The Bugle Dordogne - October 2018

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Rick Stein films new show in Périgueux Celebrity chef Rick Stein has been in the Dordogne for four days, filming an episode of his new BBC show >> Page 3

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October 2018 - Issue 64 - FREE!

EU plans to ditch daylight saving Virtual GP consultations now fully reimbursed - page 6

The EU has announced plans to phase out daylight saving after a huge survey revealed 80% support for the change, which would see the EU stay on summer time year round.

and 2.94 per cent of the national population took part respectively. The UK’s response was lowest at just 0.02 per cent.

“The changing of the clocks will be scrapped,” Juncker told German news channel ZDF, adding that the idea would be to keep the whole of Europe on “summer time” all year round, which in the case of France would be two hours ahead of GMT. “The people want it, so we will do it. Millions of people have responded and are of the opinion that in the future it is summer time that should be in place all the time, and we will achieve that.”

The Commission has

New tax for black bag bin collections - pg 4

Half of all olive oil found to be fake - pg 7

Bilingual - Golf and the Ryder Cup - pg 16

The Bugle Business Directory - pg 17-20

>> continued on page 8

©The INS Group

F

ollowing the results of a huge Europewide survey, the president of the EU Commission has announced his plan to abolish the changing of the clocks. Six months after the European parliament approved stopping the widely unpopular practice, JeanClaude Juncker has now backed the move after 84% of those surveyed said they would prefer not to move the clocks back at the end of October.

More than four and a half million people took part in the online survey, but by far the biggest response came from Germany and Austria, where 3.79 per cent

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have spent quite a few hours thinking about time in recent weeks and what with our lead story this month, it has again been at the front of my thoughts. Don’t worry, I’m not going to get all morose about the passage of time. I’m over that; I’ve decided that your forties are the new twenties!

Rather, the latest visit from the in-laws reminded me of a very funny incident involving time and the rapid passing thereof.

Always one for a gadget, my father-in-law unpacked his gargantuan Tardis of a suitcase one year to reveal a very sophisticated clock for the wall of the office. The things that Ryanair have shifted over to our house in recent years is phenomenal. With three grandchildren to spoil, they often arrive with 50 kg of luggage between them and go home with a small piece of carry-on containing the one change of clothes they actually brought for themselves and a lonely, shared toothbrush.

Packing for my in-laws is a bit like a boxer making weight before a fight. A few ounces under the limit is just a waste!

Anyway, on this occasion it was my turn to be spoiled with

a new clock... another of his Wilko specials I suspect. He had one at home himself, which I was assured was amazing as it never had to be reset; it could apparently pick up the correct time via a magical signal so it was always exactly right. As anyone familiar with this column may be aware, the clocks in my house often resemble the walls you see at airports telling you the time in different cities around the world - no two are ever the same!

But now my problems would be a thing of the past. “How does it know what time zone you’re in?” I asked, inquisitive.

“Well, I don’t know, it must have a thingamajig inside”. “Wow, a thingamajig!” I exclaimed, impressed. The next day, the clock was indeed still telling the correct time. It wasn’t until a few days later that I realised that things had changed, when I turned on the telly to catch a programme I wanted to watch to find it was just finishing.

How can that be, the clock clearly says 7 pm...

The magical timepiece had lost an hour at some point, a trick that it would pull with increasing regularity, but entirely at random, over the

course of their (lengthy!) stay, no matter how many times it was reinitialised and reset. I caught it in the act once, the hands just suddenly started f lying backwards until they had travelled an hour into the past.

It was like being in a science fiction movie.

Curiosity getting the better of me, I took to the internet for some research and discovered that this type of clock picks up its information from somewhere in the north-west of England via a radio signal and is preset to look for one specific frequency.

There was no thingamajig, just a radio receiver desperately trying to phone home.

When the atmospheric conditions were favourable and the faintest of signals was received from the motherland, the clock would eagerly reset itself to Manchester-time... not much use in rural France! This would happen shortly after a reset, or sometimes several days later. Short of wrapping it in tin foil to block out any incoming signal, it was useless to me and ultimately became one of the very few things to ever travel back across the Channel with my in-laws.

Needless to say, the homesick radio clock has become a mealtime staple with which to rib Grandpa to this day!

I had a bit of correspondence from people this month over the planned EU ditching of daylight saving. Mostly it was from those who had lived through the last attempted change in the UK back in the early seventies and who didn’t think that it would happen. I have to say that in

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researching the piece, there really is a lot of unhappiness about the current system and the EU does seem absolutely set on getting rid of it.

It’s one of those things that you just accept without question: twice a year we all decide en masse that the time has changed. It’s a bit odd if you step back and think about it. I am of the opinion that it would all be a lot simpler if we just didn’t bother! As a former computer programmer, I know that it was always a huge pain in the proverbial to have to factor in various time shifts around the world when writing code, so perhaps I am already biased!

Somebody in the north-west of England will have a small amount of work to do if the UK follow suit, otherwise Grandpa might not know when the least convenient time possible to call is!!

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INSIDE this edition 3-5 Local News

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6-12 National News

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Rick Stein films locally for BBC

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W

ith its scenic views, medieval towns and diverse landscapes, the Dordogne has long been a favourite backdrop for film-makers and camera crews are not an uncommon sight across the department. The Dordogne is also renowned for the quality of its cuisine, so it should come as no surprise that it is the perfect destination for TV chefs.

This was the case in September when celebrity chef Rick Stein spent four days filming in the region for an upcoming BBC show entitled “In France with Rick Stein”. Although not a household name in France, the local tourist board were delighted to welcome the chef - and his three million BBC viewers!

“He is the Alain Ducasse of Great Britain!” enthused Sarah Boissart from the Périgueux tourist office, invoking the name of the legendary French chef who holds 21 Michelin stars, including three at London’s Dorchester hotel.

According to Micheline Morissonneau, press officer for the departmental tourism board, the visit had been planned since February of this year, with a scouting trip taking place in April. “They did not want to fall into stereotypes,” said Morisson-

neau, who put together a four-day schedule taking in the best that the region has to offer, including net fishing for ablette, a visit to a walnut oil manufacturer and other traditional, but less well-known recipes, such as haricots couennes.

The film crew generated interest among the locals and Rick Stein was

quickly spotted by a number of British expats and tourists familiar with the Cornish chef. “There were a few selfie and autograph sessions!” said Sarah Boissart, who accompanied the BBC team to the Périgueux market.

The show is due for release on the BBC in 2019. ■

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Boom year for Périgueux fair

The annual Périgueux trade fair, held in September each year, has just revealed its best visitor numbers since 2014. Entries rose this year to 55,499, beating last year’s total at the turnstiles by more than 10%.

Exhibition Park boss, Didier Vassal, acknowledged the part the excellent weather played in this success, which was the first fair in ten years to not see any rain over the course of the 7-day event. “Not a drop fell throughout the Fair,” he said, adding that organisers are now hoping for an even better year in 2019.

The 70-year-old fair, held on the Marsac showground just outside the department’s capital, attracts over 300 exhibitors from the leisure, motorhome, car, home improvement and food and drink industries, as well as featuring a variety of national and regional products which are new to the market. A free fun fair adds to the attraction of the displays, demonstrations, live shows and late night events. ■

by Brian Hinchcliffe

4 ♦ LOCAL NEWS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ OCTOBER 2018

New tax on Dordogne rubbish collection

T

he Dordogne is planning an overhaul of the way that rubbish is collected in a move that could see households taxed for the amount they throw away each year. Under the current system, homeowners pay for their rubbish collection and disposal via the Teom (taxe d’enlèvement des ordures ménagères), which appears as a line on the annual taxe foncière bill. As the country battles to reduce the amount of waste it produces, many believe that this method of paying does not encourage people to think about ways to reduce their overall rubbish production.

“The loi de transition énergétique will soon come into force which will see a sharp increase on the tax payable on pollution,” explained François Roussel from

the SMD3, the Dordogne’s refuse collection agency. “The aim is to halve the total tonnage of black bag waste from 120,000 tonnes per year to 60,000.”

By 2025, the tax on general waste will increase fourfold to €65 per tonne. The tax on rubbish that can be burned will be also increased – from €3 to €15 per tonne – although this is lower as the process generates electricity which can be reused. “If we don’t do anything now, then local tax payers will feel this rise which we estimate at €17 million in the department during the period 20192025, and an extra €6 million per year after that,” continued François Roussel.

The logical solution is to encourage households to pay more attention to recycling and put more packaging into the yellow

bin bags (for recyclable waste) which is not taxed, as well as taking more of their bulky rubbish to the déchetteries, which are free for the public.

The new system would see homeowners pay in a similar way as they currently do for water: a fixed bill each year, which would include a certain volume of general black bag waste, followed by a second annual bill for any additional waste created. A trial will be taking place in 2019 involving 200,000 households in the Dordogne using bins with chips capable of measuring the amount of waste and personalised, electronic badges for opening larger, shared bins. Those involved in the trials will receive a blank invoice in 2020, with the scheme then scheduled to be officially rolled out in 2021. ■

What can be recycled?

This is not always immediately obvious and many are confused by the various symbols. The greatest confusion comes over the “Point vert” logo of two interlocking green arrows. A recent survey revealed that 59% of those questioned believed that the point vert logo (left) signified that a product could be recycled. In fact, this symbol simply means that the producer adheres to legislation that requires it to contribute to recycling costs.

The Universal Recycling Symbol (three arrows forming a rounded triangle - see right) is a better indicator that packaging can be recycled, but rules vary from country to country. For example, many supermarkets use the same packaging for products sold in several European countries and what is recycled in Spain or Italy will often be destined for general waste in France.

