The Bugle Dordogne - Dec 2016 by The Bugle

French school dinners are ‘restaurant quality’ An Oscar-winning director has highlighted the quality of French school dinners in his >> Page 6 latest documentary November 2016 - Issue #85

Dordogne

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Reciprocal expat rights deal close Sources close to the British government have said a deal guaranteeing expat rights may be agreed very soon.

enior government figures have revealed that Britain and the EU are on the verge of guaranteeing the rights of British expats post-Brexit. According to The Telegraph, the majority of European Union countries have already signalled they were ready to agree a “reciprocal rights” deal with the UK. The government is believed to have told business leaders that only “a few” of the 27 EU member states are left to agree the outline of a reciprocal agreement for the rights of expats living elsewhere in the EU and EU nationals living in Britain. No deals have yet been struck, but insiders are speculating that an announcement could be made as early as the EU summit due to take place in Brussels in December.

INSIDE > > > UFO ban upheld by town's mayor - pg 8

How do the French celebrate Christmas? - page 12

If confirmed, the news will come as a great relief to the 1.2 million British expats currently living across Europe, as well, of course, to the estimated 3.3 million EU nationals living in the UK. Prime Minister Theresa May has repeatedly refused to give details of any deals being made behind the scenes, over concerns that leaks may damage the UK’s negotiating position. “We hope and expect to guarantee the reciprocal rights of EU and British citizens, but this is premature and wrong,” said a government source. “No deals have been struck, formal or informal. The government has been clear that it wants to see this issue resolved, as long as that can be done in both directions.”

Woman finds grenade in sack of spuds - pg 9

Record fine for wine fraudster - pg 9

The Bugle Business Directory - pg 13-16

>> continued on page 7

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2 ♦ IN THIS EDITION

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2016

Welcome to

The Bugle

refused to accept it... it was bad luck to be given a present before your actual birthday. Perhaps she is just particularly superstitious but you get my drift. I assume that my children will absorb these cultural reference points, ideally whilst also understanding how things are done in the UK. A short piece I wrote this month about a recent Michael Moore documentary really got me thinking about this once again (see page 6). In his film he visits a primary school canteen and is blown away by the quality and variety of the food, and the way in which French children learn to eat together. I love the French style of cooking and eating, but in our house we still do things in quite a “British” way my kids are no strangers to Yorkshire pudding, Marmite and “proper” bacon! I have tried to be more French and eat my main meal at lunchtime, but if I’m honest, all that happens is I end up having a second hot meal in

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a v i n g decided to move to France and have children, one thing that I have spent a lot of time thinking about is whether, when they grow up, my children will feel French, English, British or a little bit of everything. My wife and I are very much British. That doesn’t mean that we don’t love France and the French, but I grew up in a British family during my formative years and culturally I identify as British. Which does lead to some entertaining misunderstandings, as I am often completely lost in social situations such as births, marriages, parties, etc. Do you send a card, is a present appropriate, what should I bring? I once got into a lot of trouble for running a birthday present over to my elderly neighbour a few days early I was going away for a short break and would miss the big day. She was horrified and

the evening. I keep trying though, which could possibly go some way to explaining my expanding waistline! I am aware that how we do things at home makes my children different to their French friends and I don’t want them to be the weird foreigners at school. Which is one of the reasons that we decided that they would eat in the school canteen from day one. I can’t speak for everyone, but I have plenty of friends in the UK whose children would run a mile at the sight of a moule and for whom rabbit and duck are pets, not food. I don’t think I ate - or even saw - any of these foods until I was well into my teenage years, but they make regular appearances on the school menu. My eldest came home the other week to announce that she wasn’t the biggest fan of salsify. I am something of a foodie and love to cook and the word rang a bell, but I’ll admit I had to Google salsify to see exactly what she was talking about. As it happens - and as the documentary rightly points out - school meals in France are exceptional, which made the decision for them to eat at the canteen a much easier one. Every day, my kids eat a balanced, four-course meal, and this does also take the pressure off in the evenings as I know that they have eaten

well at least once that day. If you put two Brits of a similar age in a room, before long they will be reminiscing about favourite childhood cartoons, cheesy 80s pop tracks you’re embarrassed to say you still love and how to get the most out of 10 pence at the pick and mix counter. I want my children to feel this at home with their French friends in the future, but I am also greedy and want them to be comfortable in British surroundings. Whether that is possible remains to be seen, but eating at the school canteen seems like a logical step along the way. Finally, with “Black Friday” behind us (whatever that actually is) and with December upon us, I’d like to wish all my readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Until next month! Steve Martindale, Editor

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INSIDE this edition 3-5 Local News 6-9 National News 10-11 French Life 12 Bilingual 13-16 Directory 17 Community 18-20 What’s On

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LOCAL NEWS ♦ 3

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Dordogne town revives Nontron knife success an ancient tradition

Dordogne town is bringing a neglected festival back to life. The ancient tradition is the feast of La Sainte Luce or Lucie, a third century Christian martyr who has become sadly obscure over the centuries in most of France. “La Sainte Luce” falls on 13th December and marks the start of Advent. Traditionally it was celebrated by bonfires and candle-lit processions across France and was often associated with certain food and drink. Her feast once coincided with the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year before calendar reforms, and so her feast day has become a festival of light. Only Montbéliard, in Alsace in the east of France, maintains the traditional date and format of the Sainte Luce. Lyon’s Fête des Lumières on 8th December is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and not Lucie and in Strasbourg, Sainte Luce became Christkindel whose celebration is now the massive Christmas market. The Dordogne’s torchbearer for this traditional festival is the town of Brantôme on the river Dronne which is busy making preparations for the second edition of its Fête

des Lumières. On 13th December the entire town will be lit by candles and a colourful candlelit procession will pass through the town centre’s medieval lanes. Local choir Carillon are to sing a selection of Christmas, Yuletide songs and carols around the town in a variety of languages. Local traders are planning a series of promotions for this special, atmospheric event which aims to bring back a sense of the past and will see Brantôme lit up from 5 pm. ■ by Brian Hinchcliffe

traditional, local product is making a big comeback in the Dordogne. La Coutellerie Nontronnaise, maker of prestige, hand-crafted pocket knives and quality tableware, has announced a massive 400% rise in sales and production. The highly prized, practical pocket jewellery, with its distinctively decorated wooden handle, hit a low point in the 1990s when the company had only 3 employees; today, in contrast, it has 18 craftsmen and women producing 65,000 knives per year. The Laguiole cutlery giant, with the famous honey bee logo, took over the Dordogne company in 1992, but Laguiole were keen to stress that there was never any question of scrapping the brand’s unique style. “It has always been part of the local heritage,” said a spokesman. “And traditional craftsmanship is us.” The parent company has introduced rationalisation of the industrial process, bringing the blades from the mountain department of Isère, while maintaining the same metallurgical qualities as the original; Nontron steel has been prized for centuries for its

ability to take and hold an edge. The handles and assembly are all done in Nontron using traditional methods. British expat builder Denis Pickering swears by his Nontron knife: “It stays sharp like no other knife I’ve ever owned. I use it all the time, and to be truthful I abuse it, too, for all kinds of jobs. It’s comfortable to use and good and safe.” Nontron knives are not only for the workplace. Designed by some of France’s top stylists, including Christian Ghion and Olivier Gagnère, they are also to be found on the finest dining tables across the globe. One architect in the USA incorporates Coutellerie Nontronnaise into his luxury specifications, a wonderful example of ancient tradition working hand in hand with the 21st century. The shop is open daily on Nontron’s main street with some fascinating examples of tiny and huge knives. Visitors can also see them being hand-crafted in the distinctive stainless steel factory at the bottom of the same street. ■ by Brian Hinchcliffe For more information visit www.coutellerie-nontronnaise.com.

Brantôme bio shop’s birthday giveaway Brantôme’s only organic shop is celebrating its first birthday by giving presents. Bio Joli has decided to reverse the usual order of birthday presents by giving every customer a 10% reduction on selected lines. Every day a different product line will get the 10% treatment between 5th & 11th December, with a tasting day scheduled for Saturday 10th December.

