The Bugle Dordogne - Jul 2016 by The Bugle

Animal shot dead in Dordogne was a wolf

It has been revealed that the animal shot dead at the end of last year was indeed a wolf - the first confirmed sighting in the Dordogne >> Page 5

Dordogne July 2016 - Issue #37

Brexit - what does it mean for you? The United Kindgom has voted to leave the EU, creating fear and confusion for expats across Europe. Years of complex negotiations will follow, but what might the recent Brexit mean for those of us living and working in France today? Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. This will signal the start of the official exit process from the EU and will begin at least two years of negotiations on any future agreements between Britain and the European Union. Leave campaigners believe that Britain is such an important market for Europe that the EU will effectively be forced to give the UK access to the European single market through the European Economic Area (EEA) agreement. With 500 million consumers, the EEA is the world’s biggest free trade area. Other non-EU countries that are members of the EEA (Norway, for exam-

>> continued on page 8

NEWS - New superregion named

Those of us who used to live in Aquitaine now reside in Nouvelle Aquitaine - a name change that has not gone down well in many areas >> Page 3

NEWS - Elephant's broken leg fixed

In a world first, an Auvergne zoo has healed an elephant with a double leg fracture - an injury that often proves fatal >> Page 10

NEWS - European air traffic network? © Luc Viatour / www.Lucnix.be (WikiCommons)

o it’s official. The people have spoken and the United Kingdom has voted to leave the European Union. The news has been met with shock, concern and anger across Europe and leaves hundreds of thousands of British expats in France facing an uncertain future. Whilst it is not yet clear what will happen in the medium term, governments on both sides of the Channel have been keen to stress that nothing will change in the short term. At some point in the coming weeks and months, the British government will invoke

INSIDE > > >

Following more strikes by air traffic controllers, a group of major airlines is calling for a European-wide air traffic network to reduce the impact of industrial action >> Page 12

The Bugle Business Directory

They are a symbol of the country, but the French are eating fewer and fewer baguettes >> Page 10

We all have bad habits. Develop a healthy one that actually saves you money!

4 pages of listings for local English-speaking businesses - your essential guide to finding just what you’re looking for >> Pages 15-18

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2 ♦ IN THIS EDITION

Welcome to

The Bugle

stayed up most of the night of 23rd June to listen to the results coming in. As the night progressed, my emotions went from anticipation, to surprise, concern, shock and then fear. Later that day, shame would be added to the mix. The referendum debate was a frustrating one, with misleading statements and outright lies causing a toxic atmosphere. Both sides resorted to fear tactics and the facts were quickly discarded. As it turns out, the referendum was not actually about the pros and cons of the European Union. The ballot paper should instead have carried the question, “Are you happy with the current government?” as this

is the question that the vast majority of people appeared to be answering. As reporters travelled around the country gathering reactions, the common refrain of those who voted Leave was “It’s always been them and us”, “Westminster doesn’t understand what life is like round here”, “It’s just a posh boys club”. I could have accepted a Leave vote if it had been made on the basis of the pros and cons of the European Union, but I have absolutely come to the conclusion that vast swathes of the country simply wanted to give the government a black eye. What has happened, in my opinion, is that the UK has now done the very definition of cutting off its nose to spite its face. And it’s a one-way

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ticket. Michael Heseltine summed it up for me when he said he wasn’t a fan of referenda as whilst you get an answer, it is to a different question, adding, “We know what people were voting against, but we don’t know what they were voting for”. Is the EU a perfect system? Absolutely not, far from it! Did the positives outweigh the negatives? In my opinion, yes. And before you say it, I am 100% certain I would have voted Remain if I had lived all my life in the UK. It is not a case of personal interest. The fear and anger turned to shame when the instances of bigotry and racism began. With a campaign that revolved so centrally around the thorny issue of immigration, it was always going to happen. I fear for what my country has become when a Muslim campaigning for Remain in Wales is told on Twitter to “pack your bags and go home”. When it was pointed out to the troll that the lady in question was a British citizen born in Caerphilly, the reply came

“If a pig is born in a stable, it doesn’t mean it’s a horse”. Unacceptable, shameful and shocking. I hope that the Leave vote does not prove to be a mandate for racism in the UK. I hope even more that there is a backlash to the racism and xenophobia and Britain will do some soul searching in the coming months and years, although I suspect this may be wishful thinking. As the week has progressed, I have became increasingly angry at David Cameron and the Conservatives for calling the referendum in the first place. It was initially promised by Cameron as an attempt to quash a minor backbench rebellion ahead of a general election campaign... and here we are 3 years later. So I have decided to stop worrying and get on with life. I (literally) had no say in my country leaving the EU (I fell foul of the 15-year rule) and right now I do not like what the country of my birth looks like. But hey, I don’t live in the UK, I live in France and there are loads

of great things in my life. Let the politicians dismantle Europe, it’ll probably take decades. I am going to concentrate on the here and now. Summer is ahead of us and there are great things going on all over the region. If in doubt, take a look at our bumper What’s On section this month. If you can’t find something there to take your mind off Brexit, then I don’t know what else to suggest. I’m planning to pack the family in the car and be a busy man this July. If the world is indeed going to hell in a handcart, then I’m going to go down smiling!! Until next month! Steve Martindale, Editor

General: editor@thebugle.eu Advertising (EN): sales24@thebugle.eu Publicité (FR): publicite@thebugle.eu Subscriptions: subscriptions24@thebugle.eu Write to: The Bugle Les Quatre Chemins 23150 St-Yrieix-les-Bois

INSIDE this edition 3-6 Local News 7-12 National News 13 French Life 14 Practical 15-18 Directory 19 Community 20-24 What’s On

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LOCAL NEWS ♦ 3

JULY 2016 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Bergerac dresses Introducing... Nouvelle Aquitaine up for summer

t the end of June, one Dordogne city was defying the grey skies and proclaiming the start of summer. Bergerac has been getting itself ready since the middle of last month to be a major Dordogne attraction for the holiday season. The focus of the summer’s events is le Port du Cadouin near the ancient town centre, the historic landing place on the Dordogne river. This quay was one of the three that served the city’s commerce in the past. The Cadouin originally sloped to the water’s edge so that beasts involved in transporting goods could take a drink in safety. This year, parking will be suspended on the quayside between 23rd June and 9th September to prepare and host an extravagant summer programme of events.

Deputy mayor, Laurence Rouan, recently announced a lavish series of over 80 attractions on the site and throughout the town. The quay is furnished with colourful individual cabins for shops and workshops, a massive stage (promising not to obscure the view of the river), a side stage for smaller scale presentations and a giant sunshade to protect audiences from the summer heat - The Bugle has been assured that sunshine will be guaranteed in Bergerac throughout the festivities! Finally, as a unique and spectacular feature, a massive fountain is to rise from the middle of the Dordogne river. The programme gets under way on 1st July with a riverside concert by the group Voizins de Paliers with local “The Voice” singer, Samantha Ferrando. Cyrano would have loved it! ■ by Brian Hinchcliffe

fter months of discussions, suggestions and concessions, leaders of the new “super-region” - made up of the former Aquitaine, Limousin and Poitou-Charentes regions - have finally chosen a new name... Nouvelle Aquitaine. The news was met with howls of derision from residents of the two smaller regions that have fused with Aquitaine and before long a petition had been set up to protest the name change. “The merger of three former regions shouldn’t be an annexation of two regions by the third one,” reads the petition, which has so far garnered over 22,000 signatures. “Nouvelle Aquitaine doesn’t mean anything,” petition author Hugues Linyer told La Nouvelle République. “Eleanor of Aquitaine is dead and we must find a name of today that respects all identities. I’m Rochelais but there are also Basques, Béarnais, Limousins and Poitevins and we are not Aquitains.” Indeed, it would appear that even the Aquitains are not that happy with the new region’s name. A survey carried out in the former Aquitaine region by France 3 revealed that 73% of people there were against it. Nouvelle Aquitaine was chosen by local officials from a shortlist that contained the apparently much more popular options of Sud-Ouest Atlantique and Grand Sud-Ouest. Despite there being much opposition to the new name, however, further protests are

likely to be in vain after the Conseil Général of the super-region officially approved it at a session held on 27th June. The naming process has proved unpopular across the country and not just in the southwest. Voters in the east of France settled on Grand-Est as the name of their new region earlier this year after a public outcry at the other options offered: Nouvelle-Austrasie, Rhin-Champagne and Acalie.

In March, the name Hauts de France was chosen for the Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie region in the far north, but it too spawned vociferous protests. When the dust settles, the political map of France will have transitioned from 22 regions to just 13, a move that it is hoped will save billions in administrative costs. Nouvelle Aquitaine will be the largest of France’s new super-regions. ■

4 ♦ LOCAL NEWS

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mateur gardeners across France are uniting to help fight for sick children through the charitable organisation Open Gardens/Jardins Ouverts, which is getting into full swing with its summer programme. Open Gardens originally started in the Creuse department in 2013, when it organised an open day in four gardens. The aim was to raise funds for the children’s charity “A Chacun Son Everest”. Founded by France’s first female climber to reach the summit of Everest, the charity aims to provide activities for children with leukaemia and cancer. The organisation quickly grew and in 2014 Open Gardens opened up 28 sites across 4 departments for this excellent cause. That year the gardens were open for a weekend and made a stunning €2,500 for charity. The mixture of viewing beautiful gardens and raising money for a charitable cause proved to be a popular way to spend time and many people arriving as visitors enjoyed the experience so much they became participants. In 2015 the gardeners set themselves a target of €5,000 - a target they smashed by raising a whopping €13,000. This year there are 90 gardens in the scheme across 22 departments. David and Alison Atkins, who opened their garden near Marthon on the Charente-Dordogne border for a weekend in mid-June, are fairly typical of most Open Gardeners. David has had a gardening passion all his life from his childhood on Romney Marsh. He insists he is very much an amateur, but a passionate one. His enthusiasm is shared by Alison who loves the quirky artefacts that can add fun surprises to a garden. David came to rural France to escape

Dordogne rail travellers

a life in the fast lane of London financial markets. “I came here to get away from the insurance business and to do something completely different, but finished up as an insurance broker in a country village instead. A day like today reminds me why I’m still here!” They have about an acre of garden in front and around their stone house. “Most of the bigger trees were already here,” David told The Bugle. “We shaped the topography a bit and introduced some fairly unusual plants as well as old favourites.” Alison’s delight is the lovely surprises they get from self-seeding culinary herbs and natural growth. “What we love about these open garden days is that we can share what gives us pleasure and give a hand to a really great cause.”