Furthermore, elements of some packages can be recycled (the cardboard container) whilst others need to be thrown away (the plastic film lid). Typically, it will be mentioned somewhere on the packet what can be recycled (à recycler) and what must be thrown (à jeter).

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Nouvelle-Aquitaine celebrity wedding

Credit: Bio Joli

N

eighbouring Corrèze celebrated the closest thing to a French royal wedding in September when Thomas Hollande tied the knot with his partner Emilie Broussouloux. As the son of former president François Hollande and former presidential candidate Ségolène Royal, the couple’s nuptials in Meyssac generated much local attention and also featured an iconic vehicle brought in from Brantôme.

With both of the groom’s celebrity parents in attendance and with the whole town invited to join in the celebrations, there were selfies all round under a clear blue sky. Two Australian tourists and a pair of hikers who stumbled across the wedding by accident were also invited to share a drink with the happy couple.

When the nuptials were complete, the newlyweds left in a restored classic Citroën 2CV, provided by Stéphane Lagrange and Wendy Burwood from Bio Joli in Brantôme.

François Hollande remained popular in Corrèze, even towards the end of his presidency when the majority of the country turned against him.

Hollande was mayor of Tulle for seven years and an MP for the department for 20 years before defeating

Nicolas Sarkozy to become president in 2012. He has four children with Ségolène Royal, although the couple separated in 2007 following her defeat by Sarkozy in the second round of the presidential elections – she was the first female politician to make it through to a presidential run-off.

The relationship ended in a very public fall-out when it subsequent-

ly emerged that Hollande had been having an affair with Valérie Trierweiler for several years, a fact kept under wraps during Royal’s presidential bid.

It was smiles all round in September, however, as lawyer Thomas and his sports journalist partner Emilie said oui! ■ with Brian Hinchcliffe

New Périgueux bus network chaos

It was like a scene from “On the Buses”, as the first days of Périgueux city’s new routes and timetables did not exactly run like clockwork. Students and parents of children felt particularly let down by the new arrangements of times and services as youngsters struggled to get to school for la rentrée, and they were quick to fire off petitions seeking changes to match their needs.

The main demands outlined the multiple changes some travellers now have to make, too much walking between buses, longer travel times and inappropriate timetabling. Péribus said in a statement that they had stewards on the ground to help answer travellers’ questions and provide users with journey solutions.

The new bus schemes had been launched to much fanfare by local authorities, who had offered free travel for the first two weeks of September to introduce the new timetables and the brand new transport hub.

Jacques Auzou, President of Greater Périgueux Council, stated at a hastily called press conference, on behalf of Péribus, that up to 15 routes were due to be re-examined, saying “It’s not an exact science”. Announcing that the free travel would be extended for a further fortnight, he acknowledged that certain routes had carried almost no passengers, while other users unfairly abused the Télobus service, available by telephone booking, treating it almost as a taxi service.

Mr Auzou underlined that the travelling public must also make changes in their routines and expectations in order to make best use of a service designed like the Metro, where a passenger might expect to change several times to complete a journey. ■

by Brian Hinchcliffe

6 ♦ NATIONAL NEWS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ OCTOBER 2018

F

ollowing the announcement that socalled télémédecine appointments will now be reimbursed by the social security system, France has taken a big step towards virtual visits to the doctor becoming the norm. First proposed in 2010, an agreement has finally been struck between the state-run assurance maladie system and the three major doctors' unions and online consultations are now available to anyone covered by the healthcare system.

It is hoped that having access to your GP via the internet will particularly benefit those in rural parts of France, which have seen a steady decrease in the number of healthcare professionals over recent years. Today's ageing population has increased medical needs, but the country's GPs are also getting older and there are not enough young professionals replacing them. Part of the problem is that recent graduates prefer to work in hospitals.

Besides the decreasing social status of GPs, hospitals also often have preferable working conditions: fixed hours, better holidays, less time on call, etc.

Local authorities have

been forced to work increasingly hard to attract new doctors to move to rural France, often investing large sums of money in the process. One such place is Sainte-Feyre in Creuse, just south of Guéret.

The town has been without a doctor for more than a year, but has just announced that a new GP will be arriving at the start of 2019.

“Doctor Gaudriot officially retired in December last year, but in reality stopped working a year and a half before that,” explained mayor Nadine Dufaud. “We have large numbers of people without a GP, such as a 96-year-old who has not been seen since the doctor left and had to be airlifted to Limoges hospital recently after a cardiac problem. It's a terrible shame.”

The town has invested €100,000 in renovating a building to house its new GP, but in many other communes across the Limousin, even investments of this size have not been enough to attract healthcare professionals. It is now hoped that télémedicine may help to alleviate this pressure in rural areas.

Under the new rules, doctors will be paid exactly the same as for a physical appointment, and the reimbursement to the patient

©The INS Group

Virtual GP visits the answer to doctor shortages?

will be made in exactly the same way. This means that for someone with “top up” insurance (complémentaire santé), a virtual visit to the doctor will be free of charge.

Although the loosening up of télémédecine reimbursements is being welcomed by all, there are still strict rules in place in order to qualify for repayment. Firstly, anyone using the online service must have seen their GP (médecin traitant) in person over the course of the previous 12 months, to ensure that they are in general good

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health. The medical professionals offering the service must be correctly registered and have a secure, encrypted webcam setup – audio appointments do not qualify for reimbursement. Certain specialisms, such as ophthalmologists, dentists and gynaecologists do not qualify and children under 16 are also excluded.

Once a télémédecine appointment has been arranged, the doctor will send the patient a link to click from a suitable device to begin the consultation. If necessary,

an e-prescription can be prepared and sent to the patient or directly emailed to a local pharmacy.

The changes have led to a huge number of online platforms appearing in recent months, all looking for a share of what is expected to be a very lucrative market.

It is thought that the change could see 500,000 patients treated by telemedicine in 2019 and 1.4 million by 2022, easing waiting lists for hard-pressed GP and specialist surgeries across the country. ■

NATIONAL NEWS ♦ 7

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I

t has long been a problem reported across the world and now, a study has revealed a shocking truth about the “olive oil” sold in French stores. The report, published in September by the consumer fraud office DGCCRF (la Direction Générale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Répression des Fraudes), has uncovered widespread fraud, with almost half of those oils tested being mislabelled.

In a press release, the DGCCRF explained that of 139 samples of olive oil tested in 2016, “one in four were declared as ‘to watch out for’, and 67 (48%) were declared as not conforming to regulations”.

The most common issue was incorrect labelling, with packaging giving the impression that the oils were of a higher quality than they really were.

“In the majority, they were foreign olive oils with quality defects that have caused us to reclassify them into a lower quality level of product,” said the DGCCRF, add-

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ing that “five oils that were analysed had been falsified with the addition of sunflower oil or rapeseed oil”. “The level of non-conformity is still at a very high level in the olive oil industry and has been for years.”

Of the oil producers involved, 17 were given legal warnings for “labelling errors”, 39 were handed injunctions for “not conforming to labelling laws”, and 71 were formally warned for “noncompliant labelling”.

The olive, in more than 700 varieties or cultivars, has been grown for its oil in the Mediterranean area for over 5,000 years. Unlike most vegetable oils, which are industrially extracted from seeds or nuts, good olive oil is made using a basic hydraulic press, or more modern centrifuge, so it is more a fruit juice than an industrial fat.

The problem for consumers is that it is fairly easy to dress up low quality oils as extra virgin olive oil, which means that they often pass independent taste tests by importers.

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Half of all olive oil in France 'mislabelled'

After purchase, the fake oils will quickly deteriorate.

In 2012, two Spanish businessmen were sentenced to two years in prison for selling hundreds of thousands of litres of supposedly extra virgin olive oil that was, in fact, a mixture of 70-80% sunflower oil and 20-30% olive oil. In 2008,

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Olive oil is a fresh product and, to avoid getting scammed, experts suggest not buying it in clear bottles (light causes it to oxidise more quickly) and to look for dates; preferably a recent harvest date, which is sometimes given, or failing that a best before date which should be two years after bottling. ■

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www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ OCTOBER 2018

EU moves to ditch daylight saving >> continued from pg 1 not yet drafted details of the proposed change, however. In a consultation paper it said one option would be to let each member state decide whether to go for permanent summer or winter time, with a spokesperson saying it would become “a sovereign decision of each member state”. He stressed that the proposal was “to no longer constrain member states into changing clocks twice a year”, although there have been warnings that uncoordinated time changes between member states would cause economic harm.

Before the proposals become official, the move will first have to be approved unanimously by all member states of the European Union via the European Council as well as MPs in the European parliament.

With the changes unlikely to happen before the UK leaves the EU in March 2019, it is not known whether Britain will follow suit. Some are suggesting that the move could further aggravate the debate raging over the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland; in future, this could also involve crossing an international time zone, or see Belfast in a different time zone to Edinburgh, Cardiff and London!

Road safety campaigners in the UK have been quick to urge the government to follow the EU’s lead and maintain BST year round.

“Every year in the UK we see a spike in the number of vulnerable road

users killed or seriously injured in October and November, coinciding with the autumnal clock change when we suddenly have an hour less of daylight in the evenings,” argued Errol Taylor, chief executive of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. “For many older people who are worried about darkness, the UK’s autumnal clock change acts as an early curfew. We would welcome any change that helps people remain safe and active.”

If the move is adopted, the clocks would not go back on the last Sunday of October. The result, generally speaking, would be lighter evenings during winter, but darker mornings. The variations in sunrise and sunset times are more pronounced the further north you go, so Scandinavian countries are most affected by daylight savings.

Previous proposals in the UK to switch to Central European Time (GMT+1 in winter, GMT + 2 in summer) were vehemently opposed in Scotland where some areas would not have seen daylight until 10 am.

