The Deux-Sèvres Monthly - August 2023

While you may initially have a query about one issue, whether tax, pensions or improving investment returns, making changes in one area of nancial planning generally has a knock-on, sometimes negative, e ect on another. Blevins Franks takes a holistic approach. We get to know you, your family situation and objectives, and our integrated advice covers tax and estate planning, savings and investments and pensions. We aim to consolidate many of your assets, keeping things simple for yourself and your family. And when the time comes, we’ll be ready to guide your heirs through their inheritance.

HELLO and a warm welcome to the August edition of the Deux-Sèvres Monthly magazine! Your outpouring of support for our July issue has left us truly touched and inspired

This month, we've been on a grand tour across the department, unveiling delightful spots we've never seen before You'll find our magazine at all your favourite haunts, plus a few extra locations we've discovered! If we've overlooked a spot, please let us know, and we'll make sure to include it next time

In this issue, we must mention the unexpected earthquake that rocked us in late June It's a stark reminder of life's sudden twists, but don't fret - our building and renovation section is here to guide you when things go off course

As mentioned previously, we wouldn't have revived this magazine if it weren't for Tony and Lynne's departure After a six-month break, we're back with fresh energy and new perspectives We understand that as new owners, we may have different ways of doing things, but change is a natural part of any business Our heartfelt thanks to Sarah & Rob Berry and Stephen Shaw for their invaluable advice and support

Our What's On guide for August is full of local events, making it bigger than ever! While compiling this section, the term 'La Guinguette' kept cropping up, so we've included a mini history article for you If you have any events for the September issue, don't hesitate to email us at info@thedeuxsevresmonthly fr

Last month, we celebrated fresh starts This month, we're bringing back some old favourites, introducing a tantalising recipe section, and an engaging fishing article Plus, your favourite regular features are scattered throughout We're always eager to hear from you, you can email us at info@thedeuxsevresmonthly fr So, soak up the summer sun, and we can't wait to see you in September!

Until then,

Kathleen & Chris

tel: 07 86 99 16 17

email: info@thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr

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NATIONAL HOLIDAYS, RELIGIOUS AND FEAST DAYS

Assomption Assumption Day

Tuesday 15 August 2023

Toussaint All Saints Day

Wednesday 1 November 2023

Armistice de 1918 Armistice Day

Saturday 11 November 2023

Noël Christmas Day 2023

Monday 25 December

Jour de l'An New Year's Day

Monday 1 January 2024

Pâques Easter Sunday

Sunday 31 March 2024

Lundi de Pâques Easter Monday

Monday 1 April 2024

Fête du Travail Labour Day

Wednesday 1 May 2024

Victoire de 1945 VE Day

Wednesday 8 May 2024

Ascension Ascension Day

Thursday 9 May 2024

Dimanche de Pentecôte Whit Sunday

Sunday 19 May 2024

Lundi de Pentecôte Whit Monday

Monday 20 May 2024

Fête nationale "Bastille Day"

Sunday 14 July 2024

CHURCH NOTICES

The Filling Station - Poitou-Charentes. Local Christians of all denominations who meet for spiritual renewal and evangelism Carolyn on 05 45 84 19 03 or www thefillingstationfrance com

All Saints, Vendée - Puy de Serre. We hold two services each month (plus Sunday school), on the 2nd and 4th Sundays at the church of St Marthe, Puy de Serre, at 11h www allsaintsvendee fr

The English Speaking Church of the Valley of the Loire (ESCOVAL) meets at the R C Church in Arçay every 3rd

Sunday of the month at 11am (just off the D759, Thouars to Loudun)

Eglise Vie Nouvelle English service (translated into French) every week in the Salle Annexe behind Civray Mairie at 10 30am Contact 06 25 04 36 51 www vie-nouvelle-civray com

The Chaplaincy of Christ the Good Shepherd, Poitou-Charentes Normally holds Sunday services in English Please see our website for current information: www churchinfrance com

Christian Mission Fellowship An evangelical mission at the heart of Poitou-Charentes, Western France Please visit our website for more details www chef-boutonne net

Local markets in the Deux-sèvres

Monday am Cerizay 79140 place des Halles

Tuesday a m Bressuire 79300 place Dupin

Coulonges-sur-l'Autize 79160 Centre Ville

La Creche 79260 rue du Marché

Lezay 79120 place du Marché

Niort 79000 place des Halles

Thouars 79100 place Lavault

Vasles 79340 la place du 25 Août

Wednesday a m

Thursday a m

Celles-sur-Belle79370 Centre Ville

Niort 79000 place des Halles

Parthenay 79200 rue Jean-Jaurès

Argenton-les-Vallées 79150 place Philippe de Commynes

La Motte St Héray 79800 place Clémenceau

Niort 79000 place des Halles

Sauzé-Vaussais 79190 Centre Ville

Friday a m Coulon 79510 place de l'Eglise

Melle 79500 place Bujault

Niort 79000 place des Halles

Nueil les Aubiers 79250 place Pierre Garnier

Thouars 79100 place Lavault

Saturday a m Airvault 79600 place Saint-Pierre

Bressuire 79300 place Dupin

Cerizay 79140 place des Halles

Champdeniers 79220 Centre Ville

Chef-Boutonne 79110 Centre Ville

Cherveux 79410 Centre Ville

Coulonges-sur-l'Autize 79160 place des Halles

Lezay 79120 place du Marché

Mauleon 79700 place du château

Mauze sur le Mignon 79210 place de l'Eglise

Moncoutant 79320 Centre Ville

Niort 79000 place des Halles

Saint Maixent-l'Ecole 79400 place du Marché

Sunday a m Chatillon sur Thouet 79200 place du Parnasse

Coulon 79510 place de l'Eglise

La Creche 79260 rue du Marché

Niort 79000 place des Halles

Thénezay 79390 place de L'Hôtel de Ville

Local markets in neighbouring departments

Monday a m Doue-la-Fontaine 49700 place du Champ de Foire

Tuesday a m Civray 86400 place Leclerc

Montrueil-Bellay 49260 place du Marché

Mortagne-sur-Sevres 85290 place Hullin

Surgéres 17700 rue Audry de Puyravault

Wednesday a m Fontenay-le-Comte 85200 place du Commerce

Lusignan 86600 place Isabelle d’Angoulême

Ruffec 16700 Centre Ville

Vihiers 49310 place Charles-de-Gaulle

Thursday a m Aulnay 17470 Centre Ville

Surgéres 17700 rue Audry de Puyravault

Friday a m Civray 86400 place Leclerc

Doue-la-Fontaine 49700 place René Nicolas

Saturday a m Cholet 49300 place du 8 Mai 1945

Fontenay-le-Comte 85200 place du Commerce

La Châtaigneraie 85120 place de la République

Pouzauges 85700 place de l’Hôtel de Ville

Ruffec 16700 Centre Ville

Surgéres 17700 rue Audry de Puyravault

Sunday a m Aulnay 17470

Centre Ville

Latillé 86190 place Robert Gerbier

Valence-en-Poitou 86700 place du Marché

FOR SALE

• Great opportunity to buy two separate properties within a barn complex together with a Gite/AirBnB.

• In the heart of the countryside, an hour south of the Loire.

• Great potential for further development.

thouars market makes impressive debut

The marché couvert in Thouars has been ranked sixth in the “Most Beautiful Market” competition organized by TF1, the French TV network The announcement of the results was made on Thursday, June 29, during a TF1 news broadcast This achievement is particularly impressive because it was Thouars market’s first time participating in the competition

The market in La Réole, located in Gironde, was eventually declared the winner of the competition However, the market in Thouars, which had already been voted as the “Most Beautiful Market” in Deux-Sèvres and then for the entire Poitou-Charentes region with over 16,000 votes, made it to the top ten at the national level

In the final round of the competition, Thouars market competed against nine other markets and received 9 5 million votes The sixth-place finish for Thouars market is the same as Niort’s position in the 2022 edition of the competition

The ranking places Thouars ahead of markets in Yvetot, Argenton-sur-Creuse, Sète, and Colmar The town of Thouars expressed its gratitude on its Facebook page to everyone who supported them since March in this grand adventure For more information go to thouars fr

Annual Garden Party at Chateau Cherveux

Sunday 13 August 2023, 11am - 6pm

Food, Fun & Entertainment!

Activities including: Alpacas, Tarot Tent, Lindy Hop, Chateau Tours, Games

Veggie Food, Crafts, Clothing, Jeweller y, Engraved Items

Bar Bacon Sandwiches Tea Cakes, Cream Teas*

If you have any tombola prizes to donate please let us know *Make sure you book your cream tea in advance

Join us for a delightful day out! Don t miss it!

For more information email: fundraisingav@gmail com or visit our Facebook page @AssociationViolet Château de Cherveux 2 Pl de l Église 79410 Cherveux

MR T’S FISH & CHIPS

Regular venues at:

• Aulnay de Saintonge 17470

• Beauvais Sur Matha 17490

• St Jean D’Angély 17400

• Sauzé-Vaussais Hope 79 79190

• La Chaumière, La Chapelle 16140

• Charroux 86250

• Saintes 17100

• Savigné 86400

We meet on the third Sunday of each month at the church in Arçay at 11h00. The services are multidenominational and vary between Matins and Holy Communion - both usually include hymns. Afterwards there is usually a bring-and-share lunch. Arçay is situated between Loudun and Thouars just off the D759.

www.escoval.jimdofree.com

Contact Geoff Cornwall : gdfrance6052@gmail.com

Jim Burrows : 05 49 22 41 78

Carole Taylor : mumsikins@hotmail.com

Remember to pick up your copy of The Deux-Sèvres Monthly!

Tel: 06 02 22 44 74

email: mrt.fishandchips@gmail.com www.frying4u2nite.com

THE ENGLISH SPEAKING CHURCH OF THE VALLEY OF THE LOIRE “ESCOVAL”

VISIT TO THE LOGIS DE BARROUX

1 - 7 August

21 - 31 August

air vault

Explore the Logis de Barroux, with its chapel, dovecote, medieval kitchen, garden, and bread oven The visible traces of its history, which is closely linked to regional events such as the Wars of Religion and the Vendée War, can still be seen today cc-avt.fr

LE THÉÂTRE MAGIQUE

1 – 27 August

Courlay

This summer, the Magical Theatre comes to Sèvre Autruche! Phil and Rebecca present their magic show full of magic and illusions for everyone to enjoy letheatremagique.fr

LES APÉROS DU MARDI

1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 August

Niort

Apéros du Mardi is back at Place des Halles, offering an ideal evening to unwind with family, friends, or colleagues

Enjoy drinks, music, dancing, and tasty nibbles from city centre cafés, each adding their unique musical touch for a lively atmosphere niortdedansdehors fr

ON THE LAC DU LAMBON

1 - 29 August

Prailles

Enjoy family-friendly activities like mountain biking, paddleboarding, canoeing, and more Suitable for all ages Relax at the snack bar afterwards Free water area access lelambon com

FROM COMMUNES TO AMALGAMATION

1 – 31 August

Bressuire

An exhibition marking the 50th anniversary of the unification of ten Bressuirais communes Showcasing their origins as Middle Ages parishes and postRevolution communes, highlighting their achievements and shared history ville-bressuire fr

THE OBJECTS OF THE RESISTANCE

3 August thouars

Far from being silent, objects tell us stories and history What mysteries do they hold? Witnesses of a dark era, the Resistance objects contain a rich heritage embodying the youth, ingenuity, and enthusiasm of the Resistance fighters crrl.fr

FESTIVAL LES CHAMPS SONORES

4-5 August

azay-sur-thouet

Main Stage and Dub Corner concerts with artists like Aplha Steppa, La Mamie’s, and more Enjoy free camping, local products, that are all eco-friendly facebook.com/LesChampsSonoresfestival

ORCHESTRE SORTILÈGE - REFLETS

D'ORIENT

4 August Saint-Hilaire-La-Palud

6 August Saint-Maixent l'Ecole

The Sortilège Symphony orchestra returns with Rimsky-Korsakov's emblematic work Shéhérazade With guest soloist Benjamin Chartre associationsortilege.com

WALK - LE TRIBUNAL DU BESTIAIRE

5 August rom

Experience a magical, scenic walk led by actors, as they guide you through a storytelling journey exploring the animals of Roman antiquity melloisenpoitou.fr

37TH AUTOCROSS & SPRINT CAR

5 – 6 August

Fenioux

Enjoy the exciting atmosphere at the 37th edition of Autocross and Sprint Car FFSA in Fenioux Get ready for thrilling races and adrenaline-pumping high-speed action

tourisme-deux-sevres.com

ART EXHIBITION BY TONY JANDARD

5 – 27 August

Port Boinot Niort

Tony Jandard's latest exhibition showcases his expressive graphite art inspired by his native Marais Poitevin niortmaraispoitevin.com

LA GUINGUETTE DU CHÂTEAU

5, 11, 12, 13, 18 & 19 August

Château de Bressuire

Come and enjoy a summer guinguette in a magical setting at the Château site Five associations will take it in turns to provide fun and dance-filled afternoons/evenings Enjoy refreshments and foodtrucks on-site Free entry ville-bressuire fr

CASSOULET GÉANT

6 August

Pierrefitte

Enjoy a homemade giant cassoulet under the cover of a marquee Activities include palet competitions, wooden games, and an abundance of musical entertainment Don't miss the popular dance that concludes the evening facebook com/cassouletgeantpierrefitte

