The Bugle Dordogne - Dec 2018

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France impounds Ryanair plane

The French government sent in the bailiffs after the airline's delayed repayment of illegal subsidies >> Page 9

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November 2016 - Issue #85

Dordogne

Your local newspaper for life in France

December 2018 - Issue 66 - FREE!

France to bring back national service Gilets jaunes protests bring travel chaos nationwide - page 10

National service for all 16-year-olds will

be phased in from next year as President Macron follows through on an election pledge, but the service, lasting four weeks,

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will not now have a military focus. also much opposition, particularly from a financial point of view.

Defence officials were concerned that being in charge of military service would produce limited benefit, whilst cutting into an already stretched budget.

Many of the country’s army barracks have either been converted for other uses or knocked down over the course of the last decade and the cost of reintroducing compulsory military service had been estimated at well into the billions.

As a result, the national service being introduced next year will now focus on community rather than military service and will be overseen by the education, not the defence ministry.

Dordogne to test hydrogen trains - pg 3

Calls for €1 tax on online deliveries - pg 10

France no longer defines the kilogram - pg 11

The Bugle Business Directory - pg 14-16

>> continued on page 9

© Obier (WikiCommons)

a t i o n a l service is to return to France in 2019, but in a scaled-down version of the proposals first put forward by Macron during his presidential campaign.

Emmanuel Macron took the country by surprise when he announced his election pledge to require all young people to spend time getting “a direct experience of military life, with its knowhow and demands”.

At the time, the move was seen as an attempt to woo right-leaning voters and whilst there is a degree of political support for the return of national service, especially in the wake of increased terror attacks across Europe, there is

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2 ♦ IN THIS EDITION

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2018

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ome on, be honest now, how many of you snuck into the advent calendars early again this year and stole some chocolate... shame on you! I was listening to the radio the other day and Chris Evans was putting forward the theory that while it’s not OK to steal a few chocolates from the calendar, if you eat them all before the first of December then that’s somehow fine! My kids would probably agree, but I’m not sure I do.

Like many people of my generation or before, if I had an advent calendar as a kid, it would simply have a festive picture or scene behind each door. This was more than exciting enough to get me running down the stairs at the crack of dawn to peel back the perforated cardboard and tick off another day until the arrival of Santa!

Not that I’ve really looked, but I suspect that you can’t buy that kind of calendar any more. These days, even chocolate isn’t enough. Each door has to hold Lego, or a toy,

or something of even greater value. There also seems to be an increasing number of adult novelty calendars that promise a delicious slice of artisanal cheese, or a shot of exotic liqueur each day.

My local supermarket has at least two different types of “calendar” that provide a 330 ml bottle of beer every morning, presumably to warm you up for the long drive to work!!

I’m thinking of marketing my own range next year targeting the festive carnivore. It will essentially be a walk-in cold storage unit and behind each of 24 numbered doors will be treats like an entire cured ham or a side of Limousin beef... unless someone has already beaten me to the idea, it’s surely just a matter of time!

Like many people, I imagine, I found myself caught up in the “yellow vest” protests this month (see pg 10). I was aware that there were going to be disturbances in my local town and there were indeed small pickets outside the two main supermarkets which

forced one to close early on that first Saturday of action.

That aside, it was not big news in my immediate neck of the woods and I thought no more of it.

A few days later, I had to drop my in-laws at Bordeaux airport and had not been following the French news that closely in the meantime - I was probably too busy helping them pack and printing out a backup set of boarding passes just in case!

As we flew down the A10, all of a sudden the inside lane became static and I could see huge amounts of traffic up ahead. Thankfully, this is where modern technology came to the rescue. My wife quickly opened up the Maps app on her phone, which instructed us to take the next exit, conveniently only a few hundred metres up ahead, and just before the outside lane became stationary traffic!

Ten minutes of back roads led us down a few junctions and back onto the motorway, south of the blockage, where the traffic was at a standstill going in the opposite direction.

It was then that the penny dropped and I realised that the protests had continued through the weekend. We somehow made it to the airport without losing too much time, but then again, even if we had got stuck, I would have run the rest of

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the way with my father-inlaw on my shoulders! On the way back I was not so lucky and what should have been an eighty-minute drive took three times as long. I considered myself fortunate, however, as that blockage on the A10 was one of the biggest in the country and many motorists spent a cold night on the tarmac. A near miss.

Do make sure to check online if you have to be anywhere urgently at a specific time as, if the protests continue as you read this, the roadblocks appear and disappear rapidly and with no warnings.

Finally, as we head towards the festive season and on into 2019, I would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.

Until next month!

Steve Martindale, Editor

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INSIDE this edition 3-5 Local News 6-11 National News 12-13 French Life 14-16 Directory 17 Community 18-20 What’s On Copy deadline:

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LOCAL NEWS ♦ 3

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Hydrogen trains on the horizon Mussidan bypass

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utting edge, zero emissions hydrogen trains could soon be flying across the countryside, following an announcement by Michel Delpon, an MP from the Dordogne. The La République En Marche! (LREM) politician made the statement after receiving a letter from the president of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region to say that four routes had been identified to take part in a trial of the futuristic trains. The routes concerned are Bordeaux-Périgueux-Limoges, Bordeaux-Bergerac-Sarlat, BordeauxLe Verdon-sur-Mer and AngoulêmeSaintes-Royan.

“The president of the NouvelleAquitaine region has decided to launch a hydrogen train project on four lines in the south-west, one of which is Bordeaux-Bergerac, which was threatened with closure just 16 months ago when I was elected,” announced the clearly pleased politician, who has been a prominent campaigner for hydrogenpowered trains.

The new trains will need to be located within easy reach of a planned hydrogen production factory that will be built as part of the project. “Sure, buying a hydrogen train is somewhat more

expensive than a diesel train, but it is cheaper to run,” said Stefan Schrank, the project’s manager at Alstom, who argues that the ease of producing hydrogen makes the trains cost effective.

“You can get it from renewable electricity - wind farms, solar farms, dams - anything that can generate electricity can generate hydrogen,” explained Shawn Litster, a professor of mechanical engineering at Pittsburgh University. “It’s also possible to produce hydrogen from natural gas, so there’s geographically a lot of flexibility around where you get the hydrogen from.”

It has been reported that €45 million that had previously been set aside for a project to electrify the Bordeaux-Soulac line will now be used to purchase the hydrogen trains, which emit only water when travelling.

The world's first hydrogen train entered service in September of this year, operating on a 100-kilometre route in northern Germany, a line that had previously been serviced by highpolluting diesel engines. The trains are designed and built by French TGVmaker Alstom, which plans to deliver a further 14 of the zero-emissions trains to the Lower Saxony state by 2021,

finally complete

T while other German states have also expressed an interest.

Hydrogen trains are equipped with fuel cells that produce electricity through a combination of hydrogen and oxygen, a process that leaves steam and water as the only emissions. Excess energy is stored in ion-lithium batteries on board. The trains, which can travel at up to 140 km/h have a range of around 1,000 km on a single tank of hydrogen, a similar distance to traditional diesel engines.

Alstom is betting on the technology as a greener, quieter alternative to diesel on non-electrified railway lines, and there is already interest from Britain, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Italy and Canada. The French government has previously said it wants the first hydrogen trains to be on the rails by 2022. ■

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he latest loop of a major route was unveiled on 16th November, enhancing life for motorists and residents of a Dordogne town, when local dignitaries, headed by mayor Stéphane Triquart, opened the new D709 Mussidan bypass. The 4.2 km stretch is the final section of this trunk route between Bergerac and Ribérac, an important north-south artery and the new road completes a project that began as long ago as 1998.

“There were nearly 200,000 m³ of excavations plus 50,000 m³ of embankment to be created,” explained head of highways, Isabelle Albrand, outlining a few of the difficulties that had to be overcome.

“Add to that seriously problematic geology and topography, drainage issues, environmental and ecological concerns, measures to eliminate natural erosion and a railway bridge. There were also 700 trees to be planted on the roadside with a much greater number planted in compensation elsewhere.”

Drivers on the new route will immediately see the amount of landscaping that has been necessary to make this route viable.

A car-share car park has also been created to encourage a greener attitude to car use.

Inhabitants of Mussidan and local shopkeepers and traders are among the first to appreciate the absence of heavy vehicles and bottlenecks in the town centre. The new road replaces the much used corridor between the A89 and the Ribérac road, and it is estimated the route will be used by up to 4,000 vehicles a day.

Meanwhile drivers are reminded that the new 80 kph limit will apply to the bypass; local officials have thus far remained tightlipped on any planned speed cameras. ■

by Brian Hinchcliffe

4 ♦ LOCAL NEWS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2018

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Mother who hid her baby in the French TV retune boot of her car for 2 years jailed

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court in Corrèze has sentenced a woman who kept her baby hidden in the boot of her car to two years in jail for negligence causing mental disability.

Rosa Maria Da Cruz, originally from Portugal, kept her daughter Séréna - the youngest of her four children - hidden away in the maggot-infested boot of her car and a spare room at the family home, until she was nearly two.

Her lawyers said she had never accepted falling pregnant again and had asked for leniency. Public prosecutors had been seeking an eight-year jail sentence, but following a one-week trial the judge sentenced the fifty-year-old to five years in prison, three of which were suspended. She will also be monitored by social services for five years and required to receive psychiatric treatment. Da Cruz will serve her sentence in Limoges prison.

The story of the “baby in the boot” shocked the country when it was first revealed in 2013. The infant was discovered by a mechanic when she took it to be repaired at a local garage in TerrassonLavilledieu. Hearing a noise, he opened the boot of the car to find the baby in a car seat, naked, filthy and dehydrated.

“We were deeply shocked because she didn't find this abnormal,” explained mechanic Guillaume Iguacel at the time. “We told her to remove the little girl from the boot and give her something to drink right away. I'm still having trouble sleep-

ing, it was a horrifying sight, seeing this little girl in her own excrement, not able to hold up her head, white as a sheet.”

