The Bugle Dordogne - Dec 2019

Bayeux Tapestry confirmed as French After centuries of controversy, a British academic has confirmed that the Bayeux Tapestry is indeed French

>> Page 6

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Accident increases bridge safety fears After two people die in a bridge collapse, attention has turned to a report warning of safety concerns over some of the country's busiest crossings.

from its suspension cable and fall into the fast-flowing Tarn river below, swollen by recent rainfall. The injured mother was rescued from the water and her daughter’s body was found a short while later. The body of the truck driver was extracted from the cabin, submerged deep in the water, later that night.

Four other people were rescued after the collapse of the bridge linking the towns of Mirepoix-sur-Tarn and Bessières, 30 kilometres north of the city of Toulouse and two rescue workers were also seriously hurt, according to the region’s security department. Several bystanders required hospital treatment after reportedly diving into the river to try to save the victims.

>> continued on page 5

Cocaine washes up on French beaches - pg 5

MP tables bill calling for the right to pee in peace! - pg 4

MP calls for zero drink driving limit - pg 10

Feature: The history of Christmas - pg 12-13

The Bugle Business Directory - pg 15-18 Credit: allovermedia.com

T

wo people were killed recently when a suspension b r i d g e collapsed into a river in south-western France. The victims were a 15-year-old girl, who was travelling as a passenger in her mother’s car and the driver of a 50-tonne lorry believed to be the cause of the tragedy.

The suspension bridge, built in 1931, was designed to take a maximum weight of 19 tonnes.

“The fact that this heavy vehicle took the bridge currently seems to be the immediate and apparent cause of the accident,” regional prosecutor Dominique Alzéari said at a news conference.

The weight of the lorry caused the bridge to snap

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2 ♦ IN THIS EDITION

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2019

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Welcome to

The Bugle

Y

ou know how some things just make perfect sense... until they don't?

Let me explain. My kids were born in France, and whilst they are more than happy in French company - and surprisingly, given their family name is Martindale, some teachers don't initially realise they are not French! - we have also tried to bring them up culturally British.

This has involved teaching them the rules of cricket, using a form of gavage to force-feed them Marmite until they love it, and teaching them English songs and sayings that they would not otherwise come across.

And so it was that we were recently “decking the halls with boughs of holly” together, when my daughter expressed surprise at the spelling of ‘bough’. I laughed and explained that sometimes languages are complicated and that there were in fact something like seven ways to pronounce “ough” in the English language. “But Daddy, that is stupid and doesn't make any sense”... I had to admit that she had me there.

It IS utterly stupid and when you hear yourself say it out loud it does make absolutely NO sense. We happily travel the world expecting people to speak our language, but when you step back and look at it, it is unspeakably complicated. Have you ever wondered exactly WHY the 'i' can't come before 'e' after 'c'... what did 'c' ever do wrong?

I have struggled my way to an adequate grasp of the French language, but don't speak any others. My wife also speaks Spanish and I am reliably informed that in Spanish there are rules and these rules are (almost) never broken. So while to me Spanish may sound like one continuous syllable, at least if you learn the rules you've got a shot. English is so full of exceptions to the rules, that it is a miracle anyone can speak it!

I subsequently saw a quote on the internet that beautifully sums this insanity up. Imagine trying to learn English and coming across this sentence: “English is tough, though it can be taught through thorough thought”... BONKERS!!

Elsewhere, I noted with interest that a bunch of French

retailers have boycotted the annual consumer orgy that is Black Friday (see page 8). I wouldn't be surprised if this kind of position becomes more common. The reasons given by the companies involved were the usual - and understandable - ones of small manufacturers being squeezed by corporate giants and workers' rights being affected, etc., but a number of retailers also mentioned overconsumption and its effect on the environment. Whilst this might not hold much water for many bargain hunters, it is a red hot issue for younger generations, ones that will soon be coming into their own money, and nothing can sway a corporate conscience like the bottom line. I must admit I am slowly moving towards the buy less, but spend more to buy better school of thought.

I seem to remember writing previously about how Black Friday had morphed into a weekend and then slowly grown to encompass an entire week.

Well this month I almost spat out my cornflakes when I was going through the post and saw a flyer from Intermarché that simply said “Black November” on the front in huge font. The world has truly gone mad.

I think I will save my money for Christmas this year and I will be asking Santa for a large box of certainty about the future. I am well and truly suffering from Brexit fatigue and I am getting to the point where if the worst is going to happen, I'd rather it just hurried up and got on with it. I just hope

that the upcoming elections will produce a decisive outcome one way or the other and not a hung parliament and continued uncertainty.

In that respect, if you do have the right to vote, please do get out there and do so... whoever that might be for. A vote is a precious thing and unfortunately I have lost mine. I read with interest the Lib Dems manifesto pledge to create overseas MPs to represent expats' interests around the world (see page 4) and this does seem to me to be a thoroughly sensible idea. The French have been doing it for a few years and while I'm not expecting the Lib Dems to win I hope that this idea is picked up again in the future by other parties.

So that just leaves me to wish all our readers, both new and old, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Until Next Year!!

Steve Martindale, Editor

Tel: 07 68 76 39 99

siret: 484 768 700 00029

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INSIDE this edition 3-10 French News 11 French Life 12-13 Feature 14 Practical 15-18 Directory 18 Community 19-20 What’s On

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FRENCH NEWS ♦ 3

DECEMBER 2019 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

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M

uch has been made of the government’s pledge to provide high-speed internet to the entire country over the coming years. Connecting all households was a key government promise following Macron’s election in 2017. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has previously committed to providing broadband internet access to the entire country by the end of 2020 and very high-speed internet - i.e. fibre - by the end of 2022.

In many rural parts of the country that still struggle to get a reliable mobile signal, the plans were met with a degree of scepticism, but the government has now announced a further €242 million to accelerate the roll-out of fibre broadband in ten rural departments, with the Dordogne in line to get a significant share of that money.

Under the plans, the department is set to receive a €45 million boost to speed up the installation of its fibre network, which officials now hope will see the Dordogne fully connected to very high-speed internet before the 2022 goal. “I am delighted by this news, because there is currently

such a disparity in the access to digital networks,” said local MP Jean-Pierre Cubertafon. “Many rural areas have been lagging far behind the larger towns and cities and the negative effects of this are serious.

Many feel like second class citizens or find it harder to run businesses. It promotes inequality and the break-up of territories.”

Despite having the sixth largest economy in the world, an estimated 20 per cent of the country has little or no internet access.

A survey in April of this year showed that almost 8 million people in France didn’t have the “minimum quality access to the internet” of 8 megabytes per second, with ten per cent having to make do with speeds lower than 3 megabytes per second.

Consumer groups had initially poured scorn on government claims of highspeed internet for all over the coming years, claiming it could take until at least the end of 2029. This latest investment, however, is good news for those in the Dordogne frustrated by the speed of their internet and means the government could now hit its target, at least in this part of the country ■

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A

n American college student has received an unexpected reply from France to a letter he wrote nine years ago. As a ten-year-old boy, Suffolk University sophomore Max Vredenburgh put a hand-written message into a glass wine bottle that he threw into the water at Long Beach, in the picturesque old fishing town of Rockport, north of Boston, in August 2010.

Having completely forgotten about the childhood experiment, the student said his “mind was blown” when his father sent him an image of the response that had arrived nine years later. The original message read: “Hello, whoever is reading this letter, my name is Max, please write back. I like apples, I like the beach, my favorite color is blue, I like animals, I like cars and I like outer space. Please write back.”

The bottle had washed up on the beach between Contis and Mimizan, in the Landes department on the west coast of France before being found by a man calling himself “G. Dubois”, who did indeed write back several days later, including a map to show where the bottle had washed up. “According to your

@VredenburghMax (Twitter)

Huge investment in Message in a bottle Dordogne internet crosses the Atlantic

date, it will have taken nine years to cover the 6,000 kilometres that separates us. You had grown a lot during that time: 10 to 19 years old.”

