The Bugle Limousin - Jan 2021

Travelling with your pet post-Brexit With UK pet passports no longer valid, new rules are now in force when travelling to and from Great Britain with your pets >> Page 4

2020 warmest on record Last year has been confirmed as the country's warmest year since records >> Page 4 began

November 2016 - Issue #85

Limousin

Your local newspaper for life in France

January 2021 - Issue 135 - FREE!

Covid vaccinations begin nationwide

>> continued on page 9

Paris mairie fined for employing women - pg 6

Moschino unveils the baguette bag - pg 10

Paris trials holographic Stop buttons - pg 11 credit: Benoit Tessier

A

UK and the US - which began vaccinating several weeks before France - are not representative, all of the countries of the EU had access to the vaccines at the same time.

Amidst growing criticism, the country's health minister Olivier Véran warned against conflating “speed with haste” and gave assurances that any lag would be made up in January. “This is a time for explaining and informing.

We are gathering consent before vaccinating and this will lead to an increase in confidence,” the minister said, referring to the large percentage of vaccinationskeptics being reported – as many as one third of the public have expressed

Fashion icon Pierre Cardin dies - pg 5

New border rules for visiting France come into force - pg 3

Despite criticism for a slow start, France has begun nationwide vaccinations. The jabs are not compulsory, but will eventually be available to anyone who wants one.

fter a year dominated by bad news, the emergence of several effective Covid-19 vaccines injected some well-needed optimism at the end of 2020. As countries across the world rolled out their vaccination programmes, France faced mounting criticism for appearing to be slow out of the blocks. As the New Year approached, the UK - whose health authorities were the first to approve a vaccine had vaccinated around half a million people, Germany was approaching 100,000 and Italy 10,000. At the same time, France had protected fewer than 200 of its citizens.

Whilst comparison with countries like Israel, the

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2 ♦ IN THIS EDITION

Welcome to

The Bugle

A

s Christmas came and went, and with my New Year's Eve plans longsince cancelled, like many I was very much looking forward to saying good riddance to 2020. It was a sarcastically terrible year with what felt like very few highlights and a constant backing track of impending doom. I really hope I don't end up eating my words when I say that it feels unlikely that 2021 could be any worse.

I am sure that the next few months will be incredibly tough and things may in fact get worse before they get better, but with vaccines being rolled out across the world and far more known about the coronavirus, it does feel like there are green shoots of hope once more.

But hope is a double-edged sword. If you had said in March last year that things would be no better in 10 months' time, I suspect I would not have been

alone in struggling to remain positive.

The hope that better times were round the corner sustained me for much of 2020 and even as the year drew to a close and it became apparent that we weren't getting out of this any time soon, there was renewed hope that vaccines and the advent of warmer Spring weather would soon be here.

But while clinging to hope can get you through tough times, having your hopes dashed against the rocks of reality can also be a tough blow to endure. I have had many conversations with my wife over recent times about whether we should make plans for the short and medium term, or just ride out the storm with the hatches battened down.

On the one hand, it's great to dream of fun times ahead and imagine better days, but on the other hand, making plans and having to cancel them is soul destroying.

I think we have fallen in to

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JANUARY 2021

some kind of happy medium where we will take anything on offer - without breaking any rules - and make the most of the small stuff, but avoid any grand plans. We realised in the summer that realistically the big family Christmas in the UK was not going to happen, so rather than fret every few weeks about what rules were changing and whether we might still be able to go, we just accepted that we would keep our powder dry until next year and really enjoy it then.

And in actual fact, I unexpectedly realised recently that 2020 was not all bad, when we received a video from a friend of all the things we had done together last year. It's a photo slideshow with music that lasts a couple of minutes and that had me repeating “Oh yeah, forgot about that” like a stuck record.

If you had shown that video to someone recently returned to Earth after a long trip in space with no internet connection, they would be well within their rights to assume that 2020 was one long, incredibly fun-filled adventure, largely fuelled by wine!

March, April and May were indeed tricky months as so much was unknown and there was so much fear about, but it is easy to forget that by July, there were very few cases

around in this part of France and most of the summer pretty much passed as usual. We managed a ten-day holiday in the Dordogne in early July and looking back, there was very little anxiety or fear involved.

There were last-minute canoeing trips in the blazing sunshine, several birthdays, days out to the beach. Of course, things got scary again in the Autumn, but grabbing the joy where we could find it has certainly helped me get through the latest round of restrictions.

So I am not going to give up hope, and will accept any disappointment that comes my way as a result. January and February look like they will be tough, but there will be times in the not too distant future when the sun shines

and an opportunity to let off steam presents itself again.

I don't know how, when or where, but I will keep on hoping and make sure that I am ready when it does.

And let's face it, even if we remain confined until the Spring, I can still look forward to the first barbecue of the year!

I don't know if 2021 will indeed be any better than 2020... but here's hoping.

Until next month!

Steve Martindale, Editor www.thebugle.eu articles.thebugle.eu facebook.com/The BugleFrance

CONTACT us Tel: 06 04 17 80 93 General: editor@thebugle.eu Advertising (EN): sales@thebugle.eu Publicité (FR): publicite@thebugle.eu Subscriptions: subscriptions@thebugle.eu

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F

ollowing Britain's exit from the EU and the end of the transition period, new rules have come into force for British passport holders travelling to and from France. As a non-EU country and not a member of the Schengen zone, France now considers the UK a “third” country, so British visitors will have to follow the same rules as are currently in place for countries such as Australia or America. Expats who are resident in France, and who have applied for a residency permit, will not be affected by the new rules on visiting France.

British residents travelling on British passports will now enter France under the so-called Schengen Visa scheme. Although it is called a visa, there is no paperwork to fill in ahead of your trip, but you may not spend more than 90 days in the EU in any given 180-day period. Passports are stamped on arrival and departure from the country to ensure that visitors do not overstay. This means visitors can spend up to six months in the EU each year without any paperwork, but not in one go, i.e. second

homeowners cannot now spend summers in France and winters in the UK, or vice versa.

Whilst France does not have a reputation for coming down hard on visitors that spend slightly longer than officially allowed in the country, all passports are scanned on entry and exit from France, making overstayers easier to spot. If you do overstay in this country, there is also the chance that you could end up with an “overstay” flag on your passport which could theoretically make it more difficult to enter other countries, and could also cause problems should you make any future attempts at applying for a visa or residency permit in France.

For those wishing to come to France for longer than the permitted 90 days, it is possible to apply for a number of French visas. These are not a right, and there are conditions that need to be met before one is issued. There is also the associated cost, lead time and in-person appointments to consider. See https://france-visas.gouv.fr/ for more information on how to apply for a visa.

The visa of most interest to

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Screenshot: edinburghlive.co.uk

New visa rules for British visitors

second homeowners is probably the visa de long séjour temporaire (VLST), which allows for stays of up to 6 months. The VSLT costs €99 per application, plus a €36 processing fee, and will require a visit to either London, Manchester or Edinburgh to give fingerprints and to provide proof that you will be financially self-sufficient during your stay. Note that you must not undertake any professional activity while in France (it is not suitable for people wishing to work remotely from their holiday cottage for a few months).

With all that said, Schengen Visas are an EU-wide scheme, and it is possible some would say likely - that

France could strike a bilateral agreement with the UK to allow Brits to spend up to six months at a time in France, as is currently the case for EU nationals visiting the UK. The country’s Europe Minister, Clément Beaune, has hinted that France could take national measures to extend the visa-free time limit to allow UK visitors, including second homeowners, to extend stays beyond 90 days but notes that “it’s a point that’s still under discussion and one that is not advancing in a very satisfying direction”. It is unlikely to be a priority for either government ahead of trade deals and managing the current pandemic. ■

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And so it was that Santa abseiled with his elves down the side of the HME mother and child unit of Limoges Hospital, stopping outside the children's windows to bring festive cheer to the obvious joy of the young patients. “I hope Father Christmas isn't afraid of heights,” exclaimed one 5-year-old girl. “Seeing Santa like that, climbing down the building, was really cool,” said another 12-year-old patient.

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www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JANUARY 2021

Post-Brexit pet passport scheme

F

or many expats who regularly travel to and from the UK, as well as for British residents with a second home in France, the rules surrounding travelling with pets has been an area of great concern in recent months. With a Brexit deal now in place, it has been confirmed that the worst case scenario has been avoided, but that there are still extra steps that must be taken when crossing the Channel with man's best friend.

British EU pet passports were valid across the bloc and made travel relatively straightforward. Following the UK's exit from the EU, pet passports issued in Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) are no longer valid. Under EU rules, British-based pet owners faced three scenarios: a part 1 listing, part 2 listing or unlisted. A part 1 listing for the UK would have seen Britain able to issue British pet passports that would be automatically recognised by the EU. In other words, the situation would have remained effectively the same as previously.

For unlisted countries, which would likely have been the case in the event of a no-deal Brexit, British pet passports would not have been valid and owners would have needed complete records of all historical documentation relating to their pet before travelling.

Animals would also be required to have had a rabies titration blood test no less than three months before travel into the EU, to prove that the rabies vaccination was working.