The idea of daylight saving time was introduced during WWI as a way of conserving energy. Britain has kept the practice going almost continuously since it was first brought in, but other European countries did not adopt the time shift until the oil crisis of the 1970s.

It was most recently re-introduced in France in 1976, and daylight savings did not come into force across the whole of the EU until 1996. ■

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Casino introduces cashback

G

etting cashback from the checkout when paying for your supermarket shop is finally possible in France after retailer Casino rolled out the service across its stores nationwide. The concept may be a familiar one to those from countries like the UK and the US, but until now its has not existed in France.

After trialling cashback at its 80 Géant hypermarkets over the summer, the retailer has now introduced it to its supermarkets during September, including at 500 selfservice checkout points.

“Géant Casino is the first supermarket in France to offer a free cash withdrawal service. Launched

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this summer in 80 hypermarkets, the service will also be deployed at the end of September in 150 Casino supermarkets equipped with self-service tills,” the company said in a tweet unveiling the move.

From now on, when paying for their goods at a Casino supermarket, shoppers can also request between 10 and 50 euros in cash. “Our goal is to support our customers as much as possible and to make their day-to-day lives easier,” Casino said in a statement, adding that it does not intend to “compete with the banks”.

Whilst the group may not be planning further banking or credit card services for now, the

cashback service has been hailed as a possible competitor to banks in some respects. “At a time when more and more banks are closing, this service could help bring the supermarket extra customer footfall,” said David de Matteis, a partner at consulting firm OC & C. As a new concept, uptake of the cashback service now available has been slow. Eric Chabert, director of one Casino Géant hypermarket in Paris, said: “At the moment, we are seeing a dozen transactions per week.

We need time for the new service to become known, and become a habit, bit by bit. Our objective is to make our clients’ daily lives easier.” ■

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secondary education establishments in Grenoble which have been taking part in the “Emile” (Enseignement de matières par l’intégration d’une langue étrangère) project for the last five years, with apparently positive results.

“I wanted English to be a conduit for learning and not just something to be learnt in its own right,” explained Pierre Gille, head of Les Barattes collège in Annecy-le-Vieux. “Eventually, students even forget that they are speaking English in certain classes!”

For many teachers, while the idea of giving lessons in a second language may sound appealing on paper, there are obvious practical challenges. “We are all supposed to be able to teach a language to our pupils from CP [the first class of French primary school], but many teachers don't have the skills to do this,” one teacher told Le Figaro. “An entire lesson in English is unfeasible, we only have the means to introduce a few words in English.”

Other suggestions have included encouraging children to watch cartoons at home in English and broadcasting more films in their original language. “We must be able to use new technology, and also be capable of giving lessons in other subjects, in other languages and to extend this learning beyond school,” the education minister said on RMC radio.

“We know perfectly well that one of the reasons our Scandinavian neighbours are so good at English is that they watch films in their original language.” ■

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M

ore English could be used in French schools if the recommendations contained in a recent report are accepted by the government. The report, presented to the education minister, Jean-Michel Blanquer, in September, advises more school subjects, such as maths and science, to be taught in English and other “living languages” in a bid to improve language acquisition. “The aim is to boost the level of pupils in English, and also in a second foreign language. Being able to express oneself correctly is also crucial,” the government said.

“With the number of hours of foreign language lessons decreasing, using them as part of teaching other subjects will allow us to increase the students' exposure to different languages,” explained Chantal Manes, co-author of the report. The idea is an appealing one for the education ministry, which is already looking at ways to increase the number of subjects taught in languages other than French in the country's high school system.

In primary schools, there are currently only 90 minutes per week dedicated to learning a second language. At collège (secondary school) and lycée (high school), class sizes often mean that each student only has a very small amount of time each week to speak a foreign language.

Some schools have already begun teaching subjects in a second language, including thirty

T

he government has given the green light to a trial that will see school canteens required to offer at least one meat-free meal every week for a period of two years.

Under the proposals, single-use plastics will also be banned from the nation's school canteens and cafeterias. During the trial, the government will collect data on the general health of the children, costs involved and also the amount of food wastage.

The vegetarian “experiment” comes after 24 MPs, led by Barbara Pompili from the ruling La République en Marche (LREM) party, presented an amendment bill to the National Assembly.

Vegetarian options could include protein from other animal products - such as dairy or eggs - as well as vegetables and grains.

“We need schools to also play their part in teaching children about what food is,” Barbara Pompili told the Assembly, calling in to question “the widely held view” that a balanced diet “must” include meat. “Without this amendment, we would be ignoring a significant will of the people, one which is taking us in the right direction.”

Not everyone was in favour of the change, however, with Agriculture Minister Stéphane Travert one vocal critic. “In a social debate such as this, I will always defend freedom of choice. I am not about imposing these things through legislation,” the MP said, before highlighting that caterers are already perfectly free to prepare vegetarian meals if they so choose.

The plastic ban had more widespread support, however. “This is a real step forward for public health. The goal is to protect ourselves against eventual health risks,” said Barbara Pompili. “Plastic materials can contain substances that are known to be endocrine disruptors.

We want to introduce a ‘principle of precaution’ in the catering sector.” ■

Growing calls for looser Sunday trading laws

A

group of 20 MPs have called on the government to further relax the country's strict trading laws and allow more businesses the flexibility to trade on a Sunday. The group of MPs, from the ruling La République en Marche (LREM) party, have requested changes to be included in the so-called loi Pacte, which is being put forward by the government in an attempt to help the country's businesses grow and to refocus on their place in society.

“Let's not wait any longer! The loi Pacte represents the opportunity to give more freedom to choose to open on a Sunday and so revitalise our city centres,” wrote the group of politicians. “The loi Macron was a success, so let's go further... what are we waiting for?” Part of the loi Macron, put together in 2015 by then Economy Minister Emmanuelle Macron, allowed for more flexible Sunday opening hours in areas designated as “international tourist zones”.

“Sunday trading is above all a social issue that corresponds to the will of the French: to be free to buy, to entertain, to work - or not - on Sunday,” argue the signatories. “The rising popularity of e-commerce among the French is also indicative of our desire to be free to consume. Many convenience stores face this online competition 24 hours a day,

7 days a week. Some businesses, even located in the most commercial areas, are being forced to close and no longer contribute to the fabric of society. London, Madrid, Rome... The major European capitals have understood the need to open their shops on Sunday to attract international tourists and promote activity. In the context of Brexit, the time has come to catch up by offering at least comparable services.”

Whilst the UK has embraced Sunday trading since it was introduced around 25 years ago, the French have been much more resistant when it comes to the traditional day of rest. As well as allowing businesses to trade in the designated “international tourist zones”, you can currently only trade on a Sunday if you are a garden centre or a small owner-operated shop. Those selling food are permitted half a day's trading, but for the most part, major retailers are forced to close all day, which has long angered many business leaders and some of their workers too.

As is often the case in France, any changes to Sunday trading laws will meet with stiff opposition from the country's stillpowerful unions and it is not currently clear if the Macron government is willing to once again take on the syndicats in its efforts to bring about change. ■

NATIONAL NEWS ♦ 11

OCTOBER 2018 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Fly-tipper has rubbish returned

© Denis Rapinel (Facebook)

Pool owners targeted with Google Earth

T

he government has created a new group to tackle the growing nuisance of fly-tipping, amid concerns that the problem is damaging the environment and costing local authorities valuable resources. Despite having well over 4,500 déchetteries across the country, flytippers still chuck an estimated 80,000 tonnes of rubbish into the countryside each year.

“Fly-tipping in nature creates a significant environmental, social and economic impact. It undermines the cleanliness of public spaces, and sometimes even threatens health,” said Brune Poirson, Secretary of State for the Minister of Ecological Transition, who launched the group. “The cost of regular cleanups is a heavy cost to carry for local authorities. This concerted effort will allow us to broach the subject of tackling this problem with pragmatism and to find concrete solutions to this environmental scourge.”

The tipping of building materials, rubble, old armchairs, mattresses, washing machines and other household waste is not only illegal, it also creates an eyesore and risks damaging the environment; chemicals and heavy objects can damage the surrounding earth, flora, and fauna. Finding and prosecuting those responsible is notoriously difficult, however, with offenders understandably choosing locations that are relatively isolated.

Local authorities have been trying to clamp down on the practice and earlier this year the Hérault department put two drones into service to monitor areas most at risk of illegal dumping. Authorities often inspect the rubbish for clues and prosecute where possible, but catching fly-tippers in the act is never easy.

One mayor who did track down an offender was widely praised in the media for returning a pile of rubbish to its owner, literally dropping it on his doorstep. The pile of waste included cardboard boxes, an old office chair, some non-biodegradable plastic bags, and what appeared to be a broken microwave. The fly-tipper had left their address visible on one of the bits of rubbish, allowing the mayor of Dolde-Bretagne to arrange the delivery of their waste back to their front door, in the nearby town of Mont-Saint-Michel.

Posting the resulting images on Facebook, the mayor accompanied the photos with the message “Return to sender.

One nice local stupidly lost some rubbish in a ditch in the countryside of Carfantin. It is with great pleasure that we were able to return their property... with an appropriate fine.”

Those who are found guilty of illegally disposing of waste face a fine of €75 for a bin bag, €1,500 for throwing rubbish from a vehicle and professionals can be hit with a maximum €75,000 fine and two years in prison. ■

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O

ne enterprising mayor has turned to the internet to track down naughty locals who are avoiding their taxes. Alain Loriguet, mayor of Thise in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté near Besançon, has been using Google Earth to look for any undeclared swimming pools, outbuildings and garden sheds in his commune which have not been correctly declared to local authorities.

Thanks to this satellite surveillance, the mairie has already identified 25 homeowners with undeclared building works on their land.

Installing a garden shed or a pool requires authorisation, as they will often change the amount, or type, of local

taxes you must pay annually.