PESCALIS SUMMER MARKET

6, 13, 20 & 27 August

Moncoutant-sur-Sevre

Every Sunday during August, enjoy the farmers' and craft market at Pescalis, complete with entertainment and on-site catering options pescalis.com

LES BALADES DE L'ÉTÉ

7,14,21 & 28 August

argentonnay

Explore the centre of Argenton les Vallées with a summer walk covering its rich heritage, history, geology, landscapes, and development

tourisme-deux-sevres.com

MARCHÉ EN FÊTE

8 August

Coulonges-sur-l'autize

150 exhibitors, free tours of the castle and museum, street food, aperitif offered by the municipality (12:30pm in the castle park

coulonges-sur-lautize fr

150 YEARS OF THE STATION

9 August thouars

In 1873, Thouars experienced a transformation with the introduction of railways This tour will cover the railway history of Thouars, with a presentation and a visit to the vintage vehicles of the Trains à Vapeur Thouarsais association thouars fr

TOUR OF THE INTERNMENT CAMP

10 August

Montreuil Bellay (49)

Between 1940 and 1946, between 6,000 and 6,500 travellers were interned in France This guided tour of the internment camp will discuss the Romani and break down the prejudices that surround them crrl fr

LES ANI'MÔMES

10 August rom

Join the "Man and the Animal" themed workshop at the Les Ani'mômes - Felt, featuring Gallo-Roman felt-making for ages 7-12 Learn wool and fabric techniques €4/person, booking required melloisenpoitou.fr

LES SOIRÉES LYRIQUES

10, 12 & 14 August

Sanxay (86)

Three open-air performances of Mozart's Don Giovanni, starring international soloists and local volunteers, take place at the Gallo-Roman amphitheatre operasanxay.fr

LE JARDIN AUX OISEAUX

11 August

Saint Jacques de thouars

Take part in a unique nature walk, feeling at one with nature as the Chanteurs d'Oiseaux trill and chirp, with birds answering back Immerse yourself in an amazing sonic journey created by Jean Boucault and Johnny Rasse tourisme-deux-sevres com

MAD HATTER’S WINKY WONKY WONDERLAND FESTIVAL

11 – 13 August

Caunay

Enjoy great bands, a nostalgic vibe, tasty food, and beer! Camping tickets include all music Door tickets for Friday & Saturday Sunday after-party, late lunch, acoustic jam Four acts Friday, five shows Saturday B&B and glamping available madhatterswonderlandfestival com

BAL POPULAIRE - MOULES FRITES

15 August

Largeasse

The popular open-air dance returns

Enjoy gingham tablecloths, wildflowers, straw bales, live music, and a traditional all-you-can-eat moules frites – perfectly paired with local white wine if desired tourisme-bocage com

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE RESISTANCE

Thursday 17th August

thouars

Join a guided tour through the town of Thouars to uncover locations significantly impacted by the German occupation and Resistance actions This visit offers a unique perspective on the area's past crrl.fr

GÂTINE HERITAGE EVENING

18 August

Saint-Pardoux-Soutiers

Tours of the Gâtine natural heritage with the association la Buissonnante Then from 9pm, free concert by Nicolas Moro Food-trucks

Valedegatine.fr

MUSIC NIGHT AT DEANO’S

Friday 18 August

Les Forges

Join us for an evening of music and entertainment with local band Rodeo Joe facebook.com/deanosbarlesforges

GIANT VIDE-MAISON

19 – 20 August

La Mothe-Saint-Heray

Up to 100 households will be uncovering their treasures and offering them for sale in their properties A map of the properties taking part is available at the Moulin l'Abbé car park brocabrac.fr

FLOP : SOIRÉES JEUX

22 & 29 August

aiffres

Experience a fun-filled evening at Jardin des105 Parfums or Square du Château d'Eau, featuring old-fashioned games drawing competitions, and more! niortmaraispoitevin com

LA GUINCHOUILLE

25 August

Château de Sanzay

The château will be decked out in its finest lights, with a warm guinguette atmosphere guaranteed! The evening offers a line-up of concerts that promise continuous entertainment and dancing A bar and snacks are available on-site lacolporteuse net

GOURMET MARKET FESTIVAL

25 – 26 August

Coulon

The event features six groups of artists performing live Enjoy live music, local foods, and appreciate the skills of the region's producers and artisans jadoreniort fr

SOLIFESTIVAL

25 - 26 August

Val en Vignes

This year's two-day festival includes a local produce market, engaging sports stalls and workshops, and evening concerts On-site camping is available for attendees billetweb fr/solifestival

SUNDAY AT THE BRASSERIE

27 August

Salles

Brewery tour and tasting experience Public brewing demonstration with audience participation On-site shop available brasserie-du-val-de-sevre fr

VINTAGE CAR RALLY

27 August

Lezay

Vintage car rally organised by Ecurie de Chambrille During the interval, the vehicles will be on display at the Parc Hubert tourisme-deux-sevres com

EXPOSITION MATRIMOINE

Throughout August

Oiron

Artists, typically less visible in the West, are welcomed for an exhibition centred on cultural exchange Involving locals in joint painting sessions, the resulting masterpieces will be showcased on grand flags throughout the chateau's grounds The display also highlights South Africa's generational artistic tradition, featuring earlier works by Laurent Marie Joubert chateau-oiron fr

Coulon

Perchance to D ream

Stephen Shaw

After a busy day of doing jobs come five o clock we can be found slumped on the sofa watching A Place in the Sun' ' A New Life in the Sun' 'Help! We Bought a Village' or some other programme based on property renovation Anna, my wife, wants to watch

Usually around property number two Anna will get more comfy' and assume the horizontal position putting her feet on my lap Before property number three she will 'rest one eye ' , and stare at the telly like Popeye shortly followed by the other Convinced she has reached DEFCOn 2 level of sleep or the nasal whistling has begun, I will reach for the remote control and have a flick “I was watching that!” , “You were asleep” , “No I wasn't” , etc This also happens on long car journeys, sometimes when she is driving! I'm chastised for not being able to sleep in the passenger seat when she is driving, “well someone ' s got to stay awake!” Having written off the car (by wrapping it around a tree when falling asleep at the wheel) near Sauzé-Vaussais, she knows she cannot win this one

Gone are the days of a good night's sleep When we climb the wooden hill to Bedfordshire we will get into the same bed, but rarely do we wake in the same Someone will be snoring, had a bad dream, was too hot, too cold, the cat was sleeping on their head a fly was in the room felt an earthquake etc and abandon ship to the spare room

If I can't sleep I read If Anna reads she will fall asleep; she has been reading the same book since 2015

“I had the most exhausting dream, last night” are usually her first words in the morning, followed by a blow by blow account of all the twists and turns With plot lines more confusing than a Dickens novel and a cast of thousands (usually people from our college days or my mother) she is always the victim and I the villain

If it is not the d she will list the various parts o her body which were causing her pain through th night and prev her from sleep will be woken by the rustling of silver foil as she pops a couple of paracetamol

from their wrappers followed by swearing as she knocks her glass of water over A menthol balm stick (similar to a Pritt stick) is always clos at hand, which she smears across h forehead to ease headaches A blue mat (I don't think the colour is impo chilled in the fridge and then slept on when all else fails I am not without blame and my constant trudging to the toilet throughout the night must be extremely annoying Unlike Anna I cannot see in the dark But not wanting to put the light on will stagger in what I think is the direction of the door waving my arms in front of me, often crashing into the wardrobe en route

I am an early bird, she a slow starter I start my day at 6 45 each morning and can often be told to “stop singing!” by Anna who is tr ying to have a lie in Getting dressed in the dark means I later discover my jumper is inside out or my pants back to front Another down side is I'm ready for my bed at nine in the evening

When I am hot, she is cold I'm wrapped in several blankets and duvets and basting in my own juices like a nuclear reactor, she will be opening the window, clicking the fan on and huffing and puffing like a good un

Apparently Voltaire drank 40 cups of coffee a day and slept for four hours a night, not wishing to compare myself to the great man, as I struggle to think how to finish this month s article in my sleep deprived state, I will go to the kitchen and pour myself another cup of jitter juice

If you would like to read more ramblings from Mr Shaw, go to www lifein79 blogspot com

1 August 1793 - France becomes 1st country to use the metric system - the national Convention adopts a decree introducing a metric system in France and finally enacted in April 1795

4 August 1907 - In the Tour de France, Lucien Petit-Breton of France beats compatriots Gustave Garrigou and Emile Georget He repeats his victory the following year ahead of Francois Faber of Luxembourg and Georges Passerieu of France

6 August 1928 - Andrew Warhola, later known as Andy Warhol is born in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania With his distinctive silverblonde hair he became one of the 20th century s most influential artists Warhol was a leading figure in the 1960s pop art movement before evolving into a cultural icon

for many years, until its collapse in 1989, marking the end of the Cold War period

16 August 1974 - The Ramones launch the punk-rock revolution with their debut performance at CBGB an East Village bar Their raw sound inspires a new underground movement influencing bands like the Sex Pistols and the Clash

attack by the OAS group The incident was later dramatised in Frederick Forsyth s novel " The Day of the Jackal "

26 August 1944 - After more than four years of nazi occupation Paris is liberated by the joint efforts of the French 2nd Armored Division and the U S 4th Infantry Division In defiance of Adolf Hitler s directive to demolish the city's historical monuments and set the city ablaze General Dietrich von Choltitz, the German garrison's leader, chooses to officially surrender The Free French General Charles de Gaulle leads a march of liberation down the Champs Élysées The events are documented in the 2014 film Diplomacy

22 August 1862 - French composer Claude Debussy is born in Saint- Germain-en-Laye He created works for both piano and orchestra with his most famous work likely being Clair de Lune (1890) Debussy s unique style incorporated influences from Russian and Far Eastern music

10 August 1793 - After two centuries as a royal palace the Louvre officially opens to the public Starting as a small gallery with a little over 500 paintings it has since developed into a vast repository of art and historical artefacts becoming an iconic symbol of French culture and heritage

13 August 1961 - East Germany begins work on the Berlin Wall, dividing the city of Berlin into two parts - East and West The wall represented Soviet dominance and restricted freedom separating families

22 August 1922 - Irish revolutionary and Sinn Fein politician, Michael Collins, is killed in an ambush at Béal na Bláth Collins played a key role in Ireland's struggle for independence from British rule He was instrumental in the 1921 peace treaty that granted independence to the South and served as finance minister in the newly established Irish Free State until his assassination

27 August 1883 - krakatoa a small uninhabited volcanic island east of Sumatra and west of Java is the site of one of the most violent volcanic eruptions in known history The explosions audible from 3 000 miles away, catapult five cubic miles of earth 50 miles high triggering 120-foot tsunamis and killing of 36 000 people

31 August 1980 - In the city of Gdansk striking shipyard workers' demands are accepted by representatives of Poland s communist government These striking workers led by ex-electrician Lech Walesa established Solidarity, marking the development of the first independent labour union in a Soviet bloc nation

22 August 1962 - French President Charles de Gaulle escapes an assassination attempt due to the performance of his Citroen DS19 This vehicle, known for its advanced hydro pneumatic suspension system helps de Gaulle survive a hail of bullets during an

Into the Limelight... reclaiming the fearlessness of childhood

At the time of writing this, I have just returned from an evening out, watching my 8 year old daughter perform in the school ’Spectacle’

For the uninitiated, a ‘Spectacle’ is an end of term show at schools for the 11s and under With one in the summer and one at Christmas it’s an animated and chaotic evening of singing, dancing and celebration The kids have an amazing time while parents, friends and family watch on, enjoying every moment

The performances of the children ranged from the hugely skilled and enthusiastic, all the way down to the spectacularly indifferent, who were able to multi-task by singing, finding various interesting spots on the ceiling and picking their noses all at the same time I made that last bit up for comic effect, but you get the picture

What was really incredible to see though, was that regardless of whether a child had practiced dance routines for endless hours in the playground for months and months, or they had just got up to sing like there were a thousand more interesting things they could be doing, they all had one thing in common Every single child stood in front of a hundred eager faces and performed without an ounce of fear

So the question that jumped into my mind was - how many of us grown-ups would have, with such ease, got up in front of a large group of people and ‘performed’?

Some of you reading this will feel anxious at the very thought of standing up in front of a large group of people, never mind performing But just think about that for a second - the thought

of standing up in front of a group of people can make you anxious!

Our fears can be so intense that just imagining something can make our hearts race and our palms sweat And what that tells us is that our fears are not really residing in reality but just in our minds That’s not to say that they aren’t real to us - we all know they are, but what it does tell us is that our fears are not a concrete and immovable part of our lives Of course, some fears are useful for our survival - being scared of poisonous snakes is no bad thing - but most of our fears and phobias are just something we would be better off without

After all, psychologists have discovered that we are only born with two fearsloud noises and falling Every other fear is learned along the way

So if you have any fears of phobias that are either holding you back or lowering your quality of life, the good news is that because you learned them, you can learn to unlearn them too!

Which begs the question - What fears would you like to see gone from your life?

You may never want to pick your nose in front of a hundred people, but imagine that freedom to do so!