Séréna, who recently turned seven and is in foster care, suffers from severe mental impairments, which medical experts have linked to sensory deprivation during her early months. Da Cruz had hidden the pregnancy and none of her family or friends were aware of Séréna's existence.

The tragic case is made all the more perplexing by the fact that in all other aspects of her life, Da Cruz was the perfect mother to her other three children. A paediatrician who examined Séréna and her siblings after the discovery said her team had been “stupefied” by “the gulf between Séréna’s situation and those of her brothers and sisters”, who appeared to have been “perfectly raised”. “You could see she had been a good mother, and we could not understand why Séréna had not received the same quality of care at home,” the doctor said.

After initially being taken into care, her remaining three children were returned, and continue to live with Da Cruz and her husband. Da Cruz’s sister and nieces also said they had no idea of Séréna’s existence, and said she was a “loving” mother to the other children. “Inside I think she is suffering. She knows what she has done,” her niece Elodie told the court.

During the trial it emerged that she had initially hidden the pregnancies of two of her other children from her partner, not wanting to face reality. ■

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fter signing the paperwork and collecting the keys to a new French home, the first step many expats take is to call their local Sky TV installer. On the other hand, for those serious about improving their language skills, one of the most effective methods is to listen to French radio and watch French television... at least some of the time! If you are a fan of interminable advert breaks and “humorous” round table discussion programmes, however, you may need to retune your television in the near future.

In order to facilitate the introduction of new highspeed mobile networks, the frequencies of the country's TNT (télévision numérique terrestre) service are gradually being changed, region by region, and this month it is the turn of the Dordogne, along with the former Limousin region. With more and more mobile phone users in France, authorities need to

reserve larger bandwidths for telephone networks. Terrestrial television channels have previously broadcast in the frequency range 470 MHz to 790 MHz, but in the future the 694 to 790 range will be set aside for mobile communications, meaning some channels having to change frequency.

Much of France has already made the change, but for the Dordogne, the big switch will take place on 4th December.

Only those who receive their French television through an aerial will be affected; those who watch TV via an internet enabled device will not have to take any action. Simply retuning your TNT box via your remote control should be enough, but further information is available at www.recevoirlatnt.fr. ■

LOCAL NEWS ♦ 5

DECEMBER 2018 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Locals rally to help a British Work begins ex-serviceman pay his respects on Bergerac water park

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I

© Brian Hinchcliffe

n a recent initiative The Bugle played a part in bringing together a diverse group of people to help a disabled British ex-serviceman attend a WWI commemoration in November.

The retired army man in question was 79-year-old Colonel Robert Dickinson, a patient at the La Lande rehabilitation centre near Saint-Astier. After an emergency heart operation, the former soldier had suffered a serious stroke and been moved to La Lande for further treatment.

During a conversation with another British patient at La Lande, Colonel Dickinson, late of the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment, spoke about his desire to attend the Great War centenary memorial service in Saint-Astier.

When one of The Bugle’s local team learned of the colonel’s plight, an effort began to bring together the pastor from his church, the Royal British Legion, the mayor of Saint-Astier and management of the La Lande centre to see what could be done.

Veronica Dare-Bryan from the Chaplaincy of Aquitaine church, immediately volunteered to transport the colonel. “When he was whisked away to hospital we lost trace of Robert. He lives alone and had just moved house. No one could tell us where he had finishedup,” she told The Bugle. The mayor, Elisabeth Marty, arranged for a car to enter the no-drive security zone around the cenotaph as well as an official welcome for the former soldier. The British Legion supplied a handsome poppy wreath to be laid and physiotherapy staff at La Lande worked hard to help prepare the colonel for a safe and comfortable outing.

“We are honoured to have the colonel attend our centenary commemoration,” said Saint-Astier deputy mayor, Bernard Léger. Colonel Dickinson was generous in his praise for the Anglo-French collaboration.

“Everybody has been very helpful. This was an important event for me, I am very grateful to everybody involved.”

La Lande physiotherapist, Valérie, added: “This was an excellent opportunity to help Mr Dickinson build up

his exercises and gain more strength. We were pleased to help.”

The La Lande centre, located at Annesse-et-Beaulieu, is the Dordogne’s premium physical rehabilitation centre, set in the parkland of the Château de La Lande.

Whilst on active duty, Robert Dickinson served overseas as a logistics specialist and was also elected Colonel of the Regiment. He has been attending the 11th November service every year since before joining up as a 2nd Lieutenant. His unit, originally called the Lincolnshire Regiment, was one of the first BEF infantry forces sent to France in 1914. ■

by Brian Hinchcliffe

t’s been a long time coming but work has finally begun on an exciting addition to the Dordogne’s attractions. On 14th November in Bergerac, the first stone was laid for the new water park by the local authorities and contractors.

The long-awaited aqua park is now due for completion in spring 2020 and will be entirely heated by geo-thermal equipment. This advanced, hi-tech system has been a major factor in the delay.

The vast new facility will welcome up to 600 bathers at a time in 3 heated pools, plus there will be a wellness centre with hammam, hydro massage, sauna, cold plunge pool and hot tub.

At a cost of €9 million, shared between the city, department, region and state, this is not a cheap project, but it does tackle several local issues: the park will occupy an ugly, unused and unloved site, originally a military storage unit in the otherwise handsome city of Bergerac; it is to replace the ageing Picquecailloux pool; and it will create employment, particularly for younger locals, where jobs are are lacking.

According to backers, the big attraction for Bergerac local authorities and its taxpayers is that the facility is “future-proof”. The only only thing known about future energy costs is that they are certain to continue to rise, so the use of free heat from underground solves the eternal problem for pool operators beset by the constant expense of maintaining comfortable water temperatures, plus it tackles the associated environmental implications.

When the Dordogne Prefect, Anne-Gaëlle Baudouin-Clerc, laid the first stone, it was not just a promise of watery fun for residents and visitors, but a step towards a greener future. The new aqua park is appropriately located in the zone des Sardines, near Decathlon. ■

by Brian Hinchcliffe

6 ♦ NATIONAL NEWS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2018

Uniforms back on the syllabus

Backlash over Trump's cancelled cemetery visit

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resident Donald Trump faced widespread criticism from across the world when he cancelled a visit to a US military cemetery in France on the eve of the centenary of the end of World War One because it was raining. The US president was in the country, along with a host of world leaders, to attend Armistice Day commemorations in Paris.

Trump had been scheduled to lay a wreath and observe a moment of silence at the Aisne-Marne American cemetery and memorial at Belleau, about 100 kilometres north-east of Paris. The White House cited rain that grounded the president’s helicopter for the cancellation. Around 2,000 US marines died at Belleau in a ferocious battle in June 1918 and the site is immensely important to the US military. During a visit to Washington earlier this year, President Macron gifted his US counterpart a tree taken from the Belleau wood.

The embattled president is no stranger to controversy, but the social media backlash against his decision to cancel the visit was loud and widespread. “They died with their face to the foe and that pathetic inadequate @realDonaldTrump couldn’t even defy the weather to pay his respects

to The Fallen,” tweeted Nicholas Soames, the Conservative MP and grandson of Sir Winston Churchill, using the hashtag #hesnotfittorepresenthisgreatcountry.

David Frum, a speech writer for fellow Republican president, George W Bush, tweeted that Trump had “shirked, on grounds of weather, the job of honouring those who fought and died in rain and mud”.

Ben Rhodes, who served as a deputy national security adviser under former US President Barack Obama, also hit back saying weather was not an excuse. “I helped plan all of President Obama’s trips for 8 years. There is always a rain option. Always.”

Others retweeted images of former presidents attending ceremonies in torrential rain, with many on social media re-posting footage of an appearance last year by Justin

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Trudeau. Dispensing with his umbrella mid-speech, the Canadian prime minister said: “As we sit here in the rain, thinking how uncomfortable we must be these minutes as our suits get wet, and our hair gets wet... it’s all the more fitting that we remember on that day in Dieppe the rain wasn’t rain, it was bullets.”

In the wake of the criticism, the president's press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, issued a statement that noted the weather and “near-zero visibility” as well as concerns that a motorcade on short notice would have required closing roads to traffic. “President Trump did not want to cause that kind of unexpected disruption to the city and its people,” Sanders said. She also highlighted that the trip to Aisne-Marne was two-and-a-half hours each way by car. ■

chool uniforms may not seem too unusual to those of us who were educated in the UK, but generally speaking, they are the exception not the rule in mainland Europe. One town to the east of Paris has gone against this trend, however, and introduced a voluntary, subsidised school uniform programme.

Following a survey earlier this year that revealed 60 per cent of parents were in favour of introducing a standardised dress code, the 759 primaryage children in Provins, population 12,000, are being encouraged to wear clothes from a 10-piece uniform collection including navy blue polo shirts and sky blue sweaters bearing the town shield and the national motto, “liberté, égalité, fraternité”.

A full set costs parents €145, but the price is halved for families with more than one child, and those unable to afford the uniform are eligible for State subsidies. The uniform is not compulsory, although it has been reported that around half of all pupils are sporting it. “I was a little worried,” said eight-year-old Noé at his school's entrance. “But I like it, because we're dressed like in Harry Potter!”

Traditionally, uniforms have been the preserve of private schools in France - often Catholic institutions in more affluent areas. Recently, however, an increasing number of parents have been calling for uniforms as a way to promote social cohesion, in particular in deprived neighbourhoods, and to ease resentment that can emerge over how different kids are dressed.