Of the 25 homeowners currently identified, a number have retroactively registered their property's changes with the mairie, although some have not. The hardline mayor's message to the remainder is clear: information will now be sent to the relevant tax authorities and anyone found to be noncompliant will face a fine of 80% on top of any taxes due! “Municipal budgets are decreasing,” explained Mr Loriguet. “It is essential that we have access to the income that is rightfully due through local taxation.”

Some may feel that being spied on from the sky is all a bit Big Brother, but in the recent case, the mayor

had warned residents via the commune's newsletter that he would be using the search engine's satellite mapping system to verify all the buildings in the area.

With the quality of satellite imagery steadily improving, these kinds of checks look set to become increasingly commonplace at cashstrapped town halls across the country.

Furthermore, via websites such as the government's géoportail.fr service, satellite imagery can be overlaid on the official cadastral plan, making unauthorised structures incredibly easy to spot. So next time you are sunbathing by your pool, smile... you could be on camera! ■

Tyre reef dismantled

I

t seemed like a crazy idea at the time: sinking 25,000 used car tyres in the azure waters off the Mediterranean coast to create an artificial reef that would become a sanctuary for marine life.

Unfortunately, history has now proved that to be true and in September a specially trained team began the laborious task of removing the tyres from the sea, around 500 metres from the exclusive stretch of pristine coastline between the towns of Cannes and Antibes.

The original vision, which was backed at the time by both local French authorities and fishermen, was that the tyres would become populated by coral and other sea creatures in a conservation area where fishing was off limits. In reality, wildlife shunned the site and the tyres leeched toxic chemicals into the environment, including heavy metals, which are a threat to human life.

The operation is costing well over a million euros and is being part-funded by the tyre manufacturer Michelin, as well as the French State.

“We hoped back in the 1980s that we could restore aquatic life there, but it didn't work,” the deputy mayor of Antibes, Eric Duplay, told AFP. “It turns out that the tyre reef was not a prolific place for biomass.”

Denis Genovese, the head of an association of local fishermen, confirmed that most Mediterranean wildlife had avoided the area. “Sedentary creatures such as the local scorpion fish didn't use them,” Genovese said, while “grouper fish, conger eels and sea bream swim around them, but no species really got used to it”.

In 2015, authorities removed 2,500 tyres from the reef in an operation de-

signed to evaluate the techniques required to dismantle the underwater tyre mountain. The current operation will see a further 10,000 removed, with the remaining 12,500 scheduled to be extricated in late 2019.

“In the morning, it's easy, the water's clear,” crew member Morgan Postic on board the Ocea vessel said. “But as we stir it all up down at the bottom, you can't see anything and it gets much more complicated.”

The tyres will be sent to the nearby city of Nice and then to recycling centres where they will be broken up into granules that can be used in construction projects. “After that we'll leave the seabed to restore itself naturally and we'll continue to monitor with censors,” explained marine scientist Patrice Francour from the University of Nice.

Although the failure has left the project's founders red faced and the clean-up job looks set to be lengthy and expensive, France is far from alone. According to scientists, around 200 artificial reefs made of tyres are in existence worldwide, notably in waters off the United States, Japan, Malaysia and Israel. While France has an estimated 90,000 m³ of tyre reefs, Japan has 20 million m³!

The United States has more than 1,000 artificial reefs along its coastline and two million tyres were sunk in one location off the coast of Florida in 1972 in an attempt to promote marine life. It was an idea that originally came from tyre giant Goodyear.

Florida's state environmental agency has described the reefs as a “serious” threat and launched its own programme to begin their removal in 2007. ■

12 ♦ NATIONAL NEWS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ OCTOBER 2018

FRENCH LIFE ♦ 13

OCTOBER 2018 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Pumpkins

© Infrogmation (WikiCommons)

P

by Julia Watson

umpkins get an unfairly bad rap. Aspiring scullery maids would far prefer to travel by carriage than by pumpkin. Sumptuous transportations (and certain people, in my experience) turn back into pumpkins at midnight. Or before, even. Worse, pumpkins get carved up into candlelit ghoul faces and grotesqueries to frighten small children out of their wits. Why? But they’re a glory in the vegetable patch - a globe of the orange chosen by Hermès to represent its upmarket brand with a pre-Christmas tangerine glow to light up the gloomy soil at a time of year when sunshine and blue skies can’t be guaranteed. They keep over winter if properly stored in a chilly and dark place high above the temptations of vermin. And a single one will offer several meals for very little money.

It’s a member of the family of cucurbitas which includes squashes and courgettes. Seeds from the wider pumpkin family have been found in Mexico dating as far back as 7000 to 5500 BC. But native Americans knew better than any nation their value. In their generosity, they offered them to the incoming Puritans who thanked them for the gift of the vegetable - and the turkey with which it paired so deliciously - by massacring them, or herding them off their long-held traditional hunting grounds into the barren wilderness. Most of the best pumpkin recipes come down from Americans - though there are ways to curry and spice the pumpkin, introduced into India by Portuguese explorers. And with Middle Eastern recipes so de rigueur right now, pumpkins have been annexed by hip restaurateurs and been sprinkled with pomegranate seeds, nuts and sumac.

It was immigrant Irish who introduced the tradition of carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns to America. On All Hallows' Eve back in Ireland, however, where pumpkins didn’t exist, jack-o’-lanterns had been carved from turnips, and embers placed in them to ward off evil spirits.

The original Jack, according to legend, was one Stingy Jack, a miserable old drunk who took pleasure in playing tricks on family and friends - everyone, including the Devil himself. One day, he tricked the Devil into climbing up an apple tree. Once the Devil was aloft, Stingy Jack set crosses round the trunk of the tree. Unable to touch a cross, the Devil was stuck in the tree until Stingy Jack made him promise not to take his soul when he died. Once the devil had delivered the promise, Stingy Jack removed the crosses, and the Devil climbed down.

When eventually Jack died, he showed up at the pearly gates of Heaven. Saint Peter informed him he was a mean and cruel individual who had led a miserable, worthless life and would not be allowed to enter Heaven, so cast him down to Hell and the Devil. But the Devil kept his promise not to allow him to enter Hell, so Jack had nowhere to go. All he could do was wander forever in the dark Netherworld between Heaven and Hell. How, he asked the Devil, could he find his way about, as there was no light? The Devil tossed him an ember from the flames of Hell. Jack had a turnip with him - as I suppose one does when packing to meet Saint Peter. Jack hollowed

it out and placed the ember the Devil had given him inside. From that day forward, Stingy Jack roamed the earth without a resting place, lighting his way as he went with his "jack-o'-lantern".

Anyone who imagines the only American way to eat pumpkin is as the - to me - filling, unspeakable, mushy, flavoured with ground cinnamon and inordinate quantities of sugar that goes into the Thanksgiving pie, doesn’t know

Ina Garten. She’s an American TV chef not familiar this side of the Atlantic, who does excellent things with pumpkin and squash. This recipe is for butternut squash. But you can happily use pumpkin, as long as you pick a variety that remains firm in shape when cooked. ■ Julia Watson has been a long-time Food Writer for newspapers and magazines in the US and the UK.

Warm roasted butternut squash salad Ingredients (serves 4):

2 tablespoons shallots, finely minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

120ml olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

115g arugula/roquette or 4 large handfuls

700g butternut squash, peeled and diced into 3-4cm cubes

60g walnut halves, toasted

175ml apple cider or apple juice

6 slices jambon de Bayonne or Parma ham torn into wide strips (optional)

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

175g goats cheese (optional)

Preheat oven 200C. In a bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon maple syrup. Season. Add the squash and toss thoroughly to coat. Place in a roasting pan and roast for 15-20 minutes until tender, turning once.

Combine apple cider, vinegar and shallots in a small non-reactive pan. Bring to a boil over medium-high

heat. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes until cider is reduced to 4-5 tablespoons. Off heat, whisk in mustard and olive oil. Season to taste.

Place arugula/roquette in a large salad bowl. Add walnuts and roasted squash. Spoon over the salad only enough vinaigrette to moisten and toss lightly. Tuck in ham here and there and roughly crumble over cheese if using either. Serve while still warm.

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14 ♦ FRENCH LIFE

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The wines of Bergerac

D

onald Trump may no longer believe in climate change but after this long, hot summer, I suspect that most of us in this part of the world are now convinced that it’s really happening, even if we differ on the degree to which human activity is responsible. After all, anyone who visits Lascaux and the other painted caves knows that this region went through dramatic climate swings ten and twenty thousand years ago.

But more and more, I hear from winemakers in the Bergerac that they are worried what this means

by Martin Walker for them. Most of the concerns focus on the future viability of Merlot, an iconic grape in the Bergerac and in the Bordeaux region. All wines in these two appellations are required to include Merlot. Château Pétrus in the Pomerol, one of the great wines, is made entirely from this grape.

The problem is that Merlot ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc, and the longer the grapes stay on the vine the richer they are in sugar and thus in alcohol. We are now seeing Bergerac wines that used to have twelve or thirteen per cent alcohol rising to fifteen per cent

and higher, like the renowned cuvée Adagio from Château des Eyssards.

So pick the Merlot earlier, you might say. But the Merlot needs the extra time for the various phenols and tannins to develop.

Since they give the wine its classic character and indeed its identity this won’t do.

Some excellent winemakers, like Laurent de Bosredon of Château Bélingard, thinks the problem can be managed by careful stewardship in the vineyard, for example by keeping a good leaf cover on top of the grapes. His collection of gold medals from

the Paris show testifies to his expertise. His prestige Ortus, made of Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, and kept eighteen months in oak barrels, is a very fine red wine indeed, at 20.50 euros a bottle.

