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73e Salon des Whether you’re connoisseurs, amateurs or beginners, the wine show and
Vins Terroirs et terroirs of Thouars is a unique journey of French wine and food, with its colours and flavours. It’s in a remarkable setting full of history, overlooking the 25 26 27 Mars 2022 exceptional valley of the Thouet in all its magnificence. True to its legendary Orangerie du Château THOUARS 79 tradition, the show owes its existence to the commitment of a team of volunteers, forming an association in 1901, supported by many public and 100 Viticulteurs private partners. The organisers are proud to display the wealth of talent and Gastronomie 2200 m2 couverts RESTAURATION SUR PLACE passion of all our producers. Entrée : 4 E Verre et bec verseur This year will see the 73rd edition taking place under the vaults of the Orangerie offerts at the Château of Thouars, with a total of 100 winemakers and some producers of terroirs participating. Suivez nos actualités en nous suivant sur THOUARS Tél. 05 49 68 14 22 Visit our website below for further information about this fantastic event
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Fax 05 49 66 51 04 www.ouvrard.com
running from 25th to 27th March, 2022.
Opening times are as follows:
Friday, 25 March : 2pm: Opening 3pm: Inauguration 8pm: Closing Saturday, 26 March : 9.30am: Opening 8pm: Closing Sunday, 27 March : 9.30am: Opening 4pm: Induction by the brotherhood of the can All day entertainments 6pm: Closing
FREE PARKING - Refreshments on site
L’abus d’alcool est dangereux pour la santé. A consommer avec modération Illustrations : Léonie Dorfman - Yves Roland - Goran Kuzmanovski - adobestock.com ÉPARGNE, CRÉDITS, ASSURANCE, www.creditmutuel.fr TÉLÉPHONIE MOBILE, ... 25 Bd Pierre Curie - 79101 Thouars GAGNEZ À COMPARER ! Mail : 3632200@creditmutuel.fr REJOINDRE UNE BANQUE QUI APPARTIENT À SES CLIENTS, ÇA CHANGE TOUT
Imprimé sur papier issu de forêts gérées durablement par :
Entry: 4€ Glass and spout offered
CHURCH NOTICES...
The Filling Station - Poitou-Charentes. Local Christians of all denominations who meet for spiritual renewal and evangelism. www.thefillingstationfrance.com or Carolyn on 05 45 84 19 03. The English Speaking Church of the Valley of the Loire (ESCOVAL) meets at the R.C. Church in Arçay every 3rd Sunday of the month at 11am (just off the D759, Thouars to Loudun). 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
Eglise Vie Nouvelle Bilingual (French / English) weekly service based in Civray See www.vie-nouvelle-civray.com 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 Christian Fellowship - Chef Boutonne Meeting each Sunday at 15h 30 Visit www.chef-boutonne.net or telephone 05 49 29 81 34
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
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. WHAT’S ON DIARY
01-12/02 EXHIBITIONS LE BEL ÂGE CHICHE 79350. Children's literature speaks to us with humour, tenderness or nostalgia for the beautiful age. They tell us about our elders and the links between generations. Free. 11/02 OPÉRA : LES INDES GALANTES MELLE 79500. Version of Rameau's first opera-ballet 8pm 12-15€
12/02 CONCERT BELLEVUE STREET GENCAY 86160. 9pm Free.
01-12/02 LES PETITES AFFAIRES DE MARIE-LOUISE MAULEON 79700. Left her grandmothers heirlooms, the artist tells us about everyday life seen through the eyes of the old lady. Free. 12-13/02 LA TERRE DES DINOSAURES THOUARS 79100. A travelling dinosaur exhibition with reproductions, workshops and film. 10-6pm.
02/02 WINTER OLYMPICS Beijing. Curling starts (ahead of main games). 24/02 LA LÉGENDE DU NOMBRIL POUGNE-HERISSON 79130. Storytelling in the gardens. 4-7pm. Free.
02/02 FREE ACTIVITIES Champdeniers 79160. Come and share activities with your children, in a family and friendly space in the Centre Socio Culturel de Champdeniers. 3-6pm Free.
03-06/02 FESTIVAL - LES GIVRÉS MELLE 79500. Program to be confirmed, price to come. An offbeat program, lively artists, a marquee, shows for punks aged 7 to 99. Every evening 8.30pm.
