The Bugle Dordogne - May 2021

Bonfire warning after several huge wildfires After hundreds of hectares of forest burn down locally, the pompiers have warned the public that all bonfires are banned.

>> Page 8

Supermarkets ditch till receipts Two of the country’s major chains have announced they will no longer issue paper receipts >> Page 12

November 2016 - Issue #85

Dordogne

Your local newspaper for life in France

May 2021 - Issue 95 - FREE!

Travel pass hope for summer holidays

>> continued on page 10

Region to host mullet championships - pg 8

France to ban short internal flights - pg 12

Brexit could spell the end for au pairs - pg 12 Screenshot (storyblocks)

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plans for the passes were initially launched in March under the name Digital Green Certificate.

Theoretically, travel has been possible into France from the UK since March without a “compelling reason” after rules were relaxed here.

In reality, it has remained against the rules to leave the UK for anything other than “essential reasons” meaning that travel between the two countries has been minimal. After France unveiled details of the lifting of the most recent lockdown on 29th April, it was revealed that it would open its borders from 9th June to all non-EU visitors for any reason, including second-

Twitter helps find US expat's lifesaver - pg 7

France moves to outlaw mass male chick culls - pg 4

With the holiday season fast approaching, there is growing hope that EU COVID-19 Travel Certificates will allow people to get away for some summer fun. he EU has unveiled plans to allow international travel into the bloc in time for the holiday season, with easier travel between France and the UK set to start as early as mid-May. The EU currently only allows non-essential travel from seven countries, but under the plans anyone who has received the last dose of an EUapproved vaccine at least two weeks beforehand will be permitted to travel. The change is in addition to the proposed “EU COVID-19 Travel Certificates”, which will allow citizens of EU member states free travel into other EU countries;

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2 ♦ IN THIS EDITION

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ MAY 2021

C H ÂT E AU L E S T E V É N I E Mad March hares, Easter bunnies, cuckoos, wild orchids... come and buy your wine for Easter and enjoy the wildlife too

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Welcome to

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W

ith the warm weather finally arriving in April – and a couple of absolutely belting days – it was time for the annual tradition of the kids begging to get the inflatable pool out and me refusing... then losing.

Can we have the pool?

No, it’s way too cold.

It’s not too cold, we’re BOILING! I haven’t got time.

But we can pump it up, we don’t mind...

No! Why? Because I said so!

MUM, DAD’S BEING LAZY AGAIN! We dance this merry dance each Spring, and I never win.

Every year, I begrudgingly set it all up, fill it up with icy cold water from the outside tap, step back and confidently proclaim that they won’t even get in as it’s so cold.

Then I will typically watch them spend the next two hours happily frolicking around like some kind of pink-skinned polar bears.

I should know better, because

not only does this happen every year, but I used to be exactly the same. I’m starting to wonder if human skin doesn’t develop temperature receptors until adulthood.

When I was young, if we were getting on my parents’ nerves, and there wasn’t currently snow on the ground, all they had to do was run out the hose, hook it up to the lawn sprinkler and tell us to knock ourselves out. We would then gleefully spend the next few hours jumping through the freezing jets of water believing that we were the happiest children on the planet.

Trips to the beach were also a real treat, despite the beach in question being a shale one on the south coast of England with no sand in sight and freezing cold water. We didn’t care. We’d happily tiptoe our way over the stones, each step accompanied by an “ouch” as if we were walking across hot coals. Then we would launch ourselves into the icy waves and play for hours, only returning up the razor-sharp shale “beach” for a hastily eaten Marmite sandwich, before heading back to the water “because it’s warmer in than out”!

These days, if I take my kids to the beach, it is typically a sandy paradise on the west coast of France in the height of summer.

Yet still, on the few occasions I make it into the water, I could swear that some geological phenomenon was bringing the water directly from the Arctic Circle, but somehow cooling it along the way. I rarely last more than 5 minutes and, despite what anyone says, it is most definitely not “fine once you’re in”! If anything, it should feel less cold these days, because it’s fair to say I have a little bit more insulation around the torso than in my youth!

Plenty of people seem to enjoy “wild swimming” and winter dips in the sea, so maybe it’s just me.

With the vaccination campaign such a success in the UK and France catching up fast, what has until recently been considered impossible is now being hinted at in hushed whispers on Facetime calls... a visit from the in-laws!

Actually, in a volte-face that may shock some of my longer-term readers, I wouldn’t mind at all. I may not be saying that half way through what will probably not be a flying visit, but right now, it would be great to have them here.

The kids are growing up fast and have not seen them for well over 18 months, and after so long with just the five of us rattling around inside this house in various states of lockdown, it would be nice to have someone else around.

Did you buy any of that? No, me neither... truth is, my garden is a mess and I need help!

For all his faults – and they are legion – John is very good at keeping my garden in check.

URGENT - Dogs need help Coronavirus effects are causing a larger than usual number of sad dogs desperate for a new home.

Without a temporary foster home to help, Phoenix has to turn them away and we do not know what happens to the dog after that!

Phoenix Dog Coordinator E: suefcc.phoenix24@gmail.com More info:

www.phoenixasso.com/fostering After just about managing to keep the jungle at bay last year, my garden seems to know that I am alone and weak and is coming in for the kill. My father-in-law has plenty of patience, loves a repetitive challenge and over the years his cutting, mowing and raking have been life-saving over the summer months. He can’t come soon enough!

What’s worse, I have just picked up a new pair of glasses and I can now see the state it’s in through crystal clear 20:20 vision. I had no idea how bad my old glasses had become. Much like the progress of a glacier - or for an analogy closer to home, the slow expansion of my waistline - you don’t notice things change until you look back a long way. I have had these glasses for ages, and whilst my prescription has not changed, years of having them knocked off by enthusiastic kids and being hit in the face by debris while strimming – please come back John, all is forgiven –

had left them scratched, opaque and dangerously blurry.

It was not until I put my new pair on that I realised I had left it many, many years too late... It’s like discovering the world again for the first time.

I. Can. See. EVERYTHING. Although it has made me realise that the sight that stares back at me in the mirror bears very little resemblance to the below picture accompanying this editorial. Time really is a cruel mistress, and it may well be time for an update.

Until next month...

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

CONTACT us Tel: 06 04 17 80 93 General: editor@thebugle.eu Advertising (EN): sales24@thebugle.eu Publicité (FR): publicite@thebugle.eu Subscriptions: subscriptions@thebugle.eu

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FRENCH NEWS ♦ 3

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No Dordogne residency Anti-hunt advert campaign causes a stir locally permit rejections

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ime is fast running out to apply for a post-Brexit residency card – applications must be submitted by 30th June – but government figures suggest that those of us living in the Dordogne have little to worry about. In what is believed to be the most populous department for British expats, the prefecture recently confirmed that it has so far processed more than 7,000 applications, and is yet to reject a single one.

Since its launch, the residency permit website has received largely positive feedback although the delay before receiving the final document varies across the country. Expecting a large number of applications, authorities in the Dordogne were well prepared and there are very few reports of significant delays of administrative problems. In their most recent update, the prefecture said that they were currently waiting for further documents for 140 applications and officials were unable to contact applicants to book fingerprint appointments in a further 230 dossiers, although it is thought this is mostly due to trouble in returning to France under the current restrictions.

For those who have not yet applied, it is very important that you do so before the 30th June deadline. The process for applying for the legal right to stay in France after this date will certainly be harder and require a higher threshold for proof of income. If you already have a 10year “carte de séjour - séjour permanent”, then you still need to apply and this will be converted to the new residency permit with no additional documentation required.

Almost everyone else will fall into one of two categories: those who have been here for less than five years and those who have been here longer than five years. For longer-term residents, you will need to fill in the online application and provide some supporting documentation including proof of ID (i.e. a passport), proof of when you moved to France and proof that you currently reside in France. Those who have been here for less than five years need to provide a few more details, such as your employment status or whether you are retired, but the process is still a simple one. Everyone applying will eventually be invited to their local prefecture to provide fingerprints before the final residency permit is posted to their French address.