Written by David Murphy - Clinical Hypnotherapist and Life Coach DavidMurphyHypno@gmail com

Your Ground Yoga - Yoga for where you are  myths about yoga in later life

I started practicing yoga when I was 50 I love to travel, and it began to dawn on me that things like strong knees were an important part of living that dream I did, in fact, learn how to keep knees strong and flexible – and this will be part of a new class I am starting in Le Tallud in September aimed at people 50 and older – but I learned so much more about how to deprogram my body from the habits of a lifetime There are a number of myths about practicing yoga as an older person, so let’s get into it

1 Yoga is only for the young

Yoga is an approach to life The system of yoga traditionally included physical movements and postures but is not limited to this alone Conscious breathing and mindfulness are also a big part of yoga Yoga is much more about the HOW, than the WHAT We can apply the yoga approach to much simpler exercises that can become part of one’s routine no matter what our age

2. Okay, so maybe yoga isn’t just for the young, but you have to start at a young age to make any real improvement

I’ve had students in their 80s After only a few weeks they were doing things they couldn’t do before It is true that it is harder to change the body as we age because we have become ‘frozen’ into certain postures and body habits Yoga offers us methods for ‘unthawing’ those habits Our bodies CAN change given regular practice and patience

3 Yoga is about twisting yourself into a pretzel

I find it a shame that most images of yoga are of young, beautiful (and ultra-toned!) women holding advanced yoga poses against the background of a beach at sunset or something similar In later life, yoga is less about getting into the ‘correct’ posture and more about learning to be aware of what is going on in the body The definition of an ‘advanced’ position changes as a result of exploring your own boundaries

4. You need to be able to sit on the floor to do yoga

For some people sitting on the floor, and getting up from the floor, is already a step too far Did you know that you can practice yoga while sitting in a chair, as long as the chair is stable? I can’t emphasize enough that yoga is not a set of proscribed physical postures but an entire attitude to physical and mental health Yoga begins with where you are RIGHT NOW, no matter what that looks like Yoga does not begin where someone else is or where you used to be, or where your inner critic expects you to be Finding that place, and being honest and unapologetic about it, is a lesson in itself

In short, there is a yoga for every stage of life, and the particular challenges of old age can most certainly become less daunting if we learn how to work with our bodies again

For information on lessons and classes or questions about yoga, you can contact me at lavieenyoga@gmail com

As always, respect yourself, explore yourself

For information on yoga and breathe better courses contact: lavieenyoga@gmail com

Rebecca Novick

Book Club

Where do you write?

You may not have ‘a room of one’s own’ as Virginia Woolf recommends, but you do need somewhere specific to call your writing space It can be a ‘shed’, a spare bedroom, part of a living room or an extension It can even be a café seat or a nook in a library or, in good weather, the garden Even if it’s a ‘portable’ office, you can organise it so it can be easily set up whenever you want Multi-tiered trolleys are excellent mobile storage spaces for the latter (IKEA does a great one )

Writing is deeply personal, as well as individual, so you need a place to work in that’s comfortable, light and not subject to interruptions Whether you write the first draft in pencil in a school exercise book or use coloured ink in a gold foiled notebook, you will need a computer with appropriate software and Internet connection, a supportive chair and some bench or desk space for notes and reference books

I still use print reference books such as Roget’s Thesaurus, style guides and specialist history books But mostly, I use the Internet for language dictionaries, odd topics like how to stage a coup d’etat and as the first place for looking up dates and places It’s worth

remembering that when researching a topic online, you must be extra careful to assess the source of the information on the screen and cross-check everything The real treasure online is the space at the end of articles where you find a list of sources and reference books that expand the post you’ve just been reading

My ‘office’ is full of paper, books, notes, pens, files, cup of coffee, lights, phone, noticeboard, etc Our super-tough birchwood workstations came over to France with us thirteen years ago, along with the IKEA office cupboards which used to adorn my UK office when I ran my translation business

We converted part of the spacious basement into an office to fit the furniture, et voilà! My IT engineer husband fitted network cabling, Wi-Fi, regular routers, a second wireless access point and all those techie things you need We have two HP printers, one colour, one black & white laser, the latter inherited from the UK business

Sometimes, when my back misbehaves and it’s too painful to sit for hours, I use a stand made from on old occasional table – thank you, dear husband – which sits on my normal desk

Each writer has their level of untidiness/tidiness

Some have a minimalist tendency with nothing else, not even a pen or notebook, on the surface to distract them, others love the comfort of bits of paper, three drinks mats, folders of ‘stuff’ a k a research notes, the odd soft toy, pencil rack, box of tissues, etc

Another consideration is whether you write to music or prefer total silence This is a Marmite thing, but if

you like to listen, make sure you have enough music on your device so that you’re not jumping up and down changing or shuffling tracks and thus disrupting your writing

Each of us must make our own, dedicated and personalised space so that when our muse feels comfortable enough to come out to play, we’re ready for her

Happy writing!

Alison Morton

Alison has compiled a selection of articles from this column into ‘The 500 Word Writing Buddy’, available in print and ebook. Her new Roma Nova novel, set in the 4th century, JULIA PRIMA, is now out

this month’s book reviews Book Club

Cultivating Change

by Caro Feely

review by Jacqueline Brown

This is the fourth memoir from Caro set on her family ’ s organic vineyard near Bordeaux and once again, she has written a book that really hit home as I read it and spoke to me on a level not all memoirs do

Cultivating Change is so much more than an update on their family and wine-making journey, it is a punchy, inspiring read that highlights the climate change problem viewed from organic farmers on the front-line Last summer saw not only severe hailstorms hitting the vineyards around Bordeaux (something that is becoming more common), but the area was also victim to huge forest fires that devasted acres of woodland as they burned for weeks

As well as sharing their interesting and inspiring life in France, Caro takes us along with her as she attends conferences to speak about climate change issues It is an honest account of the good times as well as their stresses and personal struggles I learned a lot from this book about the issues they are facing on a daily basis, and also ideas on how to make more changes to our life Thermals rather than too much heating and bikes over cars have been the norm for us for many years, but I realise there is more we can do It was good to know that there are others out that who share my fears about the gravity of the situation we have created in the world

I hope that as well as her regular readers enjoying a catch-up on life at the vineyard, the climate change element in this book will give it the wider audience it deser ves

Fly Me to Paris

by Helga Jensen

review by Jacqueline Brown

This book is a great fun read with lots of hilarious moments following Penny ’ s rebirth as she turns fifty and life throws her a cur ved ball Having wasted way too many years playing second fiddle to boyfriend Geraint, (who I really wanted to thump) his thoughtless actions proved to be just the catalyst Penny needed to stand on her own two feet and find herself a life

It was no easy decision to leave the security of her uneventful, safe routine and throw herself into training for a new career as cabin crew, but after a few wobbles, she embraced ever y challenge head on, including meeting Matt Matt is ever ything a distinguished pilot should be but comes with a carr yon of emotional baggage that could prove too much for Penny I was intrigued how the new Penny would react to his actions, but it’s amazing how a little confidence always brings with it strength To begin with I worried that her almost childlike behaviour and lack of self-confidence would let her down but following her journey never failed to make me smile and I was Team Penny all the way As the perfect backdrop to Penny ’ s journey, this book had the romance, food and atmosphere of Paris, an insight into the fascinating lives of cabin crew, on and off the aeroplane, as well as family dramas It is definitely one to add to your summer reading list, either paired with a poolside location and chilled drink, or as a virtual escape from life

Terra Aventura

Jacqueline Brown

Hello, is there anybody there? I’ve been abducted and drawn into another universe; can anybody hear me? Actually don t worr y I think I ve found somewhere where a histor y and travel nerd like me is quite at home, despite the fact it relies on technology

Let me introduce you to Terra Aventura the nouvelleAquitaine GeoCaching app and its collection of over sixhundred interactive treasure hunts that can be followed in French or English As well as adding interest and fun, to make the most out of your visits to some of the region’s top locations, you will get to know the mysterious world of the Poi’z, thirty-one characters who are there to guide you and show you things you might other wise have missed

Ever y Poi z has their own specialist subjects and interests from histor y, nature, art, geology, local legends and more As they whisk you off on your adventures, they share little snippets of histor y and local knowledge and you can be sure to find hidden backstreets, unusual buildings and quiet spots in busy cities, as you pick up interesting facts along the way

In just over a month, I ve completed eleven adventures, in four different departements and according to the app (that I find myself drawn to more than is necessar y) I’ve walked or cycled 4 2kms and burned almost 7500 calories I have explored new areas and revisited places I thought I knew, only to discover something fabulous I’d missed before, including gardens châteaux and Roman villas If you are looking for something to ensure your family gets outside this summer look no further but be warned collecting Poi z can quickly become an addictive pastime

To join in the fun, it’s as simple as downloading the app on your smartphone, picking your destination, following the clues and answering the questions all of which have been imaginatively created to make learning fun whatever your age If your answers are correct you will be led to a hidden prize and let me tell you, even a couple in their fifties have

been known to do a happy dance upon the discover y that all their answers are correct My smile in the photo says it all There are over forty circuits to discover in the Deux-Sèvres and over six hundred in nouvelle-Aquitaine and yes there is one that starts in the grounds of the Château de Javarzay and guides you around the commune of Chef-Boutonne If you fancy giving this one a go, do pop in and say hello Whilst most of the routes are designed to do on foot, with distances from 1km to over 5kms, some of them are specifically for cyclists and are usually at least 10km longthere is something for ever yone

All the information you need about how it works and where the treasure hunts can be found is available on their website: www terra-aventura fr or go to the App store on your smartphone The app is free, as are all the treasure hunts, and the routes can be downloaded in advance to easily use off-line when you are out

Adapting to the summer Adapting to the summer

Sophie Hargreaves

beautifully shady by two wellestablished trees, which provides the perfect shade during our picnics and afternoon visits, and an added bonus for the alpacas is it’s a new area for them to explore, different to the norm Just like us, they need this change of scener y now and then for enrichment for their mental health and they also enjoy browsing different areas of the farm

this change in the terrain with less grass and nutrition for the animals makes us adapt their feeding routines, we make sure we give them a little more hay and extra food rations too, especially for the mums who are producing milk for their cria and will need to continue to do so at least up until the end of autumn We are perhaps lucky that this coincides with the busy tourist season, as the demand to feed the animals heightens, it’s pure luck that it’s when we are giving extra food i don’t blame anyone for wanting to feed them, it’s the most wonderful time of the day and a beautiful experience in turn, the alpacas will continue to provide us with their quality fertilisers, which we ’ re making the most of on our veggie patch, around our fruit trees and in the few areas we can keep flowers to enjoy without those pesky alpacas eating them all! the plants certainly need all the help they can get in this heat too, and we ’ ve been lucky enough to enjoy a great har vest this season

it is the season now for high temperatures and dr y ground here in the Deux-Sèvres We have less grass, if any and for alpacas that is a shame as it’s their main source of food However, we adapt! it s nothing we haven’t seen before, and we must have done something right last year as our herd produced a record amount of wool in the 2022/23 year, a good sign of fantastic health!

Let s not forget the weather here is always keeping us on our toes; most of us felt that 5 9 magnitude earthquake on 16 June followed by a flash storm with large hail stones and then 35-degree heat in the following week! Luckily the alpacas are designed for extreme weather, and this doesn’t bother them too much they tend to take it all in their stride; helped a little by us ensuring (more than) adequate shelter for shade and protection, shearing once a year before the high temperatures arrive and giving them a refreshing hose with cold water on those ver y hot days

it’s still perhaps a little more difficult for us humans to adapt mentally to these moments of extreme weather

For us, it was watching in hope in the flash storm that our glamping tent would stay unscathed so it can be enjoyed by our many visitors of the summer months Luckily it was fine! and also remembering ourselves to use shelter and shade to protect ourselves from the heat and uV rays

Lots of water too!

the heat has also helped us develop a few more areas We’re lucky enough to have a “walnut garden”, an area made

i’m hoping you too have been able to find some relief and enjoyment in this harsh season, perhaps a dip in the pool, or maybe even taking the opportunity to visit all the great tourist attractions that are open this season (like us of course!)