04/02 WINTER OLYMPICS Beijing. Official start of the Winter Olympics.
05/02 CONCERT RHYTHM'N WIND CERIZAY 79140. Join the Djembe Ensemble for rhythmic notes. 6.30pm Free. 25/02 FAMILY VIDEO GAMES L'ABSIE 79240. Come and discover video game classics. Register and compete in the Mario Kart tournament on Switch. 2-6pm Free.
26/02 CONCERT BELLEVUE STREET GENCAY 86160. Jazz concert 9pm Free.
26/02 CONCERT DIFFERENT REALITY CIVRAY 86400. Jazz, with a hint of Moorish sounds and a pinch of gypsy culture.
27/02 CONCOURS À L'HIPPODROME CHATILLON-SUR-THOUET 79200. Driving competition on the racecourse. See a magnificent show of drivers and harnessed horses. Free
05-06/02 EXHIBITION: PLAYMO PARTH PARTHENAY 79200. A large exhibition with the sale of figurines from private collections. Raffles and refreshments 10-5pm. 2€ children under 12 free.
If you know of any events coming up in March or beyond, please let us know so we can tell everyone else.
2022 Tax Calendar
07 APRIL
The online platform to make the déclaration des revenues (income declaration) for 2021 earnings opens. Deadlines for completions differ depending, amongst other things, on where you live.
19 MAY
The deadline for declaring your 2021 revenue if you are declaring by post.
07 JUNE
The deadline for declaring your 2021 revenue online if you live in départements 50 to 101.
22 AUGUST
Property owners in France will receive notice (online) of their taxe foncière bill. If you receive this notification by post, that will arrive some time after August 31st onwards.
13 OCTOBER
Deadline for paying the taxe foncière if you pay online.
19 OCTOBER
Deadline for paying the taxe foncière if you DO NOT pay online.
21 NOVEMBER
Deadline for paying the taxe d’habitation if you pay online.
This information has been collated from several sources and is, as far as we can tell, accurate BUT you should, of course, check any information that may relate to your tax affairs with an appropriate professional.
15 NOVEMBER
Deadline for paying the taxe d’habitation if you DO NOT pay online.
The National Holidays, Religious and Feast Days
2022... Sat 1 January New Year’s Day (Jour de l’an)
Sun 17 April Easter Sunday (Pâques)
Mon 18 April Easter Monday (Pâques)
Sun 1 May Labour Day (Fête du premier mai)
Sun 8 May VE 1945 (Fête du huitième mai)
Thu 26 May Ascension Day (Ascension)
Sun 5 June Whit Sunday (Pentecôte)
Mon 6 June Whit Monday (Lundi de Pentecôte)
Thu 14 July Bastille Day (Fête nationale)
Mon 15 Aug Assumption day (Assomption)
Tue 1 November All Saints’ Day (Toussaint)
Fri 11 November Armistice Day (Armistice)
Sun 25 December Christmas Day (Noël)
source www.publicholidays.fr
th Christie’s
GREAT GIFTS GALORE
Scarves, Puzzles, Tapestry, Jewellery, Heat Packs, Insulated Bottles, Mugs, Bamboo Socks, Candles, Fudge, Books, Notepads, Pens and so much more!
DELICIOUS HOME-BAKING
Rich Fruit Cake, Scones, Cupcakes, Brownies, Cookies, Muffins …
1000’s of BEAUTIFUL CARDS
High Quality ~ --andRichOccasions & Seasonal
ServingWarmWelcomesSince2004!