A teacher at the Université Populaire in Ruelle, Alison explained that when they arrived in 2009 the garden was not in good shape, the roses were poor and there were a few shrubs. That space now has those delightful secret bits that visitors love and some magnificent settings of giant thistle arrangements. To the delight of their many French visitors, the Atkins’ provide a traditional English afternoon tea, with home-made cakes and the best china. “This is our bit of sponsorship,” added Alison. “We buy all the ingredients and make the goodies so that every penny of the takings goes straight to ‘Everest’.” Wherever you are there will be an Open Garden near you. To find out more or to get involved visit www.opengardens.eu. ■

by Brian Hinchcliffe

At the end of June, upgrades in rail services, timetables and rolling stock were announced by the region, now called Nouvelle Aquitaine (see pg 3). Starting next year, three extra trains per day are to be added to the BordeauxPérigueux-Limoges service. The objective is in part to reduce the time taken for the journey, aiming at an average of no more than 2h19m. Renaud Lagrave, vice-chairman of the infrastructure committee explained the rationale for the improvements: “The enlargement of the region means we have to create better communication. The end of road traffic problems produced by long-term road works around Bordeaux means that we must regain our competitiveness compared with the car.” He acknowledged that the line had become one of the poorest of the network and that it was time anyway for improvements, starting with three extra trains a day to be added to the schedules. Additionally, Mr Lagrave’s announcement highlights future plans for a daily new “Business Express” service that will slash travel time from Périgueux to Paris to less than 3h30. He also promised funding for a proposed transport interchange in Périgueux. As a bonus to travellers, rolling stock, apparently ordered a decade ago, is due to appear on the department’s rail tracks by 2018. It is hoped this will reduce both delays and technical cancellations as well as boosting the punctuality rate to at least 91%... not to mention extra comfort! ■ by Brian Hinchcliffe

LOCAL NEWS ♦ 5

JULY 2016 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Dordogne wolf... was a wolf! Sarlat property auction sell-off

eight months after two locals found and shot a wounded animal hiding in a Dordogne chicken shed, an official report has revealed that the animal was indeed a wolf. Although it remains an isolated incident, many have predicted that wolves will continue to colonise further areas of France and this will not be the last wolf sighting in the department. “I heard a noise in the night and dogs barking,” said Albert Allemandou, in October of last year. “At about 9 o’clock the next morning, I saw an animal walking near the woods. My friend saw it as well and said ‘that’s a wolf’, but I said don’t be silly, there are no wolves round here, it must be a fox!” Later that morning, Albert saw the animal creep into his chicken shed. Worried, he closed the door and went to find a neighbour who was part of the local hunt. “When he arrived with his gun about 3 o’clock that afternoon, we saw that the animal was in a really bad way, so he shot it from the doorway.” Realising what they had on their hands, the pair contacted the local authorities, who, after a detailed investigation of the area, removed the body for further examination. The autopsy carried out on the animal would subsequently confirm that the wolf had lost a foot, presumably to a trap, was covered in scabies and weighed only 17kg. It was also confirmed that the wolf was from a native French pack and not from another European country, effectively ruling out the “animal

trafficking” theory. Although the pair appeared to have been motivated at least partly by compassion for the injured animal, they could still find themselves in hot water as wolves are a protected species in France and it is illegal to kill one. Although no case has yet been opened, the local state prosecutor will announce in the coming months whether charges will be brought against them. Wolves were virtually extinct in France until a handful crossed the border from Italy and recolonised the French Alps around 1993; they then rapidly spread across much of the southeastern part of the country and in recent years have crossed the Rhône valley and moved into the

Massif Central as well as parts of the Pyrenees. Many see wolves as a threat to livestock and are campaigning for the government to do more to halt their spread across France. Defenders of the wolf say that co-habitation between man, sheep and wolf is possible. Wolves are blamed for 5,000 sheep deaths a year in France - double the number of five years ago - and the most recent estimates suggest there may be as many as 300 wolves in France, in up to 25 packs. This figure is still far lower than in Italy, which has an estimated 1,000 canis lupus lupus and Spain where 2,000 wolves roam free. In both countries, however, sheep farms still thrive. ■

ugle readers who are fans of eBay might not have caught this local bargain, when a Dordogne town put its unwanted stuff online. Sarlat-la-Canéda, in the Périgord Noir, chose not to use eBay, but specialist platform agorastore.fr. In June, members of the public could bid online for interesting properties owned by the town. Sarlat’s mayor and local council decided to reduce the number of properties in the town that had outgrown their usefulness, starting with the former youth hostel and the old aquarium. Jean-Jacques de Peretti, mayor of Sarlat, explained the decision: “We have several buildings which bring no revenue, offer no benefits to the people of Sarlat and have to be maintained in reasonable condition.” He went on to speak of the recent changes in financing for local authorities in the government’s DGF (Dotation globale de fonctionnement) scheme which have reduced funds available for improving services and facilities in the town. The two properties on sale in this initial auction tranche required some attention and updating. The old youth hostel is a complex of a variety of buildings which were in use up to a couple of years ago as a winter refuge, but are no longer required by the town. The aquarium stands on a site of more than 500 square metres and came with a starting price of just €76,000. The refuge began at just over €140,000. The auction lasted a full 12 days and the successful buyers are covered by confidentiality rules, but the Sarladais will find out soon enough when the new owners start to develop their purchases. Sarlat is looking at its property portfolio and is considering a similar strategy for the old abattoir and the currently unused Pôle emploi. Proceeds from the auction have already been allocated to upgrading and reorganising town centre schools. ■ by Brian Hinchcliffe

6 ♦ LOCAL NEWS

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We also have a programme of visits to vineyards where passengers can do full tastings without a thought for the alcotest - it’s our driver who will abstain! We can also pick up or drop off at the station or airport.” If it’s a picnic you fancy, Wendy and Stéphane also run the Bio Joli organic store in Brantôme, so bon appétit et bonne route! To find out more about this new “Deuche” legend and how you can enjoy it, call Wendy on 05 53 53 76 52 or email contact@dordogne2cv.com. ■

by Brian Hinchcliffe

vantaged parts of the UK, Rick came to the Dordogne ten years ago, settling permanently here in 2010. Rick runs a writers’ group in Ribérac, which for a time included best-selling novelist, Fiona Barton, as one of its members. For the future Rick intends to continue living with Mick Fletcher and is planning at least two more for the series. “Mick is not a nice, likeable person, but inside he has some features that bind him to me,” Rick explained. To find out more about Rick Lee’s work and DI Mick Fletcher go to: rick-lee.co.uk. A treat is in store for fans of quality thrillers with Rick and Fiona Barton both coming to Brantôme to meet readers and sign books at Bookstop on Wednesday 27th July at 4 pm. ■

by Brian Hinchcliffe

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and matching roll-top, this iconic vehicle can take 3 passengers in a unique kind of comfort. At a very modest €40 per hour, the chauffeur-driven gem is aimed at the discerning visitor looking for an authentic French 1970s experience. The prospects for fun are only limited by the customer’s imagination. “We are proposing sightseeing with style,” Wendy explains. “Clients might want to visit châteaux, tour markets, go on picnics, or just enjoy bowling along in an iconic historic vehicle.

he cold and dreary north-east of England [ED - Brian’s words, not mine!] is about as far away as you can get from the beauty of the Dordogne, but that is the setting and starting point for one of the Dordogne’s foremost novelists. Rick Lee is the master of the hard, crisp and staccato thriller and the gritty, unglamorous world of Mick Fletcher, the cop whose face never fits, nor the way he gets to track and confront vile criminals. Mick Fletcher is the anti-hero throughout Rick’s novels. Ribérac-based Rick Lee is a writer who draws on his experiences from all over the UK in a wide range of settings to create a backdrop for his narratives. The tone of a Rick Lee novel is that of a winter’s day on the North York Moors or a Cumbrian fell: dark, cold, uncomfortable and forbidding, with sudden breaks of brilliant light. Rick told The Bugle of the inspirations that helped create the Mick Fletcher series. “I write from what I know. People, places, moments. I have been lucky enough to have been involved with some charismatic people in life-changing situations and learned an enormous amount about life and about myself.” Rick claims to have been a very shy teenager, who paradoxically went on to become a drama teacher. “Theatre is a great place to hide!” he explains. After a lifetime in drama education, often in difficult, sometimes severely disad-

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Dordogne enterprise has come up with a great idea to help visitors see the sights in a very “French” way. Who can resist a little nostalgia, especially if it turns out to be practical? What could be more French than cruising round the Dordogne countryside in a real Citroën 2CV? Dordogne couple Stéphane Lagrange and Wendy Burwood have just announced their latest delight for visitors to the Dordogne, a chauffeur-driven French icon at your disposal on an hourly basis. Based in the north of the Dordogne, Wendy told The Bugle: “Everyone loves the 2CV: typically French, quirky, practical and with that very gallic sense of style.” Wendy and Stéphane’s 2CV (French “deux chevaux”, i.e. two horsepower) has been completely restored by a local specialist in Champagnacde-Belair. With special upholstery that gives the 1973 original a Rolls Royce feel, a custom paint job