For more information, visit: www lapetitefermedalpagas com or email: hello@lapetitefermedalpagas com

Located to the south of Parthenay , Verruyes is a small commune in the Val de Gâtine With a population of 896 residents (2020) the commune hosts numerous local events throughout the ranging from flea markets and festivals to concerts and exhibitions

Verruyes was first mentioned in 1041 as Verruca, meaning small wart, which later became Verruye in 1346 Its priory, dedicated to Saint Martin, was under the control of the SaintMaixent Abbey by 1363 Simon de Verruyes, one of the earliest known lords, donated land and buildings to the Church in the 12th century

The commune owes its development to the ancient GalloRoman road, the Chemin des Chaussées, that runs through it This road divided the town into two parts: the northeast part predominantly Catholic, and the southwest part more secular

After the revolution, Verruyes was the administrative centre of the canton from 1793 to 1801 During the Vendée wars, the canton had one house burnt down, 95 houses devastated, and 75 horses stolen In 1832, the Duchess of Berry instigated some partisans in the region who called themselves "Chouans" and resulted in two deaths

The Commanderie of Saint-Rémy, located 1 5 km south of the village, was a place of glory from the 12th to the 18th century Now, only the chapel remains The Commandery already existed in 1208 and owned numerous properties, including several rights and fiefs in the nearby parish of Clavé Before the French Revolution, the property of the Commanderie of Saint-Marc-la-Lande was transferred to the Order of Malta and merged with that of Saint-Rémy

Verruyes is also known for its lake, developed under Georges Bobin, the town's mayor, and inaugurated in May 1969 The town is featured thrice in the Guide to Mysterious France, mentioning the "Verruyes jump," a medieval custom, the Herbaudière farm associated with Poitevin legend, and the old church tied to the legend of Mélusine, the Fairy Builder of Poitou

The Church of Saint-Martin de Verruyes, dates back to the 11th century As a confirmed dependency of the Abbey of Saint-Maixent by the Pope in 1110, this church has seen several transformations over the centuries

Originally, a Romanesque church was built in the 12th century, featuring a five-bay design without aisles and a bell tower positioned in the middle of the nave However, this structure faced significant damage during the Wars of Religion, leading to its demolition

In 1876, a new church was constructed in its place This structure was much larger, designed in a composite style, and featured a square bell tower with geminated windows at the top The internal structure comprised a nave and aisles, with the nave consisting of five barrelvaulted bays supported by two lower cross-vaulted side aisles The transept led to a neo-Gothic pentagonal choir, adorned with pointed arches and wood panelling on all sides

The main altar was moved forward at the choir's entrance, allowing the Eucharist to be celebrated facing the people as per the prescriptions of the Second Vatican Council The old tabernacle was left at the back of the choir The transept features altars dedicated to Mary and Saint Joseph, each adorned with scenes from their lives and Latin inscriptions interpreting the scenes

The choir window showcases Saint Martin, the church's patron saint, while other stained glass windows throughout the church depict various saints These windows were created by various artists, including the Guérithault brothers and Jean Clamens, and were donated by different individuals and groups, with most bearing the names of their donors

Val Assist Translation Services

Picture this: a relaxed outdoor setting by the riverbank the air filled with laughter and music and gingham tablecloths fluttering in the breeze This is la guinguette, an enduring symbol of French culture that has captured hearts for centuries

The guinguettes originated in the suburbs of Paris guinguettes started as humble wine shops serving guinche, the Occitan word meaning a cheap white wine Over time, these establishments evolved into vibrant social hubs where locals and tourists gathered to eat, dance and soak up the joie de vivre The guinguette is more than just a dining venue; it a phenomenon that embodies the French art of living

In the 18th century, as Parisians sought tranquility

a French cultural icon

away from the busy streets guinguettes sprang up along the banks of the Seine and Marne rivers These rustic retreats offered not only food and wine, but also an atmosphere of camaraderie that turned strangers into friends and meals into celebrations

An essential part of this unique atmosphere is the gingham tablecloth With its checkered pattern, it adds a touch of whimsy and nostalgia to the dining experience The sight of these vibrant tablecloths dancing in the breeze is reminiscent of carefree summers by the river Gingham, also called Vichy check, has become synonymous with the guinguette, symbolising the convivial spirit that defines these gatherings The

influence of the guinguette extends even further inspiring trends in fashion and design

The spirit of the guinguette with its iconic gingham aesthetic and rustic charm, can be found in everything from clothing to home design

However like many traditions the guinguette experienced a decline in the 20th century as social trends changed and modernisation took hold Yet the allure of outdoor dining and the charm of simpler times were irresistible La guinguette is enjoying a renaissance, charming a new generation with its nostalgic appeal and lively atmosphere

Guinguettes have played an important role in French art, literature and cinema Artists such as Auguste Renoir, Manet, Monet and Caillebotte

were inspired by the atmosphere of the guinguette and captured its essence in their paintings Writers such as Maupassant and Zola, as well as filmmaker Jean Renoir, also expressed the charm of guinguettes in their works Paris may be the birthplace of the guinguette but its influence has spread throughout France and beyond Guinguettes have sprung up in various regions adding their own flair to this beloved tradition

Today, the guinguette, with its mix of nostalgia and conviviality, remains popular Its transformation from a simple riverside tavern to a cultural icon has left an lasting mark on French history and culture

Pierre Auguste Renoir - Le Déjeuner des Canotiers 1881

Une Guinguette Porte de Ménilmontant Paris 20e

Vincent Van Gogh - La Guinguette 1886

i have previously written for the DeuxSèvres Monthly on a number of topics relating to medieval France, viewed through the medium of fresques the medieval year calendars deal with the daily life of the peasant farmers the scenes of the theme of Death and Hell (La Mort et l Enfer) deal with the general supposed fate of those transgressing the laws and tenets of the Catholic Church of those times the scenes of the Last Judgement (Le Jugement Dernier) also show to some extent the rewards for the good or, perhaps, the chosen the scenes featuring the Sibyls were an attempt to use pagan prophesies to justify church doctrine in this latest series of articles, we will see how in the Musician angels (Les anges Musiciens), the notion of heavenly joy and the worship of Mar y as queen of heaven was presented to worshippers for a few centuries

Whilst on holiday in the Pyrenees in autumn 2019, my wife and I encountered some beautiful paintings on the vault of the Cathédrale notreDame-de-la-Sède in Saint-Lizier These paintings of The Sibyls (12 in this case) intrigued me, and I started searching for more information Being curious to know more about these pagan prophetesses I started to search on the Internet for more examples and information Although I found a couple of books on the subject, the information out there was quite limited, but it did lead me to another subject Les Anges Musiciens, which proved more widespread both in the literature and on the ground Whilst I was visiting churches in search of fresques and in particular those relating to my personal interests, I took many photos that I never used and barely looked at Looking back through my digital photo archive, I found that I had at least two examples of churches with fresques of musician angels – surprise! So, I have decided to continue with the angels and leave The Sibyls as they are

Some years ago, my wife and I visited Le Mans to see the old town and its Roman fortifications, staying in a delightful B&B close to the cathedral, which we left to a last hasty evening visit Later we found reference online to fresques of musician angels in a chapel behind the choir and the altar, as well as a ver y fine book covering the subject We have since revisited Le Mans and its cathedral and have now a set of photos of Les Anges Musiciens painted on the vault of the principal chapel

The theme of Les Anges Musiciens and also of The Singer Angels (Les Anges Chanteurs), is one of joy, of praise and of paradise whilst that of The Sibyls is

An Introduction An Introduction

an almost political use of pagan beliefs and ritual to support the then-current church dogma All the themes I have mentioned appear and then vanish into disuse over the course of the years according to the needs of church, beliefs, ritual, and superstition They also tend to be bound by geographic area, the use of the church buildings concerned and the wishes and intent of the dignitar y commissioning the work

There are examples of Les Anges Musiciens to be found in all manner of places of worship, var ying from the great cathedrals to small chapels Their form varies from the stone car vings above the front portal of the cathedral in Saintes, to the stained glass in the south rose window in the cathedral in Angers to the fresques painted on the vault of the nave in the Chapel in the cathedral at Le Mans They can be found as a simple painting and as wood

Le Mans Cathedral

car vings on choir stools or around the pulpit, either in the main body of a church or in a cr ypt and their placement is dependent on the religious significance intended

Whereas the Sibyls are almost always found in a set of 12, often paired with church fathers, the sons of Jacob, or another set of prominent male figures the number of Anges Musiciens, however varies widely from 5 to 20 or more, sometimes accompanied by a similar number of singer angels, who often carr y banners with their music depicted Le Mans has a whole host of Anges Musiciens and Anges Chanteurs alternating in the panels of the vault kernacléden, in Morbihan, on the other hand has only four pairs beautifully painted on the vault of the north traverse

Many examples of these fresques are painted on the vault of the nave, but examples can also be found in the side chapels and on the transverses Romanesque churches, with their small, high windows (or lack of windows) may have the walls of the nave painted –easier for viewers to see but less associated with the heavens

At Saintes, we find Les Anges Musiciens car ved in the arc of the portal of the west entrance of the cathedral In good condition for their age, they are a typical representation I miss the colours and subtlety of the paintings in these car vings but having them high above one ’ s head on entering the cathedral evokes the heavenly connection If the residual polychrome on the portal statuar y and car vings in Angers are anything to go by then angels of Saintes cathedral will also have been painted

Elsewhere, in the Cathedral of Vendôme, there is a set of four musician angels car ved in wood next to the choir stalls That they are angels and musical is beyond doubt in this case their wings and instruments being ver y visible

In Brittany, there seems to be a tendency to use wood or stone sculpting to portray both musician angels and sibyls Each era and each geographic region will have built up its own traditions

This past March, my wife and I decided to go north for a couple of days to visit Mont Saint-Michel to say goodbye to a long cold wet winter not the best time to do so actually, because it was still cold and wet, but we wanted to be able to take a hotel on the island and to avoid the summer crowds Mont SaintMichel has nothing to do with the angels as such, but we did get some good photos of the spring tide coming in and surrounding and isolating the island After wards we went on to Bayeux to see the tapestr y and to delve down into the cr ypt of the cathedral, where, I

had read there are some Anges Musiciens There were, in fact, 18 of them, accompanied by Anges Chanteurs painted at the bottom of the arched vaults surmounting the sturdy pillars supporting the choir of the cathedral

All these visits have been prompted by snippets of information found here and there, one leading to the tapestr y of the apocalypse in the castle of Angers The main and dominant theme is the apocalyptic plagues of Saint John; however just like Bayeux tapestr y the Angers tapestr y has borders with a subsidiar y theme the upper border having some 50 Anges Musiciens portrayed with their instruments, their wings and flowing robes

To be continued

Upholstery of antiques, car interiors, caravan interiors, lounge suites, chairs, bedheads...

taking Better Photographs... Water

By Steve Marshall

Water is one of the best things you can use in photography Moving or still and whether enhancing other objects or the main subject of the picture it is always worth looking for

Leaving steam and clouds aside – water can be moving still or frozen Moving water can be captured in at least two ways – frozen or stretched in time Still water can reflect and refract and enhance the subject of an image By frozen I refer to frost, ice and snow all of which can produce fascinating pictures

The faster water is moving the more it lends itself to that movement being captured in the instant – as in the picture of the breaking wave

The key to this sort of image is the fastest shutter speed you can manage This was taken a 1 /4000th of a second and still some bits of spume are not perfectly sharp

If you are not confident to do this on manual I recommend using the shutter priority setting – usually on the dial at the top of the camera You probably have M A S and Auto – being Manual

Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Auto

Set your shutter to the fastest it allows, take lots of shots and see what you can capture Slower moving water can look at its best when exposures are stretched

into seconds And achieving these can get a little more technical

For longer exposures – my beach scene is 2 5 seconds – you really need a tripod or at least something solid to rest the camera on Waves on sand are usually best if you start the exposure just before an inbound wave starts to recede Shutter priority will allow a long exposure but in ordinar y daylight the

camera may find it impossible to adjust ever ything else to work

Most cameras will take neutral density

or nD – filters that reduce the light and allow longer exposures

Reflections in water can be beautiful and the lake in front of the mountain is one of my favourites This could almost have been taken on auto but I set a relatively high aperture to ensure good depth of field with focus from front to back

The most important thing for photos like these is arriving before you think the light will be at its best That gives you time to walk the space and assess the shape of image you want I particularly liked the reeds in the foreground and the cur ve of land falling on the left through to the trees rising on the right

And then you wait A tripod is really useful so you do not have to carr y the camera

I visited the evening before as the blue hour has its own magic and spent nearly two hours there in the morning I had some good shots early on, and once this was taken the colours were gone in twenty minutes

Water on flowers and cobwebs can do wonderful things

Always think about the light Can you shoot with the light behind the cobweb? Can you catch some light in the water on a flower

I saw these elderberries one damp morning walking the dog so came back immediately with the camera The dog liked the idea of a second walk but would have preferred not to have to wait for his breakfast

For these elderberries I tried a number of different focus set ups I finally selected spot focus on the water droplet which allows most of the image to soften I think this draws the viewer ’ s eye to the water and the inverted scene behind it Ice and snow can enhance objects and sometimes change them quite dramatically

In Februar y 2020 we had unusual weather – what the meteorologists call freezing rain Supercooled drops land on objects at or below freezing and freeze into a fine layer As more rain falls it freezes building up the ice

This acer lives in a pot outside our house and grew an entire translucent ice coat

And the key to the shot is that it is into the light so the ice almost looks as if it is lit from within,

Tr y to give yourself enough time to consider multiple possible shots and enjoy your photography

If

You need to decide how you want to catch the water Cobwebs are often flat which can make it easier to get the whole subject in focus Flower shots will var y depending on whether you are photographing directly at a single bloom or taking a wider shot

While you re out exploring over the summer why not take Steve s advice by snapping some photos of the beautiful scenery? Share your favourite snaps on our Facebook page, and we'll showcase the most impressive shots If a particular monument or

building has ever piqued your curiosity feel free to contact us and we ll endeavour to uncover its secret Send your suggestions and ideas to info@thedeuxsevresmonthly fr, and let's explore the Deux-Sèvres together Boost

The Dog Days of Summer are here the ‘lawn’ crunches underfoot the bright colours of spring and early summer are faded and everything and everyone seems to struggle in the heat

But the garden and hedgerows still hold on to their beauty in a more subtle way, with an abundance of fancy and intricate seed heads to help disperse seeds far and wide

Many a keen gardener will have deadheaded before the seed heads fully ripen to encourage continued flowering, but those who wish to preserve seeds may well be lucky enough to have all sorts of seed heads around them

Take time to appreciate their form and function that have inspired any of mans own inventions some shake seeds all around like poppies ‘pepper-pots’, whilst California poppies spring open once ripe, casting their seeds a little further afield Some fasten tight to clothes or entangle themselves in fur with hooks or spikes, to be carried even further, and of course, some are light and airy to drift on the wind

Different seed heads are sturdier than others thus lending themselves to a variety of craft projects

Here s a simple but effective way to preserve the golden seeds of a summer field

A SIMPLE SUMMER SEED JAR

You will need:

A jam-jar

An elastic band

Plenty of sturdy seed heads (I’ve chosen ears of wheat and poppy seed heads)

Some natural twine

How to make your seed jar: Roll the elastic band about half way up the jar

Tuck the sturdiest seeds (in this case, wheat) under the elastic band all the way around the jar

This can be a little fiddly, so follow the direction of the seeds, pushing them down from above rather than tr ying to push up from below

When you have covered the jar, wrap the twine around the

wheat in two places to secure the ears against the jar

Carefully snip and remove the rubber band (you can tr y to remove without snipping but it may dislodge the seeds ) Then add the poppy steps in between the wheat to create your mini ‘field’ scene

You can add different grasses or other flower seed heads depending on your preferences and what’s available

Ideally you don’t want anything poking over the top of the jar or hanging too low down

You can use your decorated jar to hold a night light for late summer evening light, or to carr y flowers or simply to store pens etc,!