TUES - FRI: 10am - 12 noon : 3pm - 7pm SAT: 10am - 12 noon : 3pm - 6pm
WWW.CHEZCHRISTIES.FR 05.49.50.61.94 New Facebook Page: ‘ Chez Christie’s Gençay ’
GENÇAY (86) - behind the Mairie S ire t: 478 76 96 98 00 0 18
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
FOR SALE
Part time garden maintenance business for sale in the Coulonges sur L'Autize, Deux Sevres area. More potential for the right person if required. Established over fifteen years. Genuine enquiries only. No daydreamers or time wasters please. Enquiries stating full name and address to
sneemaralyn@aol.com
FRYER TUCKS
Fish and Chips British Indian Curry Kebab - Burgers
Venues :
Saint Jouin de Marnes - outside the boulangerie - reverting to lunchtime for the winter period, so 12:00 midday - 14:30 every Tuesday 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
darren@fryertucks.fr
AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE FUNCTIONS Tel: 06 23 25 48 36
www.facebook.com/fryertucks1
SIRET : 850 442 203 00012
MR T’S FISH & CHIPS
Regular venues at:
• Aulnay de Saintonge 17470 • Beauvais Sur Matha 17490 • St Jean D’Angély 17400 • Sauzé-Vaussais Hope 79 79190 • La Chaumière, La Chapelle 16140 • Charroux 86250 • Private catering
Tel: 06 02 22 44 74
mrt.fishandchips@gmail.com www.frying4u2nite.com
SIRET : 537 606 972 00025
Le Café Civray
Please Note our reduced Winter Hours Introducing "Takeaway Tuesdays" from 10am-2pm Takeaway service only Open Thursdays/Fridays regular service 9am-4pm, last meal orders 1:45pm 24 rue du commerce 86400 Civray www.lecafecivray.com Find all events on our Facebook page! @LeCafeCivray
05.49.87.68.97
SIRET 820 301 299
International Day of .....
Safer Internet Day (8th February)
by Beryl Brennan
Decades ago, when my children were teenagers, I didn’t have to worry about faceless, anonymous people attacking them on ‘social media’, destroying their self-confidence, playing mind games with them. My son was bullied at upper school because he was short and dumpy; a ‘game’ was played on him which resulted in him breaking his arm. We knew the culprits, visited the headmaster, and the bullies were dealt with. Nowadays because so many children have mobile phones – partly so they can contact parents in an emergency – it’s difficult to track what is worrying them, possibly affecting their behaviour. It concerns me for my grandchildren.
Safer Internet Day started in 2004 as part of the EU-funded SafeBorders project as a first ‘safer internet action plan’. The network of Safer Internet Centres, Insafe, then took it up and now Safer Internet Day is celebrated in around 200 countries and reaches millions of people worldwide. This year Safer Internet Day will be celebrated on 8th February with the theme ‘All fun and games? Exploring respect and relationships online’. Personally, I think it’s a lost cause before it starts, with the likes of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tik Tok – faceless global social media mega companies who don’t police themselves. I recently complained to Facebook about harassment, abuse and libel against a friend of mine by several people – result – a standard reply and no action taken. The content was libellous and, if printed in a newspaper, could have resulted in legal action.
The issues Safer Internet Day 2022 is highlighting are online child sexual abuse, cyber bullying, gaming, pornography, sexting, trolling, identity theft. Add to that pages on the World Wide Web about suicide, radicalisation ... it’s frightening. In the current climate, there is a total lack of respect towards individuals in all walks of life. It’s easy to get away with it on social media – groups gang up against others with meanness, bullying and swearing. Individuals suffer racist abuse, gender abuse and misogyny and with the lack of action taken by the likes of Facebook, it’s easy for this negative behaviour to impact on an individual’s safety and wellbeing.
So what are the proposals for action this year? The emphasis is on young people creating a safer internet themselves whilst gaming, interacting with their friends, streaming, empowering young people to be at the heart of creating a better internet, reporting to their family if they have concerns about people contacting them. The challenge is to ‘foster respectful communities and supportive relationships’ using learning materials, tips and resources available for all ages. However, when their peers don’t practice this, what hope is there for the younger generations to take notice?
Equifax, a global data company which supports Safer Internet Day, carried out a survey in 2018 which showed 80% of UK parents don’t know their kids’ social media activity, what they share on their smartphones, tablets and computers. Do youngsters protect their passwords, do they publish too much personal information, what is happening in their ‘chat rooms? Posts deleted from a social media account may stay online indefinitely especially if, as with images, they have been shared with other people. One in five parents now confiscate smartphones and tablets at bedtime to limit how much time children spend online.
Are more people becoming aware of Safer Internet Day? In 2021 about half of children aged 8-17 years and a quarter of parents and carers had heard about it. Among those who were aware, most children said they felt more confident about actions they could take if they are worried about anything online and over half had spoken to a parent or friend as a result.
