The Bugle Dordogne - July 2020 by The Bugle

Ban on veggie burgers and vegan sausages A new law has banned using words such as ‘burger’ and ‘saucisse’ to describe products created from vegetable proteins.

>> Page 4

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Residency permit website delayed The site allowing British expats to apply for post-Brexit residency permits had been due to go live in July, but the launch has now been delayed until October.

he government has announced that the launch of a muchanticipated website allowing British residents in France to apply for residency permits has been delayed by 3 months. Originally due to go live on 1st July, the Ministry of the Interior has now postponed the re-launching of their residency permit portal to 1st October, citing the impact of Covid-19. The decision came as a surprise, with statements from the British Embassy in Paris as recently as lateJune confirming that the launch was expected to go ahead as planned. The new date will leave expats with just three months to apply for their residency permits before Britain officially leaves the EU at the end of

the transition period on 31st December. Although Britons will no longer be EU citizens from January next year, the government has previously confirmed that a grace period will be introduced and it will not be compulsory to have a titre de séjour until 1st July 2021, by which time you will need to be either carrying a valid residency permit, or have proof of an ongoing application. From next year, anyone arriving in the country on a British passport will have to do so on a tourist visa that will allow you to stay 90 days in every 180. If you are planning to travel overseas in the first six months of next year, bear in mind that you may have to re-enter the

>> continued on page 9

INSIDE > > > Maurice the noisy cockerel dies - pg 5

Franco British Network launches phone helpline - pg 3 Anger as Pyrenees bear is illegally shot - pg 6

Rural communes to get 4G signal boost - pg 7

The Bugle Business Directory - pg 15-18

2 ♦ IN THIS EDITION

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JULY 2020

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ummer is here!! But whether or not it is also the holiday season depends on who you ask. As we go to print, the EU has been busy opening up its borders and has produced a list of 15 countries outside of the bloc to and from which it is now safe to travel a huge relief to many who rely on the tourist industry. The UK, however, has further delayed its decision as to when and if the quarantine rules will be lifted, which obviously has a big impact on the summer plans of many British expats in France. Personally, I have no plans to travel to the UK in the coming months, but I know plenty of people who are desperate to visit family or have friends they would love to see over the summer. Two weeks of quarantine on either end makes this virtually impossible for most and the lack of clarity from north of the Channel has unfortunately put paid to many people’s summer plans. More should hopefully become clear in the coming days, providing the crisis does not get worse in the UK - which at the moment is admittedly a worryingly big IF. What can probably be said for certain,

however, is that if Brits are told that they can indeed holiday in France without travel restrictions or quarantine, then it won’t be long until UK number plates are once again a common sight in the region’s supermarket car parks. And let’s face it; you are far safer on a French beach at the moment than a British one! As a country, France relies so heavily on tourism that opening up the borders for the summer season would relieve massive amounts of financial pressure on thousands of small businesses across the country... but a second spike and lockdown would cost so much more. I do not envy those in charge who have to make these decisions. We have spent a lot of time over the years planning family holidays. In my perfect world, holidays involve exposing the kids to new experiences, food and culture... wandering around museums, monuments and ancient ruins while my children eagerly ask questions and hoover up my seemingly limitless knowledge. In reality, I’m from the “when you’ve seen one cathedral, you’ve seen them all” school of thought and my kids are never happier than when you stuff an ice cream in their faces and tell them to get

09 51 45 57 49

lost... but not get lost. And queue the bad parent alarm, in that situation I’m never happier either. Printing a monthly newspaper, holidays are few and far between and rarely longer than a week. When I do get away, all I want is a book, a chair and a large helping of peace and quiet. OK, maybe you can chuck in the occasional cold beer! I make myself feel better about this by arguing that, as I work from home, I spend an inordinate amount of time with my kids during the year, so it’s OK to ignore them on holiday. I love the idea of wandering around somewhere like the Colosseum, teaching them all about the Romans, but the reality is usually somewhat different. The military packing mission, ten hours of “are we nearly there yet?”, herding three excitable kids through busy streets, deciphering foreign menus and dealing with the inevitable meltdowns. Yes, the Colosseum is an impressive place and the pizzas would no

doubt be amazing, but you end up staggering back through your front door one week later more tired than when you left! It was not always this way. In my younger years I travelled a lot and always loved discovering new places. If I ever looked to holiday at a hotel, resort or campsite, you can bet your bottom dollar I’d uncheck the “family-friendly” option in search criteria. But that was before I had my own family and fully understood the subtle nuance of summer holiday terminology. I’ll let you into a secret: “family-friendly” actually means “they’ll make new friends and leave you alone”; “all-inclusive” translates as “you won’t have to say ‘no, you can’t have another ice cream’ every 5 minutes”; and “kids club” is shorthand for “two hours to yourself every morning”. Nowadays, when I book a holiday, it is all about the kids... but in the most selfish way imaginable! I’m not a bad Dad really, I promise...

INSIDE this edition

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3-11 French News

In the end, it looks like we will be taking a short break this summer. For the first time in many, many years, we didn’t wait until the last minute and were organised enough to book it in January, but at the start of lockdown getting away seemed like a distant dream. As it happens, the campsite has already fully opened up and, touch wood, we will be getting our summer holiday after all. It is just a few hours down the road (check) at a familyfriendly campsite (check) with a kids club (check)... as my Nan would have said, “I’m not as green as I am cabbage looking!” Until next month! Steve Martindale, Editor www.thebugle.eu articles.thebugle.eu facebook.com/The BugleFrance

12-13 French Life 14 Practical 15-18 Directory 19-20 What’s On

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FRENCH NEWS ♦ 3

Residency permit telephone helpline opens

espite the delay for the website allowing UK nationals in France to apply for a residency permit, The Franco British Network has launched its telephone helpline offering help and advice to those living in the Dordogne. “Despite the delay in the opening of the online site for submitting residency applications, we recommend that UK Nationals begin to collect all the necessary documentation, in anticipation of the new date for the opening of the online site on 1st October 2020,” said Roger Haigh, President of The Franco British Network. “I am delighted to open our telephone helpline, which alongside our email helpline and website is a key part of our mission to assist UK Nationals living in the Dordogne to apply for French residency, especially to those most in need.” Funding for the helpline was awarded to The Franco British Network through a UK government grant. The grant was awarded “to support UK nationals and their families living in the Dordogne, especially those who may struggle to complete their French residency applications, now that the UK has left the EU”. Initially established in 2013 as the Franco British Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Dordogne, it became The Franco British Network in 2019, and aims to assist both individuals and businesses with taking up residence or setting up a business in the Dordogne. Enquiries can be made by telephone or online. For more information, visit www.francobritishnetwork.fr. The helpline - 05 19 88 01 09 - is open Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday from 9 am to 1 pm and Thursday and Friday from 1 pm to 5 pm. The phone line is only for UK nationals living in the Dordogne. ■

4 ♦ FRENCH NEWS

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protect both producers and consumers. “Many French people are committed to promoting short supply chains, quality produce and supporting our farmers. This enhanced traceability reinforces our policy favouring 'Made in France'.” Lobbyists for the meat industry have welcomed the new law and claimed that the nutritional content of vegetarian alternatives bears no comparison to traditional meat products. The move has echoed a similar fight won by the French dairy industry a few years ago, which banned non-dairy alternatives from using the words lait (milk), crème (cream) or fromage (cheese) in their product descriptions; under the ruling, dairy-like products made with alternatives such as soy or oats must label themselves as jus (juices), boissons (drinks) or desserts (desserts). The law change has understandably been met with consternation and anger by many within the burgeoning meatsubstitute industry, who claim that the public is already sufficiently informed to the point where no one would think a vegan sausage contained any meat. “A representation is misleading only if the average consumer is being misled,” said the European Vegetarian Union (EVU) -

Minister backs proposals to reduce motorway speed limit to 110km/h When the government reduced the speed limit on the country's roads to 80km/h, it sparked a series of protests that gave birth to the gilets jaunes movement and months of civil unrest. It would appear that a new showdown could be around the corner after the minister of transport and ecology, Elisabeth Borne, “personally supported” a proposal from a climate change pressure group to reduce motorway speed limits to 110km/h. The speed reduction was one of the proposals of the Climate Change Convention, a group of 150 members of the French public, selected at random, which was brought together to vote on climate change measures to lower France's carbon emissions by 40 per cent by 2030. “If we lower the speed limit, we reduce the effects of greenhouse gases by 20%. In principle, that’s an effective measure to help the climate,” explained the minister, although she admitted any changes would need wider public support. “It’s important with subjects such as this to make sure there is support from people in France, and from those who are directly concerned, which is not the case for me. I don’t use my car to go to work using the motorway.” A survey taken the week after the minister's announcement showed that more than two-thirds of the public were currently against the move. ■