Other winemakers are trying different techniques, such as removing the white pebbles of chalk from the ground between the rows of vines, since they reflect the sun’s rays upwards into the grapes. Others, like that excellent winemaker Hugh Ryman at Château de la Jaubertie, are phasing out their Merlots altogether. Several are experimenting with new grape varieties. Le Clos du Breuil near Issigeac has imported Saperavi grapes from Georgia in the Caucasus. Others are trying Tempranillo from Spain, Sangiovese and Nero d’Avola from Italy as well as the Syrah and Grenache that are grown closer to the Mediterranean coast.

At Bordeaux University’s Institute of Vine and Wine Science, Professor Kees van Leeuwen has over the past seven years planted 52 varieties of different grapes to see which look most promising for the future of the region.

Within three years, he hopes to have five grape varieties that could secure the future of the Bordeaux wine industry, with its annual sales of two billion euros.

Other scientists have been conducting their own experiments.

Pascal Chatonnet, an oenologist, was commissioned by an environmental group to assess what higher temperatures might mean.

He planted Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in Tunisia and found the resulting wine ‘syrupy

and smelling of over-ripe fruit.’

Inevitably, politics will play a role because of the strict regulations of the appellation contrôlée system, which requires certain varieties of grapes to be planted.

For Bordeaux and Bergerac that means Merlot - a grape that accounts for more than half the harvest of our neighbours in the Bordeaux region. Changing those rules will be complicated.

And some lively arguments can be expected because as of this year the greater heat may actually be helping the production of great wines.

Traditionally, the great vintages have come in years of hot, dry summers, and every winemaker will tell you that the vines need to be stressed to produce their best wines. In St Emilion, it is common to hear winemakers boast that these days they are producing better and more voluptuous wines, with gentle tannins. And winemakers tend to live one year and one vintage at a time. Change will not come easily.

“Change will certainly come,” says Professor van Leeuwen.

“It’s a disaster if you don’t adapt.” ■

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.

Can you afford the cost of living longer? Blevins Franks

B

y making the lifestyle choice to live in France, you will want to make the most of what this country has to offer by enjoying the beautiful scenery and climate for as long as you possibly can.

That may be much longer than you think. According to UK government statistics, life expectancy is the highest it has ever been. Today, Britons aged 65 can expect to live for a further twenty years on average – around five years longer than those at the same age in 1989. By 2039, this is projected to go up another five years.

Not only are people living longer, they are enjoying a lifestyle that is much more active – and arguably more expensive – than the generations before them.

With more people living into their 90s and beyond – a four-fold increase in men since 1982, and twice as many women – how can you make sure your money lasts as long as you do?

Getting value for money Many retirees favour low-risk, ‘safer’ investments like bank deposits in their later years. But with potentially 30 years or more to fund in retirement, this is often a false economy. While the cost of living generally increases over time, interest rates within Europe are currently lingering at or near zero

– which means many people with bank savings are actually earning a negative real rate of return.

Although the UK interest rate has recently increased to 0.75%, this marks the first time since 2009 that rates have gone above half a per cent.

In times like this – with UK rates expected to only reach 1.1% by 2021 – savers need to look further afield for returns that can keep up with the cost of living.

Expatriates also need to factor in exchange rate risk. If you have no choice but to take income in pounds, such as your UK pension, while spending euros in your daily life, you may find your money does not go as far as it once did. With both sterling and the euro so vulnerable to Brexit developments, it is more important than ever to have a well-diversified portfolio with a mix of assets, like equities, bonds and property as well as cash.

You should also spread investments across countries, currencies, regions and market sectors to minimise overexposure in any one area. The key is to find the right balance of risk and return for your peace of mind, and to make sure your savings and investments are structured as tax-efficiently as possible for your unique situation.

Pensions to last a lifetime For many people, unless you have a

‘final salary’ pension that provides a fixed income for the rest of your life, outliving your savings is a real risk.

The State Pension – currently worth a maximum of around £8,500 a year – is unlikely to sufficiently bridge the gap.

There may be ways for expatriates to make pension funds go further. For example, you could consider transferring to a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS) or reinvesting a lump sum in Frenchcompliant arrangements. Doing this could offer tax advantages and provide more flexibility for how you can access your money, including the ability to choose the currency of withdrawals. Before making any decisions about your pension, however, it is essential to take regulated advice to avoid pension scams and establish the best approach for your particular objectives and circumstances.

A taxing problem – not just for governments Rising life expectancy is also expensive for governments. The higher the proportion of older people in a population, the greater the costs of services like state pensions and healthcare – and the lower the number of taxpayers that can fund it. For governments the world over, the solution usually lies in pension or health-

care reforms and tax increases to finance these escalating expenses.

Higher taxation can be a serious threat to your financial security in retirement, especially when coupled with rising healthcare costs. This is where personalised tax planning is vital to make use of available opportunities – in the UK, France or elsewhere – to ensure you do not pay more tax than necessary. With many of these arrangements you can combine your tax and investment planning in one exercise, allowing you to tackle the twin threats of tax and inflation at the same time.

For the best results, take professional advice designed for your unique circumstances and goals.

Good financial planning can help put you on track to afford the lifestyle you want for as long as you need, so you can focus on enjoying a long and comfortable retirement in France. ■ Tel: 05 53 63 49 19 Email: bergerac@blevinsfranks.com Web: www.blevinsfranks.com Tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any statements concerning taxation are based upon our understanding of current taxation laws and practices which are subject to change.

Tax information has been summarised; an individual is advised to seek personalised advice.

FRENCH LIFE ♦ 15

OCTOBER 2018 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

A

The Grumpy Granny Guide Needles and Haystacks

French Bugle reader, MarieChristine S. recently sent me an account of the difficulty she had had making a reservation for a local event. Sadly her experience is not unique and highlights the problems many of us have encountered when trying to obtain accurate tourist information. I present her letter here in full and Grouchy Grandpa will add his comments.

“Shortly before the Easter holidays I read that there was a workshop for young children on prehistoric excavation in Les Eyzies and I thought this would be ideal for my young granddaughter. I went to the Les Eyzies tourist office website which listed various children’s activities but it hadn’t been updated since 2017. Nevertheless, one workshop organised previously by the RMN (Réunion des Musées Nationaux) seemed interesting and so I called the number on the screen. The person who answered said the RMN had nothing to do with any workshop and only when I insisted did she gave me another number to contact. After 2 days of trying I finally got through to someone who contradicted my first informant. I was told that the RMN did indeed hold workshops and I reserved one over the phone only then to be informed that the ticket had to be collected in person at Font-de-Gaume in Les Eyzies (I live 35 kms away!) When I went there for the ticket there was no trace of any reservation and I was told that it must have been made by mistake with the PIP (Pôle de la Préhistoire), also in Les Eyzies, even though the PIP is not part of the RMN and their workshops are not mentioned on any website. The person was very dismissive of these workshops although in theory they were identical to their own but I did finally get a reservation for the RMN activity to be held in another venue, la Maison Lacorre.

On the day of the workshop my granddaughter found herself the sole participant but although the person running it had come expressly from Switzerland, the workshop had not been cancelled because places are held open until the very last moment. My granddaughter had an excellent time but organising this took me several days and made me wonder what is going on. There seems to be no accurate, easily available information and no co-ordination or co-operation, and even a certain hostility, between organisations - all

quite absurd. Is this a question of incompetence, indifference, or a disfunction at some other level? I presume many of your readers are not fluent French speakers and I wonder how they would have managed this situation?”

Marie-Christine’s sorry tale demonstrates just how difficult it can be to get accurate information about what to visit and what’s on in this area. It illustrates a very real communication problem resulting from the tangle of overlapping and highly competitive tourist organisations at multiple levels: national, regional, departmental and communal along with the commercial and state umbrella associations of which the RMN is just one.

Despite endless attempts to sort things out, there are still obvious difficulties in sharing and disseminating information between competing organisations and sites. This situation has been made worse by recent top-down attempts at reorganisation which have produced only more confusion and, according to the professionals, increased frustration and divisions at the local level. The problem isn’t so much the absence of information as one of an overload of incomplete, misleading or contradictory information depending on its source.

It is important to realise at the outset that printed information and publicity, even in official publications, is no indication of a site/activity’s interest or quality but only of an ability to pay, usually substantial amounts. To have your flyer distributed by the tourist offices in your locality will cost 200€-500€ and around 600€-2000€ for a mention or photo in a publication.

Belonging to an organisation which might promote your site in the media will also set you back several thousand euros in annual fees. New or small sites cannot afford these sums and have no way of attracting the publicity that many of them deserve. As one site owner said: “Just a small mention in a catalogue costs me the equivalent of 350 entrance fees and I can’t be sure it is cost

effective”. You will note that even the stands displaying site flyers are exclusively owned by associations whose name appears on the sign at the top.

So if you, like MarieChristine, are looking for accurate information, i.e. the proverbial needle, where in the haystack should you search?

Which sources are reliable and which will only confuse you?

Tourist Offices. Of course this is the best place to begin particularly if your enquiry is local in nature, the staff in tourist offices today are far more professional than before.

However, they are limited to information on those sites in their immediate vicinity or on the major sites that can afford to pay hefty fees to offices outside their own geographical zone.

For instance, it is difficult, if not impossible, in Sarlat to find out what is happening in Nontron.

In the Valley of the Vézère you will find minimal information on the Valley of the Dronne.

This is not the fault of the staff who are well equipped to provide local information but have little or no information on adjoining areas. Listings are often incomplete e.g. of minigolf courses or access to beaches and lists of activities are sometimes only handed out at the beginning of each month making it hard to plan ahead.

For enquiries about sites you have heard of further afield you will have to burrow a little deeper into the hay.

Glossy catalogues are distributed widely for free and purport to give you a complete list of all tourist activities in the area but frustratingly, the information in each varies, showing that at some level there has been a selection. The Périgord Découverte catalogue is the most comprehensive and has a better layout than most.