“I didn't even think it would make it there and if it did make it there, I didn't think that somebody would actually write a letter back,” Max Vredenburgh said later. “It's the human connection and, for me, it hit me on an emotional level because it has made me reflect on myself and my past.”

The feel-good story was quickly shared on social media and Max took to Twitter to say that he would be writing back to his new French pen friend and promised to “keep you all posted”. ■

4 ♦ FRENCH NEWS

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Bistro owners fined Lib Dems call for overseas MPs for eating in their own restaurant

A

minister has called for an urgent review after a French couple were sent a €13,000 tax bill for eating in their own bistro. Patrick Coudert, who runs the Maxim restaurant with his wife in the coastal town of Gruissan in the Aude department, was informed by the Urssaf that eating at his restaurant was considered a benefit and therefore liable to social charges.

“The inspectors look at the price of the least expensive meal on the menu and multiply it by the number of days worked during the time in question, without forgetting service charges,” explained the businessman's accountant. French law requires all restaurateurs to provide food for their employees at their place of work. In this context, Urssaf assumed that the Couderts have lunch and dinner at their own restaurant every day.“I don’t even have lunch, there’s no time!” Patrick Coudert clarified.

Although the bill is a hefty

one, authorities were initially asking for €24,000 for meals eaten in 2016 and 2017. “At first, the inspector wrote me down as having the €23 menu; I got him to drop it to €17 and finally €14,” Coudert explained. “I managed to make him understand that I did not have dessert and that there were days I wasn’t even at the restaurant. This situation is affecting my business and if it had happened to me last year, I would have had to close down.”

It is not the first time that a restaurant owner has been hit with this kind of bill and fortunately for the couple, France’s Minister of Public Action and Accounts, Gérald Darmanin, has spoken out in their defence and called for a change in the law. “An absurd situation stemming from an obsolete rule! As soon as possible I will propose together with the Health Minister Agnès Buzyn that we change it and ask Urssaf to reconsider the case of this chef,” he wrote on Twitter. ■

A

s part of their general election manifesto, the Liberal Democrats have said they will enshrine voting rights for all British citizens living abroad and also create new overseas constituencies to give expatriates representation in parliament. The proposals form part of a wider series of election reforms that the Lib Dems would introduce if they win the upcoming election, which also include proportional representation, votes for 16-year-olds and votes for EU-nationals living in the UK for more than five years.

“The current voting system is not working: it means too many people do not have their voice heard,” the party states in its manifesto. If adopted, the overseas MP model would mirror the French system, which was introduced in 2010 and sees 11 MPs elected to represent its citizens worldwide. French citizens in the UK, for example, are currently represented by an

MP calls for right to urinate in peace

A

French politician has put forward a motion to parliament urging for the right to urinate in peace. Journalist-turned MP François Ruffin tabled the bill to the National Assembly after becoming frustrated at digital advertising screens targeting him in a public urinal.

Relieving himself in a Parisian café, the politician from the hard-left La France insoumise party became distracted by a bright, flashing advertising screen on the wall. “In the bathroom of this Paris café, I was in the middle of going to the toilet, when, surprise, shock...20 centimetres from my eyes, just above the urinal, a screen makes itself known. Impossible to ignore this advertising,” the politician raged. “How can we escape this luminous, moving,

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MP for Northern Europe. The Benelux countries also have their own MP as do Spain and Portugal.

Former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said: “Britons live, work and trade throughout Europe and the negotiations over Brexit will take years and will be incredibly complex. It is vital that Britons in places like Gibraltar have a strong voice in Westminster because it is them who will feel the impact of changes to border controls, business access or trade rules.

People living and working in Spain and elsewhere will be impacted dramatically. They deserve a voice in Parliament and I am urging the Government to work with me to deliver this.”

Under the current system, although expats are supported by a network of consulates and embassies run by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the UK has no specific parliamentary representatives for its citizens abroad. ■

colourful message, which is placed above each urinal? It is difficult to avoid, unless you close your eyes and risk an accident! I thought: even here, advertisers are invading our available brain time!

They come to hunt us down in the toilet.”

The bill, which is also backed by several other French MPs - but no-one from the ruling La République en Marche party – is looking to place restrictions on the 2,500 digital advertising screens that have appeared in France since 2015, including 1,200 in urinals. It calls for a change to the public health code to include the phrase: “Digital advertising is banned in sanitary blocks in establishments that are open to the public and in areas of work.”

The bill has now been referred to the Social Affairs Committee. ■

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FRENCH NEWS ♦ 5

DECEMBER 2019 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

>> continued from pg 1 The Haute-Garonne department council said the bridge had undergone a “thorough” inspection in 2017 and had shown “no structural problems”. The driver of the HGV was apparently delivering drilling equipment to his company, located a few hundred metres from the crossing.

Eric Oget, mayor of Mirepoixsur-Tarn, said articulated lorries were not allowed onto the bridge but some had nonetheless been seen crossing over in the past. The mayor suggested warnings about the bridge’s weight restriction - displayed at either side of the crossing - might have been ignored. “From time to time I have actually seen very heavy vehicles using the bridge,” he explained.

“We have always been vigilant in carrying out checks with the municipal police, to stop them when we see it, but there are times when we do not see them.”

The issue of bridge safety was

thrust into the spotlight across Europe after the collapse of a motorway bridge in the Italian city of Genoa in August 2018, which claimed the lives of 43 people.

An audit of France’s 164 largest bridges commissioned by the Senate after the Genoa disaster called for major investment to avoid a similar tragedy in France.

Twenty-three were identified to be in urgent need of construction work and today, two are still being classified as being in a state of “absolute urgency”: the Caronte bridge on the A55 in Bouches-duRhône and the Echinghen bridge on the A16 in Pas-de-Calais.

“Unfortunately what happened illustrates what we said in the report, which is that the state of our bridges poses a real danger,” concluded Hervé Maurey, the senator who oversaw the audit.

“If a bridge which is not listed as dangerous collapses, what is the situation of those bridges which were clearly identified as dangerous in the report?” ■

Cocaine washes up on beach

T

here was consternation and concern recently when packages of cocaine began washing up on the Atlantic coast of France. As more and more reports of the mystery packages came in, authorities across the country rushed to secure the drugs before they fell into the wrong hands. “Suspect packages have been found on all beaches, from the LoireAtlantique department down to the Landes department - a strip of coast of more than 500 kilometres,” said a spokesperson for the Rennes prosecutor’s office.

“Each tide brings in a batch.

They are still fairly significant with around 100 kilograms arriving each day all along the coast,” the spokesperson said.

Over the course of several weeks, well over a tonne of highly pure cocaine was collected along the coastline, with many beaches closed to the public while the operation continued. Local authorities also warned the public not to be tempted to try to use the drugs, which were described as being more than 80 per cent pure and

© SudOuest (Twitter)

Fatal bridge collapse highlights safety fears across France

therefore carrying a significant overdose risk.

With millions of euros worth of drugs washing up along the coast, the warnings did not stop everyone from trying to get hold of the valuable packages, however. One 17-yearold was arrested with a 5 kilogram package after allegedly travelling three hours from his home in Toulouse to a closed surf beach outside Bordeaux to search for the drugs.

Police are still unsure as to the origin of the drugs, but are working on the theory that a trafficker's boat had come into

difficulties in a storm and either lost or jettisoned its cargo.

Some of the packages were marked with the words “brillante” and “diamante”, similar to packages reported to have washed up in Florida during Hurricane Dorian in September.

The prosecutor's office have reminded the public that “any discovery must be immediately made known to the police or gendarmerie services without any intervention” and warned that anyone found to be transporting drugs of this kind risks up to 10 years in prison. ■

6 ♦ FRENCH NEWS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2019

It's official: the Bayeux Tapestry is French!

H

istorians have long argued over who commissioned the Bayeux Tapestry and where was it meant to be hung. Some believe that it was created for the home of a powerful Norman in England, others argue that it was made to be displayed in a cathedral in Norman France. Following new research, however, a British academic claims to have proved that it was always intended to be hung in France, specifically in the Bayeux Cathedral in the Calvados department in Normandy.

