The Bugle Limousin - October 2021

Winter tyres to become compulsory From Novermber 1st, winter tyres are to become compulsory in 48 departments, but Nouvelle>> Page 7 Aquitaine is largely unaffected.

Votes for Life one step closer A controversial bill which will give British expats the right to vote for life has passed a second reading in the House of Commons. >> Page 4

November 2016 - Issue #85

Limousin

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More roaming fees are on the way

>> continued on page 6

M&S to close French stores over Brexit - pg 5

EU to standardise charger cables - pg 7

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EU,” Three UK said in a statement. “Pay as you go customers and customers who have taken out a contract before 1 October 2021 are unaffected by these changes. Customers roaming in the Republic of Ireland are also unaffected.”

While not inevitable, roaming charges are an unfortunate knock-on from Britain's exit from the EU. Since 2017, mobile networks in EU states have been banned from charging customers extra to use their phones in other member countries.

“Wholesale roaming rates will change given the UK's exit, and this in turn will inevitably drive higher prices without EU protection. It's a

Limousin restaurant chain goes viral - pg 3

Aerial images to be used to track undeclared pools - pg 11

As another mobile operator brings back roaming charges, post-Brexit fees are also being reintroduced for card payments, cash withdrawals and online shopping. he third British mobile operator in as many months has announced the return of roaming fees for customers when visiting the EU. Following similar moves by EE and Vodafone, this month it was the turn of Three to unveil a new £2-per-day EU roaming charge. The change will affect all new or upgrading customers from October 2021 and will come into force in May next year.

“From May 23 2022, customers who have taken out a new contract or upgraded with Three from October 1 2021 will pay a charge of £2 per day when roaming within the EU and £5 a day when roaming outside the

INSIDE > > >

Licences removed over phone use - pg 10

Bugle Business Directory

6 pages packed with local, English-speaking businesses where you can find anything from a Handyman to a Hairdresser. See pg 13-18.

Also online: www.thebugle.eu/directory.php

2 ♦ IN THIS EDITION

Welcome to

I

The Bugle

t is something I say a lot and that annoys the heck out of my wife: “But I have to watch it, you don't understand. It's the [insert sporting event] and it only happens every [insert number between 1 and 4] years!” To be fair to my wife, with this logic, there is a seemingly once-in-ablue-moon, unmissable event every few weeks, which must be a tad irritating. This month it was the Ryder Cup, something I start looking forward to from the minute the previous one ends. I could not have been more excited.

Which is why it was such an anti-climax and crushing disappointment when the American team absolutely destroyed Europe's best. It wasn't the losing, I'm more than used to that. Being a sports fan is like riding a bike: you seem to spend at least three quarters of the time panting and sweating your way uphill and relatively little freewheeling down with the wind in your hair.

It was the fact that it was not competitive that made it such a disappointment. So much of the enjoyment of sport is in the ebb and flow and the uncertainty of

the result. Personally I would rather see my team pipped at the post than steamroller a much lesser opposition. The Americans were SO good, that the result was never really in doubt from very early on. What is usually three days of tense action became an exercise in going through the motions simply to confirm a result.

I was gutted and now I have to wait another two years for the next event. Although, to be fair there are the Autumn Rugby Internationals in November which only happen once a year, and the T20 Cricket World Cup (once every 2 years) and then the Ashes down under in December (every 4 years)... hmm, maybe my wife has a point.

I was interested to read this month that the EU is moving to force the big tech companies to standardise their charger cables. This has been a point of contention for me for many years.

I am one of those people that has a dozen cables, but never the right one. And even when I have the one with the right nozzle on the end, it will for some reason only charge some compatible devices but not others.

What makes it worse is that

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they all look the same so the only way I can know which one works with my portable speaker is to identify it through trial and error and then make sure it stays plugged into the same adapter.

Except that doesn't work when there are four other people in the house with no respect for someone else's property.

Add into the equation the older cables that you are 98% sure you don't need any more, but that a niggling doubt makes you keep it “just in case”. Every now and then I collect them all together and throw them in a drawer so at least I know they're all in one place. But then a law of nature I like to call the “clothes hanger principle” takes effect.

This is when you put a selection of similar items neatly into an enclosed space, close it gently, count to ten and then open it to reveal a puzzle Rubik himself could not have dreamt up.

How does it happen? I have tried folding them up and using little rubber bands and cable ties, I have colour coded them with little pieces of electrical tape, I have even tried putting them into tiny Ziplock bags. But come my hour of need, they will predictably have transmogrified into one giant, multi-headed hydra. The end of the one you want may be winking at you invitingly from out of the carnage, but you just know it will take half an hour to disentangle the other end. The thought of being able to have just one charging cable that could do it all is a very enticing one.

Quite a few people have been in touch to check that I survived

the recent visit of the in-laws I mentioned last month. It has become a bit of a running joke over the years and while they have their moments, we do actually get on very well, despite my father-in-law's best efforts!

But I have promised to be nice to them in this edition while I write something sincere as later this month they will be celebrating 50 years of marriage, which it must be said is very impressive. My Dad's favourite joke (other than opening his eyes after blowing out his birthday candles, looking at my Mum and saying “That didn't work then, you're still here!”) was regularly letting us know on their wedding anniversary what crimes he could have committed to be served with the same amount of jail time. “24 years we've been married... you get less than that for murder!”

I think you might have to

move to America to get a 50-year sentence, but I get the impression that the time they have served together has not been all that hard.

So congratulations John and Joan on reaching that milestone.

Fifty long years since you agreed to marry each other “for better or worse”, which is fitting when you think about it... as John couldn't have done any better, and Joan couldn't have done any worse!

I couldn't resist.

Until next month...

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

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

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15th October for November's edition

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FRENCH NEWS ♦ 3

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popular Limousin-based restaurant chain has been enjoying its moment in the sun after tweets praising its food went viral around the world. When American tourist Steve Olson visited a branch of La Pataterie with his partner in September – a chain based around and famous for its potato recipes - he could not have known that he would soon be an online “potato influencer” and help raise valuable funds for the Restos du Coeur charity.

While on holiday in Arles, Provence, Steve and his wife stopped for a bite to eat and ordered a Pom’ Au Four Savoyarde, a baked potato served with an assortment of hams, raclette cheese, cornichons and salad. So blown away were the couple that Steve took to Twitter to write an 8-tweet thread on the wonders of the “AMAZING” potato he had discovered.

“A giant baked potato, but a GLORIOUSLY baked one. Gold, steamed and baked to creamy, tender, but still with structural perfection. Seriously this was the greatest potato ever made by human hands... words cannot express my amazement. I don’t understand how a chain baked potato could be so much better than every other baked potato I’ve ever had.”

His series of tweets soon went viral, receiving tens of thousands of likes, but for two different reasons. One group were simply taken by the couple's enthusiasm for their meal, but another group gently teased the pair for waxing lyrical over what would not exactly be considered haute cuisine on these shores.

All publicity is good publicity, however, and with their arch rivals receiving so much attention online, Buffalo Grill took to social media and invited the Americans to try a meal at one of their restaurants.

A few days later, Steve took once again to Twitter to use his new-found fame for good, whilst acknowledging his personal culinary tastes. “OK French friends, although we may have differences about restaurants (and potatoes) we all clearly love food, and feeding people. I just gave 100€ to @restosducoeur - who will stand with me?” he posted, alongside a link to the popular food bank charity.

The warm-hearted move led one follower to reply “You're my favourite American since Abraham Lincoln!”

Riding the wave of publicity, La Pataterie responded to the post, announcing that the restaurant chain would be offering five tons of potatoes to the charity association and following the online buzz, the charity received five times the donations it would expect on a normal September weekend.