Seeds can be used in all sorts of ways here’s a wreath I made using Love in the Mist seed heads, My seed head wreaths are now available to order

Raffia hearts and seed wreaths are available to order from Sophie at Cueillette et Decouverte www facebook com/CueilletteetDecouvertebySophie

stay Connected

The latest trends in satellite TV and internet ser vices

‘You look hot!’ Mrs W said to me recently Now normally, given my vanity levels, I would have taken this as a compliment However, when it’s followed up with ‘ like a big fat sweaty bag of lard’, I started to wonder if perhaps it wasn’t meant as a compliment The more I thought about it, the more I started to doubt it After a few days of reflection, I finally decided that, no, it wasn’t a compliment But you know what? I don’t care I’m not the one who washes my pants!!! And that cheered me up enormously With that, dear readers, I welcome you to August’s edition of this guff (that’s another pants joke!) I hope you’re all having a lovely summer As I write this, there are 181 days left until Christmas By the time you read this, there will be less than 150 I’ll just let that sink in

Freesat is not the same as Freeview Please do not purchase a Freeview receiver for the reception of UK satellite TV It simply won’t work

For those just entering the world of Freesat, remember that when it asks for a postcode, it is wanting a UK one for the regional BBC One Do not put in your French code postal Any valid UK postcode will do if you don’t have a particular one you wish to use

Sky subscriptions? Yes you can, but technically you shouldn’t However, lots of people do and who can blame them? Any company purporting to be part of Sky and offering subscription cards from locations outside of the UK & Channel Islands are, to the best of my knowledge, not affiliated to Sky Group Ltd However, none of this matters if you have a UK address where you can register the subscription You can use your own address if you still have one, that of a friend or relative (who doesn’t already have a Sky subscription package) or even a third-party company who will ‘front’ the address for you I’m not condoning such action and I do not get involved with it But, should you end up with a Sky box and subscription card, I’m more than happy to install the dish and cabling for you That was a long route to tout for business wasn’t it?

Because I’m on the slightly boring side of dull, I’ve been keeping a track of all the LNBs I’ve replaced this year due to cracked rain covers allowing water ingress Well, the results are interesting (spoiler, they’re really not) The vast majority, in fact 83%, are the LNBs which are specific to Sky mini dishes The stupid ones with the oval necks which don’t fit French dishes As far as I can tell, they are simply not designed for the weather we experience in this part of the world They are also stupid So if you find an installer who wants to use a Sky minidish (they're the elliptical ones, full of holes), tell them no, and ask them to use a proper satellite dish with a 40mm neck universal LNB that’ll last longer than the ones that come with Sky dishes Not sure if I mentioned it, but those ones are stupid And rubbish

Did you know you can set up parental controls on your Freesat box? This can happen as either part of the installation process or at a later date and allows you to set a PIN to watch the TV You can also hide channels from appearing in the TV Guide or Recordings section within the settings menu Simply select ‘Freesat Channels’, then select the channel you wish to hide and press OK to make sure your TV Guide stays family-friendly

Whilst on PIN numbers, please write them down if you set a specific one The standard Freesat PIN is 0000 but if you change this and need to reset the box to factory settings, it’s a pain in the **** if you’ve forgotten it I know a way around this, but I’m not telling

As always, please feel free to get in touch if you would like any further information or would like to discuss your requirements Contact details can be found on the advert Have a great month

UK TV - BBC iPlayer with VPN in France

Smart Home, Alexa, Google Installation

New & Refurbished UK Computers Suppliers

Tablet & Smartphone Support

Wi-Fi Installation & Troubleshooting

Broadband set up (Orange, SFR, Free etc...)

Software upgrades Virus & Malware Problems solved Repairs

P r oven ce P r oven ce

and the CÔte D’Azure part 2

and the Cote D’Azure part 1

During our time so far in Southern France, it was impossible not to notice the high level of military activity In almost every area we visited, the peace and silence would suddenly be shattered by low-flying jets or a fleet of helicopters We assumed this was a display of defiance to Putin’s aggression and not preparation for a confrontation with Boris

We spent much of our time on the Cote D’Azure revisiting places we had spent holidays when the kids were young We started with Frejus and Saint-Raphael To reach these from Cannes you travel through the Massif de l’Esterel This is a range of mountains made of red rock that stretch down to the sea and look magnificent in the early morning or evening light Unfortunately, every time I tried to capture this, by the time I had found a place to park the car, the sun had disappeared behind a cloud

We were assured that part of a 7,500 km pan-European cycle route that connects Antibes to Nice did not involve any cycling on busy roads, so we packed the bikes on the back of the car and parked on the huge stony beach to the East of Antibes The 40km cycle was pleasant passing through the beach fronts of Villenueve-Loubet and Cagnes sur Mer

You then reach the Promenade des Anglais, the massive (7km) long beachfront in Nice, leading to the buzzing old town Having this amount of seafront means that Nice can cater for everyone There are private beaches, beach clubs, public beaches, a beach for dogs, beaches for volleyball and fishing spots

We also visited Eze and Antibes In Eze, a pleasant small town between Monaco and Villefranche, we found a beach bar called Anjuna, claiming to be the most expensive beach bar in the world We certainly wouldn’t argue with them Revisiting Antibes confirmed it as a favourite, it has a very pleasant, sandy town beach and an interesting and quaint old town

Leaving the Cote D’Azure, on the way to Aix-en-Provence, we detoured to Cassis with the intention of doing a walk through Les Calanques Cassis itself turned out to be a beautiful fishing village, with its own, very good wines, so of course we had to sit and try some

During our tour of France, we avoided motorways whenever possible, using the minor roads to see the “real France” Our trips to Frejus and Antibes convinced us in the Cotes D’Azure this isn’t practical, it takes forever to get anywhere

We used the motorway to visit Monaco, having missed the Grand Prix, we still managed to catch all the grandstands and safety fencing, spoiling the views, as I said; it's all about timing

Russ Adams

Having then limited time we took a boat trip to see some of Les Calanques Les Calanques is a stretch of high limestone cliffs stretching over 20 km from Cassis to Marseille, with stunning inlets with clear, turquoise water The land behind is also part of the national park It is well worth seeing and we will hike some of the park - one day

Arriving in Aix, we made our way into the centre of the town and stumbled across a restaurant called Mitch, that I had read about We couldn’t get in that night, so we made a reservation for Saturday night and wandered off to find somewhere else to eat Like most French cities Aix has several Vietnamese restaurants, an inheritance from colonial days, (like us with Indian restaurants) Having spent some time in Vietnam we considered ourselves experienced eaters of Vietnamese cuisine so we picked a restaurant and ordered with confidence We had ordered Vietnamese spring rolls for starters, and the waiter turned up first with a bowl of semi-clear liquid we took to be a dipping sauce When after 10 more minutes the spring rolls still hadn’t come, we changed our minds and thought it must be some sort of prestarter and drank it It was delicious The waiter then turned up with the spring rolls, horrified we had drunk the fish sauce and rushed off to get some more Obviously, we are not the experts we thought Still, this is an improvement

from Vietnam when I drank the citrus water that was meant for cleaning your fingers

Being a major university city, Aix-en-Provence is a lively city full of locals and tourists and students from around the world At night the bars are full of earnest young philosophers discussing vital subjects such as; which are the best phone apps and who is the best character in Harry Potter This means the large old town is packed full of bars and restaurants catering for every pocket, every 50 yards there is another square with a fountain crowded with people and tables This is even more manic on market days when stalls selling everything are rammed into the throng, fighting for space with the existing businesses

Aix is also a city of art, partially because of Paul Cezanne who lived and painted in the town and was close friends with another Aix resident, Emile Zola, the writer We tried to improve our knowledge of art by visiting 2 of the main galleries, I can’t say I’m any more knowledgeable but I’ve seen more Picassos and Cezannes than you can shake a stick at On our last night, we ate at Mitch and the food was excellent You only had 3 choices of main course, meat of the day, fish of the day or poultry Well worth trying

hen Plan ‘A’ works!

when hed ions to n an at we p t beekeeping However, last month, on a sunny morning, we received a call from a couple who had noticed a large group of bees in one of their plum trees We asked them to send a photo so we could assess it and yes, they were right, a swarm cluster had formed on a branch It was almost text-book in its size, shape, and position, perfect for collecting and rehoming in a hive

Off we went with our ‘swarm kit’ consisting of a collecting box, a hive, a large white sheet, a queen clip, a smoker, and some lure (lemon balm), to meet the property owners who were fascinated by the bees and asked if they could observe the capture (from a safe distance, of course!) The bees were immediately identified as Buckfast bees, a hybrid strain made up of bees from Italy, France, and Eastern Europe i e a desirable mix of productive, calm, hardworking, and hardy characteristics This cluster was calmly waiting on the tree branch, ready to move to its new home once the scouts had agreed and communicated its location Our job was to get them into our hive before they took off again We still couldn’t quite believe that this job was going to be that easy but, for the first time in a long time, we didn’t need ladders or a scaffold tower to reach the cluster as the branch was only a couple of

metres from the ground We set up the hive on a small stand, with a ramp up to the entrance, and spread the white sheet out in front of it Then we took our cardboard box, positioned it under and around the cluster, gave the branch a sharp shake, and listened to the satisfying thump as the majority of the bees fell into the box This is what is supposed to happen and almost never does as most of the bees usually fly up and out We quickly closed the box flaps, carried it over to the white sheet, and gently tipped the bees out, and again, surprisingly, they stayed with only a few flying around

The next stage was to play the beekeeping version of “Where’s Wally?”, trying to find the queen bee in amongst 30,000 other similarly-striped insects We had our queen clips ready, small cages in which to hold the queen safely, and started to look for her In our experience she is frequently at the back of the crowd, so we scrutinised that area, prepared for it to take several minutes However, within seconds she was spotted and carefully captured We placed her inside the hive and almost immediately the bees picked up her pheromone and moved towards her, walking quickly up the ramp and into the hive It is an incredible sight and one we never tire of witnessing; it’s almost something of a party-piece, seeing winged insects walking rather than flying! Within an hour all the bees from the cluster were inside the hive, with a few foragers still in the air As it was only mid-afternoon at this stage we left the hive open to allow the bees to fan pheromones to communicate the position of their new home, and when we returned after dark, all the bees that had originally

swarmed were inside the hive We closed it up and took it to our quarantine apiary

A few days later we inspected the new colony to assess its health and to ensure it had settled in to its new home Continuing the theme of doing exactly what is expected, the bees had already built new comb and the queen had begun laying, with eggs and small larvae easily visible Pollen and nectar was also being stored, proving that the foragers had found a good source of nutrition Every now and again bees DO read the same books as beekeepers!

If you’d like to try your hand at beekeeping, or want to find out more about how you can help pollinating insects, please contact us via our website www 13bees co uk, email (info@13bees co uk) or phone us (05 45 71 22 90) Amanda and Kevin Baughen, 13 Bees, Confolens

Amanda Baughen

by Peter Lowth

Fishing can be a wonderful and relaxing hobby and this article is intended to encourage people, regardless of age, fitness or ability, to consider giving it a go!

Personally, I have loved fishing since I was 5 years old, when my Uncle Billy took me to fish on the River Trent and the Bristol Avon Having fished for over 40 years, I find fishing a great activity for your mental and physical health It gives you the opportunity to have fun and relax as well as connecting with nature My favourite part of fishing is that you live in the moment, and you get to disconnect from life for a short period of time

The BBC’s exceptionally popular programme - Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing - about two friends, beautiful places and trying to land a catch - has brought the positive benefits that fishing has to offer for both mental and physical wellbeing to a far wider audience With this increased awareness of the myriad of benefits fishing has to offer, it seemed an ideal time to promote my favourite sport

My wife, as a fishing widow, simply doesn’t understand why fishing is so addictive, even if I catch nothing However, it is one of the very few activities where, even if you don't catch all day, you are still satisfied You can be an absolutely terrible angler but, somehow it doesn't matter!