Take time to read the small print listings at the bottom of each page which have included for free those sites which cannot afford the cost of a photo insert.

Flyers. Obviously these give you up-to-date information even if the pictures can sometimes be wildly misleading and the text often only in French. Check those flyers in places which distribute them for free e.g. the bakers, hotels, restaurants, etc. As I have already said, not all sites have the money to distribute their flyers through official outlets.

Sites online of course are useful if you have a specific visit in mind even if most of them do not have an English translation and still favour attractive photos over clear information. My experience

has been that if they do give a telephone number, few sites respond to calls promptly or can give information other than in French. Nevertheless the internet is the place to search for accurate listings of vide-greniers, brocantes, night markets and sports activities covering more than your local area. However, always double check directly with a site if you want to visit on a specific time and day.

For imminent events, the most accurate, reliable information comes from roadside posters and windscreen flyers, announcing details of future events not mentioned anywhere else.

If you have heard of an interesting visit and know where it is but can find no information at the tourist office or online, call the local mairie of the commune; they are very happy to help.

Maps. You would think that all maps of the area would be the same but that is not the case. They vary greatly in detail and those you pick up for free, published by organisations such as ‘Semitour’, ‘Grands Sites du

Perigord’, ‘Visites en Périgord’ can be positively misleading, only showing selected sites and roads. I have found the most useful map by far is the Michelin 524 Aquitaine which shows a number of hamlets and details not given on other maps e.g. IGN Aquitaine.

It will take more than tweaking at the margins to improve the flow and accuracy of local information. All too often we still have to arm ourselves with patience and persistence to discover some of the lesser publicised gems in our area.

If you have had an interesting experience either good or bad, trying to find accurate tourist information, let us know.

Contact me via The Bugle at editor@thebugle.eu. ■ This is part of a series of features devoted to the tourist experience in the Dordogne provided by the website grumpygranny-guides.com which highlights those sites which are comfortable and pleasant to visit and which offer a warm welcome.

Hard to know which tourist sites to visit?

Grumpy Granny Guide

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

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

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16 ♦ BILINGUAL

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T

France hosts the 2018 Ryder Cup

he origins of the game of golf are not entirely clear.

People have been playing “stick and ball” games for many centuries and several countries lay claim to “inventing” it.

One legend is that golf was invented by shepherds who were out looking after their flocks. They became bored and created a game using their wooden crooks to hit round rocks into rabbit holes.

It is generally accepted that the modern game of golf, as we understand it today, originated in Scotland. According to the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, considered to be “the home of golf” and one of Scotland's oldest clubs: “Stick and ball games have been around for many centuries, but golf as we know it today, played over 18 holes, clearly originated in Scotland.”

One of the very first references to the game of golf came in 1452 when King James II banned it in Scotland, along with football, because he believed that it interfered with his people's archery practice – a skill much needed by his armies!

The game remained a largely Scottish hobby until the mid-19th century. As the first railways began to cross England and Scotland, its popularity quickly spread, first across Great Britain and soon across the rest of the British Empire.

It can be said that golf - along with football, cricket and rugby - is another game invented by the British and then given to the rest of the world so that they could beat us at it!

One of the most popular events in golf is the Ryder Cup. Held every two years, it sees the 12 best players from Europe and the USA battle each other in a team competition over the course of three days. The 2018 competition is being held at Le Golf National course near Paris between 28-30 September. This is only the second time the competition has taken place in Europe outside of the UK and the first time ever in France.

Organisers hope that the event will give a big boost to golf in France, where the sport remains much less popular than in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. The 2018 European team is made up of players from 6 different countries, but sadly with no French golfers on the first tee this time around. The last French player to represent the European team was Victor Dubuisson in 2014, who won two of his matches, drawing the third. Thomas Levet and Jean van de Velde are the other French golfers to represent Europe in this historic competition. ■

L

Many thanks to local French teacher, Sophie Arsac, for this month's bilingual article. Why not get in touch with Sophie to see how she can help improve your French! See below for contact details.

’origine du golf est difficile à retracer avec certitude. Les gens jouent à des jeux de balles et de bâtons depuis des siècles et plusieurs pays en revendiquent l’invention. Selon l’une des légendes, ce sont des bergers qui auraient inventé ce jeu alors qu’ils surveillaient leurs troupeaux. Gagnés par l’ennui, ils tapaient dans des cailloux sphériques avec leur houlette de bois pour les projeter dans des terriers de lapin.

Il est généralement admis que le golf, dans sa version moderne, est originaire d’Ecosse. Selon le « Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews », l’un des plus anciens clubs de golf en Ecosse et considéré comme « La Maison du Golf » : « Les jeux de bâtons et de balles existent depuis de nombreux siècles mais le jeu de golf tel que nous le connaissons aujourd’hui, avec un parcours de 18 trous, a clairement des racines écossaises ».

L’une des toutes premières références au golf remonte à 1452 lorsque le roi Jacques II d’Ecosse le bannit, au même titre que le football, au prétexte que les deux sports interféraient avec l’entraînement de ses sujets au tir à l’arc, une compétence ô combien plus nécessaire à ses armées !

Le jeu resta un loisir principalement écossais jusqu’à la moitié du 19ème siècle. Lorsque les premiers chemins de fer commencèrent à sillonner l’Angleterre et l’Ecosse, sa popularité se répandit rapidement au sein de la GrandeBretagne puis bientôt dans le reste de l’empire britannique.

On peut dire que le golf, au même titre que le football, le cricket et le rugby, est encore un de ces jeux qui ont été inventés par les Britanniques puis offerts au reste du monde afin qu’il puisse les battre !

L’un des événements les plus populaires du golf est la Ryder Cup. Se tenant tous les deux ans, elle voit s’affronter en équipes pendant trois jours les 12 meilleurs joueurs européens et américains.

La compétition 2018 aura lieu sur le court du Golf National, près de Paris, du 28 au 30 septembre. Elle se déroulera pour la toute première fois en France et, si l’on excepte le Royaume Uni, seulement pour la deuxième fois en Europe.

Les organisateurs espèrent que cet événement donnera un gros coup d’accélérateur au golf en France, où ce sport demeure bien moins populaire qu’au Royaume-Uni et même partout ailleurs en Europe. L’équipe européenne de 2018 sera constituée de joueurs issus de six pays différents mais malheureusement aucun golfeur français ne sera au départ lors de la compétition. Le dernier joueur français à représenter l’Europe fut Victor Dubuisson en 2014. Il gagna deux de ses matchs puis finit ex-aequo au troisième. Seuls deux autres joueurs de l’Hexagone représentèrent l’Europe dans cette compétition historique, Thomas Levet et Jean van de Velde. ■

DIRECTORY ♦ 17

OCTOBER 2018 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Business Directory

Your indispensable guide to finding local businesses & artisans Auto Services

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CONTINUED NEXT PAGE...

ADVERTORIAL

“SolarVenti”- the solar solution to damp and humidity

A

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

The Solarventi air panel was invented more than 20 years ago

by Hans Jørgen Christensen, from Aidt Miljø, with the backing of the Danish government.

He wanted to use the sun’s energy for airing and ventilation of the thousands of holiday homes on the West coast of Jutland, - houses that were left empty and unheated for long periods - houses with damp problems, mould and bad odours - houses that left their owners with discomfort, lots of work and expense. He wanted a system that would be safe, simple, without the need for radiators, water and/ or mains electricity. Slowly but surely, the first Solarventi model came together.

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

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

The initial models were more than capable of keeping the cottages dry (and ventilated), even with the limited sunshine hours available in Denmark during the winter season. Since that time, the technology has really come along in leaps and bounds. Now, more than 20 years later, the 3rd and 4th generation Solarventi have exceeded all expectations.

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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

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With a range of panel sizes, and the option for wall or roof mounting, Solarventi is suitable for all types of buildings, caravans or even boats!! Following the patenting of its design in 2001, Solarventi has only recently been actively commercialized. Over the last six years, Solarventi units have been installed in more than 24 countries and demand is increasing rapidly. From Greenland to Australia, Solarventi is finally getting the recognition it deserves. ■ Units start from €490 TTC. Several ex-demonstration models available at reduced prices, call for details.

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18 ♦ DIRECTORY

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ OCTOBER 2018

ADVERTORIAL

Pension News - it's not all doom and gloom

T

he next six months are potentially going to be quite changeable for us expats living here in France. Increasingly I’m receiving enquiries from people that are worried their pension payments will just stop once we reach March next year. This is very much not the case, but there is some preparation that may be needed if your pension is with a private pension company or a Life Assurance company, something they may have already contacted you directly about.

In one of my recent articles I quoted from the Government White Paper that they had

confirmed that its negotiations with the EU27 over Brexit would see it aim to end passporting rights for financial services. In other words payments from UK private pensions into a foreign bank account will become illegal. If this is something that may affect your pension you could either have your pension payments paid into a UK account and then transfer the funds via a currency exchange to get the best out of your money or you may need to consider transferring to an alternative international pension, something which I can help you with.

It’s not all doom and gloom though on the pension front.

Final Salary/Defined Benefit (DB) Pension Transfers There are still many people

in Final Salary (DB) Pension schemes, the good news is that Defined benefit (DB) pension schemes for FTSE 100 organisations have achieved a surplus of £3 billion, moving out of deficit for the first time in 10 years, according to the JLT Employee Benefits monthly index.

The index, which tracks the funding position of all UK private sector DB schemes based on the IAS19 numbers disclosed in organisations’ reports and accounts, shows that the deficit for FTSE 350 schemes has dropped from £43 billion to zero since July 2017.

It also registered a drop in the deficit among all UK private sector pension schemes, from £130 billion on 31 July 2017, to £22 billion on 31 July 2018.