“The whole team are really happy,” said La Pataterie’s director Sébastien de Laporte.

“What is really great is the tone of this gentleman’s tweets. They’re joyful, enthusiastic and we find them really heartwarming. The recipe that this gentleman tried was the Pom’ Au Four Savoyarde. It was created in 1996 by our founder, Jean-Christophe Pailleux, and it is still by far one of our bestsellers. It is not a unique recipe, it’s not ‘Michelin star’, but all of our ingredients are of a really high quality.”

With the story gathering more and more at-

Would you like to advertise your business on these pages? sales@thebugle.eu 06 04 17 80 93

credit: lapataterie.fr

Limousin restaurant chain enjoys its moment of internet fame

The brand new Pom' Au Four Américaine tention, La Pataterie announced that for one month from 24th September they would be serving the brand new Pom’ Au Four Américaine, dedicated to their favourite American fan. Not only that, but for each potato sold, they will be donating one euro to Restos du Coeur. “OH MY GOD, THEY DID IT,” tweeted Steve following the news. “I am humbled, amused, and just can't say how amazed.

I couldn't be happier to see that we'll be able to help feed more folks in need through @restosducoeur. MERCI À VOUS!” The first La Pataterie restaurant opened in Brive in 1996, but soon moved its head office to Limoges. The family run chain quickly expanded over the years and was named restaurant chain of the year in 2015 before encountering financial difficulties and a takeover.

Today the chain is once again going strong with 80 restaurants across the country... and a few new fans in America. ■

Oradour mayor given top German honour The mayor of Oradour-sur-Glane has been given a prestigious award

by Germany in a highly symbolic move recognising the tragic link between the town and the Second World War. At a ceremony held in Paris, Philippe Lacroix was awarded the German Order of Merit by Ambassador Hans-Dieter Lucas, the highest civilian distinction given by Germany.

“I certainly wasn't expecting this,” said the town's mayor. “Even though this award is being given to me, it is really for the families of Oradour and the associations that have supported us.”

“This award is in gratitude for his forward-looking approach to remembrance,” said the German ambassador. “Through his commitment, he has shown that remembrance and reconciliation are not contradictory.”

This is the third time that Germany's highest award has been handed out to commemorate the massacre at Oradour, that saw 642 men, women and children killed in the days after the D-Day landings. Previous recipients are Robert Hébras, the last surviving escapee and Raymond Frugier, the town's mayor between 1995 and 2014.■

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4 ♦ FRENCH NEWS

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Votes for Life edge closer

Officers held in Taser prank car crash

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hree officers have been arrested after the passenger in a police car fired a Taser at the driver, resulting in a crash. There were six officers in the car when the driver lost control and hit a parked car in Roubaix, near Lille. According to prosecutors, there were no injuries but the group then left the scene without stopping. The incident was reported by a local resident and the officer who fired the weapon, along with two others were later placed in custody.

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he right for British expats to Vote for Life has come a step closer after the Elections Bill passed its second reading in the House of Commons, despite opposition from some MPs. Under current rules, British citizens who have lived outside the UK for more than 15 years lose the right to vote in elections... and referendums.

Campaigners have long sought to have this rule removed, arguing that many expats retain strong links to Great Britain and Northern Ireland, are affected by any decision taken by MPs and in many cases, still pay taxes in the UK. Removal of the 15-year rule has been a campaign pledge of successive Conservative governments, but due to the complexities of parliamentary cycles, bills including the changes have never passed; any legislation that has not passed when parliament is prorogued and a new session begins, is dropped and must be put forward again. This time the changes had been bundled up in the Elections Bill with wider electoral reforms key to the Conservative agenda and will almost certainly be pushed through in the near future.

“The bill will ensure that the voices of British citizens across the world can be heard, and their vote is taken into account on matters that do affect them,” said Cabinet Office Minister Chloe Smith, addressing MPs. While campaigners are understandably delighted that as many as 3 million expats around the world will have the right to vote for life restored, they are angry that it is being pushed through alongside controversial new rules which will require

voter ID at polling stations. Opponents argue that this move is designed to make it harder for already marginalised people to vote and could disfranchise younger and poorer voters who do not always have a passport or driving licence. “This bill contains measures that appear to be designed to make it harder for certain groups of the UK population to vote,” said campaign group British in Europe. “Getting our vote back matters hugely: but not at the price of other people’s ability to vote at all.”

During the debate, some opposition Labour MPs questioned the government's motivation and claimed that their sudden backing of Votes for Life was an attempt to get around foreign donation restrictions. Under current rules, anyone with the right to vote in the UK can donate to political parties.

“The motivation behind the change to remove the 15-year limit is about creating a loophole in donation law, and it will give rich Conservative donors abroad unlimited access to our democracy in allowing them to bankroll the Tory party,” argued Labour MP Cat Smith. “There is nothing in the bill to help overseas electors get their ballots back on time. One of the complaints I have heard most from overseas voters is that they do not get their ballot papers in time and cannot get them returned to the UK in time for their votes to count.”

Fellow Labour members Clive Lewis and Geraint Davies agreed: “It is the wealthy tax exiles, not members of the public, who will benefit from the rules... it will allow overseas donors more influence in our politics.” ■

Rather than being the result of a disagreement, the crash appears to have been a prank gone wrong. “They were having fun amongst themselves and acting like idiots,” explained Emmanuel Riglaire, a lawyer for the woman who fired the Taser. The lawyer described the atmosphere in the car as “good-natured” because “they're staff who get on well” and said that his client simply wanted to give her colleague “a light Taser”!

The three officers in custody have been summoned to appear at Lille's criminal court on 3 February. The woman who discharged the Taser will be prosecuted for intentional violence with a weapon and endangering the lives of others, which her lawyer confirmed could land her with a prison sentence. The two other officers are accused of hit-and-run and aiding and abetting a hit-and-run. ■

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FRENCH NEWS ♦ 5

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Marks & Spencer to close French stores

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conic British retailer Marks & Spencer has been forced to close 11 of its stores in France due to problems linked to Britain's exit from the EU. The company said supply chain issues since Brexit had made it “near impossible” to maintain standards of food supply, leading to the closure of all the outlets it ran with franchise partner SFH. The remaining nine M&S stores run at French travel hubs will continue to operate for the time being.

“M&S has a long history of serving customers in France and this is not a decision we or our partner SFH have taken lightly,” explained Paul Friston, managing director of M&S International. “However, as things stand today, the supply chain complexities in place following the UK's exit from the European Union now make it near impossible for us to serve fresh and chilled products to customers to the high standards they expect, resulting in an ongoing impact to the performance of our business. With no workable alternative, we have

agreed with SFH to close all 11 franchised stores.”

According to Steve Dresser, managing director of Grocery Insight, while all retailers' sales had been affected by Covid, Marks & Spencer in France was “another casualty of Brexit”.

“Once you add inefficiency in to any supply chain, be it trade barriers or bureaucracy, plus the need for extra manpower, there is cost that needs to be absorbed somewhere along the line. It's likely for the minimal returns, the numbers simply no longer made sense to M&S. It's clear that a huge amount of management resource has been taken up getting stock in the right place for European stores.”

The company's chairman, Archie Norman, a former Tory MP appointed in 2017, refused to blame Brexit, and rather claimed that the EU's “fandango of bureaucracy” was at fault. “What we’ve discovered is that the EU rules for governing borders, and their customs union are totally out of date, and not suited for the purpose they are designed

for. Our products, our fresh sandwiches and ready meals, going to Ireland or France are delayed by about a day – that is not good if you are a sandwich.

