The Bugle Dordogne - Jul 2014

Millions owed delayed flight compensation Following a landmark ruling, millions of passengers could now be due compensation for flights that were originally delayed due to “technical faults” with the plane.

>> Page 6

Dordogne July 2014 - Issue #13

Passport extensions amid huge backlog Following the closure of its overseas processing centres, the Passport Office is struggling to cope with demand. In response, it has been announced that British expats can apply for a free 1-year extension to their existing passports.

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here was good news for expats earlier this year when it was announced that the cost of applying for a passport from abroad would be cut by 35%. Now, however, it appears that you get what you pay for. After closing the passport processing centres at British consulates around the world - including the one in Paris - the Passport Office in London is struggling to cope with the increase in applications.

After receiving 300,000 more requests than usual this year - a large number of which are now coming in from overseas - the government has admitted that it is collapsing under the weight of applications, with delays destroying thousands of families’ travel plans. The Telegraph has reported that the Foreign Office

warned MPs as early as January this year that the closure of overseas Passport Offices would lead to delays in processing. The Passport Office has now admitted that checks on passport applications from overseas take “significantly longer” than those sent from within the UK. The situation has become so bad that home secretary Theresa May announced during an emergency Commons statement that Britons living in France, whose passports are about to run out, will receive automatic one-year extensions.

She also said that parents applying from overseas for passports for their children would be issued with emergency travel documents, although they will still have to provide “comprehensive proof” they are the parents.

>> continued on page 9

INSIDE > > > NEWS - Operation tranquillité vacances

The scheme run by the Police and Gendarmerie that looks after your house while it is empty in the summer months >> Page 5

NEWS - “Miracle” cure for British expat

An expat builder has been given a new lease of life thanks to pioneering surgery at Limoges hospital to cure his uncontrollable shaking >> Page 4

NEWS - Major healthcare shake-up unveiled

The government has announced that it may soon no longer be necessary to pay up front to visit your GP >> Page 9

The Bugle Business Directory

Cycling fans will be hoping to see Chris Froome pass through the Dordogne in July wearing the Yellow Jersey >> Page 12

Develop a habit that saves you money!

4 pages of listings for local English-speaking businesses - your essential guide to finding just what you’re looking for >> Pages 17-20

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2 ♦ IN THIS EDITION

Welcome to

The Bugle

F

rance has a bit of a reputation for liking a good strike and, to be fair, it is a reputation that has probably been earned over the years.

I read an awful lot of local and national press in sourcing the news stories for The Bugle and there are literally dozens and dozens of strikes and protests each month – the sheer number of them is overwhelming. I will be honest and say I rarely read much further once I have seen the word “grève” under a picture of a few dozen people waving a flag outside a town hall.

I was born in the late seventies and so by the time I was taking an interest in national politics, Thatcher had well and truly taken the sting out of the tail of Britain's once-powerful unions and I did not grow up in a culture of striking.

One small advantage of living in a rural part of France is that the fairly regular strikes do not always affect you as much as they might were you living in a city doing the nine to five.

One protest that did affect me recently, however, was the rail strike - and it also threw up an

interesting social observation, but I will get to that later. My mother-in-law will not thank me for saying this, but she recently turned soixante-dix and by way of a birthday present, my wife arranged a quick trip up to Paris for a spot of retail therapy... they boosted the retail industry and I am now in therapy after checking my bank statements!

The strike had begun a few days prior to their planned trip and for a while we thought that they would have to cancel. Fortunately, a few trains a day were making it to Paris and they did manage to catch a very early train from Limoges.

By all accounts they had the train to themselves and all was well that ended well.

The problem started when it came time to return and it became clear why the train journey up had been so relaxed and spacious. No one was heading to Paris during a national rail strike... but plenty of people were stuck in Paris trying to get home!! Obvious I guess when you think about it! As it happened, the one train that was leaving Paris Austerlitz for the return journey was the one my wife was booked on, so in theory

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JULY 2014 they had reservations. In reality, there were hundreds and hundreds of people desperate to get on that train, not wanting to spend another night in the capital. They called those with reservations forward first, but the crowds did not seem interested.

At this point, as my wife recounted when she finally got home, all sense of chivalry and common decency went out the window. It was literally a case of every man (and woman) for themself. I should point out that my wife is visibly pregnant and I am going to refrain from repeating her mother's age, but suffice it to say that the pregnant woman accompanied by the OAP were being pushed and shoved out of the way as people literally fought to get onboard. Three young children were in tears as their mother tried desperately to corral their small group through the angry throng – no one stopped to help or hold the crowd back. It was apparently a very scary situation.

Even once on the train, my wife was shocked to see two young men eject two women from their seats, claiming they had reserved them, despite the fact that the tannoy had long since announced that reservations had been abandoned and it was open seating - they just wanted to sit down and didn't care who had to stand in their place.

The usual tactics were being employed: earphones in, avoid eye contact, feign sleep... all whilst elderly passengers stood in the aisles for the 3-hour journey.

My wife and her mother scooched over to allow a third woman to share their two seats, while the two

men sitting opposite pretended not to notice.

If you had asked me before I heard this story what I would do in such a situation, I wouldn't have hesitated to say that I would find someone who needed a seat more than me. I would still like to think that, but now I am not so sure. I am just an average person, so would I have behaved like everybody else seemed to be doing on that train?

I very much hope not. I'm not for one second suggesting that this is a “French” thing by the way – I think this would also have happened in the UK. It certainly is strange to see how the fabric of society quickly falls apart once “self preservation” comes to the fore and it was sad to hear my wife's story. Are the stories of old of “women and children first” just misty-eyed nostalgia? Let's hope not!

Until next month!

Steve Martindale, Editor

INSIDE this edition 3-5 Local News 6-11 National News 12 Sport 13 Community 14 French Life 15 Practical 16 Bilingual 17-20 Directory 21-24 What's On

CONTACT us Tel: 05.55.41.17.76 General: editor@thebugle.eu Advertising (EN): sales24@thebugle.eu Publicité (FR): publicite@thebugle.eu Subscriptions: subscriptions24@thebugle.eu Editor: Steve Martindale Write to: The Bugle Les Quatre Chemins 23150 St-Yrieix-les-Bois France

LOCAL NEWS ♦ 3

JULY 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Sunday trading for Périgueux businesses © 2009 - Gilbertus (WikiCommons)

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he mayor of Périgueux has announced plans to allow Sunday trading in the capital of the Dordogne during the summer months as well as at Christmas. In reality this means until 30th September and from 25th November to 30th December.

“The move will help boost the local economy,” explained deputy mayor Bruno Dunoyer. “We want a city that is more attractive to tourists that do not currently stop in Périgueux.”

There has been much debate in recent years over France’s strict laws on Sunday trading. Several large retail companies have tried to take on the government by opening seven days a week, but there has so far been no change in legislation. France’s powerful unions are for the most part resisting attempts to change the law, insisting that there would be no economic benefits to Sunday trading, but that workers’ rights would be affected.

Some businesses are permitted to open on a Sunday, but there are strict rules in place. The commerce must be smaller than a certain size and must make more than 50% of its profits from food. One business which recently challenged this ruling in 2013 was Monoprix in central Périgueux, which began open “illegally” on Sundays.

“There is a demand and customers are waiting for this,” said Marie Copens who runs a newsagents in the town.

“When Monoprix first opened on a Sunday, people were delighted! The tourist season is coming and it would be great to see these shops open and show that there is also life here on Sundays.”

Despite the law, there are dispensations available for tourist areas designated “ville touristique” and it is under this banner that local authorities in Périgueux may finally be able to authorise businesses to trade on Sundays via an arrêté municipal, a move that had previously been resisted. “We can not on the one hand advocate the revitalisation of city centre businesses and then refuse to make an arrêté which would allow those businesses to open on Sunday,” said one local politician last year as the Monoprix debate raged.

With the Tour de France arriving this month, local authorities are keen to build upon the inevitable attention that will be focused on local towns, Périgueux in particular and present the department in its best possible light. ■

Novel waste disposal scheme

I

t is a scheme that has proved popular elsewhere in France and now it is coming to the Dordogne - chicken recycling! Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean making plastic bottles out of chickens, but rather using chickens to recycle household waste.

The initiative, which is being organised by the Syndicat départemental des déchets (SMD3), is being trialled in Neuvic and Saint-Astier, with a view to it being rolled out across the rest of the Dordogne in the near future, possibly as early as next year.

Going one further than Henri IV’s promise to his people of putting “a chicken in every pot”, the SMD3 will be distributing 2 free chickens to those who sign up to the scheme, although they are hoping the poultry will stay out of the oven!

As well as the chickens, participants will also receive their first sack of grain, a basic hen house and a guide on how to

properly look after their new waste disposal units.

A single chicken can consume up to 150kg of waste a year, typically green and organic waste that would otherwise go on the compost, or more likely, in the bin. As well as the hungry chickens, those who sign up to the scheme can expect up to 200 free eggs a year from each of their 2 new recycling units.

The scheme is proving very popular and families were signing up with the SMD3 to receive their new feathered friends before the official announcement had even been made. “It is very satisfying that there is such a demand,” said Sylvain Marty, director of the SMD3.

“The problem is we are receiving calls from right across the department!”

The stated aim of the SMD3 is to “reduce the amount of household waste and to decrease the amount of waste put into black plastic bin bags”. ■

4 ♦ LOCAL NEWS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JULY 2014

Limoges hospital’s miracle cure for British expat

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Limoges hospital has come up with a groundbreaking operation for a distressing neurological problem. After years of suffering and a sudden worsening of his condition, leading to serious depression, a British resident of the Dordogne has received a “miracle” cure at the Limoges CHU (Centre hospitalier universitaire).

Denis Pickering (74), living in Corgnacsur-l’Isle but originally from Derbyshire, had suffered from a slight hand tremor since he was a young man. It was first noticed at his RAF National Service medical over 50 years ago. Over the years, as the tremor became more pronounced Denis managed to compensate for it. “When I was younger, if I concentrated I could stop the shake, so it didn’t really bother me much, but for years I was scared because my father died of Parkinson’s Disease.”

Fortunately, after tests, Denis was categorically told he did not have the disease.

The tremor certainly didn’t prevent Denis from being a successful rally driver and precision engineering factory owner as well as running a property development and renovation company in the UK. When Denis and his wife Sheila came to France in 1986, he set up his own building business. When not on site he was building their own gîtes, installing swimming pools and operating a property maintenance company.

For fun, Denis had a collection of vin-

tage British motorbikes that he restored, as well as indulging his passion for golf. For over 10 years he and Sheila also produced an amateur music hall show - Denis’ Jake the Peg had to be seen to be believed!

All that came to an end in 2007 as the tremor rapidly became more pronounced and uncontrollable, finally becoming a violent shake. “I was so ashamed of it,” says Denis. “I stopped going to restaurants, I couldn’t have beer in a bar. I didn’t like being out at all. Even with friends I was conscious of this awful thing. If I was offered a glass of wine I’d have to say, ‘just a drop in a big glass’. I stopped accepting the offer of a cup of coffee. Strangers would look at me as if I was an alcoholic.

It was so frustrating not to be able to do even simple things. I got very depressed.

The shake took my life away.”

One day, during a visit to his GP on an unrelated matter, the doctor gave Denis a referral to the hospital at St-Yrieix to see Dr Raneaux. After discussing his case with her colleague, Dr Caire at Limoges CHU, she believed they could help Denis.

There were two possibilities: medication or an operation. The medication’s side effects seemed almost as bad as the condition, so Denis asked to be considered for the operation.

After more tests, the procedure was explained. Dr Caire and his team would drill holes in Denis’ skull and insert two electrodes into his brain. They would pass

wires under the skin to a battery and control box hidden away inside the body, near the navel.

After explaining that the procedure was no more risky than any other ordinary operation, Denis was determined to go ahead.

The operation took place in June 2013 and after fine tuning the box, Dr Caire declared it to be a success. Denis was delighted with the results and asked how many of these operations were done each week. He was told that just one takes months to prepare. “How lucky I am, to be living near Limoges, and me a foreigner, too. The doctors and the CHU staff have been wonderful. I can’t thank them enough. They have given me my life back.”

The operation has cured Denis’ shake completely. Twelve months on, he has been able to pick up his life from where it fell away. He is back on the golf course and enjoying a busy social life. If that were not convincing enough, Denis is currently finishing off the new house he started building after the operation last year.

His battery box is quite unobtrusive - the same size and shape as a mobile phone.

“It helps having plenty of fat. It looks like I’ve eaten a wallet!” jokes Denis.

