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Welcome! to Issue 58 of
‘The Deux-Sèvres Monthly’ magazine.
Hi all, here we are again, Christmaaaass....... how time flies. Saying that, I can’t believe that next year we will celebrate our FIFTH year – WOW! But back to the here and now and what a full magazine we have for you this month! We have Winter Watch part 2 – keep your eyes peeled, loads of Christmas markets and events to keep you entertained, festive food recipes to make and enjoy, advice from our Business and Finance friends, cars that we all know, wine and loads more. Don’t forget you can ‘Take a Break’ between reads....and flick through the services, trades, clubs and hobbies if you’re looking for something particular. We hope you enjoy the festive period....either here or in the UK. The DSM team and I would like to wish you a wonderful Christmas and New Year, and a healthy and prosperous 2016. Until next month, travel safely....
à plus, Sarah
Tel: 05 49 70 26 21 Email: info@thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr Website: www.thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr
Emergency Numbers: 15 SAMU (Medical Advice) 17 Gendarmes (Police) 18 Pompiers (Fire Service)
112 €pean Emergency 113 Drugs and Alcohol
Contents What’s On Getting Out & About Hobbies A-Z of the Communes in the Deux-Sèvres Clubs & Associations Our Furry Friends Communications Health, Beauty & Fitness Winter Watch Home & Garden Take a Break Food & Drink Motoring Building & Renovation Business & Finance Property
This Month’s Advertisers
79 Renovations ABORDimmo Ace Pneus (Tyre supplier & Fitter) Affordable UK Designs (Kitchens & UPVC Double Glazing) AKE Petit Travaux (Builder) A La Bonne Vie Alan Pearce Plumber Alison & Steve Morton (Authors) Allez Français Amanda Johnson - The Spectrum IFA Group Andrew Longman (Plumbing & Heating)
4 6 11 15 16 18 20 22 23 26 29 30 34 36 42 45
38 45 35 2 38 32 37 11 47 43 36
ARB French Property 27 & 47 Arbrecadabra Tree Surgery 27 Argo Carpentry 40 Assurances Maucourt (GAN) 45 Beaux Villages Immobilier 47 BH Assurances / Allianz - Isabelle Want 42 Bill McEvoy (Plumber / Heating Engineer) 37 Blevins Franks Financial Management 44 Building & Renovation Services 38 Café Bonbon 6 Camping Les Prairies du Lac 45 Caniclôture Hidden Fences 18 Cherry Picker Hire 38 Chris Parsons (Heating/Electrical/Plumbing) 37 Christies (English Book Shop & Tea Room) 6 CJ Electricité 39 Claudie Harpin - Agent Commerciale 47 Clean Sweep Chimney Services 36 Currencies Direct - Sue Cook 43 Cut 46 Hair Salon 22 CYM Cards 7 Darren Lawrence (Renovations etc) 39 David Cropper (Stump Grinding) 26 David Watkins Chimney Sweep 36 Deb Challacombe (Online counsellor) 22 Derek Marriott Plumbing and Heating 36 Domitys - Retirement complex 48 Down to Earth Pool Design 45 Duncan White - Agent Commerciale 46 Ecopower (Solar Power) 39 Farrier, Julian Dor-Vincent 18 Finagaz (Gas tank suppliers and installers) 36 Franglais Deliveries 35 Frenchic Furniture Paint 27 Ginger’s Kitchen 32 Grindrods Premium Frozen Foods 32 Hallmark Electronique 39 Ian Horton Groundworks 40 Inter Décor (Tiles & Bathrooms) 40 Irving Location - Digger Hire 41 Irving Location - Septic Tank Installation & Groundworks 41 James Moon Construction 41 Jb Plumbing 37 JC Carpentry Services 40 Jeff’s Metalwork 39 John Purchase - Mobile Mechanic 35 John Snee Groundworks 41 La Deuxième Chance (Annie Sloan Chalk Paint supplier) 26 Leggett Immobilier 46 L’Emporium Shop, L’Absie 7 Mark Sabestini Renovation & Construction 38 ML Computers 21 Motor Parts Charente 35 M. Page Landscaping 26 Mr Piano Man 13 MSS Construction 38 Mutuelles de Poitiers Assurances 45 Needa Hand Services 26 Pamela Irving (Massage & Reflexology) 22 Paul Woods - Agent Commerciale 45 Photocreativity Film Transfers 21 Plan 170 (Professional Scale Drawings) 38 Polar Express 33 Premier Autos 35 Projet Piscine (Swimming Pool solutions) 45 Reaction Theatre’s Christmas Cornucopia 6 Rob Berry Plastering Services 39 Robert Lupton Electrician 39 Ross Hendry (Interface Consulting & Engineering) 20 Sarah Berry Online (Websites & Graphics) 21 Sarl Down to Earth Construction (Groundworks and Micro Station Installer) 41 Sarl PCEM (Plumbing, heating & Electricity) 37 Satellite TV 21 Simon the Tiler 40 Steve Coupland (Property Services) 40 Steve Robin (Plumber) 37 Sue Burgess (French Classes & Translation) 9 The English Mechanic & Son - Tony Eyre 35 Val Assist (Translation Services) 9 Victoria Bassey Jewellery 22 Vocal Coaching with Anne Dessens 13
© Sarah Berry 2015. All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced without permission. While care is taken to ensure that articles and features are accurate, Sarah Berry accepts no liability for reader dissatisfaction. The opinions expressed and experiences shared are given by individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the publisher. Please ensure you verify that the company you are dealing with is a registered trading company in France and/or elsewhere. <<The Deux-Sèvres Monthly>> est édité par Sarah Berry, 3 La Bartière, 79130, Secondigny. Tél: 05 49 70 26 21. Directeur de la publication et rédacteur en chef: Sarah Berry. Crédits photos: Sarah Berry, Clkr, Shutterstock, GraphicStock et morgeufile.com. Impression: Graficas Piquer SL, 29 Al Mediterraneo, Pol. Ind. San Rafael, 04230, Huércal de Almeria, Espagne. Dépôt légal: decembre 2015 - Tirage: 5000 exemplaires. Siret: 515 249 738 00011 ISSN: 2115-4848
The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015 | 3
What’s On...
For this month’s Christmas markets, please see page 8
3rd December - Christmas Cornucopia Performed by Reaction Theatre. (See advert P.6.) 4th & 5th December – The Téléthon Fundraising events in most communes and villages. (See article on P.6.) 4th December – Christmas Carol Concert in Secondigny In the Church 8pm, with Keynotes 4th December – Wine Tasting at Fresco Interiors, Vouvant Between 5pm-7pm with John Sherwin of French Wine Tours 5th December – Open Day in aid of Téléthon At Domitys Retirement Living Complex in Parthenay. See back page for more information 5th December - CSSG Christmas Lunch in St Hilaire de Voust 5th December – Christmas Fundraiser In St Germain de Longue Chaume to raise funds for kittens. (See P.19) 6th December - Festive Jazzy Lunch At Restaurant des Canards, Chef Boutonne from 12 noon Reservations necessary. 11th December – Via Musica sing Christmas in Bessines At Eglise Saint-Caprais – reservation only 05 49 33 00 06 12th December – Concert of 4 choirs in Saint-Martin-Lès-Melle At 8.30pm in Salle Polyvalente (5€ entry) 12th December - Terves Christmas Market (See advert on P.7) 12th December – Christmas Book Fair in St Claud (16) by the Hope Association (See advert on P.7) 12th December - Christmas Celebration Concert of Words & Music by Phoenix Chorale at La Baronnière, Civray at 5pm. Mulled wine and mince pies will follow the concert. Call 05 49 29 97 81 for directions. 12th December - Soiree Écossais Scottish themed five course dinner by Ginger’s Kitchen. 15€. At Salle de Maisontiers. See advert on P.32 for contacts. 13th December – Xmas Fair in La Chapelle aux Lys At Café Bonbon 12pm-6pm (See Advert on P.6) 19th December - Christmas Concert in Mauleon at La Passerelle. Organised by the Poitou-Charentes Orchestra. 8.45pm. (www.orchestre-poitou-charentes.com) 20th December - Christmas Lunch by Ginger’s Kitchen Five course lunch at Salle de Maisontiers with aperitif, wine and coffee included. 20€. Reservations necessary please: 06 23 00 72 04. See advert on P.32 for contacts. 31st December – New Year’s Eve Dinner & Casino At Café BonBon, La Chapelle aux Lys. Reservation obligatory (See Advert on P.6)
The National Holidays, Religious and Feast Days 2015/2016 Friday 25th December
Christmas Day (Noël)
Friday 1st January
New Year’s Day (Jour de l’An)
Wednesday 6th January Tuesday 2nd February Tuesday 9th February Sunday 14th February Thursday 3rd March Thursday 17th March Sunday 27th March
Epiphany (Fête de la Galette) Chandeleur (Fête des Crêpes) Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras) Valentine’s Day (Saint Valentin) Grandmother’s Day (Grands-mères) Saint Patrick’s Day Easter Sunday (Pâques)
Monday 28th March Sunday 1st May Thursday 5th May Sunday 8th May
Easter Monday (Lundi de Pâques) Labour Day (Fête du Travail) Ascension Day (Ascension) Victory in Europe Day (Fête de la Victoire)
Monday 16th May
Pentacost (Lundi de Pentecôte)
Thursday 14th July Monday 15th August
National Day (Fête Nationale) Assumption of Mary (Assomption)
Tuesday 1st November Friday 11th November Sunday 25th December
All Saint’s Day (Toussaint) Armistice Day (Armistice) Christmas Day (Noël)
Sunday 15th May Sunday 29th May Sunday 19th June Tuesday 21st June
Sunday 2nd October Monday 31st October
Pentacost (Pentecôte)
Mother’s Day (Fête des Mères) Father’s Day (Fête des Pères) World Music Day (Fête de la Musique) Grandfather’s Day (Fête des Grand-pères) Halloween
Dates in blue represent celebration days, not public holidays.
4 | The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015
December 2015 The Chaplaincy of Christ the Good Shepherd, Poitou-Charentes, hold English speaking monthly services. 1st Sunday at 10.30am: At Chef Boutonne. Followed by tea & coffee. • 2nd Sunday at 11am: the home of Ann White, Jassay • 4th Sunday at 10.30am: the Parish Church at Pompaire 79200 (rue du Baille Ayrault). Followed by tea & coffee, and a ‘bring and share’ lunch. A warm welcome awaits everyone for a time of worship and fellowship. For further information please take a look at our website www.church-in-france.com or contact us by email: office.goodshepherd@orange.fr
•
We invite you to our traditional Christmas service on 17th December at 7pm - a Bilingual service of Christmas Carols & Lessons, followed by coffee, mulled wine and mince pies. Further information from the Chaplaincy Office 05 49 97 04 21 or from John & Barbara Matthews 05 49 75 29 71
The Filling Station ~ Poitou-Charentes The Filling Station is a network of local Christians of all denominations who meet together regularly for spiritual renewal and evangelism purposes. ALL WELCOME. Please see our bilingual website for details of meetings and summer programmes www.thefillingstationfrance.com or contact Mike & Eva Willis on 05 17 34 11 50 or 07 82 22 31 15 ALL SAINTS, VENDÉE - Puy de Serre We hold two services each month, on the 2nd and 4th Sundays at the church of St Marthe, Puy de Serre, at 11am. After each service, tea and coffee is served in the parish room and everyone is invited to a `bring and share` lunch. For details of all our activities, our Services in the west of the Vendée, copies of recent newsletters and more information, please check our website: www.allsaintsvendee.fr The Rendez-Vous Christian Fellowship welcome you to any of our meetings held throughout the month in the Deux-Sèvres and the Vendée. 1st & 3rd Sunday at 11am in The Barn near St Germain de Princay, Vendée and 2nd & 4th Sunday at 11am in two locations: one near Bressuire, Deux-Sèvres and the other near Bournezeau, Vendée. Meetings last about an hour and are followed by a time of fellowship & refreshments. Find out more by contacting Chris & Julie Taylor 09 60 49 78 50 or visit: www.therendezvous.fr The English Speaking Church of the Valley of the Loire (ESCOVAL) Meet at the R.C. Church in Arçay every 3rd Sunday at 11.00am. We welcome and embrace all Christians from all denominations and warmly invite you to join us. Following the service, coffee is served, and for those who wish to stay a little longer, we enjoy a light, bring and share lunch. Please see our website for details www.escoval.org
CONTACT
Sarah Berry on 05 49 70 26 21 Monday - Friday 9am - 1pm & 2pm - 6pm Email: info@thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr www.thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr
ALL SAINTS, VENDÉE Puy de Serre We have a number of events in the runup to Christmas, to help people prepare for this very special festival.
EARLIER DEADLINE NEXT MONTH:
On Sunday 6th December, at La Chapelle Palluau there will be a service of Lessons and Carols at 11am. It is a service open to all denominations, Protestant and Catholic. Also on the 6th December at Puy de Serre, there will be a Christingle Service with the proceeds going to The Children’s Society. This service is at 4pm.
12th DECEMBER
On Sunday 13th December, at Puy de Serre, there will be a service of Lessons and Carols at 11am. On Tuesday 15th December there will be a bilingual celebration of Carols and Readings at Puy de Serre commencing at 7pm. Any further details wil be posted on the All Saints Vendee website: www.allsaintsvendee.fr We look forward to welcoming both French and English speakers to one or more of these celebrations and we wish all a Peaceful and Blessed Christmas.