Writing in the Journal of the British Archaeological Association, Christopher Norton, an art historian at the University of York, has revealed that the 68-metre tapestry would have fit exactly into the dimensions of the Bayeux Cathedral nave as it was in the 11th century, even taking into account the spacings of the nave's columns and doorways. Norton used measurements from the modern Bayeux Cathedral, combined with historical records of what the nave, or central part of the building, would have looked like when it was first built more than 1,000 years ago.

The academic hopes that his research will inform how the tapestry is displayed in the future. It is currently displayed in a horseshoe shape, but Norton is now leading calls for it to be displayed on three sides of a rectangle, as he claims it was originally intended.

The first written record of the tapestry is in the Bayeux Cathedral's inventory from 1476, so the idea that the tapestry had been commissioned for the cathedral in the 11th century was always the simplest explanation, according to the study. "This general proposition can now be corroborated by the specific evidence that the physical and narrative structure of the tapestry are perfectly adapted to fit the (liturgical) nave of the 11th-century cathedral," Norton said in a statement.

The embroidery - the “tapestry” is in fact a work of embroidery made from wool

stitched on to linen - is split into 32 scenes that chronicle the Norman invasion of Britain led by William the Conqueror. The centre piece is the Battle of Hastings, which shows a field littered with corpses, and the famous image of King Harold being killed by an arrow through the eye.

The tapestry is thought to have been made in the 11th century shortly after the battle and its survival is remarkable. Not only has the delicate wool and linen resisted the dangers of time - and moths! - but also French revolutionaries and the invading Nazis, who coveted the tapestry as Aryan propaganda,

depicting as it did the conquest of Britain by the descendants of Norsemen and Vikings.

The Germans moved the tapestry to occupied Paris to safeguard it in the Louvre museum along with their other loot. The SS chief, Heinrich Himmler, planned to use it to decorate his medieval castle in Germany.

Just hours before the Allies swept into Paris, however, British code-breakers intercepted a signal from Himmler ordering his troops to snatch the tapestry; they were repelled by French Resistance fighters who took up positions at the Louvre to protect it.

Since 1983, it has been held in the Bayeux

CANCER SUPPORT FRANCE

Supporting those affected by cancer in the Ribérac/North Dordogne/East Charente area

C

ancer Support France (CSF) has a strong team of Active Listeners who provide help and support to those affected by cancer in the region. We cover North Dordogne, the region around Périgueux and across to East Charente.

We currently have 12 Active Listeners trained to provide this assistance.

An Active Listener is someone who can try to relieve some of the enormous strains and stresses that people suffering from cancer and their carers experience during the most difficult of times.

This help may include home visits, contact via telephone or email. An Active Listener is someone to whom a patient or their carer can talk about their fears, concerns and worries. An Active Listener is trained to do just that – listen. Sometimes the best kind of help is a sympathetic ear to reassure people that they are not alone in their troubles and that someone cares.

CSF can also provide practical help and information about local medical facilities and the local organisations which provide assistance in the home and in day-

to-day living.

Some Active Listeners with a reasonable command of French can also accompany people on visits to the doctor and/or hospital. We also have a bilingual French volunteer who is available to help with language difficulties during hospital attendance and when consulting their doctor or specialist.

We hold two ‘drop-ins’ every month: one in Chalais at the café Le Perroquet Vert in the centre of the town and one in Brantôme, at Bookstop, rue Victor Hugo where people can meet an Active Listener, have a cup of coffee and a chat and perhaps take the first steps to having an AL assigned to them.

Perhaps, if you are reading this, you might like to consider becoming an Active Listener yourself. We organise regular training sessions for new people and ongoing training sessions for those who already have Active Listener status.

We can be contacted on the local helpline: 06 43 67 86 11, email csfriberac@gmail.com and you can visit our national website at www.cancersupportfrance.org

Museum at the former seminary of Bayeux, but last year Emmanuel Macron announced that France would lend the tapestry to Britain for an exhibition in 2023 while a new display setting was being created in Bayeux. “This would be a major loan, probably the most significant ever from France to the UK,” explained the director of the British Museum, Hartwig Fischer, at the time. “It is a gesture of extraordinary generosity and proof of the deep ties that link our countries. The Bayeux Tapestry is of huge importance, as it recounts a crucial moment in British and French history, 1066.” ■

French dependency on antibiotics France is a famously eager consumer of antibiotics, but a recent survey has revealed that the country may be weaning itself off its reliance on the drugs.

The study, published by the French National Public Health Agency and timed to coincide with World Antibiotic Awareness Week, showed that antibiotic use in France has 'stabilised' in recent years, and has dropped from 22.7 doses per 1,000 residents per day in 2009 to 22.5 doses in 2018.

The latest figures still put France as the third largest consumer of antibiotics in Europe – behind only Greece and Cyprus - and a long way ahead of the Netherlands which prescribes just 9.7 doses per 1,000 people per day. Were French GPs to recommend the drugs at the same rate as their Dutch counterparts, it would save the healthcare system an estimated €400 million per year, the report concluded.

Bruno Coignard, Director of Infectious Diseases at Public Health France, said that “the challenge is not only to prescribe less, but better”, before calling on doctors to consider the choice of antibiotics as well as “the duration of treatment, which can be shorter”.

World Antibiotic Awareness Week, organised by the World Health Organisation, aims to increase global awareness of antibiotic resistance, which is a major global health threat. Antibiotics are medicines used to prevent and treat bacterial infections, but resistance occurs when bacteria change in response to the overuse of these medicines. When diseases become resistant to conventional medicines, far more expensive - and often less effective - treatments are required. ■

FRENCH NEWS ♦ 7

DECEMBER 2019 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

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www.agence-eleonor.com The Team would like to wish all our customers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Agence Eleonor Estate Agency are recruiting for our offices in Eymet, Villeréal and Sainte-Foy, please contact Terrie Simpson by email: info@agence-eleonor.com.

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Taux d’honoraires 21,330€ (6.5%) inclus à la charge de l’acquéreur

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Spacious house on the Dordogne River. with tarmac entrance and electric gates.

Attached garage, separate independent garage and workshop. Close to shops and 10 minutes from Bergerac centre. DPE: C

Stunning renovation! Mansion & two semi-detached gîtes (11 bedrooms in total) in 11 acres of land. Pool with patio and fitted kitchen, terrace with breathtaking views.

Close to a village with all amenities. DPE: C

4 km from Lalinde, bungalow offering 7 bedrooms, living room with open kitchen, pool, covered terrace and summer kitchen.

Garden of 2,060 m², garage. Under floor heating, aerothermal and insert. DPE: C

Charming Périgourdine with a large stone barn on 3.75 acres with outbuildings. Kitchen/ dining room, 38 m² living room, 3 bedrooms, 2 shower rooms, gas central heating. 25 min from Bergerac airport. DPE: E

Taux d’honoraires 21,600€ (6%) inclus à la charge de l’acquéreur

Taux d’honoraires 45,214€ (5%) inclus à la charge de l’acquéreur

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8 ♦ FRENCH NEWS

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www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2019

France says goodbye to “Pou-Pou” Black Friday faces

© Par Bert Verhoeff /ANEFO - (WikiCommons)

Poulidor at the 1973 Tour de France President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to Poulidor on Twitter: “Raymond Poulidor is gone. His exploits, his panache, his courage will remain engraved in our memories.

'Pou-Pou', forever the Yellow Jersey in the hearts of the French.”

Poulidor was born in the commune of Masbaraud-Mérignat, just outside Bourganeuf (Creuse) into a farming family and left school at 14 to help out working the land. After being given copies of the sports magazine Miroir-Sprint by a school teacher, he took up racing at 16 along with two of his three brothers, initially concealing his new passion from his mother, who was fearful of the dangers. His poor farming background often led to jokes from his competitors in

later life, but he once himself famously quipped, “No race, however difficult, goes on as long as a harvest”.