In the event, Britain has been given a part 2 listing, so while more documentation is required to cross the Channel - in a similar way as for unlisted countries - the lengthy delays involved with rabies titration blood tests will

not be required. According to the information currently being provided by DEFRA, British pet owners planning to travel to the EU must first now make an appointment with their vet to be issued with an Animal Health Certificate (AHC).

To apply for an AHC, you will need to provide your vet with proof of microchipping and a full vaccination history. The AHC must be issued less than ten days before your travel date and is valid for four months, including for onward travel within the EU and re-entry to Great Britain. The four-month limit should not be a problem for most British citizens, who are not permitted to spend more than three months in the EU at any one time (see

page 3). One important thing to note is that, due to the new status of Northern Ireland and the border down the North Sea, an AHC is ALSO required when travelling with a pet from mainland Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

The situation remains unchanged for pets who have been issued an EU pet passport in an EU country or Northern Ireland: the UK has stated that it will continue to recognise EU pet passports for animals travelling to the UK. As before, the UK has retained the requirement for pets to have had a tapeworm treatment from a registered vet between 24 and 120 hours (five days) before entering or reentering the UK. ■

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2020 warmest on record It may not have felt like it when the winter chill hit just before Christmas, but 2020 has been confirmed as the warmest year in France since records began in 1900. France's national weather forecaster Météo France confirmed that the average temperature across the country in 2020 was 14 degrees Celsius, beating the 13.9 degrees recorded in 2018.

“The cooler weather we are seeing at the end of this year will not change anything. It is official... with 14 degrees, 2020 was the hottest year ever recorded,” the forecaster said on Twitter. It had been thought that a chilly December would see the average drop below that of 2018, but despite a cold snap over the festive period, the remainder of December was relatively mild.

As global warming kicks in, many of the hottest years on record have come since the turn of the millennium – 2014 takes third place on the all-time list and only one of the warmest ten years in history came prior to 2000. Globally, experts are predicting that 2020 will be in the top three once the statistics have been collated. ■

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egendary French designer Pierre Cardin has died in a Paris hospital at the age of 98. The designer upended the fashion world in the 1960s and 70s with his futuristic creations which adorned many stars of the day, among them Elizabeth Taylor, Barbra Streisand, Jeanne Moreau, Jackie Kennedy, Charlotte Rampling, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.

Although well known as a French designer, Pietro Cardin was born near Treviso in Italy in 1922, the youngest of 11 children.

His family fled Mussolini’s regime and moved to France when he was a child, where he took the name Pierre. “Italian by birth, Pierre Cardin never forgot his origins while bringing unconditional love to France,” his family said following his death. Growing up in the French industrial town of Saint-Étienne, it was hoped that Cardin would become an architect but his interest lay in fashion.

Cardin first learned to tailor aged 17 while working alongside the Red Cross. He later moved to Paris in 1947 to work on the set of Beauty and the Beast with the

poet, artist and director Jean Cocteau, who in turn introduced him to Christian Dior. Dior would become his mentor and within years he had his own label and a Parisian boutique, but it was his prêtà-porter lines and brand licensing that made him a household name, as well as a substantial fortune.

At a time when high fashion belonged on the catwalk, Cardin shocked the establishment by launching a read-to-wear collection for the Printemps department store. The move made fashion accessible to the masses and saw him expelled from the guild of French fashion designers.

Cardin was a visionary in identifying the importance of branding and the name on the label.

He lent his name to perfumes, watches, cigarettes and even frying pans. These licensing deals raised eyebrows in the traditional fashion world, but earned the designer serious money that he would successfully invest in real estate.

He also saw the importance of foreign markets and was among the first foreign designers to open shops in Japan, China and Russia. In 1979, Cardin was the first

© Georges Biard (WikiCommons)

Fashion icon Pierre Cardin dies aged 98

French designer to trade with China, and in 1983, he became the first to trade in the Soviet Union. He was also the first designer to hold a fashion show in Red Square, Moscow, drawing a crowd of 200,000 in 1991. In a statement to the press, Cardin’s family praised his “tenacious ambition and the daring he has shown throughout his life”, as

well as his contribution “early on into the flow of globalisation”.

By the turn of the century, the Pierre Cardin brand had lost some of its lustre, and when it was put up for sale in 2011 with a price tag of €1 billion, it failed to find a buyer. Cardin is still considered a trailblazer in the industry, however, telling the New York Times in 1987: “I was born an artiste,

but I am a businessman.”

Cardin has been honoured by both of his home countries: In 1987, Italy named him a Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, while in 1991, France made him an Officer of the Legion of Honour.

The same year, UNESCO made the designer a goodwill ambassador. ■

6 ♦ FRENCH NEWS

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Healthcare and pension benefits agreed

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fter an eleventh hour Brexit deal was agreed between the EU and Britain on Christmas Eve, details slowly began to emerge as to what the deal would mean in practical terms for those of us Britons living in or visiting France. The 1,500 page agreement will only be fully understood once it has been poured over by legal experts and put to the test in the real world, but one bit of good news is that pension and healthcare protection appear to be included.

“Provisions on Social Security Coordination will ensure that individuals who move between the UK and the EU in the future will have their social security position, in respect of certain important benefits, protected,” a summary document for the deal, announced by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the European

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, states. “Individuals will be able to have access to a range of social security benefits, including reciprocal healthcare cover and an uprated state pension. On healthcare, where the UK or an EU Member State is responsible for the healthcare of an individual, they will be entitled to reciprocal healthcare cover. This includes certain categories of cross-border workers and state pensioners who retire to the UK or to the EU.” Many observers had expected the EHIC card held by Britons - sometimes known as the E111 in the UK - to no longer be valid from 2021, meaning that British citizens travelling to France, or any other EU country, would require private medical insurance. Whilst it does appear that the EHIC cards themselves will no longer be valid, some other form of “reciprocal

healthcare cover” scheme has been agreed and will be put in place. EHIC cards issued by the French social security system to British expats should also continue to be valid as before for trips outside of France, including the UK. “The Protocol will ensure necessary healthcare provisions - akin to those provided by the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) scheme – to continue,” the summary states. “This means individuals who are temporarily staying in another country, for example a UK national who is in an EU Member State for a holiday, will have their necessary healthcare needs met for the period of their stay.”

As we go to print, details are still emerging, but the news will certainly come as a relief for many. According to the UK government's website, British travellers will be issued with a “UK Global Health In-

surance Card” (GHIC) instead of an EHIC card, but the website currently states that “both are valid if you’re travelling to an EU country. If your EHIC is still in date, you do not need to apply for a new GHIC.” It is not currently clear exactly what the difference is between an EHIC and GHIC, although both will cover British travellers to the EU for “emergency or necessary medical care for the same cost as a resident in the country you’re visiting”.

The uprating of pensions was also a concern for many expats living in France and relying on a UK state pension. The agreement will see the so-called “triple lock” applied for retired expats, meaning that each year their pension will increase by whichever of the following is greatest: the annual price inflation; average earnings growth; or a guaranteed 2.5% minimum. ■

T

he Paris mairie has been fined under an equality law aimed at creating a gender balance in the civil service... for employing too many women! The case, brought by the ministère de la fonction publique - the civil service ministry - dates back to 2018 when the Paris City Hall employed 11 women to senior management positions out of a total intake of 16.

In 2017, France introduced an equality law which stated that the gender balance in public service appointments must not exceed 60/40 in a given year.

The move was designed to ensure that local councils were less male-dominated - when the law was enacted, the overall ratio of men to women in local councils was 70/30. Paris is one of the

country's more progressive councils, but even after the recent “controversial” appointments, women still make up just 47% of senior roles.

“This very high figure strongly contributes to the feminisation of senior positions. It does, however, not respect the legal requirement of 40 per cent of appointments for each sex in these posts,” the civil service ministery stated, while confirming that a €90,000 fine had been imposed; the five men hired to senior management positions in 2018 represented just 31 per cent of the intake.

The fine was met with understandable bewilderment by the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, and her deputy Antoine Guillou. “It is somewhat paradoxical that we are being punished for address-

Set In Stone

ing an imbalance,” the deputy mayor in charge of human resources said in a statement, adding in a tweet: “In short, we are being punished because we are catching up too quickly! However, we are demonstrating that equality in positions of responsibility can be achieved quickly when the will is there.”

After several similar cases of fines for employing too many women, an amendment was passed in 2019 which allows for the 60/40 rule to be broken where the result does not exacerbate a current imbalance. The change, which came into affect in June last year, was too late to apply to the 2018 appointments and, under the letter of the law, the town hall will now have to pay the €90,000 fine. ■

© Jacques Paquier (WikiCommons)

Paris mairie fined for employing women

Anne Hidalgo - Mayor of Paris

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Protests over world's 'largest greenhouse'

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controversial project to build “the world's biggest greenhouse” has again attracted protests from environmental campaigners. In December, around 200 people from 32 associations - including Greenpeace and green party Europe ÉcologieLes Verts (EELV) - gathered at the “Tropicalia” greenhouse site in northern France.

The €73 million project, which received planning permission in 2019, will see a 32-metre-high single glass dome covering an area of 2 hectares, or 20,000 m2 near the coast to the south of Calais. Designed by French architecture practice Coldefy & Associates in collaboration with energy company Dalkia, the vast space will have a constant, humid temperature of 26-28 degrees Celsius and will be home to a vast array of

exotic reptiles, butterflies, and birds in a forest of tropical plants and trees. A huge waterfall will feed a glass-sided Olympicsized pool containing Amazonian fish.

