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THE DEUX-SÈVRES MONTHLY
Welcome! to Issue 24 of
‘The DeuxSèvres Monthly’ magazine.
We have another packed issue for you this February, with many new advertisers and some interesting articles to keep you informed. I hope you enjoy it. It may be a little chilly outside, but it’s important to keep occupied through the winter months. There’s only so much TV that one can watch, so this may be the perfect time to resurrect a hobby of old. Take a look at our Hobbies, Clubs & Associations information on page 6 and perhaps you can get involved and meet some new people at the same time. Enjoy yourselves and stay warm!
à plus, Sarah.
Email: info@thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr or Tel: 05 49 70 26 21.
Annual Subscription. If you would like to receive a copy of ‘The Deux-‐Sèvres Monthly’ magazine by post each month, please complete this form and send to La Bartière, 79130 Secondigny. Please enclose a cheque to cover postage for the year. 28€ within France, 18€ to addresses in UK. (Unfortunately the cheaper ‘printed papers’ rate cannot be applied to addresses within France, only when sending abroad) Full Name: Postal Address: Postcode:
Country:
Tel: Email: Please make cheques payable to SARAH BERRY.
Emergency Numbers: 15 SAMU, Medical 17 Gendarmes, Police 18 Pompiers, Fire
112 European emergency 113 Drugs and alcohol
© Sarah Berry 2013. 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, 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 et morgeufile.com. Impression: Raynaud Imprimeurs, zone industrielle, BP13, 79160, Coulonges-‐ sur-‐l’Autize. Dépôt légal: fevrier 2013 -‐ Tirage: 4 500 exemplaires. Siret: 515 249 738 00011 ISSN: 2115-‐4848
CONTENTS
What’s On.......................................................................................................4 Hobbies, Clubs & Associations.......................................................................6 Getting Out & About......................................................................................7 Take a Break..................................................................................................14 Health, Beauty & Fitness..............................................................................16 Our Furry Friends..........................................................................................17 The Great Outdoors......................................................................................20 French Life, Food & Drink.............................................................................22 French Adventures.......................................................................................26 Motoring.......................................................................................................27 Communications...........................................................................................29 Building & Renovation..................................................................................30 Business, Finance & Property.......................................................................36
THIS MONTH’S ADVERTISERS
A La Bonne Vie (Restaurant)...................................................................... Ace Pneus (Tyre Supplier & Fitter)............................................................ Affordable UK Designs (Kitchens & UPVC D/Glazing)............................... AKE Petits Travaux (Builder)...................................................................... Alan Pearce (Plumbing & Heating)............................................................ Andrew Longman (Plumber)..................................................................... An English Nursery in France (Garden Centre)......................................... Arbrecadabra.com (Tree surgery)............................................................. Blevins Franks Financial Management Ltd................................................ British Mobile Mechanic (John Purchase)................................................. Burg European Removals (Dog Food supplies)......................................... Cafe Cour du Miracle................................................................................. Café des Belles Fleurs................................................................................ Caniclôture (Hidden fencing)..................................................................... Chris Bassett Construction........................................................................ Christies (English Book Shop and Tea Room)............................................ Consultus Care & Nursing Ltd................................................................... Cottage Services (Garden Maintenance).................................................. Currencies Direct (Money Transfers)........................................................ Cut 46 (Hair Salon)..................................................................................... Dave Bowring (Electrician)........................................................................ Delux Canine Hotel.................................................................................... D J Maintenance (Handyman)................................................................... David Watkins (Chimney Sweep).............................................................. deVere Group (Financial Advisors)............................................................ Electricien Anglais en France..................................................................... Energie-‐79.................................................................................................. Fresco Interiors (Interior Design).............................................................. George Rayner Computers........................................................................ Glynn Chubb (Carpenter / Joiner)............................................................. Hair by Janet.............................................................................................. Hallmark Electronique (Electricians & Sat. Engineers).............................. Hatton Building.......................................................................................... Heather’s Pet Care Services....................................................................... Home Installation (Shaun Grice)............................................................... Insink Plumbing......................................................................................... James Harris (Plasterer)............................................................................. John Etherington (Home and Garden)...................................................... John Snee (Groundworks & Septic Tanks)................................................. John Spray Maçonnerie (Stonemason)..................................................... Julie’s Cleaning Services............................................................................ La Deuxieme Chance (Annie Sloan chalk paint supplier).......................... La Joie de Vivre.......................................................................................... Leggett Immobilier.................................................................................... Le Relais Délice (Restaurant)..................................................................... Leahrno’s Siberians (Dog Food supplier)................................................... Man & Van................................................................................................. Mark Sabestini Renovation & Construction.............................................. MB Plumbing & Building Services............................................................. Michael Glover (Plasterer, Renderer & Tiler)............................................ Michael Hobson (Painter & Decorator)..................................................... ML Computers........................................................................................... Mutuelle de Poitiers Assurances............................................................... Nathan Foster Building Services................................................................ Needa Hand Services................................................................................. Pamela Irving (Massage & Reflexology).................................................... Pascale Matéo (French Lessons)............................................................... Pascale Terry French Tuition...................................................................... Pause! Cafe l’Absie..................................................................................... Philip Irving (Mini Digger hire).................................................................. Poitou Property Services........................................................................... Polar Express (Frozen Foods)..................................................................... R&A Services............................................................................................. RDK Roofing & Building Services............................................................... Restaurant des Canards............................................................................. Rob Berry (Plasterer)................................................................................. Robert Walker Plomberie (Plumbing, Heating, Air con)........................... Ross Hendry (Interface Consulting & Engineering)................................... Satellite TV (Nigel Gubb)........................................................................... sarl Down to Earth (Groundwork & Construction)................................... Siddalls (Financial Advisors)...................................................................... Simon The Tiler.......................................................................................... Spectrum IFA Group (Amanda Johnson)................................................... Steve Enderby............................................................................................ Sue Burgess (French Courses & Translation)............................................ Taylor Electricté......................................................................................... The English Mechanic & Son -‐ Tony Eyre................................................... Top Hat Quizzes......................................................................................... Total Renovation Services (Michael Dominey)......................................... Tracey Bowring (Hairdressing & Nails)...................................................... Traducteurs Assermentés sarl (Sworn Translators)................................... Trisha Mobile Hairdresser.......................................................................... Val Assist (Translation Services)................................................................ VMP & Steve Reid (Windows & Doors).................................................... Vendee Pools.............................................................................................