“With prices rising and expats’ pounds getting fewer euros we wanted to give something back. Plus we have some really marvellous new products,” owner Wendy Burwood explained. ■ by Brian Hinchcliffe

4 ♦ LOCAL NEWS

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Dordogne gets real English beer

new Dordogne micro-brewery is delighting French and Brits alike with its range of English-style beers. The brewery, aptly named “Périgord Beers”, is located in an old mill, the Moulin de Maziéras in Saint-Saud-Lacoussière. Mike and Val Povey’s new brewery business was welcomed by the mayor of St-Saud who has since become a true fan of its products. The beers were also a major hit locally at the annual veal, cêpe and cider festival held recently in the town. Mike and Val originally come from Hampshire and have lived in their converted farmhouse deep in the woods near St-Saud for 11 years. Mike previously worked as a landscape gardener and Val as a project consultant. “We both enjoy good English beer and had thought about a micro brewery for years, but wondered if it was viable for the likes of us out here in the sticks,” Val explained to The Bugle. “A friend encouraged us and we invested in extensive study and training with the Beer Academy in the UK and, after a lot of research, finally purchased our equipment. Our aim is to be both

traditional and innovative.” While researching and sourcing their ingredients, a barn was converted and the vats, sterile-room, bottling area and a guest bar were all created. Meanwhile, the registration and administration were set up. “It proved remarkably easy,” said Mike. “The French authorities were very helpful.” Mike explained how the choice of ingredients is the absolute key to taste, and how many more variables there are in brewing beer than making wine. Mike and Val need to balance the characteristics of the water with the different varieties of barley, choose the right combination of hops, control the temperatures, measure the timings and volumes and above all, keep the whole operation surgically clean. Their barleys are mainly from the UK and Belgium and they employ a range of different hop varieties from New Zealand and Europe. “The water here is ideally soft and we do just a small amount of conditioning to make it perfect. We made a small number of trial brews to test our recipes and realized then that we were looking at a potential success,” said

Mike. French tastes in beer are traditionally for a less hopped brew, often with less intense malting, but Périgord Beer’s bitter and IPA have already gained many Gallic converts. Experimental, natural beer flavourings such as honey and saffron from local craft producers are constantly being trialled and reviewed. Val has experimented with lighter, summer brews using creative flavourings, including locally gathered elderflowers, all with amazing results. “People, particularly ladies, who claim not to like beer, have been seduced by the fragrance of our summer beer. Many French customers tell us they are surprised and delighted to experience sophisticated, complex flavours and notes in our beers that compare to tasting fine wines. We are currently brewing a dark, strong winter ale which we hope will crystallize that essence of Christmas well-being that everybody wants.” The brewery’s next moves are outwards. The beer is currently bottled by hand and sold at fairs and festivals as well as by enlightened cavistes. Mike is looking into a real ale cask

and can systems that will keep the beer in perfect condition for weeks and longer, making it ideal for bars, restaurants, clubs and home. It is a well-known fact that proper English ale is many an expat’s favourite nostalgia, and here it is, right on our doorstep! ■ by Brian Hinchcliffe To find out more visit www.perigordbeers.com

Man jailed for life for expat murder

32-year-old man has been jailed for life for the brutal 2015 murder of British expat Violet Price, a crime which shocked the local community in the commune of Moustier near Marmande, Lot-et-Garonne. Madi Mahaboudi, who had a previous conviction for a 2005 unlawful killing for which he was sentenced to eight years, murdered the pensioner, before cutting her body into pieces and hiding the body parts in surrounding fields. The tragedy began when 80-year-old Mrs Price was reported missing by her

son following a barbecue with friends in Eymet. Unable to reach her by phone later that evening, her son went to her house to find it empty. Her car was still outside, her mobile phone was in the house and the lights were on. There were also two cups of coffee on the table, one still half full - Mahaboudi's DNA would later be found on one of the cups. Investigators had immediate concerns and a search was initiated in a 4-kilometre radius of her home and along the banks of the Dropt river, involving members of the gendarmerie,

sniffer dogs and a helicopter. Several days later, police arrested Mahaboudi, who was revealed to be the brother of Mrs Price's daughter-in-law. Mahaboudi subsequently led investigators to a patch of woodland 400 metres from his home where the partially buried body of the expat was found in two separate locations. “In 15 years of practice, I had never seen such a degree of bruising on the throat and neck,” the court heard from a medical examiner during the trial. “He's not someone who really regrets what he's done,” added the prosecuting

attorney. “He's a boy who did not know how to develop as a man because he had a violent father who was imposing and very severe,” claimed defence attorney Isabelle Gillet, who told the court that Mahaboudi was raped as a child by an acquaintance of his father. Given an opportunity to speak before jurors retired to deliberate, Mahaboudi said: “I ask to be given a chance. Deep down I know I can be rehabilitated.” Violet Price, originally from London, had lived in the area for 3 years. ■

LOCAL NEWS ♦ 5

DECEMBER 2016 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Horse sanctuary fights fodder crisis Périgord’s winter care campaign

Dordogne sanctuary specializing in rescuing retired UK police horses is facing a fodder famine. Brantôme Police Horses is having to confront huge rises in the price of hay for the coming winter. The long, dry summer in the Dordogne has devastated the production of fresh hay and what hay is available has rocketed in price. Head of BPH, Roland Phillips, explained to The Bugle what it means for them and their horses: “What it really means for us is that we have to work much harder. All the money we make during the year goes to buy winter fodder for the horses. A roll this month is costing €15, itself a vast increase on last year. Plus, we have been warned by our supplier that the price is almost guaranteed to rise to at least €35. Farmers facing the same expense would usually send some cows to the abattoir. They can cut costs and capitalise their investment. We are a horse sanctuary. We can’t do that to our horses! We have to do more fund-raising, put on more events, get more people visiting the stables and earn more by really getting our noses to the grindstone.” Brantôme Police Horses is a family affair, with everyone working fulltime at the stables, along with a team

of dedicated volunteer helpers to keep them at the top on Trip Advisor. Roland outlined some of the ideas the sanctuary has come up with to beat the feed rise. “Our next big event is the annual Christmas Fair on 4th December from 11 am to 5 pm. We have been getting bigger crowds every year for this so we have high hopes. Everything is under cover. Santa is arriving by horse carriage again at 11.30 am and will be in his grotto all day. We have 2 bands, more stalls and games, a bigger raffle and more things to see and do, not to mention eat and drink! There’s our own gift shop and of course there’s the horses, ponies and donkeys.” BHP buys all the toys for Santa to give out in his grotto and the €3 per head for the grotto is donated to local village schools. For the New Year, BPH are working with Franco-British Chamber of Commerce specialist, John Beynon, on bilingual presentations in the gallery to cater for the increasing number of French visitors. Roland’s wife, Alison, added: “We will be holding Sunday Brunches on 11th and 18th December, with bacon butties, mince pies, and other goodies. In the New Year we are having an evening concert with guitarist Dan Jones, more curry and quiz nights, a

comical Fawlty Towers evening, Posh Frocks event, cream teas, talks and lectures and a range of similar, fun events to help pay this hay bill.” Working with artist Suzie Turland, BHP is aiming to celebrate and commemorate the millions of horses, donkeys and mules involved in WWI, with a sculpture about the army’s mules. History books rarely mention the 250,000 British army mules left over after WWI, that either went to work on French farms or were eaten to eke out the post-war starvation rations. Roland, a hard-nosed, ex-London copper, waxes philosophical about humans’ relationship with horses. “Horses have been man’s partner all over the planet for tens of thousands of years and have made possible many of mankind’s greatest achievements. They are in our DNA. It’s only since electricity and internal combustion engines took over their work that our generation risks losing sight of this. That’s what we try to do, here. We are able to save some individual horses but we also try to keep alive this fundamental vision of horses and people through the ages.” ■ by Brian Hinchcliffe To find out more visit www.brantomepolicehorses.com

s winter begins to take hold after an unseasonably mild October, government authorities in the Dordogne have been setting out the department’s plans to look after homeless and vulnerable people, particularly over the Christmas period. Prefect Anne-Gaëlle Baudouin-Clerc inspected some of the department’s emergency facilities in mid-November and announced a government grant of more than €700,000 earmarked to provide aid for shelters. She explained that this is a €110,000 increase on 2015 and that extra facilities have been developed in Sarlat and Bergerac, adding that measures were under way to aim for a more permanent provision rather than merely a reaction to falling temperatures as the need for shelters is present throughout the year. Accommodation is provided in hostels and apartments for those most in need and day centres are also planned in Périgueux, Bergerac and Sarlat - the 3 main population centres of the department. Aid workers are working towards a full service but there remains one big issue: there are two associations that provide hot food Monday to Saturday but neither operate on Sundays. Jean-Louis Reynal, head of l’Association de Soutien de la Dordogne, said, “People’s health and safety is at stake here and those in real need could suffer because of it”. To call for an emergency shelter place dial 115; this is a social emergency number which operates 24/7. ■ by Brian Hinchcliffe

6 ♦ NATIONAL NEWS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2016

Expat wins best bistro award

f France is famous for two things, top of the list would be food and wine. The nation's pride took a knock recently, however, after a Chinese team beat the French into second place at the world wine tasting championships (see last month's edition of The Bugle). And now, rubbing sel de Guérande into the wound, a restaurant run singlehandedly by a British expat has been voted best village bistro in France. Manchester-born Chris Wright, an entirely self-taught chef, only opened his small bistro earlier this year after running the successful Parisian eatery Le Timbre (the postage stamp) for 14 years. His new restaurant, which doubles up as the local shop in Dienne, a village of just 200 people in the Cantal department, was his attempt at a quieter life. The bistro soon gained a reputation locally, however, and before long he found himself inundated with booking requests. “I wanted it to be a low-key thing, but looking at it from that point of view, it's been a bit of a disaster” said the 44-year-old chef. “I was hoping to wind down with a quiet little place where you could get a nice slice of ham and cheese. I failed there!” Unfortunately for Chris, his life is not likely to get any easier going forward after winning the top village bistro award from Le Fooding food and restaurant guide. The trendy guide prides itself on a down-to-earth, unstuffy approach to food - poles apart from the more famous Michelin Guide - and does not think that

French school dinners hailed as restaurant quality

Oscar-winning documentary maker Michael Moore has heaped praise on French school dinners in his most recent film, “Where to Invade Next”. In the documentary, which came out in September, Moore visits countries around the world to investigate aspects of life and culture and to see where America can learn to do things better. In the light-hearted film, Moore sits down with children at a primary school in northern France to enjoy a meal of scallops, followed by lamb and a cheese course, a menu he says would not be out of place at an upmarket American restaurant.

nationality should play a part in its considerations. “We think quality, sincerity and authenticity are most important and it’s true that lately we note that foreigners are not the worst in these departments,” said Alexandre Cammas, founder of Le Fooding, who has an interesting theory on why so many foreign-born chefs feature in his guide. “In France, one can end up as a chef by default because you’re useless at school, for example, whereas foreign chefs when they come to France, it’s not by default, it’s to fulfil a dream.”