All reports indicate that the French authorities, both in the Dordogne and nationwide, are trying their best to help British expats to acquire legal residency status and that there is very little to worry about in the process. The application website is available in both English and French and can be accessed via the following: http://invite.contacts-demarches.interieur.gouv.fr/BREXIT

H

unting is an integral part of rural life in France, but la chasse is rarely far from the headlines. Animal rights campaigners would prefer to see the practice banned altogether, but there are also regular stories of shooting accidents, often minor, but sometimes fatal.

The subject was once again in the news in April after the Fondation Brigitte Bardot ran a series of billboard adverts calling for an end to the hunt.

In total, 80 roadside adverts appeared across the Dordogne, which read: “Hunters... save lives, stay at home. 141 accidents, 11 of those fatal, 30 million animals slaughtered.

Season 2019-2020.”

“In twenty years, hunters have killed more than 400 people. This activity is one of the only ones that kills people who aren’t

taking part. Some have even been killed on their own land,” the foundation said in a statement, accompanying the launch of the campaign. The animal rights group also highlighted a recent survey that showed more than 70% of the public are nervous of hunters in their area.

For their part, la chasse argue that not only are they an integral part of French culture, but also provide a valuable environmental service. “A world without hunting is unimaginable,” replied Michel Amblard, president of the Fédération des chasseurs de Dordogne (FDC 24). “In the last year, we have removed 35,000 deer and 19,000 wild boar. Without us there would be no more forest, no more agriculture and the number of road accidents would explode. Hunting is both essential and highly regulated.” ■

4 ♦ FRENCH NEWS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ MAY 2021

The high-tech solution to end mass chick culls

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he controversial practice of culling male chicks could soon be coming to an end thanks to new technology being researched in France. The government announced its intention last year that culling chicks shortly after hatching would be banned “by the end of 2021” and recent technological advances have meant this pledge could indeed be met.

Baby chicks are famously difficult to sex and the males have little to offer egg producers: they will never lay eggs and are not a profitable source of meat. As a result, in the days after hatching, the males are rounded up and killed, usually by maceration or suffocation, a process that has been widely condemned by animal rights groups for years. It is estimated that around 300 million male chicks are killed each year in the EU, 45 million of them in France.

The German government was one of the first in the world to ban the practice, although a dispensation was put in place until the technology to implement the change became widely available. France is now working hard to bridge this gap and implement its own ban. “We have now set the objective and we are working with the industry, which will present its plans to end the practice imminently,” said the country's agriculture minister.

Animal rights campaigners have cautiously welcomed the promised ban, but are also pushing for other solutions such

as developing laying breeds where the males can also be used for meat. The industry currently uses different breeds for egg and meat production.“We are waiting for the legislative context to be confirmed, so that this doesn’t stay as just an empty promise,” said Agathe Gignoux, manager at farming animal welfare group CIWF. Industry groups around the world have been working to find a practical solution of in-ovo (inside the egg) sexing, with promising results from one company in Brittany. A system being developed by

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scientists at Hy-Line France, part of the German Erich Wesjohann Group, is using optical “hyperspectral” technology to look inside fertilised eggs. The first feathers of chick embryos are lighter in females than in males and the technology allows this difference to be detected at day 13 of the 21-day incubation period.

The selection machine, which has been nicknamed Cheggy, is already up and running and sorting eggs at an impressive rate. “In 2021, we will ‘ovosex’ more than 500,000 chickens with this technology; that's the equivalent of

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150 million eggs out of a yearly production of 500 million. “At the end of the day, ‘sexing’ increases the price of a box of six eggs by less than five cents. That is really not much compared to the scandal of male chicks being killed at one day old.”

The technology will not only benefit the chicken industry: researching is also ongoing to ovo-sex duck eggs for the foie gras industry. More than 30 million female ducks are killed each year as only the males are used to make foie gras. ■

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FRENCH NEWS ♦ 5

MAY 2021 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

France and UK 'at war' over Jersey fishing rights

Tristan Redman (@TristanAJE/Twitter)

A

growing row over postBrexit fishing rights has escalated after France threatened to cut off the electricity supply to Jersey.

The threat was made in response to accusations that the UK is using red tape to deny French fleets the agreed access to fishing waters negotiated as part of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.

At the end of April, 41 ships authorised by the UK to fish in waters off Jersey were met with new demands “which were not arranged or discussed, and which we were not notified about”. One fisherman from Granville, who fishes for scallops and whelks “on average 40 days a year” in Jersey waters, had been told he would only have access for 11 days. “It is completely unacceptable,” said Annick Girardin, the French minister for maritime affairs, who added she was “revolted” by the UK government’s behaviour. “If we accept it in Jersey, it is dangerous for our access everywhere.”

The comments mark a major escalation in a row over wider claims

by French fishers that they are being denied access to UK waters for spurious reasons, in contravention of the Withdrawal Agreement. On the UK side, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) downplayed the latest row as an isolated disagree-

ment. “We are clear that Jersey is responsible for its own territorial water,” a DEFRA spokesperson said. “The UK government is constitutionally responsible for the international relations of the crown dependencies. As such, we have been working closely with the EU and the government of Jersey on fisheries access provisions following the end of the transition period for licensing.”

According to Jersey Electricity, around 95% of the power for the self-governing British Crown Dependency comes through three undersea cables from France, with the rest provided by diesel genera-

tors on the island. “We are ready to use these retaliation measures. Europe, France has the means - that's written in the deal,” said the minister for maritime affairs, referring to the threat to cut off the island's power. “We have the means, even if I would regret getting to that point. We will if we have to.”

British government minister Nadhim Zahawi told Sky News that the EU and UK had to “iron out” any post-Brexit issues: “I think my very strong feeling on this is that we need to work constructively.

This is an issue for the European Commission to work with our team, and all the indications from

minister David Frost and his team is that the Commission is taking seriously some of these operational challenges that we need to fix together.”

Fishing became a totemic issue in the Brexit battle, despite the industry representing just 0.1% of the UK's GDP, and a number of bold promises have been made to fishers over the last few years. Since Britain left the EU, however, the industry has been hard hit by restrictions in quotas and new rules on exports.

The shellfish industry in the UK is largely unable to export to the EU and the government recently failed to negotiate access to Norwegian

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waters - despite Norwegian crews retaining the right to sell into the British market - meaning the country's Fish and Chip shops will no longer have access to any Britishcaught cod.

Many have accused the British government of creating the latest flashpoint to play up to a domestic audience and distract from wider issues in the industry. With the French government escalating the situation by threatening to cut Jersey off from the power grid in retaliation, this is certainly not the last time that fish will be in the headlines and that Franco-British relations are tested. ■

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www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ MAY 2021

FRENCH NEWS ♦ 7

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President Macron unveils Social media finds heart deconfinement calendar attack life-saving stranger

Stage One happened on Monday 3rd May, with all students returning to school (with some restrictions), the 10 km travel restriction lifted and the removal of the requirement to have an attestation when leaving the house during the day. The 7 pm curfew is still in place, however, and all non-essential businesses remain closed.

Stage Two will take place on Wednesday 19th May when the curfew will be pushed back to 9 pm, shops will be allowed to re-open and bars and restaurants will be permitted to serve customers at outdoor tables (6 people max per table). Other significant changes include: • Reopening of museums, monuments, cinemas, theatres and seated venues (max 800 people) • Reopening of open-air and indoor sporting activities • Swimming pools - access possible for children only • Gatherings of more than 10 people prohibited • Reopening of indoor and outdoor sporting venues with spectators (max 800 indoors, 1,000 outdoors) Stage three, on Wednesday 9th June, will see the curfew pushed back further to 11 pm and bars and restaurants also allowed to serve customers indoors (6 people max per table). Other significant changes include: • Sports and cultural venues open to up to 5,000 people (vaccination pass required) • Lifting of travel restrictions for foreign visitors coming into France (vaccination pass required) • Limited return to the workplace • Reopening of gyms, sports halls, including open-air contact sports and interior non-contact sports Stage four on Wednesday 30th June – the lifting of curfew and all restrictions, although nightclubs will remain closed and sanitary measures and social distancing may still be required in many settings. ■

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A

lthough often described as “lockdown light”, due to more exceptions and greater flexibility when compared to the first two instalments, many have found the third lockdown to be the toughest of them all. At the beginning of May the government finally unveiled the roadmap to deconfinement, and while the end of all restrictions is still many weeks away, there is light at the end of the tunnel and, rightly or wrongly, people across the country are already making plans for summer sun and fun.