The pressure to keep up with fads and fashion has been increasingly identified as a problem in schools and supporters see school uniforms as a way to remove this. In November, a school in Merseyside banned students from wearing branded coats such as Moncler, Pyrenex and Canada Goose, which cost as much as one thousand pounds. “We are very concerned as a school about poverty-proofing our school environment and, as such, we met with groups of pupils and made the decision in consultation with them,” explained Rebekah Phillips, head teacher at Woodchurch High School in Birkenhead. “The pupils spoke to us about the pressure on families and the pressure on themselves to wear particular branded coats. A few years ago we introduced a school bag for the same reason. We have had parents approaching us asking us to introduce a ban prior to us writing the letter.”

School uniforms have not been compulsory in France since 1968, but have risen up the political agenda in recent years. The far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen and the centre-right’s François Fillon both suggested their introduction during their most recent presidential campaigns.

Not everyone agrees, however. Whilst supporters see the uniform as a sign of equality and a levelling of social status and wealth, for others it is the epitome of unacceptable authoritarianism and a detraction from more serious issues such as discipline and inclusion. “There has never been a serious empirical study showing there is more social equality between students or respect for authority because of uniforms,” argued Françoise Lantheaume, an education professor at Lyon University. ■

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NATIONAL NEWS ♦ 7

DECEMBER 2018 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

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he South Pacific archipelago of New Caledonia has voted against independence from France in a long-awaited referendum. Final results revealed 56.4 per cent of voters choosing to maintain ties with the country that has ruled the islands since the mid-19th century and 43.6 per cent supporting independence.

Voters in the largely self-governing territory had been asked the question, “Do you want New Caledonia to gain full sovereignty and become independent?”, a question which was answered by more than 80% of eligible voters. “The New Caledonians have chosen to remain French. It is a vote of confidence in the French Republic, its future and its values,” President Emmanuel Macron said following the result.

Whilst there were reports of sporadic violence as polls closed, voting was largely peaceful, and the president called on both sides to work together. Macron said he understood the disappointment of those who had sought independence, but promised that the French State would ensure liberty, equality and fraternity for everyone. “The only loser is the temptation of contempt, division, violence and fear; the only winner is the process of peace and the spirit of dialogue.”

First discovered by the British ex-

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plorer James Cook, Nouvelle-Calédonie is located 1,210 kilometres to the east of Australia and is home to just over a quarter of a million people. Colonised by France in 1853, today around 40 per cent of the population are indigenous Kanaks and a further 27 per cent are of European origin. The remainder of the islanders come from across Polynesia and southeast Asia.

Under colonial rule the Kanaks were confined to reserves and excluded from much of the island’s economy. In the 1980s there were deadly clashes between French forces and indigenous Kanaks, which culminated in an incident that saw separatists kill four French gendarmes and take another 23 hostage in a cave.

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New Caledonia rejects independence from France

early polls, which could encourage nationalists to try for a new referendum in coming years.

New Caledonia enjoys a large degree of autonomy, but depends heavily on France for matters such as defence and education and receives €1.3 billion from the central government each year. In return, the islands' position gives France

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a strategic foothold in the Indo-Pacific region where China is expanding its presence, as well as access to significant natural resources: Nouvelle-Calédonie has 25% of the world's nickel deposits.

A “Yes” vote would have made New Caledonia the first French territory to break away since Djibouti in 1977 and Vanuatu in 1980. ■

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8 ♦ NATIONAL NEWS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2018

NATIONAL NEWS ♦ 9

DECEMBER 2018 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

France to reintroduce National Service >> continued from pg 1 “This is not a return to military service, but soldiers will participate fully, as supervisors and instructors, with their proven organisational capability and ability to provide a national framework with working methods that facilitate the inclusion of all,” explained Gabriel Attal, the junior defence minister in charge of the project, who insisted that the scheme remained faithful to the president’s original vision.

Rather than being housed in barracks, 16-year-olds will be called up for four weeks’ service, two of which will be spent in shared accommodation at school dormitories during the holidays, where they will learn skills such as first aid and how to use a compass, read maps and inform emergency services of a natural disaster or terrorist attack by radio. “This will bring together teenagers from different backgrounds and give them a shared experience that will help to forge a sense of national identity and responsibility,” concluded a government report on the proposals.

In the first instance, 3,000 volunteer teenagers will take part in a trial in

summer 2019 with the government hoping to make the service compulsory and universal by 2026. Following 4 weeks of national service, the 800,000 sixteenyear-olds will have the option to extend the experience by a further three to twelve months by serving with reserve armed forces, the fire brigade or community

cent agreed that the service national universel (SNU) would allow them to meet people from different parts of the country and from a variety of social backgrounds. A survey of 16-25-yearolds published by Le Parisien revealed that 74 per cent think the reintroduction of SNU is a good idea.

groups.

The proposals are part of a wider government initiative to engender more solidarity, shared ideals and civic pride among the country’s youth. Perhaps surprisingly, the move is widely popular among young people. A survey of almost 50,000 teenagers has shown that 90 per

Critics, however, see the move as a waste of time and money. “When

this government proposes something, the mountain often gives birth to a mouse,” complained Lydia Guirous, a spokeswoman for the opposition centreright Les Républicains party. “To have something focussing on values such as solidarity and commitment, that seems contradictory to me,” said the youth sociologist, Olivier Galland. “This measure is also an admission of the failure of the education system, which would be expected to take this role if it was really given the opportunity.”

During the French Revolution, France pioneered the idea of military conscription as a condition of citizenship. By the second half of the 20th century the amount of military service required was gradually scaled back and the practice was finally phased out between 1996 and 2001.

Emmanuel Macron, who came of age after the practice was scrapped, is the first modern French president not to have performed military service. ■

Ryanair plane impounded

I

t has been a rough year for Ryanair, Europe's largest airline, which has seen a series of strikes by pilots and cabin crew dent its already fragile reputation and, more seriously for boss Michael O'Leary, hit the company's bottom line. Things got even worse in November, however, when the French government sent in the bailiffs to impound one of its planes over an unpaid bill.

The issue relates to €1 million of subsidies the budget airline collected during its brief partnership with Angoulême airport in 2008-2009. Forcing airports to pay airlines to operate routes was subsequently deemed unlawful by the European Commission, which ordered Ryanair to repay the money, a ruling which was upheld on appeal earlier this year.

According to the French government, only half of this money was ever repaid, which meant that when flight FR1782 from Stansted touched down at Bordeaux airport in November, bailiffs were on hand to impound the plane in lieu of payment of the remaining €525,000.

“It is unfortunate that the State had to take such action, which led to the inevitable in-

convenience of the 149 passengers wishing to board the immobilised plane,” the French civil aviation authority said in a statement.

“Those passengers were able to eventually reach their destination later that evening on another Ryanair plane, but with a five-hour delay.”

It is understood that the plane was seized on arrival and no bags or passengers boarded the return flight. Under EU rules, affected travellers were given a €5 voucher for a snack and a drink and, because of the five-hour delay in sending a replacement plane, EU legislation also allows passengers to claim €250 in compensation from Ryanair. If all passengers exercised this right, the incident will have cost Ryanair a further €37,250.

Ryanair repaid the remainder of the money shortly after the incident, but has yet to officially release a statement.

Flight cancellations related to recent industrial action at Ryanair contributed to a 7% fall in profits to €1.2bn for the six months to 30th September, but the company did report an 11% rise in traffic in October, carrying 13.1 million passengers. ■

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Gilets jaunes protests present unique challenge

O

ne feature of the Macron presidency has been the government's refusal to back down in the face of strikes and union pressure. Generally speaking, the president has stared down the unions, weathered their protests, and pushed through difficult reforms on labour laws and railway workers' pension rights. It has not always been popular, but to date, the government have largely won the battles they have picked.

In November, Macron faced a new challenge from a group of angry citizens from across the demographic and political spectrum... the “yellow vests”, or gilets jaunes - so named after the high-visibility vests motorists are required to carry in their vehicles. This is a protest born on social media, with no official leaders, no national organisation and not run by any union or political party. The difficult question facing the government is how do you simultaneously negotiate with 100,000 angry people?

The gilets jaunes movement had called on supporters to block city centres, airports, motorways and

major roads, in protest at government increases in taxes on petrol and diesel. The first protests were planned for Saturday 17th November and by midday there were an estimated 244,000 people at 2,000 demonstrations across the country, but also in French overseas territories including Corsica.

The protests were for the most part peaceful, although fifty-two people were arrested nationwide according to police. The gilets jaunes had called for a show of numbers, not of force.

The plan was effective and disruption was widespread, with some motorists on the A10 motorway in Nouvelle-Aquitaine stuck in their cars overnight and in the case of many HGV drivers, for days.

The sheer scale of the protests appeared to take the government by surprise and has added fuel to the argument that President Macron is out of step with the mood of the people. He presented himself as a president from outside the main political parties, carried to power on the back of a grass-roots movement, who could heal the rift

between voters and leaders. Since then, however, his leadership has regularly been criticised for being too rigid, too hierarchical, too arrogant and aloof.

His approval ratings have fallen sharply and many are questioning what his response will be now he is faced with a spontaneous grassroots movement.

There is real anger among protesters, but one problem for the government is that they come from all walks of life. The vast majority are families and workers who are struggling from France's rural areas or the run-down suburbs that ring its major cities, but these people cross political party lines, which analysts believe makes this protest quite unlike the predictable, highly choreographed marches of France's unions or political groups. “It's the France of the majority, who work, who are not marginalised, but who struggle to make ends meet and often end the month in the red,” explained political author Jérôme SainteMarie, who has written a book on democratic changes in France.

This diversity of protesters

could also be the movement's downfall, however. “It's a movement that goes beyond political differences and that's dangerous for Emmanuel Macron,” SaintMarie continued. “But as long as the opposition to Macron is split between left and right, his power isn't challenged. The gilets jaunes are a kind of social reunification of the opposition that goes beyond political divisions.”

“There is general agreement right now, but none of us believe the same thing,” explained protester Frank Buhler. “We all sing the Marseillaise and call for Macron's resignation - those are the two slogans of the movement.

When Macron stands down, we will no longer agree, but right now we walk hand-in-hand. The politics will come later.”

