Bulletin Board

The National Holidays, Religious and Feast Days

2021...

Fri 1 January Sun 4 April Mon 5 April Sat 1 May Sat 8 May Thu 13 May Sun 23 May Mon 24 May Wed 14 July Sun 15 August Mon 1 November Thu 11 November Sat 25 December New Year’s Day (Jour de l’an) Easter Sunday (Pâques) Easter Monday (Pâques) Labour Day (Fête du premier mai) VE 1945 (Fête du huitième mai) Ascension Day (Ascension) Whit Sunday (Pentecôte) Whit Monday (Lundi de Pentecôte) Bastille Day (Fête nationale) Assumption Day (Assomption) All Saints’ Day (Toussaint) Armistice Day (Armistice) Christmas Day (Noël)

source www.publicholidays.fr CHURCH NOTICES...

The Filling Station - Poitou-Charentes. Local Christians of all denominations who meet for spiritual renewal and evangelism. www.thefillingstationfrance.com or Carolyn Carter on 05 45 84 19 03. ALL SAINTS, VENDÉE - Puy de Serre. We hold two services each month (+ Sunday school), on the 2nd and 4th Sundays at the church of St. Marthe, Puy de Serre, at 11am. www.allsaintsvendee.fr

The English Speaking Church of the Valley of the Loire (ESCOVAL) meets at the R.C. Church in Arçay every 3rd Sunday of the month at 11.00am (just off the D759, Thouars to Loudun).

Eglise Vie Nouvelle

Bilingual (French / English) weekly service based in Civray See www.vie-nouvelle-civray.fr Contact 05 49 87 49 04 The Chaplaincy of Christ the Good Shepherd, Poitou-Charentes, normally holds Sunday services in English. Please see our website for current information: www.churchinfrance.com

LOCAL MARKETS

Mondays......... Benet 85490 La Châtaigneraie (last Monday in month) 85120 Lencloître (1st Monday in month) 86140 Tuesdays......... Lezay 79120 Civray 86400 Coulonges-sur-l’Autize 79160 Thouars 79100 - and - Bressuire 79300 Vasles 79340 Wednesdays.... Parthenay 79200 - and - Celles-sur-Belle 79370 Ruffec 16700 Thursdays........ Sauzé-Vaussais 79190 - and - Niort 79000 La Mothe St Héray 79800 Gençay 86160 Fridays............... Thouars 79100 - and - Melle 79500 Secondigny 79130 (pm)-and-St Aubin le Cloud (pm) Civray 86400 (small food market) Antigny 85120 (1st and 3rd Fridays - pm) La Mothe Saint-Héray 79800 (Place Clémenceau) Saturdays........ Bressuire 79300 - and - Champdeniers 79220 Chef-Boutonne 79110 Airvault 79600 - and - Niort 79000 Saint Maixent-l’École 79400 Fontenay-le-Comte 85200 Ruffec 16700 Magné 79460 and Moncoutant 79320 Sundays............ Coulon 79510 - and - Neuville-de-Poitou 86170 Thénezay 79390 Saint-Varent 79330 Saint-Loup-Lamairé 79600

07 68 35 45 18 info@thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr

Things are changing day-by-day as we go to print. The information here is as accurate as we can get it but PLEASE check events have not been cancelled or altered before you leave the house.

Lots of local events will take place during the weekend of the 18-19 to celebrate the European heritage days (Journées européennes du patrimoine). Check with your local Office de Tourisme to find out more.

03/09 FÊTE DES ROSIÈR LA MOTHE-SAINTHERAY 79800. 9pm Parade of floats from the Orangerie. 11pm Large fireworks, pyromelodic show, refreshment bar and fast food. Free.

03-05/09 HOT AIR BALLOONS SAINTEVERGE 79100. 25 hot-air balloons will take off from several points and fly over the city centre of Thouars and its surroundings.

04/09 APÉRO-CONCERT SAINT-MAIXENTL’ECOLE 79400. Buvette and catering on site. 9-11pm. 5€

04/09 150th ANNIVERSARY OF THE PLACE

DES HALLES NIORT 79400. Great festive evening with music and tastings 6-10pm.

