Decorative Paint Workshops To learn the basis of using Chalk Paint™ & ask questions, join us on a workshop. All materials included. To book contact Jay. Please note closure for holidays from 10th Jan until 10th Feb & winter hours from Jan as follows: Tue/Thu/Fri 10h00-17h00. Workshops on Mon by appointment only.

05 87 77 95 59

info@monchiccottage.com www.monchiccottage.com

Wanted, experienced shopfitters Experienced shopfitters required for installs all across France. Joiners, electricians and labourers also required. Email: contact@reactive-resource.com

Cartes de Christine

Hand-crafted cards for all occasions Christine and Mike wish all our customers a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year and look forward to seeing you all again in 2015 Contact me by e-mail to see which markets I'm at in December: ellinghamroam764@yahoo.com

Très Jolie

Fashion Accessories Where to find me this month: Every Wednesday - Piegut Market

The restaurant is now closed until the Spring but the bar will be open at weekends bring on the Mulled Wine and Mince Pies!!

Items arriving daily, please see my facebook page 'Tres Jolie Milhaguet' to see what's new.

Join us on facebook: www.facebook.com/lemoulindubreuil and follow us on twitter: @lmdb_pionnat

Mail order available, email for more details. Most items now stocked at the 'Coeur et Etoile', St-Mathieu

Tel: 05 55 80 37 70 Mail: info@lemoulindubreuil.com Web: www.lemoulindubreuil.com

05 55 78 62 29 / 06 04 08 29 53 tres.jolie1@orange.fr

28 ♦ COMMUNITY

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2014

CLUBS, CHARITIES & ASSOCIATIONS THE CREUSE PROTESTANT GROUP The small community of the Protestant Reformed Church of France in Creuse have no fixed abode. We meet monthly at the homes of members to worship. Anyone is welcome. The Creuse group is an offshoot of the Parish of Indre and Creuse with the main temple being at Châteauroux (which is rather a long way to go). Unfortunately the priest who used to come to the Creuse monthly retired in June 2013 and has not been replaced. In spite of these problems the group carries on. There aren’t many French protestants in Creuse. Their main stronghold was in the Cevennes but during the reign of Louis XIV there was an active population in Aubusson, mainly among the tapestry manufacturers, but they fled before the persecutions began and their temple was destroyed. The monthly service alternates between different member’s houses with one person being in charge of the liturgy while another prepares thoughts on the biblical text of the day. This started with a small group of 3 in October 2013 but we are now around 10 with French, Dutch and English participants of varying ages and activities. After each service a drink and sometimes a meal is served, discussions take place, addresses are exchanged along with e.g. plant cuttings and nibbles. All we need is a table and chairs and the joy of worshipping together to constitute each service. YOU ARE ALL WELCOME For further information please contact Maurice Bunel (French) mauricebunel@free.fr tel 06 95 20 16 30 OR Sylvia Sales (English) sylviasales@orange.fr tel 05 55 62 49 86. Church Notices

French/English Christmas Carol Service Sunday 21st December, St Sauveur Church, Rochechouart at 6pm Followed by Christmas refreshments and wine in Le Capitole, Rochechouart. Any contributions to the food will be gratefully accepted. This is a wonderful family celebration as part of the Christmas Season. Monthly Worship in English If your journey of life has brought you here to France, why neglect your journey of faith? We look forward to giving a warm welcome to everyone from whatever Christian tradition (or none) on the 3rd SUNDAY of the MONTH at 3pm. Where? At the Temple in Thiat (in the north of the Haute-Vienne) – we are part of the Parish of the Basse-Marche of the Eglise Protestante Unie de France. The Temple is on the main road close to the Mairie. After worship there is tea/coffee and cake – and a chance to chat. If you want to know more contact Rev Derek Lawson on 05 55 68 53 03 or Rev Stephen Sawyer on 05 49 84 33 86. 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 3pm 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 / email scott.james@neuf.fr or Ian & Becky Jefferies on 05 55 61 10 23 / email mail@otiumsanctus.com 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 mid-way between Crozant and Eguzon. Sunday worship meetings are held on the first and third Sundays of the month at 10.30am. Fellowship meetings, for midweek 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 PENSOL Indoor Carpet Bowls We meet on Wednesdays at 2.30pm5.00pm. Come along for a fun afternoon, a warm welcome in a warm hall, refreshments and equipment provided. Ladies and Gents welcome. The venue is the salle polyvalente at PENSOL 87440 on the D67 between Marval and Dournazac, clearly indicated from the village, or from Piégut-Pluviers take the D91. Come and have a free trial, with our slightly smaller Bowls and 33` carpet. NO heavy lifting. Established club and club Leader. Registered and insured. Please phone Hilary for any enquiries on 09 72 23 13 20 or r.h.brayshaw@gmx.com Tai Chi, Pakua & Qigong Tai Chi, Pakua & Qigong classes organised by the ACAMIES (association culturelle d'arts martiaux internes et d'exercices de santé). Wed: Jarnages, 18h30-20h, Salle Polyvalente. Thu: Bétête, 19h-20h30, Domaine de Tournessac. OPEN DAY Sun 6th Oct at the salle de la mairie, Jarnages from 9h-12h. Individual classes, courses, massage & treatments also available. Contact: 06 48 00 02 07 http://acamies.e-monsite.com Keep Fit Amazing abs, breathtaking buttocks! Come and join our group at the CAPE in Pontarion. We are all ages, all sizes, men & women, but are serious about keeping fit. Our “monitrice” is English and will happily provide bilingual instructions. We meet every Thursday at 8p.m. in Pontarion Town Hall, for a one-hour workout. Come for a free trial, or call 05 55 64 98 87 or 06 32 42 95 68 for more details. Indoor Bowling at Oradour-sur-Vayres If you already play or have never tried indoor bowling then come along to a meeting. It's great fun and easy to play. If you have never played it before we will show you how. We meet every Monday evening starting at 18.30 hrs at La Chapelle, avenue des Chapelles, 87150 Oradour-sur-Vayres. Come and try it - it's free. If you require further information or directions to our venue please contact me - Email: Oradour-Bowling@gmx.com or telephone: 05 55 08 41 75 Zumba! Regular zumba classes across depts 36, 18 & northern 23. For more info tel 06 58 37 17 04 - email evezumba36@gmail. com and for details of classes visit www.