22 27 2 33 34 35 21 21 36 27 17 24 22 18 33 7 2 21 36 16 31 18 32 33 37 30 35 31 30 32 16 31 33 18 32 35 32 21 34 32 36 31 7 38 24 17 27 33 35 32 31 30 28 33 32 17 11 11 25 34 38 25 32 33 25 2 35 29 30 34 37 35 37 31 10 31 27 7 34 16 11 16 10 2 40
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What’s On... February 2013 1st February -‐ Quiz and Curry Night At Café des Belles Fleurs, Fenioux. See advert on P.22 for details. 4th February -‐ Top Hat Quiz & Curry at Limalonges See www.tophatquizzes.com or advert on P.7 for more information. 7th February -‐ Top Hat Quiz & Curry at Chef Boutonne See www.tophatquizzes.com or advert on P.7 for more information. 7th February -‐ Quiz & Fish and Chips At Bar La Cabane de Vouhé, Vouhé. 6.30pm-‐8pm. 13th February -‐ Top Hat Quiz & Curry at Aigre See www.tophatquizzes.com or advert on P.7 for more information. 14th February -‐ Trader’s Day At Pause! Café L’Absie, 2pm-‐5pm. See advert on P.25 for information. 14th February -‐ 4L Trophy Race leaves Poitiers Student Rally Challenge in aid of Moroccan schools, sets off from Poitiers. Further information can be found in the article on P.28 14th February -‐ Valentine’s Evening Menu At A La Bonne Vie Restaurant, Le Beugnon. Please see advert on P.22. 14th February -‐ Valentine’s Night with Live Music At Café des Belles Fleurs, Fenioux. See advert on P.22 for more details. 14th February -‐ Top Hat Quiz & Curry at Champniers See www.tophatquizzes.com or advert on P.7 for more information. 14th February -‐ Valentine’s meal with Live Jazz At Restaurant des Canards, Chef Boutonne. Please see advert on P. 25 for further information. 26th February -‐ Free Financial Surgery with Amanda At ‘Open Door’, Civray. Please find more information in the ‘Ask Amanda’ section on P.37 27th February -‐ PC Course. ‘Organise Your Data’ A PC course covering how to organise your data will be held at Pause! Café, L’Absie. For more information, or to book, please email: rs.hendry@gmail.com. 27th February -‐ Meeting about Seasonal Work in the area At Maison de l’Emploi, Parthenay, 2pm-‐5pm. See information on P.7
What’s Coming Up... 12th March -‐ Keeping Safe from FIRE Presentation held at the Parthenay Fire Station, starting at 3pm. Please find more information on P.5
Monthly services at the English speaking Church in Deux-‐Sèvres Jassay The Chaplaincy of Christ the Good Shepherd, Poitou-‐Charentes, has a Home Group Service at Jassay commencing at 11.00am on every 2nd Sunday in the month. It is held at the home of Ann White, a warm welcome awaits everyone for a time of worship and fellowship. Chef Boutonne The Chaplaincy of Christ the Good Shepherd, Poitou-‐Charentes, also holds services on the 1st Sunday of each month at 10.30am during the winter in the Little Stone Church at Chef Boutonne. After each service, tea or coffee is served and an opportunity to meet other people in the area. Parthenay The Chaplaincy of Christ the Good Shepherd, Poitou-‐Charentes, also holds services on the 4th Sunday of each month at 10.30am in the Presbytery Rooms, rue de la Citadelle, Parthenay, opposite St Croix Church. After each service, tea or coffee is served and everyone is invited to a 'bring and share' lunch. For further informafon about locafon of churches and about what else is happening near you, please take a look at our website www.church-‐in-‐france.com or contact us at office.goodshepherd@orange.fr Monthly services in the English speaking Anglican Church in the Vendée: Puy de Serre All Saints, Vendée holds 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. Other services are held in the west of the Vendée, in La Chapelle Achard and La Chapelle Palluau. For details of these, please check the website: www.allsaintsvendee.fr A VERY WARM WELCOME awaits you at ESCOVAL (The English Speaking Church of the Valley of the Loire). Communion Services are held on the 3rd Sunday of each month at La Chapelle de la Bonne Dame de Ranton at 11.30am followed by a Bring and Share lunch. Full details of how to find us may be found on our website at: www.escoval.org or please telephone us at: 05 49 66 79 14. Our GPS address is 46˚59'25.30 N 0˚02'06.22 W.
Contact ‘The Deux-‐Sèvres Monthly’ La Bartière, 79130, Secondigny. Telephone: 05 49 70 26 21 or email: info@thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr or see our website: www.thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr
Local Markets • • Tuesdays: • • • Wednesdays: • Thursdays: • • Fridays: • • Saturdays: • • • • Sundays: • • •
Benet (dept.85) Lencloitre (1st Monday in month)(dept.86) Lezay Coulonges-sur-l’Autize Thouars Parthenay Sauzé Vaussais Niort Thouars Melle Chef Boutonne Airvault Niort Coulon St. Maixent l’École Fontenay le Comte Neuville (dept.86)
The National Holidays, Religious and Feast Days 2013
Photo: Lisa Roberts
Mondays:
Monday 1st April.............. Wednesday 1st May.......... Wednesday 8th May......... Thursday 9th May............. Sunday 19th May.............. Monday 20th May............. Sunday 14th July............... Thursday 15th August....... Friday 1st November......... Monday 11th November... Wednesday 25th December.
Easter Monday (Lundi de Pâques) Labour Day (Fête du travail) Victory in Europe Day (Fête de la Victoire) Ascension Day (Ascension) Pentacost (Pentecôte) Pentacost (Lundi de Pentecôte) Nafonal Day (Fête Na;onale de France) Assumpfon of Mary (Assomp;on) All Saint’s Day (Toussaint) Armisfce Day (Armistace 1918) Christmas Day (Noël)
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Paperback Jan Books in English
1st Feb: Bar de la Paix, Thouars. 12.00 -‐ 2pm 1st Feb: Le Tipsy Bar, Coulonges-‐sur-‐l’Autize. 4 -‐ 6pm 3rd Feb: Café des Belles Fleurs, Fenioux . 2 -‐ 4pm 7th Feb: Bar le Palais, St Aubin le Cloud. 2 -‐ 5pm 7th Feb: Bar La Cabane de Vouhé, Vouhé. 6.30 -‐ 8pm* 8th Feb: Jan’s home, La Ferrière-‐en-‐Parthenay. 11am -‐ 4pm 9th Feb: Cafe Le Chauray, St Maixent l’Ecole. 10.00am -‐ 1pm 14th Feb: Pause! Cafe, L’Absie. 2-‐ 5pm 22nd Feb: Le P’tit Bar Boucard, Ménigoute. 4pm -‐ 6pm 28th Feb: La Joie de Vivre, Moncoutant. 2pm -‐ 5pm *+ Quiz & Fish and Chips
For more info contact Jan on: 06 08 30 73 29 or email: paperbackjan@gmail.com
Mr T’s Friterie Plat à Emporter Traditionnel Britannique
With regular venues at:
• • • •
Open 6.30
-8.30pm
* Aulnay (Open from 6pm) • Matha Beauvoir Sur Niort • St Hilaire de Villefranche Gourville • St Jean d’Angély Loulay See www.frying2nite.com for details or call 06 02 22 44 74 * Please note Winter opening hours
Reel Fish & Chips Traditional English style Fish & Chips
We have no Fish and Chips venues this month. Instead we will be delivering ‘The DSM’ to the following places for collection at any time during the month. *Bar Tabac PMU, Bouille-‐Loretz *Shopi -‐ Argenton Les Vallees. *Bar 'au bon accueil', St Martin de Sanzay *Bar Tabac -‐ Genneton
Tel: 06 04 14 23 94, or visit: www.reelfishandchips.net
La Vendee Chippy Traditional Fish & Chips in France! Now Under New Management. Venues resuming Wednesday 6th March at St Vincent Sterlanges & Friday 8th March at Thouarsais Bouildroux. For more info please see their website:
www.lavendeechippy.com
O
pen 6-8pm Fish 4 Chip Fish, Chips & mushy peas! Reopens Monday 25th Feb! Mondays: Bar Tilleuls, Champniers (near Civray) Tuesdays: Sauzé-Vaussais (Main square & can be eaten in local bar) Wednesdays: Chef Boutonne (near Chateau) Thursdays: Sauzé-Vaussais (Main square & can be eaten in local bar) Fridays: Mansle (Car park of Simply Supermarket)
Tel: 06 37 53 56 20, or visit: www.mobilefishandchipsfrance.com
Association Amities Etambe et Tembe A Friendship Association forging links between Brion pres Thouet (in Deux Sevres) and Kwa-Mazambane (a village in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) to develop mutual understanding, cultural exchange and the promotion of each country with the other. The 2013 AGM is being held in the Mairie at Brion pres Thouet at 7pm on Friday the 8th February. (on Route D938 between Thouars and Saumur). All those interested are welcome to attend. For more information contact the President: Stephen Bourne Tel : 05 49 67 75 84
Cancer Support in Deux-Sèvres Cancer support aims to improve the lives Of people affected by cancer. Don’t worry alone, pick up the phone. For Further information contact: June Searchfield: Tel: 05 49 64 59 96 or email: junesearchfield@gmail.com We are here for you and your Family
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THE DEUX-SÈVRES MONTHLY
Hobbies, Clubs & Associations... LA CHAPELLE GAUDIN CRAFT GROUP
We are a small group of ladies who are keen to meet other like minded people to form a craft circle. All crafts are welcome -‐ needlecraft, paper craft -‐ anything goes! If you are interested, please contact HELEN AURELIUS HADDOCK: helen.aurelius@gmail.com or join us on FACEBOOK Association Meridien Green We are an Anglo-‐French group which was founded in 2001 for mutual understanding of each other's language and culture. We meet twice weekly in the Salle des Associations in St Coutant, 79120. The best way to find out more is to visit our website -‐ www.meridiengreen.asso.fr or contact Maureen Dalby: 05 49 29 94 50. The name of our group comes from the fact that St Coutant is on the Greenwich Meridian!