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NATIONAL NEWS ♦ 7

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Kerviel awarded SocGen damages McDo raid goes bad

n January 2008, rogue trader Jérôme Kerviel ran up €50 billion of unauthorised trades at France’s second largest bank, Société Générale - more than the bank was worth at the time. The scandal would eventually cost the bank €4.9 billion - the biggest loss of its kind in history - and go on to be seen as a harbinger of the global financial meltdown that was just around the corner. Although it was fined €4m in 2008 by the French banking commission for its failure to efficiently control its trading floor, Société Générale vigorously denied any knowledge or involvement in what it called Kerviel's “financial terrorism”. The trader was found guilty in a 2010 trial and sentenced to 3 years in prison and a fine of “four billion, nine hundred and fifteen million, six hundred and ten thousand, one hundred and fifty four euros” - a sum equivalent to the bank's losses. The fine was later overturned on appeal and the trader subsequently spent 5 months behind bars. Kerviel has always admitted the unauthorised trades, but said officials at Société Générale knew what he was

doing and turned a blind eye while the bank was making money. Speaking during his original trial, Kerviel told the court: “The daily encouragements of my superiors didn't put the brakes on me, but rather encouraged me”. He claimed that his bosses must have been aware of his massive illicit trading positions: “On a trading desk, we are all 50 cm from one another. Everything is seen, everything is heard.” In an attempt to hold his previous employers to account, Kerviel recently sued SocGen for wrongful dismissal and a tribunal has now agreed, ordering the bank to pay the former trader €450,000 in compensation. The labour court said the bank had dismissed him not because of his actions, which it must have known of, but for their consequences. One of the judges at the tribunal said that the bank could not pretend it was unaware of Mr Kerviel's fake operations and said he was fired “without genuine or serious cause”. SocGen’s lawyer, Arnaud Chalut, said the ruling for unfair dismissal was “scandalous”, highlighting that Kerviel had been convicted

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of a crime and adding that the bank would appeal against a decision that they claim runs counter to French law. Kerviel’s lawyer David Koubbi told Reuters that the tribunal’s decision “restores justice and tears apart the story that Société Générale has presented from the beginning”. French investigators are also currently considering

Kerviel’s request for a retrial of the criminal case, after Nathalie Le Roy, the police officer who led the Kerviel investigation in 2008 and 2012, recently expressed concerns about how she was pressured to focus solely on evidence that would incriminate him, and said Kerviel’s superiors must have known what he was doing. ■

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t is never a good idea to rob a fast food restaurant, but it is a particularly bad idea to do so while a crack team of elite soldiers are enjoying a quick bite to eat. There were 40 people enjoying their dinner in a branch of McDonald's near Besançon, in the eastern Doubs department, when two armed men stormed in. One fired a warning shot while his partner raided the till for cash, but neither realised that 11 of the diners were off-duty members of the Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale (GIGN), an elite unit that specialises in counterterrorism and hostage rescue. In order to minimise the danger to the public, the off-duty soldiers waited for the heist to end before springing to action and tackling the pair in the car park, Besançon public prosecutor Edwige Roux-Morizot later explained. The first man, who was carrying around 2,000 euros in cash, stumbled as he attempted to flee down some stairs and was quickly subdued. After threatening the soldiers with his weapon, the accomplice was shot in the abdomen and also arrested. The pair soon found themselves in hospital and awaiting trial on charges of armed robbery and violence, RouxMorizot confirmed. ■

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The UK votes to leave the European Union >> continued from pg 1 ple) have to allow reciprocal access to their own markets via the free movement of people and services in return; the EU is unlikely to back down on this when it comes to the UK. The Leave campaign, however, believe they can gain access to the EEA whilst still maintaining control over their borders. Whether this is possible is likely to become one of the key points of negotiation over the coming months and years. Any future deal will require the support of a “qualified majority” of the 27 remaining EU member states and it appears unlikely that poorer EU members would allow Britain unfettered access to their markets while their citizens do not have the right to travel or work in the UK. Whether or not the UK becomes a member of the EEA is likely to have a significant impact on those of us living and working in France. In the aftermath of the referendum vote, the pound plummeted against the euro. This immediate change is one that will be sharply felt by those living in France off British pensions and in-

vestments. The volatile exchange rates may also dissuade potential buyers from making the move to France until the markets settle and more is known. There are a number of other areas of concern for people living and working in France, as well as those planning a move here. Under current rules, all EU citizens can purchase property anywhere in member countries. Today, French authorities couldn’t say to a German or British buyer that they can’t purchase houses in certain areas, but they could to an American buyer. Outside of the EU and with no other agreements in place, these rights for British house hunters vanish. There could also be changes for those who have second homes here and rent them out. France has previously tried to impose additional social charges on foreigners renting out their second homes, but the move was ruled illegal by the European Court of Justice. No such protection will exist in the post-EU landscape. Healthcare is another area that will undoubtedly worry many current or future expats. The EHIC system and

agreements with the NHS mean that Britons in France enjoy a basic level of cover, but again, it is not known how this will change in the future. If bilateral agreements are not negotiated between France and the UK, expats in France could need private healthcare in order to be adequately covered. One alternative option is for expats to take either French nationality, or that of another EU country such as Ireland. The process for taking French citizenship is long-winded (it can take up to 2 years), but relatively straightforward. In general terms, you need to have lived in France for five continuous years and you have to be able to prove that you have integrated into French life, understand its culture and can speak the language. More information can be found at your local prefecture. There are as many French citizens living in the UK as there are Brits in France, so while we may well be heading back to the days of cartes de séjour, it does seem likely that the two countries will come to an agreement on many key issues such as healthcare and work permits; if they don’t, both countries

lose and neither seems to have an appetite for a messy divorce. The message so far on both sides of the Channel has very much been “keep calm and carry on”. The EU will be well aware of the dangers of uncertainty and in the aftermath of the referendum vote European leaders were quick to tell Britain to get on with it and get out. Outgoing prime minister David Cameron has said it is for his successor to invoke Article 50 and the government is hoping that it will be able to begin a series of informal negotiations with EU member states before the 2-year clock starts ticking. Boris Johnson has also gone on record as saying that there is no rush to begin the process. With the EU apparently keen for a roadmap to be drawn up, however, answers to some of these questions will hopefully start to emerge in the not too distant future. Either way, expats will still be covered by EU regulations for at least two years. Populist parties across the continent have been closely watching events in the UK over recent months and some are already calling for

their own independence referendum. The EU may feel it has to take a hard line in any future negotiations with Britain to dissuade further countries from voting to leave and creating a domino effect. In France, the National Front’s Marine le Pen was quick to call for a French referendum. She welcomed the UK vote, placing a Union Jack flag on her Twitter page and tweeting: “Victory for freedom. As I’ve been saying for years, we must now have the same referendum in France and other EU countries.” President François Hollande insisted that the Brexit vote would have implications far beyond the UK. After a meeting in Paris with the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Hollande said: “It is true that for the whole world there is a question mark as to what will happen. I very much regret the vote of the UK, but I respect it.” “The British vote poses a grave test for Europe, which must show solidity and strength in its response to the economic and financial risks,” Hollande said, adding that the vote was “a painful

NATIONAL NEWS ♦ 9

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choice”, but insisted that France would continue to work with the UK, which he called a “great ally”. Outside the EU, US president Barrack Obama, who had urged Britain to stay in the Union, said: “The people of the United Kingdom have spoken, and we respect their decision. The special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom is enduring.” However, he has not backed down from a previous comment that Britain would join “the back of the queue” when it comes to trade deals in the event of a Brexit. After the vote, the White House confirmed that the president’s position remained the same with regards to Britain’s position in the world order. “Obviously, the president stands by what he said and I don’t have an update of our position,” spokesman Eric Schultz told reporters at a briefing. It is difficult to predict what lies ahead but certainly in the short term there is no need to panic. Life will go on as usual and British expats in France will still be covered by all the rules of the EU until negotiations on the UK’s exit are completed. ■

What is Article 50 of the EU Treaty? • In force since 2009 but never tested • Allows governments to notify intent to leave. Talks then begin on a range of issues between the leaving nation and other EU members • If no deal is reached, membership will automatically cease two years after notification • The article is only a basic template for leaving, settling the date and some other matters. It does not automatically include issues such as movement of people or trade. The latter could take years to conclude

One-hour Amazon service worries Paris authorities

espite already being in operation in 40 cities around the world, including London, Rome and New York, authorities in Paris have been taken by surprise by Amazon's unveiling of a 1-hour delivery service across the capital. The Socialist mayor, Anne Hidalgo, has vowed to take an “uncompromising” approach to Amazon’s Prime Now service, saying that it could upset the French capital’s “commercial equilibrium” and complained that they were only given a few days' notice. Hidalgo said she was urging legislators to examine the delivery service to see whether safeguards could be drawn up to prevent it harming independent traders. Paris city hall has also said it will look out for unwanted side effects of the operation, including increased traffic and pollution. “This operation risks seriously upsetting the commercial balance in Paris,” said the mayor. “This large

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American company did not see fit to inform Paris until a few days before the launch.” She said there was a need to “define by law the protections, in order to prevent such services becoming an unfair competition to shopkeepers and artisans”, going on to say that “Paris will be intransigent with regards to Amazon”. The mayor also called on Amazon to “guarantee that its approach fully respects local Parisian businesses and takes into account the absolute necessity of preserving their diversity”. Amazon has previously only guaranteed

same-day delivery on orders placed across the capital by 2 pm. The new service, which costs €49 per year, guarantees delivery of 18,000 products, including electrical items and fresh and frozen produce, in under two hours; one-hour delivery is possible for an additional €5.90. “At first sight it can seem very good news to have a new shopping service, except that it’s not a real shop and is not under the same constraints as other businesses,” said Olivia Polski, one of Paris’ deputy mayors, speaking on French radio. She said the service was a direct threat to local shops, but was not

subject to the same taxes and competition rules as physical shops. It is not the first time that Amazon has clashed with French authorities. In 2013 they were branded a “destroyer of bookshops” by the then culture minister, Aurélie Filippetti, over their discounted prices and free delivery. France has strict rules aimed at protecting independent booksellers, meaning retailers can only discount books by a maximum of 5%. When a 2014 law change banned free delivery on books, Amazon announced it would charge customers a nominal one centime for home delivery. ■

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French eating fewer Plastic bags banned baguettes than ever from French shops

F which do not allow gluten. Another reason given was that people now place less importance on breakfast, a meal that would traditionally involve a lot of bread. The baguette was also once a cheap staple, but prices have been steadily rising over recent years. Today a baguette will cost you an average 88 cents - not a fortune, but almost 25% more than it would have set you back ten years ago.

