The Bugle Dordogne - Jun 2014 by The Bugle

Brantôme hosts first British Weekend On the weekend of 21st/22nd June, the town dubbed the Venice of the Périgord will be hosting a cross-cultural event celebrating all things British

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Dordogne June 2014 - Issue #12

France votes for farright Front National France has overwhelmingly voted for the far-right Front National in the recent European elections. With 25% of the vote, the FN won their first ever national poll, pushing President Hollande's Socialist Party down to a disastrous third place.

hen the results were in, the front page of daily newspaper Le Figaro summed up the European political landscape in one word... Séisme – Earthquake! If the rise of extreme parties across Europe was indeed an earthquake, then the epicentre was certainly France. The far-right Front national swept to victory in May’s European elections, winning 25% of the vote nationally, pushing the ruling Socialist party down in to third place. President François Hollande’s Socialists received less than 14% of votes cast - a historic low for the political party in an EU parliamentary ballot and a defeat that comes hot on the heals of a poor showing in March’s

municipal elections. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls told the nation in a televised speech that the far-right victory was “a shock, an earthquake” to the establishment, and “a dark moment for France and for Europe”. The other of France’s two “main” parties, the UMP, came in second with just over 20% support, the first time in history that the conservative group failed to claim more votes than the FN in a national poll. The result was disastrous for a UMP party which is fully expected to produce the next French president when elections are held in 2017. The FN currently has 3 MEPs, but will now be sending 24 to the European parliament - Marine le Pen herself among them. Le Pen

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INSIDE > > > NEWS - Dordogne singer wins The Voice

Local singer, Kendji, has won France’s version of The Voice. The 17-year-old then gave a free concert to 5,000 in Bergerac >> Page 3

NEWS - Cross-border fines for UK drivers A change in the law means that those driving in France on UK plates could soon be automatically fined for traffic offences >> Page 7

BILINGUAL - Nettle eating

The French may cook t h e m , but only the British would eat them raw! >> Page 16

The Bugle Business Directory

Rail company SNCF has ordered a €15 billion fleet of trains too big for France’s stations >> Page 12

Develop a habit that saves you money!

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

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2 ♦ IN THIS EDITION

Welcome to

The Bugle

he big story in May was without doubt the European elections that took place and the rise of the far right, but also the hard left. The pattern was the same across much of the EU, although it was the success of the Front National in France that created the most waves, even more so than UKIP's impressive performance in the UK. The Bugle is not a political paper – our readers come from a wide range of nationalities, backgrounds, ages and demographics and I have never tried to target just a section of these. I may not always succeed, but I do try to keep the paper apolitical and limit my personal feelings to this column. The recent European elections are significant, however, as the anti-Europe, anti-immigration sentiments that clearly have a lot of backing do affect me and a large percentage of The Bugle's readers. As I said to

my neighbours the other day, if Marine Le Pen and the Front National were ever to take power in France, they would be looking for the likes of myself to get out of their country. “Oh, no! They don't mean people like you, just the other ones”. Unfortunately, as far as I understand it, immigration within the EU is largely unselective. You can't say “the Italians are welcome, but we don't want the Spanish”. I am very proud of the fact that I am a positive contributor to my local community and economy. I was married here, my children were born here and I pay my taxes here. France would be worse off overall if I were to move 'home' (only microscopically, of course, in the grand scheme of things, but still...). I do believe that on the whole, while there are individual exceptions, the expat community living in France is a net contributor. I struggle to come to terms with expats living in France who say that they vote, or would vote, UKIP. We are all, to a greater

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JUNE 2014

or lesser extent, economic migrants and immigrants... you can not have your cake and eat it!! I am, at the heart of it, pro-Europe and not antiimmigration, although I happily accept other people's right to disagree and hold different views. That is, after all, what democracy and free speech are all about. When all is said and done, I suspect that the vote for the Front National in France is an anti-establishment one. I don't believe that 25% of the French actually believe in the core values that the FN stand for, much as I don't believe that a quarter of all British voters believe in the abolition of maternity leave and that people should have to pay to visit their GP – both apparently UKIP policies. People are frustrated with mainstream politics and that is understandable. A lot of water will pass under the bridge between now and the French presidential elections, scheduled for 2017. Most political commentators agree that the Socialists are done for, that the FN will not gain a significant number of seats in a general election and that the next president will come from the UMP, quite possibly the return of Nicolas Sarkozy! In lighter news, I think that everyone had a little chuckle at the story of the €15 billion of new trains that France has bought that are too wide

for many of the country's platforms. It really does beggar belief sometimes how stupid large organisations can be. How exactly do you buy a train that doesn't fit on your network? One person involved tried to excuse it with the analogy of buying a car that you didn't realise was wider than your garage, which begs the obvious question, “why didn't you just measure it first?!” Another brushed off the €50 million that it has so far cost SNCF to widen the estimated 1,300 stations affected, calling it “a drop in the ocean”. Maybe if you deal with billions every day, writing a cheque for €50 million is like paying for dinner... I certainly wouldn't be complaining if a drop that size splashed my way!! Until next month! Steve Martindale, Editor

INSIDE this edition 3-6 Local News 7-12 National News 13-14 French Life 15 Practical 16 Bilingual 17-20 Directory 21-24 What's On

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

LOCAL NEWS ♦ 3

JUNE 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

he future has arrived in Sarlat with the opening of the new Leclerc hypermarket. Built to order on a specially adapted piece of ground near the railway station and close to where the old Souletis wood depository was sited, the new centre even has its own roundabout for shoppers to gain easy access. The construction and setting up of this new store has been the source of controversy for some time with another supermarket chain in the town, that was against the Leclerc group spreading itself across the entire Sarlat area, apparently attempting to block the project. After 11 months of work, the new hypermarket is now open for business, spread over 5,000m² of state-ofthe-art retail space. The key word is spacious, with

the high ceilings adding to the sensation of being in a large house rather than a hypermarket. Indeed, Leclerc took so much trouble over its large store that the airconditioning units in the roof had to be lifted in by helicopter when construction was taking place! Additionally of interest is a series of murals on which are painted the names of the towns and villages that are in the catchment area of the hypermarket. The entire atmosphere is very upbeat with radiant smiles on the faces of all the personnel, and the selection of articles is extremely vast, with restocking being undertaken every day. A further sign of the modernity that Leclerc has placed on this new hypermarket are the series of cashier-less, self-service tills, where customers pass

New hypermarket opens in Sarlat

their buys across a scanner and then have the option to pay in cash or by credit card. Outside, there are four special stations for refuelling all-electric cars. Management have said that they hope the new hypermarket will help reduce

by 30% the number of locals choosing to travel to shop in larger towns such as Périgueux and Brive. This is the third Leclerc store in Sarlat, with a garden department on the Avenue de la Dordogne as well as the old Leclerc store on

the Chemin des Sables that will now become a Brico Leclerc. The new store is open Monday to Saturday from 8:30am to 8pm with no closure at lunchtime. It is also open on Sunday mornings. ■ Peter Gooch

Bergerac rugby club promoted for second time in 2 years

ergerac rugby club, known locally as USB (Union sportive Bergerac) have capped a remarkable 12 months by securing backto-back promotions. With a 31-13 win against Castelsarrasin, the “black and whites” won promotion to Fédérale 1, France’s top level of amateur rugby. They will now play Agde in the quarter finals as they attempt to also win back-to-back Championship titles. The Dordogne will have 2 representatives in next year’s Fédérale 1 competition, with USB joining Périgueux rugby club. The latest celebrations

came after a remarkable 2013 for Bergerac, who not only won promotion to Fédérale 2 this time last year, but also went on to become Fédérale 3 Champions of France. The Fédérale 3 is split regionally into 16 pools of 10 teams. At the end of the season, the top 4 teams from each pool enter a knockout stage to decide the champion of France, with the the top 16 teams being promoted to the Fédérale 2. Not only did Bergerac win their pool with 77 points - 26 points clear of second placed Cahors, but they also won all their 5 of their knockout games to lift the national Championship title. Fédérale 2 works in

a similar way, with 8 groups of 10 teams vying for the 8 available promotion spots to Fédérale 1. The 2 teams promoted from Fédérale 1 each year enter the professional ranks and play in the Pro D2, one league below the celebrated Top 14 recently won by Jonny Wilkinson’s Toulon side. USB are not the only local side celebrating, however. With a resounding 42-19 victory over Sainte-Foy-la-Grande, Trélissac secured promotion to the Fédérale 2 and are still in the running to keep the Fédérale 3 Championship title in the Dordogne. Trélissac will play Malemort in the last16. ■

Dordogne singer wins The Voice

n 10th May, local singer Kendji Girac was crowned champion of France’s version of The Voice. As victor of the third series of the popular talent show, the 17-year-old, who was born in Périgueux and raised near St-Astier, was awarded a contract with Mercury France, a major label that is part of the Universal Music group. Kendji, as he is known, was given a hero’s welcome on his return to the Dordogne and in exchange gave 5,000 excited fans a free concert in Bergerac. The young singer, who is from the travelling community, sang many of the gypsy choruses that are so close to his

heart and that made him such a hit with the French public on The Voice. It looks set to be a busy year for the new star, with his first commitment the “Tour 2014”, which sees the 8 best placed singers from the competition embark on a series of 25 concerts across France and beyond, including dates at the Palais des Sports in Paris and playing to 200,000 people at the Jounieh International Festival in Lebanon on the 10th July. Following the Tour 2014, Kendji will presumably be hitting the studio to record his debut album... keep your radios tuned! ■

Pippa Middleton pays visit to Médoc wine region Much has been made of the planned royal visits to France to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings (see page 8). There was another “royal” visit recently, however, that passed largely under the radar: Pippa Middleton, sister of Kate Middleton, flew into Bordeaux Airport for a tour of the region’s vineyards. The trip was made as part of her role as an ambassador for the Waitrose supermarket chain and she was accompanied by Mark Price, the company’s managing director. During the 3-day trip, the pair sampled the best that the Médoc has to offer, including stops at the Margaux, Lafite Rothschild and Lynch Bages domaines. The trip, which also included dinner at the Château Palmer in Margaux, had been a closely guarded secret. ■

4 ♦ LOCAL NEWS

Périgueux 4th best market

Although large supermarket chains have made a severe dent on the nation’s smaller retailers in recent years, France’s markets still prosper, particularly in larger towns. The Dordogne is blessed with a number of exceptional markets, but how do you know which is the “best”? Well, the results are in: Périgueux’s market is officially the fourth best in the whole of France, according to a “Votre marché préféré” competition run by television channel M6. The competition, organised in conjunction with Saint-Moret cheese (produced by Fromarsac just outside Périgueux... ahem!), ranked another local market as the very best in France, with Sainte-Foyla-Grande (33) taking the top step of the podium, followed by Lille and Brest. In total, 104,554 votes were cast and over 11,000 comments posted on the channel’s website. M6 will broadcast a programme on Sainte-Foy’s market on 6th June. ■

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JUNE 2014

Good year predicted for region's fruits

he beleaguered apple growers of the famous ‘golden triangle’ of SaintYrieix-la-Perche, Pompadour and Lanouaille in the Dordogne finally have a reason to be hopeful with the news that 2014 is set to be a good year for the region’s fruit growers. The last 2 seasons have been devastating for local producers. In April 2012, more than 80% of all the trees in the area were hit by a freak, ‘black frost’, so-called because the internal frost damage on the plant is so severe that it causes it to turn black. “At 2 in the morning here, the temperature under cover was -3ºC, and at 6 in the morning it was -5ºC. You can see the flowers falling in the wind…”, said one grower. “I will not be harvesting anything this year.” Sadly he was proved right. Ordinarily, farmers are compensated for 35% of their losses, but the damage was so severe the State stepped in to offer 50%, a move which kept many businesses from going under. Then, in the summer of 2013, violent storms ripped through the area. As many will remember, the freak weather, which included hailstones the size of chicken eggs, decimated

many agricultural businesses as well as wreaking untold damage on cars and roofs and left thousands of homes without electricity. There was extensive damage to vineyards, sunflowers and maize, particularly along the Limousin-Dordogne border where walnut and apple orchards were badly affected. “The nets covering the fruit trees were torn down, the corn and wheat were destroyed. We have been very badly hit,” said Jean-Pierre Cubertafon, mayor of Lanouaille at the time. Not only were the fruits destroyed, but the hail also stripped bark from trees, causing more long-term damage. Better news is now at hand in that area, following a relatively mild spring, which has featured both warm, sunny and wet spells - in March, the mercury was in the high 20s. The result is that apple growers are predicting a 90,000 tonne harvest for autumn 2014, a quantity that they would expect in a ‘normal’ year... an excellent result given the storm damage of last year. Across the golden triangle, 85% of all apples picked are of the famous ‘Golden du Limousin’ variety, a type of Golden Delicious. These apples were awarded an appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) in France

in 2004, which means that only apples grown in this area may be called Golden du Limousin. The area’s famous fruit was then given appellation d’origine protégée (AOP) status in 2007, which is the equivalent of the AOC but on a Europe-wide level and remains the only apple in France with this protection. Elsewhere, farmers are also predicting good yields for local pears, cherries and peaches, although

violent localised storms in the Dordogne in May have damaged some crops. In La Roche Chalais residents witnessed a storm of hail tearing into crops and some vine growers in the Bergeracois are concerned about the damage done to the vines. One lady in Biras, near Brantôme, lost her life when she was struck by a flying sheet of metal whilst trying to get her animals into shelter. Her niece was also injured in the incident. ■