zumbazumba.fr Indoor Short-mat Bowling at Cussac 87150....and now Outdoor too! As the premier bowls club in the HauteVienne, we are going from strength to strength with members seeking us out and travelling great distances to continue their love of bowls or simply to 'try us out'. Our reputation as a "very friendly and welcoming club" goes before us. If you've never tried the game, just come along and take a look; there is far more to it than first appears! We are a formally registered association within the French system and benefit from assistance from our local commune by use of a wonderful indoor venue. AND NOW...the use of a synthetic outdoor court where Flat-green, Crown and Short-mat can be played. Just imagine the summer evenings with a drink in your hand, watching fellow bowlers enjoying the quiet of village, interrupted only by the 'click' or 'tunk' of bowl against bowl! Our regular sessions indoors are Wednesday evening at 8pm and Thursday Mornings at 10am. Outdoor sessions will be arranged as the spring arrives so keep in touch. Serious bowlers and beginners are welcome - club bowls are available for use. For further information contact cussacbowls-club@live.co.uk or telephone 05 55 50 40 89. 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 19h30-21h 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 like to be more supple? Come to our gym class on Thursday mornings from 10.30am to 11.30am, where we do gentle exercises to help all our muscles and joints. The classes are held in Rochechouart in the Capitole building, upstairs. Our group is part of a National Federation of Gymnastics. For information contact Pauline at pauline. maskell@sfr.fr Learn to Meditate Learn to meditate and meet other likeminded 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 Peyrat-le-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 2014: Dec Gardeners' Question Time and Christmas 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 from Sally on 05 45 21 30 20 or Craig on 05 45 89 33 50 or mccolville@ orange.fr ** The Club has a new president, Véronique Granet, a very dynamic and enthusiastic person. ** 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 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 droughttolerant plants. For more info contact Michelle Pierce 05 45 89 36 54 or visit: www.auxplantesetc.jimdo.com Les Jardins de Sirius Based in Pressignac, Charente, we are a small association of people who are keen on gardening. As well as finding plants an endless source of interest, we believe that the simple fact of gardening has numerous positive benefits for health, stress, social interaction - in other words, our daily lives - and we’d like to encourage this aspect. We run flower workshops on the first Saturday afternoon of the month. If you’d like to get involved, have more info on the association or become a member, please contact Michelle Pierce on 05 45 89 36 54 or at unjardinenfrance@gmail. com Integration International Apero Reseau We meet each Saturday from 11.30am1pm at Baileys Bar/Restaurant, 5 Rue de L'Abreuvoir, Aubusson. These meetings offer the opportunity to: exchange views - make new friends - share experiences - have fun together - help and advise one another - help intergrate newcomers. Discussions in English (all nationalities welcome). For more information please contact Catherine 06 86 17 80 88 or Liz 05 55 66 22 92. 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; Conversation (St-Junien) - Thur. SOCIAL EVENTS Games Night (Rochechouart) 1st Thur; Games Night (St-Junien) 2nd Thur; Lunch Club – Last Thur. FORTHCOMING EVENTS - More details in Association Newsletter. For more details visit www. learningtogether.me or contact Sue

Managing Editor: Steve Martindale Editor-in-Chief: Steve Martindale Registered Address: Les Quatre Chemins 23150 St-Yrieix-les-Bois SIRET: 514 989 748 00017 Printed by: Charente Libre 16340, L’Isle d’Espagnac Monthly circulation: 13,000 copies All copyright, unless stated otherwise, is reserved to The Bugle. Reproduction in whole or part of any text without permission is prohibited. Dépôt légal à parution.