The country hit the tragic milestone of 100,000 COVID-related deaths during the third lockdown, but as we head into May, the recent restrictions appear to have made their mark and the situation has begun to steadily improve. With daily vaccination numbers regularly above half a million, the government has confirmed that it is well on track to hit its target of administering one third of the population with at least their first jab by the middle of May, and 30 million people by the middle of June. So far, half of those who have had their first jab have also already received their second.

In a televised address on Thursday 29th April, President Macron detailed a fourstep plan to reopen the country and revive the French economy in the wake of the pandemic. The major dates in the calendar are 3rd May, 19th May, 9th June and 30th June.

S

ocial media may not always be a healthy environment to spend too much time in, but sometimes social networks can bring thousands of people together for more positive reasons.

This was the case recently when an American expat was able to track down the woman who had saved her husband's life days earlier.

The drama began when Peter Hinnant suffered a cardiac arrest while out jogging in a local park. A stranger saw the man collapsed on a park bench and came to his aid, using a nearby defibrillator to administer life-saving cardiac massage for 15 minutes until medical help arrived. Peter's wife Lori, an American journalist in Paris, was later told by hospital staff that the stranger's intervention undoubtedly saved her husband's life and she decided to track down the good Samaritan to thank them.

Initially, Lori made contact with park wardens and placed posters around the area, but after several days, was no closer to finding the identity of her husband's guardian angel.

That was until a Twitter user posted a photo of one of the posters which read: “You saved my husband’s life. A man suffered a cardiac arrest at the Parc Monceau. Because of the person who gave him a cardiac massage,

he survived and will have few after-effects.

Thank you from our whole family.”

The image soon went viral and had been shared 2,400 times when it was seen by Alizée Feauveaux, who had helped the sick man in the seconds before the life-saving stranger arrived and who replied: “Madam, I am the person who saw your husband and my partner and I gave him first aid until the female volunteer firefighter arrived. I am so moved to know that your husband is doing well, we have not stopped thinking about him.”

With the information that the life-saver was a firefighter, Lori reached out to the sapeurs-pompiers and before long they had tracked down Marion, a 24-year-old maths teacher and volunteer firefighter. Marion had just finished teaching a sports class in the park when she saw the man having a heart attack. “I have already given cardiac massage several times in the last two years as part of my role as a reserve firefighter,” Marion explained. “I asked someone to bring me a defibrillator. His pulse came back, and the fire brigade arrived. Then I went home, and carried on with life. I can't believe how much attention this has received!”

The two women later met at the very spot that Marion had saved Peter's life. ■

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Nouvelle-Aquitaine to welcome Bonfire ban warning the worst mullets in Europe after huge wildfires

credit: Etienne Robin

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bolic than anything else. “It is a haircut for non-conformists, those who don't fit the mould.

It simply says that you're someone who is liberated and free. You have to stop being a prisoner of the image that you put out to others, people in the street that you don't even know, and just be yourself. You can take the mickey out of me for my mullet... I genuinely don't care!”

Above all, organisers hope that the day will be a fun affair, but it is also set to be competitive; the Belgian team alone is bringing three coaches for

the event. “With all the entertainment we have planned, it should be fun,” Guillaume confirmed. “People need a bit of a laugh at the moment and laugh they shall!”

Fans of the mullet, or just those looking for a unique day out, should make their way to the “Etang de La Naute” at Champagnat, just outside Aubusson. For more information, or to see some of the impressive specimens that will be on show, visit the competition's Facebook page – search “Facebook Championnat d'Europe de la Coupe Mulet”. ■

n Thursday 8th April a fire destroyed 102 hectares of forest at Cercoux in the CharenteMaritime department. More than 50 fire trucks, 150 people and two helicopters fought the giant blaze, before that same evening a further 2,000m² of grassland burnt down nearby. Authorities quickly arrested a local man, who after initially denying any involvement, admitted his guilt. After questioning over the Cercoux blaze, the suspect also faces drugs charges after admitting that the fire began after his rotovator overheated while he was trying to sow cannabis plants.

Police subsequently established a potential link with a second fire that same day, 90 kilometres away at Saint-Front-sur-Nizonne, between Nontron and Brântome, where a further 26 hectares were destroyed in what authorities suspect may have been a deliberate act.

While the two fires may not ultimately be linked, authorities have been keen to stress the dangers of small fires quickly growing out of control to become potentially deadly conflagrations. In fact, despite the fact that you may have seen plenty in your local area, all private bonfires are in fact banned, something the fire department of the Haute-Vienne was keen to stress recently after a particularly busy start to the year.

“Not taking account of the wind, not creating an adequate firewall, poor surveillance and not having

a way of quickly putting it out... these factors all led to wildfires in fields, crops and even forests last year,” explained a spokesperson.

“We also see instances of smoke poisoning, burns and of course road traffic accidents when smoke spreads on the roads, limiting visibility.”

@BassetlawDC (Twitter)

A

fter a year of lockdowns and limited access to the hairdresser, there have been times in the last twelve months when looking in a mirror was an uncomfortable experience. This June, however, there will be more than the usual number of bad hair days in the region, as the Creuse department is to host the European Mullet Championships. The event will take place on 26th June and will feature the impressive hair of Gauthier Istin who took the crown for France when the competition was last held, two years ago in Belgium.

The ideal cut is described as “business at the front, a party at the back”, but despite gracing the shoulders of such fashion icons as David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Cindy Lauper and Rhianna, the mullet has remained the butt of many jokes over the decades. This year's competition will feature the worst – or best, depending on your personal opinion – examples on the continent, and while the competition will be fierce, the competitors that take part do so with good humour and selfawareness.

“Above all, it is a fun day built around the mullet,” explained Limoges-based competitor and co-organiser Guillaume Hays, who believes that the famous cut is more sym-

Green household waste is considered as déchets ménagers - normal household waste - and individuals do not have the right to burn this kind of rubbish. It also also not permitted to burn other types of green waste in your garden: dead leaves, hedge and shrub prunings, and grass cuttings. All this waste must instead be taken to the local tip - déchetterie – or, even better, used to create a compost heap.

Only certain professionals have the right to burn green waste in the open, and only then under strict conditions. Unless you have a specific dispensation, lighting your own bonfire could land you with a €450 fine. ■

FRENCH NEWS ♦ 9

MAY 2021 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

The local traiteur adapting to business under lockdown

Local barber raising funds for Eymet Football Club

Sylvain emailed all his friends, social contacts and former customers. He launched a daily page on Facebook, and decided that if the customers couldn’t come to him, he would have to go to them. He began offering free delivery within twenty miles of St-Cyprien, proposing a list of prepared dishes that changed each week, along with bulk orders of sausages, cuts of pork and lamb and beef.

There was ham, sausage and sauerkraut,

credit: Sylvain Bounichou

I

n the first month after the Covid pandemic hit France, Sylvain Bounichou was facing ruin. A butcher and charcutier with a shop on the main street of Saint-Cyprien, his main business was as a traiteur, providing meals for up to a hundred people at weddings, christenings, buffets and banquets.

With Covid, his takings were down by more than eighty per cent, and his wife’s shop of women’s fashions in the same street had to close and they had two sons to raise, of six and nine.