Alone in France? We are a group of people living alone in the L'Absie area who meet regularly for coffee and lunches. We meet on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 11am for coffee at the Pause cafe in L'Absie. Our lunches are at different venues each month. There's a warm welcome if you'd like to join us. More details from Frank 05 49 69 80 47.
Franglais Thouars The Thouars ‘Franglais’ group meets every Wednesday from 19.30h to 21.00h, in the Association’s centre at 7 rue Anne Desrays, Thouars, for conversation in English and French. We welcome those of all nationalities who would like to participate. Either come along to see us one evening, or contact us at: Mobile: 06 52 21 92 34 ~ Email: jcbed@orange.fr Secondigny Running Club... Put the bounce back in your step. Join our friendly and supportive running group. All abilities welcome. Email Kelly for more details: kellyencezelle@hotmail.co.uk
Book Club Thouars. Do you enjoy reading a cracking good story? And talking to others about it? Do you live in north 79, south 49 or north 86? Come along to our new book club..... Contact Alison Morton at info@bookclubthouars.fr for more details.
Open Door Lending Library Over 7000 fiction and non-fiction books and DVDs Open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 10h00 to midday at 18 rue Pierre Pestureau, Civray (86400) Individual membership 6€, family membership 10€ www.opendoor-civray.com
Book Group....meeting 2nd Thursday of the
month from 3pm at Christies Tea Room & Bookshop, Gençay, 86160. Take a look at the Book Group page on the website: www.chezchristies.com for more information. The Filling Station ~ Poitou-Charentes and Vendée The Filling Station is a network of local Christians of all denominations who meet together regularly for spiritual renewal & evangelism purposes. ALL WELCOME. Please see our website for details of spring programmes www.the?illingstation.org.uk or locally contact 05 45 29 58 91 or email jackie.james46@yahoo.com.
2nd Sunday Motorcycle Club www.2ndsundayclub.fr If you would like to attend our coffee mornings please contact us via the website........New members always welcome!
The Harmonics Singing Group. Based in the Salle Le Tallud Boules en bois are offering sessions every Wednesday from 16h to 18h from April through to September 2013 at the parc de Loisirs, Le Tallud. Everyone is welcome to come and play or learn the game of boules en bois. We have all the equipment, just turn up for half an hour or more for a bit of exercise and socialising. Details from Rosemary Williamson rw.williamson@orange.fr Beginnersʼ Dance lessons: Rock ʻnʼ Roll: Fridays at 8pm. Cha Cha Cha & Waltz: Mondays at 7pm Salle Leo Lagrange in Parthenay. For details of other classes and social events contact: parthenay.rocknrolldance@gmail.com or call Chris on: 05 49 94 20 23 Through the Lens Group Local photography group who meets on the last Monday in each month to chat about all things photography! New members welcome. For further information contact: Ian Gawn: 02 51 00 84 52 or Brian Preece: 05 49 72 09 94
I speak English and 4 other European languages (all self taught) and I am looking for somebody to speak face to face and by telephone to practice my English. I live in Chauray, 79180 Please contact me by email: wladimir.zandt@orange.fr. or by telephone: 06 47 33 74 34. International journalist, Consultant for unemployed seniors and professional speaker.
d'Annexe behind the mairie in Civray. We meet each Wednesday from 2.00pm to 4.00pm. No experience necessary just a willingness and commitment to learn. We sing all sorts of music and in several languages, whatever the music dictates. We are a small and friendly group who would love to meet you. Contact: Dolly Ait Boualou: 05 45 22 89 32 or sylvia.murray@wanadoo.fr or Margaret Gomersall on 05 49 48 09 02 or margaretgomersall@sfr.fr
Les Amis Solitaires We are a group of people living alone in France. We meet up for coffee mornings from 11am. 1st Tuesday: The Gallery, Civray (coinciding with market day). Every 2nd & 4th Thursday, The Lemon Tree, Sauzé Vaussais. Every 3rd Thursday, Le Bistrot Centrale in Ruffec. More details from Gwen Shepherd 05 49 87 91 79 or email gwanshep@gmail.com A R E Y O U A M O D E L R A I L W A Y ENTHUSIAST? If so, join a group of like-minded modellers who meet on a monthly basis to visit members' layouts and swap information. We are based on the Deux-Sevres/Vendee border but also have members in the Vienne and Charente. If you are interested please contact Gerry Riley for more information on 05 49 63 34 01. Rubber Bridge:would any of you bridge players out there in the Deux-Sèvres, be interested in making up an occasional 4? Email David Rowe: djfrowe@hotmail.com or' phone 05 49 63 26 57.
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Getting Out & About...
Frankton Trail.
We reported in our November 2012 issue that Eric Edwards and Craig Moore were to walk the escape route of Maj HASLER RM & Mne SPARKS of "Cockleshell Heroes" fame to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the raid on German ships in Bordeaux Harbour in 1942 and to raise funds for The Poppy Appeal. The walk of 160kms was completed successfully on the actual dates of 12-‐18th December from Blaye in Aquitaine to Ruffec in the Charente. Eric Edwards, the Chairman of the Linazay Poitou-‐Charentes Royal British Legion, writes: “Craig and I had been planning this event for 18 months and the execution of the walk pleased us in many ways. First and most importantly was the large amount of money our sponsors raised for the Poppy Appeal and for this we thank everyone who contributed, in excess of £2,200 (2,700€) has been raised to date. Secondly, we augmented the profile of the daring of this raid and also the outstanding bravery of those French civilians who assisted not only HASLER & SPARKS but countless other Allied Servicemen escaping through occupied France during WWII. Thirdly, we enjoyed meeting many people along the way associated with the communities through which the route passes and being introduced to the relatives of some of the French patriots who were taken and never seen again as a direct result of their intervention in helping our two escapees. We derived a great deal of personal satisfaction at having achieved our goals for such good causes.”
For a full list of our advertising rates, please phone 05 49 70 26 21 for an advertising pack or download from our website: www.thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr
The web site www.frankton-‐trail.com remains active for another 12 months where full details of the walk along with updated day-‐by-‐day photo-‐journal, press cuttings and credits pages can be found. If you would like to make a donation to the Poppy Appeal in support of this event, methods of payment are given on the welcome page of the web site.
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Clear Your Clutter For Charity ‘A Great Big Bring & Buy Sale’
La Ferriére-‐en-‐Parthenay 12th May 2013
Anyone involved with a charity, in whatever capacity, will know only too well the one constant consideration is how to raise more funds. A jumble sale here, a raffle there, sponsorship for bike rides or sitting in a bath of cold baked beans, it’s all been done before – so – how about something a bit different, like one big event involving lots of charities all together, in the same place at the same time? Clear Your Clutter for Charity is just that, this is the plan... Although basically a huge jumble sale, each registered charity will set up their own stall selling whatever jumble they want to, then the general public arrive having cleared their clutter, and brought it with them to donate to a charity of their choosing. Having divested themselves of their clutter, (and feeling very pleased with themselves) they then have a good look around and buy someone else’s. Thus supporting the recycling system, helping charities to benefit and hopefully have a fun day out into the bargain. There will be entertainment, simple playground games egg & spoon race, 3 legged race, sack and wheelbarrow races, anything that is good for a laugh and costs little to set up, a tug of war would be good if someone can supply a long enough rope, who knows if it carries on raining like it has been there may even be mud wrestling!! Businesses wanting to sponsor the games will be most welcome, as will suggestions and ideas to enhance the experience. There will be refreshments, fish & chips and a bar along with familiar stalls from previous events. The plan is still a work in progress, but if you would like your charity to be a part of this event please contact me, Jan Smith on paperbackjan@gmail.com. You can book your place early to avoid disappointment or just contribute your ideas and suggestions.