Originally due to open in 2021, the project has been beset by delays linked to the ongoing pandemic, but has also faced growing resistance from campaign groups, mainly due to its proximity to other protected areas and the impact the project will have on the local water table. “The Opal Coast does not need a tropical zoo under a dome. We are in an area with strong environmental issues, and we are only one kilometre away from the ‘Natura 2000’ site, and 550 metres away from a zone of flora and fauna deemed to be of ecological interest,” said Jean-Michel Jedraszak, a spokesperson for the campaigners, speaking to Le

Figaro newspaper.

“This land could have been used for local agricultural activities. Also builders say that the dome will be heated using renewable energy, but the Terraotherm technology involved is not yet proven in this region,” said Édith Chevalier, a member of the countryside group Amis de la confédération paysanne. “Further, they will need two heat pumps, which will extract from the water table, in a dense urban area where our water needs are high. All this to create a tropical space in a region where, from October to April, temperatures are on average 2-6 degrees Celsius. It’s nonsense.”

Backers claim that not only will the project be self-sufficient, by harnessing the energy generated by the glass dome,

the site will in fact produce electricity for much of the year. They also point to the fact that the project has significant local backing and will generate 100 jobs. “Local residents and politicians are excited about Tropicalia opening. Until this year, we had not had any particular opposition,” said Nicolas Fourcroy, a co-partner in the project. “Could the regional and departmental elections set for 2021 explain this sudden opposition to our project?”

When it does finally open, it is hoped that half a million people will come through the ticket offices each year. As well as a one-kilometre walk-through, visitors will also have access to an auditorium, bed-and-breakfast accommodation, a barrestaurant, a conference room, a scientific laboratory, and a clinic. ■

12-year-old wins J K Rowling competition

A

12-year-old from Ile de Ré has been unveiled as one of the winners of a competition to illustrate the latest book by Harry Potter author J K Rowling. The Ickabog is a fantastical fairy tale aimed at younger readers and is the author's first children's book not set in the Harry Potter universe. Aimed at children between the ages of seven and nine, The Ickabog was first written by Rowling between 2003 and 2007 as a gift to her young children.

Although she initially planned to release the book after completing the Harry Potter series, the project was shelved as Rowling concentrated on her adult fiction work and the script loitered in her attic until earlier this year. With the

Ian Scott

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advent of the first lockdown, the author announced that she would release the book online in 34 free, online daily chapters between 26 May and 10 July. “I’ve decided to publish The Ickabog for free online, so children on lockdown, or even those back at school during these strange, unsettling times, can read it or have it read to them.”

The innovative idea was a hit, and in just the first 24 hours, The Ickabog website had more than 5 million views from 50 countries around the world. In November, the book was released in print and is no longer available to read for free.

Rowling organised an illustration competition to produce an image accompanying each of the 34 chapters and one of

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the lucky artists was Méloée Delamare who, along with her twin sister Timéa, is a Harry Potter fanatic. The 12-year-old spent much of the first lockdown designing her entry, which she based on the giant snake from Harry Potter books. After being selected as a winner at the end of July, Méloée said the hardest part of all was keeping quiet about her news. The only condition set by Rowling was that everything must be kept a secret until the book was published. “It was hard not being able to tell my friends!” confirmed the fan.

As part of her prize, the budding artist received a stack of books - which she donated to her local Saint-Martin-de-Ré primary school - and a copy signed by the author, which she has kept! ■

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Nationwide vaccinations is paying half the price per dose as the British government.

The EU also has contracts with five other companies producing vaccinations: Moderna, Oxford/ AstraZeneca, Sanofi-GSK, Janssen Pharmaceutica and CureVac. The Moderna vaccination is expected to receive approval in midJanuary at which point France will receive one million doses. It is not yet known when AstraZeneca will be able to deliver its first doses, but the French government expects marketing authorisation in February, when the company is scheduled to deliver five million doses. France is aiming to vaccinate a total of 27 million people by the end of June.

A group of French immunology experts has said that for a vaccine that is 95% effective, which is

proving to be the case for most of the current vaccines, then “if 50-60% [of the population] get vaccinated, it would be sufficient to immunise the whole population”.

“In terms of collective immunity, it is hard to know where we are because it depends on the R number being low,” explained Professor Jean-Stéphane Dhersin, an epidemiologist at the CNRS research centre.

“We must make sure that the R number does not rise above 1. Then, to ensure collective immunity, we need to be in the region of 60% of the population being immunised.”

Experts are currently including the 11 per cent of the population who have already had Covid-19 in this 60 per cent target; there is no evidence that having the virus gives you immunity, but cases of reinfection are currently extremely rare. ■

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concern over taking the vaccine.

The minister went on to say that the Germans had achieved greater numbers by creating huge “vaccination centres”.

This tactic was adopted

by France during the Swine Flu epidemic of 2009-10, but whilst it was fast, it ultimately proved to be ineffective. “What is most important is that we claw back this deficit by the end of January,” Véran concluded.

France has officially adopted a similar strategy to many other countries, vaccinating those in care homes and “at-risk” healthcare workers in the first phase. This amounts to an estimated 750,000 people. The programme will then be extended to the wider public in stages, beginning with the most vulnerable and finishing

with the young and least at risk.

The French government has secured access to doses to vaccinate 100 million people, significantly more than required to protect the entire country. The second phase, which will target a further 14 million people, is expected to begin in February and it is currently hoped that vaccination of the remainder of the country will begin in the Spring.

The vaccination is free and available to anyone living in France who wants it.

As part of an EU-wide procurement deal, France is currently administering the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine, designed in Germany and produced at manufacturing sites in Germany and Belgium.

This is the same vaccine that the UK approved in early December, but under the EU deal, France

Do you have a business to shout about?

>> continued from pg 1

One tree for every baby After a year that featured so much sadness and death, local authorities in Guéret have voted to celebrate life. Following through on a campaign pledge, incoming mayor Marie-Françoise Fournier has announced that the town will plant a tree for every birth at the maternity ward of Guéret hospital.

Mayor Fournier made the promise while campaigning to replace Michel Vergnier, the former Socialist MP who had been mayor of Guéret since 1998, and the initiative was confirmed at a recent council meeting.

There are around 500 births a year on the maternity ward, so with mayors in France serving sixyear terms, the pledge could see a forest of 3,000 trees planted by the end of her tenure. ■

Free trips to Corrèze As the band Trois Cafés Gourmands sang in the opening line of their hit song A Nos Souvenirs: “Comment puis-je oublier ce coin de paradis ?” how could I ever forget this corner of paradise? The threesome were singing about la Corrèze and local authorities there are hoping to convince the wider public that the group had a point by offering free trips to come and stay in the department.

Under the campaign banner “Venez briller en Corrèze” - Come and shine in Corrèze - they are hoping to build on an urban exodus prompted by the recent pandemic and encourage city dwellers to relocate to the countryside.

Prospective Corrèziens can apply online at venezvivreencorreze.fr to be part of the scheme which will see them offered an expenses paid weekend stay from February with a view to a permanent move. ■

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O

ne winemaker has seen a tongue-in-cheek opportunity to use the current coronavirus crisis to make a few extra sales.

With huge public awareness campaigns over testing, Christophe Avi, based in the Lot-et-Garonne department in the south-west of France has unveiled a new vintage for these crazy times, called “Test Covid”.

The cuvée AOC Bruilhois carries a plain label with three simple instructions: 1) Pour a glass 2) Smell the wine 3) Taste the wine The label then goes on to inform the drinker that if they can smell and taste the wine, then they do not have Covid! For those lacking a sense of humour, the small print on the bottle does read that the drink should be taken with a large pinch of salt. A loss of taste and smell is one of the key symptoms of Covid-19.

"It was a bit of a last-minute decision, after a discussion with the manager of the Intermarché in Roquefort,” explained the former rugby player. “I decided to launch a special cuvée for the holidays. It is a Merlot-Tannat from 2018 and as it says, if you can smell it and taste it, you don't have Covid... although that should not be taken too seriously!”

In the first instance, one and a half thousand bottles of the novelty wine have been made available in the wine aisles of local supermarkets, but initial sales would suggest that the country has maintained a sense of humour and more may be needed to quench the nation's ironic thirst. ■

© Moschino

@domaineduboisdesimon (Facebook)

Covid test wine Moschino's bakery bags

Y

ou could use it to carry your keys, lipstick and phone, or you might prefer to fill it with ham, but one thing is for sure, unless you have plenty of dough, baguette about it! That is because off-the-wall fashion house Moschino is charging around €800 for their recently released bakery-inspired handbags aimed solely at the upper crust.

Known for its quirky designs, the Italian designer has previously released accessories modelled on a

pizza box, a slice of cake and a lighter, and its new patisserie-inspired range includes a baguette clutch and a croissant shoulder bag.

Moschino's description of the baguette bag reads: “Maxi clutch in high-frequency printed baguetteshaped faux leather and gold-plated Moschino Label Made In Heaven”. Its similarly priced sister product, the croissant clutch, comes with a gold-plated chain shoulder strap and burnt pastry detail along with a notice saying it was only available in “beige”. ■

Toad road closed

W

hy did the frog cross the road? Because it had been closed for three months to allow him to do so safely! This is exactly the case for a road in the north-western Côtesd'Armor department which has been closed until 15th March to allow local amphibians to safely travel to their spawning territories.