Open 6-8.30pm
La Vendée Chippy Weds: Bar ‘Auberge le St Vincent’, 85110 St Vincent Sterlanges Thurs: Closed on Thursdays until next March(2016) Fri: Bar ‘Le Clemenceau’, 85390 Mouilleron-en-Pareds Sat: 1st Saturday of the month, Bar ‘Le Marmiton’, 85120 Antigny
We will close from 19 Dec (2015) until beginning Feb (2016) Tel: 02 44 39 16 73 - www.lavendeechippy.com
Top Hat Quiz & Curry
From 7pm
Dates & Venues for December: 3rd: 7th: 9th: 10th:
Chef Boutonne Limalonges Aigre Champniers
Tel: 05 45 71 70 91 - more info at www.tophatquizzes.com
Open 6 - 8pm
Fish 4 Chip + Authentic Indian meals Mondays: Tuesdays: Wednesdays: Thursdays: Fridays:
Bar Tilleuls, Champniers (near Civray) Sauzé-Vaussais (Main square) Chef Boutonne (near Chateau) Sauzé-Vaussais - Evening (Main square) Mansle (car park of Simply Supermarket)
Tel: 06 37 53 56 20 - www.mobilefishandchipsfrance.com
Mr T’s Friterie
Open 6.30-9pm
With regular venues at: • • •
Aulnay 17470 (from 6pm) • Beauvais-sur-Matha 17490 • Gourville 16170
St Hilaire de Villefranche 17770
St Jean d’Angély 17400
See www.frying4u2nite.com for details or call 06 02 22 44 74
Reel Fish & Chips
Open 6.30-9pm
December
(See our website for venue details)
2nd - Etusson 3rd - St Martin de Sanzay 12th - Terves Christmas Market Tel: 06 04 14 23 94 - www.reelfishandchips.net
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Visit www.thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr and go to Distribution>Magazine Archives. The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015 | 5
Getting Out & About
Socks for Refugees
For the past couple of months something wonderful has been happening amongst Brits throughout France, because, as the humanitarian refugee crisis escalated many people asked, “What can we do to help?” And so, some 7 weeks ago, a Facebook Group (France and Beyond) was born uniting almost 1400 individuals who wanted to “Do Their Bit” and help fellow humans in need. Within days donations of clothing, footwear, blankets and tents came pouring in, and those with spare rooms, barns and outbuildings offered space to act as Storage & Sorting hubs. Drivers were speedily running donated items between the hubs, shipments of aid to Greece, Turkey, Iraq and Central Europe were organised and volunteers started travelling to Calais, Greece and beyond to offer practical assistance. Closer to home individuals have been working with local mairies and charities to help newly resettled refugees in the Creuse, Dordogne, Charente and Correze set up home using donated items. Together Brits are making a huge difference in France. So, how can you help? Well, on October 19th Debbie Andrews, one of the group members, woke up with socks on her mind. She kept thinking of all those adults and children with cold, wet feet and a miserable thousand miles journey in front of them, and decided to do something about it. Hence, the ‘Dry Feet Campaign’ was born and now thousands of new pairs of socks from all over the world make their way to Sock Central in the Vienne (Dept 86) from whence they are shipped to crisis spots all over Europe. Thousands more socks are needed every day, so if you would like to make some “Happy Feet” you can donate socks (new, any size). Remove all packaging except the link which joins the socks into pairs, pop them into a clear plastic bag, with the size clearly written on the outside, and post to: Sock Central, Le Logis de la Roche, Charroux 86250 Vienne, France More information can be found on the website www.socksforrefugees.com where people can also donate money for the Sock Team to purchase and dispatch more...............socks! 6 | The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015
4/5th December The Téléthon is a charity event that takes place the first weekend in December and aims to raise money for gentic diseases, in particular myopathies. The Association du Téléthon launched their first ‘Television Marathon’ in 1987. Most communes and villages hold some fund-raising events for this charity - contact your Mairie to find out what’s happening near you. This year, in the Airvault area, there’s lots of things going on: On Friday 4th December, an evening walk at Soulièvres, a gospel concert in the church at Tessonière at 8pm with onion soup and baked potatoes during the interval and at the end of the concert. On Saturday 5th, there will be lots of events. Make-up and activities for children in the entrance to Intermarché supermarket, hand-made Christmas decorations on sale at Airvault market, demonstrations and rides with the motorbike and sidecar club starting at Borcq at 9am, crossing Airvault at 11.30 and finishing at Borcq about 5pm. At Borcq there is a lunch (reservations needed) and then board games during the afternoon. More information on these events can be found at the Airvault social centre, or contact your Mairie for localised village fundraising events.
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December’s Christmas Markets Friday 4th
Sainte-Néomaye (79260) Salle des Fêtes, 4.30-10pm Luçon (85400) Place L’Eclerc, 3pm-10pm Fors (79230) Salle Polyvalente from 4.30pm
Saturday 5th
Champdeniers-Saint-Denis (79220) Salle des Fêtes, 10am-6pm Luçon (85400) Place L’Eclerc, 10am-7pm Cerizay (79140) Place de l’Eglise Doue-la-Fontaine (49700) Arènes de Doué-la-Fontaine, 10am8pm. Over 70 exhibitors at this 2-day market, in the exceptional setting of the troglodyte caves. Free craft workshops, many activities throughout the weekend, magical and unusual decorations in the Caves Echiré (79410) Restaurant Scolaire, rue Léo Desaivre (10am-7pm) Saint-Verge (79100) Salle Alcide d’Orbigny (5pm-10pm)
Sunday 6th
Aigre (16140) Salle des Fêtes Sauzé vaussais (79190) Place du Grand Puits, 10am-5pm Faye-sur-Ardin (79160) Salle des Fêtes, 10.30am-6pm Cerizay (79140) Place de l’Eglise Les Forges (79340) Golf Club House, 10am-6pm Vouillé (79230) Salle Omnisport Terves (79300) Salles des Fêtes, 11am-5pm Saint-Martin-des-Noyers (85140) Château de la Grève La Chaize-le-Vicomte (85310) Doue-la-Fontaine (49700) 10am-6pm, see above Saint-Verge (79100) Salle Alcide d’Orbigny, 9am-5pm Françoise (79260) Salle des Fêtes du Breuil, 9.30am-6pm Carnival dances from different countries at 11.15am and 3.30pm Saint-Maurice-la-Fougereuse (79150) Salle des Fêtes, 10am-6pm
Tuesday 8th Civray (86400)
Friday 11th
Bessines (79000) Salle de la Grange, 5pm-10pm Charroux (86250) 3pm-8pm La Mothe St Héray (79800)
Saturday 12th
Bessines (79000) Salle de la Grange Saint-Gelais (79410) Place Saint-Louis La Mothe St Héray (79800)
8 | The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015
by Julie Tee
Pierrefitte (79330) Salle des Fêtes (3pm-midnight) Nueil-les-Aubiers (79250) Place Jeanne d’Arc (3pm-9pm) La Mothe-Saint-Héray (79800) Lantern walk from 6.15pm, Market Centre Ville (5pm-10pm) Oyster bar and lots of entertainment Saint-Marc-la-Lande (79310) Commanderie des Antonins, 2pm-7pm L’Aiguillon-sur-Mer (85460) Salle des Fêtes Saint-Maxire (79410) Salle des Fêtes (from 3pm) Thénezay (79390) Espace Rondier (from 6pm) Terves (79300) Salles des Fêtes (11am-5pm) Mauprévoir (86460) Lezay (79120) L’Isle Jourdain (86150) Salle des Fêtes, 10am-6pm
Sunday 13th
Nueil-les-Aubiers (79250) Place Jeanne d’Arc, 11am-8pm La Mothe-Saint-Héray (79800) Centre Ville , 9am-6pm. 100 exhibitors in Les Halles and the town Saint-Marc-la-Lande (79310) Commanderie des Antonins, 10am-6pm Thénezay (79390) Espace Rondier, 10am-7pm L’Absie (79240) Centre Ville, 10am-6pm Le Tallud (79200) Coulon (79510) Place de l’Eglise, 10am-4.30pm Puyravault (85) Villiers-en-Plaine (79160) Salle des Fêtes from 6.30pm Prahecq (79230) Salle Polyvalente, 9am-6pm Fressines (79370) Salle des Fêtes, 10am-7pm Montmorrilon (86500) Place du Maréchal L’Eclerc, 9am-6pm Thouars (79100) Place Saint Médart, 10am-7pm Ruffec (16700) 8am-6pm Beauvoir-sur-Niort (79360) Place de Beauvoir from 9am
La Mothe St Héray (79800)
Friday 18th
Brûlain (79230) Salle Polyvalente, 3.45pm-9pm Parthenay (79200) Place du Drapeau (evening) Confolens (16500)
Saturday 19th
Parthenay (79200) Place du Drapeau, 10am-10pm Périgné (79170) Salle des Fêtes, 3pm-10.30pm Bressuire (79300) Centre Ville, 9.30am-8pm. “Once upon a time ... Christmas in Bressuire” the story continues! The holiday season brings a rare opportunity full of surprising moments. To close with a flourish..... our year of light Mauzé-sur-le-mignon (79210) Centre Bourg
Sunday 2oth
Parthenay (79200) Place du Drapeau, 10am-10pm Saint-Maixent-l’Ecole (79400) Les Halles , Place du Centenaire, 3pm-10pm Secondigny (79130) Salle Alauna 21 Bressuire (79300) Centre Ville Gençay (86160)
Réveillon de Noël Christmas Dinner
by Sue Burgess
Le réveillon is a festive meal late in the evening or during the night at Christmas (Noël) or New Year (Nouvel An, Réveillon de la St Sylvestre). The Christmas menu (le menu de Noël) is often made up of a succession of hot and cold dishes (plats froids et chauds). The hot starters (les entrées chaudes) are served first: escargots (snails), bisque de homard (lobster bisque), noix de St Jacques (scallops), boudin blanc aux truffes (white pudding with truffles). Then cold starters (l’entrée froide). Huîtres (oysters), foie gras, saumon fumé (smoked salmon). This is followed by the traditional turkey and chestnuts (dinde aux marrons), cheese and the Yule log cake (bûche de Noël). The different regions of France used to serve different dishes. In the Bordeaux and oyster cultivating areas of Charente Maritime people ate grilled sausages (saucisses grillées) as well as oysters. In the Drôme cardoon (sort of artichoke) gratin (gratin de cardons) was popular. In Franche-Comté, hot chestnuts and sweet wine (marrons chauds accompagnés de vin doux) were served. In Lorraine, black pudding (boudin noir) and waffles (gaufres) were popular. In Alsace, families enjoyed roast goose with cabbage (oie rôtie accompagnée de choux), or roast carp (carpe rôtie). For the dessert people made bredele, little biscuits in the shape of Christmas trees, hearts or stars as well as ginger bread (pain d’épice).
The French DOM TOM islands also have their Christmas specialities: Jambon rôti à l’ananas (roast ham with pineapple), boudin antillais (spicy black pudding), punch à l’orange (orange punch). Not forgetting for dessert, the delicious blanc-manger au lait de coco (coconut blancmange).
The réveillon of yesteryear
When people used to speak of le réveillon they meant the meal on Christmas night that they used to share after midnight mass. This could be a cold meal or luxury picnic made up of foodstuffs brought by each of the guests. The réveillon was reserved for the grown-ups. The chidren received their presents and ate their dinner before midnight mass and so went off to bed. Nowadays midnight mass is often a lot earlier in the evening and so traditions have changed. For those who are not going to mass, the réveillon can begin earlier and include the children. Bon Appétit !
“
‘The DSM’ Advertiser Feedback...
We receive a number of comments from both French and English readers on our articles and adverts. The magazine is the main channel for informing ex-pats of our activities, reaching the Charente, Vendée and the Vienne, as well as Deux-Sèvres.
“
In Provence thirteen desserts (treize desserts) are set out on the table including the mendiants (hazelnuts, walnuts, figs, raisins, almonds). The colours represent the colours of the monks’ habits from the five orders of mendicants. Other desserts are added; quince and fruit jellies (pâte de coing, pâte de fruits), nougat, melon, dates (dattes), mandarins, les calissons (a sort of candy or sweet). These desserts were ready for when the family returned from midnight mass.
Vocabulary / Vocabulaire: le saumon fumé............................. smoked salmon
Les airelles................................ cranberries
Bûche glacée.................................. ice-cream roll/yule log
La pâte de fruits....................... jelly fruit
Bûche de Noël aux pommes.......... Yule log with apples
une poularde............................ fatted chicken
Marrons glacés.............................. Candied chestnuts
Le chevreuil............................... venison
Foie gras au chutney d’abricots..... Foie gras with apricot chutney
Le sanglier................................ wild boar
Les noix.......................................... walnuts
La pintade................................ guinea fowl
Les noissettes................................. hazelnuts
Le faisan................................... pheasant
Les figues........................................ figs
La caille........................................ quail
Les dattes....................................... dates
Le chapon................................
capon
Les amandes................................... almonds
La dinde...................................
turkey
The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015 | 9
TheatriVasles
10 Minute Play Festival
W
by Steve Marshall
hat a feast! What a magnificent selection! Like a gourmet tasting menu there was more than enough to give pleasure to everyone. That included Len and June Riddell who won their tickets in ‘The Deux-Sèvres Monthly’ magazine.
TheatriVasles put on this Festival, bringing in three other companies, the Toulouse Comedy Players and the White Rose Performers from France and the Level Players from the UK. They delivered seven original scripts, staged an astonishing eighteen plays and let us meet over 50 memorable characters. The size of the festival meant the plays were presented in two sessions. Due to travelling time a lot of people had intended to come for just one session but ended up coming back for the second because they said that the standard was so high. How many companies could stage theatre requiring a Rottweiler, a pair of Pandas, a couple of Dodos, a trio of sky-divers, the Tchaikovsky brothers, two distraught mothers, God and the Devil, a dead woman and her husband, a suicidal murderer, an OBE that cannot be accepted, a very unusual watch, a toast to the dear departed, a rather disruptive gingerbread man, a celebration of cannabis cultivation, a delightful gin drinker, Richard Whittington, James Bond, a crowd of very unruly kids and a woman in a cemetery who wasn’t wearing any knickers? Well TheatriVasles managed it, and managed it very well indeed. Acting, directing and writing were all of excellent quality and supported by a backstage and technical organisation that moved everything forward remarkably smoothly. The audience was asked to nominate its favourite plays and came down firmly on the side of comedy, as did the celebrity judge, Edwin Apps, best known as one of the writers of All Gas and Gaiters. Between them they selected The Creation, Pantomime’s Progress, The Smell of Rain and VD. And this was not a case of a handful of stars and a collection of dross. Every play collected its share of votes and accolades. Whilst most of the plays were humorous, some were serious dramas and many came close to joining that top group. Audience comments included: “...it moved me to tears “..it was harrowing, so much so that I could not bring myself to vote for it”.