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In a possible “chicken and egg” situation, there are also far fewer bakeries in modern France. Whilst there were an estimated 50,000 boulangeries in the 1950s, that figure has dropped to fewer than 30,000 today. ■

rom 1st July, France has begun phasing out the use of non-biodegradable thin plastic bags. In the first instance, plastic bags will be banned from checkouts and then from 1st January 2017, they will also be banned from the fruit and vegetable sections of retailers. The law change has been planned in France for some time, but has been the subject of a number of delays. According to the government, there are 5 billion of these types of bags used at checkouts across France each year and a further 12 billion in fruit and veg sec-

tions, the vast majority of which are thrown away as soon as the produce they contain gets home. Furthermore, many of these bags end up in the sea where they cause serious problems for marine ecosystems. The bags covered by the ban are those thinner than 50 microns - thicker plastic bags will still be allowed. From January 2017, the plastic bags used to package fruit and vegetables must be replaced by biodegradable paper ones. Many of France's large chain retailers already charge for plastic bags at the checkout, a move that has dropped their usage from 12

billion to just 700 million in the last 12 years. Today, the average French person gets through 79 plastic bags every year. This compares to an EU-wide average of 175 bags per citizen, a figure the EU hopes to reduce to 40 by 2025. Plastic bag use varies widely across Europe. In a recent survey, Estonians were the worst offenders, with each resident getting through an impressive 466 single-use bags annually. As is so often the case, Scandinavian countries lead the way: residents in Denmark and Finland use only four plastic bags on average each year! ■

World first for broken elephant leg

n Auvergne zoo has managed to heal an elephant with a broken leg in what is believed to be a world first. The elephant received a double fracture of her leg when she was kicked by the park's male last year. The injury would ordinarily be a potentially fatal one for an elephant, requiring the animal to be euthanised to avoid prolonged suffering, but the park's vets were determined to help save the 23-year-old female who had a 2-year-old son. Thanks to a series of x-rays and a (presumably quite large) general anaesthetic, a jumbosized cast was applied to the leg and staff at Le Pal zoo near Dompierre-sur-Besbre worked round the clock to help the animal recover. A huge sand bank was constructed which allowed Nina to rest without lying down and daily care was given by the team that look after the elephants.

hen you think of France, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Putting aside childhood stereotypes of men in stripy tops, cycling along in a beret and with their shoulders adorned by a string of onions, your next thought may well be the humble baguette. Is there a greater symbol of France... with the possible exception of strikes and the Eiffel Tower?! Recent figures, however, have shown a marked decline in the popularity of the 'French stick'. A century ago, the baguette was a staple of every Frenchman's diet, with three being eaten on average by every person, every day. By 1970 this had dropped to just one and the National Association of French Millers (ANMF) has said that in 2015, the average person ate just 120 grammes of bread per day - less than half of a standard 250g baguette. The association cited changing diets as a significant factor in the decline of bread consumption, in particular those low in carbohydrates or

Elephants at Le Pal

After six months in plaster and a €50,000 bill - Nina's cast finally came off a few months ago and she took her first tentative steps. Now, with all the weight she lost regained, Nina is back to full health and enjoying life once again as part of the herd that lives at the zoo in the Allier department. “We have often kept a male

elephant with our small herd of females, and we've never had a problem before,” explained Arnaud Bennet, Le Pal's manager. “But just to be certain, we are looking for a new placement for him via the European Breeding Programme (EBP), and as soon as a suitable place becomes free he will be relocated.”■

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NATIONAL NEWS ♦ 11

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Airlines call for EU-wide airspace

rustrated by the frequency of crippling French air traffic strikes, a number of Europe's largest airlines have called for a merging of airspace, allowing neighbouring countries to step in during industrial action. Ryanair have long been a vocal critic of France's air traffic controllers and claim that following June's action there have now been 51 strikes in France since 2009, unfairly disrupting airlines. An online petition has been launched by the airline (www.keepeuropesskiesopen.com), calling for measures that include a ban on strikes by the French controllers. Ryanair have been joined by British Airways’ owner IAG, Lufthansa, easyJet and others in calling on the EU to take action. Together, this group accounts for more than half of all air passenger journeys in Europe A spokesman for Airlines for Europe said: “It is the right of anyone to go on strike but it cannot be allowed to affect everyone in Europe.” The group has warned that Europe is “hurtling towards a summer of disruption and frustration for customers”, and said that strikes in France,

Greece, Italy and Belgium have resulted in member airlines having to cancel more than 2,500 flights over the last three months, as well as causing long delays for many flights that did take off. UK passengers have been among the hardest hit by the strikes, with flights being forced to detour wide into the Atlantic or central Europe in order to avoid French run airspace and reach destinations in the south of Europe. “It’s unacceptable that we have these constant disputes affecting the industry and all of us as passengers,” said International Air Transport Association (Iata) vice-president for Europe, Rafael Schvartzman, who called the strikes one of the “biggest challenges we see in Europe”. “Air traffic controllers are actually highly compensated professionals in a dynamic industry. They should be embracing reforms that are critical to delivering the safety, capacity, cost and environmental improvements that European air travellers deserve. It’s time for governments to ensure measures are in place to keep airspace open, including looking to their neighbours within the European Union to help run air navi-

gation services when one country’s controllers have stopped services.” Industry experts say that the technology already exists to allow controllers to navigate flights over neighbouring airspace, but politics - and traditional national sovereignty - was the stumbling block. “Technically you can do it. It is not for us to negotiate. It is for the governments to agree. It is something that can be done today by governments,” said Schvartzman. ■

Cheque validity cut to six months

ith modern life relying so heavily on technology, one seemingly outdated habit that has stubbornly refused to disappear in France is paying for goods by cheque. In a world of contactless cards and paying with your smartphone, French shoppers are often forced to wait for several long minutes while a chequebook is extracted, boxes are filled in, stubs are updated and two forms of ID are verified.

The government has finally taken steps, with MPs voting to reduce the validity of cheques from 12 to 6 months in a move it hopes will encourage people to use more modern forms of payment such as by card or bank transfer. The changes are part of a wider government initiative to slowly phase out cheques. Some MPs resisted the changes, arguing that cheques were an important option “for many on modest incomes looking to manage their outgoings”. Others argued that phasing out cheques was logical and that the move was important to protect businesses from unpaid bills and to allow swifter access to their money. The average French person currently writes 37 cheques per year; in the UK this figure is 11 whilst the Germans write fewer than one! The new limit will come into force from 1st July 2017. ■ Your favourite one stop shop where you will find something for all the family within our 32000ft² sales floor.

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In the garden - jobs for July

by Michelle Pierce

here is the summer? I want to shout. And ten million slugs and snails will slimily reply, with a certain amount of glee “Pas encore!” That’s been the situation up to the middle of June. Warmish periods alternating with wet conditions have seen an explosion in the growth of weeds and wildflowers, and a corresponding slowdown of young veg plants in the garden (those that have survived the onslaught of the molluscs, in any case) - logical when you consider how much more fragile seedlings are, trying to grow their roots at the same time as their leaves. So what do we do? Well, first of all, don’t panic. The weather will do what the weather will do and this year’s rain is luckily filling up the water table, which was heavily depleted last year. But during dry moments, go out and make sure you mow the grass round your veg garden as short as possible. Trim back overhanging plants and grasses. Clean around the bases of shrubs and spread a layer of dry mulch. Then, if les escargots, etc. have been a problem for you, decide how to tackle them. Collect and eat them?! Maybe not... Slug pellets are highly toxic and even the “environmentally friendly” ones are apparently not as innocuous as marketed. Killing all these animals also has a dreadful impact on the things that eat them - birds, hedgehogs, frogs and toads - so don’t aim to eliminate too many. Instead, look at ways to make your vegetable beds less friendly for them. Remove planks or stones they can hide under. Some people like spreading wood ash or broken eggshells round their plants but I prefer wheat bran (son de blé). This is loved by our enemies. If you sprinkle it in a thick line all round your plant, then they’ll eat this, bloat, and not eat your greenery; that is the theory, and it’s worked well for me in the past with the added advantage that you are leaving them for your hedgehogs to consume later! It also feeds your soil as any uneaten “son” quickly rots down to compost. A virtuous circle. As a last resort, try beer traps but you need to stomach emptying them out! Keep the weeds under control, especially in the potager, and mulch newly cleared ground to slow down their reappearance. If we do finally get some good sunny

weather, we are likely to see another explosion of growth, so keep your tomatoes, climbing beans and peas tied in. Check stakes for things like dahlias, asters and chrysanthemums. Keep pinching out the tomato side shoots, melon tips and the tips of other trailing squash when you’ve got a reasonable number of female flowers. If things like courgettes have started to look a bit yellow from all this water, give them a feed with some blood fish and bone, or nettle tea. Or simply pile cut nettles (minus seeds and roots) round their base. Similarly, pay attention to your pot plants, tubs, hanging baskets and containers because they may have had a lot of their nutrients washed out by the rain. Give them a good couple of feeds at a week or so’s interval, or add some slow release fertilizer granules if you didn’t at planting. Should you be lucky enough to have any fruit left on your trees, keep an eye that there are not too many, and thin out if necessary when they are at a small stage. Keep sowing leaf veg at regular intervals, to replace the stuff eaten by slugs, and to give you a good quantity