The operation was carried out with Denis conscious but sedated. There was a worrying moment when Denis heard Dr Caire call out “A table!” After briefly worrying that they were going off for lunch, it turned out that the surgeon was

calling over colleagues and interns to see a particularly delicate part of the procedure.

After a couple of days of testing and fine tuning Denis was back home picking up the threads of his life. When asked what gives him the most pleasure after the operation, Denis told The Bugle, “It’s great to be able to use a screwdriver properly. I enjoy being able to get down to some fine work. And now I can use a spirit level properly again. It may sound a bit soft, but what really pleased me most was being able to write birthday cards to my family again in my proper handwriting.”

Denis has to remember to switch off his gadget when he goes to bed in order to save the battery. He has to take care at the airport body scanner, he can’t have an MRI and some shop security devices cause a tingle, but Denis has nothing but praise for the CHU and unreservedly recommends the treatment for anyone suffering with a tremor.

Denis invites anyone needing treatment but unsure about it to contact him on: pickering.denis@wanadoo.fr “Anybody in two minds about whether to have this operation can contact me and I can give the fine detail, at least for my case. I wouldn’t like to think of anybody suffering the way I was when Dr Caire and Dr Raneaux have a treatment to cure it.” ■ Brian Hinchcliffe

The scale of junk mail

A

perennial problem that drives many people mad is the volume of junk mail that comes through the post box each week. A recent study by consumer group UFC Que Choisir has found that in the Dordogne, the average household receives 2.1 kg of non-addressed advertising material each month.

The study, conducted using a number of volunteer households, also tested the efficiency of a “Stop Pub” sticker on the letterbox. The addresses in the department that placed a “Stop Pub” sticker during the trial reduced the amount of junk mail received to zero!! On a national level, the “Stop Pub” sticker has been seen to reduce the amount of unsolicited mail by 83%.

According to UFC Que Choisir, the amount of junk mail stuffed through the average letterbox has risen nationally from 2 kg in 2004 to 2.7 kg in 2014 - a 35% increase in just 10 years.

It estimates that 9 million brochures and flyers were sent to Dordogne addresses in April this year - that’s 348 tonnes of largely unwanted correspondence, most of which goes straight in the bin, or as UFC Que Choisir describes the figure in its report, “one kilogramme per resident, per month... babies included!”

UFC Que Choisir has printed “Stop Pub” stickers that it is distributing for free across the region. ■

LOCAL NEWS ♦ 5

JULY 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Opération tranquillité Splash or bang for vacances 2014 Bergerac army base?

T

he Dordogne is, for the most part, one of the safest departments in France, but during the summer months, homes are often more at risk of theft as their occupants leave for extended holidays.

While many of us will go far away for a week or two at some point during the summer, many more people will be visiting the region - an estimated 3 million tourists are expected in the Dordogne this year. Unfortunately, not all of them will have good intentions. Houses with their shutters closed and the mail piling up on the doorstep make for obvious targets to those with nefarious intentions.

It is for this reason that the Police Nationale and Gendarmerie Nationale run a programme called “Opération tranquillité vacances” throughout the summer months. Under this scheme, homeowners can inform the local police or gendarmes that they are going away on holiday and officers will perform regular checks on their property in their absence.

Who can ask for their property to be watched? Any homeowner in the region may ask to be covered by the scheme.

How do you ask for your home to be watched? All you need to do is write to (or visit) your local police station or gendarmerie, giving them your name, the address of the property, the dates of your absence and a number to contact

in emergencies.

Does it work? In recent years, those using the scheme have been less likely to be the victims of crime.

Is there anything else that can be done to avoid being the victim of burglary? Residents are advised to ask someone to regularly pick up mail and to put a bit of life into your property by having a neighbour open the shutters every once in a while. Residents are also advised never to leave a message on your answer phone saying when you will be away. ■

A

s the troops pull out, will the tourists troop in? That’s the question being asked this month in Bergerac.

In 2009, the Ministry of Defence outlined closure plans for its base in Bergerac, with a view to turning it to civilian use. Two years later in July 2011, questions were still being asked about the old military site at Escat, in the centre of the town. The Armée de Terre had no further use for the 23-hectare site and the local, regional and national government agencies involved had commissioned a feasibility study for potential future uses. The report proposed a development, favouring aqua park-style leisure, holiday and tourism development, possibly along the lines of the highly successful Center Parcs model.

A more recent, detailed report has gathered the costings for clearing the unusable parts of the base, installing services and infrastructure and underlined the advantages of building on Bergerac’s existing reputation as a tourist destination. At the time of the study the military site, for years an army uniform and equipment centre, was already being gradually run down to be ready for civilian conversion in July this year. Most of the civilian employees were due for retirement before or shortly after the closure announcement.

As the army finally pulls out this summer, what are the choices being put on the table, and what will this bustling, historic and attractive town do with its empty military base?

The former army site has already had a posi-

tive impact on local jobs. Part of the base was developed in 2000 following a management buy-out by the Conserverie de Bergerac which now thrives in one of the buildings. Originally formed as a cooperative venture between 36 exemployees, this canning and conserve company directly employs over 200 people in fresh produce processing and supports the same number in the agricultural sector.

A local Aquitaine organisation is also now reported to be interested in developing 8 hectares of the old warehouse site for an innovative tourism-oriented development associated with a “living history” presentation of the Great War, involving pyrotechnic battle simulations.

This is an interesting proposal considering Bergerac’s long history as home to the National Gunpowder and Explosives Company!

There is, however, some reluctance to embrace the proposals. Some trade unionists are nervous about the viability for long-term, sustainable employment, as seen in similar schemes elsewhere.

Others point to the proximity of a sewage treatment plant as a disadvantage. The discussion goes on.

All are agreed, however, that whatever is decided it must be to the benefit of Bergerac and its surrounding area.

The army has now left, and it remains for the Bergeracois to decide: will it be a big splash, a big bang, or just vegetables? With luck this Dordogne riverside location may get all three. ■ Brian Hinchcliffe

6 ♦ NATIONAL NEWS

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Compensation ruling could open floodgates

© 2012 - Tony Hisgett (WikiCommons)

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n a landmark ruling, a court in England has ordered airline Jet2 to pay compensation to a man for a 27-hour flight delay caused by a “technical fault” with the plane. Observers say that the decision could open the floodgates for an avalanche of similar claims.

Under current legislation, airlines can avoid compensation payouts for delays caused by “extraordinary circumstances” beyond their control and until now, mechanical and electrical faults have always been placed in this category.

Following the landmark ruling, however, this can no longer be the case. Judges dismissed an appeal made by Jet2, who had argued that the delay in question - which was caused by a technical defect - amounted to “extraordinary circumstances”. Instead they sided with Ronald Huzar, the passenger, who said he was entitled to compensation under European Union regulations after suffering “no little inconvenience” when the flight from Malaga to Manchester was over a day late in October 2011.

Mr Huzar was awarded £526 in compensation from Jet2.

In his ruling, Lord Justice Elias said: “In Mr Huzar’s case the cause of the technical problem was simply wear and tear. The Court, quite rightly, took a common sense approach to this and held that wear and tear is entirely ordinary and therefore not extraordinary.” He said that technical faults could only be considered “out of the ordinary” if they “stem from events which, by their nature or origin, are not inherent in the normal ex-

The ruling could pave the way for millions of claims against airlines ercise of the activity of the air carrier concerned”. The judge listed terrorism, strikes, air traffic control problems and freak weather as examples of this.

The decision means technical defects are no longer considered to be an “extraordinary circumstance” under the terms of European regulation EU261 and airlines in the UK must now pay compensation to passengers for delays of more than three hours. A lack of precedent has meant that the UK has lagged behind the rest of Europe in enforcing compensation payments on airlines.

The amount of compensation that can be claimed for delays depends on the length of the journey,

rising from €250 per person on short-haul flights, up to a maximum of €600 for long-haul flights.

Thus a family of 4 travelling from Bergerac to London could now claim EUR 1,000 in compensation if their flight is 3 hours late following a technical fault with the plane.

Which? executive director Richard Lloyd said: “This ruling shows that airlines cannot avoid ducking their responsibilities by claiming that routine technical problems are extraordinary circumstances.

Airlines must be transparent about the causes of delay and ensure that consumers have sufficient information to exercise their rights.”

An estimated 30% of all flight delays are due to technical prob-

lems, and following the ruling Mr Huzar's lawyers said: “The judgment opens the floodgates for passengers to finally recover compensation if their flight has been cancelled or delayed due to technical problems - at least in the vast majority of cases. If you have previously been denied compensation with the airline using a technical

problem as a defence, then you can write to the airline again based on this ruling and request the compensation you are eligible for.”

The Daily Mail website quotes lawyers as saying that statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) show 19.6 million passengers from the past six years could be eligible to make a claim. ■

European Regulation 261 EU compensation rules apply to any flight departing from an EU airport or flying into the EU with an EU carrier. The rules provide passengers with certain guarantees - refreshments, phone calls, overnight accommodation and, if appropriate, damages. Their one defence to compensation claims is that of ‘extraordinary circumstances’. The burden is on the airline to prove their case when using this defence.

NATIONAL NEWS ♦ 7

JULY 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Kidnap father avoids jail © Wladyslaw / Taxiarchos228 (WikiCommons)

A

No 2014 EDF price rises

The kidnapped doctor was left, bound and gagged, in the border town of Mulhouse

Frenchman who took the law into his own hands to bring his daughter's killer to justice has escaped prison following a trial in the border town of Mulhouse (Haut-Rhin). The court handed André Bamberski a suspended one-year sentence for the abduction of Dieter Krombach from his German home and for bringing him to France to face trial.

The tragic story began in July 1982 when Mr Bamberski's exwife rang to break the news that Kalinka, their 14-year-old daughter, had been found dead in bed by her new husband Krombach, a German doctor. Krombach told investigators that the previous evening he had injected her with iron and cobalt to treat anaemia and also given her a sleeping tablet. A post mortem, however, later found evidence that the teenager had been raped and had choked on her own vomit while she was

unconscious.

A German court eventually cleared Krombach of the girl's death, declaring it accidental, and refused to extradite him to France. Bamberski, however, was convinced of his guilt.

In 1995 the German cardiologist was found guilty in absentia of manslaughter by a French court (he appealed to the European Court of Human Rights, which later quashed the conviction). His guilt seemed even more likely when Krombach was subsequently convicted in 1997 of drugging and raping a 16-yearold patient.

Bamberski, now 76 years old, spent decades - and a small fortune - taking on police, prosecutors and the European Court of Justice in a bid to get Krombach extradited to France to face trial.

When all official channels finally failed, the quietly-spoken and devout Roman Catholic decided to take the law into his own hands.

In 2009, a car with blackedout windows pulled up outside Dieter Krombach's house in the the southern German town of Scheidegg and bundled him into the back. The doctor was then dumped, bound, gagged and bleeding, outside a courthouse in the French town of Mulhouse.

An anonymous tip to police ensured his arrest. When the men hired to carry out the kidnapping, a Georgian and a Kosovan, were later arrested, it soon emerged that Bamberski was behind the “crime”, something he then freely admitted, claiming he would gladly go to jail if justice was done for his daughter.

The desperate ploy worked.

In 2011, 75-year-old Krombach, who under French law could now be tried for the death, was convicted and jailed for 15 years for administering the injection which killed his stepdaughter. “My first thought is for Kalinka,” said Bamberski, following the guilty

verdict. “What I promised her, what I wanted was a complete and fair trial. Now that goal has been reached. Justice has been done in her memory and now I will be able to mourn for her.”

Bamberski himself still faced trial for the kidnapping, however.

In June this year he was found guilty, although the judge only handed down a one year suspended sentence. The convicted kidnapper said he was “a bit disappointed” by the ruling, believing he should have been acquitted because he had a “moral compulsion” to act, although he did confirm that he did not plan to appeal.

The case had split public opinion, with many expressing sympathy for the bereaved father, who is now something of a French folk hero. During the trial, even the public prosecutor in the case praised him for his “courage and perseverance” in seeking justice for his daughter. ■

Households in France will no longer have to cope with the 5% rise in electricity prices that they had been bracing themselves for in August. The good news follows an intervention from the energy minister, Ségolène Royale, who announced to much relief on BFMTV that “the EDF rates will not rise on 1st August”.

She also addressed the planned increases scheduled for 1st January: “We will know more about that on 1st October. I am in the process of reforming the methods for calculating electricity price rises with the Commission for energy regulation.”