10 | The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015
And what a wealth of new talent was on offer. As well as the writers, for many of whom this was their first piece for the stage, some of the people involved had never acted or directed before. And still the standard was held high. TheatriVasles are not a large group but have some very experienced people and clearly they are happy to nurture new arrivals. I look forward to hearing about their next production in the Spring. If you are interested in participating or getting early notice of new productions please email: theatrivasles@gmail.com.
Fabulous Feedback... “When I was asked to judge the fest ival I had no idea what to expect. I had neither seen nor even heard of ten minute plays. In the event I was very agre eably surprised; the standard both of the writing and acting was generally good, the choice of plays diverse and interesting, while the organization and stage man agement were really impressive; plays followed each othe r quickly and without fuss, as though they had been doing so for months instead of for the first time.” Edwin Apps “Len & I attended the plays on the Friday and had a really enjoyable day – we stayed for both the afternoon and evening performance and thought that they were all very good in their own way, although I did pref er the funny ones. All the staff were really helpful with gett ing us in the lift and into the theatre.
So a very big thank you to everyon day – also for organizing the meal e for a really enjoyable at Le Zinc which was also good value for money.
Keep on producing plays and we will
certainly attend.” June Riddell
Below: A selection of photographs taken during the 10 minute play festival. © Theatrivasles 2015
Hobbies More from local writer Alison Morton... Please see back issues of ‘The DSM’ if you would like to see previous articles.
Buying books at Christmas
Books are a traditional Christmas present. I still remember the sheer delight as a little girl of opening new books on Christmas morning. New worlds beckoned, new adventures began, new heroes and heroines there to be followed. As an adult, I can buy any book, electronic or print, all the year round. But there is still a frisson when opening that gaudily wrapped book-shaped package on the 25 December… Although walking around a bookshop, feasting eyes on the covers, browsing tables and shelves and reading the first paragraphs is like entering a cave of delights, the truth is that many, possibly the majority, buy online. But how and what do we buy? Of course, the best sellers – the cookery books, colouringin books, the latest train thrillers, historical adventures, ‘how to’ manuals, celebs’ biographies, heart-warming romance, or sword and sorcery fantasy. But do we look below the line and find something that bit different? Recommendation is the commonest way we buy books, whether from a friend, a favourite blog, a shelf label in a bookshop, a magazine article or your book club. If you’re in the UK for a pre-Christmas shop, then you can make a beeline for the local Waterstones, WH Smith, or even better, an independent bookshop. Opportunities are fewer here in France. However, there are other places to find good quality undiscovered gems. If you buy from Amazon, look at the row of ‘Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought’. You may find another title to intrigue you, one that may suit the person you’re buying for even better. Amazon’s mighty algorithm works in mysterious but efficient ways. Try surfing the Facebook book clubs such as English Readers Living in France, The Book Nook, TV Book Clubbers. If your bent is for historical, then the Historical Novel Society has hundreds of reviews on its site (historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews). If you’re after new voices and quality assured independent fiction, the indieBRAG site showcases the best - only 10% make it on to their list after a rigorous selection process. (www.bragmedallion. com). The CrimeWriters Association showcases its long and shortlists for the best in crime and mystery (thecwa.co.uk/ news/), and the International Thriller Writers’ magazine lists new publications each month in its online magazine The Big Thrill. And for the romantics, a great place to look is on the Romantic Novelists’ Association blog (romanticnovelistsassociationblog. blogspot.fr). Finding the blog or website of your favourite author can also introduce you to other author’s works as they often have guests or post reviews of other books. And of course, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of book blogs on the internet, some very specific with reviews and spotlights on new work. In the Deux-Sèvres, the travelling paperback exchange ‘Paperback Jan’ (Cindy and Keith) also has a small selection of new books. And there are authors living locally who will be selling their books at the Christmas markets! And don’t forget to buy the odd book for yourself to while away the time when everybody else is watching Ben Hur or The Sound of Music for the umpteenth time!
A Happy Christmas to you all and thank you for reading!
Alison has compiled the articles from this column into The 500 Word Writing Buddy, available on Amazon. Her fourth novel, AURELIA, is out now The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015 | 11
YOUR Book Reviews
Huge thanks go to regular reviewer, Dennis Walby, and Iain Patience for this month’s book reviews...
If you’d like to share a book review with us, please email: info@thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr
‘The Artificial Anatomy of Parks’ by Kat Gordon At twenty-one, Tallie Parks lives in a grimy bedsit. There’s a damp smell that makes her wake up wheezing most days. Then she gets a call that her father has had a heart attack. Years before, she was being tossed around her difficult family; a world of sniping aunts, precocious cousins, emigrant pianists and lots of gin, all presided over by an eccentric grandmother in Shropshire. But nobody was answering Tallie’s questions: Why did Aunt Vivienne loathe Tallie’s mother? Who really was Uncle Jack and why did the family close-ranks when his name cropped up? And why did everyone make excuses for her often absent father? As Tallie emerges from childhood into adolescence and beyond, she learns the hard way about damage and betrayal, that in the end the worst betrayals are often those we inflict on ourselves. This is Tallie’s story about the journey from love to loss and back again.
FILMS IN ENGLISH There are cinemas in our department which show films in their original language. Marked as ‘VO’ (version originale), these films can be seen at a selection of locations. Use the websites below to check your local cinema for screenings. Bressuire Le Fauteuil Rouge: www.lefauteuilrouge.fr Parthenay Cinema: www.cinema.foyer.cc-parthenay.fr/foyer Melle cinema: www.lemelies-melle.info Niort CGR cinema: www.cgrcinemas.fr/niort/# L’échiquier at Pouzauges: www.echiquier-paysdepouzauges.fr and find others at www.allocine.fr
A recent shortlisted contender for the Guardian newspaper’s ‘Not The Booke’ prize/award, this is a remarkably enjoyable debut novel with a surprisingly firm grip on subject and prose, guaranteed to keep you going to the end. A real page-turner, well worth checking out. by I. Patience
‘The Casual Vacancy’ by J.K. Rowling
LOCAL MARKETS
What an amazing change from the magic of Harry Potter et al. in the series that made her famous. However, JKR has woven a different kind of magic in this substantial good read. It starts with a death, but no suggestion of murder. Instead, there is a variety and number of characters that at first seems a bit daunting. What is even more difficult is that they are all totally unlikeable. From the smug, complacent villagers to a gaggle of teenagers that evoke no sympathy at all, who cares what happens to them?
Mondays......... Tuesdays.........
Wednesdays.... Thursdays........
That is the magic of good writing, there is a compulsion to know what happens to them. When the pace quickens with intrigue and secrets erupting like a teenager’s acne, it gets interesting. How well the author knows adolescents. How well she knows the rural English middle class. It would be easy to abandon the novel early on as there seems to be so many caricatures. At one point there is even an apology for the depiction of the council house dwellers as scroungers all, in a brief nod to those who are not. But as intrigue and secrets evolve, the characters become more defined and believable. It is hoped that as the story climax approaches, readers will have a little more sympathy with those who are less fortunate. There is a surprising hero and I would like to think that people would react as nearly all the characters do, but I can’t help feeling that J.K. Rowling knows a lot of unpleasant people, from self-centred teenagers to complacent senior citizens and that her ending is more in hope than expectation. by D.Walby
12 | The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015
Friday............... Saturdays........
Sundays............
Benet 85490 Lencloître (1st Monday in month) 86140 Lezay 79120 Coulonges-sur-l’Autize 79160 Thouars 79100 - and - Bressuire 79300 Parthenay 79200 Celles-sur-Belle 79370 Sauzé-Vaussais 79190 Niort 79000 La Mothe St Héray 79800 Thouars 79100 - and - Melle 79500 Bressuire 79300 - and - Champdeniers 79220 Chef-Boutonne 79110 Airvault 79600 - and - Niort 79000 Saint Maixent-l’École 79400 Fontenay-le-Comte 85200 Coulon 79510 - and - Neuville-de-Poitou 86170
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The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015 | 13
THE ZODIAC AND THE MEDIEVAL WORKING YEAR
A
previous article I wrote for ‘The DSM’ concerned the socalled calendriers des mois – the depiction of the labours of the year as small wall paintings (usually in the form of fresques, which are painted onto wet plaster) in the Romanesque and early Gothic churches in France. Hobbies, like most affairs of humans, tend to escalate, and my interest in the subject matter of the fresques and the calendriers has led me to investigate church sculpture and the signs of the zodiac. So here, yet another article on the hidden treasures that surround us here in France. The Zodiac and the Stars The signs of the zodiac are the constellations on the ecliptic that can be viewed over the course of the year. They have been recognised since antiquity and are used to mark the progress of the year. The Zodiac is thought by some to influence events on Earth and to allow predictions of the future. The signs of the zodiac are allocated a time period of one month, starting approximately on the 21st day of the month. This convention disassociates the time period i.e. named month, covered by the signs from that covered by the constellations from which they are derived, which, in terms of the duration of their visibility, are very much more variable due to their size or extent round the ecliptic. Formalising the Zodiac The original zodiac had 13 constellations. Ophiuchus has since been dropped to achieve a correspondence of the solar year with the 12-month calendar based on the lunar calendar. The actual dominant period of a zodiacal constellation in the night sky varies from 45 days for Virgo to 7 days for Scorpio, due, as I mentioned, to their size. There is also the long-term drift of the constellations away from the associated months due to precession of the equinoxes. So the formalisation of the zodiac disassociates to a certain extent the constellation from its zodiacal sign and the time period allocated to it. To my mind the remarkable thing here is that is that we have two naming conventions for the 12 equal divisions of a year – i.e. months and the zodiac. Country Life and Work Related to the Zodiac At a given moment in history one finds an association of the zodiacal symbols with the type of country work associated with that time of the year. The symbols appear in medieval manuscripts, and, more interesting from my perspective, they can be found sculptured in churches, usually in or as part of the portal. This presumably because of the space necessary for 24 carvings presented rectilinearly. Churches with Zodiacs I have found that some of the local Poitou-Charente Romanesque churches have more or less complete zodiacs and labours of the year, and experience tells me there must be more around for me to discover. • Église St Jean, Aubeterre-sur-Dronne, Charente • Église St Pierre, Aulnay-de-Saintonge, Charente-Maritime • Église St Nicolas, Civray, Vienne • Prieuré St Leger, Cognac, Charente • Église du St Esprit, Fenioux, Charente-Maritime • Église St Hilaire, Melle, Deux-Sèvres • Église St Giles, Argenton les Vallées, Deux-Sèvres Some are in a good state of preservation; others are rather damaged. All present a problem to the uninitiated such as myself in that they are largely symbolic and require experience in recognizing them for what they are. Amiens During a recent trip to Holland we stopped for the night in Amiens and, in the late afternoon sun, we started to explore the town. We ended up spending all our time at the cathedral. The first view was the magnificent entrance with its triple portal. Looking at it a bit dubiously, wondering if there were any wall paintings inside, we became aware of a set of 14 medallions portraying the working year. Carved as quatrefoil bas-relief in the doorway with a sign of the zodiac above and the work appropriate 14 | The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015
by Howard Needs
to that time of the year below, they will have been very apparent to anyone entering the church – a constant reminder of the progression of the year and country people’s work. This last is a bit odd, since in general the calendriers des mois are found as fresques/paintings in the country churches that the country folk would have regularly visited, rather than in urban churches. Name of Zodiac Sign Latin
English
French
Aries
Ram
Bélier
Fish
Poisson
Taurus Gemini Cancer Leo Virgo Libra Scorpio Sagittarius Capricorn Aquarius Pisces
Zodiac month
Zodiac work/scene depicted
Calendar Month
21 Mar-21 Pruning vines, other March Apr outside work Bull Taureau 21 Apr-21 Youth with flowers April May Twins Gémeaux 22 MayFalconer with a horse May 21 Jun Crab Crabe 22 Jun-22 Cutting hay with a June Jul scythe Lion Lion 23 JulHarvesting wheat July 22 Aug with a sickle Virgin Vierge 23 Aug-23 Threshing grain with a August Sep hinged beater Scales Libra 24 Sep-23 Picking and treading September Balance Oct grapes Scorpion Scorpion 24 Oct-22 Treading grapes and October Nov filling barrels Archer Sagittaire 23 Nov-21 Feeding pigs with November Dec acorns Capricorn Capricorne 22 Dec-20 Slaughtering pigs and December Jan preserving the meat Waterman Verseau 21 Jan-19 Janus with two or January Feb three heads 20 Feb20 Mar
Man warming his hands before a fire
February
The table shows the connection between the ancient zodiac and its associated month and work, on the one hand, and the work and its month as depicted in the Romanesque church wall paintings, on the other. I will try to go into this a bit further in future articles in The DSM. It is evident from the literature and my own observations that there are some labours of the month which are strongly associated with a particular month and some which are not always portrayed or which can be associated with more than one month. In attempting to find a correspondence between the Zodiacal calendar and its labours and the calendriers des mois as painted in the Romanesque churches, we encounter the same problem of less than 100% agreement. Whilst the zodiacal bias-relief is found in the larger churches and cathedrals, often as a part of the portal arch, the calendriers des mois are usually found painted on the inside of the diaphragm arch between the nave and the choir of the simple country churches. In both cases the arch represents the heavens and the circle of the year – a progression clockwise of the sun – a beginning, an end and the renewal of life and the year in the depths of winter. The depiction of the labours of the months can be found in the illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages, the sculptures of the churches and the paintings in the churches, but the detail varies. The manuscripts are very detailed and are often idyllic in their representation of the peasants, and they include the nobility, all well clothed and looking happy – not at all likely under the feudal domination of the nobility and in times of continuous war and raiding. The sculptures are by their nature rudimentary, whilst the calendriers des mois painted in the country churches show the peasants going about their daily work in very ordinary attire and with their tools in their hands. It is these last that captivate me, and they should make interesting reading once I get it all down on paper.
A-Z of the Communes in the Deux-Sèvres and the town was taken at least six times in all, sometimes by the Huguenots and sometimes by the Catholics. The ramparts and the towers of the castle which dominated the rock, were taken down by Richelieu in 1642. In 1793 the town of Chatillon sur Sèvre became the capital of military Vendée and remained so throughout the Vendée wars (1793-1796).