Face coverings until November Wearing face masks on public transport will remain compulsory in France until at least November, the minister for transport and ecology has confirmed. Speaking on television, Elisabeth Borne stated that the safety measure would remain in place “until at least four months after the State of Emergency is lifted”, or until a vaccine is released. The State of Emergency is currently due to end on 10th July, and the government has already said it will not seek to renew it. “I think it is important to continue wearing masks and we have seen that those using public transport have been respecting these rules,” said the minister. “People are wearing them, wearing them properly. They protect people, and it seems like a sensible protocol.” Face coverings on public transport, including taxis, are compulsory for all people aged 11 or more and failure to follow the rules could land you with a fine of €135. ■

the umbrella organisation for the European vegan and vegetarian societies and associations. “We are not aware of any evidence indicating that consumers were misled by this practice, which is the main argument of the supporters of the restrictions. A recent German study found that

only four per cent of customers have ever unintentionally bought a vegetarian product instead of a meat product or vice versa. This very low number illustrates that labelling which includes references to conventional product names is not a huge problem for the general public.” ■

The dangers of informality

Screenshot (FranceBleu)

new law passed by the Assemblée Nationale has banned the use of words such as 'steak', 'escalope' and 'saucisse' to describe vegetarian and vegan products created from vegetable proteins. Plantbased alternatives to traditional meat products have become increasingly popular in recent years and the industry is expected to be worth €600 million next year, but gone now are the days of vegan sausages and veggie burgers. The threat has led to heavy campaigning by the country's meat industry - currently worth around €35 billion - which has now won a victory in its fight to protect producers from the rising popularity of alternatives to meat. According to the new law: “The names used to indicate foodstuffs of animal origin shall not be used to describe, market, or promote foodstuffs containing vegetable proteins. A decree shall set the proportion of vegetable proteins beyond which this name is not possible.” “Improving the labeling of food products is essential to allow consumers to become real actors,” said Agnès PannierRunacher, Secretary of State to the Minister of the Economy and Finance who also suggested that the new rules would

credit: thespruceeats.com

Ban on vegan sausages and veggie burgers

nowing when to use 'vous' and when to use the less formal 'tu' is a linguistic and social minefield that has tripped up many, especially native English speakers for whom the distinction is a foreign concept in both senses of the word! Unfortunately, this formality faux pas has become even more serious with the news that you could literally be putting someone's life at risk with the wrong choice in these times of Covid-19. A linguist from Aix-Marseille University, presumably with his tongue firmly in his cheek, has produced a video explaining the relative dangers of saying the words 'tu' and 'vous' in relation to spreading viruses. Everyone knows that you should cough into your elbow, or even better a tissue, but your mouth also expels tiny droplets of saliva when you talk. A study using lasers to track these tiny droplets in a confined space has shown that 'tu' produces far more saliva than the formal 'vous'. Here's the science bit: “We can’t speak without expelling air, but ‘pa’, ‘ta’ and ‘ka’ use voiceless occlusives, consonants formed by creating a brief block of airflow in the vocal tract; these are also called ‘stops’,” explains Philippe Martin, a linguistics professor from Paris Diderot University. “It’s like if you burst a little ball... you therefore expel a lot of air. Their voiced cousins, which make the vocal chords vibrate, ‘da’, ‘ga’ and ‘ba’, are similar but expel less air and so they don’t carry as far.” “Fricatives are consonants made by forcing air through a narrowed channel such as tongue against teeth or the soft palate, and these can also cause some problems. However again the voiceless fricatives like ‘f’, ‘s’ or ‘ch’ are worse than the voiced ones, ‘v’, ‘z’ and ‘j’.” The informal 'tu', 'toi' and 'tes' all use voiceless stops, whereas 'vous' and 'vos' use voiced fricatives - far less dangerous words to utter in public. But before you dismiss this research as a particularly pointless piece of publicity, just think twice about whether you want to risk saying that out loud! ■

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FRENCH NEWS ♦ 5

JULY 2020 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

is morning calls sparked a thousand debates across the country, but Maurice the cockerel has crowed for the last time, after his owner announced his death at the age of six. Maurice gained international support - and became a symbol of campaigns to protect the sounds of the French countryside - after finding himself at the centre of a legal dispute over noise pollution. The case threatened his permanent “removal” from his home, but in 2019, a court ruled in Maurice's favour and he lived out the rest of his days on the île d'Oléron just off the west coast of France. The cockerel actually passed away in May, but his proud owner Corinne Fesseau thought people already had enough to worry about and held back the sad news until recently. “I said to myself that with lockdown, people already had enough to worry about.” Fans of the figurehead will be glad to hear that his name

- and presumably his morning calls - will live on: “We've bought a new cockerel, and we've called him Maurice too - he sings just as well. But he will never be our Maurice.” Maurice first hit the headlines when two second home owners from the Limousin objected to their noisy neighbour waking them up early in the morning during their trips to the island. The case sparked a national debate over the sounds and smells of the countryside and again raised the age-old tensions between rural communities and encroaching urbanites. Numerous other stories soon hit the headlines, ranging from complaints of stinky cows and noisy church bells to croaking frogs. The spate of legal battles led a group of MPs to table a bill which would grant the sounds of the countryside protected status. “If we get this status, it will be a guarantee for a farmer not to find himself in front of the judge because his cows moo too much before being fed or because his donkey

Xavier Leoty. AFP

Maurice the noisy cockerel dies aged 6

brays during the hot season. It's humiliating for rural folk to find themselves in court because of someone who comes from elsewhere. When I go into town, I don't ask them to remove the traffic lights and cars!” In further bad news for Parisians looking for a spot of peace and quiet in their rural retreats, farmers across France have reported a recent boom

in the number of people keeping chickens. Food shortages in the early days of lockdown and increased awareness over food miles and local produce have led many to start fledgling smallholdings in their back gardens. Some producers of laying hens have seen as much as a 40% increase in the number of orders. This boom is not new, however, according to Jean-Claude

Périquet, president of the Fédération française de la volaille: “The boom for laying hens dates back a few years but during the confinement there has been a new rise in sales as people were trying to stay busy. It has been a trend for a few years now but the confinement has created more demand, maybe because people wanted to have fresh eggs.” ■

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uthorities in France have launched an investigation after the shooting of a brown bear in the Pyrenees. “A bear was discovered today killed by bullets. Bears are a protected species; this act is illegal and deeply reprehensible,” announced Ecology Minister Elisabeth Borne. “The local prefect is on-site and the State will file a complaint.” The remains of the wild bear, which is believed to have been around four or five years old, were found by biodiversity officials investigating a series of complaints from farmers about sheep killings. The bear was not wearing a tracking collar and has not been identified; its carcass was flown by helicopter to a veterinary school in Toulouse, where experts were due to carry out an autopsy. Conservation groups backing local efforts to boost the bear population in the Pyrenees said they would also press charges and called on the government to ensure the animal would be

replaced. “The reaction of the State must be clear and firm: condemn and repair,” 10 environmental and animal rights groups said in a statement. “Failing to do so would vindicate the poachers. We cannot let people impose their point of view through violence. They must understand that there is no way forward with this type of violent and illegal action. We will not simply lodge a complaint. These individuals do not have the right to decide if a bear lives or dies.” In the days after the news of the bear's death, one NGO offered a €30,000 reward for information leading to a prosecution. After initially pledging €10,000, the Sea Shepherd group received a flood of donations allowing them to triple this sum. The group has successfully used similar tactics in the past, most notably last year when a €10,000 reward led to the arrest of two men who had decapitated two seals in Finistère, Brittany. Their trial is due to take place in September

@Elisabeth_Borne (Twitter)

Anger as protected bear is killed in the Pyrenees

this year. Once native to the area, the first brown bears were re-introduced to the Pyrenees in 1996 but the project proved to be controversial from the outset. Although hailed by conservationists, the policy understandably angered farmers on both sides of the border, who claim their livelihoods depend on the freedom of their flocks

of sheep, cattle and goats to graze undisturbed on the high pastures during the summer months. While cases of bear attacks on livestock are relatively rare and conservationists insist the impact is minimal, anti-bear campaigners are usually successful in making sure they hit the headlines when they do occur. Farid Benhammou, a ge-

ographer and researcher at the University of Poitiers, insists that the animals are largely vegetarian and will only eat other animals when they are particularly hungry. The researcher says that the number of killings by bears in the Pyrenees are likely to be “exaggerated”, and in many cases can probably more accurately be attributed to packs of wolves. ■