“I could not simply close the shop and business and wait out the crisis,” Sylvain told The Bugle. “As a food vendor, I was deemed an essential business and not allowed to close the shop, I was going broke. We managed to get a partial unemployment payment for one staff member for one month. But that was all.”

“What saved us was the internet and social media,” Sylvain added. “Twenty years ago we could not have survived.”

chunks of ham from his big barbecue on the street in front of his shop, along with fried potatoes and whatever else is on offer that week.

Despite the pandemic, Sylvain is now selling more than three hundred meals a week (over a thousand portions), to nearly eighty regular clients. It has been such a success that he is running deliveries three days a week. On Thursdays it is Sarlat, and south to St Pompont.

On Fridays he delivers to La Roque-Gageac and the Dordogne Valley. On Saturdays he serves Le Bugue, Les Eyzies and Trémolat.

“We had to re-invent the business to save it,” he says. “Without my wife, our staff, our customers, it could not have happened. And even if everything else gets back to normal, we won’t stop the deliveries. They saved us.” ■

lamb couscous, braised ham with roast potatoes, lasagna, or duckling and Sarladaise potatoes, all at €8 a portion. Paella for six people at €30, all delivered free to your door and needing only to be reheated, as well as Quiche Lorraine at €4 a portion, or a slice of pizza at €4.50. He also delivered his weekly specials, including tournedos of beef at €29.90 per kilo instead of the usual €42.

“The deliveries are half individual meals, half beef and pork in bulk,” he says. “And we always have our special offers, like the package of a chicken from a local farmer, six of her own eggs, plus almost a kilo of rôti de porc and four fat slices of roast ham, all for €29.90.”

Anyone who has visited Saint-Cyprien market on Sunday has seen Sylvain carving great

E

ymet resident and local barber Sion Fitton will once again be taking to the saddle in June to raise money for the local football club. The last year has been tough for many sporting clubs and associations, and Eymet FC is no exception. A large part of the club’s funding comes from social events such as BBQs and family fun days, but this income has disappeared at a time when the club’s youth teams have attracted more members than ever.

Sion will be setting off from St Malo on 11th June, accompanied as ever by his trusty dog, and aims to complete the 850 km back to Eymet in 8 nights.

To sponsor Sion and help him reach his €3,000 target, you can do so in person at his barber shop at 20 rue du temple, Eymet, or via the following link: https://gofund.me/c3c7f3f1

THE GREAT PHOENIX BOOK FAIR

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- CHANGE OF DATE

ue to the restrictions currently in place, the next Great Phoenix Book Fair will now take place on Saturday 29th May in the grounds of the salle municipale, Campsegret, on the N21 just north of Bergerac. For those wishing to take advantage of our Click and Collect service (English language fiction only), please send details of the books you would like to buy to geoff.hall@orange.fr by 5 pm on Wednesday 26th May. Books can then be collected at Campsegret on the day of the Book Fair or picked up from our book store facility in Bergerac (43 rue Rodolphe Bruzac) on Friday afternoons during June.

For those coming to the Fair, you will find over 20,000 used books in excellent condition – fiction, non-fiction, children’s, French, Dutch, antiquarian, collectibles, cookery, history and many more. You’ll also find DVDs, CDs and vinyls, jigsaws, children’s games, bric-a-brac, plants and cards. Prices start at 1€.

All proceeds from the Book Fair will go to the Phoenix Association to continue the work of caring for and rehoming animals in need. ■

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Europe opens up to international travel >> continued from pg 1 homeowners, tourists, and potential French property buyers.

While the ban on leaving the UK is currently still in place, this is widely expected to be lifted on 17th May, meaning Brits will soon be free to once again cross the Channel. From 9th June, visitors will simply have to show proof that they have received a valid EU-approved vaccine at least two weeks before travel. Those arriving between 17th May and 9th June may still have to provide a valid PCR test and abide by the voluntary 7-day isolation rule.

In the near future, the UK is expected to unveil a “traffic light” system for international travel and according to reports in The Guardian, “senior government sources” have said there could be fewer than ten countries designated as “green” from 17th May. People returning from green countries will be able to do so without quarantine, although a negative COVID test before entering the UK, and another two days after arrival, may still be required. Those returning from “amber” countries are expected to be required to undertake a quarantine period at home for eight days after arrival and those from “red” countries, as with the current “red list”, will require a mandatory period of quarantine in a hotel. According to other government sources, the system will be updated every three weeks and France is currently expected to be placed on the UK’s green list by the end of June, in time for the summer holidays.

With many second-homeowners keen to visit their French property, one other recent hurdle to crossing the Channel has a been a lack of travel options – no flights and very few ferries. This could also soon change after Irish Ferries announced that it would be starting a Dover-Calais route in May. The company indicated that it intends to include passenger services,

but the level of service will depend on the easing of COVID restrictions by the UK government. Brittany Ferries, meanwhile, also revealed that it hopes to reopen several suspended FranceUK routes this month, again subject to details of the UK’s new rules on foreign travel.

Despite what the UK decides to do, for those based in France, the proposed “EU COVID-19 Travel Certificates” will allow for seamless travel to other EU member states across the summer. After a series of talks, an agreement was reached on how these certificates would operate, although there are still further details to iron out. Current details outline the following key points: • Free to all EU citizens and anyone living legally in an EU member state • To be in place for no longer than 12 months • All countries must ensure universal and free testing for COVID-19 (testing is free in France, but this is not currently the case everywhere in the EU) • Anyone carrying an EU COVID-19 certificate should not be subject to additional travel restrictions, such as quarantine, self-isolation or testing • Personal data in the certificates cannot be stored in destination member states and there will be no central database established at an EU level With many countries increasingly looking to the lucrative summer tourist season to give their struggling economies a much needed shot in the arm, international travel will almost certainly become easier in the near future. It is important to bear in mind, however, that the current situation in France remains serious and the government has made clear that it will retain the power to close borders at any time should the pandemic landscape worsen across the summer. ■

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

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

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

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FRENCH NEWS ♦ 11

12 ♦ FRENCH NEWS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ MAY 2021

Government moves to ban short internal flights

A

s part of a series of climate and environmental measures, French MPs have voted to suspend domestic airline flights on routes that can be travelled by direct train in less than two and a half hours. After a heated debate and significant opposition to the move, the new law is a watered down version of an original pledge to ban flights where train journeys of less than 4 hours were available.

Opposition came primarily from regions which were set to lose routes to the capital, as well as the national carrier Air FranceKLM which, like other airlines, has been badly hit by local and international COVID-19 restrictions on travel. Last year, the government agreed a €7 billion loan for the airline on the condition that certain internal flights were dropped, but this new law will also stop low-cost airlines from operating the phased-out domestic routes.

Under the new rules, flights between Paris and the cities of

Bordeaux, Nantes and Lyon will be cancelled; connecting flights between these destinations will still run as part of longer journeys. However, the last-minute amendment will see flights to Toulouse, Marseille and Nice continue.

The measures must pass through the Senate before becoming law, but they are expected to be introduced from September 2021.

“When there is a robust alternative, usually clients switch to trains,” transport minister JeanBaptiste Djebbari told MPs. “We have chosen two and a half hours because four hours risks isolating landlocked territories including the greater Massif Central, which would be unfair.”

French consumer association UFC-Que Choisir had been vocal in calling for MPs to retain the four-hour recommendation, and also introducing measures to ensure train operator SNCF did not use the change to artificially inflate its prices. “The COVID-19 pandemic is exacer-

Major supermarkets to stop issuing till receipts Two of the country's biggest supermarkets have announced that they will stop printing paper receipts at the till. The change is being introduced by the Système U and Carrefour chains after successful trials. Businesses have been under increasing pressure from the government to phase out till receipts as part of its environmental goals. Receipts can still be printed on request by shoppers, who can also ask to have the document emailed.