The 2007 presidential candidate, who is also the former partner of President Hollande with whom she has four children, made a return to front-line politics in April following the cabinet reshuffle. On her appointment as energy minister, she promised to fight EDF and keep price increases to a minimum, despite a 2012 ruling by the Conseil d’Etat which overturned a 2% limit on electricity price rises.

Following the announcement, shares in EDF dropped by as much as 10% on the CAC40 - the index of France's largest 40 companies.

“The statement by Ségolène Royal changes everything,” said Xavier de Villepion, a trader for Global Equities. “EDF had a 5% rise in 2013 and now nothing in 2014 when we were expecting similar rises. That risks seriously impacting their end of year results.”

The increase would have seen an extra €35 added to the average household's annual electricity bill, €50 for those using electric heating. ■

8 ♦ NATIONAL NEWS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JULY 2014

France and euthanasia

F

rance is again in the midst of a debate over its euthanasia and assisted suicide laws as the trial of former doctor Nicolas Bonnemaison began in the southern city of Pau in June. The doctor stands accused of “poisoning particularly vulnerable people” at a hospital in Bayonne and faces life in prison if found guilty.

Bonnemaison admits administering drugs to 7 terminally ill patients, but his many supporters argue that his actions were compassionate. Arriving in court, he was greeted by applause and his lawyer told waiting journalists that he had come to “justify his actions because he did not blush, he always acted as a doctor”.

The case first came to light in August 2011 when the doctor was reported to hospital bosses by nurses in the emergency department, who said they found his behaviour suspicious.

Before long, Bonnemaison had admitted giving lethal doses of sedatives to seven patients when they were in great pain and hours from death. Euthanasia and assisted suicide are currently illegal in France, despite repeated polls suggesting that over 90% of the public are in favour.

Benoît Ducos-Ader, the doctor’s lawyer, said before the start of the trial: “Both defence and prosecution accept this should not be just a trial, but a debate on an important social issue.

Yes, it is the trial of Nicolas Bonnemaison. But it is also the trial of how we deal with the end of life.”

Speaking in an emotional address on television as the trial began, the widow of one of the victims said she had asked Bonnemaison to help her husband die, and that what the doctor did was “good”. Patricia Dhooge went on to say that “it would hurt me very much if they gave him any kind of punishment. I'm having a lot of trouble understanding this trial. I want to tell the court, ‘We were there. We agreed’.”

A petition in favour of the defendant has also garnered over 60,000 signatures, including many of the rela-

tives of the seven 'victims'.

Under questioning by an investigating magistrate, Dr Bonnemaison admitted that he had failed to seek a “collegiate” decision with his fellow doctors, as recommended by existing French law. He insisted, however, that the law, which dates from 2005, was unworkable. “It is only deep inside himself that a doctor can know whether such a decision is the right one,” he said. “It is between him and his conscience.”

State prosecutors rejected this argument, stating that: “No one has a power of life or death over another person.”

Under the 2005 law in question, doctors are allowed to take a “passive” decision not to extend the life of a patient who is dying in great pain. It also states that doctors may use palliative care, including painkillers, which may have the side effect of shortening life. The law stops short, however, of allowing doctors to take active steps to shorten a patient's life.

During his election campaign in 2012, President Hollande said that he accepted that this law was too vague and promised to draft a new one.

France's medical ethics council subsequently suggested that euthanasia should be permissible in exceptional cases and when patients make “persistent and lucid requests” to end their life. Invoking a “duty to humanity,” the body said that euthanasia should be reserved for “exceptional cases” like putting an end to “prolonged suffering” or “unbearable” pain.

According to France's national demographics council, there are around 3,000 euthanasia cases in France annually, all of them illegal.

While the current trial addresses assisted suicide for the terminally ill and those in constant severe pain, there is also an ongoing debate over Dignitastype assisted suicides.

One recent case which highlighted this involved Georgette and Bernard Cazes, both 86, who were found lying peacefully on a bed in a room at the Lutetia hotel in the Saint-Germain

district of Paris, having planned their deaths in meticulous detail. The couple, who met in their teens and had been married for more than 60 years, were found by hotel staff holding hands and with plastic bags over their heads.

Police found two documents in the room, which was undisturbed: one, a letter for the couple's family; the other, a typewritten attack on the government, addressed to the French public prosecutor, demanding “the right to die in a dignified manner”.

In her final letter, Georgette Cazes voiced her anger at not being allowed to leave the world “peacefully”. She declared the letter a formal legal complaint for the “non respect of my liberty”, and wrote that she had asked her son to pursue the case after her death.

“The law forbids access to any lethal pills that would enable a soft death,” the typed note said. “Should my freedom be only limited by that of others? Who has the right to hinder a person [to end their life] who has nobody in their charge, who is up to date with their taxes, having worked all these years and then as a volunteer in the social services? Who has the right to force them to commit cruel practices when they want to leave this life serenely?”

One of their sons later said that they had been “planning their deaths for years” because they did not want to become a burden on their family or the state, adding that they “feared separation and dependency on others much more than death”. ■ As we went to press it was announced that Nicolas Bonnemaison “was acquitted of all charges”, a decision that prompted thunderous applause in the courtroom. Bonnemaison smiled as the verdict was read out, while the wife of one of the deceased patients wept for joy. “We have to work to calm things down now,” said lawyer Benoît Ducos-Ader. “There is neither a hero nor a martyr… This will force the politicians to move a bit more quickly.”

Lotto winner gives away €50 million

What would you do if you won the EuroMillions? It is a quandary that many people will have spent hours contemplating. The answer for one lucky Frenchman in south-west France was simple: give most of it away.

The unmarried man in his fifties from Haute-Garonne, who has chosen to remain anonymous, said he will share €50 million of his €72 million fortune between a dozen NGOs working on behalf of the disadvantaged. His only request in return is that he is kept informed of how the donations will be used.

A spokesman from Française des Jeux (FDJ), the organisation that runs the EuroMillions lottery in France, said of the winner: “He has a strong sense of social solidarity and he believes in generosity.”

OK, so he still has a cool €22 million to spend on sweets, but how many of us would show the same level of generosity when given a suitcase containing €72 million?

As the country battles through an economic depression, social unrest and the rise of the far-right, sociologist Denis Muzet believes that the act of philanthropy could not have come at a better time for France. “This individual is sending us a message: success in life is not about how much money you earn but about what you do for others,” Mr Muzet said. “In a society in crisis, in search of moral reference points, where money dominates everything, his action makes sense.”

The record jackpot for a European lottery is still the €190 million won by British couple Adrian and Gillian Bayford in August 2012. ■

Employees paid to cycle to work

Many companies in France compensate their workers for the mileage they put on their cars, or help towards the cost of bus or rail season tickets, but until recently, there has been no benefit to those using pedal power to get to work. That could all be about to change thanks to an initiative being launched by the Transport Minister, Frédéric Cuvillier.

“Public transport and car costs are already reimbursed and I want the bicycle to become a separate mode of transport,” announced Mr Cuvillier.

Initially, a 6-month experiment is taking place, with those opting to cycle to work receiving 25 centimes for every kilometre travelled. The test phase will involve 19 companies and 10,000 employees, in order to gauge how well people respond to the plan.

It was initially believed that the proposals would affect around 5% of employees, but other measures are being investigated to improve this figure. These include a rise in the fine for parking on a cycle lane to €135 (from just €35), more public bicycle parking spaces and legislation forcing companies to include bicycle spaces in their car parks. Proposals to ban car drivers from overtaking cyclists on a solid white line are also being examined.

A similar measure has been in place in Belgium since 1997. Compensation is set at 21 centimes per kilometre and in 2013 it enabled 190,000 employees to benefit from €46m in allowances. ■

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NATIONAL NEWS ♦ 9

Major healthcare shake-up Passport

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s part of proposed reforms to France's healthcare system announced in June, patients will no longer have to pay up front to visit their GP and a doctor will be available 24 hours a day by phone. Under the current system, patients pay their GP for a consultation and then reclaim the cost from the healthcare system via a valid carte vitale.

This is different to current visits to the pharmacy whereby pharmacists are able to check a patient's cover via their carte vitale and also whether they have mutuelle topup cover. Provided they have full cover no money changes hands and the pharmacist is reimbursed directly by the State. If the proposals are adopted, then a visit to the doctor will follow this basis.

“If the tiers-payant works at pharmacies, it should be able to work everywhere else,” said Health Minister Marisol Touraine, when first proposing the changes late last year. She admitted that there was “a considerable technical challenge” in linking doctors surgeries with the estimated 400 different mutuelles in France, but said “it will be a major advance for patients”.

The CSMF union, which represents France's doctors, said the system must not cause “delays and costs”, adding it might encourage patients to go to the doctor more often for minor matters, increasing social security costs.

Leading GPs’ union MG France came out

extensions amid chaos

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in favour, however, saying the move might encourage more people to go to their local doctor instead of abusing Urgences (A&E) departments, where they are already entitled to be seen without paying up front.

There is currently no central system for reaching a doctor out of hours in France, with bespoke solutions in place across much of the country. Touraine is proposing a three-digit phone number for each of the 96 departments in metropolitan France, via which patients can reach a doctor day or night.

Also part of the long-awaited proposals are more so-called “shooting galleries” -

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controlled, sterile environments for intravenous hard-drug users. Supporters of the controversial centres claim that they help to stop the spread of disease and prevent overdoses.

The changes, which will be submitted to parliament in September and would start to take effect in 2015 if approved, also contain plans to enforce colour-coded labels on food packaging to make healthy eating easier similar to the “traffic light” system already used in the UK. According to Le Monde, the sugar, fat, salt and calorie content of foods would be highlighted using a five-colour code - green, yellow, orange, fuchsia and red. ■

Theresa May insisted that security would not be compromised “since we are talking about extending existing passport documents in which we can have a high degree of confidence”. “This relieves HMPO from having to deal with some of the most complex cases without having to compromise security,” Mrs May said, adding, “We will put in place a process so that people applying for passports overseas for their children can be issued with emergency travel documents for travel to the UK.” Holidaymakers and business people with an “urgent need to travel” will have their passport renewals fast-tracked free of charge.

The fee for a standard adult UK passport for British citizens applying from overseas countries, including France, recently dropped to ₤83 - ₤45 less than the previous price. A child’s passport (under 16) now costs £53. In both instances, French residents still have to pay a courier charge in addition to the passport fee.

For more information on overseas extensions and fast-tracked passport applications, visit the “Passports, travel and living abroad” section of the www.gov.uk website. ■

10 ♦ NATIONAL NEWS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JULY 2014

Bridge collapses under Public shock over Roma the weight of love

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boy lynching

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River below. The book became a bestseller, then a movie, and soon crowds of lovestruck couples were visiting the bridge and imitating the story. Within a year, the mayor of Rome was forced to introduce fines for anyone leaving a padlock on the lamp post. From there, love locks spread around the world and today, as well as in Paris, you can find them in places like Moscow, Seoul, and New York.

When locks recently began appearing on the Wilford suspension bridge in Nottinghamshire, one local joker took to the message boards to ask: “Why do all these couples seem to be involved in threesomes with someone called Chubb?!” ■

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here was widespread shock in France in June following the “lynching” of a 16-year-old Roma boy in the northern suburbs of Paris by a group of 20 balaclava-wearing vigilantes.

After being accused of burgling a nearby flat, the boy was dragged from the Roma camp where his family had moved a month previously, hauled across the tram lines to a nearby housing estate and severely beaten.

He was later found, left for dead and dumped into a shopping trolley, and was taken to hospital where he was placed in an induced coma, fighting for his life after suffering several skull fractures. Gruesome pictures of the badly beaten teenager were widely circulated and caused much controversy and soul-searching in the French press.

President François Hollande denounced the assault, calling it an “unspeakable and unjustifiable attack on all the principles on which our republic was founded”.

There have so far been no arrests, but police said they were questioning possible witnesses. The estimated 200 people living in the camp fled the area that same evening, according to Le Parisien newspaper.

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ingly unpopular with the city's residents, however, with a number of internet campaigns calling for the locks to be removed. One petition, addressed to Paris' mayor, Anne Hidalgo, called the locks “a plague on our city's historic bridges and sites”.

Authorities have been wary of clamping down for fear of damaging the city's important tourist industry.

The origin of these love locks is believed to have come from Italy. In 2006, Italian author Federico Moccia wrote a scene in his book Ho voglia di te (I want you) in which the two protagonists write their names on a lock, which they attach to a lamp post on Rome’s Ponte Milvio, throwing the key into the Tiber

Got a story for The Bugle?

hey say you can't have too much of a good thing, but that is not the case for one of Paris' most iconic landmarks, which is being damaged... by too much love!