W INNER!
I would like to say a big thank to for all ‘The Deux-‐Sèvres Monthly’ magazine readers who voted for my picture of the Barn Owl to win Reader's Favourite Cover Photograph 2012.
I moved to the Deux-‐Sèvres region one and a half years ago, after spending 4 years living in Crete, Greece. Photography has been a passion of mine for over twenty five years starting with an old Zenith 35mm film camera given to me by my uncle. Everyone said I had a natural flair for it after winning a couple of local Cornish photo competitions. I took my first wedding at the early age of 15 for my Aunt. I continued taking photos throughout my military career where I learnt to process photos in a dark room and had the opportunity to take pictures in all kinds of circumstances. Now we are in the
presents ‘CALENDAR GIRLS’ by Tim Firth at Secondigny & La Châtaigneraie 2013. After holding auditions for our next production -‐ Calendar Girls -‐ the Director Tony Murdoch told me that “following the extremely successful auditions, I am delighted to report that we now have a very strong cast of 14 actors. We also have a most enthusiastic and inspirational back-‐stage crew, who are fired up and ready to get going with this wonderful play”. We are well on the road towards completing our planning for the Calendar of the Reaction Theatre 'CALENDAR GIRLS' and have received sponsorship of 3,250€ towards its cost and are hopefully more than halfway there. Several sponsors have already pledged amounts, one of these larger sponsors being BLEVINS FRANKS of Niort. If we cover the full cost of all calendar printing, the full calendar proceeds will go to Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research. The plan is to have the calendar printed and ready for sale before the night of the first performance of the play at Secondigny. The Art Scene As Tony mentioned, stage-‐work is now underway with Sue Daniels our Stage Design Director using members of Reactions ‘Art Scene’ to help make the dozens of sunflowers needed for the production. ‘Art Scene’ members have also created a number of poster designs for the production and Tony will be asked to choose the one he wants for the publicity. During January the art group were shown how to use oil paints by one of our members (Marlene Broadhead) and in February I will be demonstrating pastels and giving members the opportunity to try them for themselves. For our less experienced members we are doing more instruction in the art of pencil drawing. For any further information, please contact John Blair by email: johnblair@btopenworld.com
digital age, this is a lot easier as you can see what you have taken immediately. If you do not like it, just delete. The only disadvantage and I know we all do it, is taking too many pictures which we have to trawl through to get the best ones. I am always looking for new and different projects including weddings, real estate, web pictures, pet, family, babies & birth portraits. If you wish to see more of my work I have selected a few examples for your perusal via the address below, any positive feedback or queries can be made on my Facebook page. www.facebook.com/JonCrockerPhotography
Above: Jon Crocker, Winner of the Reader’s Favourite Cover Photograph 2012, with prize.
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THE DEUX-SÈVRES MONTHLY
“It is expecting too much of anybody to be able to speak French and fly by night” Another Second World War Lysander operation in DeuxSèvres by Tony Barrett. In my article in the November 2011 edition of ‘The Deux-‐Sèvres Monthly’ magazine I related the story of Robin Hooper’s ill fated Lysander landing during ‘Operation Scenery’ on the night of the 16/17th November 1943 and subsequent pick-‐up a month later in Operation Scenery II. The previous year 1942, another 161 Squadron operation had taken place in the north of Deux-‐Sèvres. Guy Lockhart first joined the RAF in October 1935. He was granted a short service commission as Acting Pilot Officer and sent to No 2 Flying School at Digby the following month. In October 1936 he was posted to 65 Squadron and in March 1937, to 87 Squadron at Tangmere flying the Hawker Fury. In July 1937 the squadron was moved to Debden and re-‐equipped with Gloster Gladiators. In May 1938 Lockhart was involved in a low-‐flying incident at Stoke-‐ on-‐Trent Municipal Airport at the Empire Air Day Flying Display that resulted in a court martial. He resigned his commission in August and became a flying instructor with the West Suffolk Aero Club. In 1939 Lockhart re-‐enlisted with the RAFVR as a Sergeant Pilot and after ITU, joined 7 (later 57) OTU flying Miles Master trainers and Spitfires. In June 1941 he was posted to 602 Squadron flying Spitfires. Later the same month he was transferred to 74 Squadron and on 7 July 1941, was shot down over France in Spitfire W3317. He evaded capture and returned to the UK in October 1941. The following month he was posted to 138 Squadron as a Pilot Officer (on probation) and in February 1942, transferred to the new 161 Special Duties Squadron, flying the Westland Lysander.
Heavy cloud cover prevented pin-‐pointing his position as they crossed the French coast and Lockhart flew on instruments until he reached the river Loire at about 23:30 hrs. He then turned east to Saumur before turning south for his target. On receiving the correct signal from the ground and responding, he landed in the ‘Roi de Coeur’ field north-‐west of St Leger de Montbrillais near Tourtenay, Deux-‐Sèvres at 23:45 hrs. He landed close to the landing lights and applied full brakes but the aircraft still ran on and fell into two troughs of ploughed ground. On turning the aircraft, he sank up to the wheel spats and despite applying full power was unable to extricate himself. He sent ‘Remy’ to get help and the reception party pulled the aircraft around until Lockhart was able to taxi to firmer ground. Two passengers (The future Minister Christian Pineau alias ‘Garnier’ and Francois Faure alias ‘Paco’) climbed on board and Lockhart took off again after seventeen minutes on the ground. Precautions had been taken by Dr. Daniel Bouchet by keeping the roads between Thouars and Tourtenay guarded by armed men to ensure the operation was not compromised by the arrival of the Germans. Visibility was still very restricted by clouds and it wasn't until shortly before the English coast that it cleared enough to make a safe landing at Tangmere, touching down at 01:45 hrs.
Below: Drawn by one of the agents (Joe’s) in 1943, it translates roughly as ‘To avoid a rugby scrum, separate arrivals and departures.
161 (Special Duties) Squadron was a highly secretive unit of the Royal Air Force tasked with missions of the Special Operations Executive during the Second World War. Their primary role was to drop and collect secret agents and equipment into and from Nazi-‐ occupied Europe. Guy Lockhart prepared his Lysander V9367 (MA-‐ B) for takeoff from R.A.F Tangmere at 21:25 hrs for ‘Operation Baccarat ll’ his passenger for the outward leg of the journey was Gilbert Renault-‐Roulier, code name ‘Remy’, one of de Gaule’s best intelligence officers. In fact the landing zone had been chosen by ‘Remy’ himself and named ‘Roi de Coeur’ at St Leger de Montbrillais near to Tourtenay in the department of Deux-‐Sèvres. For the pilots all the male agents were known as ‘Joe’s and ‘Janes’ for the female agents as a security measure.
Above: Lysander Mk.lll (SD) MA-B. V9367 flown by Guy Lockhart on the 26/3/42 *Wing Commander Hodges was quoted as having said: “It is expecting too much of anyone to be able to talk French and fly by night.
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THE DEUX-SÈVRES MONTHLY
French Fickle Adjectives
by Sue Burgess
There are a number of French adjectives which have different meanings depending on where they are placed. Generally speaking, when the adjective is in front of the noun, it has a figurative or subjective meaning, whereas the adjective which follows the noun has a literal or objective meaning.
Tricky Fickle Adjectives Quiz Match each English expression with its correct French translation and watch out for the answers next month. Remember: before = figurative! 1. A tall man
A un grand homme B un homme grand
«Un maigre repas» is a skimpy, meager meal but «un garçon maigre» is a skinny boy. «Un modeste repas» is a small, simple meal but «un homme modeste» is a modest, humble man. «Un méchant cigare» , something from a cartoon strip perhaps, is a great big cigar, whereas «un homme méchant» is a mean or cruel man. «Le même jour» is the same day but «le jour même» means the very day.