However, for some the flexibilities of transferring to

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a SIPP or QROPS may be a more attractive option. These flexibilities include the ability to withdraw funds in a more ad hoc fashion, greater freedom of investment choice and the ability to pass on 100% of remaining funds to their chosen beneficiaries on death.

Clearly the pension freedoms introduced in April 2015 have played a big role in encouraging the rise in pension transfers to defined-contribution (DC) arrangements. At the same time, low interest rates mean that transfer values can appear extremely generous for those exiting their valuable definedbenefit (DB) schemes.

Footnote: Transferring from a DB scheme is a complex area and requires careful consideration and specialist advice that is specific to

Building Services Plumbing & Heating

the individual's personal circumstances, objectives and motivations. It may not be the best course of action in every case.

If you are considering transferring any type of pension and wish to have independent, professional and impartial advice, please contact me by email: Rosemary.sheppard@ blacktowerfm.com or call me on 06 38 86 99 70. Blacktower Financial Management has over 32 years’ experience helping expats to make sure that their money works for them.

The above information was correct at the time of preparation and does not constitute investment advice and you should seek advice from a professional adviser before embarking on any financial planning activity.

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

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

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DIRECTORY ♦ 19

OCTOBER 2018 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

ADVERTORIAL

Houses on Internet: A Global Property Network

H

ouses on Internet – Global Property Services (hereafter referred to as “HOIGPS”) is the internet/marketing company that helps people sell their French property to buyers worldwide.

Richard Kroon, founder and director of the company: “During the last few months we have seen a huge increase in viewings and sales. Most of the buyers don’t live in France, which is 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.

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Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

Language Services Learn French in France Complete immersion in a local family with lessons, conversation workshops, visits and local activities in Périgord, all at your own pace. (total independence possible)

www.auclairduperigord.com +33 (0)6 41 37 02 50 d.nina@live.co.uk

the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Canada 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 con-

FRENCH LESSONS Via Skype

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

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05 55 89 15 74 scarolinea@yahoo.fr

Pest Control

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02 48 60 83 72 / 06 74 33 02 38 www.applicateur3d.com Email: info@applicateur3d.com Curative and preventative rats, mice, moles, flies, woodworm, bed bugs, fleas, wasps, hornets

nect it to our main HOI-GPS websites which attract over 135,000 visitors from 40+ 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

Retail & Commerce

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

09 51 45 57 49

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

USED KITCHENS FRANCE Looking for a designer kitchen with granite worktops and premium appliances at a fraction of RRP?

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.

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sales24@thebugle.eu

06 04 17 80 93

• Man with a van service • Friendly, Mature Service, Ex-Police • Living in Limousin, specialising in moves between UK and France • Competitive Rates • Fully Insured Please call Mick for further info

UK: 0333 022 0359 FR: 07 68 64 22 54

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Pre-loved kitchens from brands like Poggenpohl and Bulthaup at usedkitchensfrance.fr 09 53 50 86 49

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bookstop

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interested in it.”

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

Lucy Airs, MSc. Positive Psychology

Business and Life Coach - Mentor One-to-one & Groups - Face-to-face & Distance Certified and experienced coach.

Certifications in Positive Education, Appreciative Inquiry, Horse Whispering, Design Thinking, NonViolent Communication.

+33 (0)6 70 51 89 68 lucy.airs@wanadoo.fr http://lacoaching.simplesite.com

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anxious? stressed? feeling down? call us up!

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

www.soshelpline.org

Houses on Internet Global Property Services www.housesoninternet.com

+31 (0)6 41 20 73 69

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 Please CALL or EMAIL Stephen

smartmovers@hotmail.co.uk

+44 (0)1253 725 414

www.smartmovesremovals.co.uk

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.

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Man & Van Transport

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

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sales24@thebugle.eu

06 04 17 80 93

MICHAELS MOVERS Removals

UK ↔ France ↔ UK Full & Part loads All size of vehicles, from Man & Van through to 18 tonne truck Storage available in the Limousin, Dordogne & Sussex UK free phone: 0800 840 3058

Mob: +44 (0)7808 338 386

email: mharristransport@gmail.com www.michaelsmovers.freeindex.co.uk

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

20 ♦ DIRECTORY

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ OCTOBER 2018

ADVERTORIAL

Harlequin Developments - Ventilation Specialists

I

t's over 40 years since Nuaire invented a cure for condensation dampness, and now the ventilation manufacturer has unveiled the next generation of its iconic Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) range, taking existing PIV technology a step further.

Drimaster-Eco is designed to tackle the problem of condensation dampness whilst offering increased energy and cost savings, as well as enhanced controllabil-

ity, through a host of clever features.

A high percentage of households are poorly ventilated, leading to problems with streaming windows, mould growth and poor indoor air quality. People's lifestyles, and energy efficiency measures such as wall and loft insulation, contribute to condensation dampness.

Condensation causes damage to both the building fabric, and its contents, at the ongoing cost of the owner. It also causes health problems, including asthma, which has a very negative effect on the occupant's health and well-being.

The Drimaster-Eco range solves these problems with minimal energy and cost, and its new features, such as the wireless controls and sensors, mark an exciting change of direction for PIV. The new Drimaster-Eco range boasts four models which offer increasing degrees of performance and energy efficiency to meet the exact needs of the housing provider.

Unlike other PIV systems on the market, the Drimaster-Eco range offers twice as much filter area so the filters are more effective for longer. Small and light, the new unit offers an extended duct length to overcome installation restrictions, and can be fitted at the right height to maximise heat gains within the loft space. Installation is quick and simple, and commissioning can be carried out from the hallway via controls in the diffuser.

Both the Drimaster-Eco-Link and Heat models boast the new, enhanced hall control with innovative remote control and sensor capabilities.

This is the first PIV system to offer true demand-control through our sensors and controls, and the ability to adjust the fan speed will help owners save energy when the house is unoccupied.

The Drimaster-Eco-Heat features an integral heater which is sited uniquely between the flexible duct and the diffus-

er. This ‘pioneering design’ uses more of the heat created to temper the air rather than losing 3 to 4 degrees of heat through the duct as per standard PIV designs.

Prices start at €400 + delivery ■

Available across SW France from Harlequin Developments, for all your ventilation requirements.

T: 06 06 60 46 97 E: harlequindevelopments@live.com

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

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Small b&w Directory Ad

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

30 words max

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.

KICK-START YOUR BUSINESS WITH ADVERTS FROM €12.50 HT / MONTH SALES24@THEBUGLE.EU

06 04 17 80 93

COMMUNITY ♦ 21

OCTOBER 2018 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

What can a little more wine or beer hurt?

I

f you want to drink, that’s your business. If you want to stop but find it hard to do, that’s our business and we’re good at it! OK yes, that’s a bit cheeky. But sometimes the truth is best served with a side of good humour. I’m speaking from experience - a sad, lonely and terrifying experience of wanting to stop drinking alcohol but not being able to do it.

Sure, I could stop for a day or two if the hangover was bad enough, or the money had run out. Or if the police had put some “barriers” in between me and my liquor cabinet. But once the haze cleared, it was back to the races.

For the last several years of my drinking, I always lost the race.

Why? It wasn’t because my family didn’t love me - they did. It wasn’t because I had a terrible childhood - I didn’t. In fact, I had every advantage and lots of ability and encouragement to flourish. Yet once I started to drink alcohol, I simply didn’t have a “Stop” button.

I was like a car with no brakes and the hill was getting frighteningly steep. The signs grew evermore urgent and clear: Lost friendships, lost family, lost jobs, lost dignity.

To all of you I can happily say: You are NOT alone; and better yet there IS a solution that works!

The next signs ahead were: • Lost freedom • Lost sanity • Lost life

A normal person would have stopped much earlier.

Even a mildly crazy person might have had enough sense to at least slow down. But an alcoholic simply lacks that ability, like a blind person lacks sight. It’s not our fault.

But it becomes our choice to either stop or continue to the bitter end once we have been shown a way to put this disease in remission one day at a time.

So I am writing this to you because maybe you care about someone who has crossed that line and clearly can’t stop even when she wants to. Or maybe you work with someone who has great potential and, when they are not hung over or missing-in-action, they are a great employee. But you know that he has a drinking problem.

Or maybe you yourself are in the good company of millions of other alcoholics who are still looking in the mirror the morning after with confusion and disgust, wanting to stop but baffled that you just can’t seem to do it.

NEDWA North Eastern Dordogne Women’s Association Come along and meet us on Tuesday 23rd October from 10:30 am to 12 noon at our next Coffee Morning at Auberge du Pont, route de Lanouaille, 24390 Cherveix-Cubas.

Always be sure of a warm welcome, good company and genuine friendship. www.nedwa.com NEDWA is a dynamic, multi-national group of around 100 women of all ages...

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

For 45 years now, the association Bergerac Accueille has been offering residents of Bergerac and the surrounding areas a wide range of activities.

With nearly 1,000 members, it currently offers around a hundred activities, led by 68 volunteer animators: - Language classes: English, Spanish, Italian, Occitan - Art: watercolour, pastel, painting, enamels, painting on silk or porcelain, embroidery, sewing - Walking & hiking - Folk dancing, country dancing, gymnastics - Games: Scrabble, bridge, tarot, belotte, billiards - Courses on wine, genealogy, cinema, photography card-making, computers, local heritage - Get-togethers around reading (reading club) and writing The association also organises events such as a Christmas dinner, clothes exchange, loto, exhibitions and outings to discover new places.

Located at the Maison des Associations, place Jules Ferry, 24100 Bergerac, the association welcomes the public on Wednesday afternoons from 14:30 to 17:30 (excluding school holidays).

• It’s not free - you will have to pay with a little humility and lots of honesty. But there are no money dues or fees.