A trial at a Super U supermarket – part of the Système U group – resulted in a 60% drop in the amount of paper being printed, which will result in significant savings nationwide. “Across our 1,600 stores, this change will allow us to save 40,000 kilometres of paper every year,” confirmed Thierry Desouches,

bating pre-existing environmental and social crises. It must lead us to rethink our health policies in order to face the challenge of future health crises of infectious origin,” the group said. “On average, a plane emits 77 times more CO2 per passenger than a

train on these routes, even though the train is cheaper and the time lost is limited to 40 minutes. Our study shows that the government’s choice [to lower the fourhour limit] actually aims to empty the measure of its substance.”

Other countries planning sim-

communications director at Système U. “These small gestures quickly build up to form major change.”

Under pressure to follow suit, other major retailers are starting to come onboard and the coming months and years will likely see paper till receipts become a thing of the past. ■

France to introduce 'smart' traffic lights The Interior Ministry has authorised the use of socalled “intelligent” traffic lights, months after ordering local authorities to stop installing them. When a large number of the next-generation traffic lights appeared last year, the government banned their use in September following numerous complaints.

This decision has now been reversed and the traffic lights, which reward good driving, look set to

ilar moves will be closely following the French law change.

Austria recently introduced a €30 green tax on flights of less than 350 km and the Dutch government has been trying to ban short internal flights for several years. ■

become a staple across the country. The intelligent lights have built-in cameras which measure a driver's speed and remain green for motorists obeying the speed limit. Conversely, speeding drivers will be met with a red light as they approach.

Opposition centred around fears that radar lights would be installed where they would not otherwise be needed, simply as a traffic calming measure - the Interior Ministry has confirmed that this practice will not now be allowed. As part of the decree authorising their use, the intelligent lights can only be installed in built-up areas at “pedestrian crossings, intersections and away from town entrance signs”. They can be used in 30 kph and 50 kph zones, but signs alerting drivers to their presence will not be required.

Drivers who ignore the new lights will face the same penalties as for traditional traffic lights: a €135 fine and four points off their driving licence. ■

I

t was once a mainstay of childcare in the UK, but many fear that Brexit may have killed off the au pair system. For more than 50 years, young people from France and across Europe have travelled to the UK to look after children, in return for board and lodgings, life experience, language skills and a small amount of money. It is this last factor, however, that makes the future of this type of work impossible.

Under post-Brexit rules, anyone travelling to the UK to work must first obtain a work visa. This requires a salary of at least £20,000, far more than the £5,000 typically paid to an au pair – the going rate for an au pair is £90 per week. “Brexit killed our business, it's a very sad state of affairs,” explained Cynthia Cary from the Rainbow Au Pairs Ltd agency, based near East Grinstead. The agency has seen applications fall by 90% since January – the proportion of her au pairs that would typically come from Europe. “We have had to say that we cannot

match any EU nationals at all, because we have no way of allowing them to come into the UK legitimately.”

With a full-time nanny in the UK costing as much as £2,000 per month, having an au pair has allowed the parents of many modest-income households to continue working. “It will stop people coming because it is so expensive,” said one such parent, Clare James, who has been using the system to look after her two sons for the past 10 years. “It's a real shame for the young people and for hardworking families. If we can't find somebody in September, either me or my husband will have to stop working.”

There are as many as 45,000 au pairs providing childcare in the UK at any one time and agencies have been warning the government of the risks to the industry long before Brexit finally happened at the start of this year. Under the current regulations, the only foreign nationals who can work as au pairs are either Europeans who

credit: livlo.co.uk

Fears that Brexit could end the au pair system

arrived in the UK before Brexit or nationals from nine counties that include Canada, Australia and Japan under a youth mobility scheme.

Campaigners are urging the government, so far without success, to add EU nations to this youth mobility scheme. “Until that happens, we cannot do anything. We are powerless,” Cary explained. “The govern-

ment is really not listening to us. An 18-year-old from France is not coming to earn money.

They're coming because they need to improve their language skills. It's a cultural exchange, it should not be seen as work.”

“Families have said they might have to give up work and claim benefits because they cannot afford to have a nanny, and breakfast and afternoon clubs

don't work if you work shifts,” explained Jamie Shackell, chairwoman of the British Au Pair Agencies Association (BAPAA). “We are flummoxed by it all. It's a mutually beneficial cultural exchange programme.

They are not a financial strain on the UK state - we don't understand why the government won't put forward an au pair visa.” ■

FRENCH NEWS ♦ 13

MAY 2021 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Champagne wins Mountain town finds €650,000 20-year legal battle of gold stashed in jam jars

A

small mountain community is celebrating after a stash of gold bars and coins was discovered in an abandoned house belonging to the town. The mayor of Morez, an industrial town in a picturesque valley in the Jura department, put the value of the find as high as €650,000.

The three-story building is well known locally and was the former home of a long line of rich merchants. It was most recently lived in by two sisters and two brothers, but when the last sibling died childless, surviving relatives offered the house to the commune for €130,000, despite rumours of treasures hidden in the ramshackle building.

“The house was packed with objects and furniture,” mayor Laurent Petit said. “There had been several generations who didn’t throw anything away, kept everything and lived really frugally. I agreed we’d buy the property as it was and we’d gradually empty its contents ourselves.”

The town of Morez is close to the Swiss border in an area that has a long history as a manufacturing centre for clocks and local officials were keen to check if the property held any items of historical significance. As they methodically sorted through the

@bleubesancon (Twitter)

C

hampagne producers have had little cause for celebration in recent times. A fall in demand, due in no small part to the health pandemic, has come hot on the heals of unusually high grape harvests, leading to surging stock levels and falling prices. There was one small piece of good news, however, as the region won a major battle in a twenty-year court case against the small Swiss village of... Champagne.

The dispute pitted the tiny town in the Swiss canton of Vaud, home to around 1,000 people and 28 hectares of vineyards, against 34,000 hectares of the most vigorously protective – and richest – wine producing region in the world.

It looked like the underdog might have had its day in January this year, when the Vaud government created a new AOC certification for its white wine called “Commune de Champagne”. An AOC, or appellation d'origine contrôlée, grants protected status to a product and places strict rules and guarantees on both its quality and geographical origin.

At the time, the Vaud government said it believed there was “no risk that the public would believe that still white wine, sold in a Vaudois bottle and labelled 'Commune de Champagne' and 'Swiss wine', could be a sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France.”

The powerful Comité Champagne, the trade body uniting growers, négociants and the major Champagne houses quickly appealed and in April Vaud's constitutional court ruled in favour of the French region, stating that the local government's creation of the appellation was contrary to a trade agreement between Switzerland and the EU which grants “exclusive protection to the French name Champagne”.

“We are very proud of our wine and know it is important for people all over the world to know that if they buy a bottle of Champagne, they know they are buying a high-quality product made following strict rules and procedures,” said Charles Goemaere, the managing director of the Comité Champagne, who also defended his organisation against accusations of throwing their legal weight around. “If we let anyone just use the name Champagne there is a risk that buyers will be disappointed by poor quality products. At any one time we have around 1,000 legal cases across the world to protect our name.

Many are solved quickly with a letter or two, but some drag on for ages, like this Swiss one did.” ■

house room by room, municipal workers were stunned to find jam jars stuffed with gold.

“Three jars full of gold bars were sitting behind lots of other objects on a shelf,” the mayor said. “There was surprise and disbelief. None of us had ever held a piece of gold. I’d only ever seen gold bars in photos, and thought they must be huge.

But these were small, weighing 1 kg and about the size of a cigarette packet.”

In total there were five gold bars and over 1,000 gold coins

with a total value of half a million euros. The find was later followed by another discovery of similar gold coins in a locked safe, taking the total value of the stash to as much as €650,000.

While the residents of the commune celebrated, the relative who sold the property on remained philosophical. According to the mayor, on hearing news of the find, he said: “Oh well, so rumours of the treasure were true. I'd heard about them, but never found anything so assumed it had all been taken.” ■

F

rance has a long and proud history of slightly silly, and sometimes rude, place names, a fact that once again hit the headlines in April when Facebook removed the town of Bitche from its website. The site's algorithm seemingly confused the town's name with the similarly sounding Anglo Saxon slur.