FRENCH NEWS ♦ 7

JULY 2020 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

CSF Cycle For Life

Residency permit website launch delayed to October >> continued from pg 1

ancer charity Cancer Support France (CSF) has announced that its ‘Cycle for Life’ event will now take place from 23 to 26 September. The event had been postponed from June due to the Covid-19 crisis. CSF National President, Pat Lockett, says “Due to the health crisis we were unable to plan the ride for June but are delighted that we can now go ahead in September. Our aim is to ensure that no English speaker of any nationality in France needing support, be they patient, carer or family member, is unaware of us. Cycle for Life will help us raise awareness and funds whilst you have fun and keep fit.” This year’s event sees CSF and its cyclists following La Flow Vélo, a dedicated cycle route crossing from the Atlantic, through the Charente and ending in Angoulême for four days of gentle exercise. Starting on Wednesday lunchtime at Rochefort, with its 17th century maritime arsenal, cyclists will stop at Saint-Savinien and Cognac, ending with a welcome lunch on Saturday at Angoulême, best known for its paper industry and as the capital of

cartoons. Pat continues: “The n ational association provides support to our local associations but has no independent means of raising funds. Last year, sponsorship from the Cycle for Life raised almost enough funds to cover the costs of the annual three-day Trainers' Conference in November. This Conference is the most important event in the CSF year, enabling our trainers to share, discuss and develop our training. This is vital to ensure a high quality and consistent support service across France. It is also the biggest expense which CSF National faces. If you cannot ride then do consider making a donation and don't forget, the cyclists would love to hear you urging them on!” Come and join CSF, meandering through lovely French countryside, and enjoy the fun. For up to date details please see our Cycle for Life Facebook page at www. facebook.com/activityforlife. And for more information about CSF and what we do have a look at our website: www.cancersupportfrance.org

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country on one of these visas if you do not have either a titre de séjour, proof that you have applied for one, or a document stating that you are usually resident in France, such as an attestation de domicile signed by your local mairie. The government initially launched a bilingual residency permit website last year to allow British people living in France to apply in advance in the event of a no-deal Brexit. This site allowed people to apply online and upload the majority of their supporting documents electronically. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive and it is widely believed that the new website would be based on this previous

one. Furthermore, anyone who has already applied via the no-deal site will have their application processed automatically and will not have to go through the process a second time. It is widely expected that there will be two kinds of card: one for people who can prove they have lived in France for at least five years and a second for those who arrived more recently. This second card will be valid for up to five years and will be exchangeable for a permanent one after five years of residency. The application process will be simplest for those who already hold a 10-year “carte de séjour - séjour permanent”, which can simply be converted to the new type of residency permit. ■

Dordogne communes to get 4G mobile signal

ne of the government's flagship policies when it came into office was a pledge to provide fast, reliable broadband to everyone in the country. Much work has been done in recent years and large parts of the country do now have access to fibre optic internet and/or a 4G/5G signal. The reality is very different, however, for those of us who live in rural areas, where towns - and occasionally entire communes - have little or no mobile phone coverage, let alone high-speed internet. When the licences for 5G frequencies came up for auction, the French government struck a deal with the four main mobile phone operators - Orange, SFR, Bouygues and Free - that saw them commit, in exchange for the agreed price, to provide 4G coverage to the country's zones blanches (remote areas that do not currently have a reliable mobile signal). The government has recently published

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the list of communes which must be given a strong mobile data signal by the end of 2020, and despite having some of the poorest mobile phone coverage in the country, only a handful of communes in Dordgogne are set to benefit: Dussac, Saint-Mesmin, Eygurande-et-Gardedeuil, Bourdeilles, Quinsac, Coux-et-Bigaroque and Faux. It is expected that similar lists will be published in the future. “This decree establishes the first list of areas to be covered, for the year 2020, by mobile radio operators participating in the targeted coverage scheme. These areas have been identified by the government in consultation with local authorities,” the government wrote in the Journal Officiel. “In each zone, the designated operators will be required to provide mobile radio-telephony and very high-speed mobile access services by means of the installation of new sites ensuring coverage in the area.” ■

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19 rue du Colonel de Chadois, 24100 BERGERAC

19 rue des Déportés, 24150 LALINDE

Ref: 8635-LA 213,000 € HAI

Ref: 8654-LA 233,200 € HAI

6 ensuite-bedroom property with pool on 26 acres of fenced, landscaped land. Spacious, ecological main house. Geo-thermal underﬂoor heating and wood burners. Outbuilding and garage. 15 mins from Bergerac. DPE: A

19 C stone house in a hamlet close to Bergerac. 5 bedrooms, (1 ensuite on ground ﬂoor and parental suite on the second ﬂoor). Approx. 1 acre enclosed garden and swimming pool. Garage. DPE: Vierge

Centre of a village 20 mins from Lalinde. Renovated, 230 m² on 3 levels. Includes a shop front, so could become a gallery, café, restaurant, etc. Garden, terrace, garage & cellar. Lots of potential! DPE: vierge

10 minutes from Lalinde. Bungalow, 120 m² double garage, swimming pool and 7,726 m² garden, 3 bedrooms, large living room, 60m² kitchen. Double glazing, wood burner, electric heating. DPE: vierge

Taux d’honoraires 37,350€ (4.5%) inclus à la charge de l’acquéreur

Taux d’honoraires 15.000€ (6%) inclus à la charge de l’acquéreur

Taux d’honoraires 13,935€ (7%) inclus à la charge de l’acquéreur

Taux d’honoraires 15,256 € (7%) inclus à la charge de l’acquéreur

Ref: 8754-BGC 714,000 € HAI

Ref: 8558-LA 318,000 € HAI

Ref: 8514-BGC 867,350 € HAI

Ref: 8718-BGC 399,620 € HAI

Ref: 8632-BGC 349,860 € HAI

Countryside property on 5 acres, 20 mins from Bergerac. 4 bedrooms & 4 bathrooms, plus a 1-bed cottage, pool & outbuildings. The land includes woods and gardens. Quiet location without being isolated. DPE: C

Countryside house & gite on 49 acres of garden, pastures & woodland. Pool, tennis court & equestrian facilities. Perfect for a large family or/and equestrian/tourist business. Private but not isolated. 15 mins from Bergerac. DPE: E

TO REFRESH: 2 Lakes + 175 m² Périgourdine incl. a stone gîte of 75 m². Living room 40 m² with insert, 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. 2 wcs. garage, workshop, utility, cellar. DPE: D

Taux d’honoraires 22,620€ (6%) inclus à la charge de l’acquéreur

Taux d’honoraires 34,000€ (5%) inclus à la charge de l’acquéreur

Taux d’honoraires 18,000€ (6%) inclus à la charge de l’acquéreur

Ref: 8649-LA 598,500 € HAI B&B and Gite on the heights of Lalinde. 5 bedrooms, study and 4 bathrooms, barn 70 m² and garage. 3 bed- cottage. 3.5 ha with a pond and a swimming pool. DPE: D Taux d’honoraires 28,500€ (5%) inclus à la charge de l’acquéreur

FRENCH NEWS ♦ 9

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safety report released in June has revealed that a routine Ryanair flight from London Stansted to Bergerac was within 40 seconds of crashing as it came in to land at the Dordogne’s main airport. The incident, which occurred during bad weather on 29th January 2015, saw the plane descend to an altitude of just 321 metres despite being a full 14 kilometres short of the runway. With the usual communication equipment on the ground unavailable due to maintenance work at Bergerac-Roumanière airport, the pilot decided to land using a vertical navigation technique (VNAV) which relies on onboard rate of descent measurements to calculate the approach. Whilst the pilot had over 15,000 hours of flight time, his trainee co-pilot had only 430 hours and did not have prior experience of the technique.