Safer Internet Day in France is composed of Internet Sans Crainte, Net Ecoute and Point de Contact who work together on a daily basis in the support and digital protection of young people. Multiple lockdowns and restrictions over the last two years as a result of the pandemic have increased the use of social media as families and friends have been unable to physcally socially interact. So the Safer Internet France consortium are working with families, teachers, educators and professionals to help young people adapt to how they use their online activity and provide concrete solutions to the problems created by this situation.
Education, for both children AND adults, is the key. Ensuring that those who use the internet know how to do so safely. They need to understand the risks of posting too much personal information on social media platforms, the implications of not showing respect towards others in what they post. Parents and others with responsibilities for children's welfare need to know how children use the internet and how to monitor what they do while online. Emphasis has to be put on ensuring young people know that if they have concerns about anything online, they should talk to a peer such as a parent or teacher.
Everyone has a role to play in creating and maintaining a better online world. Find out more at ...
www.saferinternetday.org
Equifax have a very comprehensive page on their website about protecting oneself online ...
www.equifax.co.uk/resources/identity-protection/index. html
View from the Vendée
by Karen Taylor
February 2022
It’s a bit like taking part in a Zumba session after the Christmas break – no pain, no gain as they say… Not that I actually did sign up for a Zumba class I hasten to add (I prefer more gentle movement to music), but we did tackle the (at times painful) challenge of travelling to England over the Christmas period, for the much anticipated gain! I use the term England loosely as our daughter has recently moved to Wales, so we had the added excitement of checking COVID restrictions in both countries before leaving French soil. Planning a hop over the Channel over the Christmas period was not dissimilar to organising a military operation, but if you manage to coordinate the dates of your visit to the vet (we have 2 dogs so need an appointment within 5 days of travel), with your COVID test before leaving France as well as your Day 2 test when you arrive in the UK, plus your cross-Channel ferry of course, all should be plain sailing (excuse the pun!). BUT, despite careful planning, we did have a slight hiccup. We’d booked our arrival test in the conveniently located drive-through car park at Reading FC ground for the Saturday afternoon of our arrival, and yes, you guessed it, said football team had a rearranged match on that very same day, so our test appointment was cancelled at the last minute! Ah well, back to the drawing board… • For all you married women out there, when you leave France, make sure that you have some ID with both your maiden & your married name (eg your Titre de Séjour), as your passport & COVID certificate may not correspond (mine didn’t!) • If your pet has a French passport, you DO NOT need to visit a vet in the UK for an animal health certificate for your return to France (we did, and it was expensive!) • When you leave the UK (if you’re resident in France), make sure that they don’t stamp your British passport which indicates the start of your short-stay visa to the EU (we were stamped out by mistake, so had to be stamped back in again to avoid a fine!) A few lessons learnt, that’s for sure! And finally, the authorities were so busy checking passports, test certificates & QR codes that they never asked us about how much alcohol we were carrying, whether we had any banned food or even if we were importing goods into the EU! (We weren’t, by the way!) Bon voyage à tous!
On the plus side, when we eventually boarded the ferry in Calais, we virtually had the boat to ourselves. Other than the ubiquitous freight drivers (who headed straight to the truckers’ restaurant) there was only a handful of other intrepid travellers in the lounge area, so if you like a quiet crossing, this is the time to book your ticket! And of course the tests, organisation/reorganisation & paperwork were all worthwhile to be able to visit family & friends in the UK over the festive period. Our return journey also threw us a few curve balls (such as a sudden change in entry requirements for Brits travelling to France), but by now we were ready to rise to the challenge. I’ll leave you with a few hints & tips for your next journey across the Channel:
Chinese year of the Water Tiger
by Catherine Bailey
February 1 launches the Lunar New Year with the second new moon after the winter solstice—and heralds the Chinese year of Water Tiger. It ushers in a time of intense emotions and big decisions. That’s because the Chinese zodiac sign of Tiger is known for its power, daring, and penchant for doing everything on a grand scale. In Chinese culture, the Tiger is considered the "King of all Beasts" and is a symbol of strength, tenacity and boldness As well as the twelve animals in the Chinese Zodiac, there are Five Elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) which are associated with their own "life force" or "chi". This energy blends with the corresponding animal to determine that year's fortune and in 2022, the corresponding element is WATER. The Year of the Water Tiger is also referred as the Year of the Black Tiger, as water’s corresponding colour is Black. The water element is associated with a running current, a river or a waterfall for example, not a static body of water. By its very nature, it denotes fluidity and flexibility. Out of all of the Chinese zodiac elements, water has the greatest connection to emotions, is related to sensitivity, creativity and being impressionable and is also an extremely powerful natural force. It is regarded as the strongest element—even stronger than fire—because it can go around any obstacle in its path and not lose its essential nature. A Water Tiger Year combines an energetic and enterprising tiger with a flowing current that will push forward, offering a good time to learn new things but also to revise so you can progress. Between the vitality of the Tiger and the momentum of water, it will give a much-needed nudge to propel you into a year of great accomplishments and innovation. So, what does this mean for the coming year? This will be a very dynamic year, so try to take opportunities as they present themselves; there will be many but may come together in clusters. The daring and confident nature of the Tiger will push you forward, just keep it from turning that impulsiveness into chaos - keep that impetuous nature in check. There could be unpredictability and uncertainty ahead. This is the time to be bold and tackle new projects, learn new things, a new job or career, keep progressing and working towards a better future, you will definitely have the wind on your back during the Year of the Water Tiger! Take advantage of this time as the next water tiger year won’t be for another 60 years.