Poulidor turned professional in 1960 with the team sponsored by the Mercier cycle company; he would remain with the squad in its various incarnations until his retirement in 1977. In 1961 he took the French National Championship and the Milan-San Remo; a year later he finished third to Jacques Anquetil in the Tour de France, setting a precedent that would define a career which had the misfortune to have coincided with those of both Anquetil and Eddy Merckx two of the greatest riders to ever take to the roads.

Poulidor became synonymous, even outside cycling, with any brave yet unrewarded effort to reach the top. “There is a Poulidor of everything, as soon as anyone comes second in anything,” he once joked.

Poulidor's legacy looks set to continue. Amongst the mourners at his funeral in Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat was his grandson, the Dutch rider Mathieu van der Poel, who is one of the best young riders in cycling, having won two cyclocross world titles as well as the Amstel Gold Race and the Tour of Britain on the road this year. Three days after his death, the 24-year-old won the fourth stage of the Cyclocross World Cup, before travelling to the funeral in central France to pay an emotional tribute to his grandfather. ■

screenshot (YouTube)

F

rance and the Limousin lost one of its greats in November when legendary cyclist Raymond Poulidor died, aged 83. Nicknamed “Pou-Pou”, Poulidor became France’s most popular racer - and arguably its best-loved sportsman - through his valiant attempts and perennial failure to win the Tour de France over a 15-year period between 1962 and 1976. A combination of bad luck and bad timing meant that Poulidor, despite a record eight podium finishes in the sport's most prestigious race, never wore the Yellow Jersey for a single stage.

Poulidor's grandson is also a successful cyclist

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retailer backlash

T

he shopping frenzy that is “Black Friday” is a relatively recent phenomenon in France, but has quickly become a popular date with the consuming public, who are predicted to spend almost €6 billion between 29th November and 1st December. This year, however, the event is facing a backlash from some retailers who are calling for “more reasonable consumption”.

More than 200 brands have formed in a collective called “Make Friday green again” with the aim of boycotting the US-inspired sales day, which they say encourages “artificial overconsumption” and damages workers' rights. Companies that will not be taking part in the promotions this year include Nature & Découvertes, Jimmy Fairly, Emoi Emoi, Jamini, Bergamotte, Tediber and Manfield.

“We have businesses from a number of sectors, with more and more joining us every day,” explained Nicolas Rohr, founder of the collective and also the head of Faguo, a socially responsible fashion company with 70 employees.

“During this period, certain brands sell goods at ridiculous prices. This might be good for the end consumer, but ultimately puts jobs at risk and doesn't fairly reward manufacturers and retailers. It also contributes to the climate crisis by encouraging overproduction.”

Black Friday originated in the US as an extension of the Thanksgiving holiday, which always falls on the fourth Thursday in November. It was introduced to France seven years ago, but initially confused consumers who were more familiar with the traditional January and summer sales periods. The idea has gained traction, however, and the amount spent has increased steadily each year; this year's spending is predicted to be up by more than 4 per cent compared to 2018.

French law prohibits retailers from selling goods at a loss, so the French Black Friday promotions are not usually as extreme as those in the US - and to a lesser extent the UK - which often produce scenes of shoppers literally climbing over each other to grab the best bargains. ■

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Corrèze winemakers win AOC appeal

T

he Limousin countryside is famous for many things, perhaps most notably its caramel-coloured cows that take their name from the region, but wine is not usually one of them. The region does have a wine industry, however, and the straw wines produced in the Corrèze have been at the centre of a long-running legal battle that has finally come to an end.

The department has a long history of producing vins de paille, or straw wines, which are created by drying selected grapes for several months over straw, a process which concentrates the fruit's sugars and gives the wine its unique flavour. Vins paillés are more famously associated with the Jura department, and a group of winemakers took their Corrèze counterparts to court in 2013, forcing them to drop the label “vin de paille” from their bottles, replacing it simply with “vin de Corrèze”.

Local winemakers hit back and in 2017, they were awarded a prestigious Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) which recognised the region's winemaking heritage and allowed them to again market vin de paille. This led to a series of legal challenges by winemakers in the

Jura, but in November the Conseil d'Etat rejected their appeals, bringing the legal battle to an end.

In their decision, the Conseil d'Etat noted that the AOC includes “a reminder of the historical development of vines in the area since the Roman era as well as the traditional techniques of making vin paillé in this region.”

The decision was welcomed by Philippe Leymat, president of the cave viticole de Branceilles: “We have been living with the sword of Damocles over our heads. In terms of development, we have had to hold back since initially being awarded the AOC. We had numerous requests from trainees in viticulture and people wanting to set up in the area, but we have had to wait until we were sure we could keep this AOC. Now, it's finally over!”

Under the terms of the AOC, only certain wines from 26 communes of the Corrèze will be able to carry the designation: 2 communes on the banks of the Vézère and 24 communes in the cantons of Meyssac and Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne.

There around 100 hectares of vineyards in the Corrèze, producing some 50,000 bottles of wine each year. ■

10 ♦ FRENCH NEWS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2019

'Acrobat' thieves Mayor bans vehicle target moving lorries over English name

from there, break the locks on the lorry’s rear door, before climbing aboard the lorry and stealing the goods by passing them out to the other vehicle,” explained Captain Romaric Leclerc, of the crime unit l’Office Central de Lutte contre la Délinquance Itinérante (OCLDI). “All of this at 90 km/h and at night.

They are real acrobats. Even we struggled to believe it.”

“What is so surprising is that no-one noticed it happening,” Captain Leclerc

added. “Out of the 21 reports that we have, at no point did the drivers realise what was going on in the back of their lorry. It was happening in the middle of the night, at 2 or 3 am. We appreciate that it must take a certain amount of courage and self-sacrifice to do this... they are real artists!”

The ten suspects are now in custody and, with the case being classified as organised crime, investigations are ongoing. ■

France may introduce zero drink driving limit

F

rance could be heading towards a zero drink driving limit after proposals were backed by the agriculture minister, who represents the country's wine producers. Although no changes have yet been put before parliament, health minister Agnès Buzyn has previously stated that she wants to lower France's drink drive limit to zero from its current level of 0.5g/l, and to the surprise of many, Didier Guillaume now appears to back her.

When asked on a panel show if he was for or against a zero threshold for drink driving, the agriculture minister replied: “For. When you drink, you don't drive. I think you can go out, enjoy yourself and have a few drinks, and that drinking French wine is a very good thing. But when you drink, you don't drive.”

The backing may anger many of the country's wine producers who would almost certainly feel an impact on sales of an outright ban.

Under the current law, drivers with a blood alcohol level of between 0.5g/l and 0.8g/l face a fine of €135, 6 points off their licence (unlike in Britain, French licences start with 12 points and penalties are deducted) and up to a 3-year driving suspension. For drivers with less than three years' experience this is limited to 0.2 g/l. Driving with more than 0.8g/l of alcohol in the blood can lead to a two-year jail sentence, a three-year driving ban and a fine of up to €4,500. ■

© Mairie de Moissy-Cramayel

A

gang of “acrobats and artists” have been arrested by police after stealing millions of euros of goods from lorries travelling through France at up to 90km/h. The group are suspected of carrying out over 20 raids in recent years, but following an 18-month investigation the men were finally caught red-handed in November by gendarmes on the A10.

The high-risk crime sees the group targeting a lorry and following it out onto the motorway from the depot, usually in the middle of the night. The car then drives very closely behind, matching the lorry's speed, before one of the gang boards the moving vehicle to steal the goods. “One of the criminals would then get out of the car through a sunroof or hatch, climb on the car bonnet, and

A

mayor has banned the telecoms company Orange from parking one of its vehicles in his commune until it stops calling it by an English word.

The company's “Fiber Truck” has been travelling around the region advertising the arrival of high-speed fibre networks, but the mayor of MarennesHiers-Brouage in the Charente-Maritime insists it should be referred to as a camion.