Furthermore, the report revealed that volume control issues on the headsets meant that the pilot had the impression that communication was flowing just “one way” - from himself to the copilot only - and he felt “that he was having to manage all the aspects of the flight himself” and “was becoming overloaded”. As the plane turned into its descent run, it did so below the minimum safe altitude, causing an alarm to go off at air traffic headquarters in Bordeaux. Due to further communication issues between Bordeaux and Bergerac, the descent continued for a further two minutes as the plane reached a minimum altitude of just 321 metres between Beaumontdu-Périgord and Lalinde. At this point a ground proximity warning went off in the cockpit and the co-pilot aborted the descent and accelerated into a climb, with just 40 seconds to spare before im-

Bergerac flight just 40 seconds from disaster

pact with the ground well short of the runway. The report concluded that the co-pilot was not “in proper control of the descent procedure”, which would usually follow a minimum altitude throughout and that his “initial preparation for the approach was found to be insufficiently precise or

complete”. The plane, which was carrying 166 passengers and six crew, eventually landed 20 minutes after its scheduled arrival time, with no injuries reported. In light of the incident, airline Ryanair has now banned the use of approach with VNAV landings. ■

Groundbreaking Alzheimer's village opens

La Conciergerie

Credit: villagealzheimer.landes.fr

fter a delayed start due to the coronavirus lockdown, the country's first so-called “Alzheimer's village” has welcomed its first residents in Dax, south-west France. The facility, which took two years to build and cost €28.8 million was designed to resemble a traditional Landais village and is now home to 30 dementia sufferers, with a further 90 due to join them in the near future. Plans for the village were first announced in 2015 and were based on the groundbreaking Hogewey project at Weesp, half an hour south-east of Amsterdam. It was the brainchild of socialist politician Henri Emmanuelli, who first visited the Dutch facility as part of a parliamentary committee studying Alzheimer’s treatment in France. Emmanuelli died in 2017 - the year the first stones were laid. Planners took inspiration from the bastide layout typical of south-west France, with a central square surrounded by a café/restaurant, a hall suitable for concerts, a village store and a hairdresser. The Landais Village is “designed like a real village, spread out over a landscaped park of five hectares”, according to Vincent Galibert, the director of the group that is piloting the project. The village is divided into four quarters with a total of 16 homes of 300 m2, with each building housing between seven and eight dementia sufferers. There are gardens where residents who had previously grown vegetables at home can continue to do so, and a separate area with poultry and other small animals. “The idea is to maximise the quality of people's lives. Keeping everyone active. Focusing on everything they can still do, rather than everything they can't. Because when you have dementia, you're ill, but there may really not be

much else wrong with you,” explained Isabel van Zuthem, director of the Weesp facility at the time the French project was announced. “We can still do more, but in general, I think we get pretty close to normal. You don't see people lying in their beds here. They're up and about, doing things. They're fitter. And they take less medication. I think maybe we've shown that even if it is cheaper to build the kind of care home neither you or I would ever want to

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live in, the kind of place where we've looked after people with dementia for the past 30 years or more, we perhaps shouldn't be doing that anymore.” The majority of the residents will come from the local area, but with the cost of care similar to that in a traditional care home - once the facility has been built - it is hoped that the country's first Alzheimer's village will prove to be the blueprint for similar projects across France. ■

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or many children in the nation's capital, the coronavirus lockdown meant a trip to the family's second home in the countryside with the promise of long boring days ahead with no one to play with. For two brothers, however, their lockdown story would resemble something out of the page of a children's adventure book. When news of the upcoming lockdown was announced, the boys' father decided to head to his family home in the Vendôme, south-west of the capital to stay with an older relative. Soon after their arrival, the two boys, both aged around 10 years old, decided to pass the time by building a fort and were told they could use their late grandmother's sheets, which were still in a wardrobe in one of the rooms. Pulling out the sheets, two large, heavy objects also fell out of the wardrobe, which the boys put back before heading off to their fort. When they later mentioned the discovery to their father, he believed that they had found his mother's old knife holders which had been used at family dinners for many years. When the brothers also mentioned the inscriptions and serial numbers, the family's interest was

piqued and they contacted a local auctioneer, Philippe Rouillac, who had been trying to raise his profile during lockdown. “Every day on our website at 3 pm, we told the story of an interesting object, which resulted in many people sending us inquiries during that time about what they had found in their houses,” explained the auctioneer. “Sometimes, they discovered or rediscovered an unusual object after tidying up and asked us for a free appraisal by videoconference.” On hearing the story of the boys' discovery, the auctioneer did indeed arrange a video call and had immediate suspicions that the dusty metal objects may be hiding a more valuable secret. His hunch was confirmed once he had seen the items for himself after the lockdown was lifted, at which time he was able to confirm that they were not in fact large heavy knife blocks, but rather two one-kilogram bars of gold. In a further stroke of luck, the price of gold has risen sharply since the beginning of the year as a result of the global pandemic, and whilst they would have been worth €80,000 in January, their value in today's market has

Brothers find grandma's secret gold bars

risen to more than €100,000. Although the story is a headline-grabbing one, the auctioneer was actually unsurprised. “As a nation, the French have the most gold per person in the world after India. And it is often in the form of old coins hidden some-

where. Gold has always been something that will always have value in France.” If you weren't tempted to spring clean the attic during lockdown, maybe now would be a good time to have a quick look... just in case! ■

Adventurer's space hopper mountain climb

credit: Quentin Top

Internal flights banned along train routes The government has confirmed that a planned ban on internal domestic flights where an equivalent train journey of less than two and a half hours exists will apply to low-cost carriers as well as Air France. As part of the continuing battle against climate change, the government had previously said that the national airline would not be able to operate on routes where rail options are available, leading to fears that the low-cost airlines would simply

he Col du Tourmalet is the highest paved mountain pass in the Pyrenees and one of the most famous peaks of the Tour de France. Since 1910 when the race first visited the mountain range which divides France from Spain, the iconic pass has been crested by the peloton on more occasions than any other. It takes a brave, fit and dedicated cyclist to take on the notoriously long and steep climb and many professional cyclists have been forced to abandon the race on its slopes. Which is why many were left confused when a Belgian adventurer began the long climb, with little fanfare and no press attention... on a space hopper! Setting off at five o'clock in the morning, Glenn Valentin began the 18.6 kilometre bounce up to the peak, shrouded in clouds at 2,115 metres above sea level. After initially making good time, Valentin slowed as the gradient increased. “By noon, I had gone a good 12 kilometres,” he told journalists after the event. “That was when it started to rain, and a photographer from a local paper showed up. He followed me for about three hours

move in to offer their own flights. “It is obviously not conceivable that we would allow operators of any kind - especially low-cost operators - to get involved,” confirmed Junior Transport Minister JeanBaptiste Djebbari. “We will therefore issue a decree, for environmental reasons, compatible with European law, so that there is no competition risk.” In reality, the move will affect very few routes and industry experts point to historical data that shows when a new TGV line has been introduced in the past, any competing flights usually stop shortly thereafter due to lack of demand.

Bastille Day parade to celebrate healthcare workers Bastille Day is one of the most important dates in the French calendar and July 14th typically sees large parades, celebrations and parties taking place across the country. This year will be different, however, as the government continues to advise against large crowds; it has

and made a lovely video.” The last two kilometres, also the steepest of the whole climb, would prove to be a test of endurance. “That was really difficult, and I need two hours to do it in. On top of that, the weather was really awful, cold and misty. I was in enormous pain in my buttocks and in my hamstrings and was also straining my neck, wrists and elbow. But the way I felt when I got to the top made it all worth it. I am super glad I did it.” All of this suffering was in aid of Les Petits Princes, a Paris-based organisation that fulfils the wishes of critically ill children. “I’m a big dreamer myself, so it seemed like an appropriate initiative to support,” the 29-year-old said. “I hope to lend them a hand with this stunt and also motivate myself to do a few more like it. I have a new adventure planned for August, in fact.” As a child, Valentin had dreamed of riding in the Tour de France, and while he has remained a keen cyclist, he never fulfilled his ambition of turning professional. “I've ridden up the Tourmalet three times on my bike, and I can tell you it's a bit easier than on a space hopper!” ■

previously stated that gatherings of more than 5,000 people will not be allowed before September.

With the usually large military parade along the Champs-Elysées cancelled, President Macron announced that the Bastille Day celebrations in Paris would this year be used celebrate the country's healthcare workers and will take place on the Place de la Concorde in front of a crowd of 2,000 members of the public who will be joined by 2,500 invited guests. ■

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n his first overseas trip since the coronavirus outbreak, President Emmanuel Macron visited London in June to honour the city for its wartime efforts and to mark the 80th anniversary of General Charles de Gaulle's famous call for the French people to resist Nazi occupation. Known as l'appel du 18 juin (the appeal of 18th June), de Gaulle's speech is widely considered to be the moment that gave birth to the French Resistance and is regarded as one of the most important speeches in French history. Macron was welcomed to London by Prince Charles and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, who received the president at their Clarence House home in the presence of a guard of honour formed by the Coldstream Guards. “Your nation spearheaded the liberation of the world. It erected, against Nazi

barbarism, the most beautiful of the ramparts: that of unity and fraternity,” Macron told Prince Charles. “The United Kingdom gave Free France its first weapon: the microphone of the BBC.” Hailing London as the “cradle of Free France” Macron added: “I wanted to express the French Republic's infinite gratitude to the City of London by awarding it, in a wholly exceptional capacity, the cross of the Légion d'Honneur.” “Your presence here today, Mr President, is a powerful demonstration of the bond between our two countries, and between our people, and of our shared determination that it must endure,” replied Prince Charles in a mixture of English and French. “It is a bond forged through common experience, sanctified through shared sacrifice and burnished by the deep affection in

which we hold each other. Time and again our countries have stood together against tyranny and oppression, joining arms to defend the values we hold most dear.” The ceremony concluded with a joint fly-past of the Red Arrows and their French equivalent La Patrouille. Although usually awarded to individuals, the Legion of Honour is occasionally symbolically awarded to cities and countries. London becomes the seventh location to be given the award in recognition of its contribution during World War Two, joining Algeria, Belgrade, Brazzaville, Liège, Luxembourg and Volgograd. It had earlier been announced that four surviving French Resistance fighters were to be appointed honorary MBEs. Edgard Tupet-Thomé, 100, Daniel Bouyjou-Cordier, 99,