With their page unavailable, the local council appealed to Facebook to have it reinstated, but with that process often taking months, the town was forced to create a new page under the heading “Mairie 57230”. “The official page of our town has been taken down by Facebook,” a statement on the new site explained. “The appeals process can take months, so we have created this page to continue communicating online.”

The news caused a mild panic in several other nearby towns which also have Bitche in their names: Rohrbach-lès-Bitche quickly renamed their page “Ville de Rohrbach”. Fortunately for all concerned, Bitche's Facebook page was subsequently reinstated.

Far from being a cause of embarrassment, towns and villages across France generally embrace their unusual sounding names. Formed in 2003, the Groupement des communes de France aux noms burlesques et chantants is an association of towns that have decided to use their name to promote the local area. The group was formed by Patrick Lasseube, originally from Minjocébos, an 18th century name that literally means “le lieu où habitent les mangeurs d’oignons” - or the land of onion-eaters!

Each year, the group meets up in one other member's town for a social gathering, which in the past has been hosted by such places as Arnac-la-Poste (or Post Office Fraud to use its Anglicised translation), Poil (naked), Corps-Nuds (naked body), Vinsobres (sober wine) and Folles (Crazy).

Having a comedy name is not always a laughing matter, however, with town signage at risk of theft and vandalism. Corps-Nuds has had to take steps after locals lost patience with nudists taking pictures of themselves next to the sign at the town's entrance. ■

© v.degouy (WikiCommons)

Town of Bitche has its Facebook page removed

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Amazing Asparagus

by Julia Watson

t’s interesting how much time we invest in growing grass to eat, when we spend a good deal of our weekends uprooting grass from borders where we prefer to see flowers. The grass in this case is asparagus, also known as sparrow grass.

It takes dedication to create an asparagus bed. They can be established from seed if you’re prepared to wait even longer than you have to when planting bare-root asparagus crowns. Any spears that appear from these must be zealously ignored for the first two years after planting. To pick them before will stunt future production. But once established, if properly tended, a single plant should produce 25 spears a year for the same number of years. My father devoted enough care and attention to his sparrow grass bed, as he called it, that our family of four feasted off it for most of June.

Asparagus is unusual in that it is its own genus, although it used to be classified as a member of the lily family. Found across Europe and western Asia, it’s an ancient flowering plant, featured as an offering in an Egyptian frieze dating back to 3000 BC. Emperor Augustus (63 BC to 14 AD) even created the Asparagus Fleet to transport the delicacy. He came up with “Faster than cooking asparagus”, as an expression for speed. What the ancient Greeks and Romans didn’t eat fresh in spring, they used to dry for winter. Those who lived in the high Alps even froze the spears, for serving in January at the Feast of Epicurus. A recipe for asparagus can be found in the third edition of one of the oldest cookbooks, Apicius’s De re coquinaria.

It isn’t just valued as a vegetable. Eaters of asparagus will be familiar with its diuretic powers. But it’s respected for other medicinal properties. It’s described as a prebiotic for its ability to boost good bacteria in the digestive system. It’s also thought that its fibre and flavonoid compounds may ease hangovers and reduce liver damage caused by alcohol. Cooked, its regulatory characteristics are thought to help with ulcerative colitis. Not only that, it’s cited in 15th century Arab sex manual ‘The Perfumed Garden’ as an aphrodisiac. No other than Madame de Pompadour (1721-1764) relished being fed what were called points d'amour.

I agree with her. It’s such a treat, a serving turns me into putty.

It used to be that it was only steamed, boiled or blanched for serving warm with melted butter or cold with vinaigrette. Contemporary recipes offer it baked under sauces, grilled and roasted, raw and pickled. But I still think the original French versions that leave it barely messed with are the best.

However, if your asparagus bed has produced only a handful of spears, here’s a recipe for Asparagus Risotto that makes the most of them...

Julia Watson has been a long-time Food Writer for newspapers and magazines in the US and the UK. She writes 'Tabled', a weekly food blog at juliawatson.substack.com

Ingredients

1 medium shallot, finely chopped

200g asparagus

175g Carnaroli or Arborio risotto rice

800ml vegetable stock

100ml white wine or vermouth (optional)

1 tbsp olive oil

30g parmesan, finely grated

60g butter Bend the asparagus stalks till the tough ends snap off. Put them into a saucepan with the stock to flavour it. Simmer gently over low heat. Slice the tips off the asparagus and blanch in the stock for 1 minute only. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Finely slice the remaining stalks diagonally into rounds.

Heat the oil and half the butter in a heavy sauté pan over low heat. Soften the shallot for 5 mins, stirring often. Raise the heat to medium. Add the chopped asparagus stalks and toss 2 minutes more. Add the rice and stir continuously for a few minutes until it

turns semi-transparent.

Pour in the wine and let it almost evaporate. Reduce the heat to low. Add the stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring between each addition until it is absorbed, about 15 mins, till the rice is only just cooked and retaining a slight bite. If you need more liquid, add boiling water. Stir in the asparagus tips and stock to loosen if needed. The risotto should be soupy, not dry. Remove from the heat and fold in the remaining butter and the parmesan. Season to taste. Serve straight away with more parmesan in a separate bowl.

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The wines of Bergerac - The dangers of frost

credit: Château Haut Bernasse (Facebook)

by Martin Walker

T

he winds from Siberia that brought the devastating frost to savage France’s wine industry last month made headlines around the globe.

From New York and London to Beijing and Tokyo, it was a reminder that we are not just one world but increasingly one palate with global tastes. The French government declared ‘an agricultural disaster,’ stating that 80 per cent of French vineyards had been hit and around a third of this year’s production lost at a cost of two billion euros.

Although some local officials estimated that as many as half of the vine buds were affected to some degree, the Bergerac region seems to have got off comparatively lightly, but with dramatic variations. Usually frost hits the low-lying vines, and David Fourtout at Les Verdots lost a lot of the Merlot grapes in the valley. But this time it also hit the high ground of the Pécharmant and Rosette regions north of Bergerac and the high plateaus to the south around Colombier, where Château de la Jauberie lost around thirty per cent.

Calling round my winemaking friends across the region, the terrific Clos du Breil vineyard east of Issigeac lost seventy per cent of some varieties. Laurent de Bosredon at Château Bélingard reckons he lost a third of his harvest. François-Xavier de St Exupéry at Château de Tiregand lost from five to forty per cent of his grapes, the Merlot being badly hit. The Mondazur vineyard in the Pécharmant lost a third of the crop.

Near Saussignac, Château Feely lost half of their Cabernet Sauvignon, a fifth of their Sauvignon Blanc, but only five per cent of their Sémillon and Merlot.

Much of the Montravel was spared. The reds were less hit but some growers, like Domaine de Perreau, lost as much as twenty percent of Sauvignon Blanc.

In the IGP area of the Périgord, outside the Bergerac appellation, Domaine de la Vitrolle said it had been a catastrophe. But on the plateau above St Cyprien, the

Domaine de la Voie Blanche lost almost nothing - having lost their entire harvest in the great frost of 2017.

As always, the weather was capricious, savaging some and sparing others. Back in the 1950s and 1960s, the local solution to frost was to burn old car and tractor tyres sometimes stuffed with manure from the dunghill. That is now banned but few can copy the grand vineyards of the Pomerol and Médoc and pay forty thousand euros to hire a helicopter to hover low above the vines and stir up the air currents. So many people use kettle fires, or chandelles, of fuel oil, to the dismay of many more greenminded neighbours.

“I thank our lucky stars that our bottling was delayed by a day, because when we should have been bottling, you could barely see Château Saussignac for the smoke and I dreaded the thought of that stench getting into our wines,” said Caro Feely. “The great irony of the climate crisis is that it is a reinforcing negative – the frost means that farmers burn fuel and fly helicopters overhead to save their crops, reinforcing the original problem.”