Cause of massive “boom” explained

“A traditional stove is an investment for life that you will fall in love with. Easy to install, it will work on a simple 16 amp socket. Elegant, versatile and with a gentle heat, the Everhot stove will become the heart of your kitchen.”

huge explosion heard over the region recently has been confirmed as being due to French fighter jets breaking the sound barrier over mainland France. The Rafale jets were scrambled from their base at Mont-de-Marsan, south of Bordeaux, to intercept a United Airlines flight on its way to Rome from Washington. The UA flight triggered an alert when instrument failures caused it to lose its radio “echo”. In order to reach their target as quickly as possible, the 2 fighter jets were given permission to go supersonic as they made their way north to the coast at 35,000 feet. The fighter pilots made contact with the commercial plane south of Nantes and after confirming the nature of the

problem, the airliner was allowed to continue its journey; the fighter pilots returned to base at “normal” subsonic speed. The French Air Force later said that this type of operation is relatively common, with 70 such intercept flights taking place in 2013, although not all require a supersonic response. As is often the case in events such as this, the explosion generated by the planes as they broke the sound barrier prompted many worried calls to authorities across the region. Sound travels at 340 metres per second, or 1,224 km/h and when objects break this speed, an aerodynamic phenomenon causes the sonic boom associated with aircraft. In everyday life, the “crack” of a whip is actually the tip breaking the sound barrier. ■

LOCAL NEWS ♦ 5

JUNE 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Open Gardens/ Jardins Ouverts 28th & 29th June

he gardening season is well under way and the mild winter and spring have combined to make 2014 one of the loveliest in recent memory. This is particularly welcome after last year, when most of us were still lighting our fires into the middle of June! There are several ways to enjoy gardening but one of the easiest and most enjoyable is by visiting other people’s gardens. In the UK, there is an initiative called the Yellow Book Scheme, whereby owners open their gardens to the public for a small fee and the revenue is then donated to charitable causes. This was set up in 1927 and has since raised millions of pounds. There is no similar national scheme in France, which is a great shame. Mixing people’s passion for gardening with the added advantage of raising money for worthy causes has huge potential. It was with this in mind that a small group of 4 gardeners did a small trial in 2013, based loosely on the UK model to see if a similar scheme could operate here. An entrance fee of €5 allowed access to the four gardens and the one-day opening attracted over 50 visitors and realised €300 for a French charity which organises activities for children with cancer or leukaemia. Buoyed up by the success of this project, it was agreed that the project would be continued and broadened for 2014. Open Gardens/ Jardins Ouverts now has 30 gardens, of which 2 are châteaux and are dispersed in 4 départements: the Creuse, the Haute Vienne, the Corrèze and the Vienne. Details of these can be seen by visiting the website www.opengar-

dens.eu The gardens are open for the whole weekend 28th/29th June from 10am-7pm and visitors can view any or all of them for the same price as last year i.e. €5. Tickets are available at any of the gardens; simply turn up, buy a ticket and use this ticket to access any of the 30 gardens taking part. Tickets can also be purchased via the website or by mail from the address below. Refreshments are available and some have a small variety of plants for sale. The charity for 2014 remains the same - “A Chacun son Everest” and a visit to their website will be rewarded with a poignant reminder of the value of their activities http://www.achacunsoneverest.com/ There can be fewer more pleasant ways to spend a summer’s day or two than strolling gently round a few gardens. A quick dip into the website will demonstrate the variety of gardens on offer and many of them are also ideal for having a picnic lunch. ■ Open Gardens/Jardins Ouverts is a registered organisation Nº W232001865 Tickets by mail from: The Treasurer (Open Gardens) 1 La Combe, 23300 Vareilles

Please make cheques payable to “Open Gardens” If you would like to see OG extended to cover your area or would be interested in participating in a future edition contact Mick Moat at mick@opengardens.eu or tel 05 55 63 43 12.

The Grumpy Granny Guide

he visitor season is already upon us and with it the usual debate with friends and family about which of the many interesting local sites they should visit. But help is on hand with the Grumpy Granny Guide, an exciting new website posted both in English and French by the Comfort-Explore Association (set up by Marie Lachèze) which has assessed all the paying tourist sites in the Dordogne for their degree of comfort during your visit. Now you and your visitors

can make a decision about which tourist sites to visit based on the overall visitor experience - not just on a site’s ‘interest’ value. Gone are the days of turning up at a major (and often pricey) attraction, only to find that the bumpy gravel paths and lack of benches make it impossible for your elderly relative to join the outing. Or that there’s nowhere to store the pushchair while you negotiate narrow spiral staircases or that parking is a stiff

hike away. Or, worse still, that the site only has information in French, which not everyone understands. The association has applied rigorous criteria to evaluating the comfort lev-

els of all paying tourist sites in the Périgord - not just those in the Dordogne and Vézère valleys. This guide’s wide geographical spread means that lesser known sites are featured too. The website is interactive and encourages you to contribute your own reviews, which is also great fun! For more information, take a look at the “Grumpy Granny Guide” at Comfort-Explore’s website:

www.comfort-explore.com

Parle français cet été French for teenagers a fun affordable way to meet French friends and learn the language

Bilingual Summer Course 2014 Tuesday 15th July - Saturday 19th July Centre de Découverte, Aubeterre-sur-Dronne http://sejourbilingue.jimdo.com

05 45 98 13 78 / 05 45 98 50 40 Teenage-speak is a language that isn’t to be found in text books! And you won’t find any text books on the Bilingual Language Course in Aubeterre, this summer. The Centre de Découverte is piloting a scheme for Bilingual Learning which is set to break down barriers and forge friendships between French and English teenagers. The language course (open to residential & non-residential students alike) proposes to bring together an equal number of French and English teenagers to learn (English & French respectively) with and from each other - the participants are at the same time student and teacher. The fun task-based exercises are designed to optimize communication, so students may find themselves solving a murder or paddling a canoe together! Aubeterre-sur-Dronne is officially designated one of the prettiest villages in France and has a size-able British community, which means it is an ideal place for French students to practise their English. It is also a charming, atmospheric village in which to learn French. We are at the moment actively looking for English participants to join their French counterparts in this new scheme. Participants are not required to be bilingual, this is a fun way to improve language skills in a real-life situation. So an ideal opportunity for grandchildren, cousins, friends and friends of friends to integrate into a French community. Full details can be found at the above address. However, please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions:In French: Centre de Découverte tel 05 45 98 50 40 / email c.d.aubeterre.direction@orange.fr In English: Hillary J Gault tel 05 45 98 13 78 / email hillary.gault@live.fr

6 ♦ LOCAL NEWS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JUNE 2014

Who wants CSF donates new medical to help...? equipment to Charente clinic

ancer Support France Ribérac was very proud to recently officially donate a ‘douche au lit’ (shower bed), a computer and trolley to the Centre Clinical de Soyaux, Angoulême. This had all been made possible due to the tremendous hard work and effort by a group of ladies from the Dordogne, who tirelessly fund-raise on behalf of CSF Ribérac. They raised the funds through a wide variety of events, including a St Valentine’s Dinner Dance, a sponsored swim, afternoon teas, book sales, a Christmas carol concert and second-hand clothes sales. The result of all these efforts was a massive €3,400. Heather Swann, Nella Price and Jacky Jezeweski represented the Dordogne Ladies at the presentation together with Annora Tiley, President of CSF Ribérac and Paula Barker, Secretary.

Students from Downe House, Sarlat

owne House, the English independent school located in Berkshire, has had a French branch near Sarlat for the last twenty years. In 2009, it decided to help raise funds for a charity based in Toulouse: Hôpital Sourire. This decision has been a great success, with €30,000 collected in 5 years! Hôpital Sourire aims to put smiles back on the faces of children suffering from cancer and severe burns as well assisting their families. It doesn’t deal with medical equipment or research; it aims to make the life of these children more bearable in times of hardship.

Term after term, the girls at Downe House, Veyrinesde-Domme, have shown a real investment in this noble cause, knowing that every single euro collected goes straight to the children. They have organized different types of events and have chosen to ask Hôpital Sourire to use the money raised to buy beds for accompanying parents, software and fund art workshops. This term, on June 14th, the girls are organizing a big cake sale on their stall at Sarlat market on the Place du 14 Juillet, ready to ask their favourite question: “Who wants to help?” Needless to say, they rely on you and your generosity! ■

Mme Bernard, Responsable Médecine / Chimiothérapie was absolutely delighted with the items and the douche au lit has already been put to good use. It enables long-term patients to have a shower and hair wash in the comfort of a bed; a room has been especially converted in the hospital for the purpose of the shower bed. The events and the fundraising organised by this enthusiastic group, who call themselves the “Kitchen Cabinet”, are never-ending and they are already working on this year’s target of €10,000 to enable more equipment to be bought for the hospitals in our region to benefit all patients in the oncology/ radiotherapy and chemotherapy units. Cancer Support France Ribérac supports anyone affected by cancer in any way in the South Charente and the North Dordogne area, be they sufferers of the disease or car-

ers, family or friends. They have a team of fully trained Active Listeners who can provide support in a variety of ways. If you would like to know more about the association or are in need of a ‘listening ear’, CSF is here for you. Hotline: 06 43 67 86 11 President: 05 53 07 46 17 Secretary: 05 45 98 46 86 or get in touch by eail on:

csfriberac@gmail.com There is a Drop-in Centre on the 4th Friday of every month at the Palais de Justice, Ribérac, from 9h30 to 12h. Visit the CSF stand, raising awareness of CSF benefits to cancer sufferers, at the British Weekend in Brantôme. ■ Paula Barker

1,600 km charity bike ride

t’s fair to say that the British are well known for their love of animals. The French sometimes regard this trait with, let’s be honest, a mixture of bewilderment and admiration. However, if you really want to talk about “crazy Brits” then look no further than Phoenix’s very own Christine Endres, who is challenging herself to cycle 1600 hilly (or rather, mountainous) kilometres, all because of her passion for animal welfare. Christine has been entering challenges since she was a child. At 10 years old, she walked 12 miles for charity. If Christine sees a mountain, she wants to climb it! What better way to put that spirit to use than to combine it with her “day job” of volunteering for Phoenix, a Dordogne-based animal rescue organisation, for whom she is Sponsorship and Membership Secretary. At Phoenix, she is responsible for attracting and retaining Phoenix’s loyal base of

Members, of whom there are over 650. It’s an admin-heavy role, but one she does with aplomb, personalising each and every communication, ensuring that Phoenix’s Members feel valued and part of “Team Phoenix”.

Christine’s left her desk behind and is currently cycling along the Camino de Santiago, from St-Jean-Pied-de-Port in south-west France to the cathedral of Santiago de Com-

postela in Spain. Oh, and back again! Making it a total of 1600 km. She set off on 4th May, and should be back in the Dordogne by mid to late June. Christine originally set off with her beloved rescue dog, Ellie, whom she was pulling in a specially designed doggie trailer. Sadly and unexpectedly, the steep hills got the better of the pair of them, and at some points, the trailer (which weighed more than 55kg) was pulling them backwards. An SOS call back to Phoenix meant that Ellie and the trailer were sent home, while Christine continues on alone. Why is Christine doing this? Because she can’t think of a better way to motivate herself to keep fit and to train hard than to raise money for the animals that she cares about so much. If you’d like to sponsor Christine, or to find out more about Phoenix, please visit her special page on the Phoenix website http://phoenixasso.com/?cat=22 ■

NATIONAL NEWS ♦ 7

JUNE 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

peeding is one the the most common causes of road accidents in France and foreign drivers are a particular problem. For years it was an open secret that if you speed in a foreign country, you are unlikely to receive any penalty - unless you are stopped by the police themselves. Catching foreign drivers on speed cameras was not difficult... punishing them proved more tricky. That all changed in 2013, however, when the French Senate voted into law a European directive which enabled police to identify foreign drivers from other EU countries and automatically send out speeding tickets to greet them when they returned home. “From now on we will be able to exchange digital files across the European Union so that when a foreign driver is flashed in France, because of the registration plate, we will be able to identify them

and find out their address,” the Ministry of Transport told French daily Le Parisien at the time. The change had been coming for a while; since 2012 France had bilateral agreements in place with Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland. When the rest of the EU signed up last year, only Britain, Ireland and Denmark refused to adopt the agreement. This is now set to change, however, as the European Court of Justice has ruled that the law must be redrafted in such a way that it will apply to all 28 EU member states. The Court found that the law was founded on an inappropriate legal basis - namely police cooperation rather than road safety. Since it must now be revised in line with EU treaty transport provisions, the new law must apply across all member states. The directive, which will not come into force for at least another year, will re-

late to eight traffic offences: speeding, non-use of a seat-belt, failing to stop at a red traffic light, drinkdriving, driving under the influence of drugs, failing to wear a crash helmet, use of a forbidden lane and illegally using a mobile telephone while driving. Drivers on British registration plates found guilty of one of these offences in mainland Europe in the future, whether by traffic police or by France's army of radars, will be tracked down through the shared database, with fines and penalty points then being enforced. When the proposals were first announced in 2011, the European commissioner for transport, Siim Kallas said, “We know that a foreign driver is three times more likely to commit an offence than a resident driver. These new rules should have a powerful deterrent effect and change behaviour.” According to EU figures,