In recent years, the growing trend for “love locks” has been sweeping across Europe's major cities, particularly on the Pont des Arts bridge in Paris, which crosses the Seine River just in front of the Louvre museum.

Couples from around the globe have been visiting this picturesque spot in the centre of the City of Light, writing their names on a padlock and locking it onto the railings of the bridge before throwing the key into the waters below. The romantic notion is that they have sealed their love as an unbreakable bond for eternity.

Police were recently forced to hurriedly evacuate this lovers' paradise, however, after a 2.4 metre section of the railing collapsed under the weight of the collected tokens of affection.

It is not the first time that these cadenas d’amour on the Pont des Arts have been in the headlines. In 2010 all the locks were mysteriously removed from the bridge one night.

Although many suspected that local authorities had finally had enough – something they denied – it eventually transpired that they had been taken by an art student who later turned them into a sculpture.

With the railings of the Pont des Arts virtually buried under the mass of metal, other bridges around the city are now being been targeted by lovers. Recently authorities even had to remove 40 padlocks from the Eiffel Tower! With “celebrities” such as Kim Kardashian posting images of themselves attaching love locks to the bridge, it is a phenomenon that is not going to disappear any time soon.

The practice is proving increas-

subject in recent years. Under a policy introduced by Nicolas Sarkozy, the government regularly demolishes Roma camps, sending many of their residents back to their home countries. About 20,000 Roma families were expelled from their makeshift homes in 2013, most of them in the summer, according to Amnesty International.

On its front page, Le Monde called the recent attack “the result of several years of inefficient public policy which maintains the misery of these Roma communities and allows the racism latent in French society to prosper”.

Prime minister Manuel Valls last year caused controversy when he insisted that the Roma “could not integrate” and should be sent back to Romania or Bulgaria, even though many are EU citizens. Most of the Roma in France live in makeshift camps, with no water or electricity. Some are known to run gangs of children who operate as pickpockets around tourist sites in central Paris. Many people, including politicians from the far right, accuse them of being behind an increase in local crime.

Officials in northern Paris said the boy was known to police and had been questioned a number of times this month in connection with a string of robberies, but had no convictions. ■

NATIONAL NEWS ♦ 11

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Singer has throat surgery New female only garage under hypnosis

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n what is being hailed as a world first, surgeons in France have successfully operated on the throat of a patient under hypnosis who sang during the procedure! Alama Kanté, a 31-year-old professional singer, underwent throat surgery to remove her potentially cancerous thyroid gland.

Doctors used the unconventional method of hypnosis rather than anaesthetics and told her to sing throughout the operation to make sure they didn't damage her vocal cords.

“I met with the anaesthetist to know how it would go and they called me afterwards to say 'No we are not going to do it because you have a professional job with your vocal cords, we can't take the risk of sending you to sleep to perform such an operation',” explained the singer.

So instead of administering a general anaesthetic, hypnotherapist Asmaa Khaled accompanied her into theatre and put her into a deep trance. Kanté was sufficiently conscious, however, to sing songs from her new album throughout the procedure, allowing the surgeon to avoid her vocal cords and know exactly where to put his knife.

“It was as though I was not in the operating theatre at all,” recalled Kanté, now fully recovered. “I was far away in Senegal.” When she did feel severe pain at one

point in the operation, the hypnotherapist was apparently able to dull it again. “He said: 'Don’t worry, it will go away’,” the singer said. “And it did. The pain simply disappeared.”

The surgeon, Professor Gilles Dhonneur of the Henri Mondor Hospital on the outskirts of Paris, is claiming a world first for removing a tumour under hypnosis in an operating theatre. Whilst this may be true, operating under hypnosis is nothing new - in fact it is more of a lost art.

In the late 19th century, when the only other options were a slug of whisky or to be physically restrained, many opted for hypnosis. In British-ruled India in the 1840s, for instance, Scottish surgeon James Esdaile made a name for himself by offering painless surgery for a plague of tumours caused by mosquito bites.

“Once ether and chloroform became available, the medical profession became largely allergic to hypnotherapy,” says hypnotherapist Sharon Young, who has practised in west London for 25 years.

Hypnosurgery has recently been making something of a comeback, however, particularly in America, where insurance companies have noted that it shortens recovery periods and therefore keeps down bills. ■

Boy fakes his own kidnap to escape the dentist's chair

Not many people enjoy a trip to the dentist, but one French boy caused a stir recently when he faked his own kidnap in a desperate bid to dodge the dentist's drill. The 12-year-old, from the Alpine village of St-Gervais, was picked up by police on patrol one afternoon after they spotted him hiding. When quizzed, the youngster immediately claimed he had just escaped an abduction attempt from the nearby town of Bagnols.

Sticking to his story, he gave the officers a detailed description of the scar-faced villain who had lured him to his car for directions while he was dutifully heading to his dentist appointment: “European looking, aged in his thirties, of muscular build with a height of around 1m70 and a vertical scar on his right cheek.”

After being bundled into the man's car, he said he made his escape when the vehicle stopped in St-Gervais. The eagle-eyed boy had even managed to memorise details about the kidnapper's car, which he dutifully passed on to the investigating officers.

This tall tale may raise a chuckle, but it was no laughing matter for police, who spent a month looking for the mystery assailant. It was not until investigators studied local CCTV footage in detail that concerns about the boy's story emerged. After calling him back in for questioning, the youngster finally admitted that he had made the whole thing up as he was scared of the dentist's chair! ■

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work for me cannot afford to buy a modest house in the Bay Area of San Francisco. It made me think a bit. I am determined to give back some of the money I earn, and in turn do something fun and creative.”

Speaking recently to CNN, Mr Buzi said that he would bring the hit hideand-seek game to Paris, as well as London and Madrid, from the beginning of July. ■

editor@thebugle.eu

Twitter account. Anyone is free to find the money, but they are encouraged to tweet photos of themselves if they do, displaying their winnings.

Mr Buzi said the game was just a bit of fun that was intended to “bring people together” and “put smiles on their faces”. “I have made millions of dollars in recent years, more than I imagined,” said the businessman. “But many of my friends and people who

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ason Buzi, a generous American millionaire who hides piles of money for the public to find, has brought his “Hidden Cash” game to France. The San Fransisco-based businessman, who made his money in property, has caused a sensation stateside with his cash giveaways.

The premise is simple: money is hidden in a city and clues to its whereabouts are posted on the Hidden Cash

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new gender oriented business opened its doors for trading recently under the banner “Only Girls”. It may sound like the kind of place that you'd be likely to find Premiership footballers hanging out of an evening, but it is in fact a female only garage, run by women, for women. The business, which opened in the Paris suburbs in May, hopes to shatter the traditional masculine image of the auto repair industry and cater to women who feel they have been taken for a ride by male mechanics.

“When you're a woman, it's like you've got 'sucker' tattooed on your forehead,” said Sandrine Hautenne, one of a number of satisfied customers that have already used Only Girls, speaking to AFP news agency. “One time, I went round to three different garages, and got three different estimates. Since then, I've sent my uncle to get estimates and - guess what? - the prices have dropped!”

Not only can you get your car fixed, but you can also take a lesson in basic mechanics and even get your nails done while you wait! A “beauty corner” features a nail bar and offers massages and the garage includes other uncharacteristic features such as a children's playroom and a waiting room with mauve-coloured wallpaper, hardwood floors, flickering candles and velvet sofas.

According to Rodolphe Bonnasse, from marketing group CA Com, Only Girls is just the latest business to take advantage of the fact that increasing numbers of women are living alone and/or taking control of domestic affairs. According to Mr Bonnasse, “the range of goods and services on offer has adapted to societal changes” over the past decade. He added that whilst France is lagging behind many countries in this so-called “gender marketing”, the country now has an array of sports clubs, insurance companies and even credit cards catering specifically to female customers.

Not everyone is a fan of the new venture, however, with one feminist blogger, Sophie Gourian, calling it more of a shallow marketing ploy than a reflection of women's liberty. “The whole discourse behind this is really pretty oldfashioned, based on stereotypes,” she said, adding that the concept relied on the principal that women are “a bit daft”.

The two female mechanics have no such reservations.

For one, Aurore Dabireau, gender had proved to be a spanner in the works of her aspiring career, despite holding a degree in auto mechanics. “Garage owners are sceptical about hiring me, and I've often been told, 'you've got no place here'," she said. ■

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12 ♦ SPORT

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JULY 2014

Dordogne to star in Tour de France

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he 2014 Tour de France kicks off on 5th July and the Dordogne will feature prominently in this year’s race. The department is to host 2 stages, including the crucial time trial stage on the penultimate day’s racing. Whoever is presented with the yellow jersey following the 54-kilometre time trial between Bergerac and Périgueux will be wearing yellow on the procession into Paris the following day before being crowned champion on the Champs-Elysées - tradition dictates that the yellow jersey is not attacked on the final day.

After the rigours of the Pyrenees, the transitional stage into Bergerac on Friday 25th July is likely to be a comparative day off for the main general classification contenders, with a bunch sprint or a longdistance breakaway the most likely outcome. The caravan will set off from Maubourguet on 25th July at 10:30, with the riders beginning the stage at 12:30. The caravan will enter the Dordogne and pass through Eymet at 14:50 with the the first riders expected at 16:25.

The riders are then scheduled to visit Rouffignac-de-Sigoulès at 16:46, Monbazillac at 16:56, with a predicted stage finish in Bergerac at 17:14.

The following day will see the crucial time trial, with riders setting off from Bergerac every 2 minutes in reverse order (every 3 minutes for the top 20 riders), with the last placed rider kicking proceedings off at 10:05. The current holder of the Yellow Jersey will therefore set off at 16:23 and will pass through Beleymas, Villamblard, Manzac-sur-Vern and Coulounieix-Chamiers before arriving in Périgueux a little more than one hour later.

Although much of the local focus is on the 2 Dordogne stages, the race will start almost three weeks earlier in the somewhat unusual setting of Leeds in the north of England. Yorkshire fought off bids from more exot-

Channel to continue racing.

The race last visited the UK in 2007, when London hosted a prologue ahead of a road stage from the capital to Canterbury which attracted two million spectators. British Cycling president Brian Cookson said: “Like every other cycling fan, I am thrilled the world’s biggest bike race is coming back to this country. The huge numbers who turned out to support the 2007 Grand Départ and the London 2012 [Olympic] road races show the passion we have for cycling. I’m sure Yorkshire will give the 2014 Tour de France a welcome which will stand out in the race’s rich history.”

Race director Christian Prudhomme added: “Since the resounding success of the Grand Départ in London in 2007, we were very keen to return to the United Kingdom. The enormous crowds that followed the cycling events in the streets of London during the Olympic Games encouraged us to go back earlier than we had initially planned.”

Team Sky’s leader, Chris Froome, will again start as favourite this year following his win in 2013, adding to Sir Bradley Wiggins’ victory in 2012 and continuing the team’s domination of the Tour de France.

His inclusion as team leader has meant that there is no place for Wiggins in the 9-man team this time around, a fact that will be a crushing blow to organisers of the English stages of the Tour.

Following his Tour and Olympic triumphs in one glorious summer, Wiggins was knighted and is a huge fan favourite. Organisers now fear that his absence from the Grand Départ will have an effect on spectator numbers. Although Chris Froome picked up a bronze medal in the same Olympic race and went on to win the Tour last year, he has never caught the public’s imagination in the way Wiggins has. The pair are well known to have little time for each other and it is believed that Froome has effectively picked his own team.

mountaintop finales. This plays into the hands of Colombian Nairo Quintana, who finished second last year, recently won the Giro d’Italia in imperious fashion and is probably the finest climber in the world today.

Quintana’s weakness is the time trial, a discipline where Froome excels. But with only 1 time tri-

Led by reigning champion Chris Froome, Team Sky will again be the ones to watch in the 2014 race. ic locations such as Barcelona, Berlin and Florence and will host the first 2 stages of this year’s race. There will also be a third stage finishing in London before the peloton crosses the

Team Sky’s ambition to win a third successive Tour will have received a minor blow when the final route was unveiled. It revealed a climb-heavy course, with just one time trial and five

al in this year’s race, and with it coming on the penultimate day of racing, Quintana will hope to have enough time in the bank to guarantee he will be wearing the yellow jersey down the

Champs-Elysées. If Froome can stay on the coat tails of the diminutive Colombian through the mountains, he will be confident of overhauling him on the pivotal time trial stage.

Race director Prudhomme proudly claimed that this Tour will feature three mountain ranges, rather than the usual two, with the Vosges Mountains being tackled before the more traditional stages in the Alps and the Pyrenees. The five summit finales are packed between stages 10 and 18, with two rest days in between, meaning that hitting peak form in the second half of the 3-week race is paramount.