We are getting about 80% of our product through, less than that in France.”

“These rules serve no purpose at all because our food stand-

ards are higher than the European Union's and they haven't changed since we were part of the European Union,” the chairman argued. “So this is a pointless bureaucratic exercise in making it more difficult to trade.”

In reality, following Brexit, the UK now has the “freedom”

to set its own food standards and having failed to reach an agreement, Britain's standards are no longer automatically recognised by the EU, leading to border controls. The British government is already in trade talks with other countries to allow food products into the UK that would not meet EU standards. ■

6 ♦ FRENCH NEWS

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Roaming charges are on the way back >> continued from pg 1 pretty easy decision for UK telcos,” explained Paolo Pescatore, an analyst at PP Foresight who described the price changes as a “harsh reality” of Brexit.

“All the operators are struggling with margins being squeezed, and are seeking ways of increasing revenue while investing billions in costly next generation fixed and mobile networks.”

France’s leading mobile providers Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Free - have all said that they will not be reintroducing roaming charges for customers travelling to the UK after Brexit. There is, however, nothing stopping these companies from also now changing their minds in the future.

The latest roaming charges to British visitors to the EU could just be the start of a trend that will spread into other sectors and insiders have highlighted fears of the reintroduction of bank transaction fees following Brexit. EU directives and regulations enforce “equality of charges”, which means any fee for using your bank card in another member state should be the same as for an equivalent transaction within the home state. The result was

that a UK bank that does not charge a fixed transaction fee at home could not do so when a customer used their card elsewhere in the EU. Following Brexit, however, UK banks are no longer bound by this regulation and have only retained a “transparency” requirement for conversion charges.

Similarly, British high street banks are no longer blocked from reintroducing charges for withdrawing cash abroad.

Many fear it is only a matter of time before the banks cash in.

This type of change has already been seen at online payment processing company PayPal, which will introduce new fees for payments between the UK and countries in the EEA from November. Until now, transactions within the EU attract a fee of 0.5%, but this will be raised next month to 1.29% for transactions to or from the UK, including Guernsey, Jersey, Gibraltar, and the Isle of Man. “This is unwelcome news for small businesses and entrepreneurs,” said the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

“Since the start of the year, around one in four small exporters have stopped exporting to the EU, citing amongst other reasons the costs involved in

selling to EU-based customers.”

Elsewhere, Mastercard has said that from October it will be increasing the fee it charges businesses by a factor of five when British cardholders purchase items online from an EU retailer - from 0.3% to 1.5%. While this may not initially be noticed by consumers as the

fee is paid by the merchant, businesses will almost certainly pass this added cost on to British buyers by way of price increases or additional transaction fees.

Under European rules, credit and debit card interchange fees are capped at 0.2% and 0.3% respectively, but this no longer applies to UK businesses.■

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FRENCH NEWS ♦ 7

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n a change that has come as a surprise to many drivers, new rules are coming into force from 1st November that will require cars to be fitted with specialist equipment or winter tyres in 48 departments across the country. After several years of discussions and proposals, the new rules were eventually included in the Loi Montagne II, which became law in October 2020, but with relatively few details about the areas concerned and little fanfare.

The result is that with just weeks to go, an estimated half of all drivers remain unaware of the changes, and many of the departments concerned have yet to confirm the areas affected. Under the law, prefects in 48 departments considered at risk of snow or ice have the powers to identify areas where all vehicles must be equipped with winter tyres.

These areas will be identified by road signs on entry (B58) and exit (B59).

In these areas, drivers must have suitable equipment at all times between 1st November and 31st March. This includes either all-weather tyres, winter tyres or snow chains. For drivers who do not live in the affected areas, carry-

ing snow chains in the boot of your car will be considered sufficient. If you are stopped in these areas without the correct tyres or equipment, you will not be able to continue your journey and will be fined €135. It is believed that in the short term authorities will be issuing warnings rather than fines as road users become familiar with the new rules.

In Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the only departments concerned are Creuse, HauteVienne and Pyrénées-Atlantiques.

While some departments, such as the Puy-de-Dôme, have said the rules will apply across the whole department, the Creuse prefect has said there are no plans to enforce the new powers anywhere and the Pyrenées-Atlantique prefect has indicated that only mountainous areas will be concerned.

France is not the first country to introduce rules for winter tyres. Germany, Luxembourg, Sweden, Finland and Italy have all had similar legislation in place for a number of years, either as a blanket rule, or under certain weather conditions. In Germany, motorists face fines of between €60-120 for failure to comply.■

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Compulsory winter EU moves to end tyres from November charger cable chaos

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re you fed up with having countless cables all over the house, yet never being able to find the right one? If so, good news could be on the horizon after the EU unveiled plans to standardise charger formats for a number of common devices, including smartphones, tablets, cameras, portable games consoles, speakers, and headphones.

It may not always feel like it, but the situation today is far better than it was in the early days of mobile phones when every manufacturer had its own charger cables with proprietary connectors; in 2009, there were an estimated 30 types of charger cable on the market! These days, the vast majority of devices stick to three connectors - USB micro-B, the newer USB-C and Apple's Lightning.

EU politicians have been campaigning for a common standard for over a decade, as well as to reduce the overall number of charger plugs

in circulation. Around 420 million mobile phones and other portable electronic devices were sold in the EU in the last year, with 11,000 tonnes of waste generated through the disposal of unused charging cables. Research has shown that the average person has three different mobile phone chargers, of which they regularly use two. The new proposals will also ban manufacturers from supplying a new charger with every device.

The change has broad industry and public support, but has until recently met with opposition from the world's largest smartphone maker, Apple. “We remain concerned that strict regulation mandating just one type of connector stifles innovation rather than encouraging it, which in turn will harm consumers in Europe and around the world,” the firm said, although significantly, it did recently switch from Lightning connectors to USB-C for newer MacBooks and iPads.

“We gave industry plenty of time to come up with their own solutions, now time is ripe for legislative action for a common charger,” explained European Commission (EC) Vice President Margrethe Vestager. “This is an important win for our consumers and the environment and in line with our green and digital ambitions.”

The EC proposal will make USB-C the new standard across Europe and, if introduced next year as hoped, member states will have two years to enact the rules into national law, and manufacturers will have 24 months to change their charging ports.

“Having one common charging standard would be a victory for common sense in the eyes of consumers,” said Ben Wood, an analyst at CCS Insight. “Although Apple has made a strong argument for keeping its Lightning connector - given the one billion active iPhone users - some of its products including Mac and iPad now support USB-C.”■

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8 ♦ FRENCH NEWS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ OCTOBER 2021

I

n a further escalation of cross-Channel tensions, the French foreign minister has warned his British counterpart Priti Patel that France would not be “held to ransom” by the UK in a row over migrant crossings. The war of words began after the UK threatened to break international maritime law by forcibly returning boats to France from the “search and rescue zone” in the Channel and also withhold €62.7 million previously pledged to France to help police the waters off the French coast.

“France will not accept any practice that is contrary to the law of the sea, nor any financial blackmail,” the foreign minister tweeted. “Great Britain must stick to its commitments, as I’ve said clearly to my counterpart @pritipatel. The friendship between our two countries merits better than posturing which harms the cooperation between our security services.”

This summer saw an increase in the numbers of immigrants attempting to reach England by boat. While the right-wing press in the UK have been quick to highlight the increase and call for yet another crackdown on asylum seekers, more liberal voices have pointed to the fact that overall numbers are steady, or in fact dropping, and the increase in boats is due to improved security at the Channel Tunnel making it harder to cross by land.