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Chris Wright has now closed his bistro for the winter, but is already looking forward to a busy season when he reopens next year. “The locals have been great. Quite of a lot of people knew of me, because I have been coming down for the last eight years or so and I love the food from around here. Others probably thought that, being English, I wouldn't be capable of much more than a sandwich!” Despite his desire for a quieter life, the British chef has very publicly proved his culinary credentials. ■

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“I entered a small village in rural Normandy and went to one of the finest kitchens in the country,” explained the film-maker during the documentary. “By my standards, it was a 3, maybe a 4-star kitchen. It was definitely the best place to eat in town... it was the school cafeteria!” ■

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NATIONAL NEWS ♦ 7

DECEMBER 2016 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

UK close to a deal on Air Force trains eagles post-Brexit expat rights to tackle drone threat

>> continued from pg 1

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However, Mrs May recently stressed twice within a week that a deal guaranteeing the rights of EU nationals to remain in the UK after Brexit will be struck quickly. “I want an early agreement on the status of UK nationals in Europe and EU nationals here, so that you and they can plan with certainty,” the prime minister told business leaders at the Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI) annual conference in November. The potential deal for Brits abroad was hailed as “fantastic news for them, their family and friends” by Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, parliamentary adviser to Conservatives Abroad, which has campaigned on voting rights for expats. “It will allay a great deal of anxiety. It is only right that Europeans who are legally here and doing a good job of work for this country should also have the reassurance they can stay as well.” Josh Hardie, deputy director general of the CBI, said the suggestions of a deal were “really good news” adding it was “encouraging to hear that it has been prioritised”.

Whilst a deal on expat rights was always likely to be agreed, the uncertainty that has surrounded the situation since the June vote has caused a great deal of anxiety for many British citizens living in France. Until now, many have relied on theoretical “acquired rights” guaranteed by the Vienna Convention of 1969 to secure their future in France, although whether the Vienna Convention applies in this instance has been much debated. The convention states that the termination of a treaty “does not affect any right, obligation or legal situation of the parties created through the execution of the treaty prior to its termination.” The House of Commons Library says that “withdrawing from a treaty releases the parties from any future obligations to each other, but does not affect any rights or obligations acquired under it before withdrawal.” So theoretically, expats who have already exercised their right to live in EU states can expect to keep that right after Brexit. If a formal deal is agreed with the 27 EU member states, seeking protection under the Vienna Convention should no longer be necessary. ■

he emergence of cheap, readily available drones has caused a massive headache for authorities and security services. At one end of the scale are careless members of the public who fly their new 'toys' in dangerous areas - near misses with planes and helicopters are becoming a regular occurrence. At the other end of the scale, there is serious concern that drones could be used by terrorists to carry improvised explosive devices. Sometimes high-tech problems can have a low-tech solution, however, and the French Air Force has responded to the threat by training a team of elite eagles to intercept drones. “The eagles could be used in major events like the July 14th celebrations, G20 meetings or big international conferences,” an Air Force spokesperson told L’Express magazine. Currently, the only response to a rogue drone is to either shoot it down or use a “jam-

mer” to block any flying signals. Both of these solutions, however, result in the drone falling from the sky, which is not always ideal when public areas are involved. “In certain situations, when debris could fall onto the crowd below, the drone cannot be shot down. The eagle can intercept the device without causing extra damage. They have been taught that there is food on the drones, and now when they see one of these devices they intercept. We are training them not just to attack them, but to detect them.” The Air Force began with a batch of golden eagle eggs in spring this year and once the birds were big enough, they began their training in the summer. It is hoped that they will begin service as early as next year. It may sound like a far-fetched idea, but eagles have already been successfully used by police in the Netherlands. ■

French band facing name change

There was shock around the world when the results of the recent American presidential elections came in. Leaders began to panic as to what a Trump presidency would mean for them, but for one French band, the problem ran deeper. Formed in 2014 as an electronic rock group, “Trumps” have now said that they are looking for a new name. Lead singer Jim explained that their image took a blow when Donald J Trump entered the presidential race, but that now they are to change their name. “We don't feel like being associated with this guy,” the band said. “We have no connection with him, and we don't want to be seen pushing anything political.” The band have been taking suggestions from fans on their Facebook page, but have already rejected the tongue-in-cheek suggestion of “The Le Pens”! ■

8 ♦ NATIONAL NEWS

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Mayor upholds ban on UFO landings

f any extraterrestrial travellers subscribe to the electronic version of The Bugle, they may want to take note that landing your UFO at Châteuneuf-du-Pape will see you locked up. The mayor of the town, which is traditionally more famous for its wine, has announced that he has no plans to lift a 62-year-old ban on the “flying over, landing, or taking off of flying saucers” in the area. The original decree, signed in by thenmayor Lucien Jeune stated that “Any aircraft, known as a flying saucer or a flying

Other crazy French laws • It's illegal to name your pig Napoleon • Drinking alcohol at work is forbidden unless it's wine, cider or beer • Unlimited self-service ketchup is banned in school cafeterias • It's illegal to kiss through the window of a train while it's on a platform • You “can” marry a dead person, but you first need to get the president's permission

cigar, which should land on the territory of the commune will be immediately held in custody.” According to France Bleu the law was first introduced 1954 after a man in northern France claimed to see two beings dressed like “deep sea divers” emerging from a “cigar-shaped” spaceship. Perhaps unsurprisingly, local gendarmes have yet to arrest any aliens as a result of the law. “I'm not going to touch the ban,” current mayor Claude Avril announced recently. “It spices things up a bit. It creates a harmless kind of buzz and no one is getting tricked.” This tongue-in-cheek acknowledgment of the absurdity of the “law” also lays behind its creation. Elie Jeune, the son of the town's former mayor, has already dismissed his father’s decree as a “publicity stunt”, telling reporters: “At that time, people were talking a lot about extraterrestrials and the unknown, it was in fashion, and there were loads of stories circulating. He wanted to make a bit of

Badly parked Porsche blown up by bomb squad

an advertisement for Châteauneuf. It was an excellent publicity stunt... and free!” It also worked. In the weeks and months following his original decree, journalists flocked to Châteauneuf-du-Pape from all over the world and, predictably, the public couldn’t get enough of the story. And now, after publicly announcing that he is doing nothing, the world is once again talking about Châteauneuf-du-Pape... will we never learn! ■

Women cheat on men who don't do dishes

en, you have been warned. If you don't want your partner to stray... do the dishes! This is the conclusion of a survey carried out by Gleeden, a top dating website for married and unfaithful people. The survey of 10,000 female members revealed that they were more likely to cheat on men who failed to pull their weight when it comes to household chores. Some 73 per cent of female members of the site quizzed on the matter claimed that they were driven to infidelity because their partner was found wanting in the housework department, from cleaning the toilet to emptying the washing machine. A further 86 per cent of respondents said they were deeply frustrated by their man’s tendency to avoid housework and 84 per cent admitted to it having caused arguments. Despite the modern Frenchman helping out far more around the house than his pre-

decessors, a survey carried out last year by French statistics agency INSEE found that women still perform two thirds of all domestic chores. And before any male British readers start feeling smug, a similar study in the UK found that Brisith men do even less, just 31% of the housework - or around 6 hours per week. A 2014 Ifop poll found that 55 per cent of French men and 32 per cent of French women are unfaithful to their partner and that infidelity is on the rise. The French are, however, also unusually forgiving, which is possibly a good thing considering their propensity to stray! Dating website Gleeden was launched in France in 2009, but has since gone global and is aimed squarely at women looking for some extra-marital action. It is free to use for female members, but male users have to buy credit, opening up different levels of access to registered women.