The danger is that the movement will become more political and more extreme as its softer support evaporates and that the cause might be highjacked by other, more militant groups. This was already evident as the protests moved into their second week.

Smaller groups of hard-core pro-

Mayors call for one euro tax on all online deliveries

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Tax authorities to scan social media

charged to shops of less than 400 m² and is also supported by a number of MPs. The change is expected to cost local authorities €335 million per year in lost taxes, although this figure would be more than offset by the socalled fiscalité locale commerciale équitable (FCLE) – or local fair trade tax. In 2017, 505 million parcels were delivered from online platforms, a figure that has been rising steadily year on year.

The AMF stressed that the tax would not apply to parcels that are delivered to collection points or via online click-and-collect services as these still encourage consumers to cross the threshold of their local businesses.

“In the current financial climate, it is not possible for local communes to accept the loss of this tax income,” the AMF said in a statement. “But this reduction would be compensated for by applying the FCLE on all home delivery e-commerce. Online shopping does not contribute as much to the local economy, destabilises local jobs, and takes up public space at the expense of the taxpayer.”

The group believes that the tax would help smaller communes to maintain commercial diversity in town centres and give consumers “greater and fairer choice, and a greater dynamism in the heart of their town”. ■

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A

s independent businesses across the country struggle to compete with larger chain stores and the growth of online retailers, an organisation representing the country's mayors has proposed a €1 tax on all home deliveries. The Association des maires de France (AMF) has submitted a proposal to the government to add a one euro tax to all goods bought online and delivered to individuals, with the money raised being used to reduce the charges on smaller, local retailers.

The proposal is being driven by the mayor of Cannes, David Lisnard, who is asking for a 10% decrease in the taxe foncière

testers burned down toll booths and there were ugly scenes on the Champs-Elysées as riot police used tear gas and water cannon to break up groups trying to access the capital's landmarks.

Meanwhile, MPs voted in favour of the controversial 2019 budget, which will see taxes on fuel increase by a further 6.5 centimes for diesel and 2.9 centimes for petrol. The bill passed with 345 voting in favour, 200 voting against and 10 abstentions.

Since the start of the gilets jaunes movement, diesel prices have dropped significantly from the symbolic level of €1.50 they reached in early November, but the protests continue and many agree that they have become a more general manifestation of public discontent with the government and their own standard of living.

For now, Macron is once again staring down the protesters and refusing to negotiate... but with no clear demands other than his resignation, and no identifiable leaders, many are wondering what else he can do? ■

I

n the age of social media, many of us are used to sharing our dayto-day lives with family, friends... and total strangers. Not everyone considers the consequences of seemingly incidental posts, updates and tweets, but from next year, the country's tax authorities could be paying much closer attention to your online presence.

From the beginning of 2019, the French tax authorities have revealed that they will be using automated algorithms to scan social media profiles for evidence of tax evasion. “We will be able to put social networks into a large database,” explained government minister Gérald Darmanin. “It will give us the ability to notice that, for example, you have had your picture taken a number of times with a luxury car when you can not afford one... maybe your cousin or your friend has lent it to you, or maybe not!”

“We all know people who say 'It's not normal, there are people who earn very little and yet live a lifestyle that is way beyond their means'...

This law has been introduced for that reason and we will be implementing this measure at the beginning of the year.”

The Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés (CNIL) has not yet officially signed off on the plan, but it is a logical next step, as social networks are already used to help build cases in some criminal investigations. The French tax authorities currently have access to a degree of personal data, including bank accounts, phone numbers and invoices.

Government figures suggest that currently, one in four audits results in unpaid taxes being recovered. ■

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W

hen you buy a wedge of cheese or piece of meat, the chances are that the shopkeeper will place it on a set of scales and tell you how much it weighs, typically in kilograms... but who decides exactly what constitutes one thousand grams? Until recently, the answer had its roots in revolutionary France and a lump of metal that survives to this day in a heavily-guarded facility outside Paris.

One kilogram was initially defined as the mass of one litre of water at 4°C and in 1799 the kilogramme des archives was cast in Paris.

This prototype became the basis for the new unit of mass and all other weights were compared against it.

Over the course of the next century, the metric system grew in popularity and in 1875 the Metre Convention was signed by a number of countries around the world. This resulted in the creation of the International Prototype Kilogram (IPK), a platinum/iridium alloy cylinder cast in London, but stored in Saint-Cloud, France. Scientists agreed at the time that the IPK - also referred to as “Le Grand K” - was the kilogram, and every weight created ever since has been based on this lump of metal.

A number of copycat cylinders were made and distributed to the countries that had signed up to the convention. Great Britain, for example, holds Kilogram 18, housed in the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) at Teddington.

These siblings have returned periodically to France to be compared against the IPK, but

recent tests have shown that the daddy of all kilograms has lost weight to the tune of 50 parts per billion, or one grain in a bag of sugar.

This may seem insignificant, but in a world where accurate measurement is now critical in many areas, such as in drug development, nanotechnology and precision engineering, those responsible for maintaining the international system had no option but to move beyond Le Grand K to a more robust definition. “We know from comparing the kilogram in Paris with all the copies of the kilogram that are all around the world that there are discrepancies between them and Le Grand K itself,” explained Dr Stuart Davidson, head of mass metrology at NPL. “This is not acceptable from a scientific point of view. So even though Le Grand K is fit for purpose at the moment, it won't be in 100 years' time.”

Following a recent meeting at the General Conference on Weights and Measures, the weight of the world is no longer on French shoulders after delegates voted to get rid of the single physical specimen and instead switch to use a fundamental, reproducible measurement, to be defined in terms of an electric current.

For those who are interested - and to quote the famous L'Oréal advert - here comes the science bit! Electromagnets generate a force... scrapyards use them on cranes to lift and move large metal objects, such as old cars.

The strength of the electromagnet, or in other words the force it exerts, is directly related to

© Japs 88 (WikiCommons)

Weight of the world off French shoulders

One of the number of replicas of Le Grand K the amount of electrical current going through its coils. There is, therefore, a direct relationship between electricity and weight. So, in principle, scientists can define a kilogram, or any other weight, in terms of the amount of electricity needed to counteract a fixed mass.

“I haven't been on this project for too long but I feel a weird attachment to the kilogram,”

explained scientist Perdi Williams from the National Physical Laboratory, who has mixed feelings about the move. “I think it is such an exciting thing and this is a really big moment.

So I'm a little bit sad about the change, but it is an important step forward and the new system is going to work a lot better. It is also a really exciting time, and I can't wait for it to happen.” ■

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A

s authorities continue their battle against the internal combustion engine, older diesel and petrol cars will be banned from much of the capital from July 2019. Following a vote by officials in the Greater Paris region, diesel vehicles registered before 2001 and petrol vehicles more than 21 years old will be banned from 79 of the 131 communes of the Métropole du Grand Paris from next summer.

This corresponds to all vehicles with a Crit'Air rating of 5, as well as unclassified vehicles.

The changes will see a low emissions zone created - zone à faible émission (ZFE) - which will cover an area home to 5.6 million people; broadly speaking, the ZFE covers the area inside the A86.

The plan is for all diesel vehicles to banned in the ZFE by 2024, with a possible ban on all combustion engines being introduced as early as 2030.

Although the move looks likely to be rubber stamped, the ban will first be the subject of a public consultation before being validated by the mayor of each commune concerned. It is estimated that next July's ban will affect 700,000 vehicles and officials are urging all motorists concerned to change their vehicles before this date.

The move will no doubt further anger protesters who claim that recent tax increases on diesel unfairly target the less well off.

Also from July next year, the city is planning to add Crti'Air 4 vehicles

- diesels registered between 2001 and 2005 - to the list of those prohibited from the roads of Paris during weekday daylight hours (Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm). All unclassified and Crit'Air 5 vehicles are already banned from inside the périphérique during these hours.

Since its introduction, the Crit'Air system has been adopted by an increasing number of cities across the country to restrict access at certain times to the most polluting vehicles.

Any vehicles entering these zones are required to display a valid Crit'Air sticker or face a fine of €68, rising to €135 for lorries.

Stickers and more information are available via the official website www.certificat-air.gouv.fr and there is also an English-language version: www.certificat-air.gouv.fr/en/ ■

ED - The Bugle has been contacted numerous times by readers who have paid well over the odds for their pollution stickers. If you use the official website, the stickers should cost no more than a few euros. A sticker for a French registered car, delivered to France, currently costs €3.62. There are a host of unofficial sites also selling these certificates. Be aware that all they do is order it on your behalf through the government site, but will also charge a hefty “admin” fee of €25 or more on top. The official government website is available in 5 languages, including English.

12 ♦ FRENCH LIFE

I

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2018

Christmas Chocolate Cake

by Julia Watson

’ve never been much of an enthusiast of Christmas cake. As far as I’m concerned, the only justification for it is the glass of sherry or ginger wine that, with any luck, you’re offered along with it to help flush it down.

At the first too-often dry not brandy-soused swallow, Christmas cake slumps into the stomach like wet sand tipped from a child’s seaside bucket and sits there until the last of the twelve days of Christmas is over, even if the cake itself has long been consumed.

And it isn’t even confined to Christmas. Anyone who attends seasonal weddings and christenings is expected to munch their way to the couples’ or parents’ happiness through a musty slice of the same weighty, wintery, fruit cake, flirty dresses and feathered headgear the only lightness around.

Another complaint: the stupendous and longdrawn out effort involved in the baking of a Christmas cake, with its sousing of fruit, and fine chopping of tasteless coloured rinds and nuts!

You are supposed to construct the cake weeks in advance while autumn leaves are still colourful flags clinging valiantly to trees when the last thing you want to think about is weather cold and wet and shopping for inventive presents for people whose own to you won’t be half as imaginative. Next, the cake must be regularly fed with as much whisky or brandy as it can absorb to mitigate the tedium of its entire personality - whisky or brandy it would be far more advantageous to feed directly to yourself.