Under pressure from Boris Johnson to reduce the number of immigrants reaching the UK, Patel took the extraordinary step of telling Border Force to adopt a hardline “turnaround” tactic of intercepting boats and forcibly returning them into French territorial waters. Not only would this almost

certainly be illegal under maritime law, but campaigners and representatives of the Border Force union called the tactics a “headline-grabbing exercise” that was dangerous and unenforceable.

“To use this tactic, you need perfect weather, you need to know there is adequate fuel on the suspected vessel so it can return to France, the vessel would have to be seaworthy, there can’t be any babies or minors on board, every passenger has to be healthy, and there can be no chance of loss of life.

Highly unlikely,” explained Kevin Mills, the Border Force representative for the PCS union.

Conservative MPs also poured cold water on the prospects of the tactic being used.

“It sounds good. But I’m afraid in practice it’s just not going to happen. These are flimsy boats coming over. Even those that are tougher are completely weighed down,” said Tim Loughton, an MP on the Home Affairs Committee. “Any boat coming up alongside at speed would capsize most of these boats anyway and then we’re looking at people getting into trouble in the water and drowning… and then we’ll get blamed for that.”

Escalating the incident, Patel then threatened to withhold €62.7 million that had been pledged in an agreement between the UK and France to increase patrols on the French coast to prevent boats from launching. A French interior ministry source said there had “never been any question of making payment conditional on numerical targets... Such an approach would reflect a serious loss of confidence in our cooperation.”

Speaking to Radio 4's Today programme,

credit: helengrant.org / MP

Cross Channel war of words escalates

Calais MP Pierre-Henri Dumont said “nothing” could completely stop migrant crossings and called it “impossible” for French police to patrol the whole shoreline. “The fact is, we've got 300 to 400 kilometres of shore to monitor every day and every night and it's quite impossible to have police officers every 100 metres because of the length of the shore. We have more and more patrols. The money that was promised to be given by the UK government to France is set to maintain this number of patrols that we already doubled a few weeks ago.”

Immigration has been a hot topic in Brit-

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ain, especially since the Brexit referendum where reducing the number of foreigners was a key consideration for many, but while the subject is a bigger “issue” in the UK, it is a far bigger one in France. The UK processed around 32,000 asylum applications in 2020, while France and Spain had more than 75,000 and Germany well in excess of 100,000. Immigration will likely move higher up the news agenda in France, however, in the run-up to the presidential elections due next April, where Marine le Pen is expected to use the issue to gather popular support. ■

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FRENCH NEWS ♦ 9

10 ♦ FRENCH NEWS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ OCTOBER 2021

Licences removed for driving with phones Among numerous infractions and fines handed out, 5 drivers also had their driving licences removed. The worst offender was a lorry driver on a notoriously dangerous curve of the A8 main road. Driving at 80 km/h in a 50 km/h zone, the man was also tailgating the traffic in front of him and overtaking on the right, all while watching a video on his phone.

When he was stopped by gendarmes, the driver said he thought it was OK because he was not using his phone to make a call, but only to watch a video. The multiple offences meant he was banned from driving for six months.

Other instances of licences being suspended involved a combination of mobile phone usage and failing to give way, jumping traffic lights and overtaking without using indicators.

Police have been keen to stress that only fully integrated hands-free sets, or integrated helmet and mic sets, can be used while driving. Wired, or wireless headphones are

Extension to Brexit card requirement

ollowing a previous extension, all British residents in France are required to be in possession of a Brexit Withdrawal Agreement (WA) residency card by 1st October.

With many expats yet to receive their card, there have been indications that this deadline has now been pushed back to 1st January 2022. The issue is a potentially serious one for those affected as the current rules state that any British expats returning to France from October will be required to show their residency card at the border.

The portal for applying for post-Brexit residency permits did not close as expected on 30th June and residents have been able to make applications until very recently. In theory, any applications received since June are late and should be accompanied by a justification, but in reality authorities have not been asking for this. The result is that people that have applied since June will almost certainly not be in possession of their residency card by the 1st October deadline.

While there has been no official word from the government about any extension, the Franco British Network - one of the bodies accredited by the UK government to help expats with their applications – has said that they have “come to understand” that the deadline for possession of the card has been extended to January. There have also been several Facebook posts by people who have been told by their local prefecture of the extension by email.

In reality, the French authorities have been working hard to help all British expats to become legally resident and as long as you have proof that you have applied for the card, you are unlikely to encounter any serious problems. It is believed, however, that the application portal will close for good on 1st October. ■

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fore picking up or touching your phone.

Phone usage is a growing cause of road accidents, accounting for 10% of all incidents. Studies have shown that looking at your phone to read a message takes your eyes off the road for an average of five seconds. ■

Highligner walks across Seine from Eiffel Tower

frenchresidencysupport.org

F

not permitted and could see you lose your licence if you commit a secondary offence.

Furthermore, according to a 2018 ruling handed down by France's highest court, the Cour de cassation, pulling over to take a call is also not permitted – you must be parked in a recognised parking space be-

red Marie / Hans Lucas (Flickr)

G

endarmes in the Alpes-Maritimes department have carried out an operation to raise awareness of the new, stricter rules for mobile phone usage while driving. Enforcing the new laws, five drivers near Nice had their driving licences immediately removed as authorities battle to reduce the dangerous practice among the wider public.

Until the recent Loi d’orientation des mobilités, anyone caught using their mobile phone at the wheel faced an immediate €135 fine and three points off their licence.

Under the new, stricter rules, however, if you are caught using your phone while committing any other road traffic offence, your driving licence can also be instantly removed for up to six months.

The law was introduced at the end of 2019, but only came into effect this summer. The recent operation near Nice is believed to be the first time that it has been enforced in a large, targeted manner.

A

French slackliner has successfully completed a 600-metre crossing of the Seine in Paris, 70 metres above cheering crowds. The breathtaking stunt saw Nathan Paulin cross from the Eiffel Tower to the roof of the Chaillot Theatre on the left bank of the river. The event, which was organised with the help of French dancer and choreographer Rachid Ouramdane, was timed to celebrate the country's Heritage Days, with performances taking place at the theatre on both Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

Attached with a safety line, the barefoot 27-year-old made the crossing slowly as the crowds watched on, regularly stopping to sit or lie on the slackline. “It wasn’t easy walking 600 metres, concentrating, with everything around, the pressure, but it was still beautiful,” Paulin said after completing the crossing. “Obtaining the necessary authorisations was difficult, as well as the stress linked to the audience, the fact that there were a lot of people.”

Slacklining is similar to tightrope walking but involves a wire that has not been stretched taut and moves with the user. He previously crossed the Seine in a similar way in 2017, a feat which still holds the world record for the longest urban highline walk. Paulin has several other world records including crossing a 1662-metre highline suspended at a height of 300 meters at Cirque de Navacelles, a landform in the Massif Central mountain range in southern France. ■

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FRENCH NEWS ♦ 11

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Tax authorities team up with Google to track down illegal pools

A

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we will acquire the intellectual property rights and full control over the algorithms developed,” said a spokesperson for the DGFiP, the body which handles tax collection. “The project will improve the reliability of the information on which local direct taxation is based, make officials’ work easier, help fight more effectively against fraud and better respond to people’s expectations of fairness and fiscal justice through the correct evaluation of properties, and automated updating of the cadastral plans.”