Whilst the Alps will feature some daunting ascents, it will be in the Pyrenees where the battle for general classification will be fought. Stage 17, a short but potentially explosive 125km stage ending on top of the Plan d’Adet is likely to see the true favourites finally separating from the chasing pack.

Although the route favours some of his key rivals, Froome is also confident that it will suit his riding style. “We’ve got five mountaintop finishes, that’s more than last year. That’s a good thing for me and also with the penultimate stage being a 50-plus-kilometre individual

time trial, that’s something that suits me,” Froome said following the route’s unveiling. “So, yes, I’m getting excited about the prospect of taking another Tour.”

One tricky hurdle to be navigated will be the cobblestones featured on stage 5 from Ypres to Arenberg - this stretch will already be familiar to fans of the Paris-Roubaix one-day classic. Given that cobbles usually equal chaos, most of the main contenders will just be happy to get through the stage in one piece. In the 2010 Tour, when cobbles last featured, Lance Armstrong punctured and lost 2 minutes and Frank Schleck fell and was forced to withdraw.

“The pavés present an interesting challenge,” said Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff). “It’s a stage where a mechanical problem or a crash can greatly alter the outcome. It won’t decide anything, except for anyone who has problems.”

There is guaranteed to be drama and surprises aplenty over the 21 stages covering 3,664 kilometres, but fans of British cycling will be hoping that Chris Froome can make it a hat-trick of victories for Team Sky and wear the yellow jersey down the Champs-Elysées on 27th July. ■

COMMUNITY ♦ 13

JULY 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

E

A real first for the Dordogne

lon Musk is a man with a vision. Born in 1971 in South Africa and educated in the United States, his business acumen soon started to become evident when he co-founded PayPal, the internet banking system that was acquired by eBay in 2002 for $1.5 billion. He then went on to co-found SpaceX, a company that manufactures space launch vehicles and was awarded a billion dollar contract by NASA to supply the International Space Station after NASA retired the Space Shuttle in 2011.

Meanwhile, he also became involved as a founder of

Tesla Motors, taking over the leadership of the company in 2008. Tesla Motors first hit the headlines with the Tesla Roadster, the world’s first fully electric sports car and the company now also produces the Tesla Model, an all-electric sedan. Like the late Steve Jobs at Apple, Mr Musk’s salary at Tesla is just $1, with bonuses coming in the form of share options.

Now, the Tesla Model S is set to make an appearance in the Dordogne as the department’s first all-electric taxi.

This has long been the dream of Christoph Kusters, whose taxi service has already achieved considerable fame as far away as Japan and the United States for his extensive, interesting and commentated tours of the Dordogne and other areas of interest - www.taxialacarte.com His clients have until now been chauffeured around in the luxury of his top-of-the-range Land Rover Discovery, but Mr Kusters has always had an interest in electric vehicles and believes that the Tesla is the most advanced car in this category. His new Tesla will be used as his primary taxi vehicle, thanks in part to an impressive range of 500 km - there are today countless recharge points all over France and most of his journeys do not exceed that distance.

Through his company Taxi “A La Carte”, Mr Kusters offers both taxi and touring services. He is available 24/7 for anything from an airport pickup, a guided tour around the region’s attractions or a trip to Barcelona!

The guided tours (available in French, English and Dutch) are individually tailored, covering a range of subjects including the Middle Ages, castles, wine, truffles,

walnuts, prehistoric cave paintings, old medieval villages, breathtaking sceneries... or any combination of these.

They are popular, however, so book early to avoid disappointment! ■ Peter Gooch

Wine Tasting in Dordogne Reaches New Heights with Bergerac Wine Tours “Great Wines, Fresh Local Produce, Scenic Routes & Exceptional Value” nectars; we have met the winemakers; we have sampled the food. Our daily lunches are prepared with fresh seasonal ingredients from local gardens. Needless to say, our tours offer great value for money. They are full of passion, knowledge and above all, fun!

“Last year was an amazing year where we saw record numbers book their place on our wine making tour,” says Christelle. “We are delighted to have 5 star TripAdvisor reviews which shows the hard work we and the vineyard owners put in for the tour is worthwhile.”

In addition to our wine tasting schedule, the tours include a visit to several local, food producing farms. Here you can sample some of the delicacies the Bergerac region is most famous for, including plums, chocolate or goats cheese; each product is made by farmers with generations of experience.

The Bergerac Wine Tasting and Terroir Tour

Bonjour!

We are Christelle, Alex and Jessica and together we are Bergerac Wine Tours. We are three young wine enthusiasts with extensive knowledge of the Bergerac wine region and the Dordogne terroir. Our company is about fun, excitement and love.

Located in the South-West of France, we established Bergerac Wine Tours as a reflection of our desire to use our talents, enthusiasm and interests to share our love of wine and the terroir with as many people as possible.

We have thoroughly researched this region’s vineyards and their associated local areas to bring you the very best specialities Bergerac has to offer. Our aim is simple: to make each day of your tour a truly unforgettable experience.

We operate solely within the Bergerac appellation because we know the area really well and are the first and are unique in our approach. We live here; we have tasted the

Bergerac Wine Tours present an excellent opportunity to enjoy the Bergerac wine tradition which started over 2000 years ago and guided daily excursions allow people to get to know more about the Bergerac area and its magnificent wines.

Because the region is rather large and diverse in nature we have worked hard to come up with a relaxed “no rush” daily tour by liaising closely with established winemakers with impeccable reputations.

The tours cost €65 per person per day. Children are welcome! The price includes: pick-up around 10am (within a 40km radius of Eymet – contact us if you are coming from further afield); a visit to a château, including a walk through its vineyard, finding out about the terroir and production, followed by a wine tasting session; a visit to a local food producing farm; time to relax and enjoy our home made alfresco lunch overlooking the majestic Eymet vineyards, served with a local red, rosé and white wine and coffee; a short stop at a nearby vineyard to learn more about one of the first organically producing vineyards in France; a visit to a local CO-OP, including a walk through its vineyard, a tour of its cellars and an introduction to its production methods.

This CO-OP too is proud of its organically produced wines, which will be tasted afterwards; drop-off around 6pm.

“Le Tour de France” Wine Tour - 25th July

Our chateaux have award winning labels, they are family run and you will learn about (and taste) organic wines and organic production methods.

Did you know that, currently, there are around 2,000 producers of organic wine in the world and over 900 of these are based in France? With over 200 wineries located in the area, we are spoilt for choice!

In order to get the most out of your visit, Bergerac Wine Tours limits the number of participants per tour. Our small-scale, intimate approach enables you to fully absorb the information given by the winemakers during our tasting sessions.

The biggest race in the world, the Tour de France is passing through the Bergerac region this year, and as part of the celebration there will be a special “Le tour de France” wine tour on the 25th July where only 16 places are available - www.bergeracwinetours.com/le-tour-defrance-2014-in-dordogne/ For more information about the tours, an introduction to Bergerac wines, tasting tips and our blog visit: www.bergeracwinetours.com

14 ♦ FRENCH LIFE

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JULY 2014

In the garden - jobs for July

W

ell, here it is, off i c i a l l y.

Summer!

Most of us have been lucky enough to have some hot weather for a while now, but what a difference it makes to wake up to blue skies, and fresh mornings that herald a scorchingly sunny day. Bliss!

It makes a big difference in the garden, too. Suddenly the gardener's thoughts turn to... watering! Yep, all of a sudden, the hot sun combined with the strong, warm breeze conspires against us, and the seemingly endless days of constant rain that we had earlier in the year become just a laughable memory. It's bone dry in my garden, with the trees (especially the fruit trees) sucking up a lot of moisture from the soil. And as I water the endless pots of things that I haven't quite got round to planting yet, I ask myself why, yet again, I didn't get them all in the ground earlier. So I am quite resolved to get as much as I can planted asap. If you water the hole so that the roots are going into humid soil, the take

© Christopher Craig (Flickr)

by Michelle Pierce

up rate is much better than if you plant into dry soil and then water from the top. I shall also mulch to keep the surface roots as insulated as possible from the heat of the sun.

Talking about mulch, the bracken is growing well in the road verges, green & vigorous, and full of useful goodness for my garden. So guess who will be furtively cutting bagfuls to put on her vegetable beds? If you are worried about it introducing more ticks to your garden, spread it out on the lawn or somewhere flat and let it dry in the sun for a couple of days.

Now is a good time, too, to be cutting things back that are growing somewhere you don't want them, and all the flowering spikes of very vigorous selfseeders, before the seed is ripe and 100,000,000 euphorbias suddenly spring up in your garden. Make a note of things that you have too much of, or want to move in the autumn.

Keep on top of the soft fruit by regular picking, and the same must be said of the vegetables. All the lettuces seem to mature at the same time, so pick

some on the young side, and some later. Don't forget to sow more just at the time you have a glut - otherwise they'll all go over at the same time, too, and you'll be short. Boom to bust just like international business!

Keep an eye out regarding the timing of your neighbours' varieties. One of mine was eating her cherries a good 3 weeks to a month before me, simply because we have two different varieties. So one or other of us is always envious. If I had both varieties I could stretch the fruiting season significantly. Imagine how many I could pick if I had 3 varieties – early, middle & late?!!! Probably get totally sick of the things, but that's not the case for the moment.

The farmers are cutting their fields for hay, and silage, and the sward now looks totally shorn. Not much cover for poor little beasties, or for the bees and butterflies. So it's important to leave a few areas of longer grass in our gardens so that they can have some kind of refuge. If you just try and cut different areas at different times, you can manage this easily. And

the wild grasses look so lovely!

Seeds need to be saved when ready, harvested when the capsules are not yet quite open, and left to dry somewhere sunny.

Obviously the really tiny seed is best dried inside, out of the wind. Label with the name & date, store well, and don't hesitate to pass as much on to friends and family as possible.

It's true that gardeners are a generous breed.

The old roses have mostly finished by now. If you have varieties that repeat flower ( « remontant » in French) then dead head the flowers. You may want to give a light feed - but not too much or you'll encourage growth and not flowers. If you have the single flowering types, dead head or not. I like seeing the hips in the autumn, and clearly if you dead head then there aren't any. Maybe a compromise is a good solution, to have some autumn colour.

My jasmine has been divine this summer, mainly because my mother hasn't had a chance to prune it back! Usually she helpfully tidies it up when it gets too sprawly - thus cutting

off the wood which will flower the following year. She didn't get her secateurs on it last year, and the result is here, spectacularly so. This reminds me to check up the requirements for good flowering of plants, and when something doesn't do as expected, it may often be down to this.

The subject of scent in the garden is an endless one - even more so in this area, because we are lucky enough to have the weather that enables us to spend quite a lot of time outside. So make full use of scented flowers, climbers and shrubs near the parts of your garden that you use the most. One of the best loved of these being the Lime trees that nearly all old Limousin houses have outside them. Perfect for shade to doze under, and with that extraordinary perfume. Glorious. But remember that if you pollard your lime tree, you will not get any flowers, and therefore no perfume.

Whatever you do in your garden this month, enjoy it!

Good gardening! ■

PRACTICAL ♦ 15

JULY 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

French inheritance law – the basics Here are some basic rules and practical tips on French inheritance law from Prune Calonne, The Bugle’s resident lawyer.

F

irst of all, please remember that this area of law might drastically change after August 2015, at which time EC Regulations will then allow EU citizens to choose the law applicable to their inheritance. They will be free to choose between the law of the country where they usually reside and that of their home country.

Here are some basic rules applicable in France as regards inheritance matters.

TOP TIPS: 1. The French and British inheritance laws are based on a dualist system: Law applicable to real property the law where the property is located.

Law applicable to personal property - the law of the country where the person who passed away was resid-

ing permanently.

This dualist system in relation to inheritance applies to all real properties located in France, regardless of the owner’s nationality.

2. The main difference between France and Great Britain when dealing with inheritance issues is that in France, individuals cannot dispose of their assets as they wish.

Disinheriting a child CANNOT be done. If a French notary was in charge of the inheritance and if French inheritance law was applicable, the notary would remove any clause in the will, gift deed, etc. that violates the basic French statutory rules.

Under French law there is a share of the estate from the inheritance that automatically goes to each child and/ or spouse. This share is called the ‘réserve héréditaire’. The rest can be freely disposed of and is called the ‘quotité disponible’.

The spouse is not a protected heir,

even though according to statutory rules, he or she is entitled to a quarter of the estate.