“WHAT’S ON” DIARY

10/09 MARCHÉ DES PRODUCTEURS DE

PAYS MAULÉON 79700. Bring your cutlery, plates and glasses. From 6pm.

11/09 MARCHÉ DES PRODUCTEURS DE

PAYS LA MEILLERAIE-TILLAY 85700. Bring your cutlery, plates and glasses. From 4pm. Fireworks from 10pm. Free.

12/09 VIDE GRENIER VAL EN VIGNES 79150. 7am-7pm.

12/09 MOTOR PARTS FLEA MARKET CHEFBOUTONNE 79110. From 7am.

12/09 VIDE GRENIER SAINT-MAIXENTL’ECOLE 79400.

04/09 BOUGE TON BOCAGE FESTIVAL

CHANVERRIE 85130. The festival celebrates its 10th anniversary. Street arts and music in a festive and friendly village atmosphere. From 11am. 12/09 FÊTE DE LA POTERIE BRESSUIRE 79300. Workshops and demonstrations of the different activities practiced at the Poterie de Saint-Porchaire. Free.

17-19/09 FESTIVAL “FOOD TRUCKS N’ROLL”

CHAURAY 79180. Combining food trucks and the world of the arts. Food trucks offering world cuisine (Belgian, Creole, Japanese and Mexican) in an atmosphere of the 1950s-60s. Free.

18/09 MARCHÉ DES PRODUCTEURS DE PAYS LES CHATELIERS 79340. Bring your cutlery, plates and glasses. From 6pm.

18-19/09 JOURNÉES EUROPÉENNES DU

PATRIMOINE ALL OVER FRANCE.

25-26/09 FESTIVAL A NOS AMOURS SAINTMAIXENT-L’ECOLE 79400. Are you organizing your wedding or celebration? Come and meet the service providers in the sector who will showcase their know-how! Parades on Saturday and Sunday to discover dresses, costumes, flowers, makeup, hairstyles. 10.30am-6pm. Free.

25-26/09 MAQUETTE EXPO BRESSUIRE 79300. An amusement park in miniature by local model makers 10am-6pm. 7€.

If you are aware of any events coming up in October or November, please let us know so we can tell everyone else.

05/09 VIDE GRENIER AIGONDIGNE 79370. 8am-8pm.

05/09 FÊTE DU PAIN NIORT 79400. Annual festival includes dances of the 1900s, games and leisure of yesteryear. Refreshments and buffet on site. 10am7pm.

05/09 Fête du Village Pamplie 79220. Vide grenier, equestrian performance, visit to the laiterie, fur and feather tent, photo exhibition, food and drink, and more. Free stands available for any artist/craftspeople who would like to exhibit. For further details please contact 06 10 66 16 37 (English).

06/09 TOUR DE FRANCE OF VINTAGE

MOTORCYCLES CELLES-SUR-BELLE 79370. Selected as the stage city of the Tour de France of old motorcycles. The participants will spend the evening and the night of September 6 to 7 in our beautiful town. Free.

12/09 VIDE GRENIER

SAIVRES 79400.

16-20/09 FESTIVAL AH?

PARTHENAY 79200. A joyful celebration of downtown Parthenay with street shows, impromptu scenes and concerts.

th Chez Christie’s

DELICIOUS HOME-BAKING ~ TEA A ROOM & TER RRASSE ~ Scones, Cupcakes, Fruit Cake … Homemade Lemonade & Iced Tea ServingWarmWelcomessince2004! GREAT GIFTS & BEAUTIFUL CARDS Scarves, Tapestry, Candles, Mugs, Heat Packs, Jewellery, Bags, Tins, Books, Notepads, Pens, Puzzles, Socks, Cat. --and1 Face Masks 1€ …

TUES - FRI: 10am - 12 noon : 3pm - 7pm SAT: 10am - 12 noon : 3pm - 6pm

Latest details on Website & Facebook:

www.CHEZCHRISTIES.fr 05.49.50.61.94

GENÇAY (86) - behind the Mairie

Siret: 47876969800018

MR T’S FISH & CHIPS

Regular venues at:

• Aulnay de Saintonge 17470 • Beauvais Sur Matha 17490 • St Jean D’Angély 17400 • Sauzé-Vaussais Hope 79 79190 • Villejésus 16140 • Charroux 86250 • Private catering