According to a trade body for the sector, 200,000 pools were installed last year, taking France past the 3 million mark. The country is believed to have more pools than anywhere else in Europe. ■

Do you have a business to shout about?

nyone with an illegal pool could soon find themselves in hot water after the tax office launched a pilot project to use aerial imaging to catch tax dodgers. The €12 million deal with Google and Cap Gemini will use aerial imagery from the state's geographic body IGN to track down undeclared pools, tennis courts, conservatories and extensions. In order to catch offenders, surveyors would previously have to visit individual properties to compare them to the plan cadastral – the official record of property and land parcels.

The two property taxes paid in France, the taxe foncière and taxe d'habitation are linked to the surface area of a property and any additional outdoor features. If these are not correctly declared when they are built, then the State is being deprived of tax income.

The problem of undeclared pools and extensions is a big one. During a 2017 trial in Marmande, Lot-et-Garonne, tax officials found that one third of the 800 swimming pools counted in the town had not been declared and another study in 2019 by Accenture in three departments revealed 3,000 undeclared pools in the Alpes-Maritimes alone.

The most recent deal will see consultants from Cap Gemini use Google cloud computing infrastructure and artificial intelligence technology to identify relevant structures and check this against public records to ensure the right taxes are being paid. The resulting Foncier Innovant automated system will first be trialled in four departments - Alpes-Maritimes, Ardèche, Bouches-du-Rhône and Maine-et-Loire - before being rolled out nationwide.

It is not the first time the government has tried to develop this kind of automated system. The 2019 Accenture project was not pursued after the company refused to release the resulting software developed, but the government appears to have learnt that lesson this time around. “Our teams will be taking ownership of the technology and

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Paris looks for Olympic volunteers Plans have been unveiled by orgaisers of the 2024 Paris Olympics to recruit 45,000 volunteers to help at the games, with an emphasis being placed on those who can speak English. “The volunteers are global representatives of Paris 2024 and France, playing an important role in the success of the Games,” the organising committee said. “This diverse community of enthusiastic individuals will be on hand at all Olympic and Paralympic sites, offering everybody at the Games an unforgettable experience.”

Volunteers must be 18 years old on 1st January 2024 and will be able to apply via a dedicated website that is due to open in 2023. Organisers are expecting to receive well in excess of 100,000 applications and preference will be given to those able to work at least 10 days of the event. Volunteers are not paid for their work, but are offered free public transport getting to and from venues as well as a free meal each day.

The Olympic Games will take place between July 26 and August 11, 2024.

Paris has previously hosted the Olympic Games twice, in 1900 and 1924. ■

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Cabbage, but not like you had at school!

T

by Julia Watson he cook at my school was an elderly woman in a twilight blue floor-length dress with a white pinny over it named Fanny who had been in the kitchen ever she had left school herself. When she turned 80, a major British national came to interview her.

They did it again when she turned 90. She was persuaded to retire when she turned 93, as the steps down to her basement lair were made of stone worn by centuries of scraping feet and dangerous to even the youngest pupil who made a way down to the stinking dining room.

It stank, as did the rest of the school, of slowly stewed cabbage. Every Monday and Wednesday, all the years of our scholastic lives, Fanny and her team cooked us cabbage-meat-and-potato. On Tuesdays and Thursdays we had salad-meat-and-potato. On Fridays, the best day, we had sausage-beans-and-potato. All of it reeked of stewed cabbage, even Friday’s treat.

If you’re British, it’s likely you have a similar experience in your own past. It’s odd that of all the foodstuffs we’re reputed as a nation to abuse, the cabbage is one of the vegetables most easy to cook and - in other cuisines - respected and made thoroughly delicious.

Recently, though, cabbage has been enjoying a culinary renaissance, particularly the Hispi variety, that pointed heart-shaped cabbage whose Instagram influencers love it cut in quarters and charred. It’s as good blanched for a couple of minutes in salted water then stirred into very buttery mashed potato for colcannon, the Irish dish, as it is finely sliced and spiced up by quickly sautéeing it with as much finely chopped garlic, chilli and ginger as you like then dobbing it with soy sauce before serving. Either of these go well with a grilled fillet of salmon or a pork chop, or the latter version just with steamed brown rice.

But the common white Dutch football cabbage makes a good sweetand-sour version, excellent as a side dish with just about any meat.

Finely shred it. Heat up a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok or deep sauté pan, throw in the cabbage and stir it about quickly to coat it, then toss over 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of sugar and 3 tablespoons of vinegar that you’ve previously mixed together in a small glass. Toss all this together quickly so as to preserve the crunch, then serve.

In South-West France, however, you should comfort yourself over the approach of winter with its renowned Garbure. A rustic meal in a tureen, this gets even better if made the day before, allowing its flavours to develop. If you want to eat it the most common French way, ladle out the vegetable soup separately with the meats following as the next course and serve with cornichons, mustard, and a green salad. But soup and meats served together make an impressive and substantial one-dish meal. ■ Julia Watson has been a long-time Food Writer for newspapers and magazines in the US and the UK. She writes 'Tabled', a weekly food blog at juliawatson.substack.com

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter

1¾ litres water

3 small white turnips, peeled and chopped

250g salt pork belly, chopped into large chunks

1 bouquet garni Salt and pepper to taste

250g white haricot beans (Tarbais are best), soaked overnight

250g potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped

1 duck or goose carcass (optional)

175g Jambon de Campagne with its bone, or other smoked ham

2 large onions, one peeled and stuck with 2 cloves, the other roughly chopped

6 pieces of confit de canard

2 leeks, the white plus 2 inches/5cm green, trimmed and washed

6 thick slices baguette, preferably stale, toasted and rubbed with a clove of garlic

1 small cabbage, shredded

Fill a large pan with the water. Add the pork belly and beans and carcass. Bring to the boil, skimming frequently. Add the onion stuck with cloves, turn down the heat and simmer 1 hour.

In a sauté pan over low heat, soften the leeks and chopped onions in butter. Add to the soup with the turnips, bouquet garni, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 45 minutes. Discard the bones, carcass and clove-studded onion. Add the potatoes and Jambon de Campagne. Bring back to the boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the confit and cabbage. Simmer for 20-30 minutes more.

Put a slice of toast into the bottom of each soup bowl before serving the vegetable soup alone then followed by the meats and vegetables as the main course with cornichons and mustard. Or everything together at once for a hearty one-dish meal.

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DIRECTORY ♦ 13

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BUSINESS DIRECTORY Dog Guest Home

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Handholding & Language >> pg 16-18 Health & Beauty >> pg 18 Insurance & Finance >> pg 18 Pools & Spas >> pg 18 Property Sales & Maintenance >> pg 18 Retail & Commerce >> pg 18 Scrap & Clearance >> pg 18 Transport/Removals/Storage >> pg 18

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14 ♦ DIRECTORY

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• vehicle with 1.5 tonne crane

05 55 37 45 35

wasteremovalmultiservices@gmail.com www.facebook.com/willwhiting87/ siret 532 981 198 00015

The Reclamation Yard Confolens

05 45 30 72 04

semm main ad - pg 7

A Horrocks & Son Building and restoration work

06 26 97 28 54 see main ad below

Can your business fill this space?

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

06 04 17 80 93

To advertise in The Bugle Business Directory, call 06 04 17 80 93 ELECTRICIAN/PLUMBER FROM SMALL REPAIRS TO COMPLETE INSTALLATIONS BOILER SERVICING OVER 35 YEARS EXPERIENCE FULLY INSURED - BASED DEPT 23 lorrainemquintana@gmail.com

05 55 62 63 82

siret: 829 638 741 00019

DIRECTORY ♦ 15

OCTOBER 2021 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

ADVERTORIAL

Harlequin Satellite TV

A

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

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

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

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

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

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 sales@thebugle.eu

6-Month Contract

12-Month Contract

Small b&w Directory Ad

€100

€150

Large b&w Directory Ad

€130

€195

Small Colour Directory Ad

€140

€210

Large Colour Directory Ad

€180

€270

All prices exclude TVA (20%)

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.