“I think it is idiotic that a company, set up originally by the state, should replace an existing word that everyone understands with an English word, purely under the pretext that because it is in English it will appear serious. It is an aggression against the citizen. I wanted to send a strong and symbolic message and all I want Orange to do is change the name. We need to use words that everyone understands. Not everyone in my commune has come

across the word 'truck' before.”

Continuing his tirade on Twitter, the local official also called out La Poste for renaming its banking arm “Ma French Bank”.

Strangely, the word “truck” does not seem to actually feature on the vehicles in question - although the term was apparently used in communications with mairies - and a cynic may suggest that the 'contretemps' was useful advertising for the upcoming Festival des cultures francophones which celebrated its tenth year in the coastal town in November.

“You do not need to have a Festival des cultures anglophones because the language is not under threat,” the mayor said. “But French and many other languages are becoming impoverished and we need to fight against that, above all when the language is being degraded by huge corporations solely to increase sales.” ■

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FRENCH LIFE ♦ 11

DECEMBER 2019 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Chestnuts

W

by Julia Watson

hen bon vivant French novelist and sports writer Antoine Blondin boasted, “There’s no caviar in Limousin, but we do have chestnuts,” he may not have visited the Périgord. If he had seen the green hills after green hills, thickly forested in chestnut trees, he might have amended his statement to include that region too.

Chestnuts are an ancient crop, recorded across the Mediterranean as far back as 2100 BC. But 3rd century BC documents show the chestnut more valued for timber and charcoal than for its fruits, although the Ancient Greeks believed in its medicinal properties as a remedy for lacerations of the throat and lips. In France and Italy more recently, the chestnut’s leaves are turned into litter for cow byres.

Sweet chestnuts generally contain two and sometimes a flattened third nut, as opposed to the poisonous horse chestnut - the sweet chestnut’s distant cousin more sparsely scattered with stubby prickles, which provides the single shiny conker.

Carbonised sweet chestnuts were unearthed in a Roman villa engulfed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, and for centuries, chestnuts have been ground down along the Italian Ligurian coast for use as flour. Classic Italian trofie, the pasta served with the basil-and-pine nut pesto originating in Genoa, were made with chestnut flour. With the dearth of crops of corn and wheat during the Second World War, across south-west France, too, chestnuts were ground into flour (albeit one that doesn’t keep well), to make bread. Dense loaves of chestnut bread can still be found in the region, as can crêpes made with chestnut flour and served with a chocolate spread.

In 1906, 63 varieties of finely-prickled French sweet chestnuts were registered, called châtaignes, a derivation of the old French chastain. Nowadays, there are few different varieties, and only three main growing areas, one of them being the Dordogne/ Limousin which grows 30% of the nation’s entire crop and is home to the much venerated Bouche de Betizac and the Marigoule varieties.

The sweet chestnut of the Périgord and the Limousin is distinct for containing only one nut known as a marron and ideal in shape for the production of marrons glacés. And what more perfect a seasonal candy to eat and to give at Christmas. ■ Julia Watson has been a long-time Food Writer for newspapers and magazines in the US and the UK.

Marrons glacés 500g fresh chestnuts and for the syrup: 300g sugar and 300ml water Score the chestnuts, cover in cold water and cook on a low boil for 8-10 minutes till tender. Drain and peel while warm.

Bring the sugar and water to the boil in a heavy-based pan then simmer for 10 minutes to make a syrup. Add chestnuts and simmer for 7-8 minutes. Remove from heat and leave them overnight in the syrup.

Bring the chestnuts back to the boil in the syrup and cook for 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let chestnuts cool overnight in the syrup. Repeat process 3 or more times over the next few days until all the syrup is absorbed.

Preheat the oven to 70°C. Spread the candied chestnuts across a wire rack over a tray covered in foil and place in oven. Prop its door open with a wooden spoon handle and leave 2 hours or until crusty. Remove, cool, and wrap each chestnut in greaseproof paper.

Quince and chestnut pot-roasted pheasant The following recipe makes good use of winter ingredients chestnuts and quince and is delicious with roast pork or any game including a Christmas goose. But for that, double or triple the ingredients depending on the size of the bird.

Ingredients (serves 2): 3 large stalks celery with leaves 1 quince 80g butter Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 pheasant

Shave celery stalks with a potato peeler, trim their bottoms then cut into 2.5 cm lengths. Peel and core quince and slice in wedges.

Melt half the butter in a heavy-bottomed casserole over medium heat. Season pheasant and brown lightly on all sides. Remove to a warm plate. Use a paper towel to absorb any burned butter, leaving behind the golden caramel.

Melt remaining butter in pan. Add quince, chestnuts, sage, celery and its leaves. Season to taste. Pour over Noilly Prat, scraping the bottom of the pan with a spatula to incorporate the caramel, bring to the boil and bubble 2 minutes. Add stock and bring back to boil then return bird and juices to pot. Cover and bake, 35 to 40 minutes.

Remove pan from oven, then return uncovered to oven to brown pheasant (5-10 minutes).

Rest on a warmed platter 15 minutes. Carve away the legs, then each breast in a single piece.

Surround the pheasant with the vegetables and juices and serve.

The wines of Bergerac

T

by Martin Walker

his is going to be a memorable year for the wines of Bergerac. Despite the wet spring and the hot, dry summer, we had just enough rain at the end of the season to refresh the grapes and dilute the sugars and thus the alcohol.

I was able to get a real sense of how good it could be on the first day of November at Château de Tiregand when François-Xavier de St-Exupéry showed me round his full vats and the first fermentation was well under way. Then came the treat. He opened a tiny tap in one big vat and let an inch or so pour out into my glass. That was the Merlot, full of fruit, light and easy but already round in the mouth.

Then he did the same for the vat of Cabernet Sauvignon and again for the Malbec. For the first time I really understood why the winemakers say Merlot for the fruit, Cabernet Sauvignon for the structure and Malbec for the spice. The hints of white pepper and cherries and blackberries were already apparent on the Malbec.

The Cabernet was harder to assess as I tried to comprehend what exactly was meant by structure. Partly it was the tartness that comes from the light acids and the tannins which allow wine to mature and age well.

Partly it was the sense of depth, of potential waiting to reach its full.

I was struck by the warmth of this liquid, in its halfway house between grape juice and becoming wine, when the yeasts are doing their work of converting sugar into alcohol. Red wines usually work best at this time at about 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit. Much hotter than that and the yeasts go on strike. White wines are normally kept at a lower temperature, around 65-68 degrees.

These were early times in the making of the wine.

The Cabernet had only been in the big stainless steel

12 chestnuts, fresh, roasted and peeled, or from a jar, or frozen 6 fresh sage leaves 175ml Noilly Prat or white wine 175ml good stock

vat for three days. And this was only the first part of the fermentation process. The next process, which often takes place in the oak barrels, is called the malolactic fermentation. It is not strictly speaking a fermentation at all, since it is not the yeasts doing the work but a bacteria called Oenococcus which takes in the tart malic acid and turns it into the milder, creamier lactic acid.

(Yes, the same that we find in milk). That is why some wines are called fat, from the creaminess that rests in the mouth.

Making the wine is a natural but complex and fascinating process. Fermentation makes the carbon-rich sugar molecules split, releasing carbon dioxide and becoming acetaldehyde which, in the absence of oxygen, becomes ethanol.

With 450 oak barrels in his cellars, François-Xavier has something close to half a million euros worth of wood. And it is not just the quality of the oak that matters but the interior toasting. When I saw the word noisette (hazelnut) on the side of his new barrels I asked in my ignorance if he was using a different wood. He smiled forgivingly and said no, it referred to the colour of the toasting inside the barrel.

Noisette was a light toasting which would give a hint of caramel and cinnamon. A medium toasting would give a touch of honey and coffee and a dark toasting would convey smoke and butterscotch, even a suggestion of molasses.