Although the RD28, in the

commune of Lamballe near Saint-Malo, only sees around 400 cars per day at this time of year, it runs through an area that is home to eleven protected species of amphibians. One car can kill dozens of animals and each year thousands of endangered frogs, toads and newts are killed on the stretch. Until the annual road closure came into force last year, volunteers would regularly patrol the road, manually helping the

amphibians to cross it and avoid the traffic.

“Once winter begins to draw to a close, they leave for their reproduction sites in a mass migration,” explained Jérémy Allain, a local biodiversity advisor. “This is the point at which we see a peak in road deaths.”

As well as saving thousands of animals and protecting the area's biodiversity, the road closure should not impact local drivers too much – a diversion that has been put in place adds just one minute to journey times. ■

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Court orders €57 million château to be torn down

T

he country's highest court, the cour de cassation has upheld a previous ruling that brings to an end a 15-year legal battle and will see the destruction of an infamous €57 million château on the south coast. The Renaissance-style Château Diter in Grasse, which features a swimming pool and helipad, began life as a 200 m² abandoned country house with snake-infested grounds, but was transformed over more than a decade into an illegal 3,000 m² château in what neighbours described as a “frenzy of building activity”.

Patrick Diter acquired the site in 2000 after failing to find a suitable home in Tuscany. He later sold the abandoned house the main property on the land - to a British couple and spent the next 10 years developing the nearby farmhouse and outbuildings into the sprawling mansion.

At Diter’s trial in 2019, the assistant public prosecutor, Pierre-Jean Gaury, said the transformation of the property was a “pharaonic project, delusional, totally illegal and built in an illegal manner”. Gaury also said the construction was carried out in violation of urban planning regulations as well as of safety and environmental rules by an owner whose “only concern is money”.

Over the years, Diter has held lavish parties at the property, playing music through a network of 132 speakers throughout the garden, as well as constructing an illegal 650-metre-long path through protected

countryside, which the court heard would “turn into a mudslide” on rainy days, causing floods in the nearby village of Auribeau.

During an earlier trial, Diter said: “It is my life’s work, my passion. I, who do not have a family, wanted to create a familystyle home. I fell in love with an Italian woman, and I wanted to create a Florentine palace.” He admitted that he had “forgot-

ten” to ask for planning permission, and had ignored previous fines and injunctions from the council and prefecture. He was also found to have falsified building permits.

Despite the mounting legal battles and controversy over the illegal building, Diter has enjoyed a degree of support from the country's media and the property has also featured on the big screen, most notably

featuring as Villa Carmella in the first season of Riviera, a TV thriller first broadcast

by Sky Atlantic.

Diter now has 18 months to fully demolish the house and restore most of the land to its original state. He will be fined €500 for each day that the work is late. He - and his two commercial estate agency companies have also been fined €450,000. ■

Holographic Stop buttons trialled on Paris buses

W

hen the current pandemic is behind us, one lasting legacy of Covid-19 is that it will have changed the way we live and how we view transmissible viruses and diseases. Last year saw a boom in gadgets and gizmos to help keep us safe, and while many of these were passing fads or gimmicks that will soon be forgotten, some will become the future normal. For one French company, the pandemic has helped accelerate one such idea that was already in development, but is now in public use – holographic buttons for public transport.

Installed on the Sqybus network - which serves the busy routes around Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines - for a two-month trial, the company is confident that the system will be rolled

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out across the entire Parisian network in the near future. Using the “HoloStop” technology, passengers simply pass their finger near a red holographic “Stop” button, which then turns green and emits a sound to indicate that it has been “pressed”. In the trial, each of the buses on the network has been equipped with seven holographic buttons.

While taking public transport does still often require you to hold rails and open doors, buttons are an obvious point of frequent contact and making these “contactless” will reduce the risks of infections passing between passengers. With transport companies suffering significant losses in the last year, it is also hoped that such innovations will encourage the public back onto the networks.

“The holographic buttons are a real technological achievement, but their use is very simple, the cost is reasonable and they bring a real benefit to the safety of the bus,” a spokesperson for the public transport company RATP said, without revealing the price of the devices. “The enhanced cleaning of vehicles and the using of disinfecting spray means that public transport is a safe space for passengers. The roll-out of these non-contact Stop buttons represents an extra level of safety.”

The company behind the new technology, MZ Technologie, also has plans to develop similar holographic buttons for other frequent points of contact such as lifts and cash points. ■

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Never underestimate the humble onion

by Julia Watson

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

Onion Soup Ingredients (serves 4-6) 5 tbsp unsalted butter, 2 tbsp of it cubed and chilled 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1.5kg onions, halved lengthwise, peeled, and thinly sliced 1 tsp salt freshly ground black pepper ½ tbsp granulated sugar 350ml dry white wine 1.5 litres beef stock 10 sprigs fresh thyme, tied together 2 bay leaves 1 baguette 1 large garlic clove, unpeeled and cut in half crosswise 2 tbsp Cognac 150g Gruyère, grated In a large pot, melt 3 tablespoons butter over a medium heat. Add the oil and onions. Sauté the onions until soft, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes.

Then add the salt, pepper and sugar and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are caramelised to a deep golden brown. If the onions begin to catch and brown too fast, reduce the heat. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, 35 to 45 minutes more.

Add the wine and raise the heat to high. Cook until almost all liquid has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the stock and the herbs to the pot. Bring slowly to a boil, reduce to a simmer then cook, uncovered until the soup has thickened a little, 20 to 30 minutes.

credit: www.fifteenspatulas.com

I

f there’s any single ingredient it would be a challenge to produce a well-flavoured dish without, it’s the onion.

I can vouch for this first hand. In the years I lived in Moscow, the onion would disappear in October, to reappear as a new crop only in May. Almost six months without them! Until November, sometimes random piles of onions would show in the markets. But pick any of them up and it would subside into an evil-smelling slump between the fingers, only restrained by their skins from oozing into your palm.

Not for nothing are they the third vital element in the holy trinity of carrot and celery in a mirepoix or sofrito. They are key to the flavour foundation of every dish to which they are assigned. To test, look through your cookbooks and see if you can find any recipes (aside from those for puddings and pastries) in any cuisine that doesn’t call for an onion, or one or more of the most common of its close relations, the shallot, leek, garlic bulb, spring onion or chive.

Each of them is part of the Allium family, one of the oldest species of vegetable. Iran, Central Asian nations and India all claim to have been the first to cultivate it, over 7000 years ago, and traces have been found in Bronze Age settlements in China. It turned out the Plymouth Brethren needn’t have shipped it to America - Native Americans were already growing it.

Every year, at village fetes across Britain, smallholders vie to win the red rosette for the largest onion. So far, the record goes to Tony Glover, whose entry to the Harrogate Autumn Flower Show in 2014 weighed 8.5kg. Perfect for a witches’ cauldron of onion soup.

And onion soup is the ideal soup for this chilly, damp and dour time of year. Its cooking infuses the entire house with an, at first, unwashed stink but one that quickly mellows into a warm, caramel-ly smell, full of comforting promise.

Slow, low-heated cooking in butter encourages the onion to collapse and its sugars to develop. It’s only an olfactory challenge up to the point it reaches this stage, from that painful exposure that makes your eyes sting (which can be slightly mitigated by holding them under water as you peel their skins), to chopping them - with your head held as far back as you can to evade their fumes. Nigel Slater has a recipe that avoids this agony by roasting the onions until collapsed, then chopping them and boiling them, first in wine then in stock, to create the soup.

I prefer the Paris bistro method, made a day or two ahead and reheated so that the flavours become even more mellow.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining cubes of butter. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Heat the grill. Slice the baguette into two slices per person. Toast them until gold on each side. Rub one side of each toast with the garlic clove and set aside.

Put warmed heatproof bowls into a roasting pan, add half a tablespoon of brandy to the bottom of each, and ladle soup on top. Top each serving of soup with two garlic-rubbed toasts. Divide cheese among the servings, covering the bread and soup surface. Slide the pan under the grill until the cheese is melted and bubbling, 4 to 8 minutes. Alternatively, and if you have diners who don’t like soggy toast, top each garlic-rubbed toast with some cheese and grill them separately, for passing separately from the soup.

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Six tips for protecting and growing your wealth - Blevins Franks

W

ith global economic uncertainty, prolonged low interest rates and Brexit, it is more challenging to achieve decent returns and make the most of your money today. At times like this, careful planning plays an especially important role in securing financial security over the long term. Here are six key tips that can help.

1. Customise your strategy It is crucial that your investment approach is designed to meet your particular circumstances and goals, including your risk tolerance and income needs.

For example, are your financial arrangements tailored for your life in France, where your expenses are mostly in euros, or are they actually better suited to a UK resident? Beware that some UK savings and investments could attract a higher tax bill from 2021 once they cease to be EU/ EEA assets.

With an ill-fitting investment portfolio, you could find that your money is not working as hard as you would like, is difficult to access, or is eaten away by inflation and/or unnecessary taxation.