Cross-border fines for British drivers

foreign drivers make up around 5% of the traffic on the roads of Europe, yet they account for 15% of all accidents. In France, the figures for foreign drivers are far higher. Foreign heavy goods vehicles alone account for 28% of all traffic on France's roads and are involved in 14% of

fatal accidents - this is an area that France is looking to crack down on. Recent statistics also show that one quarter of all vehicles flashed by France's army of speed cameras are on foreign plates. This problem is even worse in the height of the summer tourist season when that figure rises to half! ■

French urged to use British speeding model Driving association 40 millions d’automobilistes is urging the French government to adopt the British philosophy when it comes to managing speeds on the nation's roads. The move comes in the face of plans to reduce the speed limit on country's roads from 90km/h to 80km/h. According to a spokesman for the organisation: “We have taken a look at Britain, where the speed limit is 97km/h and where the number of radars has fallen along with the number of accidents. Road safety standards applied by the British - who have no greater desire to die on the road than us rely on the basic principle that if the rules are fair, then road users will obey them.” ■

8 ♦ NATIONAL NEWS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JUNE 2014

when I learnt he was not coming. There was so much fervour and enthusiasm about this visit on what we consider to be British soil, given the number of compatriots who spilled their blood. So it is only natural that the disappointment is equally high.” In anticipation of the expected royal visit on June 5, the mayor said that €60,000 had been spent on the planned ceremony with local children spending weeks learning the words to God Save the Queen. However, Merville does not figure on the Prince’s finalised schedule. Clarence House admitted to being “a little bit at a loss” at the mayor’s dismay. “Merville Battery has never been

part of the programme,” said a spokesman, pointing out that the Prince was already “undertaking seven engagements on Thursday June 5, of which five are being hosted by the Parachute Regiment”. Merville was targeted on D-Day because it housed a gun battery that could have threatened the British landings at Sword Beach, eight miles away. The 9th Parachute Battalion, part of the 6th Airborne Division, succeeded in putting it out of action, but at a huge cost: their parachute force was dispersed over a large area, so that instead of 700 men, only about 150 attacked the battery, of whom half were killed or wounded. ■

his June, Queen Elizabeth II will be making her first overseas trip since 2011 when she visits France as part of a state visit to mark the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings. “The Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, will make a state visit to France from June 5-7,” Buckingham Palace said in a short statement. The visit follows an official invitation by France's president, François Hollande. The last time the Queen paid a state visit to France was in April 2004. On 6 June, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will attend events in Normandy to commemorate the Normandy landings as well as attending state events in Paris, where they will be received at the Élysée Palace by President Hollande. The Queen and Prince Philip attended both the 50th and 60th D-Day commemorations in France, accompanied by other members of the royal family, but did not make the trip for the 65th anniversary events planned in 2009. That followed a diplomatic mix-up which led to no formal invitation being extended in time, perceived by some as a deliberate snub. The then president, Nicolas Sarkozy, omitted the Queen from a guest list that included Barack Obama for what the French government said was “primarily a FrancoAmerican ceremony”. Parades, parachute drops, military camps and open air concerts are planned to remember the bravery and sacrifice of the 156,000 Allied troops who fought their way on to the shores of Normandy on 6 June 1944. One village in Normandy that is distinctly unimpressed by the royal family at the moment is Merville, where paratroopers stormed a strategically vital German gun battery. The village is in uproar after learning that the Prince of Wales, who is Colonel-in-Chief of the Parachute Regiment, will not be visiting for the 70th anniversary commemorations, as had been expected. “We have been working for weeks to welcome Prince Charles,” said Olivier Paz, the local mayor, speaking to The Telegraph. “I must admit I blew a fuse

Queen to visit Normandy European political T landscape changes

>> continued from pg 1 said France had “shouted loud and clear” that it wanted to be run “by the French, for the French and with the French” and not by “foreign commissioners” in Brussels. The party has carved out a niche in French politics, notably among disaffected working class voters who believe the mainstream elite does not understand their concerns about crime, immigration, job losses and stagnant living standards. Following the victory, Le Pen called for the dissolution of parliament, insisting it was no longer representative of the French people’s will. Much like UKIP north of the Channel, however, while the FN does well in local and European elections, it struggles in general elections: currently only two of the 577 seats in the National Assembly are held by FN politicians; UKIP has no MPs. The next presidential and par-

liamentary elections are scheduled for 2017 and they are rarely held before the end of each 5-year term. The rise of far-right parties, as well as those from the hard left was repeated across much of Europe, meaning that a significant proportion of the European Parliament will made up by Eurosceptic politicians. How this will change the direction the parliament takes is yet to be seen. Overall the European People’s Party - an alliance of centre-right parties from across the 28 EU member states retained the most MEPs in the 751-seat assembly, with early projections giving the bloc 211 seats, compared to 193 for the Socialists and Democrats. It is believed that protest parties could control around 129 seats, although what alliances these factions form and how much power they wield will not become apparent for several months. ■

NATIONAL NEWS ♦ 9

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film was inspired by a court case, the public stages of which have been filmed, broadcast, reported and commented on throughout the media worldwide. Nonetheless the characters portrayed in the film and all sequences depicting their private lives remain entirely fictional.” DSK is not believed to have seen the film, but his lawyer, Jean Veil, told Europe1 radio that his client was “disgusted” by the movie and had asked him to file a complaint for defamation because of “the accusations and insinuations of rape throughout the film”. Describing it as “intolerable” Mr Veil said: “We have the right to fiction, but not the right to accuse. DSK like everyone has the right to be forgotten.” The film proved difficult to finance and has met with much resistance from the French film industry. Its producer, Vincent Maraval, claimed that DSK's estranged wife, influential journalist Anne Sinclair, had threatened to “destroy his life” and that the French political and media “elite” had done their best to prevent the film from being made. “No French television station wanted to finance the film,” he told the Journal du Dimanche, adding that the budget had to be met by his

hen the stars of the big screen gather in Cannes each year, controversy is rarely far behind. This year, it is the former IMF head and presidential hopeful Dominique Strauss-Kahn who has been generating the most column inches. DSK, as he is known in France, has announced that he is to sue the makers of new release Welcome to New York for defamation. The film, directed by American Abel Ferrara, is closely inspired by the fate of Mr Strauss-Kahn, whose reputation was left in tatters after he was charged with sexually assaulting Nafissatou Diallo, a New York hotel maid, in May 2011. The New York prosecutor eventually dropped the charges against Mr Strauss-Kahn, who went on to settle a civil suit brought by the maid by paying her undisclosed damages, reportedly exceeding $1.5 million. Welcome to New York tells the story of how a French economics professor, played by Gérard Depardieu, becomes a politician backed by his wife's millions and rises to fame and prosperity only to be brought down by accusations of rape. The movie opens with a disclaimer, which reads: “This

1.8 million to stop paying tax The French Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, has announced that the government will be exempting 1.8 million households from income tax on their 2013 earnings, whilst lowering the tax paid for a further million. The reform will benefit single-person households with a gross income of €14,000, couples with a combined income of €28,000 and families with three or more children who have a total income of €38,000. “A retired couple who each receive a pension of 1,200 euros [per month], will see their income tax go from about €1,000 [per year] to about 300 euros,” Valls said, explaining the scale of the cuts. “A single person earning minimum wage will be exempted from paying taxes altogether. A

couple with two children and a combined gross income of €3,600 per month will be exempt from paying taxes, when they would have otherwise paid around €700.” Although the news will come as a relief for many struggling in the current economic climate, the move will cost the government an estimated €1 billion in tax revenue. “It’s a billion euros less in taxes, a billion euros more in purchasing power for the French, particularly for those with the lowest incomes,” said Valls. “The measure will be, in large part, financed by cracking down on fiscal fraud.” Valls added that the government had already budgeted €500 million to help cover the lost revenue. When pressed, he denied that the measure was intended to stave off humiliation in May’s European elections but did admit that it was influenced by “the message the French people sent us” in the recent local elections.

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own company, the City of New York, and three private investors, believed to include Depardieu himself. “Everyone, our friends and our enemies, advised us against making the film.” Although films linked with Depardieu and Ferrara are usually feted by the Cannes Film Festival organisers, Welcome to New York was not included in any of the main categories and was instead premiered at a smaller independent cinema in the city. A scrum duly ensued as journalists and film buffs battled to get hold of one of the 500 seats available in the cinema. The film, which has received mixed reviews, is also not being given a cinema release in France, but is already available as an online download. Lawyers for DSK are having a busy few months as he is also suing a fellow defendant in an ongoing trial for “aggravated pimping”. The charges relate to a series of orgies arranged in an upmarket hotel in Lille, northern France. DSK has admitted being part of the orgies, but denies that he knew the women involved were all prostitutes. Fellow defendant Dominique Alderweireld, known as “Dodo the pimp”, has opened a brothel bearing the name Dodo Sex Klub, or

DSK hits the headlines again after Cannes film

DSK for short. The establishment is based in the Belgian city of Blaton, where prostitution and brothels are legal. Strauss-Kahn's lawyers said they were suing the 64-year-old pimp for deliberately choosing a name that “reproduces his [Strauss-Kahn's] initials which identify him to all”. ■

10 ♦ NATIONAL NEWS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JUNE 2014

five leagues. She is the second ever female to manage a professional men's team in Europe - Carolina Morace took over third-division Italian outfit Viterbese in 1999, but resigned after just two matches. Clermont striker Rémy Dugimont said that he was looking forward to the new era. “We learned together this morning,” he told L'Equipe, describing how he and his team-mates found out the news. “We were told the new coach was this lady. It is a surprise, a big surprise, because a lot of names were circulated. It came out of nowhere and now we have to get to know her. It is good, it will create a buzz and will be a unique experience.” When questioned about problems of experience and respect, Dugimont brushed off any concerns. “I'm not macho. She has worked in the profession and all the boys know how it works. At first it will be a little weird but it will only last a few days. We don't not know how it will happen but if the president has chosen to bring her, we hope it will

ortugal's Helena Costa has become the highest-profile female manager of a European men's team after being named head coach of second division French side Clermont Foot. Costa, a former scout for Scottish Premiership side Celtic, has coached the Iran women's team since 2012. Announcing the appointment, a statement on Clermont's website confirmed that “Clermont Foot 63 has chosen Helena Costa to be our new coach. Helena Costa came through the ranks at Benfica before taking charge of the women's teams at Odivelas, then the national teams of Qatar and Iran, in addition to working as a scout for Celtic. This appointment will allow Clermont Foot 63 to begin a new era, relying on a group of 17 players currently under contract, to which will be added young players from the club.” Costa becomes the first female coach of a professional club in France and the first to take over a top or second division side in any of Europe's top

be okay and I think there are no problems.” The news was also welcomed by Najat Belkacem, France's minister of Women's rights, who said on Twitter: “Bravo Clermont Foot for understanding that giving a place to women is the future of professional football.” Giving her first press conference, which attracted a huge amount of interest, Costa told

the massed press: “I'm not afraid. If I didn't think I'm capable of this, I wouldn't be here. If I didn't think the players would accept me, and if I didn't believe in my work, I wouldn't be here. I know it's a big step, but we are in 2014. I understand your surprise and the quantity of press and the impact that this has had, but this should be a normal thing. Look at me as a normal coach.” ■

where he shared “young conquests with his friends, and other oligarchs”. The previous record divorce settlement was the $2.5 billion paid by art heir Alec Wildenstein to his former wife Jocelyne. ■

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Under Swiss law, Mrs Rybolovlev was entitled to half the money her husband made during their 23-year marriage, despite most of that fortune being transferred to Cyprus-based trusts in 2005. Her lawyers said that the court’s ruling demonstrated that “no one - not even a Russian tycoon who put his fabulous fortune into legal structures such as trusts and offshore companies - is above the law”. Mr Rybolovlev plans to appeal the decision. Mrs Rybolovlev stood by her husband as he rose from a doctor-turned-entrepreneur into a stockbroker and banker, before becoming chairman and majority shareholder of Uralkali, a Russian fertiliser business. They stayed together during his 11 months in jail - when he was accused of murdering a competitor before the charges were dropped - and when threats on his life led him to wear a bullet-proof vest and move his family to Switzerland. She finally initiated divorce proceedings on New Year’s Eve 2008, claiming that she could no longer take his infidelities and describing parties on yachts

Record divorce settlement

mitry Rybolovlev, the owner of French football club AS Monaco, has set the unenviable record of being on the wrong end of the world’s largest ever divorce settlement. After a bitter tussle over a fortune including two of the most valuable properties ever bought in the United States and a €100 million Greek island once owned by Aristotle Onassis, a court in Geneva has ordered the Russian billionaire to hand over half of his fortune to his former wife Elena, a payment of exactly 4,020,555,987 Swiss francs and 20 centimes (around €3.3 billion). Mr Rybolovlev and his ex-wife had been engaged in an acrimonious fight since 2008 over the terms of their divorce, as Elena sought a major slice of the multi-billion euro fortune of the world’s 147th richest man. In the ruling, Mrs Rybolovlev is also believed to have won custody of the couple’s 13-year-old daughter Anna, with her lawyers describing it as “the most expensive divorce in history” and “a complete victory” for their client.