2. A disgusrng place
A un sale endroit B un endroit sale
3. The lonely man
A le seul homme B l'homme seul
4. The poor (penniless) boy
A le pauvre garçon B le garçon pauvre
Several adjectives concerned with time change their meanings in a similar way. Take «la semaine prochaine» which means next week. «Je pars en vacances la semaine prochaine» (I'm going on holidays next week), but «la prochaine semaine» means the next week in a series, the following week. «La semaine dernière je travaillais» (last week I was working) but «la dernière semaine de décembre j'étais en vacances» (I was on holiday during the last week of December). This is «le premier problème» the first problem, so there will probably be others. But «le problème premier» is the fundamental, basic problem.
5. The poor (pirful) boy
A le pauvre garçon B le garçon pauvre
6. The blasted / damned object
A l'objet sacré B le sacré objet
7. The sacred object
A l'objet sacré B le sacré objet
8. The fundamental quesron
A la première quesron B la quesron première
Is my house old? «une maison ancienne»? or is it the house where I lived before «mon ancienne maison» (my former house). And whichever it is, is it clean? «une maison propre» or is it my own house «ma propre maison»? «Une sale ville» is a nasty town but «une ville sale» is just a dirty town. «Vilains mots» are bad words but «un garçon vilain» is an ugly or naughty child. The list goes on, but instead of me boring you with more examples, why don't you have a go at the Tricky Fickle Adjectives Quiz? (see opposite).
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THE DEUX-SÈVRES MONTHLY
The Pommeraie Players Christmas came a little early this year for 55 families in need in the Sauzé-‐Vaussais area. Having made a profit on their first production, the Pommeraie Players theatre group, based at the Salle de Fetes at La Pommeraie, had 500€ to donate to charity.
A Festive Christmas for children in Niort Hospital.
Having discussed various options, it was decided to investigate the Resto du Coeur in Sauzé-‐Vaussais, as local charities were few and far between. We discovered that the families would arrive at the Maison de Solidarite to collect provisions for healthy meals for one day each week. As Christmas is a time for children, the president, Mme Marie-‐Claire MONTENY and Mme La Croix, with whom we had been liaising, suggested that we could buy a christmas log for each family and some sweets and chocolates for the children; there were some strange looks in Super U as a trolley load of sweets and chocolates were scanned at the till! The charity was delighted with the gift, as since their inception, no-‐one had ever done such a thing. The Pommeraie Players were delighted as they had found a worthy home for their surplus money, and reporters from ‘La Nouvelle Republique’ and ‘Le Courrier du l’Ouest’ were there to record the event for the local papers. The Pommeraie Players will be performing their next production, "All at sea with Ramiro and Juillet", at the salle de fetes in La Pommeraie on the 15th and 16th of March 2013 at 8.00pm. Doors open at 7.00pm with a bar before the production and during the interval. Tickets are 7€ and can be bought on the door, or from committee members.(see website: www.pommeriaeplayers.com) Come along and have a great time. Rehearsals take place on Wednesdays at 7.30pm; anyone interested in joining as a performer, musician or backstage, should come and see us on rehearsal nights.
Above: The bikers of the Second Sunday Motorcycle Club handed over cheques to the Paediatric service of the Niort Hospital for the children’s Christmas.
On the 20th December, English accents resounded in the paediatric service of Niort hospital. They were from the Second Sunday Club members who have come to donate 300€ and games for the hospital children. These British motorcycle addicts set up their association in this region three years ago and are frequently gathering to ride. One of them, Adrienne Lecoeur, explained: “At Easter and Christmas, we usually have a sharing auction for needy children. We have mobilized our network, in particular for tombola, and we are very pleased today to be able to donate the hospital these small gifts”. The educative and medical teams were also pleased. The conditions were met for the children to spend the best possible Christmas Eve. The previous day, a children’s story show presented by artist Thierry Beneteau and his partner, had filled the young and their family with wonder, offering a few hours’ break from hospital life. On the 24th December, Santa Clause in person paid a visit to the children on the ward. We can only imagine their excitement!
The Second Sunday Motorcycle Club can be contacted via their website: www.2ndsundayclub.fr
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THE DEUX-SÈVRES MONTHLY
Fire Safety in the Home
by John Hoyland.
Hello to you all again, John Hoyland here. Having bashed your brains on Fire Safety I thought I would give you some information regarding the Fire Service here in France. I am sure many of you have some grasp as to who, what & where the Centre Secours is. You may know a Sapeur-‐ Pompier personally. So how are they organised? As in the UK they are directly controlled by the Ministère de l’Interieur (now Ministry of the Environment in UK). Day to day running & budget controls filter down to Conseil d Administration. In Deux-‐Sèvres the SDIS79 as it’s known (Service Departmental Incedie Secours) is controlled at Chauray, on the outskirts of Niort. This has administration, training school, stores & control room. The Chief Officer is Colonel Patrick Marand. The operational sections are divided into 2 groups, North at Parthenay, South at Niort. Each group has a command & training structure with responsibilities for overseeing the number of stations in their area. The department has 6 companies who support the outlying stations with specialist equipment & vehicles at incidents. This is a major logistical part of the Activities at Chauray, (ie. servicing, replacements, new equipment etc.) For instance there are over 100 resuscitation units carried, all of which require testing & replacing from time to time. If you compare it to the UK it’s like the NHS trusts & Fire Service combined! In a survey carried out by the EU, 98% of the French were very happy with the service, UK 96% . This compares with Police at 60% & the legal profession at just 45%. There is an excellent support network throughout the service, this ranges from Amicles, Retired Association & the Young Cadet scheme, all of which have departmental & national recognition. For example, when the pompiers come around at the end of the year with their calendars, ALL monies collected go into the central fund for service members & their family’s support, this being the equivalent to the UKs Fire Fighters Charity. In 2010 the then president Nicholas Sarkozy opened the New National Fire College at Aix en Provence. This college, similar to the long established UK one at Moreten in Marsh Gos, covers Officer training, teaching & all other aspects of the job. This college is now part of a European network, all working together. You can be sure that in France, in particular the Deux –Sèvres, the staff who serve are experienced & well informed.
News from the Pays de Gâtine! by Julia Salvat In ‘The Deux-‐Sèvres Monthly’ January edition there were three mentions of the Pays de Gâtine’s website (www.gatine.org), it therefore seems appropriate to describe in a little more detail what the site offers for English visitors. In my initial working contract it very clearly stated that 'The Pays' wanted to put together a document to help guide newcomers to the area, hence the title ‘Guide for Newcomers’. Back in 2003/2004 many people who had just moved over to France came into the office with a whole range of questions. I made a note of them all to help me produce written responses for the website. I also asked Town Halls and French public offices to contribute ideas and so the guide expanded. As it says on the first page “the guide has been put together to help you navigate your way through local bureaucracy and obtain the answers to your questions ....”. The guide doesn't try to give you all the answers (personal circumstances means the answers will be many and varied) but rather to point you in the right direction so you can speak to the people who know and hopefully can make your life a little easier. The subjects covered are varied and include French Social Assistants, Public Libraries, Building & Renovation, Employment, Taxes, Setting up a Business or Tourist Accommodation and Schooling. Each section has been specifically written for the guide, often by the French offices concerned and then translated into English. Informing newcomers to the area that the website and guide existed led to the printing of post cards which have been put in as many public places as possible. We are now busy updating the guide (any suggestions welcomed). It's a long process and we're hoping it looks a little jazzier and proves to be easier to use (thanks to my French colleague Jérôme).
Julia SALVAT, Pays de Gâtine. Tel: 05 49 64 25 49 ~ Email: julia.salvat@gatine.org Website: www.gatine.org
Next month I will go into things a bit more including Evacuation planning for homes etc. If you have any problems, please contact me via this magazine.