Photo© PèreIgor, Wikipedia
MAULAIS
by Sue Burgess
The commune of Maulais, which was created at the time of the Revolution, has been associated with the commune of Taizé since 1973 and should therefore really be called Taizé-Maulais. There is no town centre – the commune is composed of five villages – Taizé where the town hall and the school are, Maulais with the town hall annex, Maranzais, Ligaine with the sports ground and hall, and Auboué. Taizé is situated at the confluence of the Thouet and Thouaret rivers. Taizé is well-known because of its melon producing activity. One of the main melon growers of the area ‘Rouge Gorge’ is situated in Taizé. There is a good view from the top of the Butte de Montcoué at 125 metres above sea level. There are three crosses on the top of the Butte which are a witness to the fighting between the Poitevins and the Angevins in 1033.
A VOIR / MUST SEE • L’abbaye de la Sainte-Trinité/The Abbbey of the Holy Trinity After The Augustine abbey was founded towards the end of the 11th century and rapidly became the main religious centre of the country. Regular monks lived in the abbey until 1540 until they were replaced by commandatory monks. The Wars of Religion were responsible for the decline of the abbey which was pillaged several times at the end of the 16th century.
In 1660 the Abbey of the Trinity entered the French congregation of Génovéfains. The Abbey was partially restored in the 17th century. It was rebuilt in horse shoe form in the 18th century. The facade was more than 65 metres long. Both the Revolution and the Vendee wars took their toll on the abbey.
The history of the abbey came to a halt in 1806 with the last Prior. The commune of Chatillon-sur-Sèvre bought the building in 1813 to use as an adminsitrative building. Today the old abbey still houses the town hall and a museum.
•
L’église de la Sainte-Trinité/ Holy Trinity Church The church of the Trinity was founded in the 12th century and ruined by the Wars of Religion and then burned during the Vendée Wars. The church was enlarged and restored in the 19th century. Holy Trinity church has a harmonious façade dating from 1854. The old Romanesque doorway was reused as the front door of the presbytery.
Because of its 9 dolmens and its tumulus, Taizé is the most important Megalithic site in the Deux-Sèvres. Human life was present in this area 4000 years ago. Today, four of the dolmens have been restored. At Boué there are Gallic-Roman ruins. A VOIR / MUST SEE • The dolmens After archaeolical digs in the 60s some of the dolmens were restored between 1993 and 1998. There is a car park from where you can walk to get a close look at the dolmens which stand in the middle of agricultural land. An observation table helps you to identify the dolmens and gives information. •
The pedal car championship races in August Mid-August is time for the Melon Festival and a vide-grenier on the Sunday with the Pedal Car championships in the afternoon. The pedal cars are on display in the morning and the teams go to a lot of trouble to decorate their stands.
MAULÉON The commune of Mauléon became an official entity on 15 February 1965. It was born out of the fusion of two communes Chatillon sur Sèvre and Saint-Jouin sous Chatillon. The area had been known as Mauléon during the 17th century but the Duke of Chatillon had changed its name. So Mauléon became Mauléon once again. Today Mauléon boasts about 3200 inhabitants. Mauléon is situated on a rocky spur surrounded by the Ouin river valley. The name Mauléon appeared as early as 1080 in the charter of the Abbey of the Holy Trinity. Mauléon was a fief of the Mauléon family. The most famous member of the family was Savary 1st, Senechal of Poitou, troubadour, poet and privateer. He took Niort in 1205 for John Lack Land. By the 13th century Mauleon belonged to the viscounts of Thouars and later to the Amboise family. The town was much fought over during the Wars of Religion because it was a strategic point. In 1587 Henri of Navarre took Mauléon
©Yalta Prods., guidedesdemarches.com
The nave is vast and divided by rectangular pillars.
•
The presbytery The façade of the presbytery is divided into three levels of differing heights, separated by bands if granite. The wide windows on the ground floor along with the front door give a stern impression. The date ‘1840’ can be seen above the door and is the date when the building became the presbytery.
•
La fontaine de la Bachelette/La Bachelette Fountain The fountain which was inaugurated on the 21 June 1994 for the Music Festival, is a contemporary work by Crespin Guest, an artist from Nogent-sur-Marne.
Three rectangular columns are topped by three nude male statues. They look as if they are dancing. The cental figure is carrying a sheep on his shoulders. This is a reminder of the fête de la bachelette which existed before medieval times and took place on the last Friday of April and lasted several days. Young single people or future newly-weds were honoured. The name bachelette comes from bachelor. There were games and dances. One of the main attractions was reserved for young men who held a sheep above their heads and turned it round and round.
More A-Z of the Communes of Deux-Sèvres next month...
The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015 | 15
Clubs & Associations ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS 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 experience, 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 A.A. membership and A.A. 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. Telephone: Angela: 05 49 87 79 09, Roger: 05 55 76 22 65 or Nancy: 02 54 24 09 74. Email: publicinfo.swfrance@aa-€pe.net or visit www.aafrancesud-ouest.com for details of English-speaking meetings.
TheatriVasles
A vibrant group based in Vasles (79340) offering quality theatre productions. New members always welcome. Contact www.theatrivasles.com, find us on Facebook or call Richard on 05 49 63 41 09.
Tai Chi in Bressuire and Le Breuil Barret
Each Tuesday evening (8.30pm-9.30pm) at the Centre SocioCulturel in Bressuire. Each Friday afternoon (3pm-4.30pm) at the Salle Communale in Le Breuil Barret. Simply turn up in loose, comfortable clothing and flat soled footwear. Phone Terry on 05 49 65 60 34 or visit: www.chentaiji-fr.com
COME and PRACTICE your FRENCH
with a friendly group of French and English speakers. Each Wednesday at 7.30pm at the Salle des Fêtes, St Loup sur Thouet 79600. First lesson: 9th September. Call Christian for more details: 05 49 63 04 78
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
TTL Photography Group
Local photography group on the Deux-Sèvres/Vendée border. New members always welcome, all levels of expertise and knowledge. Contact us via the website to find out about our meetings (in Pause, L’Absie). www.ttlphotographygroup.net CLE (Charente Limousine Exchange) is a non-profit organisation for exchange of news, views and information. We work to protect member’s best interests, run social activities, events and clubs, helping members to make new ex-patriot and French friends. Barry Leech 05 49 87 19 85 contact@cle-france.com www.cle-france.com.
GARDENING CLUB
We meet every third Tuesday of the month, 2.30pm with free tea/coffee and bscuits at Le Bon Vertoef, 28 Grand Rue, 79110 TILLOU. (Nr Chef Boutonne). Everyone welcome for garden talk! For further information contact Mike Curtis 05 46 33 66 17 (eves).
The Harmonics Singing Group
Based in the Salle d’Annexe in Civray. We meet each Wednesday 2pm4pm. No experience necessary, just a willingness and commitment to learn. We sing all sorts of music in several languages. Contact: Dave Lee: 05 49 87 53 93 / dave.lee@cegetel.net
16 | The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015
Bilingual LitFest: 24-26 June 2016, Voulmentin 79150
We would welcome volunteers to distribute publicity, act as marshals, offer technical support, transport or accommodation. To join the team and register as a friend of the festival contact Howard Needs: needsho@cc-parthenay.fr
RAINBOW WARRIERS for healing and fun. Native
American Indian Deerskin Drums. Host a drum circle at your home for free. I have 7 drums, I will travel an hour from Bressuire and we need a big space. 15€ per guest (max 5). Call Pam on 05 49 65 55 25 or email: irving.philip@wanadoo.fr
Alone in France?
We are a group of people living alone in the L’Absie area who meet on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 11am for coffee at the Pause! café in L’Absie. Our lunches are at different venues each month. A warm welcome awaits you. More details from Ros 09 67 49 21 44.
JUST BRASS 79
A British style band, who meet each Tuesday at 8pm, at the Salle de la Cendille, Limalonges (just 1km from the N10). All levels welcome. Contact www.justbrass79.fr or call Penny on 06 38 78 99 92 or Christian on 05 49 29 78 84. THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION LINAZAY, POITOU-CHARENTES BRANCH
FANCY A KICK ABOUT?
Please visit the branch website: www.rblpoitou-charentes.fr
We are a small group of footballers who meet on Thursday evenings at 7pm in L’Absie for an informal kick about in the park. New players of all ages and abilities always welcome. For details email: john.etherington@orange.fr
Woodturners/Woodworkers
Are there any other amateur woodturners/woodworkers out there who might be interested in forming a club to share ideas, tips etc? Any level of ability, beginners to experienced. Contact Roland 05 49 96 44 10, preferably evening.
Craft Café Creatif
Do you enjoy knitting or sewing in the company of others? Join us in L’Absie for an enjoyable afternoon over a cup of tea and a piece of cake. For details contact Margaret on email: knight.margaret@orange.fr
“You speak French as bad as I speak English?”
Then we are made for meeting each other together with other French and English learners. We meet once a month in a bar in Niort at 11am, over a cup of tea/coffee, to speak and improve our French-English. Contact Joseph for further details. Email: joseph.aubineau@laposte.net , or call 06 73 70 14 21
Come KNIT/CROCHET with us every Friday at 3.30pm in the Café des Sports, Chef-Boutonne. Beginners to Experts - all welcome. Contact us via Facebook (Girls that do knitting and crochet) or Melanie on 06 65 17 89 16.
Combined Services
Support Group (CSSG)
by Terri Laverick
CSSG has gone from strength to strength over the past twelve months and we have been able to donate over 3,600€ to various British Military Charities, as well as the local Pompiers. This money has been raised by the hard work and dedication of a group of people (too many to name individually) and we would like to publically record our thanks to them. We have been assured by the Charities who have received funds from CSSG that the money will be ring fenced for their welfare funds. We have started to organise the events for next year. Please don’t groan... you are invited to come along and enjoy yourselves at the same spending as much money as we can possibly squeeze from you! Probably not as much as we would like, but then every little helps. The list, so far for 2016 is: • • • •
5th March, AGM Fenioux (There will be a raffle!) 8th May, Jan Smith’s Clear Your Clutter for Charity in La Ferriere-en-Parthenay 10th July, CSSG Annual Garden Party, St Pardoux 4th December Christmas Market, Terves
On 5th March 2016 we will be holding our Annual General Meeting, for the re-election of officers and reports from the Committee from the past twelve months. As usual, before the meeting will be a British-style breakfast for those who wish to join us. Details will follow in a later edition. Back to this month, we will be at the Terves Christmas Market on Saturday 12th December, along with Keynotes Choir, Reel Fish and Chips, 3+1 and some tea coffee and cakes. Oh yes, don’t forget to have some mulled wine and mince pies. There are lots of stalls to tempt you for those last minute Christmas presents. The regular Quiz Nights are ongoing. They are held in the Foyer Rural, St Pardoux. Tea, coffee and cakes are available. If you wish to have a little something stronger please bring it with you. Finally, may the Committee and members of CSSG wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year. Hopefully we can all meet up at one of the above events during the coming year. If you would like to add your name to our mailing list or have an idea for an event, then please contact us by email: cssgroup@ outlook.com. We’d love to hear from you.
by Kate Jouanneau
In last month’s issue I explained Reaction Theatre’s desire to put on ‘A Chorus of Disapproval’ for the Spring Production. Sadly, due to unforeseen circumstances, it has been put on a backburner for the time being. Fear not, another play has been sourced (to be officially announced once cast) and Margaret Round will still be directing it. So, if you’d like to be involved you can email her for dates of auditions (keynotesdeuxsevres@ gmail.com). And please don’t hesitate to volunteer for the behind the scenes crew as every pair of hands helps. Keynotes has been hard at work putting together a selection of merry songs for it’s future concerts. Starting with it’s ever popular annual Cornucopia, it promises a fun filled evening of Christmassy tunes and sketches. Tickets can be ordered from Maureen at tickets@reactiontheatre.fr. If you prefer a more traditional concert, Keynotes will be performing a carol service in Secondigny church the following evening. Terves Christmas market has also invited the choir to add some extra festive cheer. The nursing home in Le Tallud, who thoroughly enjoyed the choir’s efforts last year, is another chance to bring some seasonal joy to those less fortunate. • • • •
Christmas Cornucopia Show: 3rd December at 8pm at le Petit theatre Secondigny Christmas Carol Concert: 4th December at 8pm at Secondigny church Terves Christmas Market: 12th December at 3pm Sing-along at the nursing home in Le Tallud, check the RT website for the date
The Artscene are pleased to have Jean David back to join them for two consecutive weeks from the 4th December. He will be teaching step-by-step easy oil and acrylic technics for landscape artwork. If this is not your forte it’s an ideal opportunity to get some great tips and tricks from a friendly accomplished artist. Otherwise, you are, of course, free to do your own thing. The Artscene will also be celebrating Christmas on the 18th December with a mini exhibition and the ever popular Secret Santa will be there as well to spoil the group. For further questions on any of the information mentioned in my articles you can contact me directly or check out the Reaction Theatre website: www.reactiontheatre.fr We also have a Facebook page : Reaction Theatre Association. u u
Contact Email:
Kate Jouanneau on 06 77 51 55 16 kscks9@hotmail.com
Clubs & Associations Submission Guidelines Wordcount: Title of entry+ 40 words (max. including contact details). Logos can be supplied and will be added if space allows. Adverts meeting the above specifications can be added free of charge, and will be rotated on a monthly basis to allow everyone to participate. To guarantee the advert is printed each month, a small fee of 45€ per annum will be requested. How to SUBMIT your entry: 1) Complete the short form on ‘Submit Article’ page of our website (under the ‘Content’ menu) or 2) Simply email the details to us: info@thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr
The Charity that supports the RAF Family! Did you serve in the RAF or are you interested in all things aeronautical? Then why not join your local Branch of the RAF Association? RAFA does exactly what it says on the tin! It provides direct, practical support, comradeship and friendship to all serving and former RAF personnel and their loved ones. Why not join us and become part of the RAF Family? Contact RAFA Sud-Ouest France Email: rafasof@orange.fr or Tel: 05 46 95 38 89 Website Short URL: http://goo.gl/ut80T
The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015 | 17
Our Furry Friends Value for Money?