2. Know your appetite for risk Before investing, you need to pinpoint the right balance of risk/return for your peace of mind, but it is extremely difficult to do this effectively yourself. An experienced adviser is best placed to ask the

right questions and use appropriate tools to create a clear and objective risk profile for you. They can then recommend an appropriate blend of investments to match your specific profile.

Remember: without some element of risk, you may struggle to outpace inflation and could lose money, especially over the longer term. Explore your options for controlling risk, such as staggering the timing of investments to reduce exposure to market movements.

3. Identify your timeline Generally, the longer you have to invest, the more risk you can afford to take.

With time, you can ride out market volatility and benefit from compound returns.

Understanding your time horizon is also the key to ensuring your investments offer the right level of ‘liquidity’. You never know when your plans may change – for example, needing to return to the UK unexpectedly for family or health reasons – so make sure you hold some liquid assets that can be easily sold if you need to access your capital or change your strategy.

4. Diversify, diversify, diversify The higher your concentration in one particular investment type or area, the greater the risk. The best way to limit risk is diversification. By spreading out investments across asset classes, geographic regions and market sectors, you limit

your exposure to any one area. You can take diversification further by choosing an adviser who uses a ‘multi-manager’ approach to spread your investments out among several carefully-selected fund managers. This reduces your reliance on any one manager making the right decisions in all market conditions.

5. Don’t overlook tax planning To help maximise your real returns and protect your wealth for future generations, factor in tax planning when setting up your portfolio. Look for arrangements that can shelter capital from tax while providing a tax-efficient income, and that enable you to transfer wealth to your beneficiaries with minimal bureaucracy and inheritance taxes.

For expatriates, tax planning is complicated by having to work with the rules of more than one country. An adviser with cross-border expertise can ensure you meet your tax liabilities, in France and the UK, while taking advantage of available opportunities.

6. Regularly review your strategy Good financial planning is not a ‘set and forget’ exercise. Not only does everyone have their own unique set of circumstances, aims and requirements, these often change over time. This may be the result of moving into a different stage of life – approaching retirement, for example – or following a major event

like relocating or receiving an inheritance. Or you could simply change your mind about what you want to achieve.

External influences such as changes in the law or tax rules may also prompt a strategy rethink.

You should review your financial planning around once a year to keep it on track. But if anything significant happens that might affect the effectiveness or suitability of your portfolio, make sure you bring this forward. With today’s challenging and changeable climate, regular reviews are even more important to help control risk and encourage a positive effect on portfolio performance.

To bring all these guidelines together, take personalised, quality advice from a regulated, locally-based adviser. With the right strategy in place for your life in France, you can help protect and grow your wealth – in real terms – not only during your lifetime but for the next generations to enjoy. ■ All advice received from Blevins Franks is personalised and provided in writing.

This article, however, should not be construed as providing any personalised taxation or investment advice.

Keep up to date on the financial issues that may affect you on the Blevins Franks news page: www.blevinsfranks.com Tel: 05 53 63 49 19 Email: bergerac@blevinsfranks.com

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

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

Siret: 498 843 051 00018

Call Richard:

07 54 23 37 01

richardexcel@hotmail.co.uk

Neuvialle Menuiserie

Mike Christie 05 55 64 35 11 / 07 61 76 97 41 see main ad below

NEUVIALLE MENUISERIE JOINERY

no job too small - very competitive rates 30 Years’ Experience Joiner Kitchens, Bedrooms & Bathrooms Flooring & General 2nd Fix Finishing, Joinery & Decking Emergency Lock Services Mike Christie 05 55 64 35 11 (Home) 07 61 76 97 41 (Mobile) mgchristie2013@gmail.com

Siret: 802 265 728

■ Services ■ Brakes ■ MOT Prep

(contrôle technique)

Your advert here

Tel: 05 55 80 72 83 Mob: 06 33 07 29 72

DAVID CARDWELL PROFESSIONAL

Handholding & Language >> pg 19 Health & Beauty >> pg 19 Insurance & Finance >> pg 19 Pools & Spas >> pg 19 Property Sales & Maintenance >> pg 19-20 Retail & Commerce >> pg 20 Scrap & Clearance >> pg 20 Support & Counselling >> pg 20 Transport/Removals/Storage >> pg 20

Building Services Architects/Surveyors

Home renovations / Ground works Block works / Verandas, Abris & Terraces Barn doors & Shutters Also available: digger & driver Planning permission assistance and design available HNC and ONC qualified, 15 years experience & 7 in France Based near Lubersac (dept 19)

05 55 81 31 85

SIRET: 494 617 798 00017

€50 grants as part of government 'coupdepoucevelo' bike boost

SIRET: 878 836 170 00018

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

RING BILL!

Ferguson's Bicycle Repairs and Servicing All makes & models of cycles repaired & serviced incl. E-bikes Mobile service available, I can come to you

JUNCT 22 off A20, Arnac la Poste

sales@thebugle.eu 06 04 17 80 93

Animals & Pets >> pg 14 Auto & Bike Services >> pg 14 Building Services >> pg 14-17 Chimney Sweeps >> pg 17 Cleaning Services >> pg 17 Computers, TV & Satellite >> pg 18 Food & Drink >> pg 18 Garden Services >> pg 18 General >> pg 19 Gifts & Crafts >> pg 19

DIRECTORY ♦ 15

JANUARY 2021 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Building Services Carpenters/Joiners

CARPENTER AND BUILDER

QUALITY WORKMANSHIP SINCE 1986 €120 per day

40 years experience fully qualified fitting of kitchens, wardrobes, windows, doors, stairs, balconies, decking, etc.

Small general maintenance jobs.

Reasonable rates.

30km radius of Mérinchal (23420) Please contact Kevin:

Portfolio available to view at

Jeff Jones: 05 55 62 46 21 Mob: 06 38 25 74 62 email: jones23entreprise@orange.fr siret: 810 322 123 00011

Entreprise Maeva Qualified French Artisan / Carpenter

Specialist in woodwork, painting, window / door fitting as well as all maintenance, renovation & upkeep of your house and garden.

50km radius of Bénénvent-l'Abbaye (23210).

English spoken.

Call Aymerick (Rick):

07 69 34 75 02

Email: entreprisemaeva@gmail.com Siret: 831 957 691 00023

Your advert here 06 04 17 80 93 Carpenter All types Best Rates Available Immediately References available Call Mark:

06 45 82 34 03 Siret 798 692 778 00011

Will Fit For You:

•Stairs (can custom build) •Doors •Windows •Fitted Kitchens •Floors (wooden, laminate, etc.)

•Fitted Wardrobes & Cupboards Over 40 years experience

CALL: 06 80 58 06 08

Steven Rofe 28 Years' experience

A. Wright

see main ad - pg 10

See full list of works carried out on the website

06 25 94 44 63

yorkienboo@gmail.com

Carpenter & Joiner 06 35 12 10 66

Building Services Electricians & Plumbers Maurice Baynes

PLUMBING & HEATING

Domestic and commercial Bathroom design and installation Heating systems Tiling and full fit out Fully Insured All areas covered mauricepbaynes@gmail.com

Tel: 07 87 01 70 30 siret: 887 841 088 00016

www.roferenovation.com Siret No. 501.792.386.00010

Tel: 05 55 64 94 20 Mob: 07 86 38 09 61 * Qualified electrician * All types of electrical works carried out * Free estimates * Fault finding * Consuel certification arranged * Temporary and permanent EDF supplies arranged * Departments 23 and 87

Pink Electrique

Ruth & Geoff Kowalczyk Project management. All electrical work, home automation & security. Please see our website for more information. French qualified and insured.

30+ years worldwide experience.

Departments covered: 23, 36, 87.

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

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

LVL

Les Vidanges Limousines ▪ Emptying septic tanks ▪ Unblocking pipes ▪ Cleaning wells ▪ Group rates available between neighbours Call David - 24/24 7/7

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

Fosse Septique 23

05 55 62 63 82

Steve. JOHNS. SARL

Electrician/Plumber see main ad below

Fosse Septique Specialists

INSTALLATION23

Planning permission arranged Design and installation Supply and servicing DIY and trade kits Free site visit and devis

(bathrooms, kitchens, etc.)

05.55.64.11.73 06.70.47.52.96

Qualified & specialising in: • Electricity • Plumbing • Small renovations

Fully registered & insured English & Dutch spoken Based in the east of Creuse Call or email Rob: E: installation23@gmail.com

M: 06 40 56 96 12 Siret: 753 054 030 00014

siret: 824 706 444 00018

Building Services General La Noneix

Construction

électricité Keith SLOPER

Building Services Fosses Septiques

Carlos

SALAMANDRE

No Siret: 494 916 760 00015

SKILLED JOINER

Lumiere Service et Energie • UK NICEIC approved Electrician • Rewiring • External & garden lighting • All aspects of electrical works • Fully insured - (10 year Decennale) • Satellite Installation • Departments covered 87, 23 & 19 05.55.69.75.67 / 06.89.47.69.71 email: rofesteven@yahoo.co.uk

Siret No. 885 154 948 00016

www.jonesentreprise.com

Siret: 492 869 649 00029

KD Creative Carpentry & General Maintenance

& Property Services

Entreprise Electricité Générale All aspects of electrical works undertaken Departments 36, 23 and 87 UK / French Satellite and TV Aerial installations

06 16 91 64 67

contact@reactive-resource.com www.reactive-resource.com Siren: 808 481 170

Your advert here 06 04 17 80 93

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

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

Large or small projects undertaken - please view our website.