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of salad leaves for all those outdoor lunches and barbecues that we’ll hopefully soon be enjoying. Sow quick catch crops in between longer term varieties - radish among cabbages, etc. - to utilise all available space, thus reducing weed colonisation. Remember to deadhead flowers to keep them going as long as possible. Sounds crazy, but look through the seeds to see which things will need sowing during July/August for the autumn - chicory for winter endives, winter varieties, etc. If you have left a few plants to go to seed, things like poppies, etc., now is probably a good time to collect them. Look at the capsules and if they seem quite dry, and there are signs that they are ready to split, either collect the individual capsules, or cut off the whole stalk, and put it in a paper bag to finish drying, and thus collect the falling seed. Alternatively just let them self sow, but this does mean you have no control over colour mixes. Pick regularly to keep things going and avoid those gluts that can be such hard work to process. Cut yourself buckets of fresh flowers for the house! Dry herbs before they flower to get the

best flavours. Collect some stalks of lavender flowers before they are fully open, to dry for cooking or flavouring sugar or vinegar. Remember to collect and dry some of your roses and rosebuds for pot pourri. Check and deal with cuttings of shrubs that you took earlier in the year, keeping them in moist conditions, but not too wet. Note where there are new suckers of plum trees, or cherry trees, baby peaches grown from stones so that you don’t mow them over, and then you can pot them up later in the year, move them to more desirable places or give them away. This is especially important if you are planning to fell the parent tree. Visit other people’s gardens for new ideas - www.opengardens.eu is a great source of inspiration! Most of all, enjoy the beauty of your garden, and its productivity. Last year we’d had temperatures in the 40s by now and everything was wilting, scorched and suffering. So different year, different challenge! Good gardening! ■

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The wines of Bergerac - creating mixers

his is the time of year to enjoy something cool and refreshing in the open air. But it’s also a time to be judicious in your drinking. Summer in the Périgord is warm and the temptation to drink simply because you are thirsty can be hard to resist. And particularly if you or your guests are driving, that can become tricky. The solution is to mix your drinks. For our family, this is the time when we tend to drink spritzers, white or rosé wine mixed with fizzy water or ginger ale, or sparkling wine mixed with fruit juice. Orange juice is always popular, but after many experiments, we enjoy it with apple juice, mango juice and in one inspired moment rhubarb juice which adds a very refreshing tang. It is not always easy to find a sparkling wine from Bergerac and the ones I like from Château Feely and from Château la Fayolle are worth drinking on their own. I have mentioned the great wines of Sean and Caro Feely before but Château la Fayolle is also worth exploring. Their 2012 Sang du Sanglier (Boar’s Blood) red wine is very good indeed and so is their Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine, made entirely from Semillon grapes. We always keep a bottle of liqueur de cassis handy in summer for making Kir, the delightful drink named for a former mayor of Dijon. His recipe called for one part cassis (blackcurrant) to two parts white wine, which we find far too strong. We just use a splash of cassis and then a straightfor-

by Martin Walker

ward Bergerac wine from a 5-litre box. And in summer, we dilute the result with soda water, half and half, and add an ice cube. You are not limited to cassis. We also use liqueur de mûre (blackberry) and liqueur de pêche (peach). And the Sarlat distillery also makes liqueurs of truffle and of fig which make for an interesting change. (They also make my favourite pastis, that summer drink that turns milky when you add water and tastes of aniseed.) We also use our own home-made vin de noix, walnut wine, as the basis for a light summer drink, served with ice and a crushed mint leaf, all topped up with soda water. And nothing could be easier to make than this classic drink of the Perigord. Sometime before the end of June, pick about forty green walnuts. Chop them into quarters, put them into a big enamel pot of the kind the French call a faittout (because it does everything) and add half a kilo of granulated sugar. (The French neighbours who taught me this insist on using a whole kilo of sugar but I find it makes the wine too sweet. I suggest you start with half a kilo and add more sugar next year if you prefer it sweeter.) Then add eight litres of very ordinary red or white wine, depending on your preference, and a litre of eau de vie. France being a very civilized country, this can be bought from your local pharmacy. Mix it all up, cover the pot and store in a dark corner for at least six weeks. Give it the occasional stir but it doesn’t matter too much

if you forget. After six weeks (or even seven or eight), stir it well, then filter it through a sieve and cheesecloth and bottle the results. It is now ready to drink, and makes a pleasant aperitif, or an after-dinner tot. I think it improves in the bottle, although the experts tell me that this can’t be so, at least until they try my 2002. But it also makes a lovely summer drink when mixed with soda water or ginger ale. One French friend likes his mixed with Diet Coke. Another uses fizzy lemonade. Half the fun is in the experiments. You can also make an excellent summer wine with the leaves from

your cherry or peach trees if they have not been sprayed. Pick about fifty cherry leaves when the cherries are ripe, put them in a big glass jar with a sealable lid. Add a wine glass full of sugar and another full of vodka, toss in five black peppercorns and add a litre of cheap red wine. Shake it up and leave it for a week in a cool, dark corner, shaking a couple of times each day. Then filter it through a sieve lined with cheesecloth and bottle the result. It is a little stronger than ordinary wine so drink it with soda water and ice cubes like the Corsicans do. They always add some ice to their wine in summer and call it a plouf, which they say comes from

the sound the wine makes when the ice is dropped in. Along with the lovely plop when a bottle of wine is opened, that to me is the sound of summer. ■ Martin Walker, author of the best-selling ‘Bruno, chief of police’ novels, is a Grand Consul de la Vinée de Bergerac. Formerly a journalist, he spent 25 years as foreign correspondent for The Guardian and then became editor-in-chief of United Press International. He and his wife Julia have had a home in the Périgord since 1999 and one of his great hobbies is visiting the vineyards of Bergerac.

French Residence and Taxes - Blevins Franks

f you own, or are buying, a property in France and spend time here each year, you need to understand the rules about residency in France and the UK, so that you comply fully with the correct tax regime. Getting it wrong could cause problems with the taxman later, or result in you paying more tax than you need to. French tax residency

You will be deemed tax resident in France if you fulfil any of the following four tests. Note that you do not have a choice; you either are, or are not, French tax resident under the rules. 1) France is your main residence or home (your foyer). This embraces ideas of permanence and stability and is the rule the French authorities most rely on. 2) France is your principal place of abode, your lieu de séjour principal. This usually means you spend more than 183 days in France per calendar year, or you spend more days here than in any other country. 3) Your principal activity (for example, your occupation) is in France. 4) France is the country of your most substantial assets (centre of economic interests).

You are tax resident from the day after you arrive in France, if you arrived with an intention to reside there indefinitely. Tax in France

If you meet any of the above criteria, you are liable to French income tax, capital gains tax and wealth tax on your worldwide income and assets. You have to declare all of this, including income that is taxed elsewhere, such as UK rental income and pensions. In France you are taxed on a household, rather than on an individual basis. This means that if you are married or in a civil partnership, your tax liability is based on your combined income. French income tax rates are progressive up to 45%. In addition to income tax, social charges are levied on most types of income (8% on salaries, 7.4% on pension income and 15.5% on investment income). UK government service pensions remain taxable in the UK and are not taxed in France, although you need to declare the income as it is taken into account when the rate of tax payable on your other French source income is calculated. You also have to consider the tax implications on any other types of income such as investment income.

It is important to note that what is tax-efficient in the UK (such as ISAs) is not tax-efficient if you become French resident. Besides income tax you may be liable to wealth tax. This is an annual tax on the value of a household’s worldwide assets as at 1st January. You are liable if your taxable assets are above €1.3m. Rates range from 0% (for assets under €800,000) to 1.5% (for assets above €10,000,000). Succession tax is the French equivalent of UK inheritance tax but works quite differently. Tax is not charged on your estate but paid by each beneficiary on the assets they inherit. Rates vary according to the relationship between the deceased and the beneficiary. UK tax residency rules In the UK, the Statutory Residence Test determines whether you are liable for UK income and capital gains tax on your worldwide income. In summary, it is a combination of day counting and the number of “sufficient ties” you have with the UK. Whether or not you were resident in the UK in the previous tax years also plays a part. This is detailed and complex legislation so you really need to take professional advice. You can be resident in both the

UK and France simultaneously. In this case, “tie breaker” rules in the UK/France double tax treaty will determine where you are resident for tax purposes. These consider where you have a permanent home available to you, where your centre of vital interest is located, and where you have an habitual abode. If these are indeterminate, it comes down to nationality. Many people avoid becoming resident in France because they believe they would pay too much tax as a result. However, if you are retired and take specialist, personalised advice, you may find that you can use compliant tax efficient arrangements in France to considerably lower your tax liabilities. You may even find that you could pay less tax in France than you do in the UK. International tax legislation and cross-border tax planning is complex and you should always seek professional guidance to make sure you are completely up to date across your financial affairs. ■ Tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any statements concerning taxation are based upon our understanding of current taxation laws and practices, which are subject to change. Tax information has been summarised; an individual is advised to seek personalised advice.

DIRECTORY ♦ 15

JULY 2016 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Business Directory

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

Building Services

Your advert here

Electricians

05 55 41 17 76 SHAMPOOCHIENS Dog Grooming Parlour All breeds catered for Clipping, hand stripping and bathing 30 years’ experience 24500 Eymet

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

Auto Services

05 53 58 55 38

06 31 98 92 07 MinouCats

Purpose built cattery with 7 heated, well equipped luxury suites Relaxed and secure environment Experienced and qualified owners Tender loving care all day long Agnac, 47800

MOTOR PARTS CHARENTE

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

+44 (0)7830 170761

motorptscharente@aol.com www.motorpartscharente.com

Building Services

Tel: 05 53 93 92 44

Architectural Services

Your advert here

CHARTERED STRUCTURAL ENGINEER

nicky@minoucats.fr www.minoucats.fr

05 55 41 17 76

Email: info@masterplans.eu www.masterplans.eu

Architectural DRAWING SERVICE

Siret: 499 234 615 00015

Clipping, cutting, hand stripping, bathing, ear care & nail trimming. INGRID GELAUDIE La Baronnie, 24260 Audrix

Tel: 05 55 80 72 83 Mob: 06 33 07 29 72 Siret: 790 016 984 00011

and home of CANOUAN ENGLISH SPRINGER SPANIELS Puppies sometimes available

DOG GROOMING FOR ALL TYPES OF DOGS

At Masterplans.eu we can help guide you through your planning application in France. From initial feasibility to completed dossiers. We will compile all the relevant drawings and complete the necessary paperwork to ensure your application proceeds smoothly. We are equally at home working with clients here in France or those living abroad.