by Nigel Franks, NALA
For a couple of years, we’ve been trying to collect the statistics on the number of strays in the Vendée. It’s been an uphill struggle: the authorities in the Vendée even wrote to the Commission for the Freedom of Information, known as the CADA in France, questioning the usefulness of our request. They apparently wrote on behalf of a private animal pound, saying how much work it would be to comply. What was surprising is that they didn’t speak in defence of the non-profits which have probably dealt with a similar number of animals over the years. The Private Animal Pound (let’s call it PAP) has categorically refused to provide the information requested, even after the CADA ruled in our favour. So we asked the towns who have a contract with it to send us copies of their contracts and also bills. As you can imagine, not all of them complied, so we don’t have all the statistics. However we do have enough for one year, 2013, to raise some questions... There are two different types of contract: fixed price per year or with a subscription and a fee per animal. Some towns have individual contracts with a service provider, but mostly it’s the Communauté de Communes (Com-Com), which represents an area of towns that has the mandate. In general, from the information that we have received, the non-profits charge about €1 or less per inhabitant per year for a fixed price contract: we don’t know if that service includes catching the animals. We only have a reasonable amount of information for one commercial pound: PAP. Most contracts with PAP are on a subscription with fee per animal basis. It is difficult to know the cost per inhabitant as the cost per year obviously varies with the number of animals involved and the services rendered, e.g. for a dog delivered to the animal pound that is subsequently put down or given to an association for adoption PAP charges €249; for a dog caught by PAP the cost is €285. One Communauté de Communes does have a fixed price contract with PAP: the towns concerned have a total population of about 45,000. They pay about €84,000/ year plus they give PAP free use of a new animal pound for 37 animals, built in 2012 for about €500,000!! (Two exclamation marks because that works out at about €13,500 per kennel/pen and also because after spending that much, you would have thought that the Com-Com would expect a return on its investment.) So are they getting value for money? about €2 per inhabitant per year, compared to €1 for a non-profit? Difficult to say, as we don’t know if the non-profits provide the same 24/7/365 capture service. However, we can compare how much this Com-Com would have paid on a subscription and fee per case basis: we have the fee schedule from other Com-Coms who have a contract with PAP and we know the number of cases for 2013. We can’t tell if animals were delivered to PAP or caught by them so have based the calculation on the most expensive option. It totals about €50,000; compared to the fixed fee, that’s a potential saving of at least €34,000. It makes you wonder what they were thinking of when they signed that contract! Currently we’re thinking of a cute little cat called Houdini, so-called because he can open doors with a lever handle. He’s a tabby, about 7-8 months old, very friendly with a cute, squeaky meow. He’s OK with other cats, dogs, rabbits and birds. He’s been identified, sterilised, vaccinated and tested, negative, for FelV and FiV. More details can be found on our website: www.nosamislesanimaux.com
NALA wishes you all the best for the New Year.
18 | The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015
Lemony
is a 2yr-old Ginger Shaded Silver girl She is calm, gentle and extremely loving. Her current foster carer knows how quickly it’s possible to develop a special bond with this super affectionate cat! She’s always ready for a fuss, pushing her head into your hand, then laying down either on your lap, or next to you. She adores being brushed and loves to have her tummy stroked. But as much as she loves family life, Lemony doesn’t want to be just an insidecat and will always need safe access to the ‘great outdoors’.
Christmas Fund Raiser for Kitties
by Heather Rosemary
I am holding a Christmas Sale on Saturday 5th December (10am-3pm), once again in aid of the kittens. The event will be held at Le Grand Beaupuits, St Germain de Longue Chaume 79200. There will be 100s of books, gifts, clothes, cards, many household goods, coffee and cake and many other stalls too. Anyone who would like to come along and sell their goods would be very welcome, for just a donation to the kittens. Contact me via email heather.rosemary33@gmail.com
Lemony isn’t fussed by dogs, but she’s not fond of other cats, so a cat-free household is a must. If you feel you could give a home to this stunningly beautiful girl, please contact Caroline on 05 55 27 10 25 email: carolinela74@gmail.com Lemony is chipped, vaccinated and sterilised.
www.phoenixasso.com
Animal Association offering help to cats and dogs in need. Always looking for help, volunteers and foster carers. 10 Yr Old female looking for a forever home... Call 06 71 03 63 08 or email: Pasapattes79@hotmail.fr ECOLE DU CHAT LIBRE DE POITIERS 1 Place de Fontevrault 86000 POITIERS 05.49.01.39.25 (answerphone) Ecoleduchat.poitiers.free.fr
Facebook: ecole-du-chat-libre-de-Poitiers
ecoleduchatpoitiers.forumactif.org
The Assocation Orfee In English Contact Caroline: Tel: 05 45 96 02 79 Email: OrfeeInEnglish3@gmail.com Visit the website:
www.orfeeinenglish.com
The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015 | 19
Communications Windows 10 - Is it Time to Install the New Operating System? by Ross Hendry
your favorite retailers such as Staples, Macys and Best Buy when shopping in Microsoft Edge. And much more with improvements to Mail, Calendar, Photos, Groove, Xbox, Store, OneNote, Solitaire, and more! *If already running Windows 10, you will receive the November update according to your Windows Update settings. If you’re running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, you can take advantage of the free upgrade offer and receive the November update as part of your Windows 10 upgrade. ** US only at availability”
M
icrosoft Windows 10 has been loaded to over 110,000,000 PCs since its launch on 29th July. Is it time for you to take advantage of this free offer from Microsoft?
On 12th November 2015 Microsoft launched the first major update to Windows 10, this update is for Windows PCs and Tablets. The update provides improvements for all aspects of the operating system and most importantly includes thousands of updates to device drivers and applications improving the Windows 10 compatibility. Microsoft will also start updating the Xbox one and some select Windows mobile telephones. Personally, I have been waiting for this point to be the trigger to update my main desktop PC. Until now I have been running Windows 10 on the pre-release version via the Windows insider program on a test computer and have been impressed by the usability and stability, but concerned that my PC (which is not young by any standards - coming up 5 years old). I was not happy to update until I was sure that I could get the relevant Windows 10 device drivers. I intend to perform the update in the next few weeks and report the experience to you next month. So I have a mammoth back-up to perform to make sure I am safe in the event of .. .. .. Terry Myerson the Executive Vice President, Windows and Devices Group of Microsoft, states the following in his blog : “...Most importantly, with this free update we have reached the point in the platform’s maturity where we can confidently recommend Windows 10 deployment to whole organisations. Experience improvements in this update include: • •
•
Performance in everyday tasks, such as boot time now nearly 30% faster than Windows 7 on the same device. With Cortana, you can use your device’s pen** to just scribble a note in the Cortana Notebook and Cortana will recognize the phone number, email address, and even physical address to help you set reminders. Cortana can also now keep track of your event and movie bookings too, sending you helpful reminders to know where to go and get there on time, plus the option to book and track an Uber**. We’re excited to make Cortana available in Japan, Australia, and Canada and India (in English) with features and experiences customized for each market. Microsoft Edge offers improved performance and security, along with tab preview, which allows you to hover over your open tabs and get a preview of what’s on those websites without leaving the page you’re on. Microsoft Edge now syncs your Favorites and Reading list items across devices so you can easily get back to the content you’re interested in most. And, Cortana will now notify you of the best coupons** from
20 | The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015
Several of my customers have chosen to update to Windows 10 already, most of them have had a relatively trouble free upgrade, especially if their PC/laptop was less than 2 years old. It is the older PCs that have experienced problems and these have varied from simple device drivers not being available to more serious problems usually concerning their anti-virus program. In many cases the update completely removed the antivirus and needed it to be reloaded from scratch. Some cases they were able to use their existing version but many had to get updated versions from their AV supplier, the most awkward was Kaspersky followed by Avira. It is crucial that you have prepared for the update by checking that you have the latest version of the software and any drivers for your PC, plus of course any passwords or activation codes you need to set-up and run these. You should also check that your programs (especially the older ones) are going to be compatible with Windows 10. Finally you will also need to check that your printer, webcam and other peripherals, such as your Digital Camera, have Windows 10 compatible device drivers and utility software. Please do contact me if you need help with your upgrade and let me know your experience so that I may advise others and hopefully make it a positive experience for them. Have a really Great Christmas and thank you all for reading these articles and your kind feedback on them. Ross Hendry is the proprietor of Interface Consulting and Engineering, who has over 42 years experience in Communications, Computer Technology and Direct Marketing. (See advert below).
Useful English Language Numbers... Cancer Support Deux-Sèvres
05 49 64 59 96
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08 11 36 36 46
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04 68 23 43 79
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09 69 36 39 00
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05 62 16 49 08
CLEISS (Social security advice between countries)
01 45 26 33 41
Funeral Information (AFIF)
01 45 44 90 03 or www.afif.asso.fr
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0044 208 082 4729
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The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015 | 21
Health, Beauty & Fitness
Charming...
C
by Vicki Bassey
harms are not just back in fashion, but are leading the jewellery market in more ways than one. From Cartier to Tiffany, from Pandora to Kama, these small pieces of self adornment, gifts of love and reward are the hottest topic in the jewellery world.
The word ‘charm’ has two meanings, the first is its use in jewellery, but let’s not forget that ‘charm’ is also a verb with several meanings: to have a seductive appeal, to enchant, to possess a magical quality, to be flirtatious etc. The word ‘charm’ can also mean ‘incantation’: this is where the word charm derives from the Latin for ‘song’, ‘carmen’. If the linking of the original meaning has any bearing on today’s modern charms, it is most likely to have been given as a gift to charm a loved one, combined with its ability to possess a magical quality. Whatever the true driver behind the incredible success of modern charms, they have actually played a major part in jewellery history for tens of thousands of years. In fact, many tombs around the globe have been uncovered with jewellery in them resembling charms. Although charms can be worn on necklaces, zippers hung from mobile phones and handbags, their main traditional use has been for recording memories and moments by attaching them to a bracelet. Queen Victoria amassed an amazing jewellery collection during the 1800s; she was often seen wearing her charm bracelets and trinkets. She commissioned many small lockets into which she placed hair from her children along with tiny portraits. Then came the charm bracelets of the Art Deco period: these were often made of platinum and set with coloured gemstones. In 1945 Tiffany’s printed their first blue book, in which there were many gold charms set with Diamonds, Amethyst, Ruby and Emeralds. These were set into horse shoes, four-leaf clovers and a wonderful disc shaped charm that depicted a Christmas Tree next to a fireplace. Birthstone charms, places visited, fun charms, animals, symbols of fashion, lucky charms, amulets, talisman, children’s charms - the list of potential collections goes on and on. Whilst different gemstones are worn due to their magical healing powers and protective abilities, there are certain charm designs that are also associated with different occasions.
22 | The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015
© Wikipedia/
SimonJTonge
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4 HaraldOlsen © Wikipedia/
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© Wikipedia/SteveHillibrand © Wikipedia/ DavidPerez
2 Hero ia/ Badger © Wikiped
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WINTER WATCH
T
here’s no doubt about it, winter is a tough time for wildlife. Daylight hours are shorter and food is in scant supply. But suddenly, as the trees and hedgerows lose their leaves, that wildlife – and especially birdlife – becomes much easier to spot.
In the second of our DSM Winter Watches, we take another look at some of the wildlife you might expect to see in the countryside and the skies in this part of France. Some you may think are obvious, but others might surprise you.
MAMMALS
(1) Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris, Ecureuil roux).
Often believed to hibernate, but in fact it continues to forage throughout the winter, hiding food stores for when times get tough. Natural predators include pine martens – the only mammal able to chase and catch it in the trees – and goshawks, which will take it on the ground. A protected species throughout most of Europe and far more common here than the UK, mainly because of an abundance of suitable habitat and the lack of grey squirrels. There are no North American grey squirrels in France.
(2) Badger (Meles meles, Blaireau Européen). Also contrary to popular belief, the badger doesn’t hibernate. However, it has developed a strategy for conserving energy during the winter when its staple diet (especially earthworms) is unavailable because of frozen ground. It puts on weight in autumn to see it through the winter and also spends many days underground, conserving its energy during cold periods, and sleeping more deeply for longer periods.
Part 2
by Mick Austin
(3) Coypu (Myocastor coypus, Ragondin). An ever-present in lakes and waterways, feeding on aquatic vegetation, roots, water lilies and lakeside plants. Responsible for considerable damage to river banks, vegetation and consequently native species. It is considered a pest. During very cold winters it can be susceptible to frostbite, particularly to its tail. That can lead to infection and often a slow, painful death. The female’s nipples are positioned high up on her sides – almost on her back –so her young can climb onto her back and easily feed while she’s in the water. (4) European beaver (Castor fiber, Castor d’Europe).
A protected species found in many of the region’s rivers, including the Thouet, Vienne and Creuse. It’s the largest rodent in Europe, with a body length of more than a metre plus a tail of up to 40cms. Its main threat comes from being accidentally shot in mistake for a coypu (ragondin). Mating takes place in the water between January and March.
(5) Stoat (Mustela ermenia, Hermine) and weasel (Mustela nivalis, Bellete). These quick, skittish animals are hard to find but more common than you might think, often darting across the road in front of a car. They are weaselly identified and stoatally different – just look for the black tip on a stoat’s tail! In winter some stoats, especially females, start to turn white (known as ermine) to blend in with the snowy countryside. Stoats have been seen to ‘dance’ around in front of rabbits, which freeze with fear and are quickly killed with a powerful bite to the back of the neck. The weasel is a mini version of the stoat. An active hunter, it feeds on small mammals and birds and can be found in a variety of habitats: woodland, grassland, hedgerows and moorland. The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015 | 23
(6)
Raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides, Chien viverrin). Looks like a raccoon but is a member of the dog family. Normally about the size and shape of a fox, it puts on an enormous amount of weight for winter, giving it a fat, squat-like appearance by late autumn. It spends winter underground in its den in a state of semi-hibernation, only emerging during mild spells to look for more food. Its habitat is generally forested areas and rocky banks on lakes and rivers. An excellent swimmer and climber, with fish forming a large part of its diet, it will also eat small mammals as well as fruit and acorns. Mainly nocturnal, it lives in small family groups. An introduced species and quite rare in these parts at the moment. But there have been recent reported sightings in Charente, Dordogne and Gironde. If spotted it should be reported to your local chasse (hunt).