Ratcliffe 05 45 31 50 86 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: www.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 secondhand 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. La Souterraine English Library and Information Centre Located in the historic Porte de Puy Charraud, at 10 rue de Portail, La Souterraine, we are a lively, well-stocked English language library with almost 10,000 books and media available to borrow. We have an attractive cafe which serves tea, coffee and a range of homemade cakes. There is also a regularly changing display of works by local artists and an interesting brocante area on the ground floor. The Library offers classes in French for English speakers with a professional teacher and also organises Anglo-French conversation groups in association with the Municipal Library in La Souterraine. There are also a number of thriving special interest groups, such as the Gardening Group, Camera Club, Friendship Group, etc. We also provide support & assistance in bureaucratic and administrative matters for both existing British residents as well as newcomers to the area. Whatever your interests don’t hesitate to pay us a visit and you will be made most welcome. We are open from 09.30 until 12.30, Mon, Thu, Fri & Sat. For more info tel 05 55 89 57 62 during opening hours or visit www. englishlibrary.fr The English Library, Dun-le-Palestel The English Library, which has now been established for over 5 yrs, is situated in the Route des Rateries, beside the Bibliothèque Municipale, Parc Benjamin Bord. The library is a very welcoming meeting place, where you can come and enjoy a cup of tea, or coffee, whilst you browse through our collection of around 7,500 books, DVDs and talking books. Our opening hours are Thursdays, 10h00 – 16h00 and Saturdays 10h00 – 12h30. Also, on the first Tuesday of every month, 10h00 – 12h00, you are invited to join

Directeur: Steve Martindale Rédacteur-en-chef: Steve Martindale Siège: Les Quatre Chemins 23150 St-Yrieix-les-Bois SIRET: 514 989 748 00017 Imprimé par: Charente Libre 16340, L’Isle d’Espagnac Tirage mensuel: 13,000 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.

COMMUNITY ♦ 29

DECEMBER 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

WEEKLY MARKETS MONDAY

Evaux-les-Bains

TUESDAY

Auzances Bénévant-l’Abbaye Bussière-Poitevine Champagnac-la-Rivière Genouillac Gouzon Laurière Limoges (Le Vigenal) Peyrat-le-Château Rochechouart Royère-de-Vassivière Saint-Sulpice-lesFeuilles

WEDNESDAY

Ahun Bourganeuf Chambon-sur-Voueize Cognac-la-Forêt Clugnat Le Dorat Isle Limoges (pont St Martial) Nantiat Séreilhac

THURSDAY

Boussac Coussac-Bonneval Dun-le-Palestel Guéret Limoges Bastide et

Corgnac Magnac-Laval Oradour-sur-Vayres (except 3rd Thu) Peyrat-le-Château Saint-Sulpice-lesChamps Saint-Victurnien La Souterraine

FRIDAY

Aigurande Aixe-sur-Vienne Ambazac Bessines-sur-Gartempe Bosmie l’Aiguille (16h - 19h30) Bujaleuf Châlus (except 2nd Fri) Châteauponsac Châtelus-Malvaleix Couzeix (16h30 19h30) Le Dorat Felletin Limoges (place des Bancs et Beaubreuil) Nexon Pierre-Buffière Rochechouart St-Etienne-de-Fursac Saint-Sulpice-Laurière Verneuil-surVienne(15h-18h30)

SATURDAY

Aixe-sur-Vienne

Aubusson Bellac Bonnat Bussière-Poitevine Châteauponsac Condat-sur-Vienne Eymoutiers Feytiat Flavignac Guéret La Châtre La Jonchère-St-Maurice La Souterraine Limoges (place des Bancs et place Marceau) Le Palais-sur-Vienne Mainsat (4th Sat only) Nantiat Peyrat-le-Château Rochechouart Saint-Junien St-Léonard-de-Noblat Saint-Mathieu Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche

SUNDAY

Bessines-sur-Gartempe Blond Crocq (1st and 3rd Sun) Panazol Peyrat-le-Château Saint-Paul St-Sulpice-le-Guéretois (3rd Sun) Saint-Vaury (2nd Sun) Veyrac (2nd Sun)