February
February 2nd 1887
Groundhog Day, featuring a rodent meteorologist, is celebrated for the first time at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. According to tradition, if a groundhog comes out of its hole on this day and sees its shadow, it gets scared and runs back into its burrow, predicting six more weeks of winter weather; no shadow means an early spring.
February 3rd 1953
Rising American rock stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson are killed when their chartered Beechcraft Bonanza plane crashes in Iowa a few minutes after take-off on a flight headed for Moorhead, Minnesota. Investigators blamed the crash on bad weather and pilot error. of Notre-Dame de Nevers, where she spent her remaining years in prayer and seclusion. She died of ill health at the age of 35. Today, millions travel to Lourdes every year to visit St. Bernadette’s grotto, whose waters, many believe, have curative powers.
February 12th 1912
Hsian-T’ung, the last emperor of China, is forced to abdicate following Sun Yat-sen’s republican revolution, ending 267 years of Manchu rule in China and 2,000 years of imperial rule. The former emperor, only six years old, was allowed to keep up his residence in Beijing’s Forbidden City, and he took the name of Henry Pu Yi.
February 15th 1903
Toy shop owner and inventor Morris Michtom places two stuffed bears in his shop window, advertising them as Teddy bears. He had earlier petitioned President Theodore Roosevelt for permission to use his nickname, Teddy. The president agreed and, before long, other toy manufacturers began turning out copies of Michtom’s stuffed bears, which soon became a national childhood institution.
February 18th 1930
Pluto, once believed to be the ninth planet, is discovered at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, by astronomer Clyde W. Tombaugh. It’s existence was first proposed by Percival Lowell, who theorized that wobbles in the orbits of Uranus and Neptune were caused by the gravitational pull of an unknown planetary body. Lowell calculated the approximate location of the assumed ninth planet but searched for more than a decade without success. In August 2006, however, the International Astronomical Union announced that Pluto would no longer be considered a planet, due to new rules that said planets must “clear the neighbourhood around its orbit.” Since Pluto’s oblong orbit overlaps that of Neptune, it was disqualified.
February 20th 1472
The Scottish parliament agree to the annexation of the islands of Orkney and Shetlands. Previously held under Norwegian and Danish control, the isands were offered up as security in 1468 for the dowry of Princess Margaret, the prospective wife of James III of Scotland and daughter of King Christian of Norway and Denmark. The wedding was part of a political arrangement and, as such, both the isles of Orkney and the Shetlands were to be held by the Scottish crown as a pledge, redeemable when the impoverished Scandinavian King made the dowry payment of 50,000 Rhenish Florins. No money was ever received.
February 6th 1958
A British European Airways flight crashes just after take-off from the Munich Airport. Twenty-three people died in the crash, including eight players from the Manchester United soccer team, which had just qualified for the semi-finals of the European Cup.
February 11th 1858
Marie-Bernarde Soubirous, a 14-year-old French peasant girl, first claims to have seen the Virgin Mary in a grotto of a rock promontory near Lourdes. Marie explained that the Virgin Mary asked that a chapel be built on the site of the vision and told the girl to drink from a fountain in the grotto which Marie subsequently discovered by digging into the earth. After years of mistreatment at the hands of the authorities and public, she was finally allowed to enter the convent