Tel: 06 02 22 44 74

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

SIRET : 537 606 972 00025

FRYER TUCKS

Fish and Chips British Indian Curry Kebab - Burgers

Venues :

Saint Jouin de Marnes - outside the boulangerie - every Tuesday evening 17:30 - 20:00 Louin (Le Cafe de L’union) - 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month from 18:30 - 21:00 Bar Genneton - 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month from 18:30 - 21:00 Funny Farm Cat Rescue - Saint Germain de Longue Chaume - August 25th 12:00 - 14:30 (pre-order only) AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE FUNCTIONS Tel: 06 23 25 48 36

www.facebook.com/fryertucks1

SIRET : 850 442 203 00012

MARKEY’S PORK ‘N’ PIES

TRADITIONAL BRITISH COOKING

Sat: Fontenay-le-Comte (marché), Vendée and at Saint-Jean-d’Angély (marché intérieur), Charente-Maritime Sun: Aulnay (marché), Charente-Maritime Open mornings WE DELIVER THROUGHOUT FRANCE

Tel: 05 46 01 54 65 www.markeys-pies.com

SIRET : 484 920 285 00018

You can collect your DSM magazine from these venues. Why not advertise YOUR event here?

info@thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr

International Day of .....

Countries are particularly being asked to focus on travel and employment in all spheres, from air and rail transport to taxis and buses. Hotels need to focus on staffing, from cleaners and kitchen workers to front of house staff. Offshoots are bars and restaurants, boat hire, lifeguards - the list grows. It’s easy to see that tourism has become vitally important as a significant income generator for the economy of many countries, especially for the smaller islands which rely solely on the tourist trade.

Before the pandemic, tourism accounted for more than 10% of global GDP. As the world slowly starts to recover from the nightmare of the pandemic, the UNWTO estimates tourism has fallen by over 80% since 2019 and the outlook is currently uncertain with many countries still being closed to visitors. Small island states such as the Maldives, Fiji, the Bahamas and the Far East have been the hardest hit. Over 500 Spanish hotels were forced to close in 2020 and in France the self-catering sectors have been badly hit. Domestic tourism has softened the blow to some extent, along with government financial assistance but until vaccines are widely distributed and policy solutions implemented, the economic recovery will be slow. Some tourist dependent countries have developed new initiatives. For example, in Costa Rica national holidays have been moved to Mondays to extend weekends. Barbados has introduced a ‘Welcome Stamp’, which allows employees a one-year residency permit to live and work there. Fiji has a Blue Lanes initiative allowing yachts to berth in its marinas after strict quarantine and testing requirements have been met. Jamaica is allowing buyers in the hotel industry to directly purchase goods from local farmers. Thailand is shifting to niche markets such as adventure travel and health and wellness tours.

Climate Change is causing a shift towards ecotourism with the focus on conservation and local job creation by allowing nontourism sectors to be brought into the fold (such as local produce from agriculture, manufacturing and entertainment). ‘Home grown’ tourist businesses need to think about concessionary charges, special discounts and packages to get the footfall across the threshold. Shorter travel distances should result in a lower environmental impact so domestic tourism could benefit as people discover their regional and local area. Besides restaurants, pubs could continue to offer take-away meals as a means of keeping the local community together. It all comes under the ‘tourism’ banner to promote a more sustainable and resilient tourist economy whether local or global.

Happy World Tourism Day.

... World Tourism Day (27th September)

by Beryl Brennan

We’ve all been tourists and it’s an industry hit extremely hard during the last 18 months because of COVID-19. Tourism helps economic growth of a country or region, as well as employment and other offshoot businesses which rely on tourism. All the more reason to celebrate World Tourism Day.

The date was chosen because it comes at the end of the main tourist season in the northern hemisphere and the start of the tourist season in the southern hemisphere. A special assembly held in Mexico City on 27th September, 1970, adopted the Statutes of the World Tourism Organisation. From 1980 this date has been celebrated as World Tourism Day.