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10
© Wikipedia/ Andreas Trepte
15 © Wikipedia/ JustAPrairieBoy
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(7) South-western or Southern water vole
(Arvicola sapidus, Campagnol Amphibie). Quite rare in most of France but quite common in the CharenteMaritime. Found mostly near water. Doesn’t hibernate and spring (from March) sees the start of reproduction.
(8) French shrew, Millet’s shrew or Crowned shrew (Sorex coronatus, Musaraigne couronnée).
It must be confused with all those names! Very similar to the common shrew (Sorex araneus) and often in competition, but slightly smaller. Aggressive, solitary and territorial and active day and night in areas with thick vegetation at ground level such as the woods, hedges and marshes found in the Charentes. Feeds on insects, worms and other small invertebrates and also vertebrates mainly as carrion. Will also occasionally eat plant material.
© Wikipedia/ AdrianPingstone
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BIRDS
(9) Black winged kite (Elanus caeruleus, Élanion blanc).
Now established in south-west France, they are nesting in Charente-Maritime, Charente, Deux-Sèvres and the Vienne. Not usually found in heavily wooded areas. Small prey is eaten in flight while larger prey is usually taken to a branch or telephone pole. Food consists mainly of small mammals, small birds, reptiles and insects. Nesting (on a branch in a high tree) starts early with the first eggs being laid between February and April.
© Wikipedia/ T.Voekler
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(10) Merlin (Falco colombarius, Faucon emerillon).
Europe’s smallest bird of prey, its small size is compensated for by its strong, dashing flight and ability to startle small birds by coming upon them suddenly from its low hunting flight (often just a metre above the ground). In winter most merlins move to estuaries, coastal marshes and open agricultural land where there are many small birds such as waders, pipits, finches and larks.
(11) Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus, Faucon pelerine).
Following a crash in numbers, Europe’s peregrine population is now recovering and it can be found in almost any habitat. Prey, in the form of a medium sized bird like a dove, may be spotted from a lofty perch or from the air and, once identified, it will be attacked by a high-speed stoop at speeds of up to 240kph. The flight of a peregrine across an estuary will cause panic among gulls and waders, which will take to the air with the result that at least one will end up as dinner.
© Wikipedia/ Merops
© Wikipedia/ Andreas Trepte
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(12) Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis, Autour des palombes).
Historically one of the most persecuted birds of prey in Europe, it can now be found in most regions of France, although you can consider yourself lucky if you see one. Often described as a large sparrow hawk, it’s about the size of a buzzard and prefers large woodlands with clearings. Courtship begins in February when the male performs spectacular ‘roller-coaster’ displays high above the trees.
11
(13)
Hen harrier (Circus cyaneus, Busard St-Martin). Although capable of rapid, direct, flight, it is usually more a combination of leisurely wing beats and long glides. During the winter months it will often roost communally, with up to a dozen birds flying into a chosen sheltered spot at dusk. In winter it will usually be found in lowland, open terrain, often coastal. 24 | The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015
© Wikipedia/SubramanyaCK
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(14) Marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus, Busard des roseaux).
Can be seen any time of the year, especially along the CharenteMaritime coast and the Marais. It loves waterfowl eggs and chicks, frogs, lizards and the occasional rabbit. March is the best time to see its mating displays, comprising high climbs and rapid falls with wings folded.
(15) Bean goose (Anser fabalis, Oie des moissons).
Can generally be identified by its chocolate-brown appearance and distinctive orange legs. Some winter in lowland areas, others around arable land and wetlands. When danger threatens it is quick to take to the air and is more able to rise in a near-vertical manner than many other goose species.
(16) Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo, Grand Cormoran). © Wikipedia/ JJHarrison
© Wikipedia/NPHolmes
17
Overwinters mainly around sheltered coasts, but also on inland waters. It dives frequently and for extended periods. Although it can swim under water efficiently, that soon results in waterlogged plumage and it can often be seen perched on a post with its wings outstretched to dry.
(17) Snipe (Gallinago gallinago, Becassine des marais).
As well as its distinctive long bill, it also has a characteristic feeding action unlike that of other waders. It probes into soft mud with a jerky action, vibrating the tip of its bill slightly. The tip is sensitive and food can be sucked up without the bill being withdrawn from the mud. Habitat is bogs, wet meadows and upper reaches of saltmarshes.
(18) Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris, Grive litorne). A large thrush with unmistakeable plumage pattern. Feeds on a wide variety of invertebrates and fruit in autumn and winter. A noisy, aggressive bird at nest sites and in defence of a winter food source. (19) Redwing (Turdus iliacus, Grive mauvis). Smallest of the common European thrushes, it’s fairly common in these parts in winter. Roosts together in flocks of several hundred in shrubberies ands evergreens and when disturbed the flock will fly to the tops of the nearest trees. Winters on grassland, stubble and open woodland.
© Wikipedia/Alpsdake
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(20) Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula, Bouvreuil pivoine). A rather shy and retiring species, it is heard more often than seen, its soft, piping calls carrying a surprising distance through the undergrowth. Very fond of the developing buds of commercially grown fruit trees in spring, but it can survive perfectly well on nature’s harvest. Ash-keys in particular are an important source of food from autumn through to early spring.
(21) Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes, Grosbec casse-noyaux). Often goes undetected because of its shy nature and habit of favouring dense foliage in tall trees during the breeding season. Perhaps easiest to see in winter when the leaves are off the trees and its distinctive profile is recognisable, even in silhouette. Because of its huge bill, it is the only European bird that can successfully tackle hard-cased hornbeam seeds – and it can also crack open cherry stones!
© Wikipedia/ StevePolkinghorne
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Wikipedia/ DennisJarvis
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Mick Austin is a freelance journalist based in the Pays-de-la-Loire. He has had his work published in several expat magazines and newspapers and has also written the Mayenne Tourist Board’s only English-language brochure. He also runs a gîte business at www.
gitefortwo.com.
The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015 | 25 © Wikipedia/Mikils
Home & Garden
DÉCHETTERIES Within the area of the SMC79 (Haut-val-de-Sevre and Sud-Gatine), there’s been a change of opening hours of déchetteries since May 2015. Please visit their website for details:
www.smc79.fr
For waste disposal outside of this area, there’s an alternative website
www.decheteries.fr/79/
26 | The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015
HOW TO... In this first HOW TO, Lesley Sutherland of La Couronne (selling English Paints at English Prices) gives us handy hints on wall preparation: How to... successfully paint a walL ! Preparation Before painting your walls, make sure that they are clean, smooth and completely dry. Stick down any loose wallpaper before washing them with a mild detergent, rinsing with clean water and letting them dry. Undercoat Depending on your surface, you may need to use an undercoat. If you are painting onto vinyl wallpaper, you will need a coat of Multi-Surface Primer to create a base for the paint to sit on. If you are painting over a strong colour, Crown Basecoat will prevent it from showing through the finished job. Cutting In Use a 2 inch brush to cut in at the edges. Use the brush on edge, working in long sweeping movements across door frames and skirting boards etc. Rolling Finish the job with a roller and tray, dampen the roller to make it easier for it to pick up the paint. Start in one corner and work across the wall in sections. Work the roller in a W motion and fill in the spaces as you go. Contact Lesley on: 06 04 15 79 16 Email: lez.sutherland@hotmail.com
The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015 | 27
THE AMATEUR GARDENER
by Vanda Lawrence
For me there is not much time for any big outside jobs at the moment but I am hoping to sort out the raspberry canes this month. I planted different varieties too closely together – my first mistake; the second mistake was that I didn’t keep up with cutting down the fruited canes and tying in the new. So now new canes are springing up in amongst canes which have already borne fruit and I am not sure which are which. Grrr!! Learn by my mistake, mes amis and keep different varieties very well separated. I am going to have to live with my mistake for the moment and just cut them all down, hoping to make sense of it all next year. I must say though, if you are thinking of buying any raspberry canes, I would whole-heartedly recommend yellow raspberries – they are delicious. As for the canes that I cut down, I’m going to stack them in a quiet, sheltered corner of the garden and hope a hedgehog will find it a comfortable place to overwinter, then next year he might like to stay and eat up the slugs to save me using slug pellets. One good turn deserves another, wouldn’t you say? Somebody did remind me recently though, that the fencing we have put around the garden to keep the dogs enclosed will actually keep hedgehogs out, so we need to make a couple of little tunnels in the boundary fence so our prickly friends can gain access.
The holly and the ivy, When they are both full grown, Of all the trees that are in the wood, The holly bears the crown …..
Y
es, it’s that time again, so let’s get decorating! Make a Christmas wreath for the front door using an old wire coat hanger pulled into a circular shape, holly twigs, pieces of conifer, variegated ivy, pine cones, berries. Attach any or all of these to the wire frame with florist’s wire, raffia or sparkly ribbon, spray with glitter or artificial snow and finish off with small baubles if required. The children will love to have a go at that, or alternatively, if you have holly in your garden just cut some sprigs, tie together with red ribbon and hang on the front door. Get the children to brush the leaves with glue and sprinkle with glitter for extra sparkle. Mistletoe is also very ‘christmassy’ with the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe. Historically a young lady standing under a ball of mistletoe could not refuse to be kissed and if a couple in love exchanged kisses under the mistletoe this was seen as a promise to marry.
Times change of course, but what does not change is the mistletoe itself. Viscum album to give it the scientific name, is actually a parasite which grows mostly on apple or poplar trees. It obtains minerals and nutrients from these trees whilst remaining high up in the branches nearest any available sunshine which enables photosynthesis. Mistletoe leaves, stems and berries can be poisonous to humans if ingested, and dogs and cats can also be at risk when mistletoe is brought indoors, but birds eat the berries in winter and sometimes use the evergreen clumps to nest in during Spring. You can enjoy the fragrance of hyacinths indoors now if you managed to pot them up at the end of summer. Don’t worry if you didn’t get around to it - they are readily available in garden centres at the moment. Poinsettias are also marvellous for indoor colour at this time of year. They are native to Mexico where, in their natural habitat, they can grow up to 16 ft. The plant bears beautiful dark green leaves and coloured bracts - most often bright red but they can be orange, pink, cream or white. These bracts are often mistaken for flower petals because of the colour, but actually they are leaves. They need plenty of daylight during the day to maintain a nice bright colour but don’t like draughts (a bit like me!!). 28 | The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015
Now it’s time to finish for this month – and this year - so I’ll do my usual and remind you to have some salt and/or sharp sand handy so that you are ready to deal with icy paths and driveways. And, of course, feed the birds and keep their water bowls free from ice. I wish you all good health and much happiness for Christmas and the New Year 2016.
Joyeux Noël tout le monde
Photos: Pixiabay.com
Take a Break
DSM Toughie Crossword Across: 1. Plains animal is an expert with saintly symbol, not hot though! (7) 5. Notes rearranged for a veteran rocker (5) 8. Most confused about direction of rough weather... (5) 9. ...and again about that lady’s way to keep things warm (7) 10. Could be a great night out, no pressure, for pretentiously artistic (4) 11. Has Sooty worked out a way to predict the future? (8) 14. A blank is drawn from over-worked udder (3) 16. Article about that lady in one shade of grey (5) 17. Horse trader getting ready (3) 19. Was in front after the beginning, but got frightened (8) 20. Genial example of one of 13ds right hand man in seamen’s meeting (4) 23. Written description for damaged Inca pot (7) 25. Something to do with sound waves responsible for broken icons (5) 26. South west swing for deserts from rods with special powers (5) 27. Let down and rest disturbed, but support will come (7)
Down: 1. One of the first children of Adam and Eve (4) 2&6. Christmas pudding sauce (6-6) 3. State in Southern Germany famous for its beer (7) 4. Again, but in a new or different way (6) 5. 4th reindeer (5) 6. See 2 down 7. Postpone the punishment of a convicted criminal (8) 12. In a humble manner (8) 14. Flatter in an ingratiating manner (7) 16. Paved surface for a plane’s take-off or landing (6) 18. Colour between red and yellow (6) 19. Strangely opposed (6) 20. Villain in a novel by Charles Dickens (5) 23. At a specific prior time (4)
Down: 1. United Arab exchange converts villain into game bird (7) 2. Got right inside church installation for outside appearance (5) 3. We hear weapons to be given to the needy (4) 4. Roof tiles provided more than occasionally in the past (3) 5. Eat, swing, mingle, if you want to be getting hotter (8) 6. The cosmos is an ideal setting for the assimilation of knowledge (7) 7. Have a go at One Direction in easy fiasco (5) 12. Yellow colour of mineral found around religious building (5) 13. Is in charge of crazy feline in revolutionary Spain (8) 15. Sweep around after lifeless
expression giving nothing away... (7)
18. ...and when in Paris clear up mess of golden syrup (7) 19. Small creatures not allowed in cults (5) 21. Someone who did an impression of Satchmo nettled (5) 22. Unknown dropping out of 16, leaving only former champion (4) 24. Silly fool working in hairy neighbourhood? (3)
With thanks to M.Morris
Well, what do you know?
Monthly quiz by Roland Scott...... how many can you get?
1) When writing a letter, what does p.s. stand for?
9) Who was manager of England’s 1966 World Cup winning team?
2) The island nation Sri Lanka was formerly known as what? 3) Name the character played by Brian Blessed in TV’s Z-Cars.
10) Between 1940 and 1962, Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour and which other performer made 7 “Road to...” films??
4) Who was the first Briton to win gold in Figure Skating at the Winter Olympics (Innsbruck 1976)?
11) Which French author wrote ‘Les Miserables’ and ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’?
5) Which Granada TV quiz show, hosted by Gordon Burns, featured an Army assault course?
12) Which British TV series featured Tom Ellis (Gary), Patricia Hodge (Penny), Sarah Hadland (Stevie) and Sally Phillips (Tilly)?
6) In the Harry Potter films, which character was played by Tom Felton? 7) What is the chemical symbol of the element Carbon? 8) In the 1992 Disney animated film Aladdin, which character was ‘voiced’ by Robin Williams?
And finally, assuming you have 12 correct answers, what is the connection between those 12 answers or parts thereof? Copyright RJS 2014 The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015 | 29
Answers on our website: www.thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr
DSM Easy Crossword Across: 8. Republic on the Bay of Bengal (5) 9. A lack of success (7) 10. The descendants of one individual (7) 11. Go in (5) 12. Illumination between sunrise and sunset (8) 13. Christmas ornamented evergreen (4) 15. Joseph’s wife (4) 17&24. 10th day of Christmas (5-3-7) 21. Chris Cringle (5) 22. Persistent bodily disorder or disease (7) 24. See 17 across 25. A brief experience of something (5)
Food & Drink We are delighted to welcome Lynda Gee on board as a regular contributor of recipes and all things food!