This is equal to 85% volunteers
This is equal to 28% volunteers
For a full list of our advertising rates, please phone 05 49 70 26 21 for an advertising pack or download from our website: www.thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr
Contact ‘The Deux-‐Sèvres Monthly’ La Bartière, 79130, Secondigny. Telephone: 05 49 70 26 21 or email: info@thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr
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THE DEUX-SÈVRES MONTHLY More from local writer Alison Morton... Please see back issues of ‘The DSM’ if you would like to see previous articles.
Selling your book - the paper version
One of the areas where boundaries between traditional, DIY and assisted self-‐publishing are dissolving is that of marketing and selling books. Unless you are already a famous author, a star chef or ‘off the telly’, traditional companies are unlikely to spare the budget for more than a six week publicity push. If you are represented by an agent, a good one will support opportunities for you, but the majority of authors have to muck in and market their own books. Some publishers run joint blogs to which all their authors contribute; but many don’t have the resources or time. If you self-‐publish, you are definitely the one who does the work! Traditionally published books are sold into bookshops as part of the publishing deal. Nothing sells books like physical shelf presence. And your book could be in hundreds of outlets. But even the bigger shops can only stock 100,000 titles and 200,000 are published annually. If new arrivals don’t sell well within a few weeks, they are sent back to the publisher who may wholesale them out to remainderers, or pulp them. Self publishers with a professional, well-‐written book may have better luck with independent retailers, and not just bookshops. If your book has a historical or local theme, shops attached to visitor attractions here may be happy to sell it; Anglophone visitors may just make that impulse buy! Similarly, a shop, bar or café popular with local British residents is another outlet. If you have strong links with your former home town, try an independent bookshop, garden centre or National Trust shop nearby. Keep an information sheet with you at all times with the following details: book title, author name, a one-‐liner with the crux of the book’s plot, a paragraph expanding that (maximum 10 lines), mentioning the chief character and their dilemma, a second paragraph about you, ISBN number and how to order. A photo of you and an image of the book-‐jacket add significantly, as does the whole printed in colour. And proof read it ten times; a mistake on your information sheet will destroy your credibility. Approaching any retail outlet with this sheet in your hand will immediately make you look more professional. Always have a copy of your book with you, in the car or your bag, and take every opportunity to chat to people about it. You could have an instant sale! Selling a book personally is very rewarding; the buyer may do you the best favour by recommending it to someone else.
YOUR Book Reviews... "Here you are, Mum -‐ take these two books back to France with you. I think you'll enjoy them". Actually, looking at the Stles, I probably wouldn't have picked either of them from the shelf in the book shop but what a big mistake that would have been. These are two books which are so very different from each other but both had me enthralled from the first page... by Hannah Somm ‘The 5 People you meet in Heaven’ by Mitch Albom is so completely different to anything I have read before. It is about an elderly gentleman who died in a tragic accident trying to save a young child from harm. With his last breath he feels two small hands in his, then nothing. He wakes up in the afterlife where he meets again 5 people who had shaped his life in ways he had not realised. And the child? Did he save the child? You will have to read the book to find out! The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Each year 12 boys and 12 girls are chosen to compete in a live TV show called 'The Hunger Games'. There is one rule: kill or be killed - there can only be one winner. The stor y follows the trials and tribulations of one of the competitors, Katniss Everdeen, and is so full of suspense it is hard to put down. The whole concept is unbelievable, but being set in the near future you find yourself almost believing the story as it unfolds page by page. When I reached the end of the book it was to find that it is book one of a series of three and that there is a film too. I have since spoken to someone who didn't enjoy the film but loved the books, so you will have to make up your own minds on this one. ('Catching Fire' is book two and 'Mockingjay' is third in the series).
We would love to show more of YOUR Book Reviews. If you would like to share one with us, please send it on an email to: info@thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr
Consider showcasing your book on your website or blog. You don’t have to set up a full e-‐commerce website; use a link to a payment service like PayPal which also processes credit cards. Or you could provide a click through link to an electronic retailer, such as the biggest bookshop in the world, Amazon. It sells mainstream, self-‐ published, small press, hardback, paperback and e-‐books. And if you decide to sell an e-‐book version of your work, then this is the place to start. But that’s for next month... Alison Morton writes alternate history thrillers, blogs about wriIng and Romans at hKp://alison-‐morton.com/blog/ and is a member of the RomanIc Novelists’ AssociaIon and the Society of Authors. Her debut novel, INCEPTIO, will be published in March 2013 by SilverWood Books.
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THE DEUX-SÈVRES MONTHLY
Take a Break... DSM Easy Crossword Across: Down: 8. One stop of a series for ascending 1. Quickly! (abbr)(1,1,1,1) or descending to a different level. (5) 2. A fast gait of a horse. (6) 9. A resident of Birmingham. (7) 3. Small bomb that is thrown. (7) 10. A pale lager with a strong flavour of 4. King of the Fairies (6) hops.(7) 5. Stew that is thickened with okra pods. (5) 11. A French hat. (5) 6. An animal organism in the early stages 12. Bold, with contempt. (8) of growth. (6) 13. Harbour. (4) 7. Person who makes a will. (8) 15. Ready to be eaten or used. (4) 12. To water. (8) 17. A person who investigates news 14. North African country. (7) stories. (8) 16. On time.(6) 21. Evil spirit or ghost. (5) 18. Motor. (6) 22. Reasons for taking acfon. (7) 19. Inelastic tissue that connects muscle to 24. Tropical storm. (7) bone. (6) 25. A company of singers. (5) 20. Circulating body fluid. (5) 23. Painful. (4)
Down: Toughie Crossword 1. How far ahead to be in city marathons? (7) 2. A number tee off with a strange grin. (7) 3. To down a tot before upsetting the French is definitely not off the wall. (5) 4. Goes with extreme application of last rites (7) 5. To state one’s beliefs is nothing before long. (5) 6. Be anxious about one’s family? (5) 9. Resign over collapse of seating arrangement? (5,4) 14. City has right to include Hollywood home to get clearness at last. (7) 15. Works between bard’s loves and lost play title.(7) 16 Order needed to keep poultry in line? (7) 19. Written work sounds like South Africa initially. (5) 20. Welsh river poetically below the others? (5) 21. Ban about religious education can be prickly. (5)
Sudoku Corner... Easy
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Hard
With thanks to M.Morris
Please see website: www.thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr for answers
Across: 7. Manages to stretch toe around new gun, but some language results. (6) 8. Game bird has right to be a long range marksman. (6) 10. Unusual bird of prey found in front of National Trust proves to be very graceful.(7) 11. Stylish dance embraced by the many noble spartan gods. (5) 12. Appropriate backing for crowd. (4) 13. Fit negative into earth; that will keep your head warm! (5) 17. Take evasive acOon if duel rearranged to follow direcOon. (5) 18. The weight of the empty vehicle is split, we hear. (4) 22. Given time, the oracle will keep you on course. (5) 23. After series of battles, rugby player becomes wizard. (7) 24. Clever product of unusual taste enveloping kind of turn. (6) 25. Queen reverses into farm building, leaving us fruitless. (6)
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THE DEUX-SÈVRES MONTHLY
A-Z of the Communes in the Deux-Sèvres A-Z of the Communes of the by Sue Burgess Deux-Sèvres. LA CHAPELLE-SAINT-LAURENT The commune is situated on the main D748 road linking Bressuire to Niort and on the old railway line from Bressuire to Parthenay. La Chapelle-‐ Saint-‐Laurent was inhabited in prehistoric times and the discovery of numerous tools in the Eastern part of the commune proves this. T h e re a re to d ay a b o u t 1 8 4 8 inhabitants or «Chapelais», as the people of la Chapelle-‐Saint-‐Laurent are known and they sometimes welcomed pilgrims as early as the XIII century. Unlike many parishes around, la Chapelle-‐Saint-‐Laurent (where in 1561 the Huguenots burnt the priest in the church) has never been home to many protestants. During the revolution, some peasants went to fight with the royal Catholic army. Their lands were left abandoned and their houses and farms were burnt down in January 1794 by Prévignaud's soldiers. In 1802 the mayor of la Chapelle-‐Saint-‐Laurent, Jacques Grimaud, asked the sous-‐préfet for the authorisation to create four new fairs, 2 in the town itself and 2 at Pitié. As he had no answer that year, he asked again the following year but this time accompanied his demand by a gift of butter. His request was accepted. A VOIR / MUST SEE • The Basilica Notre-‐Dame de Piti. The building of which was started in 1891, is a well-‐known place of pilgrimage. The Basilica stands on an old celtic site. The three sources (les trois sources) are not clear and are mixed up with local legends. Certain legends relate the discovery of a statue by a local farmer. Venturing into the bushes for a moment to spend a penny, he is supposed to have found the statue in a niche in an old wall. He took the statue to the parish church to keep it safe and was surprised to find it in the niche again the next day. After this had happened three times, a new chapel was built. The sanctuary grew in importance during the Vendée wars. Notre-‐Dame-‐de-‐Pitié was considered by the rebels as one of their protectors. The Republicans, therefore, tried unsuccessfully to burn the chapel down several times. In the first half of the XIX century the chapel appeared to be in a bad state of repair and not really adapted for the religious offices that were held there. The new curate, Father Laurentin, planned to replace the modest sanctuary by a vast church which would be a centre of pilgrimage. The first stone of the current building was laid in 1891.