Paris drops out of world's best cities list

Traffic congestion and sky-rocketing housing prices have seen Paris drop out of the world's top 5 “cities of opportunity” list compiled by PricewaterhouseCoopers. The top place was taken by London, followed by New York, Singapore, Toronto and San Francisco; Paris came in sixth. It was the price of accommodation that saw the City of Light fall two places down the rankings - the French capital was ranked 23rd out of 30 when it came to the cost of living in the city. Traffic was another area that saw Paris marked down. London bounced back to the top spot after coming in third place last year, in large part due to high scores in categories like technological readiness and economic clout. “The gap is not huge,” a PwC executive told Le Parisien. “Like London, Paris received a balanced score. Ultimately, what made the difference was the growth rate of the country.” ■

First female football boss

Eurotunnel barred from ferry route

he UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has this month confirmed a previous ruling banning cross-Channel ferry company MyFerryLink from docking its ferries in Dover. Eurotunnel bought three ferries from SeaFrance for €60m following the company's liquidation in 2011 and used them to launch its MyFerryLink venture. The ban threatens around 600 jobs, 100 of which are in Dover and comes just before the start of the peak summer season. In its final report, the Commission said the ferry service gave Eurotunnel more than half the cross-Channel market, which could lead to higher prices for both passengers and freight customers. It added that Eurotunnel bought the ships to stop ferry operator DFDS from buying them and is concerned that if it takes no action, DFDS

could exit the market, leaving Eurotunnel with an even larger market share. DFDS and P&O are the only other companies currently operating a crossChannel service from Dover. Alasdair Smith, deputy chairman of the Commission, said: “It cannot be good for competition when Eurotunnel, which already holds a market share of over 40%, moves into the ferry business - particularly when it did so to stop a competitor from buying the ferries.” Eurotunnel said it would appeal the ruling, which it branded “incomprehensible and seriously disproportionate”. MyFerryLink can continue to operate while the appeal is under way and the Commission has said it would not impose the ban immediately, giving Eurotunnel a limited period to sell its two largest ferries as a means of solving the competition problem. ■

NATIONAL NEWS ♦ 11

JUNE 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Rogue trader jailed after stand-off

rench rogue trader Jérôme Kerviel hit the headlines again recently when he refused to return to France to serve his prison sentence. The so-called “genius of fraud”, whose €4.9 billion loss at France’s second largest bank, Société Générale, made him a household name in January 2008, lost his appeal earlier this year against his 2010 conviction. Although the court overturned the “four billion, nine hundred and fifteen million, six hundred and ten thousand, one hundred and fifty four euros” in damages he had to repay the bank, it upheld his 3-year prison sentence which was due to start in May. Kerviel had set off on foot from Rome two months ago on a walk to Paris that aimed to raise awareness of what he regards as the unfair treatment he has received from the courts. He spoke to reporters a short distance from the French border, claiming that potential witnesses were ready to give evidence in his favour, but were “afraid” of doing so. He said he was appealing to President François Hollande to intervene and offer immunity for anyone who might testify on his behalf. “I will wait for François Hollande's response on the Italian side,”

UK to stop some expat healthcare cover The UK government has announced that it will stop issuing residual (temporary) S1 forms for UK citizens moving to other EU states as of July 1st. The S1 forms allow early-retirees up to two-and-a-half years of French state health cover, with the costs covered by the British healthcare system. This system has been under consideration for some time now, with many expecting the changes to happen even earlier this year. The changes do not affect people who already hold residual S1s. However, once their current form lapses, those living in France would be obliged to buy private medical insurance. The changes do not affect people over state retirement age. A Department of Health spokesperson said the residual S1 provisions were not part of EU law: “No other European state offers an equivalent to the residual S1 and the reasons for the UK doing so in the past probably arise because the NHS is different to continental systems.” When an early-retiree’s S1 form runs out, or if they are not eligible for one, it is currently necessary to take out private health insurance to gain access to healthcare in France. Once resident in France for five years, expats gain the right to join the French system. A junior health minister, Jane Ellison, confirmed the new date of July 1st in a statement, also stating that the government will no longer be making “EHIC co-payments”. Cur-

Kerviel said just yards from the FrenchItalian border near the Riviera town of Menton. “If they want to come and get me, let them come.” After a brief stand-off, Kerviel eventually told reporters who were accompanying him on his trek that he would hand himself in. “I hand myself over as a free man to the French justice system,” Kerviel told the journalists. “I have never been a fugitive, I have always taken responsibility for my actions. I am going to hand myself over to the first policeman who I come across. I am free, because liberty is a state of mind.” In the end, Kerviel did not have to look far; the French police were waiting for him in an unmarked car on the French side of the border. The former trader received little sympathy from France's Finance Minister Michel Sapin, who described him as a “crook” who had been convicted and who “should serve his punishment”. In recent years, Kerviel has received vocal support from a number prominent left-wingers and leading figures in the Roman Catholic Church, who believe he has been unfairly scapegoated for the shortcomings of his employer and the entire banking system. One of his

supporters who had been walking at his side, priest Patrice Gourrier, announced he would fast until the sentence was suspended. Kerviel has always admitted the unauthorised trades, but said officials at Société Générale knew what he was doing but turned a blind eye as long as the bank was making money. Speaking during his original trial, Kerviel told the court: “The daily encouragements of my superiors didn't put the brakes on me, but rather encouraged me”, claiming that his bosses must have been aware of his massive illicit trading positions. “On a trading desk, we are all 50 cm from one another. Everything is seen, everything is heard.” Although it was fined €4m by the French banking commission in 2008 for its failure to efficiently control its trading floor, Société Générale denied any knowledge or involvement in what it called Kerviel's “financial terrorism”. An internal report by the bank found that managers failed to follow up on 74 different alarms about Kerviel's activities. A few executives resigned, including longtime Chairman Daniel Bouton. Kerviel's superiors were questioned, but none faced charges. ■

rently, EHIC card holders are reimbursed for the portion of their care not covered by the French social security system, but this will no longer be the case. The changes (including ceasing EHIC co-payments) are estimated to mean a saving of “up to £7 million a year” for the UK, which a spokeswoman said “could be put back into frontline care”. ■

enade des Anglais was born, today often simply known as La Prom. Copacabana in Rio, the Malecon in Havana and Venice Beach in Los Angeles are all said to have copied the template of La Prom, which was the first urban development in the world promoting seaside leisure. ■

Promenade des Anglais submitted to UNESCO Nice’s celebrated seaside Promenade des Anglais, lined with palm trees and glitzy hotels, could become the latest French landmark to join Unesco’s World Heritage list. Local authorities are preparing a bid to Unesco judges to add the famed promenade that curves along the French Riviera to its list of protected sites. Nice’s mayor Christian Estrosi and former French cultural minister Jean-Jacques Aillagon have submitted an application to the French government, who will decide whether to forward it to Unesco. During the second half of the 18th century, many English took to spending the winter in Nice, enjoying the panorama along the coast. When a particularly harsh winter further north brought an influx of beggars to the city, some of the rich Englishmen proposed a useful project for them: the construction of a walkway along the sea. Taken by the idea, the city of Nice increased the scope of the work and the Prom-

Orange loses 1.3 million more account details Orange has revealed that the personal details of 1.3 million of its customers were stolen when the telecoms giant was recently hacked for the second time this year. The company said it had “found an illegitimate access to an email and SMS-sending platform” used in its marketing campaigns. As a result, the company confirmed that “a limited amount of personal data” had fallen into the hands of hackers, although it stressed that bank details had not been compromised. At first, Orange said that “tens of thousands” of users had been affected in April’s attack, before confirming the higher figure of 1.3 million. It went on to say that customers should be wary of possible “phishing” emails, a scam whereby criminals con victims into supplying key personal data, including bank account details and passwords by sending emails that look as if they have come from official sources. In January this year, Orange sent letters to 800,000 customers after hackers gained access to customers’ personal details. ■

Channel Tunnel hits 20 20 years ago this May, Queen Elizabeth II and President François Mitterrand held a ceremony in Calais to celebrate the opening of the Channel Tunnel before travelling through the le tunnel sous la Manche to hold a similar event in Folkestone. The “Chunnel” has been hailed as one of the greatest engineering projects of the 20th century and is listed as one of the seven wonders of the modern world. Last year more than 10 million passengers used the Channel Tunnel and since it opened in 1994 an estimated 325 million passengers have travelled through it. Although theoretical plans for a tunnel under the Channel have been around for hundreds of years, the project was first agreed on February 6, 1964, It was not always a popular idea, however: “An island is an island and should not be violated,” wrote Labour Cabinet minister Barbara Castle when the scheme was dropped a decade later. It was Mitterrand and Thatcher that re-ignited the project, with work finally beginning in 1987. On December 1 1990, British and French building workers finally broke through to meet each other 40 metres under the Channel, before celebrating with a glass of champagne. ■

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New trains too wide for platforms

rance has found out, to its considerable cost, the kind of thing that happens when you split train companies from the rail operators. The French train company SNCF recently invested a whopping €15 billion in a fleet of 2,000 brand new, stateof-the-art trains, only to discover on delivery that they were too large for many of France's train platforms. The embarrassing blunder, which the French transport minister recently dubbed “comically tragic”, has already cost SNCF - and by extension the French taxpayer - over €50 million. It is believed that as many as 1,300 platforms nationwide will need to be adjusted to accommodate the new trains. Aware that France’s provincial stations come in all shapes and sizes, SNCF had asked the national rail operator RFF (Réseau ferré de France) for clarification about platform dimensions. RFF, which is in charge of all French tracks, advised SNCF of the standard size and reported that station widths only varied by around 10 cm. Based on this advice, SNCF concluded that the new fleet of trains could be 20 cm wider than their predecessors; however the

The charismatic JeanMarie Le Pen, founder of France’s far-right Front National and father of its current leader, has suggested that the deadly Ebola virus could could be the cure to the global “population explosion” and by extension Europe’s “immigration problem”. Speaking at a cocktail party in Marseille, Le Pen claimed that “Monseigneur Ebola could sort that out in three months”.

operator forgot to take into account the fact that some 1,300 stations were built more than 50 years ago and are consequently far narrower than today's norms. It would appear that SNCF did not send out any engineers to double check that the measurements provided by RFF were correct. “SNCF’s wise engineers forgot to verify the reality in the field,” wrote satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaîné, which broke the story by running a cartoon on its front page showing a line of commuters on a busy platform being told:

“The Paris-Brest train is entering the station. Please pull in your stomachs.” With very real fears that trains would soon be colliding with platforms edges, stations across the country are now having their platforms “shaved”. Confirming the reports of the blunder, SNCF and RFF admitted that the wider trains “require the modernisation of 1,300 platforms out of a total of 8,700 in the French railways”. “We discovered the problem a little late,” admitted Christophe Pied-

Unusually named French lady on US No-Fly List

J-M Le Pen: Ebola is the solution to immigration

French woman has claimed that she was stopped from boarding a flight to America because of her unusual name. Aïda Alic was looking forward to enjoying a holiday with her husband and 2 young children when staff at Geneva airport informed her that they had received notice from US border authorities that she was barred from entering the country. No further explanation was given by the airline and the family had no option but to turn around and head back to their home near Chambéry in the French Alps, with €2,700 of non-refundable plane tickets in their luggage. After searching online and consulting official US travel sites, Ms Alic concluded that the only possible reason was her name, which on her passport is

written with her surname first - Alic Aida. “Alic Aïda, al-Qaeda. When friends make the play on words to wind me up, I am used to it, but not this,” said Ms Alic, who was born in Bosnia but now has French nationality, speaking to Le Dauphiné Libéré newspaper. “Especially since my name is actually pronounced 'Alitch'. It is of Yugoslav origin. And now here I am labelled as a risk.” The US embassy in Paris said it did not comment on individual cases of people on the US No-Fly List, but Ms Alic has vowed to continue her fight to find out why she has been banned. As of 2012 there were over 21,000 names on the US No-Fly List, which has been accused in the past of using religious and racial profiling. ■