Les petits jardiniers du Limousin

We are a gardening association based in the Mairie at St. Amand le Petit, between Eymoutiers and Peyrat le Château.

We hold monthly meetings on the third Thursday of the month, starting at 2.30 pm. Meetings are held in English, but we can also present topics in French. We have lots of different nationalities amongst our members. Our aim is to provide and promote opportunities for people to develop their interest and knowledge in horticulture and gardening and related topics in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. In-house workshop meetings, external speakers and visits are on our agenda.

During Covid-19, we were not been able to have meetings and kept in touch with members and friends via Facebook.

This has become a very popular feature so do have a look at our Facebook page, "Les petits jardiniers du Limousin", where people post photos of their garden, ask questions, share information and keep in contact on a casual, friendly basis.

Our meeting agenda remains subject to any Covid-19 regulations and restrictions in place at that time: 21 Oct

18 Nov 09 Dec

2021 AGM followed by 'Pumpkins' – to include a tasting session All about Grafting Christmas Party

20 Jan Feb 16 Mar

2022 Gravel gardens and drought loving plants No meeting Divide and multiply your plants,

21 Apr 19 May 16 Jun 21 Jul 18 Aug 04 Sep 20 Oct 24 Nov 08 Dec

followed by Show Preparation Visit to Limoges Botanical Gardens Visit to Cité des Insectes Visit to Custos Apium Plant Photography Car rally followed by lunch Annual Show AGM followed by 'House Plants' Upcycling in the Garden Christmas Party

Members and supporters of our Association will receive emails about forthcoming meetings. If you would like to be on our mailing list then please email me with your name and email address. I shall be very happy to add you to the list and you will receive all future notifications. In the meantime... happy gardening.

For any further information contact Carolyn at pjlimousin@gmail.com

CANCER SUPPORT FRANCE Charente Plus Free confidential support for Englishspeaking people touched by cancer Volunteers & Active Listeners needed (full training will be given) If you are interested please email: bloomdenis@outlook.com

CSF 24 HOUR HELPLINE - 0800 24 02 00 email: csfcharenteplus@gmail.com Facebook : Cancer Support France - Charente-Plus

Cancer Support Haute-Vienne

affiliated to

Your local Association supporting English speakers touched by cancer in departments 87, 23, 19 & 36

HELPLINE 0800 240 200 www.cshautevienne.org

16 ♦ DIRECTORY Building Services Groundworks S.M.C SERVICES

Excavator with Driver 0044 (0)7831 121 019

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ OCTOBER 2021

Building Services Plasterers

Able Plastering

see main ad - pg 8

French registered plasterer with over 30 years’ experience

RSW Entreprises

All internal and external works covered Plastering (English and French plaster) Rendering Concreting Floor Screeding Stud Partitioning Lime Mortar Pointing

Fosse Septiques/Micro stations

05.55.80.00.57

See our Display Ad - pg 6

sales@thebugle.eu 06 04 17 80 93 Building Services Lifts & Scaffolding

Cherry Picker Services

14.5 metres on a van lasout@live.com

Tel: 09 66 03 52 89 Call for a quote

Tel: 05 55 62 12 39 Mobile: 06 06 41 10 30 Siret: 527 906 614 00013

CHRIS

THE PLASTERER

A genuine plasterer French and English spoken Traditional Plastering, Rendering, Stud partition dry lining, Lime mortar stone pointing, Interior/exterior painting, Plasterboarding taping & joining specialists

CALL FOR A FREE QUOTATION

05 55 63 53 06 06 23 29 48 19 christopher.willis@orange.fr Le Bourg, 23360 Nouzerolles SIRET: 504 612 441 00015

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

06 34 24 64 11

or find us on Facebook: @angloscaffolding

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

MUMFORD TOITURE Roofing & Plastering/ Plasterboarding Service

T: 09 88 19 14 05 M: +44 (0)7885 694 313 collyer23360@gmail.com siret: 883 596 157 00015

Siren: 502 409 949

THE LADY SWEEP Established since 1986

Brush & Vacuum All types of chimney Fully Insured Call Ruth Langston

02 54 31 48 50 06 25 61 84 95 (SMS only) siret 504 218 454 00016

Carrefour du Bois Limousin

www.chauffagebois-limousin.com 05 55 63 72 45 - see ad pg 11

Your advert here 06 04 17 80 93 Food & Drink

Purple Solutions Garden Maintenance

06 72 87 87 14 see main ad - pg 10

Team Jardin www.teamjardin.fr

Reliable, professional and friendly garden services.

Garden Maintenance. Land Clearance.

Garden Construction.

Bespoke long-term maintenance plans.

Tel: 05 55 37 18 03 Mob: 06 33 66 17 45 e-mail: darren@teamjardin.fr Siret No. 752 549 907 00018

Experienced, Registered & Fully Insured No mess, no fuss Email: cinderssweep@gmail.com

T: 07 68 76 39 99 siret: 484 768 700 00029

Your advert here 06 04 17 80 93 sales@thebugle.eu 06 04 17 80 93 Computers, TV & Satellite

GOODWIN SATELLITE

Email: garygoodwin121@gmail.com

Siret No. 493 159 412 00011

La Petite Ramoneur

Spraying service available for large areas

05 55 63 78 72

mumford.toiture@gmail.com

05 55 44 71 44 / 06 78 60 96 16

Building Services Painters/Decorators

30+ years' experience

www.stovesellers.com

SALES & INSTALLATION OF ALL SATELLITE SYSTEMS & AERIALS. FAULT FINDING.

Chimney Sweeps & Firewood

All aspects of Interior and Exterior decorating

• Flue ways cleared • Birds nests, vermin & debris removed • Smoke evacuation & gas tightness tests • Official certificates of cleaning issued (Certificat de Ramonage)

25+ years roofing experience All aspects of roofing, large or small 15+ years experience plastering/boarding Fully registered and insured Trading in France since 2007 Call Mark for a free quotation

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

Nicholas Collyer

Chimney Sweeping

Dept 23 & surrounding areas

Tel: 05 55 62 05 61 Mob: 06 52 38 67 65 siret: 453 067 910 00019

For all your TV and satellite installations and repairs (Sky TV, Internet etc.)

Call Patrice:

06.79.07.91.56

libre.antenne87@gmail.com Fast dependable service Based Séreilhac (87) siret: 353 613 227 00035

Can your business fill this space?

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

06 04 17 80 93

Le Creusois Bar/Restaurant

Les Genêts, Azerables

High quality British & French food at reasonable prices.

Menu du Jour €12, Traditional Pub Food, Vegetarian dishes, Childrens & Snack menus also available

Gifts & Crafts Christmas Cards Now Available!

05.55.63.90.79

www.lecreusoisbistro.com SIREN: 483 988 853

Try Something Different

Chez Jacques Marsac (23) • Cosy atmosphere • Speciality Crêpes • Large burger menu • Around 115 single malt whiskies • Selection of bottled British ales • Book corner, pool table • "Mouclade" nights • Curry nights

05 87 40 02 83 closed Wednesdays

British Market Stall facebook.com/britishmarketstall +33 (0)6 79 23 57 09 +33 (0)7 69 14 49 73 see main ad - pg 7 26, Ecurat 23150

Le Restaurant Ecurat We are very sad to announce that the restaurant is now closed.

This is not due to Covid, but rather ongoing health issues.