MONTHLY FOIRES BY DATE

Aixe-sur-Vienne: 1st Fri Ambazac: 1st Wed Auzances: 2nd Tue Bourganeuf: 1st & 3rd Wed Boussac: 1st & 3rd Thu Bujaleuf: Last Mona Châlus: 2nd Thu Châteauneuf-la-Forêt: 2nd Sun Cognac-la-Forêt: 1st Tue Cussac: 4th Sun Domps: 2nd Tue Dun-le-Palestel: 1st Thu Evaux-les-Bains: 1st Mon Eymoutiers: 1st & 3rd Thu Feytiat: 1st Sat La Souterraine 2nd & 4th Sat Magnac-Bourg: 2nd Sat Meuzac: 4th Mon Mézières-sur-Issoire: 2nd & 4th Mon Nexon: 3rd Fri Oradour-sur-Vayres: 3rd Thu Peyrat-le-Château: 3rd Mon Peyrilhac: 3rd Sun Pierre-Buffière: 1st Fri Royère-de-Vassivière: 2nd Tue Saint-Germain-les-Belles: last Sat Saint-Jouvent: 1st Sun Saint-Junien: 3rd Sat Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat: 1st Mon Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche: 2nd & 4th Fri Sauviat-sur-Vige: 2nd Mon Veyrac: 2nd Sun

All Markets & Foires are in the morning unless stated otherwise. If your local market is not listed, please let us know - editor@thebugle.eu

We offer free and confidential support to English speakers affected by Cancer in the Haute-Vienne (87) and Creuse (23). 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

us for our Club Franglais, which welcomes people from all nationalities, to chat in French, English or any language you wish(!) whilst enjoying a cup of tea, and a piece of homemade cake. We host a range of other activities too, including the Café Philo, and Club Scrabble, More information can be found on the Entente Cordiale website at www. ententecordiale-creuse.org or email us at library.ententecordiale@yahoo.com Music Open Mic Night If you like music and have ever fancied getting up and having a go, why not come along to our Open Mic Night at “Le Loch Ness” in La Souterraine town centre every Friday around 8.30pm. L'Orchestre Philharmonique de La Souterraine 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. Contacts: French language Marie-France Martinie 05 55 30 76 23 / English language Alan Kerr 05 55 56 34 52 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

BY DAY

1: (prev day if public holiday): Bellac 3: Bellegarde-en-Marche 3: Châteauponsac 5: Bussière-Poitevine 5: Chénérailles 6: Bussière-Boffy 8: Compreignac 9: Saint-Sulpice-Laurière 11 (Sat if 11 is a Sun): Bessines-surGartempe 13 (Sat if 13 is a Sun): Le Dorat 15: Oradour-sur-Glane 17: Mortemart 18: La Croisille-sur-Briance; La Jonchère-Saint-Maurice 20: Chénérailles 21: Ambazac; Saint-Sulpice-lesFeuilles 22 (Mon if 22 is a Sun): MagnacLaval 23: Razès; St Laurent sur Gorre 24: Nantiat 25: Blond - St Paul 26: Nouic; Rochechouart 28: Cieux 29: Laurière

On behalf of Cancer Support France Haute-Vienne I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us through membership, event attendance, event organising and their generosity in time and money throughout 2014. We are very grateful to you all. We are hoping to increase both membership and awareness throughout 2015. If you would like to join us please do not hesitate to contact us on the helpline 06 04 43 39 87 or email csfhv@frangle.fr.

Support Alcoholics Anonymous If you or someone you know has a drinking problem, there are now English-speaking meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous at Limoges, Périgueux and the recently opened meeting at Civray. 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. For details of the meetings or other information contact Roger 05 55 76 22 65 (Limoges), Ewen 05 53 05 76 62 (Périgueux) or Angela 05 49 87 79 09 (Civray). Other meetings in South-West France can be located on our web-site at aafrancesud-ouest. com English-speaking council surgery ...for residents of the commune of St-LégerMagnazeix. Every 2nd Weds in the month, an English-speaking council surgery with councillors Manuela Stroescu and Patrick Johnson will take place at the Mairie between 11am and 12pm. 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 (supporting Creuse, too)

Elizabeth Finn Care Registered charity Elizabeth Finn Care is able to offer direct financial assistance to British and Irish nationals or residents who live overseas. We ensure that our help does not affect any means-tested payments. For more information contact: Mary Hughes Case worker France, Elizabeth Finn Care - tel 04 68 23 43 79 or visit www.elizabethfinncare. org.uk and www.turn2us.org.uk L’Association France Alzheimer Dordogne Charitable organisation offering Englishspeaking support and guidance to anyone dealing with the day-to-day difficulties affecting those with dementia, their families and their carers and assistance with how to access the best provisions of care. English Helpline (available on Tuesday mornings between 10am and midday): 09 64 21 40 86. For more information email alzheimer. dordogne@orange.fr or visit www. francealzheimer-dordogne.org

EASY

MEDIUM

HARD

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and peaceful New Year. Sue Ware President, CSF Haute-Vienne

SOS Anko Anko was found wandering beside a road... He was in a terrible state, had hardly any fur and was just skin and bones. At the vet and at the SPA the 9-year-old Rottweiler was pampered for quite a while, so now he has regained some weight. We urgently seek a home or a foster home for Anko. He is blind, so he needs people who can give him a stable home. As he cannot see his dog buddies, he is a calm friend, but we would prefer to place him in a home without other dogs, for the same reason - he cannot “read” their visible signs. For walks, he is easy, it is more us who need some training to see for a blind dog. Anko is an adorable buddy and after his terrible past we would really love to find a loving home for him. Any questions, contact either the SPA Limoges on 05.55.48.06.75 or Katharina (volunteer) for information in English on 06.66.24.95.49. Thank you!