La Chapelle St Laurent
• Étang des Mothes, Étang Olivette, Étangs de Courberive, des Rataudières -‐ magnificent ponds. • The rock called the Rock of the Virgin (Chiron de la Vierge), • The Devil's claws (les Griffes du Diable) and the Footstep of the Virgin (le Pas de la Vierge) can be seen. • The Cats' Stone, (le Timbre aux Chats) where according to local legend, cats got together on the eve of Carnaval (Mardi Gras) for a meal given by the devil. This was an ancient celtic site which was supposed to be connected with the devil, in contrast to the Rock of the Virgin which was a Christian place. A cross has been erected recently opposite the Cats' Stone. The legend: at la Chapelle-‐Saint-‐Laurent, that is to say at the place known as «l'Humeau-‐Robinet» at the crossroads of the road from Pitié to Moncoutant, the old road to Pugny and a little lane from where the «Timbre aux Chats» can be seen. There on the night of Mardi-‐Gras (Shrove Tuesday), all the local tom cats used to meet for a huge meal attended by a devil. Legend has it that any local farmer who interrupted the meal would be ripped to pieces by the cats' claws and devoured. Local farmers who tried removing the stone were so troubled by concerts of miaowing cats that they had to take the stone back in order to get a good night's sleep. In recent times «le Timbre aux Chats» has disappeared on two occasions. It was put back in its original place when the people who “borrowed” it suffered some sort of terrible event or problem. • Le Pas de la Vierge. The Virgin's Footstep is a huge granite rock, 150 metres in circumference and about 1.50m at its highest point. 'The Virgin's Footstep” is in the centre of the rock. There are several legends about the rock. One says that the Virgin was being chased by the Devil. She saw the rock and rested one foot on it. Then just as the Devil was about to grab her, she raced off shouting “pitié” (pity). The Devil grabbed the rock with so much force that his claws made three long scratches in it.
Commune website: www.lachapellesaintlaurent.fr Photos: courtesy of the Diocèse de Poitiers
More ‘A-‐Z of the Communes of the Deux-‐Sèvres.’ next month...
Contact ‘The Deux-‐Sèvres Monthly’ La Bartière, 79130, Secondigny. Telephone: 05 49 70 26 21 or email: info@thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr
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THE DEUX-SÉVRES MONTHLY
Health, Beauty & Fitness... St Valentine’s Hair and Beauty Special
Want to unleash your inner bombshell with a hot new look just in time for Valentines Day? Samantha and Emma are here with some simple Valentines tips....
Samantha says...
This Valentines Day Samantha recommends adding a beautiful rose blusher to your cheeks. “This will add an irresistible rosy glow. After applying your foundation and lightly set it with powder, simply just do a big fake smile in your mirror and sweep the blush over your cheek bones. (Be sure to always blend over gently with your powder brush so there are no strong lines.) To finish this look I would maximize your lashes by adding a coat of black voluming mascara and glide a high shine gloss all over your lips. You will look and feel so fresh and radiant.
Emma says...
“For your hair this Valentines there are plenty of romantic styles which are feminine and flirty yet very easy to do. Formal up-‐do's give a sense of romance as they are naturally associated with the kind of styles worn on a glamourous or special occasion. Medium to Long hair styled in waves or curls gives a sexy tousled look. It’s not too complicated or time consuming, all you need is a good curling iron and curl lots of one inch sections. High volumised ponytails are also a quick and easy fun-‐do to have. You can loosen it up and make it messy which also gives a cute girly look.
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My Valentine’s ‘must have’ would be a spritz of fragrance just to make you feel ultra romantic. Yves Rocher -‐ Eau design parfum Iris Noir.”
Products that give shine and a glossy look will add some freshness. Why not add a fun flower or a bit of sparkle to make you feel that extra special." Emma recommends: Babyliss Pro-‐rebel porcelain conical curling wand. They come in 3 different sizes depending on the size of the curl you want. Available online. Charente Hair & Make Up Tel: 05 45 31 56 93 / 06 50 04 37 30 www.charentehairandbridal.com
For a full list of our advertising rates, please phone 05 49 70 26 21 for an advertising pack or download from our website: www.thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr
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THE DEUX-SÉVRES MONTHLY
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THE DEUX-SÉVRES MONTHLY
Bergerac SPA strengthens its ties with Phoenix Association in order to improve animal welfare in the Dordogne. Since its inception, Phoenix Association has been working with the Bergerac SPA (Sauvegarde et Protection des Animaux). This link has strengthened even further since the arrival of SPA newcomer, Aurélie Letellier, who joined the organisation in July 2012. In this interview with Richard Johnson from Phoenix and Aurélie Letellier from the SPA, we discover how this union is having an impact on animal welfare in the Dordogne: Aurélie, it seems that your arrival has made quite an impact. Can you tell us more about your background and how you came to work for the SPA in Bergerac? Aurélie: Following my Master’s degree in International Business, I spent some time in South Africa, where I became heavily involved with The Lucky Lucy Foundation, who help severely neglected and abused animals in Cape Town. Since my involvement there, the numbers of adopted animals per week rose from one to two, to six to seven. However, I really wanted to return to France, so I contacted Président Carrard, from the Bergerac SPA, and here I am. So, what specific tasks have you completed since your work at the SPA began, Aurélie? Aurélie: Well firstly, I have been supporting Phoenix in their campaign for sterilisation. The SPA is starting to realise the advantages of sterilisation in controlling animal suffering. I have also re-‐vamped the SPA Bergerac website and created a Facebook page. I’ve also been establishing contact with the local press in order to increase awareness and to raise the profile of the SPA. And lastly but not least, I have been getting to know the people at Phoenix. Tell us, what are the advantages of the two organisations working together? Richard: We all want to re-‐home animals and to improve their welfare. Each organisation has its own networks and resources, and by combining these, we are stronger. Aurélie: Thanks to their huge network and reputation, Phoenix provides us with a large number of adopting families. Additionally, through their foster homes, Phoenix helps us re-‐home those animals that we might otherwise struggle to find homes for, that is the older animals, or those with special needs or behavioural issues that require time and patience, that are much better suited to a ‘normal’ family environment of a foster home. Have there been any measurable impacts of the new-‐found relationship? Aurélie: It’s early days yet, but preliminary figures show that adoptions for August and September 2012, compared with the same period in 2011, are up by 70% for dogs and 19% for cats. Also, thanks to the website, in October 2012, dogs claimed back by their owners increased by 33% compared with October 2011, and cats by a staggering 200%! Richard: We’re really thrilled with this – this is remarkable progress. There is no reason why our own Members and followers shouldn’t be looking at the animals available for adoption at our partner, the SPA, as well as those in our own foster homes. For all Contact Details: SPA de BERGERAC Aurélie Letellier: 06 88 94 40 25 contact@spa24bergerac.org www.spa24bergerac.org www.facebook.com/spa24bergerac
PHOENIX ASSOCIATION Richard Johnson: 05 53 54 94 81 www.phoenixasso.com www.facebook.com/ PhoenixAssociationFrance
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APPEAL Milo is an 8 week old border collie puppy who is an absolute darling. He has a calm nature and is very much a people dog, he prefers to play with you rather than his siblings. He appears to be non dominant and is submissive with adult dogs but not scared or timid, just a quiet lad. Beautiful looks, brown and white, not a solid brown, he has colour change to the tips and he has the most beautiful eyes.