Pre-purchase & Structural Surveys. Verbal & written reports. Structural calculations & drawings. Redevelopment ideas & solutions.

Renovating your French property? New build? Dossiers prepared Permis de Construire Déclarations Préalables

Tel: 05 53 52 36 05 lavieilleabbaye@orange.fr www.latuspeter-architecturaldrawings-24.com SIRET: 493 770 358 00015

Building Services Carpenters/ Joiners

Wood Work SHUTTERS/DOORS, STAIRCASES, etc. MADE TO MEASURE

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

IN SOFTWOODS OR LOCAL HARD WOODS SIMPLE ORDERING / 10 DAY TURNAROUND Please explore our website for more info: www.scrollart.co.uk

Siret: 498 843 051 00018

Oradour Sur Vayres (87150)- siren 752 051 482

Tim Haw B.Eng C.Eng M.I.Struct.E Web: www.versineer.com Email: enquiries@versineer.com

05 55 14 12 43

Your advert here 05 55 41 17 76

Harlequin BARWICK ÉLECTRICITÉ Developments SHAUN BARWICK QUALIFIED ELECTRICIAN

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

Tel: 09 72 35 74 73

Email: barwick.shaun@gmail.com @iret: 794 282 368 00016

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

All aspects of renovation and refurbishment, big or small, undertaken. Harlequin Developments are a Distributor and Installer for Solarventi, solar dehumidifying and ventilating products.

05.55.68.67.56 06.06.60.46.97

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

Building Services

sales24@thebugle.eu

Painters/ Decorators

Building Services

Simon Carter

05 55 41 17 76

General

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

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

CHARKER DAVID

Tel: 05 87 19 91 50 Mob: 07 81 26 88 65

All small works undertaken

siret: 792.130.932.00017

Specialist in the renovation and restoration of period and contemporary buildings Stonework, Traditional renderings in Lime, Doors and Windows, Dry line walls, Zinc work, Electrical wiring and interior finishes Based near Brantôme

E-mail : dn.charker@sfr.fr

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

Web: www.sjcmontluc.fr Email: sjcmontluc@yahoo.fr

CONTINUED NEXT PAGE...

16 ♦ DIRECTORY

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JULY 2016

ADVERTORIAL

“SolarVenti”- the solar solution to damp and humidity

simple solar energy system that runs on its own, even when you are not there! – And provides a free heat supplement in winter. The Solarventi air panel was invented more than 20 years ago by Hans Jørgen Christensen, from Aidt Miljø, with the backing of the Danish government. He wanted to use the sun’s energy for airing and ventilation of the thousands of holiday homes on the West coast of Jutland, - houses that were left empty and unheated for long periods - houses with damp problems, mould and bad odours - houses that left their owners with discomfort, lots of work and expense. He wanted a system that would be safe, simple, without the need for radiators, water and/ or mains electricity. Slowly but surely, the first Solarventi model came together.

How it works The principle behind Solarventi is simple: a small, built-in, solar cell powers a 12V fan that is connected to an air vent, a control unit and an on/ off switch. Whenever the sun shines, the air in the solar panel is heated and the fan, receiving power from the solar cell, introduces warm, dry air into your home at the rate of 20 to 100 cubic metres per hour. The initial models were more than capable of keeping the cottages dry (and ventilated), even with the limited sunshine hours available in Denmark during the winter season. Since that time, the technology has really come along in leaps and bounds. Now, more than 20 years later, the 3rd and 4th generation Solarventi have exceeded all expectations. In Southern Europe, Solar-

Building Services

venti 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

Computers & Satellites

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

AUBERGE AUX DELICES DE LA TREILLE

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

Health

Interior Design

Ellen B. Sanchez

KATE MACKENZY

24350 MONTAGRIER

05 53 91 12 63 A La Carte or 2 Set Menus

Plumbers PLUMBING & HEATING ENGINEER - Installation, from kitchen taps to full central heating systems - Breakdown / Replacement boilers - Emergency plumbing repairs - Full analysed testing

M : 06 72 47 88 00 T: 05 53 20 64 02 E : wellers@orange.fr Registered Artisan - Siret No: 480 857 853 00018

Building Services

Stephen Wisedale

WiFi Anglais Losing business due to poor Internet and WiFi?

Extended wired and wireless networks for homes, gîtes and small businesses. VPN solutions. Windows and Mac OSX.

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

Food & Drink

Lunchtimes (except Sun and bank hols) Soup+Starter+Main+Dessert - €15 Soup+Starter+Main - €11.90 Soup+Main+Dessert - €11.90 Soup+Main - €8.90 €24.90 Menu Soup+Starter+Main+Cheese+Dessert

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

Gifts & Crafts

Sandblasting Sand and Blast We provide a fully operated

sandblasting

service for wood, stone and metal. Perfect for stripping away years of grime or paint. Contact us for a free quote, or see our website:

www.sandandblast.com

05 55 76 31 59 / 06 77 40 95 92 bobby@sandandblast.com steve@sandandblast.com SIRET: 812 727 253 00013

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

The Dordogne Chippy

Traditional Fish & Chips in a town near you All venues are in the evening between 6pm & 8.30 pm 1st Monday: Le Champsac Tuesday: Tremolat Wednesday: Lauzun Thursday: Eymet 2nd Friday: Ste-Alvère Last Friday: 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

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

Gestalt Therapist

INTERIOR DESIGN

Couple’s therapy Individual therapy English speaking

Kitchen and Bathroom Planning Traditional to Contemporary 25 years of property transformations mackenzyfr@gmail.com

Rue de La République, 24200 Sarlat-la-Canéda

Tel: 06 21 95 24 42

www.existtherapy.com

Renovation consultation to finished interiors

05 53 58 65 11

Language Services

SOS Help

anxious? stressed? feeling down? call us up!

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

www.soshelpline.org

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

05 55 41 17 76

TRANSLATION SERVICES Do you need help with translating French correspondence and everyday dealings with French bureaucracy? If so contact: Fabienne MURPHY e: fabiennemurphy@yahoo.co.uk

t: +33 (0)5 53 24 21 88 m: +33 (0)6 87 99 78 12

Your advert here 05 55 41 17 76

DIRECTORY ♦ 17

JULY 2016 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

ADVERTORIAL

DON’T LOSE THOUSANDS ON YOUR HOUSE TRANSACTION Pioneer France ensures sellers and buyers maximise their funds

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

Pest Control

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

“What is odd is that buyers are almost twice as likely as sellers to use the services of such a specialist,” says Harris. “This is a real shame, as having tried so hard to achieve the best price for their house, many sellers then relinquish an unnecessary chunk of these funds by using old-fashioned and very expensive banking methods to repatriate their money back into sterling, dollars or whatever. This often loses the seller thousands which could have been so easily avoided. Our historic data shows that the average loss is around €3,500.” Harris believes that this is primarily because the profile of a typical seller is usually older than that of a buyer. Sellers are therefore

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

Property Sales

www.leschaletsdedordogne.com Village of 18 chalets above a lake Heated pool. Family site 23 km south of Bergerac Airport Low cost daily flights from London Rent a chalet from €250-€550 / week (possibility to buy a chalet for €25,000)

00 33 (0)5 53 63 97 56 24500 Razac d’Eymet, France contact@leschaletsdedordogne.com

Retail & Commerce

Central France Pest Control Dératisation, Déinsectisation, Désinfection

02 48 60 83 72 / 06 74 33 02 38 www.applicateur3d.com Email: info@applicateur3d.com 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

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

05 55 41 17 76

Short ‘optimised’ web videos in English and/or French for your property sale or your business. Contact Joanna:

www.VideoProFrance.com Te: +33 (0) 6 99 07 64 28 contact@videoprofrance.com

HOLIDAY HOMES IN THE UK

From

£9,995

CALL 0044 1424 853 764 www.ParkHolidays.com/beauportsales

Tel: 05 53 07 06 27 Email: info@pioneerfrance.com Web: www.pioneerfrance.com

SECONDHAND CLOTHING for the whole family

ABJAT-SUR-BANDIAT

(opp. the boulangerie) Open: Tue & Thu, 14h-17h also Sun, 10h-12h in July & August only By appointment outside these hours:

Tel: 06 79 04 10 21

05 55 68 74 73

bookstop

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

09 51 45 57 49

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

Genuine/Reliable/Honest Local + Europe + UK runs Now also available for House/Barn clearances! 14m3 capacity 4.2m load length

sales24@thebugle.eu

09 82 12 69 73

05 55 41 17 76

www.frenchvanman.eu

Transport, Removals & Storage

DSD Removals & Storage

87150 Oradour-sur-Vayres Siret 530 213 644 00012

The Removal Experts France ↔ UK

aka The Shed

32,000ft2 of great products incl. British Groceries, DIY, Housewares, Furniture, Clothing, Toiletries plus loads more!!

Man & Van Transport

English & French Spoken

Eco Entrepot

Open every day except Monday

Are you looking for your perfect base in the UK? We have beautiful 2 and 3 bedroom models available in East Sussex. Relax in style in a modern holiday home and take advantage of fantastic facilities. Open for 11 ½ months a year.