FN mayor bans laundry drying! Be careful what you wish for, ‘cos you just might get it! Robert Ménard, the newly elected far-right mayor of the town of Béziers, has been flexing his muscles since his election in March. After imposing a curfew on teenagers and higher fines for dog waste, his latest legislation has banned residents of the town from drying their laundry on their balconies! “By the municipal by-law of May 19th 2014, a decision was taken to ban the hanging of clothes on balconies and facades of buildings visible from public roads,” the Town Hall said in a statement. Hidden in the small print of the by-law, residents are informed that they may empty their washing machines between 10pm and 6am each morning, but are banned from banging rugs against walls and windows after 10am. “Heavy fines” have been promised for residents breaking the new rules. ■

noël, RFF spokesman, speaking to France Info radio. “It can mean shaving a few centimetres off a platform or moving an electric box that is too close to the platform edge. It’s as if you’d bought a Ferrari and wanted to get it in your garage only to discover the garage was not quite the right size because you’d never had a Ferrari before.” French transport minister Frédéric Cuvillier said the error highlighted the “dysfunctional state” of the current French rail operator set up, in which

SNCF and RFF are separate entities that view each other as rivals. A bill proposing to merge the two will be debated in parliament in the near future. “They should never have been separated back in 1977,” said Jean-Claude Delarue from SOS-Usagers, speaking to The Local. “For many years they were unable to even have any dialogue together but things are slowly improving at least. The government is setting up a third company to work with both operators and that can't happen soon enough.” ■

Later, addressing supporters, Le Pen, 85, said he feared the French population risked being “replaced by immigrants”. Jean-Marie Le Pen, who has previously said he supported the forced isolation of those infected with the HIV virus, has several convictions for xenophobia and anti-Semitism. His daughter, Marine Le Pen has been working to bring the Front National into the political mainstream and shed the extreme image the party gained under her father. ■

FRENCH LIFE ♦ 13

JUNE 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

In the garden - jobs for June

ot quite officially summer - we need to wait for the 21st for that - but anybody who has woken up to blue skies, thrown their doors and windows open all day long, pottered around their garden in the gorgeous sunshine or eaten lunch outside under their lime trees knows that it is here in all but name. The saints de glace have passed, so the dangers of frost should be behind us and it should be OK to plant out tender plants. That said, we can still have surprises, so keep an eye out for particularly chilly nights if you have very young seedlings out. “Le temps des cerises” - the time of cherries - is such a pleasant, pastoral idyll. This is the equivalent of what we mean when we say “The time of wine and roses”. Trees seem to have a good lot of fruit on them this year, in my area anyway. The peaches, plums and pears all set good fruit. Cherries are a particular favourite, and with their wonderful displays of spring blossom, added to their often spectacular displays of autumn colour, more gardeners could seriously up the wow factor of their gardens by planting a few more. They grow and fruit well in this part of France. Check when planting, the pollination requirements of the variety you choose. Otherwise, things seem fine in the garden - the recent warm

by Michelle Pierce

weather has brought things on well, the spring flowering flowers were divine, and the garden has settled down to its full throttle. That said, beware of drought. The lush grass growing in meadows, on road verges and garden edges is deceptive. Up until the recent rain, the ground has been very dry, which has slowed the growth of veg seedlings and young plants, so keep this in mind and make sure things aren't suffering too much. First crops: Things that were sown early, or under cover, such as lettuces, leaf vegetables, early peas and strawberries should be cropping, depending on their varieties. Pick frequently to extend the cropping period, and keep the weeds under control. Fresh seed: Some of the very early crops like mustard leaves sown in the tunnel have gone over. Leave a couple of plants to go to seed and you'll have all the free seed you want for the next year. Clear the rest of the space, water well, feed the soil a bit with compost, and then replant. Mulch to avoid water loss. Try and put a variety from a different botanic family, to rotate the crops. Collect the first of the flower seed that you might have - hellebores, for example, or euphorbia. This should be dried well and then stored in glass jars. If you have the kind of lovely thugs which self sow all over the place (a bit too thuggishly)

then reduce the problem by going round and dead-heading before the seed is ripe. I like to do the same with nettles. Keep an eye on baby foxgloves, etc. that have self sown, and make sure they are not in the wrong place. Gently transplant them if they are, or pot them up. At this time of year, when we can expect hot temperatures, it's helpful to put transplants in an area of semi-shade for a few days, with protection from the wind - this helps them settle down more easily. Outside the greenhouse, keep the pernicious weeds from invading the veg patch. Make sure your tomatoes, peppers, chillies, aubergines are all securely staked. And try and underplant with salads or annuals to keep the soil surface covered and to encourage beneficial insects. Think ahead: Aim to have cleared the majority of seedlings out of your greenhouse and into the ground as soon as possible now. This gives you a little window of opportunity to tidy the greenhouse, get rid of any stragglers, recycle spent compost, clean the space or weed it (depending on what kind of base it sits on) and be ready for the next wave of planting which should start next month. This time round you'll be sowing the veg that you will eat during the autumn and the winter. Don't do what I do and start thinking about

this too late. If your winter veg plants are well grown and strong before they hit the really bad weather of the end of the year, they will resist the onslaught that much the better. So, strange as it may seem, this is a good time to start deciding what you want to be eating over the autumn/winter - get out those seed catalogues again! Look after your roses: These will hopefully still be in full glory. Feed them from time to time, and generally just make sure they look happy. Keep an eye out for sudden wilting this probably means a toad or a mouse has decided to take up residence underneath the plant. Water intensively every day if that happens - you may make it so damp the squatter decides to move. Keep the branches where you want them by pruning - if something is growing out too much in one direction, then cut it back and put it into a vase (pruning by stealth, I call it). Notice any attempts by the graft to take over, and pull the suckers off immediately. Save yourself work: The above comes under this heading. It really helps to go round the garden frequently and notice all the small jobs. For instance, a fruit tree with a mass of young twigs is so easy to prune but once those same twigs have become branches, the energy required is not the

same. Do pots look thirsty? Can you put them on a drip line, or is just putting saucers under them going to save you some of that watering time? Will putting things into bigger containers mean that you need to water them less often? Can you take those small tussocks of grass out before they get to be huge monsters which need digging out? Cumulatively, these little jobs can save you a lot of effort later. Ponds: These should be well out of their winter state - the pond plants and the waterlily leaves should have come to the surface. If your oxygenating plants are working well, the water will be clear. If it's murky then you need to introduce some more plants, which will add the oxygen the pond needs. On a warm day, take some of the detritus that has settled at the base of the pond out. As it will most likely be full of insects, and maybe even baby newts, etc., proceed with caution and leave any detritus in a pile by the side of the pond so that they can follow the dripping water back down into it. Cropping: Picking really starts to get underway now, which also therefore means eating fresh garden produce and transforming some for storage, whether that be frozen, pickled, dried, etc. How satisfying! Good gardening! ■

14 ♦ FRENCH LIFE

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JUNE 2014

New life in Dordogne for famous piano

n general a piano is not an item to take on a trip. That applies especially when the piano in question is a priceless antique concert grand. When Barbara and Jesse Carter came to France from Texas in 2002, shifting a piano was the last thing on their minds. “We had a moment of temporary insanity,” jokes Jesse, as he thinks back to the day they both fell in love with the Château du Caneau, near Brantôme. “Every little girl wants to live in a palace,” continues Barbara. “This château was my palace!” They shipped their furnishings over from the USA and immediately began their programme of intense renovation. In 2003 they were married in the tiny mairie in St-Front-la-Rivière and carried on renovating. The piano, previously owned by Barbara’s parents, stood wrapped up and unplayed in the dilapidated music room. Barbara is a trained construction engineer, previously owner of her own US construction scheduling company, working on projects such as Tampa’s Yankee Stadium, hospitals, bridges, student hostels, Tampa Airport. Barbara insisted on personally carrying out the renovation of the château, with a very American feel. “We have lots of bedrooms, a lot of marble in the bathrooms, high-end features and fittings, walk-in wardrobes, an office, library, dumb waiter, cinema,

by Brian Hinchcliffe

butler’s pantry, reception rooms, wine cellar and 20 acres of woods and gardens. There’s a lot for us to do!” When the Carters got around to working on the music room, the piano, a Boston-built Chickering, had to be sent to a place of safety. At this point Gérard Fauvin entered the story. Fauvin is France’s premier piano restorer. Based in Jurignac, south-west of Angoulême, Gérard Fauvin is not only a world-class specialist, he is also a TV celebrity. His gently eccentric ways, his encyclopedic knowledge and his passion for pianos have made him a TV star, mixing wisdom, expertise and humour. To see why, search “Gérard Fauvin” on YouTube - there’s a wide choice of videos. Gérard never agrees to start a renovation without first auditioning the piano. The Carters’ piano he took to his heart immediately. “A superb piano. Very rare in France. Chickerings in their day rivalled, and even surpassed, Steinways,” asserts Gérard. “P. T. Barnum bought a Chickering to accompany Jenny Lind on her US tour in the 1850s. Legend says the young Steinway became entranced by the Chickering at a Jenny Lind concert. He clearly learned much from it.” Barbara’s parents had bought the piano at a Texas auction and discovered that it had previously been in the US consulate in Mexico City, a city with French

links. In the 1860s Napoleon III had sent French troops to back Austrian Prince Maximilian as monarch of Mexico. At some point the piano was moved back to the USA and into obscurity, coming to Europe a hundred years later. Whilst Gérard Fauvin worked on the piano, Jesse and Barbara set to work on the music room. Jesse, an organic chemist with his own manufacturing company in Tampa, Florida, carried out the heavy work. He explains: “The severe winter of 2001, before we moved in, caused burst pipes which wrecked the music room. The beautiful old oak wall panelling, the ceiling mouldings and part of the floor sadly had to be completely rebuilt.” The château contains fire surrounds, panelling and a magnificent staircase believed to be by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, the French Gothic Revival restorer. Viollet-le-Duc is known for the Château de Pierrefonds and Notre-Dame Cathedral, amongst scores of other famous 19th century restorations. During the restoration work the piano was also being rebuilt. Some parts had to be manufactured and the whole instrument completely restrung. The beautiful casing was made to look like it did the day Jonas Chickering delivered it over a hundred and thirty years ago. French television channel France 3 filmed Gérard Fauvin playing the Carters’ Chickering

The Carters and the Chickering in the Music Room as a news item. You can watch it and hear the piano for yourself: search for “Domaine Musical de Pétignac” on YouTube. The music room itself, now beautifully restored and lit by its Italian crystal chandeliers, is ready to resume its original purpose from the age of Charles X, Louis Philippe and Napoleon III.

For his part, Gérard is keen to make the piano available for concert pianists, asserting: “This is a superb instrument. It deserves to be played every day by a virtuoso.” Barbara and Jesse, however, are more patient. “Let’s just get the rest of the château done first. Then we’ll see!” ■

Warrior monks’ fortress to TV dream home

he home is the Maison des Templiers, in St-Paul-laRoche, Dordogne. When the geology of this part of France was being forged across millions of years, St-Paulla-Roche was gifted with 2 immense blocks of colour-contrasting rock types. One black, the other a pure, flashing white: serpentine and quartz. Already a geological beacon for prehistoric man, this location was perfect for the Knights Templar, seeking a place to build a commandry in the Middle Ages. With an uninterrupted view across the lands of the Rochille, Valouse and Isle it did indeed command the area. The knights were a religious order, monastic warriors who pledged to maintain Christianity’s sites and protect pilgrims. The Maison des Templiers, which still stands today, is one of the oldest commanderies in France, built in the 1140s. A small fortress and command centre, the “Templars” fell on hard times as the order itself was suppressed in the 14th century. In the religious wars 200 years later, it suffered badly. It was restored by the Knights Hospitaller but again fell into decline and decay. Ironically it was its poor condition that saved it from being totally demolished during these times. In the 20th century an inheritance dispute resulted in further dilapidation. By the 1990s it was a wreck fit to be used only as storage. At this point Chris Hughes and Paul Fowle enter this epic. They bought this uninspiring heap of masonry and in 2004 began the enormous task of turning it into a home. Paul’s background was the wine

trade, and Chris’ came from the banking industry. Neither of these professions are normally considered conducive to heavy duty reconstruction, begun without electricity or water. Nevertheless, in 2008 Chris and Paul moved in. Working with Bâtiments de France and along with their own creativity, they turned their nearly 1,000-yearold castle into a comfortable and remarkable home. Chris became treasurer of 3 local associations and the St-Paul Comité des Fêtes, working to preserve the memory of the dazzling white quartz found locally. The quartz was quarried until very recently, providing the raw material for the electronics and communications industry. Chris is part of a group creating a geological garden to commemorate the Roche Blanche, which is due to open in June. He is also deeply involved in the longrunning week-long art show in St Paul. This year, the expo takes place from 8th to 17th August, with over 30 artists of all kinds at several sites in the village. Later the same month Chris will be working on a book/craft fair from 15th to 17th August and a concert by Olivier Mateïs on the 16th. In the house Chris and Paul have discovered many ancient, original features hidden by disuse and decay. The cellar is a typical Templar affair with a white stone floor for brightness, its own secure natural water supply and a drain. Visitors are amused by the medieval latrine built into the wall on an upper floor, a luxury feature over 900 years ago! The 21st century versions are in a

by Brian Hinchcliffe

recent, separate, sloping structure approved by Bâtiments de France, the guardians of France’s architectural heritage. Paul and Chris are avid collectors of art, curios and anything collectable, and their hobby beautifully complements the astonishing living spaces inside. Despite the quality of the restoration, Bâtiments de France consider that the commandry has had too much change and restoration from the 16th century onwards to be listed; it is not considered “pure”. Visitors conducted on a tour by Chris are amazed by the traces left by the times. The stone coffin, the polished river-stone floors, the immense stair-

case, the enormous granite fireplaces, the mysterious niches, the Renaissance windows... Most of all they admire the seamless blend of the centuries which creates a magnificent home from a ruined fortress-cum-pig shed. The house recently featured on BBC2’s “Escape to the Continent”, broadcast on Easter Monday. “It was exciting for us and wonderful publicity for the village,” said Chris. “We are a little off the beaten track, part of the hidden Périgord that many people miss out on.” Learn more about Chris and Paul’s unique house, or arrange a visit, via their website: www.templarsstpaullaroche. com ■