• It’s not always easy - but it is always simple.

• You don’t have to believe in anything, it’s not religion or some personality cult. Just others who have found a way out of the alcoholism trap and back into a life of freedom and belonging again.

So, if you have had enough of drinking too much and living too little, or think the person you care about has had enough, we can help. Yes, I understand it can be embarrassing, even scary at first. But isn’t a life of freedom from alcoholic bondage and real happiness worth it?

You can put down the drink and pick up the rest of this beautiful life. You can do it together with others who want to share their freedom with you.

You are not alone and you are worth it.

To find out more, please go to: aafrance.net

Sweet little Holly and her chums are all in the Dordogne with Acorn Cat Rescue and are looking for very good homes.

All Acorn cats and kittens are microchipped, vaccinated and sterilised where age appropriate.

Thank you. www.associationacorn.com Facebook: Acorn Cat Rescue

MiniPete This little boy was born around June 2017 and, through no fault of his own, has found himself homeless! His foster mum says that MiniPete is a little treasure, playful and happy around other cats and loving with people. Could you be the one to give him his forever home?

If you’re interested in this gorgeous little man please contact his foster mum, details below.

MiniPete has been neutered, chipped and vaccinated.

Dominique Slater Tel: 05 53 83 24 95 Email: dominiqueslater2@gmail.com www.phoenixasso.com www.facebook.com/PhoenixAssociationFrance

Bergerac Accueille is a major player in the associative landscape of Bergerac!

To find out more visit www.bergerac-accueille.net

Bansang Christmas Market, Abjat-sur-Bandiat We are organising the Abjat-sur-Bandiat (24300) Marché de Noël for Sunday 9th December in the salle “Le Capitolet” from 10h to 16h and would like to invite new and established artisans to come and sell their wares at our annual event.

We have been well supported by the public over the years and have managed to attract extremely good quality exhibitors and vendors. If you would like to enquire about this event please telephone me, Linda Nicholson, on 05 53 56 73 86 or contact me by email at lindanicholson51@yahoo.co.uk and I will be happy to help.

All the proceeds from the table charges and the refreshments will be going to The Bansang Hospital Appeal Gambia. Information about the hospital can be found on our website bansanghospitalappeal.org or you can contact me as above.

Many thanks and I look forward to hearing from you.

Linda Nicholson

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

22 ♦ WHAT’S ON

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ OCTOBER 2018

French Conker Championships

WHAT’S

ON

Concerts by the choir Chantemonde Karl Jenkins: Requiem and four Songs of Sanctuary Conducted by Michèle Lhopiteau If you missed Chantemonde’s concert on 1st July, all is not lost as the superb Jenkins programme will be repeated on:

• Saturday 6th October at 21h at the Temple de Bergerac • Sunday 7th October at 17h at the church in Castillonnès Four « Songs of Sanctuary »: poems written in an imaginary language and set to music by Karl Jenkins, a Welsh composer born in 1944. They call on the Gregorian tradition as much as the African tradition. Bass solo: Christian Thierry. « Requiem » dates from 2006. In this work, Jenkins interjects movements featuring Japanese death poems in the form of a haiku with those traditionally encountered in a Requiem Mass. This magnificent work will be interpreted by Chantemonde, accompanied by a piano, violin, viola, cello, double bass, French horn, flute, harp and percussions.

Tickets cost €10 for advance bookings (tel 06 43 10 63 52), €12 on the door (unemployed/ handicapped €5) and entry is free for Under 15s.

Concert by the Vocal Ensemble Hémiole de Bordeaux/ Mérignac Conducted by Michèle Lhopiteau Sunday 14th October at 17h at the Abbatiale de Paunat Stabat Mater is a 2008 piece by Jenkins and was the result of a commission from Prince Charles. Its twelve movements deal with the death of Christ, but also, more broadly, with mourning and the pain of separation.

The concert begins with 4 motets, written by Jenkins, for choir and piano.

Tickets cost €15 for advance bookings (tel 06 43 10 63 52), €20 on the door (students/ unemployed/ handicapped €5) and entry is free for Under 15s.

An afternoon with Franz Schubert Conducted by Michèle Lhopiteau

Saturday 6th October Abjat-sur-Bandiat It’s that time of year again! The official French Conker Championships are being held at Abjatsur-Bandiat on Saturday 6th October. Why ‘official’? Simply because anybody can organise a conker tournament, but only the one held in Abjat can be described as the French Conker Championships and, of course, the eventual French champion can represent France at the World Conker Championships held annually in England.

The tournament is organised by the Fédération Française de Conkers who follow World

Conker Federation rules, providing all conkers and strings.

The day begins with a vide-greniers (usually between 90 and 100 stalls) and the competition begins at 3 pm and is open to men, women and children (inscriptions from 2 pm). Food and drinks are available all day. A meal and a rock concert at the Entente Cordiale bar conclude the festivities.

For further information and reservations for the meal and vide-greniers tel 05 53 56 81 01 or 06 16 36 04 60.

Music in the Dordogne sponsored by ARCADES Join us for concerts in the air conditioned new hall in Le Buisson, mostly of classical music, with top class French, English, Russian and other international performers. Concert tickets cost €15 including wine in the interval.

All events are organised by volunteers and serve as a meeting ground for the French and international communities of the Dordogne, including ACIP and La Tulipe.

Venue - Le Buisson de Cadouin, salle des fêtes, avenue Aquitaine

For more info, tel 06 31 61 81 68 or 05 53 23 86 22 or visit http://www.arcadesinfo.com/

Sunday 21st October at 17h30 at the Temple de Bergerac Franz Schubert is at once the most famous, the most prolific and yet the least played in concert of the great composers. This is why the Dames de Chœur (directed by Julia Brian) and Chantemonde (directed by Michèle Lhopiteau,), who have Schubert in their repertoire, have decided to join forces to organise a “Schubertiade” like there existed in Vienna during the composer’s lifetime: a relaxed musical moment in which various works were performed in private residences. Three talented pianists France Desneulin, Sylvie Maumont and Jonathan Smalley - and four soloists - Julia Brian, Françoise Bernard, Peter Fowler and Antoine Radzikowski – have also joined the adventure which will allow the public to hear, in addition to magnificent choruses, some of Franz Schubert’s most beautiful Lieder and two- and four-handed piano pieces.

Sunday 14th October at 5 pm Pianist Mark Zarb-Adami

The afternoon will conclude with a traditional Schubertiade meal of grilled sausages, purée of pommes de terre, apple tart, artisanal beer and coffee.

Got an event?

06 04 17 80 93

Tickets cost €12 on the door, €10 for advance bookings (unemployed/ handicapped €5) and entry is free for Under 15s.

For more information and to reserve the meal (€12 - provided by a Nontron traiteur) tel 06 43 10 63 52.

Fête de la châtaigne et du cèpe 20th-21st October Head to the village of Villefranche-du-Périgord for the 30th edition of its annual chestnut and mushroom festival.

This two-day extravaganza offers visitors a farmers and local produce market, the sale of grilled chestnuts and fresh apple juice, artisans demonstrating their skills and plenty of entertainment besides.

Don’t miss the chestnut spitting contest and the chance to sample the giant cèpe omelette.

Thirty artists and artisans will present their latest collections and demonstrate their skill and creativity in the centre of Nontron from 26th-28th October.

Friday 14h-19h, Saturday 10h-19h and Sunday 10h-18h. Entry €2; Free for Under 16s.

For more information visit www.metiersdartperigord.fr

Programme: Brahms Romance Op.118 no.5, Scriabin Sonata no.2 Bach Busoni Chaconne Schumann Romance Op.28 no.2 Franck Prelude, Chorale and Fugue Gershwin/Wild Embraceable You

OCTOBER 2018 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Basket Fair - Sainte-Eulalie-d’Ans Sunday 14th October Professional basket makers will be exhibiting their creations and offering demonstrations of their skills throughout the day.

WHAT’S ON ♦ 23

This classic dramatic piece, written by celebrated playwright Arthur Miller, is an emotional family tragedy. It is directed by Martin Smith, founder of the Theatre de Lauzun, who has cast fresh local talent.

Rehearsals are in progress and are going well. It is to be performed in the Theatre de Lauzun, which is behind the Café des sports, rue Eugène Mazelie, 47410 Lauzun.

Performances will be on Thursday 25th, Friday 26th and Saturday 27th October (doors open at 19h, performances start at 19h30) with a matinee on Sunday 28th October (doors open at 15h, performance starts at 15h30).

Tickets €10. For bookings please email barbaragray1@hotmail.fr.

Christmas Fair in aid of

THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION

Pumpkin Festival Sunday 21st October, Issigeac See pumpkins and gourds in all shapes, sizes and colours and sample the delicious pumpkin soup. There will be also be a competition for the biggest pumpkin.

All day. Place du château.

on THURSDAY 1st NOVEMBER from 10 am – 4 pm at LE PETIT PARIS, 16320, GARDES-LE-PONTAROUX

COME ALONG AND GET INTO THE SPIRIT OF GIVING There will be a variety of stalls supporting this wonderful charity, selling books, seasonal and unusual crafty items, cards, etc. So why not come and start your Christmas shopping plus enjoy coffee and home-made cake, and ample seating available in the garden.

LUNCH can also be enjoyed as Paul and Lorna from Le Petit Poisson will be serving cod and chips plus more from Renee between 12 noon and 2:30 pm.

Advertise on these pages notices@thebugle.eu

For further information tel 05 45 65 93 03 or email janehickey@myself.com Le Petit Paris is on the D16 close to the new roundabout on the D939 Villebois-Lavalette side. Sat nav co-ordinates 45.507526 0.323861.

24 ♦ WHAT’S ON

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ OCTOBER 2018