We are truly fortunate in the beautiful Deux-Sèvres department to have a diverse range of lakes and rivers with a wide range of fishing venues to enjoy Pescalis, is a renowned fishing & nature reserve just outside Moncoutant that caters for fly, coarse, match fishing and predator fishing with extensive equipment hire and tuition If the size of the lakes at Pescalis is a little offputting for a beginner, then there are many excellent, smaller venues with a range of species to catch such as; La Germondière near Secondigny, my own Les Forges Fishing near Moncoutant, as well as specialized venues for larger, specimen-sized fish at: Old Mill Fisheries, over the border in the Vendée

Often getting started in fishing can seem intimidating, particularly with the myriad of tackle and bait options available Courtesy of The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, I plan to demystify fishing month by month, and take you step by step through the basics of what you need to get started So till next month, tight lines!

Why g o fishing? Peter

Peter Lowth is an experienced angler with over 40 years of fishing knowledge in match, predator, coarse and fly fishing

Growing up near Bath, fishing local rivers and ponds, he then transitioned to competitive fly fishing and in recent years competed on the UK match fishing circuit He opened Les Forges Fishing venue, located near Pescalis, in early 2023 –www lesforgesfishing com

Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing - pic courtesy of Owl Power

the g uys

V ine y ard the g uys V ine y ard

french Wine & Climate Change

by Rob Brimfield and Seve McMahon

We have been keeping busy here at Clos Vieux Rochers with the coming and going of guests and visitors We were surprised to find a surge in interest from Finland this year but with the arrival of some Finish guests we found the reason, it seems that the early episodes of A new Life In The Sun are being aired there and has been a big hit there so it looks like we will be getting a few more visitors from the region

Our recent “Musique Dinetoire event was a great success and highlights will be shown on next spring s A new Life In The Sun Where are they now?” We are planning a few more events before the end of the season so keep an eye out if you would like to come to one This year we have been welcoming more groups for Wine Tour and Tasting with lunch being booked which are always enjoyed and often repeated

Our beehives that we introduced in April have been busy, one exceptionally so and we will be har vesting our first batch of honey ver y soon which is exciting To see the way the hive works close up is quite incredible and we have left a lot of our land to meadow this year and the wild areas have produced a vast array of different wild flowers and grasses We also planted over six hundred lavender plants to add to the food source of the bees so we hope to have a nice fragrant honey produced by our busy little workers

As the growing season enters its final month we hope that August will bring good sunshine and a little early morning rain to plump up the fruit Good sunshine builds the sugars and a little rain adds quantity to the juice Together it helps to make a good har vest, unfortunately, the early part of the year has not been the greatest with heavy and moist conditions making ideal conditions for problems with much of the young fruit and flowers not developing at all The conditions have not been perfect for several years now and the winemakers of the Bordeaux region have like many regions been hit with extremes in weather with the late frosts, hail, too much sun or not enough sun, too much rain

or not enough rain The French wine industr y has been looking at how to combat climate change to protect what is a major industr y in France Technology has been playing a part, historically vignerons lit fires at the ends of the rows to combat late frosts that risked the flowers in April now there are blowers and fans, lamps strewn in the vines and even helicopters flying over the vineyards

The area of Saint Emilion, which also affects our vineyard due to its proximity, has a new defence system to combat hail Hydrogen balloons each filled with 200 grams of “ hygroscopic salt” are released when hail is close, the balloons burst at a fixed height and the salts transform the hail to rain over the past two years this has been used twice and successfully stopped the hail and the damage it would have caused Tests are also under way with new varieties of grapes being trialled that are more resilient to the weather extremes we are facing but these sorts of changes will take years to implement with newly planted vines taking five years to produce fruit and ten years before the plant produces fruit that would be classed as mature

There are over four hundred French grape varieties and less than a third are currently grown to produce wine This being the case there is the possibility that some of these old and unused varieties will see a comeback after previously being discontinued due to requiring ver y hot summers before they will fully ripen as well as being more hardy in drought conditions

no matter what the results of these trials are we are going to see a real change over the next twenty-five years There will be new wine varieties as previous areas that haven’t had a wine industr y develop one Current wine regions will have different varieties producing wines that do not compare to the region's current wine production

Irrigation is also something that is being considered, here in Bordeaux we are not allowed to irrigate and this is the case

with most appellation wines, strict regulations are in place but with more issues with drought could see limited irrigation being allowed as a regular thing The safeguarding of the true vintages of appellation wines will always mean tight controls as over-watering will increase the yield but affects the quality of the juice and in turn the quality of the wine

All this means we might have a different look to the vineyards by 2050, new varieties, irrigation, covered vineyards and previously unknown vineyard in different locations France is not on its own with this battle and some places like the Uk are seeing an increase in wine production who knows maybe they will produce a decent red by 2050?

If you are in the area please call in or if you need a short break, come and stay in one of our gites where you will always get a warm welcome from The Vineyard guys

As we step into August many gardeners might feel a sense of impending gloom as the peak gardening season begins its descent into the off-season However, it's important to remember that our garden plants are hardier than we think There's a plethora of gardening tasks for August that will keep our gardens thriving longer and offer opportunities to get a head start on next year s garden plans

them to ensure continued flowering Dahlias for instance whether in pots or borders benefit greatly from regular deadheading This simple task keeps the plant flowering longer However, keep an eye out for ear wigs, which can damage the petals, and pick them off when you spot them

In August look out for clematis wilt which manifests as black discolouration on leaves and stems Cut off any infected parts (but avoid composting them to prevent spreading the disease) and treat the plant well after wards

Vine weevil beetles can be particularly problematic, especially for plants in pots Always be on the lookout for these pests If you notice semi-circular notches being eaten out of leaf edges, it might be a sign of these destructive insects

If you haven't cut back flowering perennials yet, there's still time They'll flower again putting on new growth before autumn Lavender plants can also benefit from some attention this month Trim back lavender flower stalks once they've faded and lightly trim the current foliage to encourage new shoots But remember to water camellias and rhododendrons thoroughly during dr y weather as next year ’ s flower buds are beginning to form

August gardening tasks can be a mixed bag The on-going heat wave poses an additional challenge, but it also affords us the chance to enjoy the warmth and sunshine while we tend to our beloved gardens now is the time to collect seeds from perennials and annuals You could sow them immediately or store them for next year in paper bags keep picking flowers for instant colour or deadhead

Slugs and snails might have taken a backseat during the hot July weather but other pests like red lily beetles are still around, ready to wreak havoc on your plants Look out for their grubs in the 'black sludge' on the leaves Simply pick them off or rub the leaves with a damp tissue to keep your fingers clean! When it comes to plant care don t forget to prune rambling roses after the flowers have faded and the hips have formed This encourages the growth of new shoots and promotes healthier plants

While we ' re busy tending to our gardens, it's crucial to look after ourselves too Always wear a hat in the sun, protect yourself from insect bites, apply sun cream (even on your hands), and stop often for long cool drinks And of course take time for reflection it s still gardening!

We mustn't forget about wildlife either, keep birdbaths topped up with fresh water and leave water and tinned cat food out for baby hedgehogs If you

It’s still possible for a pool this Summer

have a pond, remove oxygenating plants and rake out blanket weed, but leave it on the side of the pond for a bit to allow wildlife to return to the water

If you ' re looking to get a head start on your garden plans for next year consider planting colchicums (autumn flowering crocus) now They ll add a splash of colour to your garden in the autumn

Despite the work involved, gardening in August can be a joy Some of the tasks may feel like outdoor houseworkcleaning the greenhouse, organising the tools, fixing hooks on the wall rationalising the flowerpots - but it s all part of the process Gardening helps us stay focused and fit and the results bring us immense pleasure and wellbeing

Whether you have hectares of land or just a few pots on a balcony, the feeling is the same August is officially the last month of summer so let s make the most of it Enjoy whatever you do in your garden take time to appreciate what you ve achieved and plan new things for the coming year

Clubs & Associations

Alcoholics Anonymous - South West France

If you or someone you know has a drinking problem, there are now a number of English-speaking meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous in the South West of France

Alcoholics Anonymous is a Fellowship of men and women who share experiences, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism

The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking

There are no dues or fees for AA membership and AA is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organisation or institution Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety

For help or information, telephone: 05 31 60 90 95 or visit: www aafrance net

ALL ENQUIRIES ARE TREATED IN THE STRICTEST CONFIDENCE

Netball: Clessé Allstars - The Clessé Allstars netball club meets every Monday at Salle Omnisports, Clessé 79350 from 7:00 to 8:30 p m We welcome players and supporters of all ages and abilities. Join us for a free taster session before signing up FB @clubdenetballclesse

Royal British Legion - Bordeaux & South West France

Do you need help or advice?

Contact us at: rblbx assistance@gmail com www facebook com/groups/306085566632991

melleran Chanteurs - Amateur singing group that meets every Monday at 6:45 pm at the Salle des Fêtes in Melleran French and English members singing in many languages New voices are always welcome, especially tenor and bass For more information, please contact Alison Hudson 05 49 29 65 31

Combined Services Support Group - CSSG is a group of mainly ex services people living in the area who meet socially whilst raising funds to support ex-service charities Former UK servicemen and women, police and firefighters are invited to email Christine Hester at christine.hester10@gmail.com

Why Not joiN thE RAF FAmiLy?

RAFA Sud-Ouest France

Le Perail, 17250 BEURLAY, France Tel: 05 46 95 38 89 email: admin@rafasudouest fr

AFVBC - The newly formed North Charente Maritime Armed Forces and Veterans Breakfast Club meets the second Sunday of every month at 10:15 a m at the Relais d'Aulnay Reservations with Ann and Allan at walpcs@yahoo.co.uk

Les Amis Solitaires is a group of people living alone in France. We organise social events and meet for coffee at The Lemon Tree in Sauze Vaussais, 11am every 2nd and 4th Thursday Contact Pennie on pennietelford@hotmail com

thouarStmed’Arts - Association that aims to bring together people from the historic town of Thouars (Quartier Saint Médard) for a new development of artistic activity Exhibitions, galleries, brocantes, creators, cultural events, etc Visit the website: thouarsaintmedarts79 asso-web com

French Lessons for English Speakers

Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall), 4 Place Leopold Bergeon, 79150 Argenton-les-Vallées

Classes: beginners or intermediate Private lessons on request

Contact: rendez-vous79@orange.fr

Vasles Netball Club - Want to keep fit, have fun and make new friends? Join us at Vasles Netball Club every Monday from 5 307pm at the Salle Omnisports in Vasles Open to men and women of all abilities and experience Two free taster sessions FB @VaslesNetballClub email: vaslesnetball@gmail.com

Acceuil des Villes Françaises - A French association dedicated to welcoming newcomers from all over France and abroad to their new surroundings; helping them integrate, speak French, and feel 'at home' through social events pjhenderson@orange fr www avf.asso.fr

Craft Café Creatif

We are a craft group who meet once a fortnight on a Wednesday afternoon at Pause Café, L'Absie. Our members knit,crochet,sew, embroider etc We craft and socialize over a cup of tea. New members welcome.

Ta i Chi classes - exercise for body and mind (and memory) for everyone. Classes are held Mondays at 7:30 pm in Bressuire and Wednesdays at 3:00 pm in Le Breuil Barret Call Terry at 05 49 65 60 34, email chentaiji fr@gmail com or visit www chentaiji-fr com

BRidGE pLAyERS WANtEd

A small, friendly bridge group is looking for new players in the Parthenay area We are friendly and informal and welcome players of all skill levels Contact Richard Knight by email richardknight@orange.fr or 05 49 69 18 65

Franglais Anglo-French Group thouars - Centre Socio-Culturel

We meet every Wednesday 7.30pm-9pm, at 7 rue Anne Desrays, for conversation in English & French, and to understand each other’s language and culture Contact 05 49 66 35 11 or email jpc.allorent@orange.fr or eugene mc cabe@hotmail.com

National Helpline 0800 240 200 or email: helpline@cancersupportfrance org

You can find more details about CSF Vienne & Deux-Sèvres by visiting: vienne.cancersupportfrance.org/vienne-home www facebook com/groups/1573102762990772

Airvault Conversation - Come and practice your French with a friendly group of Fench and English speakers Every Wednesday at 7pm at the Salle CSC 16 rue Emmanuel Bonnet, 79600 AIRVAULT Call Christian for more information: 05 49 63 04 78

Clubs & Associations Submission: include title and 40-word max entry (with contact details) and optional logos if space allows. Free ads rotate monthly; for guaranteed monthly printing, pay a 4.50€ monthly fee (54€ annually). Email submissions to: info@thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr

Clubs & Associations

Vienne and Deux-sèvres

As we approach the end of our first full year since the merger of our two associations, it's time to reflect on our progress There have been challenges, but there have also been many rewards Our quarterly meetings consist of a full day devoted to business in the morning and training in the afternoon has generally received approval Naturally, there are issues, problems and events to sort out between these meeting days, but as we continue to improve our communication methods, these systems have become increasingly streamlined

"'No shirts? No Problem!" -

Leggett Immobilier steps in to help Association Violet

Members at our meeting at La Ligue Poitiers offices on June 13th

We have benefitted greatly from the training conferences organised by the National Association over the past three months These included one for Active Listeners in Brive and one for Trainers in Toulouse

We decided that we would use May and June to raise money for our association During those few weeks we have raised 1500 euros thanks to the generosity of our friends and our communities The basket of produce in each area ended up in all sorts of places (bridge club, bowling club, cafe, cat charity event and a night market) with people testing each other and even using the weight of their dog as a measure It made friends laugh and be competitive!