PRACTICAL ♦ 15

JUNE 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

French Employment Law: The Basics This month, Prune CALONNE, lawyer in Toulouse, gives you guidelines on French employment law.

irst of all, be aware that French employment law is light years away from what you are used to in Great Britain or in other Common law legal systems. It is a complex area, one of the most complicated areas of law after tax law. Parties to employment contracts are not free to decide and draft the provisions as they please. Here are some tips to understand a little better how it works in France. 1) Is French employment law applicable to my employment contract? To determine the applicable law, the rule of thumb is that French law will be applicable to your contract if work is executed in France. Your employer does not need to have a legal entity in France for French employment law to apply to the contract signed. He/she will however be required to register the company and pay French social security contributions. If you are an employer and you are thinking of hiring people to work in France, I would say that legal advice from a French employment law specialist has to be sought to avoid making any gross mistakes or negligence that could potentially put your business in jeopardy. 2) Is it necessary to pay the salary in France if the work is carried out in France? The rule is that employers and employees have to pay French

ealth Tax (“Impôt de Solidarité sur la Fortune”) is an annual tax on the sale value of your assets, based on their value on the 1st January each year. The taxable threshold for any household is €1,300,000 worth of assets although a 30% allowance is given against the value of a principal residence. Mortgages as at 1st January can be offset and house contents can be valued at a set 5% of total assets, or their real value. Exemptions Certain assets are currently exempt, however, from “ISF” including antiques, collector’s items

social security contributions and related taxes for work carried out in France. 3) Does the employment contract need to be written in French if both parties speak English? When an employer drafts an employment contract with a future employee that understands the language, there is nothing that forbids drafting the document in English. However, things can become a little trickier if the relationship deteriorates and one of the parties wants to make a claim in court. Ask yourselves these questions: how much does the future employee understand English? Is his or her English good enough to understand the terms of an employment contract written in a language that is not his or her mother tongue? In France, another important consideration is that all documents provided as evidence before a French court have to be in French. This rule has been applicable since 1539! Therefore at some point, documents will have to be translated by your lawyer and sometimes even by a translator appointed by the French Court of Appeal. This will generate costs. 4) Must employment contracts be in writing if the job is executed in France? Permanent employment contracts, also called CDI (“contrat à durée indéterminée”) in France do not have to be in writing. In practise they often are, for obvious practical reasons such as to be used as evidence.

Any temporary and fixed term contracts must be in writing. Any non-permanent contracts, also called CDD (“contrat à durée déterminée”) may only be used by employers for very specific reasons. Use of a CDD outside of these 4 reasons will result in an automatic transformation of the CDD into a CDI, i.e. a permanent contract, effective day one and it will have serious legal and pecuniary consequences for the employer, particularly if the employer has fired the employee without respecting the dismissal procedure, prior to the official expiry date of the CDD contract.

contract applicable from the first day of employment - Pecuniary consequences for the unfair dismissal of the fixed term employment contract if it has been terminated before its expiry date and the dismissal procedure has not been respected: °Legal severance pay (1/5 of a month’s gross wage per year of service) °Unfair dismissal compensation (minimum 6 months’ gross wage) °Notice compensation (see your employment contract) °Annual leave compensation (depending on how many days are left)

5) In which cases can a nonpermanent contract (CDD) be used in France?

7) Is there a minimum wage in France?

This type of employment contract has to be used for precise and temporary tasks: a) To replace employees (for example: on maternity leave, annual leave…) b) Replacement of worker c) Temporary increase of activity d) Seasonal work 6) What are the consequences of the non-permanent contracts of employment (CDD) not being in writing, a non-permanent contract being used unlawfully, or the reason by the employer to use a CDD not being specified in the contract? The CDD will be transformed into a permanent contract (CDI). The direct consequences of the modification in the employment contract from CDD to CDI are: (non-exhaustive list) - One month’s wage (for the contract to go from a CDD to a CDI) = “Indemnité de requalification” - Retroactive modification in the nature of the employment

Yes, there is one and except for a few minor cases, and unlike in the UK, the minimum wage does not vary according to staff age. Rate per hour: €9.53 gross / €7.48 net Rate per month: €1,445 gross / €1,127 net 8) Working hours in France, paid annual leave and sick leave Since 2000, the “AUBRY” law has limited the average working hours to 35 hours a week. Above this limit the employee is supposed to be paid overtime. Every employee in France under a permanent contract is allowed a minimum 5 weeks of paid leave a year. In France if you are unwell and you decide you are not able to go to work, a GP certificate must be sent to your employer within 48 hours of the absence at work to prove that you are truly unwell. Calling the employer before the beginning of the working day to inform them that you are unwell and do not intend to turn up to work is not good enough. If it happens too often and you

Wealth Tax in France

and fine art. Importantly, ‘business assets’ can be also excluded, however they must be an asset used for a registered business, which provides your main source of income and not simply designed to hold and manage your personal wealth. Up to now, it has been our understanding that UK qualifying pension funds can be excluded as an asset for Wealth Tax calculations, since that fund can never be turned into an asset. However, the last UK Budget proposed to relax pension rules and diversify pension options, therefore it is less likely that exemptions will be accepted for certain forms of pension plan. Since 2011, new legis-

lation has confirmed that any assets held in trust must be part of a Wealth Tax return if the trust has a French resident settlor or beneficiary. New Residents French law has now given all new residents of France exemption from French Wealth Tax on all assets held outside France, until the 31st December of the fifth year following your year of residence. How to Declare

All households owning taxable assets worth between €1.3 million and €2.57 million, make a Wealth Tax declaration as part of their Income Tax return. Those with tax-

able assets that exceed €2.57 million must make a separate tax return by 15th June each year accompanied by a cheque for the amount of tax due. Should you wish further information on how to reduce, or potentially eliminate your Wealth Tax liability, or require a review of any other financial areas it is best to seek sound professional advice first.

Peter Wakelin is Regional Manager of Siddalls France, Independent Financial Adviser, specialised in tax, inheritance, pension and investment planning for the British community in the Dordogne since 1996. Telephone 05 56 34 75 51 - Email bordeaux.office@siddalls. net www.siddalls.fr

cannot provide evidence to your employer that you were unwell, you may end up with an official warning and it may potentially be used as legal grounds for dismissal. 9) What are my rights if my permanent contract is terminated by my employer? First of all, dismissal has to be based on real and serious grounds (“cause réelle et sérieuse”). The reasons for dismissal can be in relation to the employee’s behaviour or in relation to the economic situation of the employer. a) A notice period has to be respected - stated in your contract (except for gross negligence and any other serious misconduct) b) Severance payments must be made c) The procedural requirement for dismissal must be followed: - Letter to notify the preliminary interview and preliminary interview (“convocation à l’entretien préalable et entretien préalable au licenciement”) - Notice of dismissal (“lettre de licenciement”) - Sanction for procedural irregularities such as time separating each step of the dismissal procedure… ■ For more information, please do not hesitate to contact: Prune CALONNE, Avocat au Barreau de Toulouse, 117 route d’Albi, 31200 Toulouse Phone: 05 34 30 51 33 or 06 74 16 11 12 Email: scpcalonneadouedugast @hotmail.fr My firm can arrange appointments in CAHORS at our correspondent’s offices. Please do not hesitate to contact us for more details.

16 ♦ BILINGUAL

LEARNING FRENCH VIA INTERNET

Perhaps you would like to learn French in comfort at home or from your office? You are not in France and you wish to communicate with a native French person for one hour per week? LONG-DISTANCE LEARNING is the answer. You only need internet access and a free Skype account. It can be a one-to-one lesson or you can share the lesson with a person of the same level.

TRANSLATION SERVICES ALSO AVAILABLE

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

Anyone for nettles...?

ost people will remember playing in the woods as a child and coming across the dreaded stinging nettle! Those painful red stings can still strike fear into your heart as an adult, but to most people nettles are an inconvenience that comes with living in the countryside. In theory there are many good things that can be said about the humble stinging nettle. The plant, properly known as urtica dioica, is packed with nutrients and goodness: it is rich in iron, potassium, calcium and many other vitamins. Nettles have been used in traditional English stews, teas and beers for centuries, and the French are also not against using them in their cooking. Italians use them for pesto and the Scandinavians make a delicious nettle soup called Nasselsoppa. But that is when they have been cooked - the problems start when you try to eat them raw. Urtica is covered

in thousands of tiny needles, each filled with boric acid. On contact with the skin, the needles break, causing the acid to escape and burn the skin. Ouch! So why would you want to eat raw stinging nettles?! Well, as is often the case, it all started with a bet. Twenty years ago, two farmers were drinking at The Bottle Inn in Marshwood, Dorset, and arguing about who had the worst problem with nettles in their fields. “I'll eat any nettle you've got that's bigger than mine!” said one farmer. And that is how the World Stinging Nettle Championships were born. The event, held in June each year at that same pub, sees thousands of spectators come from across the country to witness and take part in this painful event. People have even come from as far as Australia to be part of this bizarre tradition. Competitors are given 60cm stalks of nettles from which they must pluck and eat the

SIRET 502 409 212 00011 – APE 8559B

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JUNE 2014

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

leaves. The bare stalks are then measured and the winner is the person with the greatest accumulated length at the end of one hour. If you vomit, you are disqualified! Competitors are often left with black mouths and tongues from the number of stings they receive. Previous winners have said that the most effective pain relief comes from beer, which is convenient as the competition usually coincides with a beer festival held at the pub!! The current record, held by Simon Sleigh, is an impressive 23 metres of nettles in just 60 minutes, although the weather plays a big role in the competition. The quality and character of the nettles changes from year to year, with moist, green plants much easier to eat than drier ones. Nearly all the big scores have been achieved following a wet spring. This year's event, which features categories for men and women, will be held at The Bottle Inn on June 7th.. ■

Bilingual Crossword Clues in English - answers in French

Across:

Down:

5. musicians(9)

1. July(7)

7. to want(7)

2. shin(5)

8. pine tree(3)

3. goose(3)

10. enough(5)

4. nurse(9)

n se souvient presque tous être tombés sur de redoutables orties lorsque, enfant, on jouait dans les bois... Si ces piqûres rouges et douloureuses laissent parfois une peur bien ancrée chez certains adultes, la plupart d’entre nous les considérons comme un simple désagrément lié à la vie à la campagne. En théorie, cette modeste plante mérite beaucoup d’éloges. Connue sous le nom latin d’urtica dioica et gorgée de nutriments, elle possède d’autres vertus puisqu’elle est riche en fer, potassium, calcium et autres vitamines. Les Anglais l’incorporent depuis des siècles à leurs

11. lead (i.e. metal)(5) 6. moustache(9)

ragoûts, leurs thés et leurs bières et les Français ne négligent pas cet ingrédient dans leur cuisine. Les Italiens l’intègrent à leur pesto et les Scandinaves concoctent une soupe délicieuse au nom de Nasselsoppa. Tant qu’elle est cuite, tout va bien : c’est quand on essaye de la manger crue que les problèmes surgissent. L’urtica est couverte de milliers de poils minuscules contenant de l’acide borique. Au contact de la peau, le poil se casse, l’acide s’échappe et occasionne une brûlure… Aïe… Diantre ! D’où pourrait venir l’idée saugrenue de vouloir manger des orties crues ?? Et bien… comme

cela est bien souvent le cas… tout a commencé par un pari. Il y a 20 ans, deux fermiers se chamaillaient autour d’un verre à « The Bottle Inn », un pub situé à Marshwood, dans le Dorset. Chacun se targuait de rencontrer davantage de problèmes dans leurs champs respectifs. « Je mangerai toutes tes orties qui seront plus hautes que les miennes ! » dit l’un d’entre eux. Et c’est comme ça que naquit le Championnat Mondial des Mangeurs d’Orties Crues… L’événement, tenu chaque année en juin dans le même pub, rameute des milliers de spectateurs venus de tout le pays pour assister et participer à ce douloureux spectacle. Certains viennent

13. cape(3)

9. keyboard(7)

14. olive tree(7)

12. white(5)

16. fireplaces(9)

15. friend(3)

Bilingual crossword solution can be found on page 23 même d’Australie pour se joindre à cette tradition pour le moins bizarre. Dotés d’orties de 60 cm de longueur, les concurrents doivent en retirer les feuilles et les avaler. A la fin de la compétition, toutes les branches dénudées sont mesurées et le gagnant est celui qui aura ingéré la plus grande longueur d’orties. Toute personne qui vomit est disqualifiée ! A cause des piqûres, les concurrents se retrouvent souvent avec la bouche et la langue noircies. D’après les précédents vainqueurs, la meilleure façon de soulager la douleur est de boire de la bière, ce qui tombe bien puisque la compétition coïncide généralement avec

un festival de la bière organisé dans le même pub !! Le record est détenu par Simon Sleigh qui a ingurgité une longueur impressionnante de 23 mètres d’orties en 60 minutes exactement. Il faut savoir que le temps joue un rôle important dans cette compétition. La qualité et les caractéristiques des plantes varient d’une année sur l’autre, selon l’humidité. Les orties les plus vertes s’ingèrent plus facilement que les plus sèches et les meilleurs scores ont généralement fait suite à des printemps humides. Cette année, le concours de la « Bottle Inn » se tiendra le 7 juin et sera ouvert aux catégories masculines et féminines. ■

DIRECTORY ♦ 17

JUNE 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Business Directory

Your indispensable guide to finding local businesses & artisans Accommodation

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

Animals & Pets

Purpose built kennels - dept 16. 45 years animal care experience. Fully insured and vet approved. Individual kennels plus family pens. Walking off lead twice daily. Michael and Wendy Aldrich

05 45 66 14 62 Siret: 494 030 919 00018

Auto Services

The Linden House Self-catering gîte in the Limousin Sleeps 6-8 Prices from €250/week

06.04.17.80.93 www.thelindenhouse.eu info@thelindenhouse.eu

DOG GROOMING FOR ALL TYPES OF DOGS Clipping, hand stripping, bathing, ear care and nail trimming.