The share of the ‘quotité disponible’ and the ‘réserve héréditaire’ will depend on the number of children.

Reserve Freely disposable

Spouse 1/4 3/4 1 Child

1/2

1/2

2 Children

2/3

1/3

....

Any of the basic rules from the statutory rules can be bypassed through prior planning, such as a marriage contract, purchase of a property with a tontine (specific provisions in the deed of sale of real estate), the drafting of a will or gift deed…

Be aware that only a French avocat can advise on these matters and help you choose the most suitable solution for you.

The drafting of any documents to bypass the statutory rules of French inheritance law can only be completed by a French notaire. In France notaire and avocat are two distinct legal professions.

To find a reliable English-speaking notary, I would recommend that you ask friends and acquaintances if they know of anyone or simply ask your local English-speaking lawyer that may know of a notary he or she has worked with in the past. ■ For more information, please do not hesitate to contact: Prune CALONNE, Avocat au Barreau de Toulouse, 117 route d’Albi, 31200 Toulouse Phone: 05 34 30 51 33 Mobile: 06 74 16 11 12 Email: scpcalonneadouedugast@hotmail.fr My firm can arrange appointments in CAHORS at our correspondent’s offices. Please do not hesitate to contact us for more details.

Popular French Savings & Investments Bank Accounts French banks offer various savings accounts from an instant access “Compte sur Livret” to a fixed term “Compte à Terme”, offering better interest rates over a fixed period.

For French residents, there are also various taxfree bank deposit accounts. The most common are the “Livret A” and the “Livret de Développement Durable” (LDD).

The maximum deposit per person is €22,950 for the “Livret A”’ and €12,000 for the “LDD”.

The general conditions of the accounts are the same and are regulated by the government. Interest is free of all taxation and the annual interest rate is currently 1.25%. Rates are generally reviewed on a six-monthly basis.

The “Livret d’Epargne Populaire” (LEP) offers an interest rate of 1.75% for savings limited to deposits of €7,700 each. To qualify, you must prove, via a tax certificate, that your reference income for anything that is means tested “revenu fiscal de référence” is below certain modest thresholds for the previous year. Should your income exceed the thresholds then the LEP must be closed.

The “Plan d’Epargne Logement” (PEL) is a savings plan over a minimum of four years, aimed at saving for house purchase and home improvement.

Whilst you are saving the interest earned (currently 2.5% for new accounts) is free of income tax but will be subject to ‘social taxes’.

Life Assurance Investments A very popular form of investment for French residents is the “Contrat d’ Assurance Vie”, a Life Assurance Investment Bond (investments with a Life Assurance company).

Their popularity is principally because of the significant inheritance advantages offered, as well as beneficial tax treatment for any growth and/or income generated.

To benefit from the investment's preferential tax treatment the insurance company provides the ‘wrapper’, allowing the investor to choose from a list of funds the investments to be held within it. For larger sums (generally €500,000+), a discretionary investment manager can be appointed to run a be-

spoke portfolio.

All French insurance companies also offer access to their “Fonds en Euros”. The insurance companies offer a guarantee that the investment cannot drop in value and at the end of each year they calculate how much they have made and distribute the investors’ shares of the ‘profits’ as interest. These investments are obliged to be very conservative and are only making, therefore, about 3% a year at present, due to low interest rates.

Importantly, it is also now possible to benefit from the same French inheritance advantages and beneficial tax treatment in Pounds by investing with certain insurance companies based in Luxembourg.

A recent addition to the market has seen the introduction of the “Euro-Croissance”. This is aimed to be an intermediate option between investing in a range of equity funds and the “Fonds en Euros” and, whilst offering a capital guaranteed, this is only after an 8 year investment period. In exchange, the “Euro-Croissance” will seek to obtain a higher return than the standard “Fonds en Euros”, with most commentators suggesting an extra point higher on average.

An alternative to the “Contrat d’Assurance Vie” is a “Bon de Capitalisation”, Capital Redemption Bond.

The basic contract terms are the same for both policies, as is the income and social tax treatment.

However, “Bons de Capitalisation” carry no inheritance advantages and the value of the policy on death forms part of your estate.

These investments provide two clear advantages, however, in that the amount that is declared for Wealth Tax is the initial investment amount (or the current value, if lower) and a “Bon de Capitalisation” can be gifted during your lifetime or left on death, which could be useful if the aim is to pass on a “family portfolio”.

Share Dealing You can hold a share dealing account at your bank, a stockbroker, or on the internet.

The normal safe custody account is called a “Compte Titres”. A share is an “action” and a Government or Corporate Bond is an “obligation”.

Most people deal in shares through a specific form

of investment called a “Plan d’Epargne en Actions” or PEA. This account allows you to hold and deal in French and European shares and provides considerable tax advantages ON CONDITION THAT no withdrawals are made for the first five years. Taxes may be applicable depending on when the withdrawal is made. Please see our information on our website.

Note: Siddalls are qualified and registered independent financial advisers in France and are not lawyers or accountants. The above comments are merely a summary of our understanding of current legislation and do not cover all the details of French savings and investments. Appropriate advice is recommended before deciding on any changes to your arrangements.

Peter Wakelin is Regional Manager of Siddalls France, Telephone 05 56 34 75 51 Email bordeaux.office@siddalls.net www.siddalls.fr

16 ♦ BILINGUAL

LEARNING FRENCH VIA INTERNET

Perhaps you would like to learn French in comfort at home or from your office? You are not in France and you wish to communicate with a native French person for one hour per week?

LONG-DISTANCE LEARNING is the answer. You only need internet access and a free Skype account.

It can be a one-to-one lesson or you can share the lesson with a person of the same level.

TRANSLATION SERVICES ALSO AVAILABLE

Please contact Sophie Arsac for further information – 05 55 89 15 74 - scarolinea@yahoo.fr

Tour de France 2014

T

he Tour de France is the largest annual sporting event in the world and this year the race will start not in France, but in the north of England.

The first stage will take place between Leeds and Harrogate on the 5th July, with 2 further stages in England before the race crosses the Channel and enters France. The 2014 Tour de France will cover 3,664 km over 21 stages before finishing on the Champs Elysées on the 27th July.

Britain's Team Sky will start as favourites for this year's Tour after winning the race in 2012 (Sir Bradley Wiggins) and again in 2013 (Chris Froome).

Although he is fit, Sir Bradley Wiggins will not be taking part in the 2014 Tour, with Team Sky preferring to select last year's winner Chris Froome as the team's leader this year.

The race is considered to be one of the toughest challenges of physical endurance in the world, although today's cyclists

have it relatively easy when compared to those of 1903. The first time the Tour de France was held the competitors covered 'only' 2,428km, but they did so in just 6 stages - each stage started one day, continued through the night and finished the following afternoon! The winner, Maurice Garin, won 6,075 gold francs for his efforts.

In its early years the riders were mostly French but within just ten years the race had become an international one with national teams competing against each other. Although France has produced the most winners in the history of the race (36), the last Frenchman to win was back in 1985 when Bernard Hinault wore the yellow jersey down the Champs-Elysées for the fifth and final time.

The history of the Tour de France is full of famous stories, especially from the early years.

In 1913, French rider Eugène Christophe was leading stage six by 5 minutes when his forks

snapped on the descent of the Tourmalet. He collected the pieces together and ran to a nearby village where he found a forge, lit a fire, shaped a piece of metal and repaired his bicycle. Despite losing more than four hours he carried on and finished in seventh place overall. The forge he used is still standing and today the building is a national monument.

In 1967, Tom Simpson, the best British rider of his day, died on his bike while ascending Mont Ventoux.

Before the ascent, Simpson had been seen taking tablets with brandy, and empty bottles of amphetamines were later found in his pockets. He began to zigzag across the road and was helped to the ground by spectators. Allegedly, his last words were, “Put me back on my bike”. At the time, drug taking was not illegal in the sport. The monument on the mountainside where he died is still a popular pilgrimage site for riders. ■

The Bugle thanks French teacher, Sophie Arsac, for the translation of this month's bilingual article on a topical aspect of FrancoBritish culture.

Bilingual Crossword Clues in English - answers in French

Across:

1. churches(7) 5. hard(3) 7. to like(5) 8. bag(3) 9. buoy(5) 10. shoelace(5) 12. pier(5) 13. modem(5) 17. street(3) 18. beard(5) 19. east(3) 20. positive(7)

L

e Tour de France est le plus grand événement sportif annuel du monde.

Cette année, il ne débutera pas en France mais au nord de l’Angleterre. Les cyclistes s’élanceront le 5 juillet entre Leeds et Harrogate puis après 2 autres étapes en Angleterre, ils traverseront la Manche pour retrouver le territoire français. Le Tour de France 2014 parcourra 3 664 km en 21 étapes avant de s’achever le 27 juillet sur les ChampsElysées.

L’équipe britannique Sky part favorite cette année, après les victoires consécutives et respectives de Bradley Wiggins en 2012

SIRET 502 409 212 00011 – APE 8559B

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JULY 2014

Down:

1. state(4) 2. file(4) 3. sherbert(6) 4. bucket(4) 5. desert(6) 6. root(6) 10. ivy(6) 11. cement(6) 12. legs(6) 14. sheet(4) 15. loan(4) 16. nine(4)

Bilingual crossword solution can be found on page 29 et de Chris Froome en 2013.

Bien que Wiggins soit en bonne santé, il ne prendra pas part au Tour de cette année. En effet, l’équipe Sky a préféré choisir le vainqueur de l’année dernière, Chris Froome, comme leader.

Cette compétition est l’un des défis sportifs les plus durs du monde sur le plan de l’endurance physique, bien qu’en comparaison de l’année 1903, les cyclistes d’aujourd’hui aient la vie plus facile. Lors de la toute première course, les concurrents ne parcoururent « que » 2 428 km mais ils ne le firent qu’en 6 étapes: chaque étape débutait dans la journée, se poursuivait

pendant la nuit et se terminait l’après-midi ! Maurice Garin, le vainqueur, gagna 6 075 francs or en récompense de ses efforts.

Au début, les coureurs étaient principalement français mais en l’espace de dix ans, la compétition est devenue internationale, mettant en concurrence des équipes de différentes nations. Bien que la France ait produit le plus grand nombre de gagnants dans l’histoire de la compétition (36), le dernier vainqueur français fut Bernard Hinault, lorsqu’il porta le maillot jaune sur les Champs-Elysées en 1985, pour la cinquième et dernière fois.

L’histoire du tour est émaillée d’anecdotes célèbres, notamment dans les premières années. En 1913, le coureur français Eugène Christophe était en tête de 5 minutes dans la sixième étape lorsque la fourche de son vélo se cassa dans la descente du Tourmalet. Il rassembla les pièces et courut jusqu’au village le plus proche où il trouva une forge : il alluma un feu, forgea une pièce de métal et répara sa bicyclette.

Malgré un retard de 4 heures, il poursuivit la course et finit septième au classement. La forge dans laquelle il se rendit existe toujours et est devenue un monument national.

En 1967, Tom Simpson, le meilleur coureur britannique de son temps, mourut sur son vélo alors qu’il gravissait le Mont Ventoux. Avant l’ascension, on l’avait vu ingurgiter des comprimés avec de l’eau de vie et l’on retrouva des emballages vides d’amphétamines dans sa poche. Il commença à zigzaguer sur la route et reçut l’aide de spectateurs lorsqu’il fut à terre. Ses derniers mots auraient été: « Remettez-moi sur mon vélo ». A l’époque, la prise de médicaments n’était pas illégale dans le cyclisme.

Le monument situé à l’endroit de la tragédie est toujours un lieu de pèlerinage célèbre pour les coureurs cyclistes. ■

DIRECTORY ♦ 17

JULY 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Business Directory

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CONTINUED NEXT PAGE...

ADVERTORIAL

Dyal Consulting - project management & personal concierge services This month we meet Dordogne-based Dyal Consulting, a company specialising in project management and private concierge services.

Hello Arnaud Laurent. So, how was Dyal Consulting born?

Dyal Consulting is the fruit of a collaboration of building experts with 40 years’ experience, combined with my expertise in project management, design and architecture.

tisans for the job; day-to-day management of the project... right through to handing you the keys when the job is complete. All this is done whilst respecting the project’s goals and sticking to your budget. We act as a personalised service provider. Using our extensive experience we can match our customer’s requirements with their budget via technical solutions adapted to each trade.

- The second service we offer is as a private concierge.

In short, what exactly is Dyal Consulting... what can you offer clients?

So Arnaud, do you handle the project management AND the concierge service?

The company is divided into 2 key services:

No, no, my expertise is in project management and the concierge service is run by my wife! She loves things to be organised, so it is something that suits her down to the ground!