Many thanks to all our friends and clients...

Alma

Garden Services Maintenance gardener Stephen Grendon

Need some advice?

Too much like hard-work?

30 years of experience

TEL: 06 72 11 62 15 stengrendon1@gmail.com Based in St-Julien-le-Petit (87460), covering St. Léonard, Peyrat, Eymoutiers, Bujaleuf. siret: 839 102 415 00016

For more designs please see: www.cardsetcartes.com cardsetcartes.com@orange.fr

Handholding & Language Services FRENCH LESSONS Via Skype

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

C’est simple, call Sophie...

06 61 56 47 17 scarolinea@yahoo.fr

Your advert here 06 04 17 80 93 Handholding & Language Services

DIRECTORY ♦ 17

OCTOBER 2021 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

ADVERTORIAL

New forced heirship changes – what might it mean for you?

- Rosemary Sheppard, Senior International Financial Adviser

T

he hot topic of conversation this last few weeks seems to have been around the recent change in law, specifically Article 913 Code civil, which refers to the réserve héréditaire (forced heirship), which has occurred relatively quietly. Whilst not wanting to go too deeply into this it could mean that you are no longer able to bypass children when it comes to inheritance, or at least the inheritance of your property in

France, if you die as a French resident.

As this contravenes the European succession law 650/2012, known more commonly as Brussels IV, which came into force on 17 August 2015 for all EU countries other than Ireland, the United Kingdom and Denmark, who opted out, many believe that the new article 913 of the Civil Code will not ultimately survive a challenge in the ECJ, but will potentially create chaos in the meantime.

This brings into play, more than ever, the need to carefully consider your succession planning now. This is particularly pertinent to those of us who have recently confirmed their residency by obtaining a Carte de Séjour under the

Withdrawal Agreement.

Firstly, a review of your Will with a notaire, who is familiar with this change, may be necessary.

Secondly, a review of your current finances and how they are structured for providing both a tax-efficient structure now and a suitable way to pass on your wealth to those that you really want to benefit from it in the future is a must.

France has investment structures that will enable you to dispose of your estate as best you can under the new rules and, as I have discussed in previous articles, the investment is not necessarily something that you have to hold in Euros or within the French banking system.

Financial planning in this

area has never been more relevant. Not only should you be considering this recent change in the law, but having obtained a Carte de Séjour you really need to be aware of how your finances will be affected as a permanent resident in France. What was previously tax efficient in the UK may no longer be the case.

As one of my clients recently told me “I am a great Googler, but this can be a minefield”. The best thing you can do is take advantage of the expertise available to you.

Blacktower will be by your side both now and in the future, we are here to help you.

To arrange a professional and impartial consultation please

contact me by email: Rosemary.sheppard@blacktowerfm.com, visit our website www.blacktowerfm.com or call me on 06 38 86 99 70.

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

Blacktower Insurance Agents & Advisors Ltd is regulated in Cyprus by the Insurance Companies Con-

trol Service and registered with ORIAS in France.

Blacktower Financial Management (Cyprus) Ltd is regulated in Cyprus by the Cyprus Securities & Exchange Commission and is registered with the AMF in France.

ADVERTORIAL

Houses on Internet: A Global Property Network

H

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

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

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

“It shows why our worldwide

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

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

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

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

English, French and Dutch.

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

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

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

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

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

see the entire property whenever they want, at the moment they are interested in it.”

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

Houses on Internet Global Property Services www.housesoninternet.com

+31 (0)6 41 20 73 69

ADVERTORIAL

La Noneix Construction and Property Services Local residents Paul and Joanne Rands moved to France with their two young children over a decade ago and established their successful construction company, La Noneix Construction and Property Services, offering a full range of building services, from a small job right through to a total renovation or complete new-build.

H

ere at La Noneix Construction we are into our 15th year of trading with an excellent reputation for our standard of work and the service provided. We are getting more and more repeat business from customers with whom we have built up an excellent relationship and new customers from word of mouth.

We are still finding that there are people arriving from the UK despite the changes following Brexit.

We have found a demand for property inspection services from house purchasers who live overseas and do not want to incur the additional cost of repeated visits.

When carrying out a large renovation, the customer needs to be sure that the company they choose is fully qualified, insured, reliable and has a good track record. We pride ourselves on meeting these criteria and for the attention to detail and level of customer service that we provide.

We are in constant contact with our clients; we effectively run a 24/7 business via phone and email.

Often, our clients will be based offsite or overseas and we send weekly updates, with photos of how the work is progressing. They are able to get back from work in an evening and email us to find out how things are going - we will always respond.

We find that this service is essential to our customers who do not live permanently in France, allowing them to remotely see exactly what has been happening in their absence. This not only provides peace of mind, but also avoids the need for constant, costly trips back and forth to make sure that the work is being carried out effectively and efficiently.

Something that we unfortunately still see quite often are problems related to work undertaken by unregistered or improperly registered builders.

This can lead to unsafe structures and if you are not careful, you can lose your money. When doing any kind of work, but especially when the work is structural, it is imperative that customers check that their builder is registered for the work they will be doing and that their insurance actually covers it. Just having a Siret number does not mean you are covered for all building work!

La Noneix Construction and Property Services

is a professional enterprise that is registered at the Chambre de Métiers. We operate under a full, mandatory 10-year insurance (décennale) and we have an excellent customer service record.

Don’t take our word for it, though, just listen to what our customers have to say about our business in their own words:

to recommend Paul for any job, large or small, as his work is always finished to the highest standard - Tracy and Marc Chatting

Just wanted to say a huge thank you to Paul & Joanne Rands & Co for their professionalism and outstanding work. After previously dealing with a builder who was unreliable with sub-standard work, it was amazing to see our project moving forward and looking great. We wouldn’t hesitate

La Noneix Construction & Property Services Tel: 05.55.66.44.06 Email: paul.rands@orange.fr Find more information on: www.lanoneix.com /LaNoneixConstruction

Before

Thanks again for all the hard work, it is much appreciated. Paul is so talented, his work is really impressive - B MacDonald

After

18 ♦ DIRECTORY Handholding & Language Services

Health & Beauty SALUBER

Jenny Homer BA Hons, PGCE

Online French Tuition

Mental & Physical Health Support www.saluber.fr

No masks, no coats, no travel!

Come out of Covid with confident French

Email: homer.jennifer@gmail.com

06 61 82 37 79 - see pg 3

Chez Boutique

https://homerjennifer.wixsite.com/website

'Gite and Tidy'

Property management All properties looked after, main residences, holiday homes & gîtes.

Changeovers, cleaning, tidy ups, maintenance, gardening, swimming pools, etc.

Single or regular visits.

Fully insured.

Oradour-sur-Vayres (87150).

References available.

See our Display Ad - pg 7

05.55.60.08.46

www.giteandtidy.com 09 82 12 69 73 (Home) 06 06 40 81 07 (Portable)

Mobile hairdresser

Creuse Property Care

Formerly La Petite Place

siret: 490 323 243 00025

I offer weekly, small, group lessons, only online for now, at levels to suit your needs.

My priority is on speaking and understanding French in daily life.

Get in touch asap to ensure your place in a class suited to your ability for the new autumn term starting in September 2021 Stuck for the perfect Christmas or birthday gift for you, your friend or family - Gift vouchers now available for online classes (from 15€)

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ OCTOBER 2021

Covering all of La Creuse!

Call Teddy:

06 15 78 18 04- pg 4

Your advert here 06 04 17 80 93 Insurance & Finance

Caring for your home in France when you can’t be there

Garden & Pool Maintenance General Maintenance & Small Renovation work including plasterboarding, tiling, painting, etc.