Apparently, this all helps it mature. Why would a cake need to mature? Not many people do.

Inhabitants of the north of England improve the

Chocolate cake Ingredients (serves 10-12):

eating challenge moderately by serving a helping of hearty Cheddar or other imposing cheese alongside, to mitigate the sweetness of the dense cake.

Once upon a time, every new bride was taught that to be able to offer seasonal guests the best possible Christmas cake, in her first married year of Christmas she was obliged to make seven of them.

Then every Christmas thereafter, to bake another.

This would go to the back of the queue in the store cupboard while the cake at the front was the one that was presented to Christmas visitors to slice. By year seven, every cake thereafter throughout her marriage would be seven years old. And thoroughly mature.

Here is a cake that is a real showstopper. And because it is frosted with a white icing, you can decorate it with Father Christmas and all the elves and reindeer that your heart desires. It’s a celebration at any time of year, quite the best chocolate cake I know. It is intensely rich, so a little will go a long way - probably for the whole of the Christmas festival. It needs to rest overnight before being assembled and it lasts in the fridge for at least a week (if you haven’t been tempted to eat it all at one sitting), and freezes perfectly well. So it can be made ahead of Christmas long before you begin to panic over how you will ever manage to get everything onto the Christmas table in time. The other thing in its favour is that it uses no flour, so is gluten free.

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

600g 70% chocolate, chopped 600g salted butter, cubed 12 large eggs, separated 600g caster sugar For the icing: 300g salted butter, softened 450g icing sugar 500g mascarpone, room temperature Handful of raspberries Preheat oven to 140C. Remove any shelves above the middle shelf from the oven as the cakes will rise high. Butter 2x24 cm springform cake tins then line with greaseproof paper.

Break the chocolate into small pieces and put with the butter into a bowl over simmering water, its bottom not touching it, and melt both, stirring occasionally.

Beat egg whites on low speed until they begin to froth then, increasing the speed, add half the sugar, a spoonful at a time, till glossy and forming stiff peaks.

In a separate bowl, beat together the yolks and remaining sugar till pale and creamy, then fold in the egg whites then the melted chocolate. Divide between the tins and bake 1 hour till firm. Leave the cakes in the tins to cool, then refrigerate overnight. They will slump.

To make the icing, beat the butter until pale and fluffy. Slowly sift in the icing sugar and beat till smooth. Beat in the mascarpone. Don’t overbeat or the icing will curdle.

Release the cakes from their tins. Spread one with just under half the icing, sandwich together and spread the top and sides with the remaining mixture and decorate with raspberries, strawberries, other fruit, or your Christmas figurines.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year’s cooking to you all!

The Grumpy Granny Guide - The Lemmy Awards

A

nother tourist year has gone by and I hope for you it has been an enjoyable one with both new discoveries and familiar haunts. I found myself visiting fewer sites but covering many more kilometres this year in the search of the interesting and unusual. On the whole it has been edifying as I note ever more visitors clustering round the publicised sites while areas and start-ups with less marketing clout are struggling and sometimes withering, despite their best efforts.

Now is the time for my rewards for good services and while Grouchy Grandpa gives his Lemmy award for the very worst, my bouquets go to some of the very best. To StJean-de-Côle, already much praised for its unassuming but brilliant success in keeping the village and welcome intact while receiving thousands of visitors. To the small low-key association-run Truffle Museum in Sorges outside Périgueux which has an excellent website and has done an exceptional job with limited resources (not on the usual tourist circuit but definitely worth a visit if you find yourself nearby).

And congratulations also to all those who work hard behind the scenes to ensure a warm welcome and great experience for visitors, with a special mention for those in the departmental tourist office in Périgueux who are cheerful, informative and

very helpful. Congratulations to them all.

Grouchy Grandpa’s Lemmy Award for 2018 The Lemmy Award for 2018 goes not to any one site or organisation but to all those disgracefully poor English translations to be found on notice boards, brochures, websites, handouts and menus throughout the Périgord.

Bizarre translations have long been a source of great amusement and we all love to read and hear the funniest howlers but I am not talking here about misplaced commas, faulty spelling or the misuse of tenses. I refer to those translations where the wrong use of vocabulary turns a text into nonsense - “the stairs turret includes ogee doors which both contains latrines” - or which make the sentence incomprehensible or worse still, make us laugh - “the caves discovered in 1825 were moved in 1922”, “the cistern was built by Richard, the hydrant man from Bordeaux”.

What infuriates me most are the notice boards where the French information is clear, well written and informative but the translation right at the bottom is a short phrase in small italics. Similarly in the brochures and catalogues where a large proportion include the translation in small grey lettering for which you need exceptional eyesight. I have a pile of 50 brochures in front of me, picked at random,

and I find that while 14 have been perfectly translated, 16 have no translation at all, 18 contain enough errors to show they have not been checked by a native speaker and 2 are impossible to understand.

Here are just a few examples: The Roque SaintChristophe has notice boards where the English translations are far down on the boards in small italics and sometimes hidden by the safety fence and its English content in the brochures is in tiny pale letters; the Abbey caves in Brantôme have either no translations at all or a couple of lines in shaky English and at the Réserve zoologique de Calviac the dry toilets have a large warning notice on how, and how not, to use them but in French only. What are the site managers thinking of?

While I have no problem with bizarre translations in those parts of the world which receive few English-speaking tourists, have no access to fluent English speakers or the resources to translate a menu or instructions, here in the Périgord, with its high density of perfect English speakers, any number of whom would be more than happy to help and advise (for free!), there is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for faulty or absent translation. And as all the professionals will tell you, only a native speaker can, and is officially allowed, to translate into a language.

And yet time and again English speakers tell me that they have approached

a restaurant or tourist site to offer their services in correcting faulty printed material, only to have their offers declined or brushed aside as though it were shameful to request or accept help, giving the impression that correct language use is a minor issue of no consequence.

Does this really matter?

Yes. Because it is both completely unprofessional and also because it reflects a certain attitude. An attitude towards visitors who are not French speaking, indicating that in some way they matter less, that there are more important issues than communicating correctly with them and I perceive this at best as negligence and at worst, a minor form of aggression not to say xenophobia.

Let’s be clear. Non-French speakers make up 30% of visitors to the Dordogne and that proportion is increasing.

A TNS Sofres survey shows that 70% of foreign visitors here come from countries which are either native, or fluent English speakers (USA, Canada, Australia, Northern and Western Europe). It is insulting not to make more of an effort in a region where it takes so little to remove the irritation of absent or careless translation. It really is time for a change.

But while we wait, perhaps you more patiently than I, let me share with you my alltime favourite mistranslation.

A dog-grooming shop on the

high street nearby named ‘Chez Lynne, Toilettage de Chiens’ changed hands and a new neon-lit sign was put up - ‘Dogs Toilet’! It is still up there after several years so change can be long in coming…

Happy 2019! ■

This is part of a series of features devoted to the tourist experience in the Dordogne provided by the website grumpygranny-guides.com which highlights those sites which are comfortable and pleasant to visit and which offer a warm welcome.

Hard to know which tourist sites to visit?

Grumpy Granny Guide

The Grumpy Granny Guide® will help you choose if you:

Need practial information Are with young children or a pushchair Are elderly Hate standing in the sun Tire easily and need to sit down Can’t manage any steps or stairs Are with your dog The Grumpy Granny website provides all the information you need to make the right choice for a comfortable experience in the Dordogne Visit us on:

www.GRUMPYGRANNY-GUIDES.com

FRENCH LIFE ♦ 13

DECEMBER 2018 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

The wines of Bergerac

T

his has been a strange year for the climate in the Bergerac wine region. The prolonged rains throughout the spring gave way to an unusually long summer marked by intense heat. At times, it felt almost as bad as the notorious canicule year of 2003, followed by the delightful Indian summer that stretched on well into October.

One of my neighbours, the son of a peasant, likes to quote the old adage - année de foin, année de rien. It means that a year that gives an abundant harvest of hay will produce little else and this was a very good year for hay. For most of my acquaintances, it was also a disappointing year for vegetables, particularly tomatoes.

So I got in touch with a number of my favourite winemakers in the region to ask how their récolte had been in quality and in quantity. These are people I know personally, whose vineyards I have tramped in different seasons, whose different vintages I know. Some are good personal friends.

Broadly speaking they are very pleased and relieved that after the terrible frosts and lower production of 2017, the wines of 2018 are going to be plentiful and many will be very good indeed. Bear in mind that it has not been an easy year in the vineyards. David Fourtout of Vignoble des Verdots, whose

by Martin Walker wines are served at the superprestigious Hotel George V in Paris, put it this way: “Until the end of June I was very worried. The growing season was alarming at first, some frosts in mid-April, then hail storms and above all we had to struggle, with success, against all the challenges of disease and the ailments thrown up by the very wet spring. In short, it was a real battlefield. But the miracle came in July with the return of good weather and now we have good yields and superb quality. It’s such a relief.”

“It all came together. The early rains meant that the wines could handle the summer drought,” David went on.

“At the start of September, we had vines and grapes in perfect health. Even though the budding was late, the great weather of September and early October granted us a great harvest of whites and rosés and the wines will be well-balanced, very aromatic and highly expressive.

Certainly, our best whites will be worth laying down for some years.”

“The 2018 reds will be a great vintage. We could pick both the Merlot and Cabernet at perfect maturity. The hot, long summer stimulated the production of tannins along with the taste of the grapes. We know we’ll have terrific reds, dense and concentrated. And the sweet wines have a rare aro-

matic purity since the noble rot began its work on perfectly mature grapes. In short, we have a spectacular year,” he concluded.