Contact: Paul or Joanne Rands

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

Stephen Cullinane & Son From the foundations to the roof Established 13 years in France 05 55 81 00 53 - see pg 12

Aquatiris

Ecological Septic Tanks www.aquatiris.fr 06 95 09 13 71 - pg 3

Max Huggett

Experienced and fully registered builder with 10 year Décennale Insurance Offering a broad selection of building services in depts. 87, 19 & 23.

From one off installations to complete renovations, construction, decorating, landscaping and ground works.

E: info@maxhuggett.com

T: 05 55 69 37 64 M: 06 86 62 59 37

www.maxhuggett.com

English & French spoken - Siret: 518 511 340 00011

SVH CONSTRUCTION

All building work undertaken No job too small City & Guilds and NVQ Qualified tradesman Over 35 years experience in the construction industry Based in dept. 23

Mob: 07 85 51 42 66 Tel: 05 55 83 04 11

stevehow101@googlemail.com Siret: 848 602 934 00012

Davis & Davis

35 years' Experience in Construction, Renovation & Project Management Quality Workmanship Guaranteed Internal/ External Developments Barn conversions, loft conversions, new-build, drylining, plastering, rendering, spray rendering, tiling, installation of kitchens/ bathrooms, painting, carpentry, replacement doors & windows, velux installation, groundworks, landscaping, decking & much more...

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

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

Based near Limoges - Covering depts 87, 23 & 19 Siret: 498 203 652 00017

POINTING FOR ALL YOUR REPOINTING WORK

Email: repointfr@icloud.com Tel: 04 73 52 14 43

CONTINUED NEXT PAGE...

To advertise in The Bugle Business Directory, call 06 04 17 80 93 ELECTRICIAN/PLUMBER FROM SMALL REPAIRS TO COMPLETE INSTALLATIONS BOILER SERVICING OVER 35 YEARS EXPERIENCE FULLY INSURED - BASED DEPT 23 lorrainemquintana@gmail.com

05 55 62 63 82

siret: 829 638 741 00019

16 ♦ DIRECTORY

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JANUARY 2021

ADVERTORIAL

HAPPY NEW YEAR from all the team at Blacktower Rosemary Sheppard, International Financial Adviser

A

s I am writing this article we are almost at the end of 2020 and the end of the UK Brexit transition period, with a ‘no deal’ scenario looming. The effects of this will continue to be far reaching and coupled with the Covid-19 pandemic this has been an “annus horribilis” if ever there was one.

On a positive note there are plenty of expats who are now celebrating gaining their permanent residency through

the new Carte de Sejour system. Something that has, thankfully, been simpler than many people feared.

Looking forward to the New Year there may be many further trials and tribulations to face as we see the real implementation of Brexit and its consequences.

In my article for the start of 2020 I wrote that there was a long road ahead in respect of Brexit and it was not a good time to bury your head in the sand, especially where your finances are concerned. More than ever I stand by this!

In the last few weeks of 2020 we received many panicked enquiries from clients, new and old, in respect of the lack of provision made for the Financial Services once the UK has left the EU and this has caused some serious

issues for expats, from having your credit cards or bank accounts closed to having investment portfolios closed down, causing capital gains issues, and pension companies informing their members that they can no longer pay into a foreign bank account.

Add to this the UK IFAs that have waited to the last minute to inform clients that they will no longer be able to continue advising them from 1st January 2021, leaving them with no-one to actively manage their pensions and savings.

This can all seem very overwhelming, but actually, unlike the issues of Brexit, Covid-19 and geopolitical issues, such as US elections, your finances are something that really ARE in your hands.

At Blacktower, we don’t

just approach your finances as a single aim of transferring your pensions or investments, but take the time to look at your situation as a whole.

Where are you now? What are your goals for the future? How can you plan ahead to achieve this and what actions do you need to take now in order to implement those plans? And, of course, how do we keep all this as tax-efficient as possible?

I know it’s not the most interesting subject in the world and one that we generally hate to talk about, but use this new year to regroup and take advantage of the expertise we can offer to ensure that your life in France is really sustainable as we enter a world as non-Europeans!

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: R o s e m a r y. s h e p p a r d @ blacktowerfm.com, visit our website www.blacktowerfm. com or call me on 06 38 86 99 70. Blacktower Financial Management has over 32 years’ experience helping expats to make sure that their money works for them.

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.

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 sales@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%)

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

30 words max

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.

To advertise in The Bugle Business Directory, call 06 04 17 80 93 Les petits jardiniers du Limousin

We are a gardening association based in the Mairie at St. Amand le Petit, between Eymoutiers and Peyrat le Château. We hold monthly meetings, normally on the third Thursday of the month, starting at 2:30 pm.

Meetings are held in English, but we can also present topics in French. We have lots of different nationalities amongst our members. Our aim is to provide and promote opportunities for people to develop their interest and knowledge in horticulture and gardening and related topics in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

In-house workshop meetings, external speakers and visits are on our agenda.

During Covid-19, in common with other Associations, we have not been able to have meetings and have kept in touch with members and friends via our Facebook page, Les petites jardiniers du Limousin where people post photos of their garden, ask questions and share information. We can all keep in contact on a casual, friendly basis. We are looking forward to starting meetings again respecting all Covid-19 regulations and look forward to seeing old friends as well as new faces at the meetings.

The provisional 2021 agenda for future meetings is as follows, subject to no restrictions being in place. Meetings will only re-commence as soon as it is safely possible.

Jan 21st - Presentation: 'Plant name origins' Jul 15th - Presentation: 'Edible plants & flowers' Feb - No meeting Aug 19th - tba Mar 18th - Presentation: 'All about Grafting' Sep 16th - Annual Show th Apr 15 - Garden visit and presentation Oct 21st - AGM + presentation: 'Mushrooms' th May 20 - Visit to Jardin botanique, Limoges Nov 18th - Workshop: 'Diverse ways of seed prep' Jun 17th - Visit to Custos Apium Dec 9th - Christmas party Members and supporters of our Association will receive emails about forthcoming meetings. If you would like to be on our mailing list then please email me with your name and email address. I will add you to the list and you will receive all future notifications. Meanwhile take care, happy gardening and hope to see you soon.

For any further information contact Carolyn at pjlimousin@gmail.com

WHAT'S ON CLUBS, CHARITIES & ASSOCIATIONS As a result of the current restrictions, many of the meetings and events featured in our What's On and Clubs, Charities & Associations sections have had to be cancelled or postponed.

The situation is changing very quickly, so we have removed these listings from the newspaper for the time being.

We will, however, continue to update our website with any new information, so please do check back regularly to keep up to date

www.thebugle.eu/associations.php www.thebugle.eu/whats_on.php

DIRECTORY ♦ 17

JANUARY 2021 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Building Services General WASTE REMOVAL SERVICES

• house/barn clearance (pre sale / post sale) • garden/land clearance • dechetterie runs • rubbish removal Specialist equipment available: • tractor with flail mower, rotavator, etc.

• vehicle with 1.5 tonne crane

05 55 37 45 35

wasteremovalmultiservices@gmail.com www.facebook.com/willwhiting87/ siret 532 981 198 00015

A Horrocks & Son Building and restoration work

06 26 97 28 54 see main ad below

CORE CUT 87 Precision diamond drilling and sawing Stone and reinforced concrete Small and large diameter holes Any wall thickness If you need a hole, we can drill it

Call: 07 78 40 93 83 Email: corecut87@outlook.com Siret: 829 857 184 00016

Entreprise Hines

Building & Renovation ● Roofing - New & Repairs ● Masonry ● Plastering ● Dry Lining ● Sand Blasting ● Scaffold Hire ● ... and much, much more

40 years qualified experience

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

Your advert here 06 04 17 80 93 Richard Jones, B.A. Cert'Ed

Professional Project Management Services Save up to 30% on your Renovation All building and renovations undertaken Man & Digger Department 23 & Surrounding Areas

07 54 23 37 01

richardexcel@hotmail.co.uk

The Reclamation Yard Confolens

05 45 30 72 04

semm main ad - pg 11

STEVE'S PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

Your advert here

Roofing, Building, Renovations, Plastering & stud walls, ... and more!

Fully insured. e: lowe.steven@orange.fr

06 04 17 80 93

t: 05 55 50 52 02 m: 07 66 52 33 47

05 55 98 24 12

siret: 842 233 108 00013

HANDYMAN/DIY Can I help you with those jobs you don't want to do?

• Painting/Decorating • Labouring • Pressure Washing • General DIY No job too small, just give me a call!!