Your advert here

06 31 98 92 31

05 55 41 17 76

INGRID GELAUDIE Rue des Ecoles, 24170 SIORAC

sales24@thebugle.eu

Building Services

Cats and Dogs Boarding Kennels

Architectural Services (Architecture/ Design/ Decoration)

Need interior design advice? Planning a project? Giving a space a makeover? Need to submit a building permit or a declaration? I can support you in all your makeover, renovation or construction projects. Sarlat and surrounding areas (up to 100km) Web: http://www.elsaconception.com

CHARENTE

Suppliers of Car & Van Spares & LHD headlights Direct to France at big savings! also Mower Batteries and drive belts!

www.motorpartscharente.com Delivery via Parcelforce Worldwide to your door in France

JOHN SOWERSBY +44 (0)1377 255470 / +44 (0)7830 170761

motorptscharente@aol.com

Comprehensive CAD drafting & design service for your planning application. Dossiers compiled and submitted, including all local & departmental liaison.

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

web: www.masterplans.eu email: info@masterplans.eu siret: 790 016 984 00011

ElsaConception Architectural

Tel: 06.87.09.38.94

MOTOR PARTS

Plans, Permissions & Photo-Realisations

CHARTERED STRUCTURAL ENGINEER

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

05 53 56 72 59 / 06 05 56 42 81 +44 (0)7448 466 662 Web: www.versineer.com Email: enquiries@versineer.com Siret: 498 843 051 00018

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

CONTINUED NEXT PAGE...

ADVERTORIAL

Improving your Chances of Selling your House

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

Not exactly flattering is it and it’s not unusual to see house photos like this on the internet. The problem is that most estate agents don’t have the time or resources to correct them. Now look at your own photographs and ask yourself, do they really show off your house, do your rooms look bright and

airy, was it a sunny day when the photos were taken? If you answered ‘No’ to any of these questions you can and should do something about them. “Your photographs are the most important opportunity you have to attract interest in your house. Potential buyers browse many websites and your house details will be very similar to others, especially within the same price bracket, but your photographs are unique and usually the first thing a prospective buyer will notice,” says Nic Stern founder of HousePhotoRetouching.com, an internet based company that offers professional photo retouching and enhancement services to house sellers, estate agents and holiday home rental agencies. “Most sellers just don’t realise they can do something about their photos. If they’re dark and dingy or have grey skies, they need to be fixed. Our service is inexpensive and can really make a big difference when it comes to bringing attention to your house, as you can see from the photo to the right. “The response to this service from house sellers has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic, new customers even get the opportunity to see one photo enhanced free of charge so they can

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

judge for themselves the dramatic improvements that can be achieved.” Emily P., a small business owner from Almeria recently said, “A friend mentioned the House Photo Retouching website to me when I was having trouble attracting interest in my house. In hindsight my photos were pretty terrible... they fixed my photos, buyers started looking and I was able to sell at the price I was looking for, despite the state of the property market here. I fully recommend the service. It's one of the best investments I've ever made.” ■

18 ♦ DIRECTORY

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JUNE 2014

ADVERTORIAL

Property Market Activity on the Increase

ouses on Internet, the successful, fastgrowing internet marketing company that helps people sell their French property without using an agent, is seeing that the trend which started at the end of 2013, namely a serious increase in the number of sales, is continuing this year. When we compare the figures for 2014 with the same period last year, enquiries from prospective buyers have more than doubled and sales have risen by over 60%, says Richard Kroon, founder and director. About 85% of buyers through their website are foreigners. As the UK property market is improving rapidly, a lot of prospective buyers are now British, but other countries like Holland, Belgium, Germany,

Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and of course Australia keep showing an increase in buying French property, both for holiday homes or to live here permanently. The key to their success is without doubt the extensive global network which enables them to reach prospective buyers wherever they are. Another strong and unique quality of Houses on Internet is the way they present each property. The number of photos, depending on the type of house, is usually between 50 and 70, everything is described in three languages, translated by professionals, and the information given is not just about the house, but also about shopping facilities, schools, airports, etcetera. The most important thing is to reach the buyers. Richard:

Building Services

Skilled Workman

General

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

05.55.02.66.58 / 06.76.09.68.37 Or visit my website

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

David’s Services

What can I offer you?

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

Contact David: 05 53 05 84 48

Building Services Electricians

“An excellent Google ranking is crucial and so we keep optimizing our website and advertise all over the internet, literally worldwide. As we advertise each property on other large, international sites as well, the total exposure is enormous.” Throughout France, Houses on Internet has over 90 photographers who visit their clients when they decide to sell their property through them. And of course, any summer photos these clients already have themselves can be copied too, in order to make the best possible presentation. Signing-up to sell your house through Houses on Internet is easy. Visit their website which is available in four languages; it contains all the information you need and everything is ex-

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

sales24@thebugle.eu

05 55 41 17 76

Building Services

No Siret: 402 444 871 00014

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

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

05.55.68.67.56 06.06.60.46.97

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

sales24@thebugle.eu

05 55 41 17 76

Leigh Dodd

ELECTRICIAN O5.55.48.95.86

Painters/ Decorators

www.saraleigh.com

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

contact@saraleigh.com Siret: 507 643 336 00013

Your advert here 05 55 41 17 76

plained step by step. When you have decided to sell your property through them, one of their staff will then call you personally to start the process. ■

Food & Drink

The Dordogne Chippy Traditional Fish & Chips in a town near you All venues are in the evening between 6pm & 8.30 pm (except Villereal which is at Lunch time) Tuesday: Monsegur or Tremolat Wednesday: Issigeac Thursday: Eymet Friday: Lauzun Saturday: Villereal (Lunch time) See our website for full details:

Houses on Internet www.housesoninternet.com 05 55 65 12 19

Karen’s Kitchen Catering for you in the Dordogne

Specialising in home-made pastries: Sausage rolls, Pasties - Cornish, Cheese & Onion, Steak & Stilton, Vegetarian & Chicken. Eccles cakes. Scones made to order. All prepared and baked daily on the premises you cannot get fresher! Bacon, cheese, bread, tea bags & tinned produce all in stock. Find me at your local market: • Tue - Le Bugue • Thu - Eymet • Fri - Le Buisson • Sat - Villereal • Sun - Issigeac

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

05 53 74 01 91 or 06 01 31 07 47

Garden Services

www.thedordognechippy.com 05 53 74 01 91 or 06 30 02 46 67 siret: 444 925 630 00014

Simon Carter

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

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

La Poutre

Bar & Restaurant

24400 Beaupouyet (N89 between Montpon & Mussidan)

French/International cuisine. Themed nights each Friday: 1st Friday - Curry night 2nd Friday - Quiz night 3rd Friday - Fish n Chips night “best around”!! 4th Friday - Live Music night Open Tue - Fri: 11am - 9pm (except Wed eve) Saturday 6pm - 10pm Sunday 12pm - 3pm, traditional English roasts served For further details call Steve:

05 53 80 29 54

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

Gardening & Property Services Stuart Fieldhouse All aspects of garden maintenance: hedge cutting, mowing, fencing, etc as well as property maintenance. References provided. Coussac-Bonneval - 05 55 70 59 75 email: smincky@yahoo.com

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

DIRECTORY ♦ 19

JUNE 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

ADVERTORIAL

Advertising with The Bugle SAT-ELEC - Satellite &

Broadband solutions

ith 4 years’ experience delivering print advertising to an expat market, The Bugle represents one of the most cost-effective ways to let English speakers know about your business. An advert with The Bugle starts from just €13.50 HT per month – that’s less than 45 cents a day to put your business in front of 25,000 people each month. In the Dordogne we already have nearly 200 distribution points across the department where readers can pick up a copy for free, a number that is growing month by month. We also distribute 2,000 copies through Bergerac Airport, which means that we are in the perfect position to target not only residents and second-home owners, but also tourists and those new to the region. The Bugle is the only English language print media dedicated to the Dordogne - in fact, today, The Bugle is the only free English language newspaper in France and we are growing all the time. If you would like to discuss any of our advertising options further, why not give us a call today to find out more about the ways that we can help you grow your business.

Computers & Satellites

ummer will soon be here... Tennis, Cricket, The Games in Scotland. Is your UK viewing reliable? Does it fade out in the evening or when it rains? Some programmes missing, perhaps? Then call MIKE on 06 30 28 81 43 to get it sorted. Extra points, French terrestrial TV, or even TV while in the bath, we fit them all. At Sat-Elec our estimate or quotation is FREE within 150km of our office at Sauviat-sur-Vige; for greater distances we will endeavour to give you an estimate over the phone. At Sat-Elec we do much more than just install Satellite TV. We are official resellers for Satellite Broadband and have full demonstration facilities. There are some very good offers on Broadband at the moment, both with TOOWAY and SES. TOOWAY Starts from €27.90 per month + installation and set-up fees for the basic rental package or if you just want everything rolled into one package then starting costs are €34.85

T: 05 55 41 17 76 E: sales24@thebugle.eu W: www.thebugle.eu

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

Transport, Removals & Storage

E: ANGI@CARDBUBBLE.COM

UK & French Satellite TV

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

Handholding Services

Approved Supplier

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

06 30 28 81 43

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

Gifts & Crafts

FranglaisServices

... exists to provide quality services to businesses and individuals in the Dordogne and beyond. We deliver invaluable linguistic assistance, practical IT and audiovisual assistance, web solutions and photographic services. To find out more call us on

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

www.franglais-services.com Ivan Petley

3D Puzzle Maker Handmade, fully interlocking, multi-layered 3D puzzles from just €9. Keyrings €2 plus other unique gift ideas. Customisation and personalisation possible. Postal delivery options across France.

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

Your advert here

Dératisation, Déinsectisation, Désinfection

Email: info@applicateur3d.com

Man & Van Transport

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

TOOWAY BROADBAND

General

www.applicateur3d.com

siret: 751 978 917 00019

Formerly Electrosat

Central France Pest Control 02 48 60 83 72 / 06 74 33 02 38

FREE DELIVERY ON ALL ORDERS OVER €10 WORLDWIDE

Sat-Elec

a month + installation. If you feel competent, then why not install the system yourself? WE WILL SHIP IT DIRECTLY TO YOUR ADDRESS complete with a full installation kit. If problems arise then we will install it for you. SES Probably the better option for iPlayer use, SES starts at €10.95 per month with set-up costs of €89.95 and €15.00 for 24 months to pay for the kit. Obviously the data allowance is low for these basic packages but if you are only an occasional user they are perfect. For the heavier user, with SES 20GB per month would still only be €29.95 or with TOOWAY €47.90. Wi-Fi a problem in your property, need WiFi in a gîte or other nearby property? No problem, just call Mike! The two Mikes are happy to prepare a custom package for you. Call Mike on 06 30 28 81 43 or 05 55 09 15 73 or email mike@sat-elec.co.uk SAT-ELEC where knowledge and experience provide the complete solution. ■

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

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

www.soshelpline.org

Eco Entrepot

05 55 33 21 59

aka The Shed

87150 Oradour-sur-Vayres

www.frenchvanman.eu Siret 530 213 644 00012

Efficient parking for all types of vehicles Book now!!

www.parkinglimoges.com

06 13 38 59 68 05 55 14 49 45

Pest Control

05 55 41 17 76

sales@thebugle.eu

anxious? stressed? feeling down? call us up!