David Fourtout’s main vineyard is to the east of Bergerac, about three miles north of Issigeac. Sean and Caro Feely are some twenty miles to the west in the Saussignac, on higher ground. They produce their wines with the bio-dynamic method, and the quality of their whites and red managed to dissuade me from my suspicions that this was so much mumbo jumbo. They work incredibly hard, raising two daughters, running gîtes, wine courses and wine tours while making great wines, even as Caro manages to produce terrific and highly enjoyable books about life in a vineyard.

“Our 2018 vintage started wet and difficult but ended on a high with beautiful weather,” Caro informs me. “The final result for us is very good, the whites have a little less acidity than usual due to the hot summer and autumn but are very expressive and the reds are promising and showing beautiful balance but they still have a long way to go before we bottle them (we usually bottle our reds about 3 years after harvest). We’re looking forward to bottling our 2016 reds in April – a delicious vintage.”

Further north across the river

on the plateau in the Montravel, near the château of the great 16th century humanist Montaigne, is Château Moulin Caresse where Sylvie Deffarge and her family have been making wine for nearly three centuries.

“The 2018 harvest developed under excellent climatic conditions with a lovely potential for quality,” Sylvie told me. “The quantities we produced were satisfactory if not very high, which is what you would expect when the quality is this good. The 2018s will be a very fine vintage. We were able to pick selected grapes for our very special wine, Coeur de Roche, which we only produce in the very best years.”

Back across the river Dordogne in Gageac-et-Rouillac, Humphrey and Sue Temperley have a glorious view and make terrific wines at Château Lestevénie. Hugh Johnson gives their wines his top, three-star rating and I heartily agree.

“The lower yielding reds from the calcaire (chalky area) have given us a superb quality, rich, spicy and certainly as good as 2015 if not better,” Humphrey says. “The whites were tricky because the Sauvignon Blanc was slow starting in the spring and ripened later than usual. The Sémillons were perfect. The blend of the two together with our Muscadelle have made a delicious dry white and a wonderful base for our Crémant. Our Saussignac hand harvest was completed on 27th October just before the weather

broke on the following day.

“After the awful disappointments of 2017 and its frosts that cut our yields by more than half we can look back on 2018 as challenging, with the drenching rain of spring and then the canicule, but ultimately brilliant.”

Pierre Desmartis of Château La Vieille Bergerie just to the north of the town of Bergerac, whose wines won gold medals at the big Paris exposition three years in a row, tells much the same story.

“The climate meant that it was not an easy year, one that really tests the skill of a winemaker,” Pierre says. “But I am delighted with the way our white wines, rosés and the Rosettes turned out, giving us an excellent year, generous in both quantity and in quality. The reds were a real challenge because the heat boosted the sugar and the alcohol content, threatening to overwhelm the taste and it wasn’t easy to get them balanced. Still, we managed.

There will be some great wines to enjoy.” ■

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

How might the 2018/19 UK budget affect your pocket? Blevins Franks

I

n what was the last planned budget before the Brexit due date, UK Chancellor Philip Hammond insisted that “austerity is coming to an end but discipline will remain”.

Choosing to spend rather than save last year’s unexpectedly high tax revenue, he pledged to increase public spending without the usual tax hikes, claiming that 32 million people would enjoy tax cuts.

So was there anything that will particularly affect expatriates?

Personal tax Those earning UK income should benefit from an early increase in the personal allowances to the 2020 levels pledged in the Conservative manifesto.

From April 2019, the personal tax allowance increases from £11,850 to £12,500, while the threshold for the highest income tax rate of 40% rises from £46,350 to £50,000.

This allows an extra £650 earnings before UK income tax applies – an annual saving of £130 for basic rate taxpayers. It also reduces the number of higher-rate taxpayers by almost 1 million compared to 2015-16. (Scotland has a different allowance structure and is set to announce its 2018/19 budget on 12th December.)

Fortunately, personal tax allowances continue to apply for non-resident British nationals, despite suggestions from the previous Chancellor that it should be limited to UK residents only. Remember, however, that all UKsource income will usually need to be declared in your country of residence, even if it is not liable to taxation in either country.

Savings With no relevant changes here, the band of UK savings income that can be earned tax-free remains at £5,000 and the annual ISA subscription limit stays at £20,000.

However, expatriates should take note that investments like ISAs lose their tax-efficient benefits once you are no longer UK resident. Not only are non-residents ineligible to open and save into ISAs, any interest earned may become liable to taxation in France. Take time to explore al-

ternative arrangements that may better suit your particular set of circumstances.

Pensions Despite calling pensions tax relief “eye-wateringly expensive” in the lead-up to the Budget – heightening expectations that he would make cuts here – the Chancellor did not target pensions at all.

This means that the personal allowance remains at its current level of £40,000 and the lifetime allowance (LTA) will increase with inflation (as defined by the Consumer Price Index) in April 2019. Currently, combined pension benefits up to £1.03 million avoid 25% or 55% LTA tax penalties – from April 2019, this threshold will be £1,055,000.

While spectators were surprised at this reprieve for pensions, many expect today’s £39 billion in pension reliefs and allowances are likely to be raided in the future. Now is therefore a good time to consider your pension options, before any rule changes.

Inheritance tax Despite expectations that this may be another target, there were no key changes to inheritance tax (IHT) rules.

With the Treasury taking a record £5.2 billion in inheritance taxes last year, it is unsurprising they left things alone!

Having ordered a review to simplify the IHT system in February, it is likely that Hammond is delaying any adjustments until the review concludes.

Property Continuing last year’s concessions to first-time buyers, Hammond extended stamp duty relief to shared ownership homes valued up to £500,000 (backdated to April 2018).

In January 2019, the government plans to consult on an additional 1% stamp duty charge for non-residents buying residential property in England and Northern Ireland.

Also up for consultation is Hammond’s plan to limit private residence relief from April 2020 by slashing the window for capital gains tax exemption from 18 to 9 months

for those selling a main home. Another proposal – that could cost most landlords £11,200 in capital gains taxes – is making “lettings relief” only available to owners who live with tenants before selling their home.

Brexit and the UK economy Hammond outlined “resilient” growth over the next five years, revealing an upgraded forecast for GDP growth from 1.3% to 1.6% for 2019. However, growth remains relatively sluggish and – with no Brexit deal yet – is still expected to be a moving target.

While Hammond has set aside an extra £500 billion for the government’s no-deal Brexit preparations, he said he was confident that a “double-deal dividend” would be triggered by an orderly Brexit. This boost to the British economy would be brought on by “the end of uncertainty” from a Brexit agreement which would also free up the fiscal “buffer” put in place for a no-deal scenario.

However, Hammond kept his powder dry to make further adjustments next year, stating he may upgrade the Spring statement to a “full fiscal event” – an emergency budget – if required.

With so much uncertainty still ahead and under five months until Brexit, it is sensible to take personalised, regulated advice. An adviser with cross-border expertise can guide you on the interaction between UK and French taxation and the opportunities available to help protect your finances in these changeable times. ■ Tel: 05 53 63 49 19 Email: bergerac@blevinsfranks.com Web: www.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.

Keep up to date on the financial issues that may affect you on the Blevins Franks news page at www.blevinsfranks.com

14 ♦ DIRECTORY

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2018

Business Directory

Your indispensable guide to finding local businesses & artisans Auto Services

Animals & Pets

SHAMPOOCHIENS Dog Grooming Parlour

All breeds catered for 30 years’ experience 24500 Eymet NEW – RAW FEEDING Now stocking a wide variety of raw/frozen meats Details on our website www.shampoochiens.net shampoo@shampoochiens.net

Building Services Architects/Surveyors

MOTOR PARTS CHARENTE

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

+44 (0)7830 170761

motorptscharente@aol.com www.motorpartscharente.com

Blacksmiths

Architectural DRAWING SERVICE Renovating your French property?

New build?

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Tel: 05 53 52 36 05 lavieilleabbaye@orange.fr www.latuspeter-architecturaldrawings-24.com

05 53 58 55 38 Siret: 499 234 615 00015

SIRET: 493 770 358 00015

Ironwood Motif

Your advert here

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Pergolas, staircases, railings, handrails, balustrades, balconies, gates, sculptures, outdoor structures & more.

Simple or elaborate, intricate or uncomplicated, small or large, we can fabricate, forge and hand make ironwork customised to your needs.

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Facebook & Instagram: Ironwood Motif SIRET: 481 198 638 00019

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

FR: 0033 (0)6 05 56 42 81 UK: 0044 (0)7448 466 662

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

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

From initial feasibility to completed dossiers.

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

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

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

NEU DplG ARCHITECTURE Member

of

Chamber

of

Architects

P r o v i d i n g A L L architectural services V ery s m a l l t o ve ry big projects welcome P r e-p u rcha se a ssist a nce Feel welcome to ask for a non-binding meeting 05 53 56 52 27 a@mon.archi 06 42 86 59 12 (www)mon.archi Based in Périgord vert 24340 A l l o f F ra nce cove r e d

sales24@thebugle.eu

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Your advert here 06 04 17 80 93 Building Services Electricians

BARWICK ÉLECTRICITÉ SHAUN BARWICK QUALIFIED ELECTRICIAN

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

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ADVERTORIAL

“SolarVenti”- the solar solution to damp and humidity

A

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

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

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

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

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

In Southern Europe, Solarventi is not only used for

ventilation/dehumidification purposes; with far more winter sunshine hours, it also provides a substantial heating supplement. Several technical and governmental studies show that incoming air temperature can be increased by as much as 40°C. A DIY Solution?

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

There are no electrical or water connections and it can be safely left running, even when the property is empty. Solarventi requires no maintenance - if the property is unoccupied during the hot summer months,

then it can be left running at low speeds for ventilation and dehumidification purposes or simply switched off.

With a range of panel sizes, and the option for wall or roof mounting, Solarventi is suitable for all types of buildings, caravans or even boats!! Following the patenting of its design in 2001, Solarventi has only recently been actively commercialized.

Over the last six years, Solarventi units have been installed in more than 24 countries and demand is increasing rapidly.