She knows what needs to be done to keep clients happy and what services will best suit their individual needs.

- The first is project management. We offer a dedicated and tailored service for your project, anything from simple advice through to the completion of your work from beginning to end: budgeting; finding the right ar-

Explain to us in more detail how the concierge service works.

The private concierge service is available to anyone, either on a contract basis, or via à la carte services. Dyal Consulting will meet all our customers’ demands, whether small or extravagant: maintenance of properties and buildings as well as ensuring smooth running (heating, boilers, air conditioning, chimneys, gardens, pools, etc.), all at a pre-agreed price and working with artisans available in under 48 hours, depending on urgency - something that would not usually be possible for an individual dealing with a tradesperson. On top of that, we can help you to organise events, arrange for a home chef, fill up your fridge and anything else to prepare for your return to France, or simply your return from holiday. My wife is effectively available as a personal assistant to help in the day-to-day life of your readers!

Thanks for your time, Arnaud. Finally, how can readers get hold of you?

Two numbers: mine is 06 98 54 26 01 or you can reach my wife Aude on 07 77 95 31 36. Alternatively, you can visit our website at www.dyalconsulting.fr A good summer to everyone and we look forward to speaking to you soon! ■

18 ♦ DIRECTORY

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JULY 2014

ADVERTORIAL

Improving your Chances of Selling your House

A

s most house sellers know, this is an extremely difficult time to sell your house, but that doesn’t mean you can’t improve your chances to generate interest in your property. How? Well, take a look at the photo below.

Not exactly flattering is it and it’s not unusual to see house photos like this on the internet. The problem is that most estate agents don’t have the time or resources to correct them.

Now look at your own photographs and ask yourself, do they really show off your house, do your rooms look bright and

Building Services General

airy, was it a sunny day when the photos were taken? If you answered ‘No’ to any of these questions you can and should do something about them.

“Your photographs are the most important opportunity you have to attract interest in your house. Potential buyers browse many websites and your house details will be very similar to others, especially within the same price bracket, but your photographs are unique and usually the first thing a prospective buyer will notice,” says Nic Stern founder of HousePhotoRetouching.com, an internet based company that offers professional photo retouching and enhancement services to house sellers, estate agents and holiday home rental agencies. “Most sellers just don’t realise they can do something about their photos. If they’re dark and dingy or have grey skies, they need to be fixed.

Our service is inexpensive and can really make a big difference when it comes to bringing attention to your house, as you can see from the photo to the right.

“The response to this service from house sellers has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic, new customers even get the opportunity to see one photo enhanced free of charge so they can

For more information visit www.housephotoretouching.com or call 07 81 05 63 98

Skilled Workman Building Renovations & Small Jobs • Velux Windows • Roof Repairs • Tiling • Plumbing • Plaster boarding • Garden Projects & Maintenance For more info please call Barrie

05.55.02.66.58 / 06.76.09.68.37 Or visit my website

www.bw-renovations.co.uk SIRET: 501 338 230 00011

David’s Services

What can I offer you?

22 Years’ experience working in France A complete service of Repairs and Maintenance (interior and exterior) A house opening and closing service Good solid technical advice on future projects Trustworthy, reliable and conscientious Based in the North of Dordogne

Contact David: 05 53 05 84 48

WiFi Anglais

Solve your Internet, wireless and computer problems Extended wired and wireless networks for homes, gîtes and small businesses.

VPN solutions. Windows and Mac OSX.

Tel: 05 53 30 23 96 Mob: 07 78 52 20 46 Siret: 800 525 040 00013

Building Services

05 55 41 17 76

Electricians

Building Services

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

Harlequin Developments are a Distributor and Installer for Solarventi, solar dehumidifying and water heating products, as well as a range of other renewable energies

05.55.68.67.56 06.06.60.46.97

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

sales24@thebugle.eu

05 55 41 17 76

Leigh Dodd

ELECTRICIAN O5.55.48.95.86

sales24@thebugle.eu

Painters/ Decorators

www.saraleigh.com

Rewires, renovations and all other electrical needs Fully insured, 25+ Years experience Based near St-Yrieix-la-Perche Depts covered: 24, 87 & 19

contact@saraleigh.com Siret: 507 643 336 00013

Computers & Satellites

Food & Drink

Email: Stephen@Wisedale.com

No Siret: 402 444 871 00022

Harlequin Developments

judge for themselves the dramatic improvements that can be achieved.”

Emily P., a small business owner from Almeria recently said, “A friend mentioned the House Photo Retouching website to me when I was having trouble attracting interest in my house. In hindsight my photos were pretty terrible... they fixed my photos, buyers started looking and I was able to sell at the price I was looking for, despite the state of the property market here.

I fully recommend the service. It's one of the best investments I've ever made.” ■

The Dordogne Chippy Traditional Fish & Chips in a town near you All venues are in the evening between 6pm & 8.30 pm Monday: Le Champsac (every other week) Tuesday: Tremolat Wednesday: Star Inn, Périgueux Thursday: Eymet Friday: Lauzun

Karen’s Kitchen Catering for you in the Dordogne

Specialising in home-made pastries: Sausage rolls, Pasties - Cornish, Cheese & Onion, Steak & Stilton, Vegetarian & Chicken.

Eccles cakes. Scones made to order.

All prepared and baked daily on the premises you cannot get fresher!

Bacon, cheese, bread, tea bags & tinned produce all in stock.

Find me at your local market: • Tue - Le Bugue • Thu - Eymet • Fri - Le Buisson • Sat - Villereal • Sun - Issigeac

www.karenskitchen24.com email: karenskitchen24@gmail.com

05 53 74 01 91 or 06 01 31 07 47

Garden Services

(except the last Friday of the month when it is Daglan)

See our website for full details:

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

Simon Carter

Montluc Painting & Decorating Qualified craftsman with over 25 years UK experience, now based 24/87 border Specialist services: Interior & exterior painting, wallpapering, plastering & boarding, floor restoration, tiling.

FREE QUOTES

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

La Poutre

Bar & Restaurant

24400 Beaupouyet (N89 between Montpon & Mussidan)

French/International cuisine.

Themed nights each Friday: 1st Friday - Curry night 2nd Friday - Quiz night 3rd Friday - Fish n Chips night “best around”!!

4th Friday - Live Music night Open Tue - Fri: 11am - 9pm (except Wed eve) Saturday 6pm - 10pm Sunday 12pm - 3pm, traditional English roasts served For further details call Steve:

05 53 80 29 54

or email: steve.francis24@gmail.com or facebook: Beaupouyet La Poutre siret 537 415 903 00013

Gardening & Property Services Stuart Fieldhouse All aspects of garden maintenance: hedge cutting, mowing, fencing, etc as well as property maintenance.

References provided.

Coussac-Bonneval - 05 55 70 59 75 email: smincky@yahoo.com

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

DIRECTORY ♦ 19

JULY 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

ADVERTORIAL

Buggs - making car hire simpler

Buggs... where did you get that name from? This seems to be a question that's asked more and more frequently by visitors hiring rental cars at Bergerac and now Limoges airports.

Buggs Car Hire, in case you did not know, was the brainchild of Simon Parr and Karl Ayling, way back in the days when the airline Buzz flew into Bergerac.

The initial idea was that the new company name would be linked to Buzz for advertising and brand recognition and so the name Buggs was born!

Soon after, Buzz sold the route to Ryanair, but the Buggs name had stuck and has proved to be a sound commercial decision; it is instantly recognisable and easy to remember and the distinctive corporate colours of lime green and purple only add to the 'once seen never forgotten!' feel.

Since those early beginnings, Buggs has been grateful for year on year success and growth.

Computers & Satellites

This is all down to a simple ethos of keeping the process easy, matching the customers' demands, providing a personal service, giving the end user the best possible value for money and making sure the customer is satisfied enough to use Buggs again and again!

Car hire is not complicated, but it could not be simpler with Buggs.

From the moment that you make your initial enquiry, you get the feeling that you are dealing with real people and not some sterile multi-national organisation.

The booking and payment process is personal and simple and this theme continues when you arrive at the Buggs desk at the

airport. Because the car rental is pre-paid and Buggs have collected all your personal details in advance, the rental agreement requires only a signature and you are away with the keys in your hand! Average completion time is around 2 mins! Compare that to the customers who regularly queue for over an hour with the other rental companies.

You will never pay over the odds for this service either, as Buggs pricing is always very competitive. Just as important is their guarantee that there will be no extra charges on arrival and no nasty surprises on your credit card statement after!! A guarantee not to be found with their competitors.

Based on the ever growing

As a thank you to Bugle readers, Buggs are offering heavily discounted rates this coming winter, just mention 'The Bugle' when enquiring.

WWW.CARDBUBBLE.COM BUY YOUR BRITISH GREETINGS CARDS ONLINE! QUALITY CARDS AT UK PRICES!

Transport, Removals & Storage

E: ANGI@CARDBUBBLE.COM

UK & French Satellite TV

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

Handholding Services

Approved Supplier

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

06 30 28 81 43

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

Gifts & Crafts

FranglaisServices

... exists to provide quality services to businesses and individuals in the Dordogne and beyond.

We deliver invaluable linguistic assistance, practical IT and audiovisual assistance, web solutions and photographic services.

To find out more call us on

+33 (0)6 77 38 58 56 or visit

www.franglais-services.com siret: 791 378 433 00019

Ivan Petley

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

Keyrings €2 plus other unique gift ideas.

Customisation and personalisation possible.

Postal delivery options across France.

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

Your advert here

General

Dératisation, Déinsectisation, Désinfection

Email: info@applicateur3d.com

Man & Van Transport

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

14m3 capacity 4.2m load length

TOOWAY BROADBAND

Central France Pest Control

Visit our website to find out more: www.buggscarhire.com

www.applicateur3d.com

siret: 751 978 917 00019

Formerly Electrosat

Looking forward, Buggs do not want to stop there and they would like to add further airports in the very near future Brive, La Rochelle, Carcassonne, Lourdes, Biarritz, Bordeaux... with the prospect of many more visitors asking 'where did you get that name from?' ■

02 48 60 83 72 / 06 74 33 02 38

FREE DELIVERY ON ALL ORDERS OVER €10 WORLDWIDE

Sat-Elec

success of Buggs at Bergerac, it was a logical move to open at another airport. Limoges was chosen, because of its year round flight timetable and Buggs 2 went live in November last year.

Bookings are strong for 2014, a sure indication that Buggs have firmly established themselves in the car rental market and are continuing to satisfy their customers.

Curative and preventative rats, mice, moles, flies, woodworm, bed bugs, fleas, wasps, hornets

La Petite Barre, 18210 Bessais Le Fromental SIRET No. 498 544 741 00024

www.soshelpline.org

Eco Entrepot

05 55 33 21 59

aka The Shed

87150 Oradour-sur-Vayres

www.frenchvanman.eu Siret 530 213 644 00012

Efficient parking for all types of vehicles Book now!!

www.parkinglimoges.com

06 13 38 59 68 05 55 14 49 45

Pest Control

05 55 41 17 76

sales@thebugle.eu

anxious? stressed? feeling down? call us up!

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

French Spoken

Parking For Limoges Airport

SOS Help

Dyal Consulting

Your partners for peace of mind While you’re away, we can look after your house, check for weather damage, perform small maintenance jobs, take care of the garden, get your home ready for winter.

On your return, we can prepare your house, stock up on groceries, etc... everything to make your arrival stress free.

We are here to keep your house alive throughout your absence and to make your life easier!

Call your concierge today:

07 77 95 31 36

sales24@thebugle.eu

05 55 41 17 76

32,000ft2 of great products incl.

British Groceries, DIY, Housewares, Furniture, Clothing, Toiletries plus loads more!!

05 55 68 74 73 Open every day except Monday

CARPET / UPHOLSTERY CLEANING Specialists in all carpet and upholstery cleaning

PROCHEM trained and Qualified

10 years UK experience - Covering depts 24/47/33

06 32 32 64 54 / 05 53 58 00 98 email lucidservices24@gmail.com siret: 512 614 306 00011

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

05.55.41.17.76

20 ♦ DIRECTORY

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JULY 2014

ADVERTORIAL

“SolarVenti”- the solar solution to damp and humidity

A

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

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

model came together.

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

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

The initial models were more than capable of keeping the cottages dry (and ventilated), even with the limited sunshine hours available in Denmark during the winter season.

Since that time, the technology has really come along in leaps and bounds. Now, more than 20 years later, the 3rd and 4th

generation Solarventi have exceeded all expectations.