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

French Spoken

Parking For Limoges Airport

SOS Help

Dyal Consulting

Your partners for peace of mind While you’re away, we can look after your house, check for weather damage, perform small maintenance jobs, take care of the garden, get your home ready for winter. On your return, we can prepare your house, stock up on groceries, etc... everything to make your arrival stress free. We are here to keep your house alive throughout your absence and to make your life easier! Call your concierge today:

07 77 95 31 36

sales24@thebugle.eu

05 55 41 17 76

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

05 55 68 74 73 Open every day except Monday

CARPET / UPHOLSTERY CLEANING Specialists in all carpet and upholstery cleaning

PROCHEM trained and Qualified

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

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

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

05.55.41.17.76

20 ♦ DIRECTORY

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JUNE 2014

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

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

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

Advertising in The Bugle Business Directory Advertising your business couldn’t be easier. Text only, boxed listings are available in our Business Directory from just €13.50/month. Alternatively, why not spotlight your business with an Advertorial, available from 1/6 Page (€50 HT) up to Full Page (€300 HT). Both Directory Adverts and Advertorials represent a cost effective way to put your brand in front of more than 20,000 pairs of eyes each month!!

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

6-Month Contract €108

Small b&w Directory Ad

(€18/month)

Large b&w Directory Ad

(€24/month)

Small Colour Directory Ad

(€27/month)

Large Colour Directory Ad

(€36/month)

€144 €162 €216

12-Month Contract €162

(€13.50/month)

€216

(€18/month)

€243

(€20.25/month)

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

30 words max

€324

(€27/month)

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

SEARCHWORDOKU © - by Anthony Parson Complete the alphabetical Sudoku grid to the left using only the letters already shown, then use the result wordsearch grid to find: The name of a Fruit

How does it work...? Complete the Sudoku grid in the usual manner, using only the 9 letters already shown. Once complete, you will be left with a 9x9 wordsearch grid, in which to find the final piece of the puzzle. See the completed example to the right, the clue for which is "An English county". Be careful not to jump to conclusions, as with the letters available, the answer could be SURREY, SUSSEX, ESSEX, or as it turns out in this case... SOMERSET.

Solution on page 22

WHAT’S ON ♦ 21

JUNE 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

WHAT’S

FestiVillars

Come along and join the fun in Brantôme on the 21st and 22nd June! The weekend is designed to put on show the Best of British including sports, welly throwing, classic cars, great music and traditional British meals including Fish & Chips, High Teas and All Day Breakfasts, which will be available from participating eateries across the town! Read on to find out more and call Vanessa on 06 71 64 45 99 for more information.

Saturday Afternoon

2pm - Opening Ceremony in the Jardin des Moines 2pm-6pm - Fun traditional British games and activities all afternoon... why not try your hand at golf, cricket, touch rugby or even welly throwing?! 3pm-4pm – Come and cheer on the teams in a traditional rowing race on the river

Saturday Evening

Concert Jazz Pique-nique Boschaud Abbey 15th June Jazz Concert and Picnic, as part of the FestiVillars en Périgord, with Dany Doriz & the Pat Giraud Trio with Sévérine Caupin. (Dany Doriz is a world-renowned jazz artist and proprietor of the Latin Quarter’s Huchette jazz club in Paris.) The artistes: Dany Doriz (vibraphone), Didier Dorise (drums), Pat Giraud (hammond organ) and Sévérine Caupin (vocals). Concert starts at 18h30. Tickets: €12, free for children under 16. There will be a bar (opens 17h45) but bring your own picnic.

8pm ‘til late - The streets and bars of Brantôme will be filled with classic British tunes from across the decades 9pm-midnight - Open air concert by popular group Buckshee in the market square

Sunday

9am - Traditional British market with produce and crafts throughout the day. Come and bag yourself a bargain! There will also be a classic car exhibition and you can even take a ride around the town... 3pm - The ever popular Variations group are putting on a Music Hall show in the market square 4pm - The ‘Bonnes’ dancers will be offering an exciting display of real Scottish dancing accompanied by music from Slainte

Félibrée – Felibrejada 27th-29th June

The Félibrée (Felibrejada in Occitan) is an annual festival of Occitan language and heritage. It travels around different towns and villages of the Périgord each year and this year it’s coming to Verteillac, which will be spectacularly decorated with garlands of flowers for the occasion. This celebration, which revives the troubadours who once sang the language of Oc in all the courts of Europe, is the festival of the language of Oc. There are shows, parades of traditional groups with authentic costumes and musical instruments and craft demonstrations. The first Félibrée, inspired by Frédéric Mistral and the Félibrige, was held in 1903 in Mareuil-sur-Belle and is today attended by thousands of spectators. Verteillac will be closed to traffic as of the morning of the 27th and entry will be via 5 decorative ‘portes’. For more information visit the Félibrée Verteillac page on Facebook or email felibreeverteillac@yahoo.fr

Félibrée Programme 2014 Friday 27th June

This day is reserved for local schoolchildren, including students who have chosen to study Occitan as part of their secondary education. They will be treated to a series of workshops relating to Occitan culture; at 9pm the group Talabast from Tocane will perform a concert.

Saturday 28th June (entry to Verteillac €3 after 3pm) 8am-2pm Market From 3pm Demonstrations of local skills and crafts & the traditional « Bornat dau Perigord » banner will be hung 4pm Cant’oc (singing competition of traditional songs in Occitan) 5.30pm Bourrée à Trios Temps competition 9.30pm Concert by the group Talabast, followed by Brick à Drac, place du Foirail

Sunday 29th June

8.45am The keys of the village will be presented by the Mayor to the President of the Bornat Association 9am Procession of local groups in the town centre 9.45am Mass (part of which will be in Occitatn) at Verteillac church 12.30pm Taulada (lunch in a marquee: €26 Call 07 89 26 58 15 to reserve) 3pm Cour d’amour; results of the literary competition; outdoor performances by various traditional groups 6.30pm Concert with Moussu Te Lei Jovents, place du Forail 9pm Bal de clôture

22 ♦ WHAT’S ON

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ JUNE 2014

Douchapt Blues Festival 27th June - 29th August

IT’S HOT BUT SO COOL... It’s a pretty, tiny village just off the D710 between Tocane-St-Apre and Ribérac, just big enough to have a mairie and a 12th century church, but not a lot else. Luckily for Douchapt (24350) and its 200-odd inhabitants, it also has a

bar... and not just any bar. Douchapt has “Au Bon Vivre”, chief venue for the Dordogne’s hottest jazz club, Douchapt Blues. Actually that’s not entirely true. It’s not a club, anyone can turn up and enjoy the music. And it’s not only jazz. One night a month you can even turn up and jam along

with fellow musicians playing a wide range of styles. Douchapt Blues is an association, formed when musicians from the village of La Gavotte lost their venue; that bar is now a pharmacy. Eric Gauthier came to their rescue. For 15 years the owner of the bar in tiny Douchapt and part-time amateur guitarist has helped create a musical partnership that has blossomed, tucked away in the Dordogne countryside. The basis of this success story is not hard to see: it is a combination of Eric’s enthusiasm, his hosting and culinary skills, the wealth of local musical talent along with the dynamism and organizational skills of Jean-

Luc Wargnier. Jean-Luc takes care of bookings, press, musicians, website, dates, times, agents, staff and programming, while Eric takes care of the venue. Between them they attract performers of national and international standing to play at Au Bon Vivre. The association also has around 15 volunteers who help with setting up performance areas and laying out tables and chairs. This is a

bigger task than the casual passer-by might think. Tucked away behind the bar area is a large concert room where 100-strong audiences can enjoy the music, eat and drink. Eric’s catering is attractive, imaginative and inexpensive; a full night out can be had for less than a tenner. On the first Saturday of every month it’s Open Mike night and entry is free! It’s between the 27th

June and the 29th August that Douchapt really gets bopping. This is the summer Douchapt Blues Festival. Ten star-packed nights, never more than €10 a ticket, sometimes free, and always with something good to choose from Eric’s menu. Check out the festival programme on www.douchaptblues.fr Douchapt, it’s so cool it’s red-hot! Brian Hinchcliffe

Pop sur Dronne Summer Concerts Pop sur Dronne is back by popular demand with a series of intimate music gigs. This summer, the Hostellerie du Périgord in Aubeterre-sur-Dronne plays host to three unmissable evenings of fine dining and excellent music. The first of the concerts on 23rd July features Dean Friedman, an American singer-songwriter who first performed at the event in 2011 and was a sell-out. Dean has been making music since the 1970s when he topped the charts with “Lucky Stars” and has had further

hits including “Well Well Said The Rocking Chair”, “Ariel”, “Woman of Mine” and “Lydia”. Next up, on 13th August, are Dennis Greaves and Mark Feltham of the acclaimed British blues band Nine Below Zero. Last but certainly not least it’s the turn of the ever soulful Mari Wilson on 10th September. Dubbed the ‘Neasden Queen of Soul’ when she hit the charts with “Just What I Always Wanted” and “Cry Me A River”, Mari has nurtured her voice and sound, turning her attention to her live performances including her sensational appearance as Dusty Springfield in ‘Dusty - The Musical’ as well as also recording film and TV soundtracks.

Mari will be joined by pianist Alistair Gavin for an evening of original material, Broadway standards, modern classics and definitely some Dusty! Tickets for concerts are priced at €35, including a 3-course meal, and are available by calling Abigail on 05 45 78 98 79 or by emailing popsurdronne@gmail.com. Please ensure you book early to avoid disappointment. For more information about the artists visit: www.deanfriedman.com - www.ninebelowzero.com www.mariwilson.co.uk

One of the first cricket clubs to exist in the French provinces, Eymet Cricket Club (Club Eymetois de Cricket) was founded in 1983 by a group of expats who were seriously missing their favourite sport. For the first season they played on coconut matting laid on the town’s football pitch, but the following year the Mayor kindly offered use of our present ground at Eymet - complete with stand and all necessary facilities. The club plays an average of twenty matches per season - south-west league games, national competitions, and against several overseas touring sides. Our home ground in Eymet is at Stade Bretou, hard by the gendarmerie. Drinks and teas available. New members, playing or social, are very welcome! Upcoming fixtures: Sunday 8/6 Eymet, Damazan and Catus round robin T20 day. Start (approx) 11.00 Sunday 15/6 South-west league game at home against Mansle CC. Start 13.00 Sunday 29/6 South-west league game away against Bordeaux CC. Start 13.00 For more information about the club and upcoming fixutres call Tim Smith on 05 53 24 15 22 or David Horlock on 05 53 24 11 40 or visit http://eymetcricket.com/

WHAT’S ON ♦ 23

JUNE 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu that our help does not affect any means-tested payments. Briefly we can consider assisting those who: We understand that life can be difficult for expats living away from the UK and that sometimes assistance is needed. We will listen and try to help when that help is needed. As I am sure you realise, there seems to be this popular misconception that expats living outside of the UK live in large houses with hectares of ground and that nobody ever has problems. As we all know this is far from the truth and even the best laid plans can fall apart due to sudden changes in health, bereavement, family breakdown or a host of other unforeseen problems. Registered charity Elizabeth Finn Care is able to offer direct financial assistance to British and Irish nationals or residents who live overseas. We ensure

1. Are British or Irish residents or nationals. 2. Are living on a low income or means-tested benefits. 3. Have formerly been employed in one of a wide range of qualifying occupations. Have, or have had, a partner employed in a qualifying occupation. We are able to consider assisting financially in numerous ways. For more information contact: Mary Hughes - Case worker France, Elizabeth Finn Care tel: 04 68 23 43 79 or visit: www.elizabethfinncare.org.uk and: www.turn2us.org.uk

FREDA - one of many Phoenix kittens looking for homes... This is Freda. She was born to a feral cat, who decided to bring her kittens to live on someone's doorstep! Luckily, the mother chose well, and the kind person contacted Phoenix for advice. We've managed to take Freda and her siblings in, but we know that this will be one of the first litters of many, as by July & August, we'll be receiving several calls a day about abandoned kittens. You can help Freda and the cat population by ensuring that your own cats are sterilised. If you're feeding any feral cats, it's then your responsibility too to ensure they are sterilised.

Please visit our website for details of all of our cats and dogs waiting for homes. Thank you, Phoenix Association.

www.phoenixasso.com

Monday

Market Days

Beynac Le Fleix Les Eyzies Ste-Alvère

Tuesday

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

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

Managing Editor: Steve Martindale Editor-in-Chief: Steve Martindale Registered Address: Les Quatre Chemins 23150 St-Yrieix-les-Bois France SIRET: 514 989 748 00017 Printed by: Charente Libre 16340, L’Isle d’Espagnac France Monthly circulation: 12,000 copies All copyright, unless stated otherwise, is reserved to The Bugle. Reproduction in whole or part of any text without permission is prohibited. Dépôt légal à parution.

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

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

Friday

Sunday

Thursday

Bergerac Brantôme Cubjac Le Buisson Ribérac Sarlat Sigoulès Vergt

Saturday

Agonac Beaumont du Périgord

Directeur: Steve Martindale Rédacteur-en-chef: Steve Martindale Siège Les Quatre Chemins 23150 St-Yrieix-les-Bois France SIRET: 514 989 748 00017 Imprimé par: Charente Libre 16340, L’Isle d’Espagnac France

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24 ♦ WHAT’S ON