De Gaulle's speech in full (translation) The leaders who, for many years, have been at the head of the French armies have formed a government. This government, alleging the defeat of our armies, has made contact with the enemy in order to stop the fighting. It is true, we were, we are, overwhelmed by the mechanical, ground and air forces of the enemy. Infinitely more than their number, it is the tanks, the aeroplanes, the tactics of the Germans which are causing us to retreat. It was the tanks, the aeroplanes, the tactics of the Germans that surprised our leaders to the point of bringing them to where they are today. But has the last word been said? Must hope disappear? Is defeat final? No! Believe me, I who am speaking to you with full knowledge of the facts, and who tell you that nothing is lost for France. The same means that overcame us can bring us victory one day. For France is not alone! She is not alone! She is not alone! She has a vast Empire behind her. She can align with the British Empire that holds the sea and continues the fight. She can, like England, use without limit the immense industry of the United States. This war is not limited to the unfortunate territory of our country. This war is not over as a result of the Battle of France. This war is a world war. All the mistakes, all the delays, all the suffering, do not alter the fact that there are, in the world, all the means necessary to crush our enemies one day. Vanquished today by mechanical force, in the future we will be able to overcome by a superior mechanical force. The fate of the world depends on it. I, General de Gaulle, currently in London, invite the officers and the French soldiers who are located in British territory or who might end up here, with their weapons or without their weapons, I invite the engineers and the specialised workers of the armament industries who are located in British territory or who might end up here, to put themselves in contact with me. Whatever happens, the flame of the French resistance must not be extinguished and will not be extinguished. Tomorrow, as today, I will speak on the radio from London.

Hubert Germain, 99, and Pierre Simonet, 98, are already members of the Order of Liberation, an honour given by France to those who played an outstanding role in freeing the country from its four-year wartime occupation. When Nazi forces swept across France and captured Paris, de Gaulle was a relatively unknown figure, only recently promoted to the rank of general and holding a junior position in the country's cabinet. His image as a leader quickly grew through future speeches in exile and, later, his actions. Despite its important historical status, The Appeal of 18th June in fact had very little impact at the time. Transmitted on the BBC's French Service, the broadcast was not recorded and relatively few people in France heard it. A similar broadcast four days later on the same network, however, reached a much wider audience and went a long way to establishing de Gaulle as this country's leader in-exile. “I, General de Gaulle, currently in London, call upon the officers and the French soldiers who are located in British territory or who might end up here, with their weapons or without their weapons to get

in touch with me,” de Gaulle said. “Whatever happens, the flame of the French resistance must not be extinguished and will not be extinguished.” Later in the day Macron met his British counterpart, Boris Johnson, to discuss the ongoing health crisis and Brexit trade negotiations. It is believed that the leaders talked about the possibility of removing the current quarantine rules ahead of the summer tourist season. Members of the delegation led by the French president were not required to quarantine in the UK for 14 days under an exemption in place for “representatives of a foreign country travelling to the UK to undertake official business with the UK”. In the lead up to the visit, the statue of Winston Churchill that had been boarded up during recent civil unrest was uncovered, but a statue of de Gaulle in Hautmont near the Belgian border was itself splashed with bright orange paint and had the back of its pedestal daubed with the slogan “slaver”. President Emmanuel Macron later said in a televised address that France would not erase “a trace” of its history and vowed it would not remove statues of its historical figures. ■

senior politician has again taken to Twitter as part of her ongoing “name and shame” campaign highlighting bad packaging practices. In the cross hairs of the Secretary of State for Ecological and Inclusive Transition, Brune Poirson, on this occasion was supermarket chain E. Leclerc. Posting a picture of six hard-boiled eggs, packaged on an expanded polystyrene tray and wrapped in cling film, the minister Tweeted sarcastically: “Previously, nature had to make do with its own ingenious packaging, known as a shell. Many thanks to E. Leclerc for this fantastic innovation!” Tackling excessive packaging forms part of the loi anti-gaspillage, the anti-waste laws voted through by MPs earlier this year that will see many forms of packing banned from 2021 and others made prohibitively expensive through regulations and taxation. “Technically, the plastic film is recyclable, but it's not certain if it will be recycled

properly or just put into the bin, as this form of recycling is not yet well-developed in France,” explained the minister. “And the black tray is most certainly expanded polystyrene, which will be banned from January 2021, and which in this case has been dyed black using carbon, rendering it non-recyclable.” Brune Poirson has previously tackled the French food giant Fleury Michon over one of its pre-packaged salads, tweeting in March: “Since Fleury Michon do not understand that in 2020 offering non-recyclable containers is no longer acceptable and thanks to #LoiAntiGaspillage, they are both inflicting an ecological penalty on the planet whilst benefiting those companies that favour true recycling.” Earlier in the month, the ecology minister had also revealed that those convicted of littering in a public place - including the incorrect disposal of face masks - would now face an increased fine of €135, rising to €375 in case of late payment. ■

Credit: @brunepoirson (Twitter)

Minister shames supermarket over packaging

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Do you dare eat an apricot?

by Julia Watson

t’s a truism to say that food is as much about culture as it is about appetite. The chilly north of Europe has never included in its national cuisines the quantities of chillies that go into the dishes of Asia. Nor has the climate east of the Bosphorus, meteorological and religious, encouraged the promotion of cows for the production of cream and butter. The French consider the British pairing of mint sauce with roast lamb a desecration even while they are happy to serve blackcurrant sauce with duck. What is interesting, though, is when the addition of certain ingredients strays, in the view of the eater, into the zone of possible physical danger. Living in Washington DC for almost 20 years, it was as difficult towards the end of that period as it was at the start to get hold of offal. Most supermarkets - independent butchers are rare - sell a spread of skinless chicken breasts, a lesser stock of thighs and legs, a display of vermillion-red cuts of beef, pork roasts and very thin un-fatty chops - the Other White Meat, as it’s marketed, with its implication of better health attached. Newly arrived, I drove all over the capital in search of kidneys to make a steak and kidney pie, to introduce new American friends to British culture. Finding a complicit French butcher behind the meat counter of an upmarket food store, I nevertheless had to sign a Food & Drug Administration form saying I fully understood the dangers of eating offal and another form that exonerated him from liability should any health issue arise. The kidneys weren’t available at the time. They had to be ordered from some independent location. Nor would they be fresh. They arrived several days later, frozen into a brick. When the guests sat down at the dinner in front of the traditional British pie, they each carefully removed every piece of kidney and set it aside on the rim of their plates. More recently, we had a friend from another European country to stay. She sat at the kitchen counter watching me make Tarte aux Abricots, chatting away as I rolled the pastry about the joys of French food and how impressive was the French way of using every part of everything, having been served the previous night a warm salad of wilted radish and beetroot leaves. However, she had her limits, too. When I cracked open the stones of the apricots, blanched their kernels to remove their skins and scatter the nuts over the apricot tart, she rebelled. Surely they would give her cyanide poisoning. Despite my assurance that she would have to eat the weight of her head in apricot kernels before she was in any danger, she was clearly unsettled enough that I had to use almond slivers instead to make her feel safe. You can use whichever you prefer for the apricot tart below. I offer this recipe because the method applies to any soft fruit although you will find that plums leak a good deal of juice in the baking. I don’t find that a drawback, but it does make the pastry a little soggy. In a good plum-y way, in my view. It also works beautifully as an apple tart. Peel and core the apples, then cut them into slices you overlap down the pastry. Baking a fruit tart in a rectangle saves an awful lot of work and avoids that struggle of getting pastry and fruit happily settled into a round tin. Also, it slices more easily. Julia Watson has been a long-time Food Writer for newspapers and magazines in the US and the UK.

Apricot Tart

Ingredients (serves 4-6) : 250g plain or puff pastry 500g fresh apricots, halved and stoned Kernels of apricots for scattering, or almond slivers (optional) 100g unsalted butter, melted 150g caster sugar Icing sugar for dusting Preheat oven to 200C. Roll out pastry to a rectangle on a flour-dusted work surface and lay on a large buttered baking sheet. Use the tip of a knife to score a light line all the way round, 1cm from the edge. Crack the apricot stones and remove their kernels. Blanch the kernels in boiling water for 1 minute, then drain off the water and skin them. Arrange apricots as tightly as possible over pastry, cut side up. Brush the apricots and the pastry edges with the melted butter, sprinkle the fruit with sugar and scatter almond kernels or slivers over. Bake for 30-40 minutes, till the apricots are soft and beginning to char a little. Charring is important, adding a caramel flavour. Sieve over icing sugar just before serving and eat at room temperature on its own or with crème fraîche or ice cream.