If you are allowed to roam around a chai, the place where the wine is made, you will see incomprehensible chalked letters and numbers. These identify not just the grape but also the specific area of the vineyard along with the age of the vines. Château de Tiregand uses its younger vines to make their second wine, Montalbanie.

The mature vines are used to make its classic Péchar-

mant and in very good years the wine from the best parts of the vineyard will become a Grand Millésime, a great vintage.

François-Xavier is quietly confident that 2019 will be a Grand Millésime year, but don’t even think about being allowed to taste some until late 2021, maybe 2022. And having recently been awed by a magnum of the Grand Millésime 2009, I wouldn’t think of opening the 2019 until at the earliest 2025. And I’m hoping to still be around then to do so.

So for my annual Twelve Days of Christmas drinking recommendations: Reds 1) Château de Tiregand Grand Millésime 2015. €21.00 2) Château de la Jaubertie, cuvée Mirabelle. €16.90 3) Clos de Breil, cuvée l’Odyssée 2016. €12.10 4) Château Puy Servain, cuvée Songe. The 2011 is drinking perfectly now. €25.50 5) Château Bélingard, Réserve. €10.70 6) Ch Feely, cuvée Grace 2015. €20.00 Whites 7) Château Le Payral, Petite Fugue 2017. €8.00 8) Julien de Savignac, cuvée Lisa 2018. €8.50 9) Château La Vieille Bergerie, cuvée Quercus 2018. €11.00 10) Les Tours des Verdots 2018. €10.00 11) Château Lestevenie Brut (the best fizzy wine in the Bergerac). €9.00 12) Château Le Fagé Monbazillac, 2015. €22.00 ■

Martin Walker, author of the best-selling ‘Bruno, chief of police’ novels, is a Grand Consul de la Vinée de Bergerac. Formerly a journalist, he spent 25 years as foreign correspondent for The Guardian and then became editor-in-chief of United Press International.

He and his wife Julia have had a home in the Périgord since 1999 and one of his great hobbies is visiting the vineyards of Bergerac.

12 ♦ FEATURE

France’s Festive traditions Present giving

French children traditionally leave their shoes in front of the fireplace on la veille de Noël (Christmas Eve) before they go to bed. Père Noël (Father Christmas) visits them while they sleep and if they have been good leaves presents in and around the shoes.

In northern and eastern France, there is a parallel tradition which celebrates Saint Nicolas on December 6th (see the story of St Nicholas opposite for more details).

Adults traditionally wait until le jour de l’ An (New Year’s Day) to exchange gifts, although, increasingly, families are exchanging gifts on Christmas Day.

Festive traditions An important aspect of Christmas in France is the Nativité (Nativity) with its crèche (manger) and santons (figurines). The latter are often hand-made and passed down through the generations.

Mistletoe is hung above the door and is considered to bring for good fortune. Note that it does not have the ‘kissing’ connotations of other countries!

The sapin de Noël (Christmas tree) is not as important in France as, for example, in the UK, but it does still form part of the Christmas celebrations.

Christmas trees are decorated a few days before Christmas and Père Noël will often leave sweets and treats on its branches in addition to the present in the children’s shoes.

Unique to Lyon is the Fête des Lumières (Festival of Lights), where every house in the city will place a candle in their windows, producing a spectacular effect. The celebration usually lasts four days, culminating on the 8th December.

Le réveillon

The most important Christmas event in France is la Messe de minuit (midnight Mass) followed by the eating of a meal known as the réveillon de Noël (from the verb réveiller, to ‘wake up’ or ‘revive’).

Although fewer and fewer French attend midnight Mass, it is still an important part of Christmas for many families. The réveillon represents a symbolic awakening to the meaning of Christ’s birth and is one of the most important meals of the year.

Traditionally the réveillon is a family affair and the meal is eaten immediately after midnight Mass at home or in a restaurant. The meal varies from region to region, but typically will involve seafood, followed by a cooked bird and the traditional bûche de Noël (Yule log). This cake is made from chocolate and chestnuts and represents the log burned from Christmas Eve until Epiphany in parts of France.

The log-burning is itself based on an ancient pagan Gaul tradition of burning a log for the duration of the winter solstice.

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2019

From Saint Nic Christmas - the

I

n looking for the historical roots of Santa Claus and Father Christmas, we must travel far back into the past. The modern incarnation of the benevolent Christmas-time present-giver is a combination of many different legends and mythical creatures.

In fact, although very similar, Father Christmas and Santa Claus developed independently of one another into two very different legends and only in recent years have they become increasingly interchangeable.

The basis for the modern day Father Christmas and Santa Claus lies in the story of Bishop Nicholas of Smyrna, a city located in what is now Turkey. Nicholas lived in the 4th century AD and was reputedly a very rich and generous man. There are a number of legends associated with Nicholas that resulted in his beatification (elevation to sainthood) and Saint Nicholas is remembered and revered among Catholic and Orthodox Christians.

One grisly legend (skip this paragraph if you are squeamish!) describes how a famine struck an island and an evil butcher tricked three young children into his shop where he butchered them and pickled them in a barrel, planning to sell them off as ham. Saint Nicholas was visiting the island at the time to help care for the hungry and saw through the butcher’s horrific crime.

Using the power of prayer, Saint Nicholas is then believed to have resurrected the three boys from the barrel, a miracle that has contributed to his image as a lover of children.

The most famous legend associated with Saint Nicholas involved a poor man with three daughters. Not having enough money, the man could not afford the dowries that would be required to marry his daughters off. The daughters were set to remain unmarried and condemned to work in the local brothel. Upon hearing of their plight, Saint Nicholas visited the man’s house under cover of darkness and, wishing to remain anonymous, threw three pouches filled with gold coins through the window - one dowry for each of the three daughters. Variations of this legend have Saint Nicholas visiting three separate times, as each daughter came of age, and on finding the window locked on one occasion, he is fabled to have dropped the pouch of coins down the chimney. This legend contributed to his image as a benevolent and secret gift-giver and is the basis for the modern traditions in which Father Christmas delivers presents down the chimney.

Based on the stories of his help for the poor, Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of, amongst other things, pawnbrokers; the three gold balls traditionally hung outside a pawnshop symbolize the three sacks of gold.

The Orthodox Church later raised Saint Nicholas, miracle worker, to a position of great esteem. It was in his honour that Russia’s oldest church, for example, was built. For its part, the Roman Catholic Church honoured Saint Nicholas as one who helped children and the poor and Saint Nicholas also became the patron saint of children.

Saint-Sylvestre - 1st January

Santa Claus as depicted by Nast in illustratio

French New Year is celebrated with a feast called the réveillon de SaintSylvestre.

On New Year’s Day friends and family exchange good wishes and sometimes gifts. The president also uses Saint-Sylvestre to make his annual address to the nation.

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

An 1886 image of the Germanic god Odin Saint Nicholas died on 6th December 330 AD and this date has become his feast day. Across much of Europe, this is the occasion when children receive anonymous gifts and in many countries is a bigger day than

Christmas Day for present giving.

The most prominent incarnation of Saint Nicholas in this gift-giving respect is the Sinterklaas of Holland and Belgium. In the days leading up to Sinterklaasavond (the evening of 5th December), children will leave a shoe in front of the fire containing a carrot or some straw for Sinterklaas’ horse. In return, the children will wake to find their shoes surrounded by presents.

Whilst Sinterklaas clearly derives from Saint Nicholas and his feast-day of 6th December, he differs from the earlier portrayals of Saint Nicholas in a number of ways, not least in his flying white horse. These differences are usually explained as a result of the legends of Saint Nicholas being fused in the medieval period in mainland Europe with those of the former pagan god Wodan, the Norse Odin, who did possess a flying horse.

Santa Claus Sinterklaas was brought to New York in the 17th cen-

FEATURE ♦ 13

DECEMBER 2019 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

holas to Father history of Santa

Coca-Cola did use the image created by Nast in an advertising campaign in the 1930s, but the myth that Coca-Cola invented Santa Claus is not true. It is true, however, that the company cemented this modern image of him in the public’s mind.