All areas covered - Based nr Aubusson (23)

05 55 83 02 77 / 06 30 90 58 90 jonathanpiddock@orange.fr Siret: 523 955 151 00015

Paul Jones Renovation

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

Tel: 05 55 69 28 12 Mob: 06 73 18 63 47 Email: pauljones@orange.fr www.pauljonesrenovation.com

Dave Cardwell - Builder See our Display Ad pg 12

Building Services Groundworks RSW Entreprises

Fosse Septiques/Micro stations

05.55.80.00.57

See our Display Ad - pg 8

S.M.C SERVICES

Excavator with Driver 0044 (0)7831 121 019 see main ad - pg 4

Mini-Digger with driver

05.55.53.03.56

john.bonella@gmail.com See Main Ad pg 14

A. Wright

Your advert here

see main ad - pg 10

06 04 17 80 93

siret no: 495 067 829 00020

Carpenter & Joiner 06 35 12 10 66

Masonry & More

General building Renovation , Roofing Reliable, good quality work 30 years exp Scaffold Hire Martin Sprague

05 55 61 93 07

martin_sprague_1@ hotmail.com SIRET: 531 768 182 00010

Harlequin Developments est. 2007

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

Kitchens fitted and tiled Replacement doors and windows Parquet flooring Oak framed porches Plasterboard and Insulation

05.55.68.67.56 06.06.60.46.97

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

Building Services Lifts & Scaffolding

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

06 34 24 64 11

or find us on Facebook: @angloscaffolding

Email: akbrunnstrom@yahoo.co.uk SIRET: 799 067 939 00014

Cherry Picker Services

14.5 metres on a van lasout@live.com

Tel: 09 66 03 52 89 Call for a quote

Building Services Painters/Decorators Nicholas Collyer All aspects of Interior and Exterior decorating 30+ years' experience Spraying service available for large areas Small tractor service cutting & clearance

T: 09 88 19 14 05 M: +44 (0)7885 694 313 collyer23360@gmail.com

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

06 04 17 80 93 Chimney Sweeps

siret: 883 596 157 00015

Building Services Plasterers CHRIS

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

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

www.stovesellers.com

05 55 63 78 72 Siren: 502 409 949

CALL FOR A FREE QUOTATION

05 55 63 53 06 06 23 29 48 19 christopher.willis@orange.fr Le Bourg, 23360 Nouzerolles SIRET: 504 612 441 00015

Experienced, Registered & Fully Insured No mess, no fuss Email: cinderssweep@gmail.com

T: 07 68 76 39 99 siret: 484 768 700 00029

Able Plastering

La Petite Ramoneur

All internal and external works covered Plastering (English and French plaster) Rendering Concreting Floor Screeding Stud Partitioning Lime Mortar Pointing

Established since 1986

French registered plasterer with over 30 years’ experience

Tel: 05 55 62 12 39 Mobile: 06 06 41 10 30 Siret: 527 906 614 00013

THE LADY SWEEP Brush & Vacuum

All types of chimney Fully Insured Call Ruth Langston

02 54 31 48 50 06 25 61 84 95 (SMS only) siret 504 218 454 00016

sales@thebugle.eu 06 04 17 80 93

Cleaning Services

Building Services Roofing

Impeccable Cleaning Services

MUMFORD TOITURE Roofing & Plastering/ Plasterboarding Service

25+ years roofing experience All aspects of roofing, large or small 15+ years experience plastering/boarding Fully registered and insured Trading in France since 2007 Call Mark for a free quotation

05 55 44 71 44 / 06 78 60 96 16 mumford.toiture@gmail.com Siret No. 493 159 412 00011

Cleaning service for your home, gîtes, small office, etc.

Regular hours or one-time cleans.

Reliable and trustworthy.

30km radius of Mérinchal (23420) Please contact Deborah:

06 25 94 44 63 yorkienboo@gmail.com Siret No. 884 983 040 00012

CONTINUED NEXT PAGE...

18 ♦ DIRECTORY

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JANUARY 2021

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-

Computers, TV & Satellite

GOODWIN SATELLITE

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

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

L'homme de l'ecosse Web Design / eCommerce / hosting

06 37 82 56 67 / 05 55 60 62 36 see main ad - pg 8

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

Call Patrice:

06.79.07.91.56

Tel: 05 55 62 05 61 Mob: 06 52 38 67 65

libre.antenne87@gmail.com Fast dependable service

siret: 453 067 910 00019

siret: 353 613 227 00035

Email: garygoodwin121@gmail.com

Weblova

logo / branding / web design / social media

www.weblova.com see main ad - pg 4

Based Séreilhac (87)

Your advert here 06 04 17 80 93 Food & Drink

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.

26, Ecurat 23150

Le Restaurant Ecurat

Open Wed, Thu & Fri New fast food menu Lunchtime 'menu ouvrier' 11am-2pm & 7pm-9.30pm Fish & chips and Curry nights, Salon de Thé and Diner le soir * Reservation in advance please *

Try Something Different

Chez Jacques

sales@thebugle.eu

Marsac (23) • Cosy atmosphere • Speciality Crêpes • Large burger menu • Around 115 single malt whiskies • Selection of bottled British ales • Book corner, pool table • "Mouclade" nights • Curry nights

06 04 17 80 93

closed Wednesdays

05 87 40 02 83

Your advert here 06 04 17 80 93

For more information:

tel: 05 55 81 31 85

email: ecurat123@hotmail.com 2km from Chénérailles and the Chateau Villemonteix.

British Market Stall facebook.com/britishmarketstall +33 (0)6 79 23 57 09 +33 (0)7 69 14 49 73 see main ad - pg 6

Garden Services DMS gardening & cleaning services

Le Creusois

Now taking on new clients for 2020 for all your cleaning and gardening needs, including changeovers and key holding.

Reliable, trustworthy and experienced.

Areas 16/87/86/24 covered

Les Genêts, Azerables

06 42 14 26 56

Bar/Restaurant

High quality British & French food at reasonable prices.

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

05.55.63.90.79

www.lecreusoisbistro.com SIREN: 483 988 853

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

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

Thé Bonbons Cadeaux

janinedisney@aol.com siret: 827 791 054 00014

sales@thebugle.eu 06 04 17 80 93 Purple Solutions Garden Maintenance

Maintenance gardener Stephen Grendon

Need some advice?

Too much like hard-work?

30 years of experience

TEL: 06 72 11 62 15 stengrendon1@gmail.com Based in St-Julien-le-Petit (87460), covering St. Léonard, Peyrat, Eymoutiers, Bujaleuf. siret: 839 102 415 00016

Team Jardin www.teamjardin.fr

Reliable, professional and friendly garden services.

Garden Maintenance. Land Clearance.

Garden Construction.

Bespoke long-term maintenance plans.

Tel: 05 55 37 18 03 Mob: 06 33 66 17 45 e-mail: darren@teamjardin.fr Siret No. 752 549 907 00018

Entreprise Maeva

Garden Maintenance

Strimming, hedge cutting, lawn mowing, general upkeep.

Daily rates and/or monthly contracts.

40 km radius - Bénévent-l'Abbaye (23210)

07 69 34 75 02

entreprisemaeva@gmail.com Siret: 831 957 691 00023

06 72 87 87 14 see main ad - pg 11

sales@thebugle.eu 06 04 17 80 93

Mandys-curry-2-go

‘Chou Chou’

GARDEN SERVICES

Magnat-l’Etrange, Creuse (23)

Paul Brown

For menus and venues:

RHS qualified horticulturalists

Grass Cutting Strimming General Maintenance Based La Souterraine (23)

7 ave Jules Courivaud, Magnac-Laval Tearoom / Gifts / Clothes 06 72 38 82 20 - See main ad, pg 8

Mobile Curry Take Away

www.mandyscurry2go.com Follow us on facebook e : mandyscurry2go@gmail.com

m : 07 70 39 12 23

Home delivery possible - see website siret: 498 199 306 00016

Clearance, weeding, pruning, topiary, planting, maintenance, design.

Day or half day rates.

Excellent references. All work by hand.

Mob: +44 (0)7979 745 861 chouchouhorticulture@hotmail.com

Tel: 05 55 89 57 40 brownpaul006@gmail.com

siret: 877 702 696 00015

Siret: 483 059 242 00030

To advertise in The Bugle Business Directory, call 06 04 17 80 93 or email sales@thebugle.eu

DIRECTORY ♦ 19

JANUARY 2021 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

General

MR PIANO MAN

Your advert here

05 45 21 16 13

06 04 17 80 93

Piano Tuning and Repairs see main ad - pg 8

sales@thebugle.eu 06 04 17 80 93

Jenny Homer BA Hons, PGCE

Online French Tuition

Qualified Teacher of French, formerly teaching in my classroom, but now online!

Come out of Covid with confident French

Chez Boutique

Formerly La Petite Place

05.55.60.08.46

See our Display Ad - pg 8

Naturalis Pools

I offer weekly, small, group lessons online, at levels to suit your needs.

My priority is on speaking and understanding French in daily life.

Get in touch asap to ensure your place in a class suited to your ability.

Stuck for the perfect Christmas gift for you, your friend or family - Gift vouchers now available for online classes (from 15€)

www.naturalispools.com

06 31 17 25 60 see main ad - pg 10

Limousin Spas

The region's leading distributor of Spas, Swim spas, Saunas & Hot tubs

Email: homer.jennifer@gmail.com

New for 2020

https://homerjennifer.wixsite.com/website siret: 490 323 243 00025

Sophie Arsac

Gifts & Crafts

French lessons & handholding services 06 61 56 47 17 - pg 13

sales@thebugle.eu 06 04 17 80 93 Handholding & Language Services

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

Managing Editor: Steve Martindale Editor-in-Chief: Steve Martindale Registered Address: 19, route de Champagnac

17500 MEUX SIRET: 514 989 748 00025 Printed by: Charente Libre, Z.I. No3

16340, L’Isle d’Espagnac Monthly circulation: 10,000 copies All copyright, unless stated otherwise, is reserved to The Bugle.