By contrast, exhausted and oxygen-deprived after two freezing nights in the smoke they generated to save their vines, the lads of Château Poulvère made a point of thanking those neighbours who had supported them against “the grinchy spirits who complained of too many fires, too much noise and too much smoke.”

It is heartening that some of our winemakers are thinking ahead about how best to cope in the future.

Hugh Ryman at Château de la Jaubertie has been thinking about the impact of climate change on the grapes he plants, reckoning that Merlot has little future in the region. Now he’s thinking that frosts are becoming more likely.

“With mild winters, this is going to become an annual concern,” he tells me. “We will have to review our pruning dates, review the wiring and position of the vine, replant hedges to block the cold winds and install wind-

mills in certain areas.”

And that is just to cope with frosts. He went on: “After the frost, we will have the flowering issue, then the blight risk - followed by the usual summer drought.”

Winemaking can be a tough profession. But there may be a way out, at least for frost. David Fourtout at Les Verdots has seen it at work in California. It sounds crazy, but spraying the wines with water overnight covers the vine buds with ice and that protects them against the frost. He sprayed five of his fifty hectares and was so pleased by the results that various local worthies and politicos have been to see it in action.

One reason I feel so strongly about this is that the new vintage of my own Cuvée Bruno red wine is about to be launched, as always having been blended from grapes from various growers in the Bergerac, including Château Briand, Château Bélingard, Clos du Breil, Domaine Les Jandis and Château de la Jaubertie. Julien Montfort is the winemaker at Clos l’Envège and we plan to launch it in May along with my latest Bruno novel, ‘The Coldest Case.’

Brexit has been tough on shipping from the UK so I have no idea when the new books will arrive, but we’ll try to get the word out on my website Brunochiefofpolice.com. And for those who want to join me at the grand opening of the 20th birthday of the Great Phoenix Book Fair in Campsegret, it has had to be postponed until May 29th. See you there! ■

Martin Walker, author of the best-selling ‘Bruno, chief of police’ novels, is a Grand Consul de la Vinée de Bergerac. Formerly a journalist, he spent 25 years as foreign correspondent for The Guardian and then became editor-in-chief of United Press International.

He and his wife Julia have had a home in the Périgord since 1999 and one of his great hobbies is visiting the vineyards of Bergerac.

16 ♦ DIRECTORY

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ MAY 2021

Business Directory

Your indispensable guide to finding local businesses & artisans

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

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

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

At Masterplans.eu we can help guide you through your planning application in France.

From initial feasibility to completed dossiers.

We will compile all the relevant drawings and complete the necessary paperwork to ensure your application proceeds smoothly.

We are equally at home working with clients here in France or those living abroad.

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

Architectural DRAWING SERVICE Renovating your French property?

New build?

Dossiers prepared Permis de Construire Déclarations Préalables

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

Your advert here

Building Services Electricians

Nigel’s Handyman Services

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

Building Services Carpenters/Joiners Darren Piper

Carpentry &

Building Services Qualified craftsman with over 20 years experience running his own business in the UK - Specializing in:  Decking (all shapes and designs)  Renovations, alterations & conversions  Kitchens  Bathrooms Roofs Based in Sigoulès and covering Eymet, Bergerac, Duras & surroundings FREE QUOTES

e: darren.piper@hotmail.com

06 89 18 35 89 Siret: 847 651 072 00013

Building Services General

Based near Beynac/Sarlat (24)

Entreprise Electricité Générale All aspects of electrical works undertaken Departments 36, 23, 87 & 86 UK / French Satellite and TV Aerial installations Décennale insured

06 16 91 64 67

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

CONFORELEC

06 32 81 13 15 see main ad - pg 7

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

sales24@thebugle.eu

sales24@thebugle.eu

06 04 17 80 93

06 04 17 80 93

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

Tel: 06 02 16 76 37

Can your business fill this space?

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

Email: jillcarney68@aol.co.uk

06 04 17 80 93

ANGLO SCAFFOLDING HIRE

Specialist in the renovation and restoration of period and contemporary buildings

siret 848 588 919 00011

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

06 34 24 64 11

or find us on Facebook: @angloscaffolding

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

Dan Dan the odd Job Man!

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

Tel: 06 78 67 02 91 www.oddjobs.fr

siret: 831 746 193 00018

Building Services Architects/Surveyors

CHARKER DAVID All small works undertaken

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

E-mail : dn.charker@sfr.fr

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

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

To advertise in The Bugle Business Directory, call 06 04 17 80 93 or email sales24@thebugle.eu

Buying or selling small items...?

Check out our online Classifieds... updated daily!

www.thebugle.eu/classifieds.php

To place a Classified, simply email details of your item for sale to notices@thebugle.eu

DIRECTORY ♦ 17

MAY 2021 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

ADVERTORIAL

It's important to talk about money Rosemary Sheppard, International Financial Adviser

A

couple of years ago Lloyds Bank did quite a brilliant advert, in my opinion, with the theme "It isn’t easy talking about money, but it is important.

The M word: it’s good to talk about money." The advert depicted different family dynamics trying to talk about the subject of money, which was and is seen as a “taboo” subject by many.

From my many years of experience in the banking and finance industry it is a

very rare occurrence when both partners in a relationship are knowledgeable and/or interested in the family finances. Indeed, I have to admit that my own hubby doesn’t have a clue, but then you might say "Why would he when he’s married to a Financial Adviser?" This is exactly my point and something that has really had me re-thinking our situation in the last few weeks, after hearing the story of a close friend, because if the worst happened what would he do?

This friend has found themselves in a situation where her partner has always dealt with the finances, but after falling ill he is no longer capable of doing this and as she has never

really been involved is having difficulty even accessing some of the funds, of which there are much less than expected.

I regularly have conversations with clients where their major concern is ensuring their spouse or partner will be looked after in the event of their death and this is a great starting point, but not if said partner has no clue what is there to look after them and how to access it. Our relationships are often complex – this may not be your first marriage and there may be children from different marriages, so this can sometimes lead to conflict and awkward conversations. Let’s face it, when money is involved, it can

bring out the best and the worst in people.

Sometimes it is easier to talk with a third party, like ourselves, not only to plan in the best way, but to make sure that you and your family are all prepared and at least have an idea of what your financial situation is in order to avoid any nasty surprises at that moment in life when you will, potentially, be at a very low point.

It’s true – for some people it isn’t easy talking about money, but it could be one of the most important conversations you need to have if you truly want to ensure your loved ones are looked after..

Blacktower will be by your side both now and in

the future, we are here to help you. To arrange a professional and impartial consultation please contact me by email: Rosemary.sheppard@blacktowerfm.com, visit our website www. blacktowerfm.com or call me on 06 38 86 99 70.

This article is based on the opinion of the financial adviser and author, and does not reflect the views of Blacktower. The above information is based on current legislation which is subject to change and does not constitute as investment advice, or investment research and you should seek advice from a professional adviser before embarking on any financial planning activity.

Blacktower Insurance Agents & Advisors Ltd is regulated in Cyprus by the Insurance Companies Control Service and registered with ORIAS in France. Blacktower Financial Management (Cyprus) Ltd is regulated in Cyprus by the Cyprus Securities & Exchange Commission and is registered with the AMF in France.

ADVERTORIAL

Houses on Internet: A Global Property Network

H

ouses on Internet – Global Property Services (hereafter referred to as “HOI-GPS”) is the internet/marketing company that has helped people sell their French property to buyers worldwide since 2009.

Richard Kroon, founder and director of the company: “In spite of Brexit, this year started off extremely well. When the COVID-19 crisis shut everything down, we decided to keep the international advertising of all properties at the same level.

“This seemed to be a good move. In spite of the lockdowns from time to time, we see a large number of prospective buyers making appointments for viewings, and sales of properties in all price ranges are now higher than usual in this period.