Father Christmas Although the names Father Christmas and Santa Claus are virtually interchangeable these days, Father Christmas has his roots elsewhere. Modern day Father Christmas first appeared in a 15th century carol as Sir Christmas. He was subsequently known and Old Christmas and Captain Christmas. The most significant difference is that he was a Yuletide, or Christmas, visitor and not a present-giver. In the 19th century Father Christmas benefited from the general Victorian revival of Christmas traditions and famously made an appearance in Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ as Christmas Present.

From the late 1800s, as cultural exchanges with America increased, Father Christmas took on more and more of the characteristics of Santa Claus, both in terms of his actions (he adopted some reindeer and started giving gifts) and his appearance as a large, bearded man in a red suit.

Santa’s Helpers In all the myths surrounding Sinterklaas, Santa Claus and Father Christmas, he always has his helpers. The Norse god Odin had two huge, black ravens that kept him informed of what was going on and some say these form the basis of Santa’s helpers. Saint Nicholas is said to have liberated an Ethiopian boy named Peter from slavery and the boy was so grateful he decided to stay with Saint Nicholas as a helper. Another story has Saint Nicholas rescuing three Moorish boys from execution for a crime they didn’t commit. These stories almost certainly explain the origins of Sinterklaas’ helper, Zwarte Piet (Black Peter). He is represented as a boy with a blackened face, said to be due to the fact that he climbs down chimneys helping Sinterklaas. Zwarte Piet is understandably a controversial figure in these times due to the fact that he has his roots in slavery and has been described as a “racialised tradition”. Children will often ‘black up’ their faces to portray him, another custom which people are finding increasingly distasteful.

Historically, there was only ever one Zwarte Piet. Following the liberation of Holland in the Second World War, however, the Canadians were organising Sinterklaas celebrations in the newly liberated country and, not fully understanding the traditions, they decided that multiple Zwarte Piets would be more fun. This seemed to stick and these days Sinterklaas has one Zwarte Piet for each of his tasks, much like Santa’s elves.

CHRISTMAS VOCAB Advent l’Avent angel un ange candle une chandelle Christmas Noël Christmas card une carte de Noël Christmas carol un noël, un chant de

Noël Christmas Day le jour de Noël Christmas Eve dinner le réveillon de Noël Christmas Eve la veille de Noël Christmas party la fête de Noël Christmas present un petit noël,

un cadeau de Noël Christmas tree le sapin / l’arbre de Noël Epiphany, Twelfth Night la fête des Rois Father Christmas le père Noël figurine in a Nativity un santon game un jouet manger la crèche Merry Christmas!

Joyeux Noël! midnight Mass la Messe de minuit mistletoe le gui New Year’s Day le jour de l’An New Year’s Eve la Saint-Sylvestre New Year’s Eve dinner le réveillon du Nouvel An present un cadeau reindeer un renne ribbon un ruban sleigh un traîneau snow la neige snowball une boule de neige snowman un bonhomme de neige stuffed animal une peluche toy un jouet white Christmas Noël sous la neige Yule log la bûche de Noël

Festive Joke!!

A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel, and were standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories. After about an hour, the manager came out of the office and asked them to disperse.

“But why?” they asked, as they moved off.

“Because if there’s one thing I can’t stand,” he said, “it’s chess nuts boasting in an open foyer.”

Douce nuit - Silent Night

ons for the poem ‘A Night Before Christmas’ tury by the Dutch settlers that founded New Amsterdam (later to become New York). Over the years, a more secular version of Saint Nicholas emerged: the day of celebration was moved to Christmas; the imagery changed and the reindeer replaced the horse. In general, the traditions became much less religious and more secular. This Dutch-American incarnation of Saint Nicholas achieved his fully Americanised form in the 1823 poem, A Visit From Saint Nicholas, by writer Clement Clarke Moore, a poem more commonly known as The Night Before Christmas. In this poem, the eight reindeer (presumably an evolution of the eight-legged horse ridden by the Norse god Odin) were given their names.

Moore describes the saint not as a bishop in a red cape, as in Holland, but as a fat man dressed in fur, driving his reindeer sleigh. Illustrating Moore’s poem in the 1860s, Thomas Nast used the colloquial Dutch ‘Santa Claus’ rather than the formal ‘St Nicholas’ and dressed him in a belted jacket and furry cap.

This is the image of Santa Claus that has endured.

Douce nuit is the French version of Silent Night and is sung to the same tune. The English translation given below is the literal translation of the lyrics of the French version, which are quite different to those of Silent Night.

Modern-day Sinterklaas with his helper Zwarte Piet There is also a darker side to the Christmas tradition.

“He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake”. Zwarte Piet carries a sack that is full of sweets for the ‘good’ children, but also a bunch of willow branches that are supposedly used to beat the ‘bad’ children! If they have been especially bad, they will be put into the bag and taken back to Spain, where Sinterklaas spends the rest of the year!

In France this character is known as Père Fouettard and traditionally dispenses coal/ floggings to the naughty children while Saint Nicolas gives gifts to the wellbehaved. ■

Douce nuit, sainte nuit !

Dans les cieux ! L’astre luit.

Le mystère annoncé s’accomplit.

Cet enfant sur la paille endormit, C’est l’amour infini, C’est l’amour infini !

Sweet night, holy night!

In the heavens the star shines.

The foretold mystery comes true.

This child sleeping on the hay, Is infinite love, Is infinite love!

Festive wordsearch hint!!

If you are struggling with this month’s Festive Wordsearch on page 14 (clues are in English, answers are in French), then the vocab list above might help.

A lot of the harder words are included and this list should help you complete the quiz. Alternatively, if you think your French is up to it, try without - no peeking!!

14 ♦ PRACTICAL

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2019

France’s 2020 budget introduces an income tax cut - Blevins Franks

A

utumn is the time of year when we find out what tax changes we will be faced with the following year, and wait for parliament to debate and finalise the proposed budget.

We hope for tax cuts, but often get tax rises. This is a good year, however, as President Macron’s government announced €9 billion worth of tax cuts for families in France.

France’s draft budget for 2020 was revealed at the end of September. The bill then began its progress through parliament, which will take a final vote late in December. Here is a summary of French taxation in 2020, based on the budget, but of course there could be amendments along the way.

Reduced tax rate for lower income The main change is a reduction in the income tax rates for calendar year 2020.

Since all income tax used to be paid in arrears, under the old system the tax rates announced in the 2020 budget would been for 2019 income (tax paid in 2020). However now, with introduction of PAYE, the 2020 budget includes the income tax bands and rates for both 2019 and 2020.

2019 income – tax rates remain the same as last year but bands have been indexed for inflation:

Income

Tax Rate

Up to €10,064

Nil

€10,064 to €27,794

14%

€27,794 to €74,517

30%

€74,517 to €157,806

41%

Over €157,806

45%

For 2020 income, the starting tax rate will be reduced from 14% to 11%. This will save taxpayers in this bracket around €350 per year.

Flat tax on investment income The tax rate for investment income remains unchanged at 30% for 2020 income.

Social charges No changes were announced for social charges, so it looks like they will remain: • 9.7% for employment / self-employment income • 9.1% for pension income • 17.2% for investment income including rental income.

Remember that the 30% flat tax above already includes social charges.

Assurance-vie The initial budget draft did not include any reforms for the taxation of assurance vie. Four early amendments were then proposed, which would have introduced significant changes, but the good news is that the first three were promptly rejected. The fourth was debated but it looks like it was also rejected, so hopefully we will not see any changes to assurance-vie next year.

Real estate wealth tax and succession tax The current threshold of €1,300,000 for the ‘IFI’ real estate wealth tax will stay in place for 2020, with no changes to the scale rates of tax. The 75% limitation also remains unchanged.

The budget did not include any reforms for succession tax rates and allowances.

ber increases so that next year only 20% will have to pay it and by 2023 it will be completely abolished.

Corporation tax The main rate of corporation tax remains at 31%, but it is reduced to 28% for companies with turnovers under €250 million.