Reproduction in whole or part of any text without permission is prohibited. Dépôt légal à parution.

Insurance & Finance

*Platinum Spas* *Superior Spas* *BeSpa* * California Spas* *Superior Saunas* *Baltic Hot tubs* *Baltic Saunas*

Blacktower Financial Managment Group Rosemary Sheppard 06 38 86 99 70 - pg 2

The Spectrum IFA Group

Tony Farrell

International Financial Adviser

05 55 89 57 94 - see pg 8

Blevins Franks International tax and wealth

06 04 17 80 93

www.blevinsfranks.com

Health & Beauty Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

We are pleased to announce our new range of over 80 Spas, Swim spas, Hot tubs & Saunas from top European and U.S. manufacturers.

sales@thebugle.eu

sales@thebugle.eu 06 04 17 80 93

management advisers

See our main ad - pg 13

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

Mobile hairdresser

sales@thebugle.eu

Call Teddy:

06 04 17 80 93

Covering all of La Creuse!

06 15 78 18 04- pg 6

Directeur: Steve Martindale Rédacteur-en-chef: Steve Martindale Siège: 19, route de Champagnac

17500 MEUX SIRET: 514 989 748 00025 Imprimé par: Charente Libre, Z.I. No3

16340, L’Isle d’Espagnac Tirage mensuel: 10,000 exemplaires Tous droits réservés. Toute reproduction, totale ou partielle, des articles et illustrations du présent numéro est strictement interdite.

Dépôt légal à parution.

Pools & Spas

Prices from €2,200 www.limousin-spas.com enquiries@limousin-spas.com Tel: 05 55 63 26 20 Siret: 752 157 610 00011

Property Sales & Maintenance

All Property Diagnostics for Sales/Rentals Energy Performance (DPE), Asbestos, Lead, Electricity, Gas, Termites, Risks/Pollution, Measurements Fluent English speaking.

Technical comments and advice possible Contact : 06 28 94 24 00 or philippe.andre@diagamter.com See our references on:

www.diagamter.com

CONTINUED NEXT PAGE...

Calypso

Ce mensuel a été imprimé sur des papiers produits en France, Espagne, certifiés PEFC 100% FCBA/18-01705.

Taux de fibres recyclées 100%. Emissions GES : 63 gr CO2 eq/ex (données 2019).

The Bugle cannot accept responsibility for the claims of advertisers or their professionalism. We strongly advise readers to verify that the company you are dealing with is a registered trading company in France or elsewhere in the world.

This lovely little old man is called Calypso and has been at the refuge now for 3 years.

He is 12 years old and deaf, but that does not stop him from living life to the full and he still really enjoys his walks and playing with the ball.

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

He is to his credit still house trained, loves his comfy bed and is not destructive. Okay, he can be a little quirky sometimes, that comes with old age and he would definitely have to be an only dog with no cats, but with the right person, showing him love and kindness, this little dog will blossom and prove to be a loyal companion.

He really doesn't ask for much, just a small space in front of a warm fire where he can spend the rest of his days dreaming of nice things.

If you think you you can help Calypso then please contact: SPA de Creuse (Guéret), 21 Le Clocher, 23000 Saint-Sulpice-le Guérétois www.spa-creuse.com - email: spa.gueret@orange.fr

20 ♦ DIRECTORY

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JANUARY 2021

Beaux Villages Immobilier

Creuse Property Care

Retail & Commerce

Carrefour du Bois Limousin

www.beauxvillages.com

www.chauffagebois-limousin.com 05 55 63 72 45 - see ad pg 12

Freephone: 08 05 69 23 23 see main ad - pg 5

Caring for your home in France when you can’t be there

Garden & Pool Maintenance General Maintenance & Small Renovation work including plasterboarding, tiling, painting, etc.

Changeovers/House Cleaning Ad-hoc Assistance References available Contact Mark or Trudy...

T: 05 55 67 90 47 / P: 06 40 75 74 47 E: marktrudy0506@gmail.com W: www.creusepropertycare.com Siret: 479 965 758 00028

Houses on Internet www.housesoninternet.com

+31 (0)6 41 20 73 69

See our Display Ad - pg 3

Cendrillon 06 83 66 83 09

www.marcdeschamps.com see main ad - pg 8

Leggett

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE YOU CAN TRUST see main ad - pg 3

'Gite and Tidy'

Set in Stone

Hand made garden ornaments

https://set-in-stones.weebly.com/

05 55 64 55 70 - see ad pg 6

sales@thebugle.eu 06 04 17 80 93

sales@thebugle.eu

06 04 17 80 93

Très Jolie

Scrap & Clearance

Ladies fashion accessories 05 55 53 03 56 / 06 04 08 29 53 see main ad pg 11 26, Ecurat 23150

Atelier d'Art du Jardin

Artisan art for your garden

Cash paid for scrap

All Limousin covered Anything considered Any quantity

Tel: 05 55 37 45 35 Mob: 06 74 21 47 71 www.facebook.com/willwhiting87/ siret 532 981 198 00015

2km from Chénérailles and the Chateau Villemonteix

Property management

tel: 05 55 81 31 85

All properties looked after, main residences, holiday homes & gîtes.

Changeovers, cleaning, tidy ups, maintenance, gardening, swimming pools, etc.

Single or regular visits.

Fully insured.

Oradour-sur-Vayres (87150).

References available.

email: ecurat123@hotmail.com

www.giteandtidy.com 09 82 12 69 73 (Home) 06 06 40 81 07 (Portable)

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

Stove Sellers www.stovesellers.com 05.55.63.78.72

See our Display Ad - pg 4

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

OLD'S HEIGHT

inc. Junque and Disorderly

Antiquités agricoles I will buy just about anything in your barn: agricultural machinery, cars,motorbikes, lorries, pushbikes, old wrought ironwork, oil cans, signs, timberwork and doors... in fact, anything!! Just think... that rubbish could earn you cash!!

Support & Counselling COUNSELLING

& PSYCHOTHERAPY

Lesley Kidd MSc & Martin Simpson MSc • Meet in person & online • 8 week MBSR courses • Individuals & Couples • Borders 87/19/23 (87130) www.bienetretherapy.com lesleykidd@hotmail.co.uk simpson.mj@hotmail.co.uk

SIREN: 818 604 654

Property Sales & Maintenance

Communicology Consultancy For Speech, Language, Voice, Stammering Needs (adults & children) Confident Communication - Specialist coaching for anxious communicators Advice/ Guidance Coaching/ Programmes Workshops Mindfulness/ Relaxation Support following Stroke/ Parkinsons Online & Home Visits Contact Ruth: E: communicology@mail.com M: 06 66 46 32 43 W: communicology.co.uk W: speechtherapyconsultancy.com

Transport, Removals & Storage

Man & Van Transport

Genuine/Reliable/Honest Local + Europe + UK runs House/Barn clearances!

15m3 capacity 4m load length English & French Spoken

Central France Storage

www.centralfrancestorage.com Dry, safe & secure storage Brexit Busting Prices!!

Vehicle storage options We also do internal moves!

14.5m cherry picker available

Tel: 09 66 03 52 89 Email: lasout@live.com siret: 494 123 847 00019

Franklins Removals 0044 121 353 7263

www.franklinsremovals.co.uk see main ad - pg 4

Transition Removals (+33) 05 55 34 19 46

www.transitionremovals.net see main ad - pg 6

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 Find us on Facebook: @smartmovesukfrance Please CALL or EMAIL Stephen

smartmovers@hotmail.co.uk

+44 (0)7966 287 430

www.smartmovesremovals.com

Watson European International Removals

www.watsoneuropean.co.uk see main ad - pg 5

05 44 20 21 77 06 06 40 81 07

Buggs Car Hire

in rust we trust

www.frenchvanman.eu

www.buggscarhire.com

siret: 511 127 763 00015

Siret 530 213 644 00012

CALL: 0633 847 699

87150 Oradour-sur-Vayres

Bergerac & Limoges Airports

see main ad - pg 9

Latest news throughout the month: www.thebugle.eu Cancer Support Haute-Vienne

affiliated to

Your local Association supporting English speakers touched by cancer in departments 87, 23, 19 & 36

HELPLINE 0800 240 200 www.cshautevienne.org

CANCER SUPPORT FRANCE Charente Plus Free confidential support for Englishspeaking people touched by cancer Volunteers & Active Listeners needed (full training will be given) If you are interested please email: bloomdenis@outlook.com

CSF 24 HOUR HELPLINE - 0800 24 02 00 email: csfcharenteplus@gmail.com

Facebook : Cancer Support France - Charente-Plus

STAY HOME STAY SAFE

CHARITY SHOP

Do please come in and visit us.

We are located at: 3 rue Nationale, 16150 Chabanais (entrance opposite the mairie, directly behind Petticoat Lane – we are on the first floor upstairs)

OPENING HOURS: Tuesday & Wednesday 10 am – 4 pm Sorry – no books or electrical goods