An Introduction to Lynda
I
know how much you've all enjoyed Hazel’s recipes for some time now so, before I start trying to tantalise your taste buds, I'd like to first introduce myself....
Well, I'm Lynda of ‘Gingers Kitchen’. I've collected my recipes over the years from chefs in hotels we've often stayed in through my husband’s earlier work, and other restaurants I've also been lucky enough to eat and work in. A vast personal collection of cookery books has also provided a valuable starting point and many recipes are purely and simply created in my own head! I know I'm going to have fun trying to put these down on paper as quantities, textures and tastes are often worked out as I cook. Exact amounts and methods are not, therefore, always easy! So please bear with me. Anyway, here is the start of what I hope will be a successful sharing of my ideas....
Black Forest Trifle Ingredients 1 Packet of all chocolate cookies dark), 350- 400 g. jar of cherries (preferably m crea ¾ litre double ½ of milk chocolate 1 block dark cooking chocolate plus cmange mix and apblan or sse mou e 1 packet of chocolat ) litre ½ ally (usu propriate quantity of milk liqueur) ry cher r othe (or h kirsc ons 1 ½ - 2 tablespo e about a 2 cm bed in Roughly break enough cookies to plac . dish the base of your trifle top of the cookies, then Drain the cherries well and place one. thes over h kirsc the evenly sprinkle -stick saucepan over a In a bain marie (or small, good non n hot water) melt the spoo ert dess 1 ing add , very low heat add 25 – 30 cl of the ted mel ely plet chocolates. When com l thoroughly blended. unti time double cream stirring all the with this then prepare Cover the cherry and cookie baseto stand for a couple of this e the chocolate mousse, leav over the rest of the ring minutes and then stir before pou . dish the in ingredients rest of the cream Allow to cool in the fridge, whip the flaked or powdered with kle sprin and trifle the r to cove chocolate.
30 | The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015
e v i t s e F od o F by Lynda Gee
Fruit Boule
A delicious refre
shing aperitif for Christmas (or an ytime !) Ingredients ¼ - ½ bottle of m ed 1 bottle dry spar ium dry white wine kling wine 250g fruit eg. st (frozen fruits al rawberries, raspberries or blac kberries fruits rouges or so work well such as orange se the summer!) even charentaise melon balls gments, prepared in Approx 30g cast or sugar. Wash drain and dry the fruit, if us quarter. ing strawberries halve or Place the fruit in to a large bowl or the sugar, pour ov er the still whi jug and sprinkle with refrigerator to ch ill for at least onte wine and place in the e hour. Chill the sparklin g w in e an d add to the boule serving. just before
Medallions of roast lamb
A delicious alternative Christmas roast when with served roquefort sauce. Ingredients (for 4-6 people) 1 leg of lamb 1.7 – 2 kg in weight Unsalted butter to roast. Firstly bone the into the point knife p shar a of leg of lamb.* Insert the tip follow the line n The ace. where the bone is nearest the surfwith the knife cutting the ible, poss as h muc as of the bone, leg as whole as possible meat away carefully. Try to keep theely. (*Alternatively ask plet com whilst easing the bone out thick ready prepared leg your butcher to do this or use quite steaks.) ing into a roasting tin Reform and string the meat beforeofputt lted butter. Roast in unsa pats with ing dott ly rous and gene minutes until still 25 – 20 rox app for oven ° a pre-heated 200 quite rare. m cut into thick slices Take out the lamb and whilst still war cm.) 1 m or 'medallions' (minimu tin with the melted butter Layer these back into the roastingstick ing and drying, then ent prev to r and a little hot wate personal taste. This is to lamb re-heat or finish cooking the to regard and turn able easiest on top of the cooker to be regularly. d coating of roquefort Serve on warmed plates with a goo oven sauteed potatoes try ce choi of es tabl vege sauce and . and garden peas
Flamenkeuche
e a variation on a Tarte A quick and easy 'cheat' way to dmak a starter or just to enjoy as sala n gree Alsacien to serve with ds. when having drinks with frien Ingredients y pastry) 1 pack of bought 'pâte feuilleté' (flak 1 small red or rose onion (smoked or un100g finely chopped bacon or lardons smoked as you prefer) Small tub fromage blanc l cheese Approx 25g finely grated emmenta e on it's paper to cook Unroll the pastry circle and either leav sed pizza tray. grea well a on a wire rack or place onto age blanc and spread Mix the grated cheese into the from evenly over the pastry. ibute this and the Finely chop the onion and evenly distr lardons over the topping. , sprinkle with a little Grind black pepper over and if liked ground nutmeg. rox 15 -20 minutes Bake in a pre-heated 200° oven for app and the risen have ry past the of s or until the edge d that timing foun (I've ed. cook underneath is thoroughly texture of the and ht weig varies depending on the oven and topping.) Easiest to cut with a pizza wheel.
Ingredients 25g unsalted butter, good soup spoon plain flour ¼ litre milk small cup of double cream 100g (or more to taste!) roquefort cheese. Melt the butter in a non-stick sauce pan then, off the heat, gently stir in the sieved flour to form a roux. Add a little of the milk to blend smoothly. Return to the heat and gradually add the rest of the milk, stirring all the time. Roughly crumble the roquefort and once the sauce has reached boiling point add little by little whilst still stirring. When the cheese has melted and blended in, add enough cream to give a rich, thick pouring consistency.
© Wikimedia/Lulu Durand
Roquefort Sauce
Lynda is better known as ‘Ginger’s Kitchen’ and provides a full at-home catering service. (See advert on P.32)
Tel: 06 23 00 72 04 ~ Email: gingers.kitchen@orange.fr The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015 | 31
Blind Drunk
by John Sherwin
The other night I enjoyed a bottle of a basic Cotes du Rhone from Michel Chapoutier, one of the best and most influential winemakers in the northern Rhone. As basic Cotes du Rhone go, it was fine. While admiring the classic refined label (I’m a label man in much the same way as some chaps admire a nicely turned ankle), I noticed patterns of small raised dimples thereon. The label, not the ankle. Yes, braille, but why? An interesting story in itself, but one which led me on to rather bizarre Dallas-style family shenanigans. One of Michel’s good mates is French singer Gilbert Montagné who apparently had a big hit across Europe in 1971 with a little number called ‘The Fool’ (no, me neither). In a TV interview in the early 90’s, Gilbert bemoaned the fact that, being blind since birth, he had great difficulty in choosing wine from wine shops. The most obvious solution would have been to ask the assistant, you would have thought, but no: far too simple for Michel. It transpired that his label printing machines could handle braille, and voilà, the first such label appeared in 1993. Now all Chapoutier wines have braille labels – and of course some other producers have followed suit. Interesting enough in an anoraky way, but when I add that that first braille label was on bottles of Monier de la Sizeranne Hermitage, made from a plot originally owned by Maurice de la Sizeranne who invented the first abbreviated version of braille, it all becomes a bit spooky. Anyway, I thought what a fine chap Michel must be, thinking of a practical way to help his mate and of course other blind consumers. Hmmm. This is where JR Ewing sidles in. The Chapoutiers had been making wine in the northern Rhone since the 1890’s. In 1990, with a weird centennial back stab, Michel went behind his father Max’s back and asked his grandfather Marc (all the family have first names starting with ‘M’ – saves on labels for school shirts and the like) to give him, Michel, control of the company. His complaint was that ‘the wines tasted like Chapoutier, not like the appellation’. In other words the hand of man had become more important than the sense of place, of terroir. It did Michel’s cause no harm at all that a certain Robert Parker had given one of his 1989 wines a perfect 100. The rags-to-riches (or richesto-even-greater-riches) effect of this cannot be exaggerated. Global interest in Chapoutier skyrocketed and Michel was minting it. If, at this point, you expect a little magnanimity you would never have made the grade as a Dallas scriptwriter. After that 100 point ego boost, Michel told Chapoutier importers in the US, Japan and the UK to destroy all his father Max’s wine that they had in stock and replace it with his, Michel’s, lest his (sorry, his wine’s) fame be adulterated. Man who knows his own mind and doesn’t suffer fools, or obstreperous bully? I’ll leave that hanging, but he does make very good wine – for the most part. Wine blogger Jamie Goode has noted that some Chapoutiers are ‘remarkable world-class wines’ while others are ‘maddeningly inconsistent’. §
I recently came across an interview with French philosopher Michel Onfray (like you do) in which he described wine as a kind of time machine. I thought it was pretty neat so I translated part of it here to remind us all why wine is a beverage utterly distinct from the sodas and gassy beers which infantilise our daily existence (philosophy has a way of rubbing off on one). Here goes. In any wine worthy of the name, a number of time periods are brought together: the geological time of the subsoil which has been forged over millions of years without human intervention; the almost mythical time when the fibre of the earth was made from the rotting of leaves, trees, plants; the human time of those who plant, prune, harvest, press; the oenological time of grape variety differentiation; the time of aging wine in a bottle; the time of tasting, that is the opening of the bottle; and finally the time of friendship, of sharing. To drink a wine is to go off in search of all these times, mixed together in a single liquid which, when all is said and done, can only remain an enigma. If you find yourself nodding in agreement and muttering Mikey, you the MAN! then you might be interested in… §
… a wine tasting with yours truly to be held at Fresco Interiors, 9 rue du Duc D’Acquitaine, Vouvant on Friday 4th December, 5pm - 7pm. Drift by as and when you can (no black tie required) and enjoy a range of fine Vendée wines. I’ll be taking bookings for my 2016 Vendée vineyard visits plus orders for any of the wines to be tasted. If that wasn’t splendiferous enough, there are lots of gift ideas in the shop. If I don’t see you there, have a lovely Christmas. u John Sherwin, French Wine Tours u 02 51 66 13 05 or www.french-wine-tours.com 32 | The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015
Rural Village Life
by Jacqueline Brown
This summer we had the privilege to have a mobile huitres et moules seller come to the village every Thursday morning, meaning I could have my moules without having to drive to Melle market each week. Waiting in the square outside the salle des fêtes with my French neighbours was like a coffee morning (without the coffee) where there was always plenty to talk about, including recipes for the mussels we were all eagerly queuing up for. Adrian always cooks ours with a sautéed onion, garlic, thyme and a glass of rosé wine, but with talk of mussels cooked in a tomato sauce with garlic but no onions, or served with a white sauce and even raw with a vinaigrette, I’m on a mission to note down and try all their recipes. What they all had in common was that everyone was passionate about their recipe and no one served their mussels with chips, except us, but my excuse is that I have a permanently starving fifteen year old to feed. Sadly, the moules season has now finished and Madame Moules has said it is likely to be next June before she will be selling them again, which produced disappointed mutterings all round. However, we all agreed that seasonality is best. I’m sure I experience a heightened sense of enjoyment when the season begins and they taste better because I know I can’t eat them all year round. Despite the changing seasons I’m pleased to report that our village remains active and it seems our library is the place to be. In the last few weeks we have had a local author event where poems and songs were performed to entertain both young and old, a communal
workshop to make Christmas decorations that will brighten up the village for many years and by far the most unexpectedly popular event has been the monthly dictée (dictation) session. Our retired Parisian primary school teacher/librarian prepares a topical passage, her keen ‘pupils’ sit at desks with pen poised over paper and then she begins. Oh my! I knew it was going to be a challenge but trying to listen, understand what I’m listening to, pick out the individual words that have been unhelpfully joined together by that very French thing called liaison, write down what I’ve heard and spell it correctly with accents, all before she moved on to the next phrase was tough. My poor head hurt, but thanks to a fun atmosphere I don’t think I have laughed so much in a long time. I was commended for my bravery at turning up and joining in, I was helped to see and understand my mistakes (which although plentiful were not as many as I had expected) and there was cake to feed my brain afterwards. I can’t wait for the next one. Life in rural France might change once summer is over, but it doesn’t stop, you just have to do a bit more searching to find something to do. u u
www.frenchvillagediaries.com Email: frenchvillagediaries@gmail.com
The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015 | 33
Motoring
Cars on Film W
by Helen Tait-Wright
ith the recent release of the new Bond film, the Bond cars through the ages and other film and TV cars have been creeping into the news.
Without doubt the greatest Bond car ever was the Aston Martin DB5 which originally starred in ‘Goldfinger’, most recently made a reappearance in ‘Skyfall’ and is, I believe, also in Spectre. The car used in the film was the original DB5 prototype, with another standard car used for stunts. To promote the film, the two DB5s were showcased at the 1964 New York World’s Fair, and it was dubbed “the most famous car in the world”, and subsequently sales of the car rocketed. For me the Jaguar XKR of Bond’s nemesis in ‘Die Another Day’ will always have a place in my heart, as in a previous life I actually hired the film car for a day to promote a massive James Bond themed Charity Fashion Show which I was organising. With Christmas coming up, and lots of re-runs of good old films on the TV, I wondered what other cars are associated with the films that we love. Well, this is 2015 after all, so, the DeLorean DMC-12 from “Back to the Future” is sure to feature. As Doc Brown says, “The way I see it, if you’re gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?” ‘The Love Bug’’s Herbie goes with out saying - the film was partly inspired by and helped push along the Beetle craze in the 1960s. The little grey race car with a lot of personality has since gone on to star in 4 sequels and a TV movie, and is the world’s favourite VW Beetle. ‘The Italian Job’ (original version) is of course associated with the Mini Cooper, but let’s not forget the elegant 1967 Lamborghini Miura which meets a sticky end at the beginning of the film. Steve McQueen fans have a selection of iconic film cars to choose from; the 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390 from ‘Bullitt’ has defined cool for more than 40 years, but the 1970 Porsche 911S he drives at the start be of the film ‘Le Mans’ does it for me. The c car recently sold for $1.37 million.