The Pioneer France team, from left: Harris, Tanya, Carole and Peter

MICHAELS MOVERS Removals

UK ↔ France ↔ UK Full & Part loads All size of vehicles Storage facilities in Sussex UK free phone:

0800 840 3058 Mob: +44 (0)7808 338 386 Removals, storage & house clearance in Dordogne

06 73 96 38 39 (FR) www.michaelsmovers.freeindex.co.uk

• All risk insurance cover • Full and Part load specialists • Professional staff & modern vehicles • Every vehicle from a Luton van to a full removals lorry • Prices from £3.63 per sq ft

+44 (0)1274 724 545

info@dsdremovalsltd.com www.dsdremovalsltd.com facebook.com/DSDRemovals

Your advert here 05 55 41 17 76

Would you like to receive an electronic copy of The Bugle each month? We can deliver a copy to your inbox, hot off the press

Simply email - subscriptions24@thebugle.eu For more details visit www.thebugle.eu

18 ♦ DIRECTORY

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JULY 2016

Advertising in The Bugle Business Directory Advertising your business couldn’t be easier. Text only, boxed listings are available in our Business Directory from just €13.50/month. Alternatively, why not spotlight your business with an Advertorial, available from 1/6 Page (€50 HT) up to Full Page (€300 HT). Both Directory Adverts and Advertorials represent a cost effective way to put your brand in front of more than 25,000 pairs of eyes each month!!

For more information on any of our advertising options, please feel free to give us a call on 05 55 41 17 76 or send an email to sales24@thebugle.eu

6-Month Contract €108

Small b&w Directory Ad

(€18/month)

Large b&w Directory Ad

(€24/month)

Small Colour Directory Ad

(€27/month)

Large Colour Directory Ad

(€36/month)

12-Month Contract €162

(€13.50/month)

€144

€216

(€18/month)

€162

Small Directory Ad 46mm x 46mm

€243

(Actual Size)

30 words max

(€20.25/month)

€216

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

€324

(€27/month)

Directory Advertising is available either in black and white or colour, and in either small (30 words max) or large (45 words max) format. Directory adverts may only contain text - no logos, images or artwork are allowed. The minimum contract length is 6 months. Advertising is payable on publication. All prices are HT.

To advertise in The Bugle Business Directory, call 05 55 41 17 76 SUDOKU - EASY

SUDOKU - MEDIUM

SUDOKU - HARD

The solutions to this month’s sudokus can be found on page 19

Advertise your business in The Bugle

05 55 41 17 76

MADS Why not get involved!

sales24@thebugle.eu Managing Editor: Editor-in-Chief: Registered Address: SIRET:

Steve Martindale Steve Martindale Les Quatre Chemins 23150 St-Yrieix-les-Bois France 514 989 748 00017

Printed by:

Charente Libre 16340, L’Isle d’Espagnac France

Monthly circulation: 13,000 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.

Directeur: Rédacteur-en-chef: Siège SIRET: Imprimé par:

Steve Martindale Steve Martindale Les Quatre Chemins 23150 St-Yrieix-les-Bois France 514 989 748 00017 Charente Libre 16340, L’Isle d’Espagnac France

Tirage mensuel:

13,000 copies

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.

MADS (the English-language theatre group based in Issigeac) is looking for members. If only Helen Mirren would retire to the Dordogne! No, seriously though, we’ve been around for 25 years, presented over 60 plays - comedies, serious, musical, just about everything. Well sadly, over a 25-year period you do tend to wear out members and need to replace them. So I’m calling all the younger generation of English speakers out there in BugleLand who would like to appear in or help present plays, to come forward. We always have appreciative audiences and play often to packed houses. Any age group is welcome - give us a try and see if we like each other. For more information see our website www.mads-theatre.org and call me, Jill Richards (I’m the President), on 05 53 36 94 33 or email me at jillrichards100@gmail.com Thank you!

COMMUNITY ♦ 19

JULY 2016 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

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

Piégut Pluviers Razac Sarlat Siorac-en-Périgord Vélines

Thursday

Domme Excideuil Eymet La Coquille Lalinde Monpazier St Astier St-Julien-de-Lampon Terrasson

Friday Bergerac Brantôme Cubjac Le Buisson Ribérac Sarlat Vergt

Saturday

Agonac Beaumont du Périgord Belvès Bergerac

Meet Gemma She’s a 9 yr-old Beagle who, up till we took her in, hadn't had much of a life. She came into our care in November from the SPA where she had a zero chance of adoption as she was elderly and had a mammary tumour. This has been successfully removed and she is now ready to find her forever home. Gemma needs an owner who will be willing to keep up her contraceptive injections, as she cannot be spayed for safety reasons, and as with all long-eared breeds, her ears will need regular cleaning. She’s also a bit portly, so it’s diet and exercise for her!

AQUITAINE CHURCH SERVICES JULY 2016

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

SUNDAY 10 JULY 10:30 Holy Communion – Bertric Burée 10:30 All Age Worship – Bordeaux 10:30 Fresh Expressions – Eymet Temple 10:30 Holy Communion – Limeuil 10:30 Morning Prayer - Monteton 10:30 Family Service – Négrondes Wednesday 13 July 11:00 BCP Holy Communion – Bertric Burée SUNDAY 17 JULY 10:30 Family Service – Bertric Burée 10:30 Family Communion – Bordeaux 10:30 Holy Communion – Chancelade 10:30 Morning Worship – Dondas 10:30 Fresh Expressions – Eymet Temple 10:30 Morning Worship – Limeuil 10:30 Prayer & Praise – Monteton 11:00 Prayer & Praise – Sainte Nathalène 17:00 Evensong - Limeuil

Gemma is very loving and just wants a lap to lay her head on, but she is a Beagle after all and will require an enclosed garden. She is good with other dogs, travels well in the car and even took a liking to the cat (in the nicest possible way). Her only fault, if you can call it that, is that she likes to sing for her supper and gets over excited when food or treats are being prepared. She is not a barker, however, though she does give you a noisy welcome - or maybe a telling off! when you come home if you have left her. Gemma is chipped and fully vaccinated and has been wormed and flea treated. She’s house-trained and a really affectionate little character. All she needs now is a kindly soul to love her for ever and she's hoping it will be you! For more information on Gemma please contact her foster mum Yvonne at yyanderson87@gmail.com or on 06 02 38 20 70 (dept. 87).

www.phoenixasso.com www.facebook.com/PhoenixAssociationFrance

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

Sunday

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

Debate, discussion, déjeuner. Lively minds sharing ideas and views... Like the sound of this?

South West Left are a friendly, informal group of mostly English speakers living in the Dordogne and Lotet-Garonne. We come from a mainly centre/left point of view and meet every month around the south-west region for either discussion on current affairs - European and international - or to enjoy a meal in a restaurant, quiz night, music night or maybe a topical film. Our members plan the programme of events.

If you’d like to find out more, please contact Averil de la Rue, secretary: Email averildelarue@wanadoo.fr

Got an event for The Bugle? 05 55 41 17 76

Thursday 21 July 10:30 Holy Communion - Limeuil SUNDAY 24 JULY 10:30 Holy Communion – Bertric Burée 10:30 Family Communion – Bordeaux 10:30 Fresh Expressions – Eymet Temple 10:30 Holy Communion – Limeuil 10:30 Holy Communion - Monteton 10:30 Holy Communion – Négrondes 10:30 Holy Communion – Saint Médard, Lot et Garonne 11:00 Prayer & Praise – Sainte Nathalène Thursday 28 July 11:00 Holy Communion – Condom

EASY

MEDIUM

HARD

SUNDAY 31 JULY 10:30 Special Service – Bertric Burée 10:30 Family Communion – Bordeaux 10:30 Fresh Expressions – Eymet Temple 10:30 BCP Holy Communion – Limeuil 11:00 Prayer & Praise – Sainte Nathalène 16:00 Evening Prayer - Monteton

20 ♦ WHAT’S ON

Hard to know which tourist sites to visit?

05 55 41 17 76

Got an event for The Bugle?

WHAT’S

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JULY 2016

Grumpy Granny Guide

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

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

www.GRUMPYGRANNYGUIDE.com It’s FREE, quick & easy to use

Sculptures au Jardin 2016 7th July - 20th September Exhibition of sculptures organised by the Galérie Bénédicte Giniaux in the grounds of the Château des Vigiers in Monestier. This group exhibition presents 30 abstract and figurative sculptures by 13 contemporary artists. Sculptures will also be installed in the Jardin de la Lanterne in Sarlat. Visit the exhibition area at Vigiers daily from 10h21h (free entry) and the Jadin de la Lanterne, rue Montaigne, Sarlat from 11h-17h from Monday to Friday and 11h-19h on Saturday and Sunday. For more information visit www.galeriebenedicteginiaux.fr

Exhibition at the Château de Limeuil Exhibition organised by the association “RIVES D’ART” at the Château de Limeuil. Limeuil is one of the most beautiful villages of France and each year it welcomes many tourists from all over the world. The hall for exhibiting art is situated in the château’s panoramic garden. Visits to the exhibition are free (but there is an entrance fee to the garden).

« La nuit, au château... »

In July, the exhibition welcomes Philip Doherty and Jean-François Fouilhoux.

Wednesdays (until 31st August)

Philip Doherty was born in 1949. He lives in the Dordogne and in Ireland. He is a painter and engraver, has illustrated books of poems and is responsive to all forms of art. For this exhibition, he has chosen to exhibit his works realised on inspiration of the Tunisian desert. Jean François Fouilhoux was born in 1947 and is a sculptor ceramist. His sculptures are sometimes vague and vessel-like - enormous shells in which murmur the soft wind of the sea, glazed with exceptional celadon, which he has researched tirelessly for 40 years. From New York to Taiwan and everywhere in Europe, museums have acquired his sculptures for their collections.

CHÂTEAU DE HAUTEFORT

Explore the castle, at nightfall, in the company of Marie or Catherine de Hautefort, sisters of Marquis JacquesFrançois, the owner of the château in the 17th century. An unusual visit for all the family! Ticket office: 21h-22h (no booking necessary) Tickets: €12; 7-14s €7 For more information visit www.chateau-hautefort.com

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The second Organic Food Festival of the Ribérac Region will be held in the farm of La Meyfrenie at Verteillac on Saturday 9th July, starting at 2 pm. There will be a full programme of events, including a producers’ market, a cooking workshop for children, permaculture growing techniques, a bookshop... and much more! From 7 pm there will be music provided by Talabast and organic meals will be available from the producers’ market. Visit osonsbio.fr for more information.