SOS Romeo

2½ old month kitten, recently abandoned, living out in the woods. He/she is very sociable, purrs when in contact with people, loves petting. Romeo urgently needs to be adopted before the snow arrives! CALL 07.85.78.42.31 (English/French) EMAIL urbanfolkarts@yahoo.com We could bring the kitten to your home.

We rely on you to help us keep these pages up to date, so please do inform us of any changes to clubs and associations that you run or are members of. Many thanks!!

30 ♦ WHAT’S ON Gymnase municipal. Fri 9h-20h; Sat 10h-18h. Fri 19th to Wed 24th Dec LA CHÂTRE Christmas Market Place du Palais de Justice. Fri 19th to Tue 23rd Dec SOUS-PARSAT La Maison du Père Noël As night falls in an enchanted setting meet Father Christmas with his sleigh and visit his house (17h45-19h). Arrive early for easy parking as this is always very popular. Sat 20th Dec AUZANCES Christmas Market Sat 20th Dec BELLAC Christmas Market In the streets of Bellac from 16h-22h. Sat 20th Dec BOUSSAC Christmas Market Sat 20th Dec CLUGNAT Christmas Market Late afternoon & evening. In the town centre or the Mille Club depending on the weather. Sat 20th Dec EYMOUTIERS Christmas Market All day. Sat 20th Dec FLAVIGNAC Christmas Market 9h-12h. Sun 21st Dec CHÂTEAUPONSAC Christmas Market All day. Place Ducoux. Sun 21st Dec MAGNAC-LAVAL Christmas Market

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2014

CHRISTMAS - Why do we celebrate? It's not long till Christmas. How are your preparations coming along? Have you bought presents yet? Have you invited those you want to join you in the celebrations? Have you planned your menu and started buying all that special food? Are these the things that make up your Christmas or are you missing something? So why do we celebrate? The answer is found in the title. Christ! We are remembering the coming to earth, over 2,000 years ago, of Christ, Emmanuel, God with us. That may seem strange to still be remembering something that happened so long ago but it is still relevant to us today. Why not come along and find out why? At the Service in English we will be holding our annual Christmas Carol Concert on Sunday 21st December at 6:30pm (see right). We will sing carols, hear the Christmas story and eat mince pies. This special service is an addition to our usual monthly Service in English, held at the Evangelical Church, 9b Place Bonnyaud, Guéret (see our listing on the Community pages for more information). All are welcome, whether you have a faith or simply want to share in Christian fellowship. We are delighted to welcome children and young people who have their own time together. ■

CHRISTMAS CAROL CONCERT Carols by candlelight

Sunday 21st December 2014 at The Evangelical Church 9b Place Bonnyaud, Guéret at 6:30 pm You are warmly invited to celebrate Christmas with a concert of carols and readings. This will be followed by refreshments of tea, coffee, soft drinks and mince pies. Further details are available from: Jim and Pat Scott: e-mail scott.james@neuf.fr - tel 05 55 67 54 78 Ian and Becky Jefferies: e-mail mail@otiumsanctus.com - tel 05 55 61 10 23 Richard Gunston: e-mail richard.gunston@btinternet.com - tel 05 55 41 18 27

Signed copies of Mike Welham's new book THOMAS - A First World War Story of Compassion and Courage that Crosses the Class Divide a prequel to Death of a Scientist and WTC Building 7 will be available at the following: Mon Chic Cottage, pl. Charles De Gaulle, Le Dorat Wednesday 10 December, 10am-13pm. Free Christmas gift wrapping. The English Library ‘At Home event’ at La Souterraine Saturday 13 December, 2-4pm. Free Christmas gift wrapping. For more information see www.welhambooks.com

Tue 23rd Dec AUBUSSON Christmas Market Parvis de l'hôtel de ville, salle de le bourse du travail, Grande Rue & Rue Vieille from 10h-19h.

ith Christmas on the way, now is the perfect time to tell Bugle readers in search of gift ideas about an author of thrillers set in La Creuse. In each of her books the author, Sylvie Granotier, sets herself a stylistic challenge. The most recent, 'La Rigole du Diable', has now been translated into English and is called 'The Paris Lawyer'. In this book the heroine is a bright young defence lawyer and her typically Parisian, quick-witted and bright character is reflected in a Twitter-like style which moves the plot along at a pace. The fascination for us AngloCreusois is to follow the heroine as she walks through the

Tue 23rd Dec LA SOUTERRAINE Christmas Market 12th Christmas market with over 180 exhibitors, the perfect opportunity to find those last-minute Christmas gifts. Tue 23rd Dec SAINT-LÉONARD-DE-NOBLAT Christmas Market Town centre & Halle Marchande from 16h. Sun 28th Dec LIMOGES The Saints Innocents Traditional Fair This four-century-old traditional fair was created in 1566 by a royal edict of Charles IX. Nowadays, street peddlers still gather in the city's main streets for the great popular market of the winter season. 8h-19h.