The site, which has estimated that around 80% of its members are married, caused controversy last year when it ran a series of adverts that appeared to promote infidelity, angering religious and conservative groups and sparking legal action. The poster campaign featured a woman in a bridal gown, with her fingers crossed behind her back. ■

A young Parisian has learned the hard way what dangerous parking will lead to in a country that is still under a state of emergency. On a night out in town, the man was unable - or perhaps unwilling - to find a parking spot in the trendy 6th arrondissement of the capital, so left his €150,000 Porsche in a taxi rank with the hazards on. Later that evening, presumably after a few drinks, the man decided to take a taxi home, leaving his Porsche Carrera S parked illegally. With the country on a high state of alert following the terror attacks of recent times, the abandoned car with its lights flashing soon attracted the attention of police. Unable to access the vehicle, the police called in the bomb squad, who decided they had sufficient reason to blow open the front bonnet to check the vehicle for explosives. The motorist arrived shortly afterwards to take his damaged car home. “I shouldn't have parked it there,” the man admitted to journalists. “They contacted the leasing agency, then called me, and I explained the situation. I said sorry and said I would head there immediately. But obviously they didn't take this into account, because the bonnet was already exploded by the time I arrived.” With sympathy in short supply, local authorities have so far refused to comment, but the man is believed to be attempting to claim compensation for his damaged vehicle and has demanded to know under what basis it was considered “suspect”. ■

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Château owner jailed Woman finds grenade over massive wine fraud in sack of potatoes

Bordeaux château owner has been jailed for 2 years and given a record fine after he was found guilty of selling fake wine to a number of major supermarkets. François-Marie Marret, owner of four estates in the region, was told that he must pay €7.8 million for the fraud, which saw 800,000 litres of cheap plonk labelled as prestigious vintages from Saint-Émilion, Pomerol and Listrac-Médoc. The scandal, which dates from 2011 and 2012, involved what became known as “moon wines”, so-called as the cheap wine would arrive in tankers at dusk, before being drained into the château's tanks. The low quality wine - mainly press wine and excess wine destined for distillation - was bought on the black from struggling local producers for just a few hundred euros per barrel before being passed off as wine from more prestigious appellations. The three growers received suspended six-month prison terms and suspended fines. The ruling has taken the industry by surprise - it is very rare to go to prison for wine crimes in France. “The severity of this judgment does not represent justice,” Marret said outside the court-

room. “I don't even know how they're coming up with 8,000 hectolitres. It's impossible, purely impossible.” The fine does appear to be large as even prosecutors calculate that the wine maker will only have netted around €800,000 from the scam, but the industry is keen to protect its reputation and send a warning to other wouldbe fraudsters. “It was a strong signal to professionals in the Bordeaux trade that justice will protect consumers and the quality of Bordeaux wine,” explained vice procureur Nathalie Queran, a prosecutor in the region's finance and economic crimes division. “The alleged offences are contrary to all the rules. They seriously damage the image of our appellations, and that of all the winegrowers who make them renowned,” said Hervé Grandeau, president of the Fédération des Grands Vins de Bordeaux, which was a civil plaintiff in the case. “We will show ourselves particularly intransigent in the future when faced with such practices.” The wine merchant, Vincent Lataste, received an eighteen-month suspended prison sentence and the truck driver, an accomplice whose confession provided key information, received a four-month suspended sentence. ■

Rugby team push bus down motorway Rugby players from the Pro D2 side Perpignan had some unexpected late night scrummage practice last month when their bus broke down in the middle of the night on the way home from a match. Stunned onlookers were treated to the unusual sight of burly sportsmen pushing the 19-tonne bus down the hard shoulder of the A62 between Bordeaux and Toulouse towards the nearest service station. Their efforts were filmed by the team's Belgian centre Jens Torfs, who posted the video to Instagram. One of the players featured was former Scottish international flanker Ally Strokosch who re-Tweeted the short video with the caption “That’s my baldy head right there!” Strokosch has played with Perpignan, who sit eighth in France's second division of rugby, since 2013. ■

Six face trial over Kate Middleton photos

ix reporters, photographers and media chiefs are to be tried in France for invasion of privacy over the topless photos of the Duchess of Cambridge which were published in 2012, according to judicial sources. The pictures of Kate Middleton were taken with a long lens and showed her topless on the balcony of a private residence in the south of France, during a holiday with Prince William. The photos first appeared on the front page of local newspaper La Provence in southern France in September 2012, but were given a much wider audience when celebrity magazine Closer subsequently also ran them, sparking fury from the royal family who pressed for criminal charges in an attempt to prevent further publication of the images. Closer’s chief editor, the head of Closer’s parent company Mondadori, two news agency pho-

tographers, along with a photographer and a senior figure at La Provence will now have to answer in court over the publication of the intimate photos. The directors of La Provence have denied that one of their photographers took the pictures, which revived the debate about

invasions of privacy by the press, with one royal spokesman at the time branding them “reminiscent of the worst excesses” of the paparazzi in Princess Diana’s life. No date has been set, but it is believed that the trial will take place some time in 2017. ■

he French are not particularly famous for their love of spicy food. A woman from Grenoble almost made a dish that packed quite a punch, however, when she very nearly dropped a grenade into the evening meal. “I was peeling potatoes when I pulled one out that felt particularly heavy,” explained the woman, who had recently bought a 25kg sack of spuds from her local Carrefour Market. “I banged it on the table, decided it must be a stone and put it to one side. When my husband came home, he ran it under the tap and we realised that it was a grenade!” The couple were obviously worried and took the miniature bomb, which dated from the First World War, to the end of their garden while they waited for experts to come and remove the potentially deadly weapon. The potatoes, like 50% of those grown in France, originated from the Somme department, best known as being the theatre for many of the most famous - and bloody - battles of the Great War. There are still huge numbers of unexploded bombs and grenades in the fields of northern France and it is sadly common for farm-

ers to build piles of unexploded ordnance on the edge of their plots. It is far less common, however, for these to find their way into the nation's shops! With the grenade covered in mud, it is understandable that the weapon was not spotted by the producer, who does not check the potatoes individually by eye. It is far more worrying, however, that the grenade was not picked up by the subsequent

passage through a metal detector at the distributor, followed by a manual selection process prior to packaging. “There has clearly been a failure here, although thankfully without any consequences,” said the vegetable distributer concerned. “We will be strengthening the metal detection tests... this kind of incident is not acceptable. It is the first time this has happened in 30 years.” ■

10 ♦ FRENCH LIFE

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2016

The wines of Bergerac - non-AOC wines

by Martin Walker

e have been so accustomed to look for the phrase appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) on a wine label, to signify that it comes from a recognized wine area, that we often overlook good wines without it. In fact, many growers who could use the AOC mark choose not to do so because the requirements can be burdensome. Winemakers in an AOC district are limited to the types of grapes than can be used, how much wine may be produced per hectare and so on. And then there are the good wines that come from outside the 300 or so AOC areas in France. About a quarter of French wine production is listed as vin de pays, and is entitled to carry the letters IGP on the label, for Indication Géographique Protégée. There is yet another category below this, vin de France, which tends, with some exceptions, to be cheap plonk. We have several IGP wines in this region, including some from well-known vineyards that also produce AOC wines, like Château de la Jaubertie and Château Tirecul La Gravière, for each of whom I have a deep respect. Tirecul’s Monbazillac was the first Bergerac wine to get the maximum 100 points in a Robert Parker tasting. And if you come across a wine called Le Haut Païs made by Vignerons de Sigoulès, it is very much worth trying. They make a red and a white and I find them to be a cut above most bottles

of generic Bordeaux or Bergerac, although much of this wine goes for export to Holland and Germany (where I came across it on a book tour). Other winemakers are reviving vineyards that recall the centuries before the phylloxera plague struck in the 1860s, when the Périgord and Dordogne regions were major wine producers. Then came the new wonder crop of tobacco and the tradition of wine production was almost lost - almost, but not quite. Individual farmers continued to grow vines for their own household and the skills remained. I have long enjoyed the wines of Domaine de la Vitrolle in the Vézère valley between Limeuil and Le Bugue. I was initially attracted by the château itself, the secret HQ of the Resistance in World War Two and for some crucial months around D-Day in 1944 it was the base of André Malraux and ‘Captain Jack’ Poirier. They have been making wine there for three decades and in recent years the English winemaker John Anderson has produced some fine sparkling wines and very drinkable reds and whites. For less than 5 euros a bottle, his Demoiselle de Limeuil are very good value. (They also grow excellent apples and have some stylish gîtes available for rental.) The other day, a friend in Bordeaux served at dinner a bottle of a wine I had not known