Battle of castillon July 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30 August 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 19, 20

Festival de la Vézère 12th July - 24th August 18 concerts and 14 venues: The 36th edition of the Festival de la Vézère this year, more than ever, is inspired by eclecticism. The position of the festival in the cultural landscape of Corrèze serves to confirm its notoriety in the regional fusion of Aquitaine-Limousin-Poitou-Charentes. The summer season gets under way on 12th July with Emmanuel Rossfelder and the Orchestre Mozart de Toulouse with a Spanish-themed programme. Young performers A new generation of young talented performers are going to be in the spotlight this year, with pianist Kit Armstrong and the soprano Pumeza Matshikiza (see poster - she is considered by The Independent as “one of today’s most exciting new operatic voices”), accompanied by the Orchestre de la Garde Républicaine who will be performing for the first time at the festival. The festival is looking towards the future and the new talent that comes with it. There will be performances from the young laureates studying under Philippe Bernold and Raphael Pidoux at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris! The cello will play a key role this year and the festival has the pleasure of welcoming the young cellist Edgar Moreau, accompanied by the Orchestre d’Auvergne. There will also be a performance by François Salque, whose cello will duet with the accordion of Vincent Peirani, taking the audience on a journey out of the ordinary from classical to jazz. The voice The voice, intrinsically associated with the festival de la Vézère, will be present again this year in many performances. Amongst the festival’s regular artists will be the company Diva Opera with Bryan Evans at the Château de Saillant for the awaited “Week-end Opéra”. Two works will be performed by the company, Mozarts’s Così fan tutte, and Donizetti’s Don Pasquale. Male voice choirs will be represented by the choirs Alexandre Nevsky from Saint Petersburg and the Sartène choir from Corsica. The soprano Camille Poul will also be performing during the evening performance of Schubertiades, conceived by Denis Pascal, at the Château de Saillant.

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, 500 volunteers, including 400 actors and 40 horseback riders, re-enact the Battle of Castillon.

Finally, this 36th edition has the pleasure of hosting Ensemble La Chimera with Eduardo Egüez and Coral Camara de Pamplona for a performance of the wonderful Misa Criolla.

The 90 captivating minutes, filled with stunts, special effects and explosive expertise are combined with the everyday life of the Middle Ages, including rural scenes set in a farm, scenes from the grape harvest, shooting parties and market day with street sellers and a travelling dentist! 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 10:30 pm in July and 10 pm in August. It is recommended that you arrive one hour before blackout (9:15 pm in July and 8:45 pm in August). An open-air restaurant offers dinner from 7 pm (reserve online). 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; 5-12 year olds €12; FREE for Under 5s

For more information about the festival’s programme and to purchase tickets visit www.festival-vezere.com

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www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JULY 2016

Free Talks at Bookstop 19 rue Victor Hugo, Brantôme

bookstop Friday 15th July at 7 pm: Georges Brassens - His life and his songs Presented by Jocelyne Chauvet (in French) Saturday 16th July at 7 pm: Political Intrigue and the Dark Soul of Spanish Football: Stories of Murder, Bribery and Rivalry Presented by Dr Jim O’Brien (in English) Spanish football has many heroes and villains. The rich tapestry of its history reveals much about Spain itself: its politics, culture and identity. Rivalry and intrigue are never far from the surface. This talk introduces you to the dark soul of Spanish football through the lens of a few of its main protagonists. Who was the original Pichichi?; When was FC Barcelona’s stadium closed for not singing?; Who killed Josep Sunyol?; Why was General Franco a football fan?; Was Luis Figo a hero or villain?; Do you believe in miracles? The remarkable tale of CA Osasuna. Sunday 17th July at 7 pm: Georges Brassens - His life and his songs Presented by Jocelyne Chauvet (in English) Monday 18th July at 7 pm: Political Intrigue and the Dark Soul of Spanish Football: Stories of Murder, Bribery and Rivalry Presented by Dr Jim O’Brien (in French) Wednesday 27th July at 4 pm: Guest authors Fiona Barton and Rick Lee, both living in the Dordogne will be speaking about their most recent novels, ‘The Widow’ and ‘Those Who Cannot Die’ respectively. Fiona is on the bestseller list on both sides of the Atlantic with her novel (see the May 2016 edition of The Bugle). Rick has just published (4th June) the latest in his series of Mick Fletcher suspense thrillers, which brings the detective to the Dordogne. They will be signing copies of their books on the day. For more information tel 09 51 45 57 49.

Issigeac Basket Fair

The Dordogne is hosting one of the country’s biggest festivals of basket art on Sunday 17th July. The Issigeac Foire aux Paniers et à la Vannerie welcomes more than 50 basket makers from across Europe to come together to buy, sell and exchange the latest news of the basket world. This highly decorative event attracts thousands of visitors every year to see, admire, buy, learn and simply enjoy the spectacle. Timed to coincide with the Issigeac weekly Sunday market it offers a wide variety of local produce plus all-day food and drink. There are stands to provide initiation into the art of vannerie and a vast range of regional styles to be seen. An exhibition entitled “A la belle vannière, boutique imaginaire” on the theme of wicker will be on display in the halls of the château until 31st July.

Sarlat Theatre Festival 18th July - 3rd August

The Sarlat Theatre Festival is one of the city’s great institutions. Since 1952 it has animated the ancient stones of Sarlat 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. Performances take place in the open air, against the magical background of the medieval city, every evening between 18th July and 3rd August. For more information tel 05 53 31 10 83 or visit www.festival-theatre-sarlat.com

Concert: DUO NEDEVA Sunday 24th July at 17h

Eglise de Puyguilhem, (Commune of Thénac, near Sigoulés) with Yvona NEDEVA, flute Sophie CLAVEL, harp

Marché des Potiers, Limeuil - Sat 23rd & Sun 24th July Pottery market in one of France’s most beautiful villages, Limeuil. It takes place in a lovely setting by the waterside where the rivers Dordogne and Vézère meet and this year welcomes 50 exhibitors who come to share their passion and their profession.

J.S. Bach, Debusssy, Mouquet, Saint-Saens, Piazzolla Participation libre Concert organised by the Confrérie du Raisin d’or de Sigoulés For more information tel 05 53 58 80 73 or 06 77 85 07 43 or visit www.confrerieduraisindor.com

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JULY 2016 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

SHAKESPEARE SUR DRONNE To mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, a troupe of English actors is coming to the Dronne Valley in July with their production of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

Circle 67 is an amateur theatre group founded, as our name suggests, in 1967. Based around the small town of Halesworth in north-east Suffolk, we perform a wide range of drama from panto to Shakespeare. We first toured an open-air “Shorter Shakespeare” around local pub gardens in 1984; it was so well received that we were encouraged to tour one or other of Shakespeare’s plays every summer since. In 2013 we brought an hour’s worth of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ to the Dordogne, performing to very appreciative audiences in Bourdeilles and at Boschaud Abbey, near Villars, in association with FestiVillars. We had a great time drumming up publicity, parading in costume at the markets in Thiviers and Brantôme. It was so successful and enjoyable that we are coming back this year with three performances of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, each in a stunning location: Friday 29th July - Aubeterre-sur-Dronne (16390) in front of the Eglise monolithe Saturday 30th July – Bourdeilles (24310) at Les Promenades, near the church and overlooking the river and château Sunday 31st July - Boschaud Abbey (near Villars, 24530)

At the end of July each year, Montignac is host to a world folklore and dance festival. This 36th edition takes place from 25th to 31st July and invites performers from Argentina, Australia, Ivory Coast, Spain, France, Iran, Mexico, Slovakia, Tahiti, Tatarstan and USA. Tel: 05 53 50 14 00 or visit: www.festivaldemontignac.fr

A Midsummer Night’s Dream must be Shakespeare’s most popular comedy, centring on events around the forthcoming wedding of Duke Theseus of Athens to Hippolyta, the Queen of the Amazons. A group of local artisans attempting to stage a play to entertain the wedding guests becomes mixed up in a quarrel between Oberon and Titania, the king and queen of fairyland, that results in the weaver Bottom ending up with an ass’s head and in Titania falling in love with him. All performances will start at 8 pm and will last about an hour. A printed summary will be available in French for French members of the audience. We’ll provide seating and entrance will be free; we’ll pass a hat round at the end, so please give generously if you enjoy the show!

2016 - Pop Sur Dronne Two intimate music evenings hosted by Andy Davies and wife Abigail WellsDavies, with food by Joss Genestet of Domaine de Vignes, 16210 Saint-Romain, Charente (10 mins from the Dordogne border). Andy is best known for his years spent on BBC Radio 2 co-hosting and producing alongside Jonathan Ross on Saturday mornings. We really enjoy bringing something very different and special to the area that you wouldn’t be able to access in this way normally.

Wednesday 17th August:

DODGY

The definitive line up of Nigel Clark, Andy Miller and Mathew Priest is back... The first time round, Dodgy were together for seven years and in that time they sold over a million records worldwide, released three albums and 12 Top 40 singles, including 3 Top 10s and the Top 5 hit ‘Good Enough’, which is still a staple of the Radio 2 playlist. The Dodgy of today are not resting on their laurels, having released two new albums in three years, with fan favourite “Stand Upright in a Cool Place” and the 2015 release “Hold Up To The Light”. www.dodgyology.com

Wednesday 31st August:

NICK HEYWARD

Is a songwriter, guitarist and vocalist, whose career began when he formed Haircut 100 in 1981. The band had 4 top ten UK singles and their album ‘Pelican West’ reached No1. His solo career has produced 3 top twenty singles with his single ‘Kite’ making No 3 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks Chart. Still recording, he releases a new album this year. www.nickheyward.com Domaine des Vignes, 16210 Saint-Romain. Tickets are €40 for dinner, glass of fizz and concert. Reservation is imperative. Evening starts at 19h. Call Abigail on 05 45 78 98 79 or by email popsurdronne@gmail.com

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