streets of Guéret or drives to her chambre d'hôte near Aubusson. In earlier books (I've been on a reading spree) the Creuse is a scary place for Parisian visitors: dark, spooky and usually damp, where it is only too easy to get lost or stuck in the middle of nowhere. Here, though, she sings the praises of the warmth of a Creusois welcome and the beauty of the countryside. It's difficult to describe the plot of a thriller without spoiling the reader's pleasure. The barrister in question, the young Catherine Monsigny, gets a career break, defending a woman accused of murder at the Guéret tribunal. Her visits to Creuse lead her to identify it as the setting for

her own family tragedy which she gradually uncovers and resolves as the book reaches its conclusion. Last June, Sylvie Granotier performed readings from her work at the theatre in Aubusson. Perhaps next time her acclaimed translator, Anne Trager, will be there too...? By Geoffrey Chadwick The Paris Lawyer by Sylvie Granotier, translation Anne Trager Published February 2013 by Le French Book (first published January 5th 2011) Original title: La Rigole du diable ISBN: 9781939474988 Literary awards: Grand Prix Sang d'Encre

Letters to

The Editor

Can you help me find this château?

y name is Catherine Wy l l i e and I hail from Western Australia, although I am originally from Scotland and currently in Europe for an extended period. I have a very dear friend in Sydney who is 93 years old and in

failing health (she has recently undergone a hip operation). I'd like to find the Château that belonged to her maternal grandparents. She last visited it in the 1950s and would like to know if it is still standing or what has happened to it. If possible, I would like

to get a photograph for her (which I would take if the property could be located). I know that the Château was in the Creuse department and that her grandparents are buried in Aubusson. Their names were Victor and Philomena ANTOINE. Their children's names were Jane, Gaston, Marcel and Lucy. I very much hope

that one of your readers may be able to assist me in locating this building. If you have any information, please contact me on 06 05 64 57 97 or by email at c a t h e r i n e @ k a r r i g u l l y. com.au Many thanks for your assistance. Kind regards Catherine

WHAT’S ON ♦ 31

DECEMBER 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu Theatre Chabanois is a bilingual community theatre group formed in 2009 with about 30 members so far. A cast and crew of all ages (10yrs to over 80), abilities and talents. We are always looking for new members, not only those with thespian tendencies but those that are willing to help back stage and front of house. Everyone is welcome to join us, so whatever you bring to the group you will be sure of a warm welcome and much fun on a Monday evening at the Salle des Fetes in Chabanais at 7pm. Sat 13th Dec BOURGANEUF Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols English vocal ensemble CANTATE GAUDIO under the direction of David Kirby-Ashmore are presenting a traditional 'Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols' at the church of St. Jean in Bourganeuf on Saturday 13th December at 7pm. In addition to the choral items and readings there will be carols for everyone with the chance to join the sopranos singing the famous descants. Free entry with a retiring collection. Sat 13th Dec CHÂLUS Christmas Market From 14h.

Sat 13th to Fri 19th Dec LIMOGES Christmas Market 70 exhibitors. 9h-19h. Place de la Motte.

mince pies. 'Vocalise' is a mainly French choir with several English members, and would welcome new 'choristes'. For more information see their website (with English translation and contact) www.choralevocalise.com

Sat 13th Dec MÉRINCHAL Christmas Market Rue du Château de la Mothe from 9h-18h.

Sun 14th Dec GOUZON Christmas Market Salle polyvalente from 9h-17h.

Sat 13th Dec RANCON Christmas Market Salle des fêtes. 10h-17h. Sat 13th Dec SAINT-JUNIEN Christmas Market Sat 13th to Sun 14th Dec SOUS-PARSAT La Maison du Père Noël

As night falls in an enchanted setting meet Father Christmas with his sleigh and visit his house (17h45-19h). Arrive early for easy parking as this is always very popular.

Sat 13th to Sun 14th Dec LA CELLEDUNOISE Christmas Market Beautiful Christmas market offering a variety of products: artisinal crafts and gourmet produce. Tasting of oysters, foie gras, mulled wine and gingerbread. 10h-18h. Salle des Loisirs.

Sat 13th to Sun 14th Dec VALLIÈRE Christmas Market Sale of local crafts and produce, entertainment for the children & a visit by Father Christmas! 10h-18h. Salle polyvalente.

Sat 13th to Wed 24th Dec LIMOGES Christmas Market 40 artisans & producers will be exhibiting in little wooden chalets around the place de la République. Children can have their photo taken with Father Christmas on the 18th & 21st-24th Dec. An ice rink will be installed from 20th Dec-5th Jan. Visit www. coeurdelimoges.fr for more information.