Association Violet is a local charity committed to transforming lives and supporting families living with lifelong disabilities

The association is run by a small group of dedicated volunteers committed to raising awareness and funds for local disabled children and their families Their vision is clear - to help elevate the worr y and financial stresses that these families face on a daily basis

Throughout the year, Association Violet organises various fundraising events to generate the resources needed to fulfil their mission Recently, the Team decided to enhance their visibility by wearing logoed polo shirts at these events However, they recognised that spending funds on such items would divert resources from their main goal - helping the children This led to the quest for a sponsor

Enter Leggett Immobilier, a company known for its community involvement and social responsibility When approached for sponsorship, Leggetts instantly agreed to sponsor nine polo shirts of various sizes for the Team

Suzette Jeapes, President of Association Violet, expressed her heartfelt gratitude:

Afternoon tea team: Anne, Stella, Kate, Jackie, and Len

Our other events included a barn dance, coffee morning, afternoon high tea, and a Sunday lunch We owe a huge thank you to Carol Cooney, Hanne Lane, and The Magsons from the Deux-Sèvres who generously lent a hand at the lunch

Association Violet's 3rd Annual Garden Party, to be held on 13 August 2023, at Chateau Cher veux, is one of their major events

The new polo shirts bearing the logos of both Association Violet and Leggett Immobilier, will make their debut at this event The garden party promises to be a fun-filled day for all the family You can even order cream teas in advance!

This sponsorship by Leggett Immobilier not only enhances the visibility of the Association but also cements the sense of unity within the team As they continue on their mission in supporting children with lifelong disabilities, they do so with renewed enthusiasm

Enjoying boeuf bourguignon pie, roast potatoes & green beans!

Our goal is to continue raising funds to cover costs such as affiliation to the National Cancer Support Association, insurance, advertising, and training new 'Active Listeners' We are grateful for all donations received in the past

If you need ongoing support with cancer or would like to learn more about becoming an ‘Active Listeners , please contact us National Helpline 0800 240 200 email: helpline@cancersupportfrance org

For more details about CSF Vienne and Deux-Sèvres go to: vienne cancersupportfrance org/vienne-home www facebook com/groups/1573102762990772

Suzette’s Granddaughter, Violet and the hugely successful 2019 fundraiser Walking4Violet, centred around David Jeapes’s 1 million step walk from France to the Uk are the inspiration and the reason for the creation of Association Violet in 2021 It is the awareness of how families who care for a child with complex medical needs feel on a daily basis how they struggle with being heard and being seen And the realisation of the costs involved to give their children ever ything they need and deser ve It is this awareness that they share and the knowledge that spur Suzette and her team on

For more information email:fundraisingav@gmail com or visit Facebook @AssociationViolet

Philip Buckle John Blair

Apricot Almond Cake

INGREDIENTS

• 7-8 apricots

• 200g sugar + an extra 2 tablespoons

• 200g butter at room temperature

• 3 medium eggs

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

• 150g self raising flour (sold as 'farine pour gâteaux' in the supermarket)

• 100g ground almonds

• a good pinch of salt

• a handful of flaked almonds

INSTRUCTIONS

1 Preheat the oven to 180C Grease the bottom and sides of a 24cm springform cake tin, line the bottom with parchment paper and set aside

2 Slice the apricots into halves

Remove the pits and place the halves in a bowl Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of sugar over the fruit and set aside to soften while you prepare the batter

You may also add a splash of rum or amaretto to the fruit for extra flavour

3 Using a stand mixer or an electric handheld mixer and a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter together until pale and creamy Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition Add the vanilla extract

4. Mix the flour, ground almonds and salt together Add this to the stand mixer or bowl with the sugar-butter mixture and mix well

5 Transfer the batter to the cake tin and smooth the surface with the back of a spatula Arrange the apricot halves on the surface of the cake batter in concentric circles Sprinkle the flaked almonds over the top

6 Place the tin in the oven and bake for 55-60 minutes A skewer inserted into the middle of the cake should come out clean If you find that the surface of the cake is turning too dark before it's fully baked, cover the top of the tin loosely with a sheet of aluminium foil

7 Remove tin from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before releasing the springform sides and taking the cake out of it Cool the cake completely on the rack

Chicken & Yoghurt Curry (Serves 4)

A mild and creamy curry that's easy to whip up when the craving strikes All the spices used in this dish are readily available in all large local supermarkets Leftovers, if any, taste even better the next day!

INGREDIENTS

For the marinade –

• 200g thick plain/greek yoghurt

• 2 tablespoons sunflower or vegetable oil

• 2 teaspoons garam masala

• 1 teaspoon ground paprika

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander

• 1 teaspoon salt

• juice of half a lemon

• 500g chicken breasts cut into small pieces

For the sauce –

• 4 tablespoons sunflower or vegetable oil

• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 medium sized onion finely diced

• ½ an inch sized piece of ginger, finely minced

• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced

• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1 teaspoon ground paprika

• 1 teaspoon garam masala

• 3 medium sized tomatoes diced

• fresh coriander leaves for garnish (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1 Mix all the ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl Add the chicken and let it marinate for at least an hour

2 When ready to cook, heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan or casserole dish, add the cumin seeds Once they begin to splutter, add the onions and saute until soft Add the ginger and garlic followed by the turmeric powder Cook for one or two minutes Add the tomatoes Cook until they soften a bit

3 Finally add in the chicken along with all of the marinade to the pan Mix through, lower the heat and let it simmer and cook for about 20-30 minutes or until the sauce is nice and thick and the chicken has cooked through You may add a splash of water if the sauce is reducing too quickly Check for seasoning and add more salt if required

4 Serve piping hot garnished with coriander leaves if using

This scrumptious cake topped with apricots is perfect with a cup of tea or coffee. It can even be dessert when served with ice cream or whipped cream on the side The apricots can be replaced with any stone fruit that's in season

Seasonal Recipes

Courgette & Aubergine Tian (Serves 4)

This easy dish is a good way to use up the glut of summer vegetables from your garden It's best served warm or even at room temperature and goes well as a side with meat or fish dishes A great make ahead dish, it can be stored in the refrigerator and quickly warmed up for a few minutes in a moderate oven before serving

INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium sized courgettes sliced into about ¼ inch thick rounds

• 2 medium sized aubergines sliced into about ¼ inch thick rounds

• 2 cloves of garlic thinly sliced

• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

• 1 tablespoon paprika powder

• Salt and pepper

• Olive oil

• Zest of a lemon

• A handful of grated parmesan

INSTRUCTIONS

1 Preheat the oven to 180C Grease the bottom of a medium sized baking dish with some olive oil

2 Layer the aubergine and courgette slices in a circle alternating it with each other to cover the bottom of the dish Insert a few slices of garlic between the vegetables

3 Season with salt and pepper Sprinkle a little of the dried oregano and paprika powder and drizzle some olive oil over the top of the vegetables.

4 Repeat the layers and seasoning until all the courgette and aubergine slices are used up

5 Top the last layer with the lemon zest and grated parmesan

6 Transfer the dish to the oven and bake for around 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least half an hour before serving

All recipes and food photographs have been provided this month by Sujatha Otzen. Born in India, Sujatha is a trained chef who runs runs Indian cookery workshops from her kitchen at Closerie Les Roches in Bouillé-Loretz (79290) For more details check out Sujatha’s advertisement on page 29

easy Crossword

(with thanks to rob Berr y)

ACROSS

1. A quantity that is twice as great as another (6)

4. Financial gain over a given period of time (6)

8. An atmosphere of depression (5)

9 A baby from birth to four weeks (7)

10 Lower in rank (5)

11 Freezing! (3-4)

12 Linked metal armour worn in medieval times (9)

15. The extent of something from side to side (7)

16. Extent; range (5)

17 The 8th planet of the sun (7)

18 A strong emotion (5)

19 German footwear and sportsware company (6)

20 A landlocked republic in easter Africa (6)

DOWN

2. A rectangular shape with unequal adjacent sides (6)

3 Overwhelmed with grief and sorrow (6-7)

5 Synthetic gemstone (5-8)

6 Motivation based on ideas of right or wrong (6)

7 The leader of a group of Native Americans (6-5)

13. A person you regard and know well (6)

14. Distribute or disperse widely (6)

Cr yptic Crossword

(with thanks to Mike Morris)

CLUES ACROSS

1 Giant insect going after dregs of warm ambrosia cream ( 7)

5 A bit wide for what appears to be a minor route? (5)

8. Snake Eve noticed at first in tree. (5)

9 One of the Stones being more outrageous on the radio? (7)

10 Ancient city precursor of the French language? (4)

11, 20 When was Doris given the opportunity to rewrite the fighters’ famous words? (3, 5, 4)

14 Fall back and die coming from Reynolds possibly? (3)

16. Do very well to provide a possible gateway to Europe. (5)

17. It may be acceptable to be among Democrats, but it is false. (3)

19 Heather pursuing celebrity getting the bird (8)

20 See 11

23. Strongly encouraged to go aboard once? (7)

25. Saucy dance? (5)

26 Just over half of what is now Ethiopia is just a great big hole (5)

27 Keep an eye on the lizard perhaps? (7)

CLUES DOWN

1 Resume a different way to find the right size (7)

2. Sulked because only getting a small motorbike apparently? (5)

3 Is the holder of topless dresses? (4)

4. Cold edge of small loaf becoming hot on the plate? (3)

5. Dastardly villains milling round Seb. (8)

6 Commanded journalist to follow Russian turning up with gold (7)

7. Smashed little violin up to make into arrows. (5)

12. Hail penetrating clothing of Hun in retreat? (5)

13 Sides with the French law over honours? (8)

15. Support extremely courageous nature? (7)

18 Praised for action of reformation in depression (7)

19. Pies a feature turning up in early photographs. (5)

21 Small passage popular with tennis players’ call to go again (5)

22 Bins turned over to find a number of books? (1, 1, 1, 1 )

24. Turn down essences of older spice lumps? (3)

Decode the message

shaking things up: A Look at earthquakes in france

While France might not be the first country that comes to mind when discussing earthquakes, it has experienced a fair share of seismic activity On a seemingly typical evening in June 2023, a 5 9-magnitude tremor near La Rochelle abruptly disrupted the calm, catching locals off guard Although not extremely intense, the quake generated fear and caused significant damage

Earthquakes usually result from sudden breaks in subterranean rock, releasing energy and generating seismic waves that shake the ground Although France is not located on a significant fault line, it still experiences seismic activity at times due to the complex interactions of minor fault systems

Despite not matching the destructive scales of some global quakes, the 2023 tremor significantly impacted local communities Buildings, particularly those not designed for seismic resilience, suffered structural damage

Residents continue to recall the event vividly One local inhabitant, shared, “I was so shaken up I initially thought a plane was crashing into the house ” Another resident from Saint Jouin de Marnes described the experience as “quite terrifying,” underscoring the profound effect even rare seismic activities can have on communities

Though the June 2023 earthquake is fresh in memory, it’s far from the region’s first seismic event the level of seismic activity varies significantly across different regions Although the seismicity level is relatively low to moderate in mainland France, also known as the Hexagon, the risk of earthquakes and tremors is quite high in some territories

France experiences regular seismic activity, with earthquakes of magnitude greater than 2 frequently recorded These quakes can occur anywhere, but their frequency and intensity are higher in certain regions For instance, the Alps and the Pyrenees are more prone to seismic movements due to their geological structure Here are a few of the most powerful quakes that have shaken France:

1660 - Calabria, Italy, earthquake: Despite the epicenter being in Italy, this quake significantly affected southeastern France, causing damage in Marseille and its surrounding cities

1843 - Roermond earthquake: Originating in the Netherlands, this quake’s effects reached northeastern France, causing infrastructural damage

1909 - Lambesc earthquake: This devastating quake wreaked havoc in Provence, leading to extensive damage and loss of life

1967 - Carpentras earthquake: Centered in southeastern France’s Carpentras, this event caused considerable infrastructural damage

Despite the generally low seismicity, France has experienced significant historical earthquakes that have shaped its understanding and approach to seismic risk The country has implemented measures to monitor seismic activities and educate the public about earthquake preparedness This involves studying past seismic events, assessing the vulnerability of buildings, and developing emergency response plans

However, predicting earthquakes remains a complex task Scientists continue to research and develop methods to better understand and anticipate these natural phenomena

For more information visit www.georisques.gouv.fr

Garden maintenance, grass cutting, strimming, hedge cutting, weed control, planting, pruning, pathways & patios Fence Installation and repairs

& exterior decorating

Our Furry Friends

Our Furry Friends

Shop and Café Open every Wednesday 11am - 4pm

Magasin et Café Ouvert

tous les mercredis de 11h à 16h

Donations welcome

Monday & Wednesday 10am-2pm

Les dons sont les bienvenus les lundis et mercredis de 10h à 14h

D iscover Hope 

Just on the outskirts of Sauzé Vaussais, you'll find a treasure trove in the Hope 79 Charity Shop This isn t just any charity shop; it s a place where you can find everything from clothing to DIY items, from CDs to toys, and so much more All waiting to be discovered by bargain hunters!