before, a Périgord wine called Le Petit Manoir. Once back in the Périgord, I made a beeline for the vineyard, between St-Cyprien and Le Bugue. It is close to the home at Péchalifour of my chum Edouard Ayrou, the legendary truffle expert, whose guided tours of his truffle lands are strongly recommended. On the D35 road from Le Bugue to StCyprien, just before the turn-off to Meyrals, look for the sign to Péchalifour and Domaine de la Voie Blanche and you come to the vineyard, where Natalie Dalbavie can arrange tastings (between October and April, call first on 05 53 29 20 36 or 06 79 45 82 48). She and her husband Marc are self-taught winemakers who were inspired by finding the remains of a 2,000-year-old winery on their land. They are great believers in organic wines and even tried using horses to work the vines. They also use giant terracotta jars to age their wine, just as their predecessors did in Roman times. Natalie reckons that one year in terracotta gives as much ageing as two years in oak barrels - but she loses 13% a year through evaporation. They make two wines at this vineyard, Les Joualles and Le Petit Manoir, where the terroir is clay and limestone. Les Joualles comes from an old Occitan term for the traditional practice of growing rows of vines amid apples and other fruit trees. The wine I had tasted in Bordeaux was a 2012 Petit Ma-

noir made of Merlot, which is now sold out. So I tried the 2014, which because of the vagaries of that year’s weather is made entirely from Cabernet Franc. It is very good indeed, and at 23 euros it is worth laying down for three years or more. They have a second vineyard about twenty miles to the north-west at La Bachellerie, further up the Vézère valley, with a mineralrich terroir terraced with river pebbles where they make red and white wines named La Source. These are serious wines, between 12 and 16 euros a bottle, and I bought several of a very remarkable red that was made without sulfites. There is a pleasing sense of history about drinking these wines made in a vineyard that dates back to Roman times, and where the wine is grown and made in the age-old way. And there could be no better proof that the AOC label need not be a pre-requisite for making very good and distinctive wines.. ■ Martin Walker, author of the best-selling ‘Bruno, chief of police’ novels, is a Grand Consul de la Vinée de Bergerac. Formerly a journalist, he spent 25 years as foreign correspondent for The Guardian and then became editor-in-chief of United Press International. He and his wife Julia have had a home in the Périgord since 1999 and one of his great hobbies is visiting the vineyards of Bergerac.

What’s changed for pensions since Brexit? - Blevins Franks

or many expatriates, their pension income is the key to living the retirement lifestyle of their choice. Now that Brexit is imminent, should you have concerns about your pension security? Here we take a look at the key implications for the State Pension, defined contribution schemes and defined benefit or ‘final salary’ schemes. The State Pension Currently, expatriates living in France are entitled to annual inflation increases in their State Pension payments as EU residents. This may change once the UK leaves the EU. Britons resident in non-EU countries like Australia and Canada, for example, are not eligible. However, the UK has reciprocal agreements with some countries to allow resident Britons the yearly increase, such as in Jersey and the USA. Much depends on how Brexit negotiations unfold. Legally and administratively, there is no reason why the government could not extend the increase to retirees living in the EU. In these difficult economic conditions, however, a wider agenda for increased revenue could prompt the government to remove this benefit from non-UK residents. Defined contribution pensions With defined contribution pensions, what you can receive depends on how much has been paid into the scheme in contributions, tax rebates and investment growth. Research from pension consultants Hymans Robertson found that three-quarters of defined contribution pensions could fall short of providing the income needed for a comfortable retirement. This is 10% more than before Brexit, worsened by the environment of low interest rates, weaker growth and an unsettled currency. Now, people may need to save more, or for longer, to get the same amount as before Britain voted to leave the EU. The cost of buying an income for life in the form of an annuity, for example, has increased by up to 30% post-Brexit. However, Brexit has not affected the flexibility with which you can take out or transfer money from defined contribution pensions. While there is speculation that the government may introduce an ‘exit tax’ on pension transfers, this has not been confirmed either way. Defined benefit pensions In a defined benefit pension, your employer guarantees a fixed proportion of your salary for the whole of your retirement. The biggest issue facing these pensions is the stability of the providers financing them. Since Brexit, the cost of providing defined benefit pensions has become much more expensive as returns from the assets underpinning them - most-

ly UK fixed interest securities, commonly known as gilts or bonds - have shrunk. This, coupled with increased life expectancy, has created a significant shortfall for many companies in funding payments promised to scheme members. Companies with insurmountable deficits can fail alongside their pension schemes - BHS, with its £571 million pension deficit, is a recent example of this. In an effort to reduce future pension liabilities, many companies are offering large payouts for members to ‘cash in’ early. Dubbed the ‘Brexit bonus’, these payouts can be more than 30 times the annual income due on retirement, and have been known to increase by tens of thousands in a matter of weeks. There is speculation that the government may try to discourage a mass exodus from defined benefit pensions by changing the law to make withdrawals more difficult. In the meantime, with such record payouts on offer, some members may be tempted to transfer out of their defined benefit pension without fully understanding the long-term implications. Should you be taking any action? While so far Brexit has not made too much of a dent in pensions, this is a good time to review your arrangements. Before making any decisions, seek expert advice to make sure you choose a suitable course of action for your individual circumstances and objectives. If you have a defined contribution pension, you could consider transferring it to a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pensions Scheme (QROPS). For many expatriates this is a suitable way to bring their pension with them and take advantage of tax-compliant opportunities available in France. A QROPS can also offer currency flexibility. By holding investments in different currencies, you could insulate your pension income from volatility in the pound and the euro during Brexit uncertainty. Specialist advice is important to first establish if QROPS is right for you, then find a suitable product and navigate the complex cross-border tax and jurisdiction issues. If you have a defined benefit pension, advice is critical. Transferring has its risks and many members may benefit more by staying in the scheme, despite the appeal of a large ‘Brexit bonus’ in the short term. An adviser can help you weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of transferring and make recommendations tailor-made for you. Of course, you may not need to take any action at all right now. During this period of Brexit uncertainty, however, it is worth reviewing not only your pension arrangements but your overall financial planning. By choosing a locally-based adviser with cross-border experience, you can keep up to date with Brexit developments that may affect you specifically as an expatriate in France. ■

Tel: 05 53 63 49 19 Email: bergerac@blevinsfranks.com Tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any statements concerning taxation are based upon our understanding of current taxation laws and practices which are subject to change. Tax information has been summarised; an individual is advised to seek personalised advice.

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FRENCH LIFE ♦ 11

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Christmas date and walnut cake

f you ever muse on French products that bear the prized AOC classification, it’s most likely a lovely bottle of Bergerac or Bordeaux and a well-ripened Epoisses or Brie to go with it that springs to mind. The list of foodstuffs marked ‘AOC’ is a great deal more comprehensive, however, and in South-West France the walnut grown in the Périgord is also defined ‘AOC’. The origin of the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée designation goes back further than you may imagine. The very first product to become so highly respected that its production received the protection of a parliamentary decree to ensure its quality was maintained to a recognisable degree, was Roquefort cheese in 1411. The AOC certification system was formalised in 1935. To be granted the classification meant that products by approved producers, in designated areas of the country, would be held to a rigorous set of standards. This was to insure that consistency of quality and traditional production methods would be guaranteed. The prime products to receive the certification were wines and cheeses. Then, in the 1960s, a broader spread of foodstuffs began to be included, from Puy lentils from the Auvergne, espelette peppers from the Basque Country and lavender essential oil from HauteProvence, to bull meat from the Carmargue and the patissier’s favoured échiré butter, in five different regions of France. The AOC label alerted consumers to quality. Corsica’s AOC honey was considered so exempla-

by Julia Watson

ry, it was part of the supplies dispatched to the Mir space station. Now there are more than 200 products with the marks of AOC and IGP - Indication Géographique Protégée, a subsidiary designation, which supports quality in vins de pays only. In this august parade, the walnut may seem a humble inclusion. But they are nuts with a long history. Evidence that walnuts were eaten as long as 17,000 years ago has been found in habitations of the Cro-Magnon. Walnut trees benefit from growing in sheltered valleys or low hillsides in the well-drained clay and limestone soils that make up Dordogne farmland. Oil from their nuts has been used over the centuries for making soap, paint, and producing light. When the Périgord failed to compete with production of oils from other cheaper more prolific plants, the focus moved in the 19th century towards growing walnuts primarily for eating. Grown in over 578 communes, most of them spread across the Périgord, there are four varieties eaten throughout France and exported abroad. The Franquette, the Corne and the Marbot are generally sold dried in their shells. The Franquette and the Corne, along with the Grandjean, a small, easily removed nut that originated in Sarlat, are also sold shelled. Walnuts are a prime ingredient in the below alternative to the classic Christmas fruit cake, a recipe so unexpectedly light and delicious it will win over anyone who doesn’t like the traditional dense classic or has left it too late to bake for the coming festivities. It’s a cake known as the Queen Mother’s Favour-

ite Fruit Cake. Buckingham Palace refutes this lovely rumour, which is a shame, as the Queen Mum is also said to have insisted that the recipe only be passed on if the recipient promised to pay one shilling to charity. Feel free to double up on the walnuts, given they are such AOC stars. You can make it up to the day before Christmas - if you’re not in a Christmas panic by then. Unlike the standard Christmas fruit cake, it doesn’t demand the weeks of whisky feeding and maturing. Nor do you need to cover it with teethchipping concrete white icing and marzipan, though feel free to decorate it with seasonal reindeer, Father Christmas and sleigh. Its optional icing could just about pass for a melting snow drift. Eat a slice with a glass of vin de noix. ■ Julia Watson has been a long-time Food Writer for newspapers and magazines in the US and the UK.