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

The installation process is very straightforward and should only take two or three hours.

All that is needed is a drill, hammer and chisel to make a hole in the wall. Roof installations are also possible. In fact, the Solarventi was originally designed to be a DIY product in Scandinavia it still is.

There are no electrical or

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

With a range of panel sizes, and the option for wall or roof mounting, Solarventi is suitable for all types of buildings, caravans or even boats!!

Following the patenting of its design in 2001, Solarventi has only recently been actively commercialized. Over the last six years, Solarventi units have been installed in more than 24 countries and demand is increasing rapidly. From Greenland to Australia, Solarventi is finally getting the recognition it deserves. ■

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

ADVERTORIAL

SAT-ELEC - Satellite & Broadband solutions

D

id you miss the football because you suddenly lost your picture? Is your UK TV viewing reliable? Does it fade out in the evening or when it rains?

Some programmes missing?

If you answered “Yes” to any of the above, then call MIKE on 06 30 28 81 43 to get it sorted.

Extra points, French terrestrial TV, or even TV while in the bath... we fit them all!

At Sat-Elec our estimate or quotation is FREE within 100 km of our office at Sauviatsur-Vige; for greater distances we will endeavour to give you an estimate over the phone.

At Sat-Elec we do much more than just install Satellite TV. We are official resellers for Satellite Broadband and

have full demonstration facilities. Our sister company in the UK is now a supplier of Satellite Broadband to English Heritage and Capita, as well as a number of campsites and private customers.

There are some very good offers on broadband at the moment, both with TOOWAY and SES. TOOWAY - OWN YOUR OWN EQUIPMENT Monthly costs start from €19.90 per month + equipment: €399.95 + installation from €180.00 and a setup fee of €29.99. This gives you speeds up to 2MB down and 1MB up and 2GB allowance a month. For 20MB down and 6 MB up with 10GB allowance a month allowance then the monthly cost is €29.90.

SES - OWN YOUR OWN EQUIPMENT Probably the better option for iPlayer use. Monthly costs start from €10.95 per month + equipment: €318.95 + installation from €180.00 and a setup fee of €29.99. This gives you speeds up to 4MB down and 0.5MB up and 3GB a month. For 20MB down and 2MB up and 10GB allowance a month then the monthly cost is €21.95.

Owning your own equipment has the benefit that you aren’t tied to a contract.

There are lots of other packages available, even a special SES one for the very light user with a cost of €7.75/ GB. This is ideal for the light user who is not there all the time as there are no monthly

charges.

If you feel competent, then why not install the system yourself? WE WILL SHIP IT DIRECTLY TO YOUR ADDRESS complete with a full installation kit. If problems arise then we will install it for you.

Wi-Fi a problem in your property? Need Wi-Fi in a gite or other nearby property? No problem... just call Mike.

The two Mikes are happy to prepare a custom package for you. ■ Contact Mike: 06 30 28 81 43 05 55 09 15 73 mike@sat-elec.co.uk SAT-ELEC - where knowledge and experience provide the complete solution

SEARCHWORDOKU © - by Anthony Parson Complete the alphabetical Sudoku grid to the left using only the letters already shown, then use the result wordsearch grid to find: A notorious British murderer

How does it work...?

Complete the Sudoku grid in the usual manner, using only the 9 letters already shown. Once complete, you will be left with a 9x9 wordsearch grid, in which to find the final piece of the puzzle.

See the completed example to the right, the clue for which is "An English county".

Be careful not to jump to conclusions, as with the letters available, the answer could be SURREY, SUSSEX, ESSEX, or as it turns out in this case... SOMERSET.

Solution on page 29

JULY 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

WHAT’S

ON

WHAT’S ON ♦ 21 SAMBA GALÊZ ON TOUR Samba Galêz is a community samba band from Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, which is coming to the Dordogne to play in La Coquille and Miallet in July this year. The music of Samba Galêz combines the rhythms of South America and Africa in an exciting performance. The band members are never sure where the music will go, following signals from the musical director, so no performance is the same as another.

Under the professional leadership of Simon Preston, the band has appeared on television in the UK - including an appearance with Patrick Robinson on Strictly Come Dancing. They regularly play 30-40 gigs every year, including performances to support local and national charities.

Samba Galêz will be playing in La Coquille on Saturday 12th July, before the evening fireworks display, at the Stade. You can also catch performances in Miallet on Monday 14th July from midday onwards. Thirty members of the band are playing so you should not have a problem finding us!

Come and enjoy some unusual live music from a top-class band. To find out more visit:

www.sambagalez.info

Variations Vocal Ensemble - Monday 14th July

Concert – Dottie Bart Jazz Quartet

8 pm. Salle des fêtes, Champagne et Fontaine.

Variations will perform a selection of popular French and American songs from the 30s and 40s.

The Dottie Bart Jazz Quartet features Dottie Bart (vocal), Dan Jones (guitar), Paul Korte (double bass) and Simon Fernie (drums).

Tickets: 10 Euros. Bar & fajitas available.

For reservations, please contact Valerie Wareham: Tel: 05 53 90 62 03 For more information visit www.variationsfrance.com or www.facebook.com/variationsfrance

18th - 28th July New Orleans jazz festival with a programme of 16 concerts across the department, featuring Dale Blade & The Room-Mates and Spencer Bohren & Family... plus special guests.

For more information: tel 05

53 53 66 11 or visit

www.mnop-festival.com

22 ♦ WHAT’S ON

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JULY 2014

Battle of castillon July 18, 19, 25, 26 August 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16

Spectacular sound and light show commemorating the last great battle of the Hundred Years War, when France took back Aquitaine from the English in 1453.

Performed on a natural arena encompassing 17 acres, within firing range of the original battle ground, 800 volunteers, including 500 actors and 50 horseback riders, re-enact the Battle of Castillon.

For two hours, spectators are captivated by battle sequences with stunts, special effects and explosives. The spectacle also depicts everyday life of the Middle Ages, including rural scenes set in a farm or an inn or by the well, the grape harvest, shooting practice and market day.

“The Battle of Castillon” has become one of the most popular cultural events in Aquitaine and has attracted more than 700,000 spectators since its inception. It is performed, as the producer Eric Le Collen says, “With the precision of the cinema, the sensitivity of the theatre and the dimension of the opera”.

The show takes place at the foot of the Château Castegens. Belvès-de-Castillon is 3 minutes from Castillon-la Bataille, on the Gironde/Dordogne border. The performance begins at 10:30pm and lasts for two hours with a 20-minute interval – it is recommended that you arrive one hour before the start. An open-air restaurant offers dinner from 7:30pm (light refreshments and drinks are also available on site and picnics are allowed).

For more information and tickets: Tel 05 57 40 14 53 or visit www.batailledecastillon.com Tickets: Adults €23; 13-17 year olds €15; 5-12 year olds €9; FREE for Under 5’s

Sarlat Theatre Festival 19th July-4th August

The Sarlat Theatre Festival is one of the city’s great institutions.

Since 1952 it has animated the ancient stones of the city during the summer. It is the oldest festival of its type after Avignon, the first in Aquitaine and one of the most well known throughout France.

All the performances take place in the open air, against the magical background of the medieval city.

For more information tel 05 53 31 10 83 or visit www.festival-theatre-sarlat.com

Garden Fête

N21 Mavaleix 24800 on the main road in aid of the Twilight old dogs home

Sunday 20th July – 11 am – 4 pm Free entry

Garden Games Best dressed watering can competition Tombola Cakes, Coffee, Sausages (Sausageland) Music, Vide-greniers, Artisans, Books Model Railway For more information tel 05 53 52 62 37, email leeanneandmike@yahoo.com or visit www.twilightchiens.com

At the end of July each year, Montignac is host to a world folklore and dance festival. This 34th edition invites performers from South Africa, Cuba, Spain, France, Gabon, Guadeloupe, Japan, Mongolia and USA. Tel 05 53 50 14 00 or visit www.festivaldemontignac.assoo.org

WHAT’S ON ♦ 23

JULY 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Registered charity Elizabeth Finn Care is able to offer direct financial assistance to British and Irish nationals or residents who live overseas.

Briefly we can consider assisting those who: 1. Are British or Irish residents or nationals.

2. Are living on a low income or meanstested benefits.

3. Have formerly been employed in one of a wide range of qualifying occupations. Have, or have had, a partner employed in a qualifying occupation.

We ensure that our help does not affect any means-tested payments.

We are able to consider assisting financially in numerous ways.

We understand that life can be difficult for expats living away from the UK and that sometimes assistance is needed.

One of the first cricket clubs to exist in the French provinces, Eymet Cricket Club (Club Eymetois de Cricket) was founded in 1983 by a group of expats who were seriously missing their favourite sport. For the first season they played on coconut matting laid on the town’s football pitch, but the following year the Mayor kindly offered use of our present ground at Eymet - complete with stand and all necessary facilities.

The club plays an average of twenty matches per season - south-west league games, national competitions, and against several overseas touring sides.

Our home ground in Eymet is at Stade Bretou, hard by

the gendarmerie. Drinks and teas available.

New members, playing or social, are very welcome!

Upcoming fixtures: Sunday 6/7 Friendly away against Damazan CC Mondy 14/7 Friendly at home against Dorking

Dads Sunday 20/7 Cup game away against St-Aulaye For more information about the club and upcoming fixutres call Tim Smith on 05 53 24 15 22 or David Horlock on 05 53 24 11 40 or visit http://eymetcricket.com/

Can you give a home to adorable KIM? 6 year-old Braque x Spaniel.

We’re putting a shout-out for this boy because he’s been at Phoenix for a few months now and has received absolutely no calls! This makes no sense as he’s close to being an all-rounder.

We say close, as he is inclined to chase cats, but if you have a cat-free home, and a secure garden to guard against his curious nose, then he could be just what you’ve been waiting for!

He looks lean & muscular but he’s as cuddly & devoted as they come, and extremely gentle. He travels brilliantly, and he’s an easy-peasy boy who, previously desperately unhappy at the SPA, now loves nothing more than affection and curling up in his bed. He delights his foster carers with his loyalty & lovely gentle nature and he loves the company of other dogs or people. He’s a fairly small boy, weighing in at about 19kg. He is in foster care in Thiviers, 24.

Kim is tatooed (2 GCB 867) vaccinated and neutered and if you’d like to meet him, please contact Jackie & Andy on 05 53 52 06 23 or email Jackie.Axford@gmail.com Thank you, Phoenix Association - www.phoenixasso.com

Managing Editor: Steve Martindale Editor-in-Chief: Steve Martindale Registered Address: Les Quatre Chemins

23150 St-Yrieix-les-Bois France SIRET: 514 989 748 00017 Printed by: Charente Libre

16340, L’Isle d’Espagnac France Monthly circulation: 12,000 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.

Got an event for The Bugle? notices@thebugle.eu

05 55 41 17 76

Directeur: Steve Martindale Rédacteur-en-chef: Steve Martindale Siège Les Quatre Chemins

23150 St-Yrieix-les-Bois France SIRET: 514 989 748 00017 Imprimé par: Charente Libre

16340, L’Isle d’Espagnac France

Tirage mensuel:

12,000 copies

Tous droits réservés. Toute reproduction, totale ou partielle, des articles et illustrations du présent numéro est strictement interdite.

Dépôt légal à parution.

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

Monday

Market Days

Beynac Le Fleix Les Eyzies Ste-Alvère

Tuesday

Beaumont du Périgord Bergerac Brantôme Cénac-et-Saint-Julien Lanouaille Le Bugue Mareuil Neuvic Ribérac Salignac Eyvigues Thenon Trémolat Villefranche-de-Lonchat

Wednesday Bergerac Hautefort Jumilhac-le-Grand La Tour Blanche Montpon-Ménestérol Montignac Périgueux

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

Belvès Bergerac Lalinde La Roche Chalais Le Bugue Montignac Mussidan Neuvic Nontron Périgueux Razac Sarlat St Aulaye Thiviers Verteillac Villefranche du Périgord

Friday

Sunday

Thursday

Bergerac Brantôme Cubjac Le Buisson Ribérac Sarlat Sigoulès Vergt

Saturday

Agonac Beaumont du Périgord

Bergerac Couze St Front Daglan Issigeac Pontours Pressignac-Vicq Rouffignac Sarlat Sorges St Cyprien St Génies St Pardoux la Rivière

For more information contact: Mary Hughes - Case worker France, Elizabeth Finn Care tel: 04 68 23 43 79 or visit: www.elizabethfinncare.org.uk and: www.turn2us.org.uk

24 ♦ WHAT’S ON

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JULY 2014