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The wines of Bergerac - Summer events

by Martin Walker

he tourist aspect of the wine trade in the Bergerac region is coming slowly but happily back to life. In recent days I have learned that Jazz en Chais will be mounting the annual concert at Château de Tiregand on September 4, an event not to be missed. François-Xavier de Saint-Exupéry, the owner of the château and a great winemaker, ensures that the various food stalls selling meals are of excellent quality and his own Pécharmant wines are even better. On July 9 at 7 pm that splendidly-named vineyard Château Moulin Caresse in the Montravel, is holding a dinner in its chai, in partnership with the restaurant Côté Bastide from Sainte-Foy-la Grande to provide the food. One of my best memories of the months of Covid-19 confinement was drinking a bottle of their Coeur de Roche, 2011, a wine of stupendous quality. The menu looks good, starting with a croustillant de foie gras à la pomme et au pain d’épice, sauce au miel et sirop de figue, and going on to boeuf moelleux cooked in their own wine, and reservations must be made on 05 53 27 55 58. The tasting room and terrace of the Maison des Vins in Bergerac is now open and although the pop-up tasting bars on the quayside will not

be open in July, we expect them to be open on August 1st, 7th, 15th and 22nd, subject to formal approval by the mairie. Sadly, some eagerly-awaited events have been canceled including the Eté des Montravel on July 3 and 4. And Sue and Humphrey Temperley at Château Lestevenie have decided it is still too risky for their planned weekly popup restaurant overlooking the vineyard, one of the best views in the Bergerac. And there are fifteen varieties of wild orchids to be found there. I visited them recently to taste their new white wine. It has just a hint of tartness, an excellent bargain at 5 euros, the same price as their very good rosé. As ever, the great prize here is the red wines. There are still some bottles left of the stunning 2015, at 12 euros (frankly, I’d be prepared to pay double) and the 2017 now on offer is its equal. Humphrey thinks it’s even better. I was on a tasting trip with my neighbour, Raymond, a retired captain of gendarmes. He grew up on a local farm where they made their own wine from three hectares of grapes, and in the course of an intriguing career ran a security detail for Jacques Chirac, so Raymond knows his wines. His eyes nearly popped out of his head

in surprise and delight when he tasted the 2017. We each bought some. Confession: I did a terrible thing to Humphrey a couple of years ago when I wrote in this column that he made the best red wine I knew for less than ten euros a bottle, just before he’d planned to put his prices up. Humphrey’s wines are still a great bargain and I prefer his sparkling bruts to many champagnes. So I can truthfully say again that his 2017 is the best red wine I know for less than ten euros a bottle. Get it while you can. Sadly also the Monday evening markets at Beaumont, which usually provided the best music in the region have been cancelled this year, but Villeréal is going ahead. And it is very good news that David Fourtout at Les Verdots is still planning to have his Verdots en Fête, with concert, wine tastings and Marché Gourmand on July 25 and 26. David, like Château de Tiregand, the Temperleys and Moulin Caresse, is another of my favourite winemakers. On July 30, August 14 and 27, yet another favourite, Château de la Jaubertie at Colombier will be hosting their apéros gourmands in the vineyards from 6 pm, with guided visit, buffet and a free glass of wine, all for 15 euros a head. Booking es-

sential, 48 hours in advance, at 05 53 58 32 11. Sadly, the open-air performance of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream on August 7 has had to be cancelled. On Tuesdays in July and August at 3 pm at Château Monestier La Tour are guided tours in English of one of the most advanced and upto-date bio-dynamic vineyards in France. No expense was spared to modernise the chai and to create an organic garden from which come the herbal treatments that are used instead of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. It took a couple of years for the land and the vines to adapt to the new system but they now make terrific wines. My friends Caro and Sean Feely at the bio-dynamic Château Feely in the Saussignac are planning a glorious evening picnic among the vines and a mini Master Class on tasting rosé wines (theirs are outstanding) on July 29. Reservations required at 05 53 22 72 71. Adults, 20 euros, children half-price. You can see a video interview of Caro with Jeff Harding, one of the great New York sommeliers. Just type their names into the search field on YouTube. Caro, whose three books on her family’s experience launching themselves as wine-makers with two young

daughters, are a delight to read and in my view the website of her château is the best in the Bergerac. Take a look and find, among other things, a recipe for elderflower cordial, lessons on wine and the seasons and much more. And on September 19 this year, at the Château de Monbazillac, I’ll be taking part in the annual concours de Monbazillac to pick this year’s favourite of the region’s sweet white wines. Expect a full report in the October issue of your Bugle. Here’s hoping for a happy and healthy summer to all, and the discovery of some great new Bergerac wines. Remember, at tourist offices throughout the region you can pick up a free copy of the Guide de la Route des Vins, with maps, to explore the vineyards. I never travel without one. ■ 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.

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www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JULY 2020

Is time running out for tax-free pension transfers? - Blevins Franks If you have chosen to retire in France, it is sensible to review your pension options now, before Brexit potentially changes the rules.

nderstandably during this global health emergency, normal life has been paused while priorities have shifted. With all that’s been going on, it is easy to forget that the Brexit transition period is still due to end in just a few months, on 31 December. Reassuringly, we now know that if you are lawfully settled in France before then, you will be able to enjoy uninterrupted residence rights. But with no certainty on what form Brexit will take from 2021 – or whether the UK will even leave with a deal – there are still many unknowns. Perhaps one of the biggest is what will happen to UK pension rules for expatriates. Looking at it from the UK government’s point of view, it could be potentially quite lucrative, for example, to tap into overseas pension transfers once they shed their EU obligations. If you are already retired or planning to retire abroad, this is the time to review your pension options – before the rules potentially change. The option to transfer overseas Since QROPS’ introduction in 2006, many thousands of expatriates have chosen to transfer UK pensions to a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS). Transferring to a QROPS can consolidate several UK pensions under one taxefficient roof suited to your country of

residence and unlock other benefits. Once in a QROPS, funds are sheltered from UK taxation on income and gains, and immune to future changes to pension rules. Usually, a QROPS provides greater investment diversification compared to UK pension schemes, with more freedom to vary income. Many also offer multi-currency flexibility, letting you hold and draw your funds in your currency of choice. Meanwhile, as UK pension payments are usually made in sterling, the income remains sensitive to volatile exchange rates during these uncertain times. And, while many UK pensions are payable only to your spouse on death, a QROPS allows you to include other heirs in estate planning. Taxation of QROPS transfers Currently, most expatriates in the EU can transfer to a QROPS completely taxfree, but there are two key situations in which tax is payable. First, if your combined UK pension benefits exceed the UK’s lifetime allowance (currently £1,073,100) you would face a 25% tax penalty on anything transferred over the limit, even if you are non-UK resident. But once in a QROPS, funds would never be subject to Lifetime Allowance (LTA) charges again. The second taxable scenario is if you transfer to a QROPS based outside the EU/EEA (European Economic Area). In this case (unless you live in the same jurisdiction as the QROPS), the UK applies a 25% ‘overseas transfer charge’ on the whole transferred amount. Expatriates in France escape this tax by transferring to a QROPS based in

an EU/EEA country. However, this may change with Brexit. A closing tax-free window? As Brexit eliminates Britain’s current EU commitments – including freedom of movement for capital – the Treasury gains more scope to recoup revenue from UK nationals abroad. Many expect this will prompt the UK government to impose widespread penalties on pension transfers, even within the EU. While the government has offered reassurance that expatriates will keep the right to make overseas transfers, whatever happens with Brexit, it has stopped short of making any tax promises. It is telling, however, that the legislation for the overseas transfer charge already includes the ability to capture all transfers – the government would just need to remove the EU/EEA exclusion. What you need to consider Without a guarantee that tax-free transfers will continue, it is sensible for anyone considering transferring to act sooner rather than later. Timing is especially important here as the administrative process for pension transfers can take several months to complete. However, it cannot be overemphasised that transferring is not appropriate for everyone. Also, all QROPS are not the same – there are differences between providers and jurisdictions that can affect the benefits. Alternative investment structures could offer expatriates in France comparable benefits to QROPS, so take personalised, regulated advice to estab-

lish the most suitable approach for you. Pensions are likely to play an important part in your long-term financial security, so it is crucial that you only use a fully authorised and regulated provider. An alarming number of people have lost retirement savings through pension scams or by reinvesting in failed, unregulated investments that offer no protection. Your adviser should take into account your unique circumstances, income requirements, goals and tolerance for risk – as well as the cross-border tax implications – to establish the right solution for you and your family. Even if transferring is not right for you, with still so much uncertainty ahead, now is the time to review your pension arrangements so you can secure the retirement of your choice in France, whatever Brexit brings. ■ Tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any statements concerning taxation are based upon our understanding of current taxation laws and practices which are subject to change. Tax information has been summarised; individuals should seek personalised advice. All advice received from any Blevins Franks firm is personalised and provided in writing; this document, however, should not be construed as providing any personalised taxation and / or investment advice. Keep up to date on the financial issues that may affect you on the Blevins Franks news page at: www.blevinsfranks.com Tel: 05 53 63 49 19 Email: bergerac@blevinsfranks.com