The Queen Mother’s Favourite Fruit Cake For the cake: 225g dried dates, chopped 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon baking powder 50g dried walnuts, roughly chopped 275g plain flour

225g caster sugar 1 large egg, beaten 75g butter For the icing: 5 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons cream 2 tablespoons butter

Grease and line a 23cm x 30cm tin. Heat oven to 180ºF. To make the cake: Put the chopped dates in a bowl and pour over a breakfast cup of boiling water. Add the bicarbonate of soda and stir in. Set aside. Cream the butter with the sugar in another bowl. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Sieve together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the butter, sugar and egg mix, then the dates and incorporate well. Scrape the batter into the baking pan and spread it right to the edges. Bake the cake in the centre of the oven for 35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. To make the topping: In a small heavy saucepan, melt the butter, brown sugar and cream over a low heat. Bring the mixture to the boil and boil gently for 3 minutes, stirring all the time. Pour over warm cake. When cool, store in an airtight tin. And, right or wrong, put a shilling for the Queen Mother in a charity tin.

In the garden - jobs for December

t's only just very recently that the ground has been well watered, doing the garden the world of good (unless it continues for the next 6 months!) but few could say that we're having 'seasonable' weather. Early frosts killed off the tomatoes et compagnie but since then the cold has been noticeably absent. The grass is still growing, as are the vegetables in the potager. The weather patterns have been very similar in this part of the world for the last two years - cool, very damp springs, followed virtually overnight by months of very hot, dry weather. This may well be the tem-

by Michelle Pierce

plate for the next year, unfortunately. So we need to be thinking about making sure our ground is as healthy as possible, and as humus rich as it can be. Spread a thick layer of mulching material round plants of all descriptions, and especially on bare ground. Use fallen leaves, shredded wood, prunings, manure, leaves from herbaceous plants, bracken, and bought mulches. You want the micro organisms and soil insects to be doing the maximum amount of work for you. In the early spring, focus on collecting rainwater. With the recent mild weather

conditions, shop-bought veg plants can still be planted, as long as you keep an eye out for possible cold, and why not try sowing things like spinach, winter lettuce, leaf veg, mustards and chard, etc., and planting onion and garlic sets. Artichoke offsets can be replanted, and cardoons also. Layer your soft fruit bushes to get extra plants (lay flexible stems down horizontally, bruise them under a node and weigh them down with bricks or stones), and look after your strawberry patch so that you can separate and replant the runners. Continue harvesting the new fresh shoots of herbs like mint,

which have done really well this autumn, and dry them for winter use. Keep an eye on the last of the tender things that are still out in the garden, and be ready to pop some fleece over them when it turns cold. Start looking at seed catalogues, bulb catalogues and websites of plant growers for ideas about next year's garden. Make a first long list, then leave it a few days and go back to it to whittle it down before ordering. Load up the compost heaps with hedge prunings instead of burning them, to take advantage of winter decomposition.

Plant the poor forced bulbs you buy with the bulb above ground, as they should normally grow, that is to say with the bulb under the ground. Clean the things away that are growing in the wrong place - move them, prune them back, give them away, etc. When it rains, organise your shed and your tools. Make sure they are put away clean, oiled and (depending) sharpened. Clean your mower thoroughly whilst it's not in use, to stop the acids in the grass stems damaging the metal. Dream about next year's garden... Good gardening!

12 ♦ BILINGUAL

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2016

Festive traditions in France

Present giving rench children traditionally leave their shoes in front of the fireplace on la veille de Noël (Christmas Eve) before they go to bed. Père Noël (Father Christmas) visits them while they sleep and if they have been good leaves presents in and around the shoes. In northern and eastern France, there is a parallel tradition which celebrates Saint Nicolas on December 6th. Adults traditionally wait until le jour de l’ An (New Year’s Day) to exchange gifts, although, increasingly, families are exchanging gifts on Christmas Day. Festive traditions An important aspect of Christmas in France is the Nativité (Nativity) with its crèche (manger) and santons (figurines). The latter are often hand-made and passed down through the generations. Mistletoe is hung above the door and is considered to bring for good fortune. Note that it does not have the ‘kissing’ connotations of other countries! The sapin de Noël (Christmas tree) is not as important in France as, for example, in the UK, but it does still form part of the Christmas celebrations. Christmas trees are decorated a few days before Christmas and Père Noël will often leave sweets and treats on its branches in addition to the present in the children’s shoes. Unique to Lyon is the Fête des Lumières (Festival of Lights), where every house in the city will place a candle in their windows, producing a spectacular effect. The celebration usually lasts four days, culminating on 8th December. Le réveillon de Noël The most important Christmas event in France is la Messe de minuit (midnight

Mass) followed by the eating of a meal known as the réveillon de Noël (from the verb réveiller, to ‘wake up’ or ‘revive’). Although fewer and fewer French attend midnight Mass, it is still an important part of Christmas for many families. The réveillon represents a symbolic awakening to the meaning of Christ’s birth and is one of the most important meals of the year. Traditionally the réveillon is a family affair and the meal is eaten immediately after midnight Mass at home or in a restaurant. The meal varies from region to region, but typically will involve seafood, followed by a cooked bird and the traditional bûche de Noël (Yule log). This cake is made from chocolate and chestnuts and represents the log burned from Christmas Eve until Epiphany in parts of France. The log-burning is itself based on an ancient pagan Gaul tradition of burning a log for the duration of the winter solstice. La Saint-Sylvestre - 1st January French New Year is celebrated with a feast called the réveillon de Saint-Sylvestre. On New Year’s Day friends and family exchange good wishes and sometimes gifts. The president also uses Saint-Sylvestre to make his annual address to the nation.

L'Épiphanie - 6th January The final celebration of the festive season in France is Épiphanie (Epiphany) on 6th January. The tradition on this day revolves around the eating of a special cake known as the galette des Rois (literally ‘cake of the kings’). A small figurine or fève is placed inside the cake. The cake is cut into pieces and distributed by a child, known as le petit roi, or l’enfant soleil. Whoever receives the piece of the cake with the gift inside is declared King or Queen for the day and gets to choose a partner. ■

Les cadeaux la veille de Noël, les petits enfants français laissent traditionnellement leurs chaussures devant la cheminée avant d’aller au lit. Le Père Noël leur rend visite pendant qu’ils dorment et s’ils ont été sages, il laisse des cadeaux dans leurs chaussures. Dans le nord et l’est de la France, il existe une tradition similaire : c’est la célébration de Saint-Nicolas le 6 décembre. Traditionnellement les adultes attendent le jour de l’An pour échanger les cadeaux, bien que les familles le fassent de plus en plus le jour de Noël.

Traditions festives En France, la Nativité est un moment important de Noël avec sa crèche et ses santons souvent faits main et transmis d’une génération à l’autre. Le gui est suspendu au-dessus de la porte afin de porter chance mais sans la tradition du baiser des autres pays! Décoré quelques jours avant Noël, le sapin tient une part importante dans les célébrations mais moins cependant que dans d’autres pays tels que le Royaume Uni. Le Père Noël laisse souvent des friandises sur les branches lorsqu’il dépose les cadeaux dans les chaussures. Célébrée uniquement à Lyon, la Fête des Lumières se tient sur 4 jours, le moment phare prenant place le 8 décembre. Les habitants déposent une bougie sur le rebord de leurs fenêtres, ce qui produit un effet spectaculaire. Le réveillon de Noël Pour les Français, la messe de minuit suivie d’un dîner appelé «le réveillon de Noël» (du verbe «réveiller») est le moment le plus important de la célébration de Noël. Bien qu’en nombre décroissant, de nombreuses familles se rendent toujours à la messe. Le réveillon permet de revivre symbol-

Many thanks to local French teacher, Sophie Arsac, for this month's piece. If your New Year's resolution is to improve your French, why not get in touch with Sophie to see how she can help! See below left for contact details.

iquement la naissance de Jésus et c’est l’un des repas primordiaux de l’année. Le réveillon se passe généralement en famille et le repas est consommé juste après la messe de minuit, à la maison ou au restaurant. S’il varie d’une région à l’autre, le menu typique se compose de fruits de mer, d’une volaille rôtie et de la traditionnelle bûche de Noël. A base de chocolat et de noix, le gâteau symbolise une bûche qui se consume de Noël à l’Épiphanie dans certaines régions de France. C’est l’héritage de rites païens qui consistaient à faire brûler une bûche pendant le solstice d’hiver pour garantir une bonne récole. La Saint-Sylvestre - 1er janvier La nouvelle année est fêtée lors du réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre. Le jour de l’An, familles et amis s’échangent leurs meilleurs vœux et s’offrent parfois des cadeaux. Le président choisit ce jour pour adresser son discours annuel à la nation. L’ Épiphanie - 6 janvier La saison festive se conclut le 6 janvier, lors de la célébration de l’Épiphanie. Les familles et amis se partagent alors une galette des rois. Une fève y est dissimulée et un enfant désigné comme «le petit roi» ou «l’enfant soleil» distribue les parts. Celui qui trouve la fève devient le roi ou la reine d’un jour et doit choisir un partenaire de sexe opposé. ■