Sun 14th Dec AZERABLES Christmas Concert This year’s Christmas Concert by vocal ensemble La Voie Mélodieuse will be at 15h on Sunday 14th December in the church at Azérables, 23160. Produced in conjunction with the commune of Azérables, the concert, lasting about one hour, will consist of Christmas songs in several languages and from many eras, ranging from mediaeval to

Sun 14th Dec ARNAC-LA-POSTE Christmas Market

modern. La Voie Mélodieuse is a multi-national vocal group based in the Berry region, who perform mainly unaccompanied choral music. Its aim is to perform high quality music to a high standard, while maintaining a friendly and informal rehearsal atmosphere. Performances are given several times a year in the Indre and Creuse departments. The Christmas Concert will benefit the appeal to raise money to restore the roof of the church at Azérables by taking a retiring collection. There will be a pot d’amitié provided by the commune at the end of the concert. For more information visit www. lavoiemelodieuse.com or find us on Facebook. Sun 14th Dec BOSMIE L'AIGUILLE Marché de Noël et Foire à l'Orange Organised by the Comité des fêtes et le Comité de Jumelage de Bosmie-l'Aiguille. Gourmet produce, crafts, sales of Spanish produce from the region of Pédralba (oranges, clementines, olive oil...) Salle Georges Bizet from 9h-19h. Free entry. Sun 14th Dec CHAILLAC-SUR-VIENNE Marché de la Saint-Nicolas Sun 14th Dec DUN-LE-PALESTEL Christmas Concert This year's Christmas Concert organised by 'Entente Cordiale' will take place at 17h in the church in Dun-le-Palestel. Come along, sing some carols and listen to the choir 'Vocalise' and other local musicians. After the concert join us for mulled wine and

Sun 14th Dec MAINSAT Christmas Market Sun 14th Dec NEXON Christmas Market 9h-18h; visit from Father Christmas at 11h. Sun 14th Dec ORADOUR-SUR-GLANE Christmas Market Sun 14th Dec SAINT-VAURY Christmas Market All day. Gymnase de Saint-Vaury. Wed 17th Dec LE DORAT Santa visit to Mon Chic Cottage You better watch out, you better not cry Santa Claus is coming to Mon Chic Cottage on Wednesday 17th December from 14.00 until 17.00. Bring your little angels to visit Santa in his Grotto. Santa will be there to listen to their Christmas wishes & good children may get a little surprise from the jolly fellow himself! Contact Santa’s Elf on 05 87 77 95 59 or email jay@monchiccottage.com for more information. Mon Chic Cottage - Home Decor & Gifts - Tea, coffee, home-made scones & cakes www.monchiccottage.com Fri 19th to Sun 21st Dec AIXE-SURVIENNE Christmas Market Place de l'église. Fri 10h-19h, Sat 10h-20h, Sun 9h30-18h. Fri 19th to Sat 20th Dec FELLETIN Christmas Market

CONTINUED ON PAGE 30 >>

Exhibition of Magazine Adverts A collection of old British & French magazine advertising from the 1950s, mostly drawings not photographs. All authentic not reprints or photocopies. SPAR shop in St-Sulpice-Laurière Expo from 8 Dec - 4 Jan Mon-Sat 8h30-12h30 & 15h30-19h30 Sun 9h30-12h30

32 ♦ WHAT’S ON

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2014

UPCOMING EVENTS ACROSS THE REGION Sat 22nd Nov to Sat 20th Dec AMBAZAC En attendant Noël Pop into the boutique éphémère at the tourist office for ideas for presents made in Limousin: honey, foie gras, jewellery, porcelain, enamel, books, Christmas tea & coffee, Christmas beer and much more besides! Free entry. Open Tue, Wed & Fri 9h-12h & 14h-17h30, Thu & Sat 9h-12h (Sat 20th 9h-12h & 14h-17h30). Sat 29th to Sun 30th Nov ARGENTONSUR-CREUSE Franco-German Christmas Market 70 exhibitors. Halle de la Grenouille. 9h-19h. Sun 30th Nov LUSSAC-LES-EGLISES Charity Christmas Fayre 4th Charity Christmas Fayre at the barn of Tina and Jane, 5 La Trigalle 87360 Lussacles-Eglises, from 2pm. Admission free, come along and enjoy mulled wine with mince pies. Anyone wanting a table, to reserve, please contact 05 55 60 69 23. Profits to be shared between Twilight old dogs home and Cancer Support France Haute-Vienne. Mon 1st to Tue 30th Dec GUÉRET Boutique Idées Cadeaux Noël Christmas Gift Ideas Shop at the tourist office: discover the savoir-faire of local producers and artisans... Tue 2nd to Wed 24th Dec BOURGANEUF Boutique de Noël Struggling for ideas for Christmas presents? Look no further than the Christmas Shop at the tourist office in Bourganeuf! With 100% Limouzi products, including gift baskets, local produce, souvenirs and games for the whole family there are plenty of original ideas for your Christmas gifts. Open Tue-Sat 9h30-12h30 & 14h-18h. Fri 5th to Sun 7th Dec SAINT-DIZIER-LATOUR