Tourism is travelling and exploration, learning about different areas, countries, cultures, history or lifestyles, whether we travel to a local museum or beach, or take a plane or train to another country. During the pandemic, we have largely been prohibited from doing any of these things. The news has been full of pictures of empty beaches in Spain, empty campsites in France and airlines around the world at risk of going bankrupt. Eurostar is another casualty as a combined result of Brexit and the pandemic. Confusion has reigned as the British Government changed the travel status like the British summer weather, leaving tourists stranded and risking high hotel fees for isolating. Owners of second homes abroad have been stuck in the UK whilst their furry friends have been stuck in kennels and catteries with escalating costs. The pandemic has brought home to us all how being tourists can affect our mental and physical wellbeing. In the 1997 session of World Tourism Day held in Istanbul, Turkey, the General Assembly decided to designate a host country each year to celebrate the diversity of its cuisine, history, language, music, flora and fauna. Previous host countries include Azerbaijan, Hungary and India.

Because the pandemic has had such a huge social and economic impact on all economies, including marginalised groups, World Tourism Day 2021 is focussing on “Tourism for Inclusive Growth”. Member and non-member states, agencies, businesses and individuals are being encouraged to open up again and look to the future.

Letter From BLighty

by Beryl Brennan

September 2021

What a rum summer! One minute it’s T-shirts and shorts, then long sleeves and trousers! Oh for the long hot summers of France! Not the only thing I miss about France either. Oh for the variety of fresh veg and fruit in French markets! Veg here are prepacked so I can’t buy in the quantity I want. Tomatoes – boring red or small cherry yellow – no large green, yellow, orange and dark red ones we’re used to. Farmers markets you say? Disappointing. And cheeses – the only place selling French cheeses is Morrisons and not much selection there! Niort market and La Flotte on Ile de Re are distant memories now! Councils here could learn a lot from the French about attracting stallholders back to town market places. It’d help tourism too.

I know you don’t much like sport but I hold my hand up – Roland Garros, Queens, Eastbourne and then Wimbledon – I admit I overdosed on tennis, brought back memories of visits past. The Olympics coverage wasn’t up to the usual standard, trust Sky and Discovery to buy up most of the rights to televise them, poor old Beeb didn’t have the money to compete. We have to pay for a TV licence now so I don’t see why I should have to pay extra to other channels.

Interested to read about the Tour de Poitou Charentes. Brought back memories of when we first moved over when we had the B&B. One weekend we had four English lads come to stay, with their bikes. They’d come by train and were going to follow the Tour when it went through La Chataignerie. So I asked what they wanted for breakfast, assuming things like bananas to give them strength, and what training they had done. They wanted full English breakfast and hadn’t done any training!

The application’s now gone off to the DVLA to register the Peugeot here. What a palaver! First the headlights had to be changed – because of Brexit the local garage had difficulty getting hold of the correct ones from France for the 2008. I’ll be really sorry to lose the French registration – makes it easy to spot our car in the car park – too many models look the same. Then we’ll have to pay for road tax. Another rip off! Wouldn’t be so bad if the money collected was used for road maintenance.

Must admit it’s hard to find anything to like about being back. Empty shelves in the shops now, partly due to Brexit and partly to a severe shortage of lorry drivers. Many of them Europeans who have gone back home. There’s also a shortage of lorry drivers and experienced staff to use the refuse and recycling equipment. It’s not even safe to walk dogs; recently a dog walker was attacked by 2 men with a van trying to grab his dog. He ended up with broken ribs after successfully fighting them off.

Even though ‘Freedom Day’ is long gone, we still avoid large groups and use our masks and gel. Visiting the coast is not on our calendar until schools are back – pictures of crowded beaches are enough to put us off. At least, being retired, we have the choice of when to go - suppose there’s got to be one advantage to being ‘old’!

A bientot.