“It shows why our worldwide

advertising is so important. Our marketing efforts are definitely paying off and guarantee a worldwide exposure of your property to buyers, wherever they live.

“So far this year HOI-GPS has sold properties in the price range from €82,000 to €795,000 to people from 9 different countries: France, Belgium, Holland, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Sweden and Denmark.

“The actual work all starts with the presentation of a property. If that’s not good enough, all other marketing efforts are useless. Our photographers usually take 150 to 200 photos of a house and in addition copy any good (summer) photos our clients may have themselves.

“About 50 to 60 of those photos are selected, enhanced and presented on the dedicated website we make for each property in

English, French and Dutch.

“The texts don’t just describe the house, garden and outbuildings, but information about shopping, schools, airports and leisure is given too.

“When the website for the house is online, we first connect it to our main HOI-GPS websites which attract over 135,000 visitors from 35+ countries each month. Most of these people find us through Google and additional Google advertising.

“To reach an even larger audience, a summary of the presentation of the house is also placed on several other leading property websites.

These adverts are also connected to the dedicated website of the house, making it all one big global property network.

“As the property market has become a global one, a prospective buyer can be on the other side of the world while the owner is in bed sleeping. With our approach, the buyer does not have to wait and can

see the entire property whenever he wants, at the moment he is interested in it.”

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

ADVERTORIAL

Harlequin Satellite TV

A

s some of you may know, after many years, Stuart from The French House Satellite TV has recently moved on to pastures new. For the past few months I have been working alongside him, and I'm happy to say that I am now the installer approved and recommended by The French House to continue looking after clients old, and welcoming clients new.

The range of services remains the same: • • • • • • •

English Free to Air Satellite TV... Freesat French Satellite TV... TNT English Subscription TV Full installation service DIY Kits Dishes realigned or upgraded Trouble shooting

I am based in the north of the Haute-Vienne (dept 87), and will cover dept's 16, 23, north 24, 36, east 86, and 87. Meanwhile, The French House will continue to provide a full service to dept's 17, 44, 49, 79, 85, and west 86.

So if you need help with any satellite TV issues please don't hesitate to get in touch. ■ Arthur Smith - Tel: 06.06.60.46.97 Email: harlequintv1@gmail.com Facebook: Harlequin Satellite TV Siret: 494.501.067.00016

Houses on Internet Global Property Services www.housesoninternet.com

+31 (0)6 41 20 73 69

18 ♦ DIRECTORY

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ MAY 2021

ADVERTS FROM €12.50 HT / MONTH SALES24@THEBUGLE.EU

06 04 17 80 93

WHAT’S ON As a result of the ongoing pandemic, many of the meetings and events featured in our What’s On section have had to be cancelled or postponed. The situation is changing very quickly, so we have removed these listings from the newspaper for the time being. We will, however, continue to update our website with any new information, so please do check back regularly to keep up to date:

www.thebugle.eu/whats_on.php

Find us online

www.thebugle.eu

facebook.com/TheBugleFrance

• Read Online •Latest News •Features •Business Directory • Classifieds •Events •Associations ... and much, much more!!

DIRECTORY ♦ 19

MAY 2021 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Stephen Wisedale

Building Services General

WiFi Anglais

Keeping you connected!

Harlequin Developments est. 2007

All aspects of renovation and

refurbishment, big or small.

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

05.55.68.67.56 06.06.60.46.97

harlequindevelopments@live.com www.harlequindevelopments.com

We aim to solve your Internet and Wi-Fi problems… call us now!

Wi-Fi networks for homes, gîtes and small businesses.

Outdoor Wi-Fi 4G Internet

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

06 04 17 80 93 Computers, Internet & Satellites

Frederic Jardinage All garden maintenance • hedge cutting • strimming • lawn mowing • seasonal pruning • green waste clearance

Tel: 06 37 97 84 93

Email: packhamfred@gmail.com siret: 881 266 761 00017

Siret: 800 525 040 00013

Food & Drink

SIRET: 494.501.067.00016

Your advert here

Garden Services

sales24@thebugle.eu

06 04 17 80 93

Health & Beauty Cabinet d’Ostéopathie Lederman UK Trained Osteopath

05.53.91.46.67 41 rue du 26 mars 1944, 24600 RIBERAC

sales24@thebugle.eu

Fully bilingual

06 04 17 80 93

Call for appointments

The Dordogne Chippy

Handholding & Language Services

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

FRENCH LESSONS

Traditional Fish & Chips in a town near you

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

Siren: 504 744 517

Your advert here

Via Skype

with a native French speaker Why commute? Long distance learning is the answer!

C’est simple, call Sophie...

www.thedordognechippy.com 05 53 74 01 91 or 06 19 99 25 62

06 61 56 47 17 scarolinea@yahoo.fr

siret: 444 925 630 00014

06 04 17 80 93 sales24@thebugle.eu

06 04 17 80 93

CONTINUED NEXT PAGE...

Advertising in The Bugle Business Directory Advertising your business couldn’t be easier. Text only, boxed listings are available in our Business Directory from just €12.50/month.

Alternatively, why not spotlight your business with an Advertorial, available from 1/6 Page (€50 HT) up to Full Page (€300 HT).

Both Directory Adverts and Advertorials represent a cost effective way to put your brand in front of more than 30,000 pairs of eyes each month!!

For more information on any of our advertising options, please feel free to give us a call on 06 04 17 80 93 or send an email to sales24@thebugle.eu

6-Month Contract

12-Month Contract

Small b&w Directory Ad

€100

€150

Large b&w Directory Ad

€130

€195

Small Colour Directory Ad

€140

€210

Large Colour Directory Ad

€180

€270

All prices exclude TVA (20%)

Directory Advertising is available either in black and white or colour, and in either small (30 words max) or large (45 words max) format.

Directory adverts may only contain text (small logos may be allowed when supplied). The minimum contract length is 6 months.

Advertising is payable on publication. All prices are HT.

Buying or Selling French Property?

Legal advice from English-speaking lawyers Also the #1 portal for property auctions

www.frenchpropertylawyer.fr

05 55 82 18 99

Worship services in English held throughout the Dordogne: Bertric Burée, Chancelade, Eymet Temple, Limeuil, Négrondes, Sainte Nathalène (near Sarlat).

All are welcome!!

Please visit our website for more information: www.churchinaquitaine.org Find us on Facebook: English Church Aquitaine

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

30 words max

20 ♦ DIRECTORY Health & Beauty

Retail & Commerce

FRENCH HEALTHCARE

bookstop

Have everything explained by

English second-hand books Tea room Art exhibitions

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW EVELYNE DROUIN

(fully bilingual) Healthcare specialist: Mutuelle cover for individuals and businesses

30% off Spring Special extended

Ask me about FUNERAL COVER Free quote, direct contact Get in touch for more information or a free appointment: email: evelyne.drouin@axa.fr tel : 06 76 46 13 43

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

www.laconciergerie-housekeeping.com

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

09 51 45 57 49

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

sales24@thebugle.eu

06 04 17 80 93 Support

SOS Help

anxious? stressed? feeling down? call us up!

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

www.soshelpline.org

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ MAY 2021

Can your business fill this space?

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

06 04 17 80 93 Transport, Removals & Storage

Man & Van Transport

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

15m3 capacity 4m load length English & French Spoken

05 44 20 21 77 06 06 40 81 07 87150 Oradour-sur-Vayres

www.frenchvanman.eu Siret 530 213 644 00012

Franklins Removals

A family business offering a quality, professional service since 1985

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

Smart Moves For a fully insured, careful service

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

smartmovers@hotmail.co.uk

+44 (0)7966 287 430

www.smartmovesremovals.com

Your advert here 06 04 17 80 93

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

French Registered, Professional, Friendly Service.

+33 (0)6 73 96 38 39

www.dordognestoragesolutions.com siret: 801 146 325 00015

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

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

Latest news throughout the month: www.thebugle.eu