Shop

Open 10am to 4pm, Thursdays & 1st Sunday of the Month

2 Rte de Vauthion 79190 Sauzé Vaussais Furniture Barn

Open 11am to 3pm, Thursdays & 1st Sunday of the Month

1 Rte de la Mare aux Loups Louba 79190 Clussais-le-Pommeraie

Email

shopseventynine4hope@gmail com

Facebook Groups: Hope79 Sauze-Vaussais Furniture for Sale

No RNA: W792009674

SUNNy

THE ASSOCIATION EN ROUTE

tel: 07 69 18 56 81 or email: henri@assoenroute com

Hope Associaton Charity Shop 79

Sunny is a lively, intelligent and affectionate 8 month old Beauceron She has basic commands, is house trained, travels well in the car and loves to play both with people and other dogs

Sunny has had a difficult start and we're looking for someone to give her the future she deserves Please contact us if you'd like more infohenri@assoenroute com

www.assoenroute.com

Feeling peckish? Our café serves a delightful array of cakes, savoury snacks, and refreshing drinks Craving some British comfort food? You might just stumble upon your favourites in our BRIT Shop!

But the best part is, every purchase you make supports animal charities Our shop runs on the kindness of our customers donations with all proceeds going to associations that care for re-home and foster animals

Just a stone's throw away is our Furniture Barn, a haven for those looking to furnish their homes or gites, or even take on an upcycling project We re here to assist you in finding that perfect piece

Hope 79 is open from 10am to 4pm on Thursdays and the first Sunday of every month The Furniture Barn opens its doors from 11am to 3pm on these days too We're always looking for volunteers to join our team of helpers Whether you can lend a hand with sorting, presenting serving or furniture collections and deliveries we'd love to have you on board If you ' ve got some spare time on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays why not get in touch?

Come and experience the joy of giving at Hope 79 where every bargain brings hope to animals in need

To get in touch email: shopseventynine4hope@gmail com or search for Hope79 on Facebook

Do you know of a pet rescue charity that could use this page to advertise free of charge? Send us the details and we’ll try to include them next month Email: info@thedeuxsevresmonthly fr

oing, going…gone!

We’ve all ‘ bin there, dun that’ We’ve all been through the pain & eventual gain of buying a house in France, whether as a holiday home or as a maison principale

We bought our first house in France way back in 2004 when we were still living in England It was about 20 minutes from the coast & in need of some TLC (surprise surprise!) The house hunting process was a bit more complicated in those days, partly because we were searching remotely, and also because we only had a limited time to view properties before returning to the Uk for work We were also surprised to find that no houses displayed an A vendre sign outside, so we couldn’t even drive around our chosen area picking out potential properties to view

Of course we could search for houses on line but the majority of immobiliers weren’t fans of the internet in those days; they much preferred to display glossy photos in their shop windows, and show you files of a selection of properties that were always just above your stated budget! We even employed the ser vices of a property finder at one stage who lined up several possibilities

Karen Taylor

for us to visit during our holiday to save us time when we arrived

In the past 20 years though, the sales process has changed dramatically and there are now a host of different ways to search for a property, including surfing the internet for private sales on sites such as leboncoin, as well as cruising around spotting For Sale signs Estate agents over here are also much more tech savvy than they used to be, some even offering 360° virtual tours of the property!

So when we put our rental house on the market last year, we decided to use all the options available to us, other than a sign outside the house as we had tenants in residence and felt that it wasn t really appropriate

Interestingly, we had the chance to compare the whole sales process in France with the system in Australia when we visited my sister-in-law in Perth a few months ago They ve definitely gone to the next level in sales pitches The sale of her home was in the hands of one sole real estate agent who managed the whole process from start

Allianz travel Insurance

Isabelle Want

Summer is now upon us and we are all in need of a break! So why not look at going away But before you go, you better make sure you look at how you can be covered in case of emergencies! Here is all you need to know about travel insurance While you may already have some sort of travel insurance included in your car, house, or credit card insurance those will not cover you in certain countries and will be far from enough in others where healthcare is expensive (USA for instance) Thankfully to cover all range of travelling (except to North Korea), Allianz has now created some new insurance products:

Assurance Vacances is for holidays of less than 2 months and comprises 3 options below:

Cancellation insurance: Basically, covers for cancellation or interruption of your trip up to 8000 euro

Reasons for cancellation cover death, accident or disease of the insured person or the person accompanying; theft of your travel documents or visa refusal; natural, industrial catastrophe or terrorist attack stopping the trip, and other various reasons It also covers up to 150€ per night if you must stay there longer Assistance plus: Covers medical cost up to 200 000€ (300 000€

to finish They arrived one day with an enormous sign which they erected directly in front of her house in addition to employing the ser vices of an interior designer to carefully ‘dress’ each room –ie remove excess furniture add rugs & scatter cushions, and even supply decorative house plants (to be returned when the house was sold!) Then twice a week the agent organised an Open House viewing when the owner had to vacate their property and leave the task of selling to The Experts!

So, who’s got it right? In reply I can now reveal that we both sold our houses for the asking price, though property prices in Australia are eye-wateringly high, so I guess the agents get well rewarded for their labours over there!

for USA and Canada), repatriation or even funeral cost It also covers luggage up to 3000€ and theft, loss or damages to official documents or keys up to 400€

Multirisque: This is basically the 2 above combined so Assistance Plus with cancellation cover as well But it also covers if your trip is delayed by more than 2 hours! Assurance Longs Sejours is for trips between 2 months and 2 years It offers the same coverage as Assurance Vacances, including medical costs, repatriation, funeral costs or even theft, loss or damages to your luggage and official documents

Assurance Multi-Voyages is an annual contract to cover trips up to 2 months with no limit per year on the number of trips everywhere in the world Allianz travel also do group travel cover or business travel cover Please note that you must phone your Allianz agent before you undertake any medical expenses otherwise you risk not being reimbursed!

In conclusion, while it’s not necessary to take out travel insurance for a trip in the EU, it’s wise to not go outside Europe without one

Better safe than sorry!

money matters

Pensions and taxes – what you need to know in france

It is important to understand how your Uk pensions are taxed when living in France In fact, you may have tax considerations in both countries Here I look at a few issues you need to be aware of

HOW UK PENSION INCOME IS TAXED IN FRANCE

Pension income from Uk funds is generally taxable only in France, after a 10% deduction (maximum €4,123 per couple), at the scale rates of income tax (up to 45%) It is also liable to France 9 1% social charges (reduced to 7 4% for low income)

but Form S1 holders are exempt

Income from Uk gover nment ser vice pensions remains taxable in the Uk (not France) You still include it on your French income tax return but receive a credit equal to the French tax and social charges

LUMP SUMS

The Uk r ules allow you to take a 25% ‘ pension commencement lump sum ’ tax free but if you take it after becoming resident in France it will be liable to French income tax and potentially social charges

If, however, you are considering taking your entire pension as one lump sum, in certain circumstances you may be eligible for a fixed 7 5% income tax rate in France

UK TAXATION

The Uk has frozen income tax thresholds until 2028

O n a positive note, the Uk’s 2023 budget abolished the pensions lifetime allowance and resulting tax charges –welcome news for those who have built up larger pension savings

by Catrina Ogilvie, Blevins Franks

This is not necessarily per manent though as a future government could reverse this move, and the Labour Party quickly pledged to do so There may therefore be a limited opportunity to transfer your pension out of the Uk and avoid any future lifetime allowance charges

REVIEWING YOUR PENSION ARRANGEMENTS

If you are a resident of France and have a Uk pension you need to review your pension ar rangements and establish what is best for your current and future circumstances Like you they might benefit from moving abroad, and you need to regularly review your objectives That could mean changing your investment profile, reassessing your risk tolerance or developing an alter native strategy that embraces your overall financial situation

Too often pension decisions are taken in isolation, based on options provided by Uk pension companies who are oblivious to your needs and the tax implications of living in France Take personalised advice from a specialist adviser who can provide integrated advice covering pensions investing and cross-border tax and estate planning covering both countries

Tax rates, scope and reliefs may change Any statements concerning taxation are based upon our understanding of current taxation laws and practices which are subject to change Tax information has been summarised; individuals should seek personalised advice

keep up to date on the financial issues that may affect you on the Blevins Franks news page at www blevinsfranks com

Ask Amanda

When I lived in the U I invested in ISAs but now I’m living in France is there an alternative?

Assurance Vie, which translates to "life insurance" in English, is a longterm savings and investment product available to residents of France It combines the benefits of life insurance with the potential for capital growth

One of the key advantages of Assurance Vie is its tax efficiency Unlike traditional investment vehicles, such as stocks or real estate, the gains made within an Assurance Vie policy are not subject to income tax until they are withdrawn This means that investors can benefit from compounding growth over time without the burden of immediate taxation

Furthermore, after a holding period of eight years, investors can take advantage of significant tax advantages Any gains made within an Assurance Vie policy are subject to a reduced tax rate, known as the "prélèvement forfaitaire unique" (PFU), which currently stands at 30% This rate includes both income tax and social security contributions, making it an attractive option for higher-rate taxpayers

In addition to its tax benefits, Assurance Vie offers a wide range of investment and currency options to suit different risk appetites and financial goals Investors can choose from a variety of funds, including equities, bonds, and money market instruments, allowing for diversification and potential capital growth Many Assurance Vie policies offer the flexibility to switch between funds, enabling investors to adapt their investment strategy as market conditions change

Another appealing feature of Assurance Vie is its inheritance planning benefits In France, Assurance Vie policies you can leave €152,500 to a number of beneficiaries without inheritance tax This amount is reduced if you are over the age of 70 when you take out a policy This makes it an attractive option for individuals looking to preserve their wealth and pass it on to future generations

Furthermore, Assurance Vie policies offer a level of protection against creditors In the event of bankruptcy or financial difficulties, the funds held within an Assurance Vie policy are generally protected from seizure, providing investors with peace of mind and security

Expert advice

It is worth noting that while Assurance Vie offers numerous advantages, it is important for investors to carefully consider their investment objectives and seek professional advice before making any decisions As with any investment, there are risks involved, and the performance of Assurance Vie policies can be influenced by market fluctuations

Assurance Vie investments in France provide a great option for investors looking for a tax-efficient and flexible way to invest With its attractive tax benefits, diverse investment options, and inheritance planning advantages, Assurance Vie has become a popular choice among savvy investors However, it is crucial to conduct thorough research and seek expert advice to ensure that this investment aligns with individual financial goals and risk tolerance

Whether you want to register for our newsletter, attend one of our roadshow events or speak to me directly, please get in touch We do not charge for our financial planning reviews, reports, or recommendations

Amanda Johnson works as an Independent Financial Adviser with the Spectrum IFA Group tel: 06 73 27 25 43 or email: amanda johnson@spectrum-ifa com www spectrum-ifa com/amanda-johnson

Whether you want to register for a newsletter, attend a roadshow or speak Amanda directly, please call or email her The Spectrum IFA Group do not charge for reviews, reports, or recommendations

« The Spectrum IFA Group » is a registered trademark, exclusive rights to use in France granted to TSG Insurance Services S A R L Siège Social: 34 Bd des Italiens, 75009 « Société de Courtage d'assurances » R C S Paris B 447 609 108 (2003B04384) Numéro d'immatriculation 07 025 332 - www orias fr « Conseiller en investissements financiers, référence sous le numéro E002440 par ANACOFI-CIF, association agréée par l Autorité des Marchés Financiers »

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Puzzle answers

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE YOU CAN TRUST

Our favourite selection of properties for sale in the Deux-Sèvres

EXCLUSIVE

Loretz-d’Argenton €65,600

Ref: A17061 - Delightful 3-bedroom house set within a shared enclosure.

Agency fees to be paid by the seller Energy class: F Climate class: C

EXCLUSIVE

Pretty as a Picture

Le Vert €272,850

Ref: A19229 - 2/3-bedroom house

7% agency fees included paid by the buyer Energy class: E Climate class: B

EXCLUSIVE

Viewing Essential!

Lorigné €333,900

Ref: A15444 - 4-bedroom farmhouse with 2 bedroom gîte, pool and garden.

6% agency fees included paid by the buyer Energy class: D Climate class: A

EXCLUSIVE

Riverside Setting

Marcillé €224,700

Ref: A14777 - 4-bedroom property in

7% agency fees included paid by the buyer Energy class: D Climate class: D

EXCLUSIVE

Fomperron €379,957

Ref: A21251 - 4-bedroom property featuring stunning garden and pool.

6% agency fees included paid by the buyer Energy class: D Climate class: D

EXCLUSIVE

Renovation Project

Couture-d’Argenson €19,900

Ref: A20740 - Two small houses for

33% agency fees included paid by the buyer DPE: Not required

EXCLUSIVE

Superb Potential

St-Martin-du-Fouilloux€136,250

Ref: A15763 - 3-bedroom house with

9% agency fees included paid by the buyer Energy class: G Climate class: C

EXCLUSIVE

Three for One

Beugnon-Thireui €54,000

Ref: A14900 - Three cottages in need of total restoration.

Agency fees to be paid by the seller

DPE: Not required

EXCLUSIVE

Fabulous Views

Argenton-les-Vallées €119,900

9% agency fees included paid by the buyer DPE: No data

EXCLUSIVE

Modern Elegance

Courlay €195,000

Ref: A16881 garden, garages and balcony.

7% agency fees included paid by the buyer Energy class: E Climate class: C

EXCLUSIVE

Country Charm

Azay-sur-Thouet €187,000

Ref: A14302 - 4-bedroom barn with 2-bedroom gîte and in-ground pool.

7% agency fees included paid by the buyer Energy class: F Climate class: F

EXCLUSIVE

Traditional Cottage

Aubigné €79,970

Ref: A10396 - 3-bedroom house in a quiet hamlet close to market town.

10% agency fees included paid by the buyer Energy class: G Climate class: C

listed on our website. If you are looking to sell, contact us for a freemarket appraisal.