From Greenland to Australia, Solarventi is finally getting the recognition it deserves. ■ Units start from €490 TTC.

istmas M e r r y C h r n d n ew to clients

old a

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

DIRECTORY ♦ 15

DECEMBER 2018 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

ADVERTORIAL

It's all in the name – Well isn't it?!

– Rosemary Sheppard, International Financial Adviser

W

e live in an exciting, fast thinking, i n s t a n t results driven society where the internet can propel and elevate a business through clever and creative marketing – fantastic for the business BUT is this always good news for us? Sometimes it can be dangerous as we accept what we read and don't always look for what we should.

Surely it MUST be the longevity and proven track record of the company as

well as continuity of service if the individual looking after your needs leaves the company. There is nothing worse than a one or two man band that promises the earth through slick marketing and gimmicks that suddenly disappears as quickly as they came. In France and Spain more than anywhere we can see daily reminders of businesses that are Here Today and Gone Tomorrow!

Airlines, Banks, High Street stores and many other household names have all been victims of collapse leaving many of us out of pocket and shocked. So how DO WE protect ourselves and what we have worked so hard to achieve?

Well when it comes to

Building Services General CHARKER DAVID

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

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

E-mail : dn.charker@sfr.fr

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

the Financial World, which pretty much takes care of most of our lifestyle needs, surely we HAVE to apply the most stringent due diligence checks otherwise we only have ourselves to blame if we've been suckered in with false promises of lower charges or higher than average returns and clever creative marketing? After all this is our hard earned savings/pensions we're talking about!

Let's take Visa, 60 years old, Microsoft, 43 years old, Amazon, 24 years old and good old Google at 20 years old – most of us rely on at least one if not all of these companies during our daily activities and every one appear in the “30 companies

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

with the best reputation in the world” as compiled by MSN.

Well here at Blacktower Financial Management we sit nicely at 32 years old with a network of offices covering Europe, the UK, the US and Grand Caymen. Our highly experienced and qualified team in France means you get the best and don't just hope for the best. When it's your financial future at stake why wouldn't you want this peace of mind? With a proven

Building Services Plumbing & Heating

est. 2007

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

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M : 06 72 47 88 00 T: 05 53 20 64 02

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Your advert here

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Building Services Sandblasting

Sand and Blast ANGLO sandblasting SCAFFOLDING 06 04 17 80 93 HIRE

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Chantilly Properties

Property maintenance General repairs Kitchen Fitting Service Bathroom Fitting Dry lining/ Plasterboarding specialist

Tel: 05 53 58 07 99 Email: neilallcorn@orange.fr Siret: 792 389 561 00012

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

Blacktower Financial Management Ltd is authorised and regulated

Building Services Painters/Decorators Simon Carter

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

Specialist services: Interior & exterior painting & decorating, wallpapering, plastering.

FREE QUOTES

Tel: 05 87 19 91 50 Mob: 07 81 26 88 65 Web: www.sjcmontluc.fr Email: sjcmontluc@yahoo.fr siret: 792.130.932.00017

We provide a fully operated

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

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

06 04 17 80 93

in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Blacktower Financial Management (Int) Ltd is licensed in Gibraltar by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) through whom we have a registered branch and passport for financial services in France.

License number 00805B.

Food & Drink

Computers, Satellites & Web Design

Harlequin PLUMBING & Satellite TV Developments HEATING ENGINEER Solutions

harlequindevelopments@live.com www.harlequindevelopments.com

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

track record we're here to stay – and that's a fact not a marketing statement!.

If you would like to talk about investments, pension or wealth management please contact me by email r o s e m a r y. s h e p p a r d @ blacktowerfm.com or call me on 06 38 86 99 70. Website: www.blacktowerfm.com

Sky / Freesat / French TV Installation and Re-alignment Internet Installation & Repairs inc. Satellite Broadband Fast, Friendly Service 60km radius of Ribérac Call Dave on:

06 04 17 72 05

dave@satellitetv.solutions www.satellitetv.solutions siret: 794 461 293 00019

Stephen Wisedale

WiFi Anglais Solve your Internet, wireless and computer problems

Extended wired and wireless networks for homes, gîtes and small businesses.

VPN solutions. Windows and Mac OSX.

www.wifianglais.com Email: hello@wifianglais.com Tel: 05 53 30 23 96 Mob: 07 78 52 20 46 Siret: 800 525 040 00013

WEBSITE No6 DESIGN

The Dordogne Chippy

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

www.thedordognechippy.com 05 53 74 01 91 or 06 19 99 25 62 siret: 444 925 630 00014

FOR SALE:

Established catering business Specialising in Indian and English food, serving Depts 24,16,46 and surrounding.

Easily managed from your home.

Sale due to retirement. €25k neg as going concern including commercial equipment, training, etc.

Huge Potential. Email for details. rhome2012@hotmail.co.uk

Shhhhh... it’s aisecret!

TheiSecret CurryiClub Pop-Up restaurant serving Indian Restaurant Curries

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before

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afterwards

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06 38 75 32 97

www.no6.co Siret: 80493524500014

CONTINUED NEXT PAGE...

16 ♦ DIRECTORY

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2018

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

Alternatively, why not spotlight your business with an Advertorial, available from 1/6 Page (€50 HT) up to Full Page (€300 HT).

Both Directory Adverts and Advertorials represent a cost effective way to put your brand in front of more than 30,000 pairs of eyes each month!!

For more information on any of our advertising options, please feel free to give us a call on 06 04 17 80 93 or send an email to sales24@thebugle.eu

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Directory adverts may only contain text (small logos may be allowed when supplied). The minimum contract length is 6 months.

Advertising is payable on publication. All prices are HT.

Gifts & Crafts Ivan Petley

3D Puzzle Maker Handmade, fully interlocking, multi-layered 3D puzzles from just €9.

Keyrings €2 plus other unique gift ideas.

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Postal delivery options across France.

Tel: 05.55.80.29.98 Les Bregères, 23150 St-Martial-le-Mont alison.petley@wanadoo.fr

Handholding Services HELP IS HERE!!

Struggling with the Complex French Administration?!

We are here to help!

Call us or email us We will help you find a solution

06.70.23.53.33

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FRENCH LESSONS Via Skype

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

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Pest Control

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Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

Property Maintenance

Language Services

La Conciergerie

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

24600 Villetoureix laconciergerie24@orange.fr Tel: 06 42 67 94 50 siret: 840 556 228 00010

sales24@thebugle.eu

06 04 17 80 93

Retail & Commerce

bookstop

Quality second-hand books in English & French 19 r Victor Hugo, 24310 Brantôme

09 51 45 57 49

Enjoy a relaxing read in the tea room or riverside garden bookstop24@gmail.com facebook.com/bookstop24

USED KITCHENS FRANCE Looking for a designer kitchen with granite worktops and premium appliances at a fraction of RRP? Pre-loved kitchens from brands like Poggenpohl and Bulthaup at usedkitchensfrance.fr 09 53 50 86 49

R.S.M.DISTRIBUTION www.fudgejj.com

Now delivering Mattresses Every 1st / 2nd Mon & Tue of each month From Angoulême to Ribérac area and Limoges to Sarlande area Go to our website for more information

email: ray.mole@wanadoo.fr

Tel: 05 49 87 67 34 Siret 531 167 443 00013

Support

Lucy Airs, MSc. Positive Psychology

Business and Life Coach - Mentor One-to-one & Groups - Face-to-face & Distance Certified and experienced coach.

Certifications in Positive Education, Appreciative Inquiry, Horse Whispering, Design Thinking, NonViolent Communication.

+33 (0)6 70 51 89 68 lucy.airs@wanadoo.fr http://lacoaching.simplesite.com

SOS Help

anxious? stressed? feeling down? call us up!

01 46 21 46 46 3 - 11pm daily Confidential & Non-profit

www.soshelpline.org Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

Transport, Removals & Storage

MICHAELS MOVERS Removals

UK ↔ France ↔ UK

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

French Registered Business.

Local Friendly Service.

+33 (0)6 73 96 38 39

www.dordognestoragesolutions.com

Man & Van Transport

Genuine/Reliable/Honest Local + Europe + UK runs Now also available for House/Barn clearances!

14m3 capacity 4.2m load length English & French Spoken

09 82 12 69 73 87150 Oradour-sur-Vayres

www.frenchvanman.eu Siret 530 213 644 00012

Smart Moves For a fully insured, careful service

FORTNIGHTLY SERVICES TO FRANCE FULL OR PART LOADS WELCOME WE COLLECT FROM ALL AREAS OF THE UK AND DELIVER TO ALL AREAS OF FRANCE Please CALL or EMAIL Stephen

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Full & Part loads All size of vehicles, from Man & Van through to 18 tonne truck Storage available in the Limousin, Dordogne & Sussex UK free phone: 0800 840 3058

smartmovers@hotmail.co.uk

06 04 17 80 93

email: mharristransport@gmail.com www.michaelsmovers.freeindex.co.uk

06 04 17 80 93

Mob: +44 (0)7808 338 386

+44 (0)1253 725 414

www.smartmovesremovals.co.uk

sales24@thebugle.eu

COMMUNITY ♦ 17

DECEMBER 2018 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

WASPI: Women Against State Pension Inequality

W

aspi is a Campaign Group that represents 3.8 million 1950s born women, in the UK and overseas, who have been negatively impacted by the lack of notification by successive governments of the increase to their State Pension Age (SPA).

The 1995 Pension Act legislated for the SPA for women to rise from 60 to 65 over the period between April 2010 and 2020, a timetable then accelerated by the Pensions Act 2011. However, the women impacted by this acceleration were not properly notified of the change by the UK government and, therefore, many have found themselves in extremely difficult financial circumstances as a result of having to wait up to 6 years longer to retire.