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Sadly, due to low levels of sterilisation and low standards of welfare for cats in France, we are again soon to be flooded with calls about abandoned kittens. If you can give a good, forever home to a kitten and would like to join our waiting list, contact Lynda on 05 53 81 30 44 or associationacorn@gmail.com

www.associationacorn.com

Facebook & Instagram: Acorn Cat Rescue Managing Editor: Steve Martindale Editor-in-Chief: Steve Martindale Registered Address: 19, route de Champagnac 17500 MEUX SIRET: 514 989 748 00025 Printed by: Charente Libre 16340, L’Isle d’Espagnac Monthly circulation: 11,000 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: Steve Martindale Rédacteur-en-chef: Steve Martindale Siège: 19, route de Champagnac 17500 MEUX SIRET: 514 989 748 00025 Imprimé par: Charente Libre 16340, L’Isle d’Espagnac Tirage mensuel: 11,000 copies Tous droits réservés. Toute reproduction, totale ou partielle, des articles et illustrations du présent numéro est strictement interdite. Dépôt légal à parution.

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

DIRECTORY ♦ 15

JULY 2020 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Business Directory

Your indispensable guide to finding local businesses & artisans CHARTERED STRUCTURAL ENGINEER

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

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

Pre-purchase & Structural Surveys. Verbal & written reports. Structural calculations & drawings. Redevelopment ideas & solutions. Tim Haw B.Eng C.Eng M.I.Struct.E

FR: 0033 (0)6 52 06 22 79 UK: 0044 (0)7448 466 662

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

Architectural DRAWING SERVICE 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 Darren Piper

NEU DplG ARCHITECTURE

Building Services

P r o v i d i n g A L L architectural services

Qualified craftsman with over 20 years experience running his own business in the UK - Specializing in:

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Building Services Electricians

Carpentry &

Entreprise Electricité Générale All aspects of electrical works undertaken Departments 36, 23 and 87 Contact us:

06 16 91 64 67 contact@reactive-resource.com www.reactive-resource.com Siren: 808 481 170

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FOR ALL YOUR REPOINTING WORK

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Nigel’s Handyman Services

New builds, renovations, rewires. French registered Artisan with 10 year guarantee. Working alongside registered: Masons, Plumbers, Painters, Tilers and Plaquistes.

Garden/General Maintenance, Metal Repairs, Property Maintenance, Small Odd Jobs & General DIY A friendly & experienced service, all enquiries welcome

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

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All types of electrical work

All jobs considered. Based near Belvès (24170). Contact: Dave Hirons

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POINTING

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Based near Beynac/Sarlat (24)

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

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CHARKER DAVID

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

E-mail : dn.charker@sfr.fr No Siret: 402 444 871 00030

Dan Dan the odd Job Man!

Based near Bergerac General Maintenance - Shelving Woodwork and Carpentry Dry Walling - Small odd Jobs Garden Maintenance

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16 ♦ DIRECTORY

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JULY 2020

ADVERTORIAL

What is an Assurance Vie and how can it help you? – Rosemary Sheppard, International Financial Adviser

here are lots of issues around us right now, some of which we can influence and some of which we can’t and, as the old adage goes, there are 2 certainties in life – one of which is taxes! As our lives begin to revert back to some semblance of ‘normality’ there are many things for us to consider and now, more than ever, we need to be able to make the most of every penny we have, whether employed, self-employed or retired. Once resident in France, the ISAs and other tax-efficient savings you may hold in the

UK are no longer tax-free and you need to give careful consideration about how you deal with this. With the new Common Reporting Standards that were introduced recently we can no longer bury our heads in the sand and think that the French taxman will not know about the assets you have left in the UK and will not look to tax you accordingly. Fortunately, there is a perfectly good solution for this in France – Assurance Vie. What are the principles of an Assurance Vie and how can it help you with your tax planning? • Your investment is allowed to grow tax free. • Should you wish to withdraw funds only the part of the withdrawal that is subject to a ‘gain’ will be subject to tax and social charges, as the

majority of your withdrawal is classed as return of capital. • For higher rate taxpayers you can choose to be taxed at the lower rates attributed through the Assurance Vie regime (12.8% in years 1 – 8, plus 17.2% social charges. After year 8 if your net premiums are below €150,000 then you can benefit from a reduced rate of tax at 7.5%) or your nominal rate, so if you are a nil-rate taxpayer then you will have no tax to pay. • After your 8th year there is a tax-free withdrawal allowance of €4,600 per annum (€9,200 for a joint policy), after which additional withdrawals are taxed as above. • You can nominate anyone to be a beneficiary of your Assurance Vie and unlike other aspects of inheritance the recipient is entitled to receive the equivalent of

€152,500 tax free, with anything over this taxed at a rate of 20%. This means that anyone who is not a blood relative or spouse (stepchildren, non married partners or friends) will not be subject to the usual 60% Inheritance Tax. (Different amounts apply if initial investment is made when you are over the age of 70.) • Savings can be kept in sterling, or be made in euros or US dollars and can be ported back to the UK should you return in the future. • You can have a choice of investment options to suit your specific requirements and level of risk, which can be altered as your needs change. • Assurance Vie policies are exempt from Wealth Tax. However, this is only one aspect of your tax planning

and it is extremely important to take full advice from the outset to ensure that your hardearned cash, whether in savings, pensions or investments, keeps working hard for you. If you would like to arrange an independent, professional and impartial consultation, please contact me by email: Rosemary. sheppard@blacktowerfm. com, visit our website w w w. b l a c k t o w e r f m . c o m or call me on 06 38 86 99 70. Blacktower Financial Management has over 32 years’ experience helping expats to make sure that their money works for them. The above information was correct at the time of preparation and does not constitute investment advice and you should seek advice from a professional adviser before embarking on any financial planning activity.

Blacktower Financial Management Ltd is authorised and regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority. Blacktower Financial Management (Int) Ltd is licensed in Gibraltar by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) through whom we have a registered branch and passport for financial services in France. License number 00805B.

Advertising in The Bugle Business Directory Advertising your business couldn’t be easier. Text only, boxed listings are available in our Business Directory from just €12.50/month. Alternatively, why not spotlight your business with an Advertorial, available from 1/6 Page (€50 HT) up to Full Page (€300 HT). Both Directory Adverts and Advertorials represent a cost effective way to put your brand in front of more than 30,000 pairs of eyes each month!!

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

ed all expectations. In Southern Europe, Solarventi is not only used for ventilation/dehumidification purposes; with far more winter sunshine hours, it also provides a substantial heating supplement. Several technical and governmental studies show that incoming air temperature can be increased by as much as 40°C. A DIY Solution? The installation process is very straightforward and should only take two or three hours. All that is needed is a drill, hammer and chisel to make a hole in the wall. Roof installations are also possible. In fact, the Solarventi was originally designed to be a DIY product - in Scandinavia it still is. There are no electrical or water connections and it can be safely left running, even when

the property is empty. Solarventi requires no maintenance - if the property is unoccupied during the hot summer months, then it can be left running at low speeds for ventilation and dehumidification purposes or simply switched off. With a range of panel sizes, and the option for wall or roof mounting, Solarventi is suitable for all types of buildings, caravans or even boats!! Following the patenting of its design in 2001, Solarventi has only recently been actively commercialized. Over the last six years, Solarventi units have been installed in more than 24 countries and demand is increasing rapidly. From Greenland to Australia, Solarventi is finally getting the recognition it deserves. ■ Units start from €490 TTC.

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

DIRECTORY ♦ 17

JULY 2020 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Building Services General

Computers, Internet & Satellites

Garden Services

Harlequin Stephen Wisedale Developments WiFi Anglais est. 2007

All aspects of renovation and

refurbishment, big or small.

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

05.55.68.67.56 06.06.60.46.97

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

Building Services Plumbing & Heating

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

Slow Internet? 4G is the answer... Call us now!

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siret: 827 791 054 00014

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Siret: 800 525 040 00013

CCTV

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Contact either Lawrie: +44 7968 984888

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with a native French speaker Why commute? Long distance learning is the answer! C’est simple, call Sophie...