Changeovers/House Cleaning Ad-hoc Assistance References available Contact Mark or Trudy...

T: 05 55 67 90 47 / P: 06 40 75 74 47 E: marktrudy0506@gmail.com W: www.creusepropertycare.com

Beaux Villages Immobilier www.beauxvillages.com

Freephone: 08 05 69 23 23

Blacktower Financial Managment Group 06 38 86 99 70 - pg 8

All Property Diagnostics for Sales/Rentals

The Spectrum IFA Group

Energy Performance (DPE), Asbestos, Lead, Electricity, Gas, Termites, Risks/Pollution, Measurements

Tony Farrell

International Financial Adviser

05 55 89 57 94 - see pg 7

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

Naturalis Pools

www.naturalispools.com

06 31 17 25 60 see main ad - pg 2

Property Sales & Maintenance

sales@thebugle.eu

Houses on Internet

06 04 17 80 93

+31 (0)6 41 20 73 69

www.housesoninternet.com

See our Display Ad - pg 3

Stove Sellers www.stovesellers.com 05.55.63.78.72

See our Display Ad - pg 2

Fluent English speaking.

Technical comments and advice possible Contact : 06 28 94 24 00 or philippe.andre@diagamter.com See our references on:

www.diagamter.com

sales@thebugle.eu 06 04 17 80 93 Cendrillon 06 83 66 83 09

www.marcdeschamps.com see main ad - pg 7

Please mention The Bugle when responding to adverts

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

The situation is constantly changing, so we have removed many of these listings from the newspaper for the time being.

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

Managing Editor: Editor-in-Chief: Registered Address:

SIRET: Printed by:

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

15m3 capacity 4m load length English & French Spoken

05 44 20 21 77 06 06 40 81 07

26, Ecurat 23150

Atelier d'Art du Jardin We are very sad to announce that we are now permanenetly closed.

This is not due to Covid, but rather ongoing health issues.

Many thanks to all our friends and clients...

87150 Oradour-sur-Vayres

www.frenchvanman.eu Siret 530 213 644 00012

Transition Removals (+33) 05 55 34 19 46

www.transitionremovals.net see main ad - pg 8

Smart Moves For a fully insured, careful service

Alma

Scrap & Clearance

Siret: 479 965 758 00028

see main ad - pg 5

Rosemary Sheppard

Man & Van Transport

Retail & Commerce

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

OLD'S HEIGHT

smartmovers@hotmail.co.uk

Antiquités agricoles

Watson European

inc. Junque and Disorderly

I will buy just about anything in your barn: agricultural machinery, cars,motorbikes, lorries, pushbikes, old wrought ironwork, oil cans, signs, timberwork and doors... in fact, anything!! Just think... that rubbish could earn you cash!!

CALL: 0633 847 699 in rust we trust siret: 511 127 763 00015

Cash paid for scrap

All Limousin covered Anything considered Any quantity

+44 (0)7966 287 430

www.smartmovesremovals.com

International Removals

www.watsoneuropean.co.uk see main ad - pg 5

sales@thebugle.eu 06 04 17 80 93 Franklins Removals 0044 121 353 7263

www.franklinsremovals.co.uk see main ad - pg 3

Central France Storage

Tel: 05 55 37 45 35 Mob: 06 74 21 47 71 www.facebook.com/willwhiting87/ siret 532 981 198 00015

Transport, Removals & Storage Buggs Car Hire Bergerac & Limoges Airports

www.buggscarhire.com see main ad - pg 4

Steve Martindale Steve Martindale 19, route de Champagnac 17500 MEUX 514 989 748 00025 Charente Libre, Z.I. No3 16340, L’Isle d’Espagnac

All copyright, unless stated otherwise, is reserved to The Bugle.

Reproduction in whole or part of any text without permission is prohibited. Dépôt légal à parution.

www.centralfrancestorage.com Dry, safe & secure storage Brexit Busting Prices!!

Vehicle storage options We also do internal moves!

14.5m cherry picker available

Tel: 09 66 03 52 89 Email: lasout@live.com siret: 494 123 847 00019

Directeur: Rédacteur-en-chef: Siège:

SIRET: Imprimé par:

Steve Martindale Steve Martindale 19, route de Champagnac 17500 MEUX 514 989 748 00025 Charente Libre, Z.I. No3 16340, L’Isle d’Espagnac

Tous droits réservés. Toute reproduction, totale ou partielle, des articles et illustrations du présent numéro est strictement interdite.

Dépôt légal à parution.

Ce mensuel a été imprimé sur des papiers produits en France, Espagne, certifiés PEFC 100% FCBA/18-01705.

Taux de fibres recyclées 100%. Emissions GES : 63 gr CO2 eq/ex (données 2019).

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

WHAT’S ON ♦ 19

OCTOBER 2021 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Doumy This is lovely Doumy who has now been at the refuge for 6 months. He is a medium sized dog, Beagle cross and is around 3 years old.

He is a very calm, gentle and kind dog and at times, still very shy of certain people. At the moment, he is more at ease with the ladies, finding loud voices and big gestures still quite scary.

Doumy would fit in well with a family with a quite environment, preferably no children and who already have a dog from which he could learn that it is okay to trust and life can be really good.

He gets on well with all other dogs but he has not been tested with cats and poultry.

This boy really is sweet and just needs a chance, it would be lovely if he could find his forever home before the weather turns cold.

If you think you can help Doumy then please contact: SPA de Creuse (Guéret), 21 Le Clocher, 23000 Saint-Sulpice-le Guérétois www.spa-creuse.com - email: spa.gueret@orange.fr

Jazz Festival with events organised all over the Creuse.

Peyrat Film Club

Visit www.jazzalasout.com to find events near you.

The CINEMA in Peyrat-le-Château, run by the volunteers of the Association Bande Originale, regularly shows VOST films (original version with French subtitles), especially for all the non-French speakers in our region.

In October we will be showing: Respect – Saturday 9th, 17h Dune – Saturday 16th, 17h The Shipping News (2001) – Saturday 30th, 17h

30,000 readers each month

SALES@THEBUGLE.EU

06 04 17 80 93

Tickets from just €3.50!!

See our website for dates & times, etc http://bandeoriginale.jimdo.com

20 ♦ WHAT’S ON

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ OCTOBER 2021

Plant and Garden Fair St-Junien Sunday 24th October 2021 9 AM – 6.30 PM Salle des Congrès, Châtelard, 87200 St-Junien €2 entrance fee (free for under 18s)

Refreshments available

The 5th Plant and Garden Fair is back with 130 exhibitors!

40 growers, both indoor and outdoor, selling trees, roses, shrubs, perennials, bulbs, seeds plus a special exhibition and sale of orchids. Garden design and maintenance specialists will be present as well as 70 artisans displaying their wares (decorations, well being, local products).

There will also be 2 conferences, one on the garden and the other on soil at 11:00 and 15:00.

Various food and drink outlets including paëlla, crêpes and more...

HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR On Sunday October 24th at the Boussac Brocante, 6 place Carnot, Boussac 23600 from 14h until 16h, the volunteers will be organising a pumpkin carving competition. Carving stations will be set up complete with pumpkins, knives, scrapers, design ideas and all other decorating needs. Prizes will be awarded for different age groups: 4-8, 8-12, 12-18 and adults. The winners will be announced at 16h and the prize giving will follow.

Drinks, cakes and snacks will be available. Entry fee is only 3€ per person so please call in to reserve your place at the carving tables or email us at boussacbrocante@gmail.com.

Come along with the family and let your artistic inspiration go wild!

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