Christmas Vocab List L’Avent Un ange Une chandelle Noël Une carte de Noël Un chant de Noël Le jour de Noël Le réveillon de Noël La veille de Noël La fête de Noël Un cadeau de Noël L’arbre/Le sapin de Noël La fête des Rois Le père Noël Un santon Un jeu Un jouet La crèche Joyeux Noël! La Messe de minuit Le gui Le jour de l’An La Saint-Sylvestre Le réveillon du Nouvel An Un cadeau Un renne Un ruban Un traîneau La neige Une boule de neige Un bonhomme de neige Une peluche Noël sous la neige

Advent angel candle Christmas Christmas card Christmas carol Christmas Day Christmas Eve dinner Christmas Eve Christmas party Christmas present Christmas tree Epiphany, Twelfth Night Father Christmas figurine in a Nativity game toy manger Merry Christmas! midnight Mass mistletoe New Year’s Day New Year’s Eve New Year’s Eve dinner present reindeer ribbon sleigh snow snowball snowman stuffed animal white Christmas

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Business Directory

Your indispensable guide to finding local businesses & artisans Animals & Pets MinouCats

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Building Services Painters/Decorators Simon Carter

Painter & Decorator Qualified craftsman with over 25 years UK experience, now based Haute-Vienne/north Dordogne border.

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ADVERTORIAL

Online radio station for English-speaking expats Ex-patradio.com is a brand new online internet radio station, which launched live on 21st March 2016. The station is designed for English-speaking expats. The aim is to have a variety of shows, ranging from chat shows through to music programming covering a full spectrum of musical tastes. Our DJ presenter music shows include: • ‘The Golden Oldies’ with Mick Hennell, featuring tracks from the 50s and 60s • ‘The Beat Goes On’ with Steve Bell, showcasing new expat bands, musicians and singers • ‘The Blend’ with Ira, our American presenter, with the best of Creole and Swamp music through to rare blues cuts • ‘The All Day Special’ with station founder, Dave Hailwood • ‘The Roast Beef’ and a little Country and Western from 'The Southern Comfort’ with Wayne Allen • ‘The Retro Chart Show’ with Dave Mac • ‘Soul Time’ with Max Morrison - a great new show of Northern Soul • ‘The Nostalgia Club’ with David Sibbald -

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ing their services and trades. If you are interested in sponsoring one of our shows on a regular basis, or would like a commercial made and aired, please get in touch with Catherine Brown at catherine@ex-patradio.com Email us with requests, stories, jokes, local events in your area, sports groups, and anything else. We want to hear it all.. So get typing to: dave@ex-patradio.com Like us on Facebook:www.facebook.com/ expatradiofrance/ Tweet us on: @ExpatRadioFr And listen live now!

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ADVERTORIAL

BREXIT - MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR HOUSE SALE

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he last fifteen years have seen a huge volume of foreign buying and selling activity in France. In fact, the level of activity has almost tripled compared with the previous fifteen-year period. “The internet has obviously played a huge part in this change but so too have methods of financing,” says Harris Raphael, Managing partner of Francebased Pioneer France. “The biggest financing change has been the ability for those transferring funds when buying or selling properties to utilise the services of a specialist foreign exchange company to achieve exchange rates only available previously to large commercial organisations.”

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more likely to have traditionally used a bank for their transfers and are reluctant and nervous about using ‘new methods’. “I understand this completely,” says Harris. “Anything new can be daunting, especially when it concerns one’s major asset! However, Pioneer France’s foreign exchange brokerage has been operating for over 35 years and is one of the very few that is fully authorised and regulated by the FCA, with the right of establishment in France. As such, we are able to provide our clients with full security of funds, and we can give expert currency exchange guidance to aid our client’s decision making, which the banks are not licensed to do.” Pioneer France was recently voted number one for foreign exchange rates and service, so contact Harris and his team to find out more about saving thousands. ■

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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 exceeded all expectations. In Southern Europe, Solar-

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ADVERTORIAL

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printed form from Amazon. Go to www.amazon.com and search for "Chasing dreams and flies". ■ THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR FRIENDS AND RELATIONS!

- if the property is unoccupied during the hot summer months, then it can be left running at low speeds for ventilation and dehumidification purposes or simply switched off. With a range of panel sizes, and the option for wall or roof mounting, Solarventi is suitable for all types of buildings, caravans or even boats!! Following the patenting of its design in 2001, Solarventi has only recently been actively commercialized. Over the last six years, Solarventi units have been installed in more than 24 countries and demand is increasing rapidly. From Greenland to Australia, Solarventi is finally getting the recognition it deserves. ■ Units start from €630 TTC. Several ex-demonstration models available at reduced prices, call for details.

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ADVERTORIAL

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ith 7 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 €13.50 HT per month – that’s less than 45 cents a day to put your business in front of 25,000 people each month. In the Dordogne we have more than 150 distribution points across the region and surrounding areas where readers can pick up a copy for free. We also distribute 2,500 copies through Bergerac Airport, which means that we are in the perfect position to target not only residents and secondhome owners, but also tourists and those new to the region. The Bugle is the only English language newspaper dedicated to the Dordogne - in fact, today, The Bugle is the only free English language newspaper in France and we are growing all the time. If you would like to discuss any of our advertising options further, why not give us a call today to find out more about the ways that we can help you grow your business.

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COMMUNITY ♦ 17

DECEMBER 2016 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Monday

Market Days

Beynac Le Fleix Les Eyzies Ste-Alvère

Tuesday

Beaumont du Périgord Bergerac (bio market) Brantôme Cénac-et-Saint-Julien Lanouaille Le Bugue Mareuil Neuvic Ribérac Salignac Eyvigues Thenon Trémolat

Wednesday Bergerac Gardonne Hautefort Jumilhac-le-Grand La Tour Blanche Montpon-Ménestérol Montignac Périgueux Piégut Pluviers Razac

Sarlat Siorac-en-Périgord Vélines Domme Excideuil Eymet La Coquille Lalinde Monpazier St Astier St-Julien-de-Lampon Terrasson

Le Bugue Montignac Mussidan Neuvic Nontron Périgueux Razac Sarlat Sigoulès St Aulaye Ste-Foy-la-Grande Thiviers Verteillac Villefranche du Périgord

Friday

Sunday

Thursday

Bergerac Brantôme Cubjac Le Buisson Ribérac Sarlat Vergt

Saturday

Agonac Beaumont du Périgord Belvès Bergerac Lalinde La Roche Chalais

Bergerac Couze St Front Daglan Gardonne Issigeac Pontours Pressignac-Vicq Rouffignac Sarlat Sorges St Cyprien St Génies St Pardoux la Rivière See www.jours-de-marche.fr for more information

Caspian and Fifi - born approx 10/08/16 & 19/08/16

UPCOMING AQUITAINE CHURCH SERVICES The Chaplaincy of Aquitaine covers the Dordogne, Gironde, Lot-et-Garonne, and Condom (Gers). All services are held in English. For further details, please see our website: www.churchinaquitaine.org or contact Chaplaincy Administration: Amy Owensmith, +33 (0) 607 04 07 77 chapaq.office@gmail.com

SUNDAY 04 DECEMBER 10:30 Service of the Word – Bertric Burée 10:30 Family Communion – Bordeaux 10:30 Prayer & Praise – Limeuil 11:00 Holy Communion – Doudrac 11:00 Prayer & Praise – Sainte Nathalène 15:00 French-Madagascan Service – Bordeaux 18:00 Advent Carols – Bertric Burée Tuesday 06 December 11:00 Holy Communion – Allez SUNDAY 11 DECEMBER 10:30 Holy Communion – Bertric Burée 10:30 All Age Worship – Bordeaux 10:30 Fresh Expressions – Eymet Temple 10:30 Family Service – Négrondes Wednesday 14 December 11:00 BCP Holy Communion – Bertric Burée Thursday15 December 10:30 BCP Holy Communion – Limeuil SUNDAY 18 DECEMBER 10:30 Family Service – Bertric Burée 10:30 Family Communion – Bordeaux 10:30 Holy Communion – Chancelade 10:30 Holy Communion - Dondas 10:30 Christmas Praise – Limeuil 10:30 Christmas Prayer & Praise – Monteton Thursday 22 December 11:00 Holy Communion – Condom SUNDAY 01 JANUARY 10:30 Service of the Word – Bertric Burée 10:30 Prayer & Praise – Limeuil 11:00 Family Communion – Bordeaux