The Waspi Campaign has been fighting this injustice since 2015. The International Group has steadily grown its membership with a large number of 1950s ladies joining the campaign who have relocated to France. To date, the Waspi Campaign has gained the support of a significant number of crossparty MPs. There have been seven debates in parliament, along with protests, TV and press exposure; however, Waspi voices around the world have gone unheard by those in government who have the power to change this appalling situation.

The Waspi International Campaign is a “virtual” group of 1950s women utilising social media and the Waspi UK website to actively campaign to achieve fair transitional arrangements for all women born in the 1950s affected by the changes. This translates into a ‘bridging’ pension to provide an income until women reach their new State Pension Age, not means tested, and compensa-

UPCOMING AQUITAINE CHURCH SERVICES

Christmas Carol Services

tion for the financial losses for those women who have already reached their SPA. Waspi is determined that the grave injustice to this specific group of women will be rectified. Waspi International would like to encourage all 1950s born ladies living in France to join our active campaigning at: www.facebook.com/ groups/Francewaspi ■

Wednesday 12 December 11:00 BCP Holy Communion – Bertric-Burée

Carol Singing in retirement homes

SUNDAY 16 DECEMBER 16:00 Christmas Carol Service - Chancelade

Our informal “Carol singing choir” will meet again this year, to sing carols and share the joy of the Christmas spirit with residents of local retirement homes in December and January.

Wednesday 19 December 17:00 Christmas Carol Service - Limeuil

We would like to invite you to attend the many services which are planned to take place throughout the Chaplaincy in the month of December. Featuring readings, prayers, candlelight, and choir pieces, these services each have a unique flavour.

All are welcome to join us, do invite your friends!

Friday 21 December 18:00 Christmas Carol Service – Négrondes

Join us for a rehearsal on Fri 7th Dec at 16:30 at the church in Upper Limeuil.

SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER 16:00 Christmas Carol Service – Bertric-Burée

Wednesday 05 December 15:00 The Gift, Advent Concert - Limeuil

Monday 24 December (Christmas Eve) 22:30 Holy Communion – Limeuil

SUNDAY 09 DECEMBER 16:00 Christmas Carol Service – Ribérac church

Singers are accompanied by piano, flute, guitar, and tambourine (and sleigh bell). All are welcome to participate (even if you miss the rehearsal), so please do invite your friends: English, French, all nationalities, adults, children. Singing will be in unison, so all can join in.

Tuesday 25 December (Christmas Day) 10:30 Holy Communion – Bertric-Burée 10:30 Fresh Expressions – Eymet Temple 10:30 Morning Worship Praise – Limeuil

Monday 10 December 17:00 Christmas Carol Service – Sainte-Nathalène

For more information, or the event dates, please contact Amy on 06 07 04 07 77 or at midnightshadow13@gmail.com.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OUR READERS!!

Spikey and all the other cats and volunteers at Acorn Cat Rescue would like to wish you a very Happy Christmas and excellent New Year.

If you’d like to adopt a cat, it would make our dreams come true.

Please visit www.associationacorn.com or Facebook @Acorn Cat Rescue Thank you!

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

All are welcome!!

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

18 ♦ WHAT’S ON

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2018

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 as a meeting ground for the French and international communities of the Dordogne, including ACIP and La Tulipe.

Venue - Le Buisson de Cadouin, salle des fêtes, avenue Aquitaine

For more info, tel 06 31 61 81 68 or 05 53 23 86 22 or visit http://www.arcadesinfo.com/

Sunday 22nd December at 4 pm Christmas Concert by singer Caroline Gy & pianist Patrick Hillard: Songs of Offenbach and Sacred Music

Programme: Offenbach Recital, Comic Opera “Chère Hélène !…”

Invocation à Vénus, Ah ! Que les hommes sont bêtes, Lettre de la Périchole, La Griserie, Amours divins, Ah ! Que j’aime les militaires, La déclaration, L’aveu, Barcarolle Sacred Music Domine Deus (Vivaldi – Gloria), Laudate Dominum (Mozart – Vêpres solennelles d’un confesseur), Ave Maria

Concert: Souvenirs of Vienna Saturday 5th January, Espace Culturel, Eymet

Cantabile Christmas Carols Cantabile, the ACFAA Choir, will once again be cheering the spirits of the local French and expat populatio this December by singing Christmas carols and songs in Place Gambetta, Eymet on 19th December commencing at 7 pm.

Everyone is welcome to come along and join in with the singing.

Concert by ACFAA choir Cantabile.

Part one is a traditional Viennese concert for the New Year with music from the great composers of the era, Johann Strauss and Franz Lehar. There are selections from “The Merry Widow” and “Die Fledermaus” together with other musical delights.

Part two reflects world music influenced by the Viennese including English operetta (Gilbert & Sullivan) and French music (Messager and Offenbach).

The final part includes popular songs by the French composer, Michel Legrand, in the Viennese tradition. This arrangement for choir, orchestra and soloists is by our musical director, Simon Kenworthy.

With invited guest soloists (Alison Hudson and Peter Fowler), together with string orchestra, this is a concert not to be missed.

Concert starts at 8 pm. Tickets are available at the Tourist Office in Eymet or at the door on the night at a cost of €10 each (free for Under 12s).

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OUR READERS!!

Do you have something to sell?

Unwanted present... decluttering the garage...?

What better way to make some space (and some money!) than by selling through The Bugle's Classifieds service. Go online now:

www.thebugle.eu/classifieds It's FREE and updated daily!!

Just email classifieds@thebugle.eu

Advertise on these pages For more information and rates email: notices@thebugle.eu Copy deadline for next edition: 15th December

DECEMBER 2018 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

WHAT’S ON ♦ 19

Help us to support

BANSANG HOSPITAL IN THE GAMBIA

Annual Christmas Market Sunday 9th December Salle Le Capitolet, Abjat-sur-Bandiat 24300 From 10 am to 4 pm Booking & enquiries to: Linda Nicholson - tel 05 53 56 73 86, email lindanicholson51@yahoo.co.uk Find out about Bansang Hospial at bansanghospitalappeal.org

MADS presents “Sleighed to Death” by Peter Gordon Join us at the Salle François Mitterrand, Villeréal on Thursday 13th and Friday 14th December. This funny production will start at 7.30 pm.

Tickets €10. Bookings via mads-theatre.org or by email: mads.bookings@gmail.com

Périgord Lawn Bowls Club Christmas Market Salle des fêtes, St-Martial-de-Vallette Saturday 15th December 10:00-17:00 Come and see Father Christmas!! Mulled wine and mince pies.

Cakes, tea and coffee.

Tombola, guess the weight of the cake, Christmas decorations, gifts and cards from a variety of established market traders.

Formed in 2015, the South West Animal Team, better known as SWAT, are once more hard at work this festive season preparing for their Winter Fayre.

Realising that many local animal associations find it overwhelming to fundraise as well as look after the animals in their care, SWAT set about raising and distributing funds to help them three years ago. Now raising over 1,500€ a month, the team is going a long way to alleviate the financial burden of small associations across the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region who struggle to get grants from major funding bodies. Through a mixture of coffee mornings, table-top sales, vide-greniers, local events including bilingual quiz nights, annual summer and winter fairs, archery days and summer lunches/wine tours in the vineyards, the team is able to support many welfare, rescue and re-homing organisations.

Their 2018 Winter Fayre will be held on Sunday 16th December from 10 am to 2 pm on behalf of dog re-homing association ORFEE. Entry is free to the salle des fêtes at Saint-Méard-de-Gurçon (24610) and there will be refreshments available all day including a sausage sizzle and a pop-up café.

As well as artisanal stalls, there will be a large sale of clothing, books, CDs and DVDs, and bric-a-brac.

For full information on SWAT and their events, see SWAT - South West Animal Team Fundraising on Facebook.

For details of the Winter Fayre, contact Kate Grime at michael.grime@orange.fr.

20 ♦ WHAT’S ON

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2018

WHAT’S

ON

This year, the city of Sarlat is offering a Christmas village celebrating all things Spanish!

70 chalets will be installed in the city centre on places de la Grande Rigaudie and de la Liberté. You will find a multitude of ideas for your Christmas presents (jewellery, decorations, toys, clothes, cosmetics ...) but also gourmet treats (truffles, foie gras, Neuvic caviar, cheese, oysters...)

Open every day from 5th to 31st December from 10 am to 8 pm.

Saturdays until 9 pm.

(Closes at 6 pm on 24th & 31st December. Closed on Christmas Day).

A medieval village full of modern spirit and style Issigeac is known for its vibrant Sunday market, but did you know it also boasts a thriving community of artists, creators, independent retailers, cafés and restaurants? Issigeac does not feature much in the mainstream guidebooks, so the local commerce decided to take matters into their own hands, and ‘Issigeac is Magic’ was created. Since the beginning of the summer ‘Issigeac is Magic’ has been posting daily on social media, giving a taste and feel of life in this rural community.

It features all aspects of local life reflecting the colour and diversity of this little known historic gem. This campaign has caught the imagination of the villagers and with growing followers around the world, Issigeac is letting people know it has a big heart and a lot to offer, not just in the summer season.

The boutiques and artists’ studios will be open on 1st, 8th and 22nd December from 2.30 pm for a Christmas shopping experience. Find original gifts, enjoy a hot chocolate or a glass of mulled wine and soak up the magic of Christmas in a unique medieval village.

For more information visit www.facebook.com/Issigeacmagic/

Saturday 8th December – Saturday 5th January 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.

Visit perigueux.fr for more information and opening times.

Christmas in Bergerac 8th - 24th December, 9h-19h Village artisanal - Place du Marché. Christmas village featuring 18 artisans.

Village des gourmands – Rue de la Résistance. Sale of gourmet produce including wine, beer, crêpes, local produce, oysters.

Village des patineurs – For the first time an ice rink will be installed on place de la République.

The rink is open until 6th January from 10h-19h (21h on 14, 21 & 28 December).