Christmas shopping weekend Unique handmade gifts and jewellery for Christmas by Helen Clarence Designs. There will be mince pies, shortbread and mulled wine and a general Christmassy atmosphere! 2pm-6pm. 21 La Tour, 23130 St-Dizier-laTour. For more information tel 05 55 81 00 97 or visit www.helenclarence.com Sat 6th Dec BOUSSAC Téléthon - Marché de Noël AIPB will be manning a cake stall at the Christmas Market selling our delicious homemade cakes and marmalade. All profits will be donated to the Boussac Téléthon. Come early to avoid disappointment. Place de l'Hôtel de Ville from 9h. Sat 6th Dec EYMOUTIERS German Christmas Market All morning in the halle. Sat 6th to Sun 7th Dec NOUZERINES Christmas Market Sat pm; Sun from 10h. Salle des Fêtes. Sat 6th Dec SAINT-MATHIEU Christmas Market 10h-18h. Sat 6th to Sun 7th Dec SAINTE-FEYRE Marché de Noël - Parc Animalier Les Loups de Chabrières Christmas market at the wolf park. Come and do a spot of Christmas shopping: crafts, regional produce... Entertainment for the children. Free entry to the park. From 10h. Contact: Tel 05 55 81 23 23 - www.loupschabrieres.com Sun 7th Dec LA TRIMOUILLLE Christmas Market Come and do your Christmas shopping in La Trimouille. There will be stands selling local products, cheese, honey, mulled wine, crêpes and oysters as well as plenty of Christmas

present ideas. Salle des Fêtes, route de Journet, La Trimouille from 10am to 5pm. Sun 7th Dec LE DORAT Christmas Market 10h-18h. Sun 7th Dec ROYERE-DE-VASSIVIÈRE Christmas Market 10h-18h. Salle polyvalente. Sun 7th Dec SAINT-LAURENT-SURGORRE Christmas Market & Brocante/Vide-greniers 100 exhibitors and animations. 9h-18h. Free entry for visitors. 'Surprise' visit by Father Christmas in the afternoon. Contact: Office de Tourisme de la Vallée de la Gorre - Tel 05 55 00 06 55 Sun 7th Dec SAINT-LÉGER-MAGNAZEIX Christmas Market 9h-17h. Visit from Father Christmas at 16h. Sun 7th Dec SAINT-MARTIAL-SUR-ISOP Marché de Noël Christmas Market organised by newly formed association Saint-Martial s'anime, who will be organising different festive, cultural and sporting events in the village. Struggling for ideas for Christmas presents? Look no further! The Fête de Noël is an event for local crafts: cards, pottery, cushions, jewellery, bags, objects made from wood, local produce, paintings, sweets and cakes. Salle des fêtes. 10h. Sun 7th Dec FEUILLES Christmas Market 8h30-18h.

SAINT-SULPICE-LES-

Thu 11th to Sat 13th Dec LA SOUTERRAINE Pantomime - The Alternative Snow White CastawaysDrama presents The Alternative Snow White, directed by Jan Pitwell at

the Ancienne Mairie, La Souterraine from 11th-13th December. A hilariously funny adaptation of the well-known story "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves". Full of mischief, misunderstandings and plays on words. Doors open 7pm, curtain up 7:30pm. Sat 13th matinée 2pm for 2:30pm. There will be a bar and refreshments. Tickets: Adults €10, Children (Under 12) €8. To book email tickets@castawaysdrama. org or call 05 55 63 00 15. For more information visit www. castawaysdrama.org Fri 12th Dec BOUSSAC Christmas Carol Service The service at the Eglise de Ste Anne commences at 19h30 but please arrive early to get a seat! You will be piped into the church by Alan Nichol, the Scottish bagpiper, wearing his kilt so let's hope that it isn't too cold. French and English carols will be sung by all nationalities, accompanied by Sylvain Bouard on the piano with a solo by young Georgie Calladine and there will be readings in French and English by members of the association. The service will be followed by festive refreshments offered for free by the AIPB in la maison paroissiale. Come and start your Christmas celebrations with us. Fri 12th to Sat 13th Dec CHABANAIS Pantomime: “Cinderella” – A modern tale Theatre Chabanois’ Pantomime. Join us for fun, music and some good old-fashioned romance, all with a modern twist on Friday 12th December at 20h (bar opens at 19h30) and Saturday 13th December at 15h. Salle des Fêtes, Chabanais. Adults €6 & Children €4 (- 16yrs, under 5’s Free). Reserve your seats now for a chance to win 2 Free Tickets. Reservations: 05 45 94 10 71 or facebook. com/theatrechabanois (book your table early).

CONTINUED ON PAGE 31 >>