Another personal favourite ‘Top Gun’ is primarily about aeroplanes, but who can forget Kelly McGillis’s beautiful 1957 Porsche 356 A Speedster? (or indeed the volleyball scene, but that is another article!) Austin Powers’ Union Jack 1970 E-type Jaguar (Shaguar) promoted all things British, while the all American classic road trip film ‘Thelma and Louise’ appropriately starred a 1966 Ford Thunderbird. Into the slightly more wacky genre, the Ectombile, or Ecto-1 was used in the 1984 comedy ‘Ghostbusters’. The paranormal exterminator service used a converted 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor ambulance to drive to places in New York that were overrun by evil spirits. And no talk of film cars would be complete without mention of the Batmobile, especially as the creator of the original car, George Barris, recently passed away. Back in my youth, on the small screen, ‘Miami Vice’ championed the iconic 80s pin up car, the Ferrari Testarossa, while my sister had a large poster of David Hasselhoff on her wall with his 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am from ‘Knight Rider’. The Trotters’ three-wheeled yellow Reliant Regal van from ‘Only Fools and Horses’ is instantly recognisable, and another personal favourite of mine is ‘Thunderbirds’ London agent Lady Penelope Creighton-Wards pink, amphibious Rolls-Royce, equipped with Bond-esque gadgets. Inspector Morse will forever be associated with the Jaguar MkII, and did you know you can hire the actual car for your event? Bizarre but true www.morsejaguar.co.uk. I am sure you can think of lots more to add to your own personal list over the Christmas holidays!
May I wish you all a Happy Christmas and safe motoring during the festive period.
u u
Helen Tait-Wright Email: helen@stodel.org
Photos: i.usatoday.net, flyingspares.com,13. mirror.couk, static2.stuff.co.nz, cdn.wp.driving. co.uk, 4.bp.blogspot.com cdn.collider.com
Talking of Porsches, I wonder who out there remembers the achingly cheesy 1981 film ‘Condorman’ starring Michael Crawford? I don’t blame you if you don’t, it was awful, but it started my love affair with Porsches as the villains in the film all drove black 911 Turbos.
34 | The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015
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Business & Finance Travel Insurance
A
4) The Cover from Your House Insurance by Isabelle Want
s we are coming up to the Christmas period (which means HOLIDAY!) here is all you need to know about travel insurance.
The change of law happened on 17th of August 2015. It is good news but it’s not all plain sailing as French tax still applies... so let’s have a look at the implication and solutions.
1) You are Retired and Covered via the S1
The UK government will NOT cover you outside Europe, but you are covered inside Europe via the European Health Insurance card. It is a free card that gives you access to healthcare during a temporary stay in any of the 28 EU countries plus Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, under the same conditions and at the same cost (free in some countries and not in others) as people insured in that country. Cards are issued by your National Health provider (Newcastle for UK) and you can apply for it online. It is NOT an alternative to travel insurance as it does not cover costs such as return flights, repatriation, stolen property and it does not guarantee free service as each countries’ healthcare system is different. What is free/covered in France might not be elsewhere. Bad news is: You are NOT covered outside Europe (see point 3 below for a solution).
2) You are Working in France and Covered by the French System The same will apply inside Europe but you have to ask for the European Health Insurance Card to the French healthcare system and not to the one of your native country.
Good news is: You are covered outside Europe (everywhere in the world) as long as it is emergency treatment and you will have to pay the cost up front and then get reimbursed once you are back in France. You will be reimbursed only up to the amount the French healthcare system would have paid if you were in France. This is why it is important to take out travel insurance if you travel to countries where the health system is expensive (USA, Japan, etc).
3) The Cover from Your Car Insurance
This will come as a surprise to you and this is why most French people don’t actually bother with travel insurance. You are automatically covered everywhere in the world for health issues and repatriation via the majority of French car insurances as long as you are a French resident. It should be written on your contract under ‘Garantie Assistance’. You don’t need to be with your car so you can take the plane to Turkey and if you break your leg belly dancing, your French car insurance pays for your repatriation and health expenses. Do note that the insurance will only pay up to a certain amount. For instance, Allianz pays up to 7,600€ on top of what the French health system will pay. Check your contract to see what is the exact cover you get. And remember, if you are retired and covered by the S1, it will be 7,600€ in total as you will get nothing from the UK health system if you are outside Europe. 7,600€ is enough in countries like India or Morocco but it is nowhere near enough if you go to the States! In any case the repatriation is covered.
You have private public liability with your house insurance. So if you break anything abroad while on holiday, it is covered by your house insurance, less the excess you have on your contract. In fact, it works everywhere, so if you visit a friend’s house and break their TV or something else, your house insurance will cover that.
5) Debit/Credit Card
With some Visa or Mastercard (especially Visa Premier), you get free travel insurance when you purchase your trip using this card. Check with your bank or go online on the website of your card to check.
Why Take out Travel Insurance?
For the reason I stated above and especially if you are a UK pensioner and going to a country with an expensive health system. We have two types of travel insurance. One for all year round called ‘Vacances Tranquile’ and one for a one-off trip. Vacance tranquile covers for: • All your belongings (up to 1400€ and max 700€ for cameras, telephones and computers) for theft and destruction • Your luggage against loss when a transport company is looking after them • Public liability for you and your family • Medical assistance and repatriation (as much as 30,000€ for medical) • Cancellation of rentals (hotels and self-catering) up to 1,000€ • Emergency dental treatment up to 150€ • Sea and mountain cover (recovery fees up to 8,000€) • Lots more options • There is an excess of 100€ for some of the claims Vacance tranquile only costs 97,25€ per year - so email me if you’d like to benefit from it’s cover. The one-off travel insurance is for trips to countries where 30,000€ cover for medical would not be enough. Such as the USA or Australia, etc. It covers trips of up to 3 months and the cost does not depend on age, but the country where you are going to and for how long. There is no health questionnaire - Why should someone with a health problem be deprived of a holiday? For example a travel insurance on a trip to the USA for 3 weeks would cost around 178€ for 2 people. This would cover medical up to 150,000€, repatriation and luggage up to 1,200€. IMPORTANT: You must phone the emergency number given to you when you subscribe before you engage in any medical cost. This is only a roundup of what I think you must look out for, but if you want any more information on the complicated world of travel insurance or if you want a free quote and a list of all the options available, don’t hesitate to contact me. And, we have a dedicated bilingual person to deal with claims. Don’t hesitate either to contact me for any other subjects such as inheritance law, tax, savings, funeral cover or quote on any insurances. And check out our website www.bh-assurances.fr for my previous articles on the ‘Practical Pages’ of the English site.
N° Orias 07004255
BH Assurances 22 rue Jean Jaures 16700 Ruffec Contact Isabelle Want: Tel: 05 45 31 01 61 Mob: 06 17 30 39 11
Email: isabelle.want@bh-assurances.fr ~ Visit our website: www.bh-assurances.fr 42 | The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015
Le Tour de Finance by Sue Cook Le Tour de Finance, Angers For those of you who could not attend our recent event at Angers I thought I would share some of the information given on the day. Many of us think about using a currency transfer company like Currencies Direct when they are buying or selling their house but not many consider how much they could save with regular transfers. If you have private pensions or need to transfer monies regularly for mortgage payments or school fees, this service provided by Currencies Direct could be exactly what you need.
Ask Amanda
“I read online that there have been several changes to Social charges on UK pensions and investment income for British expats living in France. Is this true?” This question is very pertinent at the moment as there have been changes, and there is a time limit on some of the possible reclamations. Therefore, prompt action is needed. Since 27th July 2015, it has been ruled by the French Government under ‘Le Conseil d’Etat no. 333551’ that if you are in receipt of a UK State Pension and an S1 Certificate, that the UK Government pays for your healthcare costs in France.
As the table below shows, over a 5 year period you could save nearly €3420 on your pension transfers, this extra money could be used to buy a new car, take a holiday or just help with day to day living costs.
If this is the case (and there are some exceptions) then the French Government cannot charge you any social charges on these incomes.
Regular payments example: How would you like to receive £684 more on your yearly pension transfer? A typical monthly pension in the UK is £800 But… how much do you actually get into your Euro account? This is our plan: no fees, bank-beating exchange rates and hassle free settlements with Direct Debit Typical saving comparing Currencies Direct to a high street bank:
1 year 2 years 3 years 4 years 5 years
Exchange Rate Saving Based on 4%
Transfer Fee Saving Based on £25 fee
Total Savings
£384 £768 £1,152 £1,536 £1,920
£300 £600 £900 £1,200 £1,500
£684 £1,368 £2,052 £2,736 £3,420
No one likes to waste money but few of us consider how much we are losing by not taking 5 minutes to register with Currencies Direct. Their process is extremely simple and can be done on line by logging on to www.currenciesdirect.com Once registered the monthly transfer can be set up by Direct Debit so your money will be transferred each month hassle free. So if you need any further information about this or would like us to organise a Tour de Finance event in your area give me a ring. u u
Sue Cook of Currencies Direct 05 55 03 66 69 or 06 89 99 28 89
They have also stated that you can reclaim any social charges paid on earnings in 2012 (2013 Avis d’Impot) and since this date. You will firstly need to check your 2013, 2014 and 2015 forms, detail any social charges paid and send a letter in French claiming this back from your local French tax office, referencing ‘Conseil d’Etat no. 333551’. I recommend you send this recorded delivery as timescales apply. The deadline for 2013 reclaims is 31st December 2015, so it’s a good idea to get these sent off as soon as possible and, as your application may be the first your local tax office has received, be prepared to have to follow up your letter with a personal visit. If you would like to discuss your personal situation please get in touch. Whether you want to register for our newsletter, attend one of our road shows, follow my blog or speak to me directly, please call or email me on the contacts below & I will be glad to help you. We do not charge for reviews, reports or recommendations we provide. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. With Care, You Prosper. Amsterdam, Luxembourg, Lausanne, Paris, Cote d’Azur, Barcelona, Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, Madrid, Mallorca, Rome. «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 Fin
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Amanda Johnson of The Spectrum IFA Group 05 49 98 97 46 or 06 73 27 25 43
The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015 | 43
Are Your Investments Suitable For You?
W
hen it comes to protecting your wealth, whether we are talking about tax planning, estate planning, investments or pensions, one key element is that the arrangements and strategies you use are designed around your specific personal circumstances and aims. Otherwise there may be unexpected consequences in future. A tailor-made strategic approach is key for the success of your investment portfolio. Everyone has different objectives, time horizon and attitude to risk, so it is essential your portfolio is created and managed to meet your particular requirements. Too many people have portfolios which are unsuitable for them. They carry a higher risk than they are comfortable with, though they may not realise this. They may not have adequate diversification, or own ‘unregulated collective investment schemes’ or illiquid assets. Or the investment choices may not be appropriate to meet their needs. People can also be too cautious, which can have consequences in your later years. Interest rates today are close to zero, and when you take the effects of inflation and withdrawals into account, the capital in a deposit account is likely to erode.
44 | The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015
by Bradley Warden, Blevins Franks
Some risk is unavoidable to achieve a return to outpace inflation. To avoid undue risk, obtain a clear and objective assessment of your appetite for risk, for example through psychometric analysis. You can then move on to look at allocation of assets between money market, fixed income (bonds), equities and ‘real assets’ to create the most appropriate investment portfolio to match your risk profile and objectives. The higher your concentration in a particular asset, the higher the risk. The tried and tested strategy to mitigate risk is diversification — a well spread portfolio of investments, in terms of asset classes, geographic region and market sectors, to limit your exposure to any single sector of the market. Asset allocation is acknowledged to be of far greater importance than the selection of individual stocks and shares. Take professional, regulated advice. You can also use multi-manager funds, which are managed by several different fund managers, each selected for their expertise in specific market sectors. Always remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Investors can be seduced by investment schemes which claim to offer high returns with little or no risk, but the bubble invariably bursts and they lose their money. To achieve the best real returns and protect wealth for future generations, use arrangements which shelter capital from tax, and facilitate the transfer of capital to beneficiaries with minimum of bureaucracy and inheritance taxes. These should be arrangements which are compliant in France.
Property
The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015 | 45
It’s That Wonderful Time of the Year... by Joanna Leggett
Sometimes, when you first walk into a house, you know exactly where you’re going to put your Christmas tree. Here, in DeuxSèvres, with some wonderful character houses for sale, it might be at the foot of that lovely staircase or perhaps in the salon or séjour, close to the woodburner, all ready to cosy round on Christmas morning waiting to see what Santa has brought! It’s a very important part of what makes a house a home. But if the house is set in, or close by, a small ancient town which has just been voted the prettiest in the Deux Sèvres – well it could become totally irresistible! Throw into the mix the annual Christmas market (as well as others during the year) and how better to set the scene for your annual festivities! With half timbered houses and a small but vibrant community, St Loup sur Thouet is part of the commune of St Loup Lamairé – small and medieval, character houses abound! Imagine walking around the streets here, with the scent of pine from Christmas trees and chestnuts roasting from streetside vendors – could anything be more seasonal? Close by a magical home awaits – with a total of six bedrooms and five bathrooms (Leggett reference: 40262) this beautiful country house is a wonderful home with substantial income potential, as part of the house is a five bedroomed gîte. Here, beautiful gardens surround the heated swimming pool (an appealing thought for next year’s sunshine!) and wonderful views. Our pick for the best place for the Christmas tree? Beside the beautiful fireplace in the beamed sitting room with views out over the local countryside. On the market for 240,750€. In the centre of St Loup, a half timbered 19th century former bakery (Ref: 46083) also awaits its new owner at a very reasonably priced 129,600€! Dating back to the early 1800’s, it currently has three bedrooms and two bathrooms – as you enter you’ll be struck by the wonderful spiral stone staircase (definitely put the tree here!) which leads to the upper two floors. There’s a central courtyard, the original bread oven and with potential and space to make this into a thriving bed and breakfast or business - and it’s right at the heart of all the activity this charming little town has to offer! St Loup has it all – a beautiful château, cafés and restaurants, pretty half timbered buildings, all set in lovely countryside – as well as the accolade of being home to Deux-Sèvres prettiest village! Surely Santa should pop one of these lovely properties into your Christmas stocking? Leggett Immobilier is one of the leading estate agents in France. You can access all our local property listings at www.frenchestateagents. com/poitou-charentes-property
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Leggett Immobilier www.frenchestateagents.com
46 | The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, December 2015
Have a wonderful Christmas & New Year, from The DSM x