International Coffee Chat ...welcomes expat & French women living someor all of the time in Sarlat meet new people & make new friends! Held the third Monday of each month between 10h-11h30 at The French Coffee Shop, 35 avenue Gambetta, Sarlat. For more information call Kim on

06 09 18 74 42

Fifi was such a shy little girl but when her mum, brother and sister all left for new homes on the same day she found her new hero in Caspian! Together they make the most adorable pair. Caspian is a playful and affectionate boy with a great personality who has helped Fifi to build her confidence, so much so that she is now always first in line for a cuddle! They play together beautifully, chasing, killing toys and generally behaving like kittens should but when playtime is over and it's time for a nap Fifi will curl up happily on top of Caspian and the two of them will purr away. If you would like to know more please contact Caroline at carolinearcher74@gmail.com or call 05 55 27 10 25 (19390 Beaumont, Corrèze). Fifi and Caspian will be chipped, vaccinated and de-parasited on adoption. www.phoenixasso.com www.facebook.com/PhoenixAssociationFrance

Chaplaincy of Aquitaine Christmas Carol Services and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services The Chaplaincy of Aquitaine covers the Dordogne, Gironde, Lot-et-Garonne, and Condom (Gers). All services are held in English. For further details, please see our website: www.churchinaquitaine.org or contact Chaplaincy Administration: Amy Owensmith, +33 (0) 607 04 07 77 chapaq.office@gmail.com THURSDAY 08 DECEMBER 17:00 Christmas Carol Service – Sainte Nathalène Dordogne 19:00 Christmas Carol Service – Montcaret, Dordogne FRIDAY 09 DECEMBER 18:00 Christmas Carol Service – Ribérac church, Dordogne SATURDAY 10 DECEMBER 18:30 Madagascan Carol Service – Bordeaux, Gironde

SUNDAY 11 DECEMBER 11:00 Christmas Carol Service – Doudrac, Lot et Garonne 16:00 Christmas Carol Service – Chancelade Abbey, Dordogne 17:00 Christmas Carol Service – Limeuil, Dordogne 17:00 Christmas Carol Service – Monteton, Lot et Garonne 17:00 Christmas Carol Service – Bordeaux, Gironde WEDNESDAY 14 DECEMBER 18:00 Christmas Carol Service – Eymet Church, Dordogne 18:30 Christmas Carol Service – Dondas, Lot et Garonne FRIDAY 16 DECEMBER 18:00 Christmas Carol Service – Négrondes, Dordogne 18:30 Christmas Carol Service – St Médard, Lot et Garonne SATURDAY 17 DECEMBER 17:00 Christmas Carol Service – Vic Fezensac, Gers TUESDAY 20 DECEMBER

18:30 Christmas Carol Service – Allez et Cazeneuve, Lot et Garonne SATURDAY 24 DECEMBER 18:00 Christmas Eve Holy Communion – Condom, Gers 18:00 Christmas Eve Holy Communion – Doudrac, Lot et Garonne 22:30 Christmas Eve Holy Communion – Limeuil, Dordogne SUNDAY 25 DECEMBER 10:30 Christmas Day Holy Communion – Bertric Burée, Dordogne 10:30 Christmas Day Family Communion – Bordeaux, Gironde 10:30 Christmas Day Fresh Expressions – Eymet Temple, Dordogne 10:30 Christmas Praise with Communion – Limeuil, Dordogne 10:30 Christmas Day Holy Communion – Monteton, Lot et Garonne 10:30 Christmas Day Holy Communion – Négrondes, Dordogne

18 ♦ WHAT’S ON

WHAT’S

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2016

Music in the Dordogne sponsored by ARCADES Join us for concerts in the air conditioned new hall in Le Buisson, mostly of classical music, with top class French, English,

Russian and other international performers. Concert tickets cost €15 including wine in the interval. All events are organised by volunteers and serve also as a meeting ground for the French and international communities of the Dordogne, including ACIP and La Tulipe.

Venue - Le Buisson de Cadouin, Nouvelle Salle des Fêtes, Avenue Aquitaine

For more info, tel 06 87 88 15 33 or 05 53 23 86 22 or visit http://www.arcadesinfo.com/

UPCOMING CONCERT Sunday 4th December at 4 pm The Pilgrim Trio present Beethoven and Mendelssohn

12th Bergerac Bio Fair 2/3/4 December This year’s Bio Fair in Bergerac will take place in the Salle Anatole France from Friday 2nd to Sunday 4th December. This annual event showcases the many and varied bio products of the Dordogne and surrounding departments, with over 80 stands, conferences, workshops and exhibitions. Open Friday 14h-20h45 (followed by bal trad), Saturday 10h-20h and Sunday 10h-16h. For more information visit: foirebiobergerac.canalblog.com

Delphine Bardin, piano Arno Madoni, violin Maryse Castello, cello Programme: Beethoven Op. 97 no.7 in Bb maj. Mendelssohn Trio Op. 49 No. 1 in D min.

Brantôme Police Horses Events Christmas Fair Sunday 4th December from 11 am to 5 pm

Lots of stalls under cover for all your Christmas present ideas and the summer house gift shop will be open, stocked with new items. Père Noël will be arriving at 11:30 am by horse and carriage and will then go into his grotto to meet all the children. 3 euros per child (all profit will go to local schools). Hot food will be served all day, including bacon butties in the morning and hot pork rolls from 12 pm. There will also be cakes and mince pies, mulled wine, beer, coffee and tea. Live music all day, with Sandy Bailey and Chris Kearn. The Quinsac line dancers will also be making an appearance. And with face painting, tombola and lots more besides, what better way to get into the festive mood?!

Saturday 3rd - Saturday 31st December Discover the Christmas Village of Périgueux at places Bugeaud, André Maurois and square Daumesnil. Open every day of the week, enjoy a glass of mulled wine and sweet & savoury treats and shop for Christmas gifts amongst the chalets set around the ice rink.

Christmas Quiz Friday 16th December at 7 pm

3-course supper, bar, raffle. Tables of 6 or more welcome but it is possible to come as a team of four, two or even on your own. Members €20. Non-members €22. *Please book early* La Grange, 24530 Saint-Pancrace - Tel: 05 53 05 86 80 - www.brantomepolicehorses.com

DECEMBER 2016 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

VERTEILLAC CHRISTMAS MARKET & BROCANTE

WHAT’S ON ♦ 19 Wednesday 7th - Saturday 31st December

Sunday 4th December Father Christmas / Vin Chaud Christmas Gift Ideas Huge Brocante Large Parking Areas

This year’s Christmas Village, set amongst 50 chalets on places de la Liberté, du 14 Juillet and de la Grande Rigaudie, with open-air ice rink, takes on a Russian theme and welcomes craftsmen and women from all over France, with a variety of goods and gourmet treats.

Please note there is no Brocante on Sunday 1st January 2017. The next is Sunday 5th February.

The nights draw in, the clouds come and the rain falls. However, MADS will bring a little sunshine to SW France with our winter play “DECKCHAIRS”. A very funny look at various aspects of life seen from 2 deckchairs on a beach. Come laugh away the winter blues with MADS. Seats sell quickly so don’t be too late!! WHEN: 8th, 9th & 10th December. 20h. WHERE: Salle des fêtes, Monsaguel. TICKETS: 10€ (-2€ for MADS members); Under 12s 5€ BOOKINGS: mads.bookings@gmail.com or 05 53 27 55 31

BOOKSTOP PRESENTS... CHRISTMAS CONCERT Sunday 18th December at 5pm Bookstop, 19 rue Victor Hugo, Brantôme

The programme played by Nelly Johnson on her Tyros 5 digital keyboard comprises these famous Christmas pieces: Pastorale - Domenico Zipoli A minuit fut fait un réveil - Michel Corrette Il natale in Sicilia - Pietro Yon Noël en duo - Louis-Claude Daquin Magnificat pastorale - Johann Pachelbel Noël provençal - Nicolas Saboly Interval

Cantabile, the ACFAA Choir in Eymet, will once again be cheering the spirits of the local French and expat population this December by singing first at the Anglican Family Carol Service in Eymet Church at 6 pm on Wednesday 14th December, followed by a procession to the Square. There, under the arcades we will be singing a selection of well-known carols and Christmas songs for everyone to join in. Simon Kenworthy, our musical director, has arranged a special medley of music incorporating melodies you will recognise and the ACFAA (Association Culturelle Franco-Anglaise d’Aquitaine) will offer a cup of mulled wine to keep you warm. If we are lucky, Father Christmas may make an appearance! Come along and join us.

Pastorale napolitaine - Luigi Vecchiotti Suite de Noël, Vème Noël et prélude - Claude Balbastre Devant la Madone - Jules Massenet Vous qui désirez sans fin - Jean-François Dandrieu Pastorale prélude BWV 590 – J. S. Bach Carillon - Michel Corrette During the interval there will be the opportunity to take refreshments and Nelly Johnson will be signing her book “La Musique Classique rencontre l’Electronique”. For more information contact Howard tel 09 51 45 57 49 / email bookstop24@gmail.com

20 ♦ WHAT’S ON