Pressure from the EU? When the budget was launched at the end of September, French Finance Minister, Bruno Le Maire, explained that the aim was to boost investment and consumer confidence.

He said that faced with a slowdown of growth across Europe, “investment is the only effective response”.

M. Le Maire defended the government’s fiscal stance, claiming that the 2020 budget deficit would be the lowest in 20 years, and that the burden on taxpayers was falling faster than expected.

“Raising taxes is not an option,” he said. “Just when our tax policies are yielding results… you have to be consistent. The signal is very important.”

The European Commission has, however, written to the finance minister, requesting clarification on the government’s 2020 budget as it does not respect its spending cuts commitments made to Brussels.

The EU Commission could potentially reject a budget and demand a new draft, but it is unlikely it will come to that. ■

Taxe d’habitation

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

Keep up to date on the financial issues that may affect you on the Blevins Franks news page at:

The changes to this local residence tax, announced in 2017, continue to remove households from taxe d’habitation. While some already escape this tax, the num-

www.blevinsfranks.com Tel: 05 53 63 49 19 Email: bergerac@blevinsfranks.com

Festive Bilingual Wordsearch Try to find the Christmas-themed French words in the letter grid below.

Clues are in English, but those without obvious translations have been left in French in italics (for hints, see the wordlist on page 13).

apples candle Christmas Christmas carol Christmas Eve Christmas tree enfant soleil Epiphany Father Christmas Festival of Lights Fête des Rois fève galette des Rois game

manger midnight Mass mistletoe New Year’s day Père Fouettard present Réveillon ribbon santon snow stuffed animal toy yule log

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DIRECTORY ♦ 15

DECEMBER 2019 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Business Directory

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Architecte d’intérieur bilingual

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Building Services Carpenters/Joiners Darren Piper

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CONTINUED NEXT PAGE...

16 ♦ DIRECTORY Building Services Plumbing & Heating

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2019

Computers, Internet & Satellites

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NEDWA - North Eastern Dordogne Women’s Association Wishing all our members, past, present and future a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year We have monthly Coffee Mornings at the Auberge du Pont, route de Lanouaille, 24390 Cherveix-Cubas. For more information and details of upcoming events, see:

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DIRECTORY ♦ 17

DECEMBER 2019 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

ADVERTORIAL

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At Blacktower, we want to make sure people experience the difference. We are united by one common belief; that our job as financial advisers is to take care of people, to help our clients get the best life possible with the money they have. It is to help clients do what matters in their lives before it’s too late.

Blacktower will be by your side both now and in the future, we are here to help you. To arrange a professional and impartial consultation please contact me by email at Rosemary.sheppard@

blacktowerfm.com or call me on 06 38 86 99 70. Website: www. theblacktowergroup.com Blacktower would like to wish all its clients, past, present and future a very Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year This article is based on the opinion of the financial adviser and author, and does not reflect the views of Blacktower. 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 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.

ADVERTORIAL

“SolarVenti”- the solar solution to damp and humidity

A

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

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

together.

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

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

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

ed all expectations.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6-Month Contract

12-Month Contract

Small b&w Directory Ad

€100

€150

Large b&w Directory Ad

€130

€195

Small Colour Directory Ad

€140

€210

Large Colour Directory Ad

€180

€270

All prices exclude TVA (20%)

Directory Advertising is available either in black and white or colour, and in either small (30 words max) or large (45 words max) format.

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.

Large Directory Ad 46mm x 71mm (Actual Size) 45 words max Small Directory Ad 46mm x 46mm (Actual Size)

30 words max

18 ♦ DIRECTORY Retail & Commerce

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2019

sales24@thebugle.eu

06 04 17 80 93

bookstop

Support

English second-hand books Tea room Art exhibitions

09 51 45 57 49

SOS Help

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

anxious? stressed? feeling down? call us up!

USED KITCHENS FRANCE 01 46 21 46 46 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

3 - 11pm daily Confidential & Non-profit

www.soshelpline.org

Dementia Support

For a fully insured, careful service

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

sales24@thebugle.eu

06 04 17 80 93

Franklins Removals

A family business offering a quality, professional service since 1985

smartmovers@hotmail.co.uk

06 04 17 80 93

www.smartmovesremovals.co.uk

Transport, Removals & Storage

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

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

Local and European Removals

sales24@thebugle.eu

+44 (0)1253 725 414

Man & Van Transport

Native English speaker.

Please contact Catriona:

English & French Spoken

Périgord Noir, will travel up to 45 mins from 24170.

87150 Oradour-sur-Vayres

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

French Registered Business.

Local Friendly Service.

www.frenchvanman.eu

siret: 841 001 456 00018

Siret 530 213 644 00012

www.dordognestoragesolutions.com

catcool61@aol.com

06 04 17 80 93

Smart Moves

sales24@thebugle.eu

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

14m3 capacity 4.2m load length

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

Your advert here

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

09 82 12 69 73

30,000 readers each month

SALES24@THEBUGLE.EU

06 04 17 80 93

Buying or Selling French Property?

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

www.frenchpropertylawyer.fr

05 55 82 18 99

+33 (0)6 73 96 38 39

Tel: 05 53 81 30 44 Facebook & Instagram: Acorn Cat Rescue

06 04 17 80 93 Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

ADVERTORIAL

Advertising with The Bugle

W

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

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

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

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

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

Harvey, on behalf of Acorn Cat Rescue Dordogne, would like to wish all of our supporters a very Merry Christmas www.associationacorn.com

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

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

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

WHAT’S ON ♦ 19

DECEMBER 2019 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

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 8th December at 4 pm Piano Duo Voltersvick & Potenza

Programme: ‘Masters from Russia and Eastern Europe’ Arensky extracts from 12 Pièces pour 4 mains: Op. 60 - I Prelude, IV Menuetto, V Elegie and VIII March; Janacek In the mists - I Andante; Stravinsky L’Oiseau de feu – Finale; Smetena Má Vlast: Vltava (The Moldau); Dvorak Slave Dances, Op. 72 No. 2 in E minor: Allegretto grazioso, No. 6 in Bb: Moderato and No. 7 in C Major: Presto; Rachmaninov Six Morceaux Op. 11 Whilst also maintaining solo careers, international prize winning pianists Oda Voltersvik (Norway) and Giulio Potenza (Sicily) formed a partnership in 2014 with the aim of developing their common interest for four hands and two pianos compositions. As well as performing at numerous international venues, Volt & Potenza Duo was the first prize winner of the Bradshaw & Buono 2017 international piano competition.

A concert for the New Year in Issigeac The Eymet based choir Cantabile will be returning to the Maison des services in Issigeac for an entertaining Viennese style concert on Saturday 18th January at 8 pm.

Directed by Issigeac resident Simon Kenworthy, the choir will be accompanied by Ishani Bhoola, international violinist, who also has a home in Issigeac, guest Mezzo Soprano from UK Alison Hudson, local baritone Peter Fowler and popular pianist Jonathan Smalley.

The Concert will include extracts from The Merry Widow, La Belle Helene, Piaf, and other well known musicals.

Tickets are just 10 euros (free for Under 12s) and are available from Issigeac and Eymet tourist offices.

A final concert will be performed at Eymet’s Espace Cuturel on Sunday 19th at 3 pm.

20 ♦ WHAT’S ON

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2019

Saturday 30th November – Saturday 4th 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.

For three weeks of magic in Sarlat-la-Canéda, head for place de la Grande-Rigaudie and place du 14 juillet, the heart of the Sarlat Christmas market.

70 chalets offer great gift ideas. Enjoy a glass of local wine or beer and head to the place Bistronomique, where a dozen chalets invite you to taste the gourmet products of the Périgord.

Christmas in Bergerac 14th - 31st December, 10h-19h.

Village artisanal - place Louis de la Bardonnie

Open every day from 4th to 31st December from 10 am to 8 pm. Saturdays until 10 pm. (Closes at 6 pm on 24th & 31st December. Closed on Christmas Day).