Forum des Associations (Chef-Boutonne)

‘La Vie Associative’ is an important part of French life, offering all sorts of leisure and educational pursuits. Associations covers everything from sports, community organisations, education, cultural events to just small groups wanting to play Scrabble or cards once a week for example. An association is non profit making and can be started with only 2 people. From art to pottery, football to judo, dance to musique there is usually something for everyone. Once a year the local municipality organises a ‘Forum des Association’ at the beginning of September just after the schools go back. It is an opportunity for all the associations in the area to get together with a stand each, to explain and show what they do and to find new members. Usually there are demonstrations as well. Joining an association is a wonderful way for non French speakers to practice speaking French and find new friends in a convivial atmosphere. Your hobby, sport or interest gives you a common ground in which to start a conversation; so many times we are scared to speak in a different lanquage as we don’t know how to begin or what to say; so over a patchwork quilt, a ceramic pot, on the football field (or rather afterwards in the bar) or helping organise a cultural event, conversations are made and enjoyed. So look out for your local Forum des Association, go along, find out more, take a deep breath and join in.

Chef-Boutonne 4th September 14.30 to 18.00 Stade J. Courivaud info: Mairie de Chef-Boutonne 05.49.29.80.04 mairie@chef-boutonne.fr

England. Little Willie was far from an overnight success. It weighed 14 tons, got stuck in trenches and crawled over rough terrain at only two miles per hour.

September 10th, 1897

25-year-old London taxi driver George Smith becomes the first person ever arrested for drunk driving after crashing his cab into a building. Smith later pleaded guilty and was fined 25 shillings.

September 12th 1940

Near Montignac, France, a collection of prehistoric cave paintings is discovered by four teenagers who stumbled upon the ancient artwork after following their dog down a narrow entrance into a cavern. The 15,000 to 17,000 year old paintings, consisting mostly of animal representations, are among the finest examples of art from the Upper Palaeolithic period.

September 14th 1982

Princess Grace of Monaco—the American-born former film star Grace Kelly, dies at the age of 52 from injuries suffered after her car plunged off a mountain road near Monte Carlo. The previous day she had been driving with her youngest daughter Stephanie when she reportedly suffered a stroke and lost control of her car.

September 19th, 1957

The United States detonates a 1.7-kiloton nuclear weapon in an underground tunnel at the Nevada Test Site (NTS), a 1,375-square-mile research centre located 65 miles north of Las Vegas. The test, known as Rainier, was the first fully contained underground detonation.

September 20th 1946

The first annual Cannes Film Festival opens at the resort city on the French Riviera. The festival had intended to make its debut in September 1939, but the outbreak of World War II forced its cancellation.

September 21st 1792

In Revolutionary France, the Legislative Assembly votes to abolish the monarchy and establish the First Republic. The measure came one year after King Louis XVI reluctantly approved a new constitution that stripped him of much of his power.

September 23rd 1846

At the Berlin Observatory the German astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle discovers Neptune. The existence of the planet, the eighth from the sun, was postulated by the French astronomer Urbain-Jean-Joseph Le Verrier, who calculated it’s approximate location by studying gravity-induced disturbances in the motions of Uranus.

September 28th 1928

Having left a plate of staphylococcus bacteria uncovered, Alexander Fleming noticed that a mould that had fallen on the culture killing many of the bacteria. He identified the mould as penicillium notatum, similar to the kind found on bread. A year later Fleming introduced his mould by-product, called penicillin, to cure bacterial infections.

September

September 1st 1939

In the early morning hours of this day, Hitler invaded Poland, effectively starting World War II in Europe.

September 1st 1985

Seventy-three years after it sank to the North Atlantic ocean floor, a joint U.S.-French expedition locates the wreck of the RMS Titanic. The sunken liner was about 400 miles east of Newfoundland in the North Atlantic, some 13,000 feet below the surface.

September 2nd 1666

In the early hours, the Great Fire of London breaks out in the house of King Charles II’s baker on Pudding Lane. It soon spread to Thames Street, where warehouses filled with combustibles and a strong easterly wind transformed the blaze into an inferno. When the Great Fire was finally extinguished, 4 days later, more than 80% of London had been destroyed. Miraculously, only 16 people died.

September 3rd 1783

The American Revolution officially comes to an end when representatives of the United States, Great Britain, Spain and France sign the Treaty of Paris. The signing signified America’s status as a free nation as Britain formally recognized the independence of its 13 former American colonies.

September 6th 1915

A prototype tank nicknamed Little Willie rolls off the assembly line in

September 22, 1862

President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which ended slavery in the territories held by the Confederacy, effective January 1, 1863. In spite of the ruling, the Civil War would not end for another year and a half.