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:

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06 61 56 47 17 scarolinea@yahoo.fr

Traditional Fish & Chips in a town near you

We provide a fully operated

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

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

Handholding & Language Services FRENCH LESSONS

Food & Drink The Dordogne Chippy

Sand and Blast

Now taking on new clients for 2020 for all your cleaning and gardening needs, including changeovers and key holding. Reliable, trustworthy and experienced. Areas 16/87/86/24 covered

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Building Services Sandblasting

DMS gardening & cleaning services

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

Health & Beauty

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FRENCH HEALTHCARE ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW Access, guidance & support for the French healthcare system in the Dordogne Have everything explained by

EVELYNE DROUIN

(fully bilingual) Healthcare specialist: Carte Vitale and Mutuelle cover for individuals and businesses Free quote, direct contact Get in touch for more information or a free appointment: email: evelyne.drouin@axa.fr tel : 06 76 46 13 43

Cabinet d’Ostéopathie Lederman UK Trained Osteopath

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06 04 17 80 93 Pools & Spas Limousin Spas

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Your advert here 06 04 17 80 93 CONTINUED NEXT PAGE...

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France €25 pa; UK and Europe €40 pa

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NEDWA - North Eastern Dordogne Women’s Association Come along and meet us at our regular Coffee Mornings at Auberge du Pont in Cherveix Cubas. Always be sure of a warm welcome, good company and genuine friendship. For more information and details of upcoming events, see:

www.nedwa.com

NEDWA is a dynamic, multi-national group of around 100 women of all ages... Whether you are retired and feel like meeting some friendly faces, work from home and want to network, or just need to get out and attend some good monthly events, NEDWA fills the gap. Activities include a book club, sewing circle, coffee mornings, walks, lunches, speakers on topics which relate to you and much more.

18 ♦ DIRECTORY

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JULY 2020

ADVERTORIAL

Houses on Internet: A Global Property Network

ouses on Internet – Global Property Services (hereafter referred to as “HOIGPS”) is the internet/marketing company that has been helping people sell their French property to buyers worldwide since 2009. Richard Kroon, founder and director of the company: “In spite of Brexit, this year started off extremely well... and then the COVID-19 crisis shut everything down. We decided, however, to keep the international advertising of all properties at the same level. As most people in Europe had to stay at home, they could at least still see and enquire about houses for sale and put them on their shortlist, in order to view them when it was all over.” “This seemed to be a good move. Now the lockdowns are more or less behind us, we see prospective buyers making appointments for

Property Maintenance

viewings, even the first post-Corona sales have been completed. It shows why our worldwide advertising is so important. Our marketing efforts are definitely paying off and guarantee a worldwide exposure of your property to buyers wherever they live. “Last year HOI-GPS. sold properties in the price range from € 35,000 to € 875,000 to people from 14 different countries, such as France, Australia, Belgium, Holland, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Canada, Denmark and South Africa. “The actual work all starts with the presentation of a property. If that’s not good enough, all other marketing efforts are useless. Our photographers usually take 150 to 200 photos of a house and in addition copy any good (summer) photos our clients may have themselves.

“About 50 to 60 of those photos are selected, enhanced and presented on the dedicated website we make for each property in English, French and Dutch. The texts don’t just describe the house, garden and outbuildings, but also have information about local shopping, schools, airports and leisure activities. “When the website for the house is online, we first connect it to our main HOI-GPS websites which attract over 135,000 visitors from 35+ countries each month. Most of these people find us through Google and additional Google advertising. “To reach an even larger audience, a summary of the presentation of the house is also placed on several other leading property websites. These adverts are also connected to the dedicated website of the house, making it all one big global property network. “As the property market has

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sales24@thebugle.eu

06 04 17 80 93

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

www.laconciergerie-housekeeping.com

24600 Villetoureix laconciergerie24@orange.fr Tel: 06 42 67 94 50 siret: 840 556 228 00010 - APE 9609Z

sales24@thebugle.eu

06 04 17 80 93

Support

Dementia Support

Psychologist (MBPsS) looking for part-time work giving affordable care and respite to dementia sufferers in their own home / environment. Native English speaker. Please contact Catriona:

catcool61@aol.com

Retail & Commerce

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

Give us a call or send us an email: sales24@thebugle.eu

06 04 17 80 93 Transport, Removals & Storage For a fully insured, careful service

bookstop English second-hand books Tea room Art exhibitions

09 51 45 57 49

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

SOS Help

anxious? stressed? feeling down? call us up!

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

www.soshelpline.org

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

smartmovers@hotmail.co.uk

+44 (0)7966 287 430

www.smartmovesremovals.com

Also the #1 portal for property auctions

www.frenchpropertylawyer.fr

05 55 82 18 99

Houses on Internet Global Property Services www.housesoninternet.com

+31 (0)6 41 20 73 69

A family business offering a quality, professional service since 1985

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

Your advert here Man & Van Transport

Genuine/Reliable/Honest Local + Europe + UK runs House/Barn clearances! 15m3 capacity 4m load length English & French Spoken

09 82 12 69 73 06 06 40 81 07 87150 Oradour-sur-Vayres

www.frenchvanman.eu Siret 530 213 644 00012

Buying or Selling French Property? Legal advice from English-speaking lawyers

For more information on HOIGPS or to market your property through them, visit their website. ■

Franklins Removals

06 04 17 80 93

Smart Moves

siret: 841 001 456 00018

become a global one, a prospective buyer can be on the other side of the world while the owner is in bed sleeping. With our approach, the buyer does not have to wait and can see the entire property whenever he wants, at the moment he is interested in it.”

Worship services in English held throughout the Dordogne: Bertric Burée, Chancelade, Eymet Temple, Limeuil, Négrondes, Sainte Nathalène (near Sarlat). All are welcome!! Please visit our website for more information: www.churchinaquitaine.org Find us on Facebook: English Church Aquitaine

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

+33 (0)6 73 96 38 39

www.dordognestoragesolutions.com

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

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

JULY 2020 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

WHAT’S ON ♦ 19

Discover the work of fifteen local artists who will be in Boschaud for “Art in the Street” on Sunday 12th July. CINÉMA PLEIN AIR 2020

The show must go on!!

Ciné-Passion has a programme of mobile open-air cinema for the summer season with movie teams visiting a score of venues across the department. In July and August, 45 screenings are planned with a large choice of films for the whole family. What better way to spend a hot summer’s night?! For programme and venue details visit www.cine-passion24.com Pre-booking highly recommended as numbers are limited. The wearing of a mask is compulsory from 11 years to access and leave the site. Once seated, film-goers may remove their masks but must respect social distancing. Don’t forget a blanket and cushion to make yourselves comfy!

Marché des Potiers, Limeuil Sat 25th and Sun 26th 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 38 exhibitors who come to share their passion and their profession. Free entry.

At the end of July each year, Montignac is host to a world folklore and dance festival. The 40th edition planned for this summer has had to be postponed to 2021 due to Covid-19, but organisers are still able to present a smaller, but none-the-less diverse programme of 3 concerts. Friday 31st July – Ballet Alexandrov and the Romano Atmo Company – traditional Russian and Gypsy dance Saturday 1st August – Concert of Latino music by El Gato Negro Sunday 2nd August - Concert by Peiraguda, ambassadors of Occitan culture The three outdoor performances will take place at 21h30 on the Terrasse de l’Amitié. For more information visit www.festivaldemontignac.fr

20 ♦ WHAT’S ON

Exhibition of the paintings of Christine Rugemer and Jean-Georges Marcillaud and the sculptures of Pierre Carcauzon at Le Hang’art de Boschaud. Open Thu-Sun from 14h-19h. Free entry.

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JULY 2020

During the confinement, the City of Bergerac organised a competition via social networks to encourage the residents of Bergerac to develop their artistic talents. These works of confinement will be exhibited at the St Jacques presbytery from 15th July to 30th August, Tuesday to Sunday, from 2 pm to 6 pm. Free entry.

30,000 readers each month

SALES24@THEBUGLE.EU

06 04 17 80 93

Prizes for the most original works will be awarded on 29th August.

Discover our award-winning Cognac and Pineau des Charentes Guided tours in English, in the heart of the Cognac region CLASSIC TOUR

PRIVATE TOUR

Enjoy a guided visit of our family domaine and discover the essentials of Cognac and Pineau des Charentes production. Tasting of 2 Cognacs and 2 Pineau des Charentes. Monday to Friday. Duration 1 hour. Price: €10 per person.

A privileged, multi-sensory discovery of the history and craft of our Domaine. A private and guided tour which also includes the distillery, ageing cellars and vineyards. Tasting of 3 Cognacs and 4 Pineau des Charentes accompanied by gourmet canapés. Ideal for families and groups. Monday to Sunday. Duration 2 hours. Price: €20 per person.

* by appointment only - free for under-14’s