MAYDAY MES AMIS Mayday Mes Amis has been formed to help animals in need in l'Absie and the surrounding area. For more information please email: jill.zub@sky.com.
Equine Rescue France
MILO
Milo will be fully vaccinated and chipped before rehoming and a donation on adoption will apply to cover costs incurred by the Hope Association. If you're interested in offering Milo a forever home please contact linda.burns4hope@gmail.com or use the contact from the Hope Association's website, www.hopeassoc.org.
6 x Tourterelles / White Doves Free to a Good Home Can deliver 10 miles radius of La Chataigneraie or L’Absie. Tel: 05 49 63 01 18
Free to a Good Home
Toby is a 5yr old Labrador cross, neutered and chipped, free to good home. He spends his time alone as his french owner is too ill to look after him and he is lonely and needs a companion. He loves people, children and cats, he has so much love to give. Lives dept. 79 near Bressuire. Please call Pam 05 49 65 55 25.
We are always looking for new members and we are in need of donations so we may continue to help equines in France. Please support the ERF.
Please contact Equine Rescue France via their website www.equinerescuefrance.org HOOF (Horse Orientated Open Forum)
HOOF is open to anyone with an equine interest. You do not need to own a horse! We meet about once a month for talks, visits etc. Interested? Contact Jo Rowe on: 05 49 64 22 67 or
email: willjo@live.co.uk.
Nos Amis Les Animaux 85480 (NALA 85480). Tel: 07 70 31 54 59 ~
Email: nala85480@hotmail.com www.nosamislesanimaux.com
L’Association Galia is a recognized public utility aiding the adoption of dogs in the shelter of Fontenay Le Comte. We help dogs out of impound, found stray or abandoned to find new families. Refuge de l'association Galia Chemin des perchées (ancienne déchetterie), 85200 Fontenay Le Comte Tel : 02 51 52 06 19 or 06 28 18 13 72, association.galia@orange.fr http://association-‐galia.forumactif.com
Family with garden needed for little abandoned kitten...
Now sterilised, this little female kitten is between 7-‐8 months old and a bundle of energy. She has now learned to play and cannot stop! Currently living in Vernoux-‐en-‐Gatine until a forever home can be found. If you can help, please email: franklin3@aliceadsl.fr
PASTIS, a 7 year old male English Setter, is available for adoption.
Refuge SPA de SAINTES route des GAUTHIERS, 17100 SAINTES Tel: 05 46 93 47 65 ~ www.spa.de.saintes.free.fr/
He is a lovely dog, very cuddly, very obedient and well educated but he no longer supports the refuge! He needs a garden, and a family life. Our refuge is open every day, even on Sundays. 14h00 to 18h00 Tel: 05 46 93 47 65 or 06 98 38 97 98
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The Great Outdoors... properly or is always ill. Peggy’s remaining six piglets are doing well and because of the small number mum has plenty of milk for them all.
Life on the Farm...
by Peter & Jenny Sebborn.
It may seem a bit odd reading about our Christmas arrivals in the February magazine but Peggy held on until the 23rd December to have her piglets so we missed the magazine deadline to tell you what had been happening here on the farm! 23rd December 2012 – I checked the sheep at about 7.30am. We had kept the ewes in overnight, not only because we were expecting lambs anytime but also because the ground was still so wet underfoot and sheep do not like wet ground. When I checked on Luna again at 9.30am she was the proud mum of two. Two boys, one black face and feet like Beavis, his Suffolk dad, and the other white, like mum. You may recall when Luna had her twins last year she hadn’t enough milk for two and we had to bottle feed one. Well the same happened again this year but we decided to leave them both with mum and to offer a bottle to both lambs as a top up to mum’s milk. Luckily we only had to do this for Above: n and one of the about a week as mum’s milk new lamJe bs supply seems to have increased and both lambs are doing well. We were still checking the lambs before bedtime on the 4th January when Jen noticed Texie was in labour. Sheep are very quiet when in labour and giving birth. This is because sheep often give birth outside and any noise could attract a fox who would steal and kill the new born. Anyway, I popped in for the torch and came back to find Jen with her sleeves rolled up having helped Texie deliver her huge 5.6kg lamb. Last year we bottle fed a lamb who was a quad and who at two weeks old, was only 3.2kg. So back to the 23rd... After Luna’s lambs had arrived off I went to pick up my two sons and their partners from the airport. I arrived back in the afternoon just in time to see Peggy deliver her long awaited piglets. As Peggy lay there giving birth we quickly gave the piglets a rub and a clean to make sure they were ok – the first six were fine but then one was delivered still born and despite our attempts to revive it, it was too late. The last piglet we thought was also dead but we took it inside and got it breathing, Keira our black Labrador did a great job, but sadly it died two days later. It’s very sad to lose an animal but where there is livestock there will always be some that are just not strong enough to make it. It’s natures way of dealing with either the very weak or in some cases, youngsters who have failed to develop properly in the womb. We have had instances in the past where we have fought hard to keep a young animal alive only to find later on that it doesn’t grow
Above: 3 of Peggy’s piglets...
Remember the chicks we mentioned last month? Well they are doing really well despite being hatched so late in the year. Grass is in short supply at this time of the year so we supplement feed for the sheep with hay and granules. I’m sure you will have heard of the saying “the grass is always greener on the other side” well for our sheep the “other side” was our next door neighbour’s field! They made a small hole in the fence and the usual naughty lambs led the way. Of course, once all the smaller sheep had gone through the fence the gap was now big enough for the bigger sheep to also get through, and one after the other they all followed. Thankfully a shake of the feed bucket was enough to get them to come back into our field and a quick repair has proved effective in keeping them where they should be. Finally we have succumbed and treated ourselves to a new puppy. We have been very close a few times but we have finally taken the plunge. She is a Gordon Setter crossed with an English Setter and is a lovely puppy with lots of spirit. It took her less than a day to settle in and already she goes through the night. Our other two dogs are gradually coming to terms with the new arrival. It looks as though we are heading for a cold snap over the next few days so the order of the day is to chop some more firewood to keep us all warm. Once the ground dries out we will be looking at putting up our new poly-‐tunnel and getting the potager ready for this year’s fruit and vegetables. I am still searching for that elusive tractor to make life easier in the garden.... Take care over the next few weeks, I am sure it will get colder and we will see some of the white stuff before too long. Stay warm and dry and we will be back with more new additions next month.
Peter & Jenny Sebborn. Breeders of pigs, lambs and poultry. La Gauteliere, 79220, Pamplie. Tel: 05 49 28 38 57.
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THE AMATEUR GARDENER
by Vanda Lawrence
Well, here we are again -‐ the New Year is over and we are ready to get back into routine in the garden with masses of jobs to be done. • Feed established fruit trees -‐ now is the best time as it will provide a boost when the trees come into leaf again and is less likely to have been washed away through the soil during earlier winter rains. For information, Nitrogen promotes leaves and vigorous growth; Phosphorus encourages roots, fruit & healthy growth and Potassium is necessary for good fruit colour, flavour and fruit-‐bud development. • Spray peach trees with a copper fungicide to prevent leaf curl. • Cut back Wisterias this month but delay if we have frosty weather. • Prune Clematis: -‐Spring & winter-‐flowering clematis flower on previous season's wood and only really need to be pruned if they have outgrown their space. If you wish to tidy the plant or reduce size, do so immediately after flowering. -‐Early large-‐flowered clematis, flowering in May/June, should be dealt with in February/March -‐ just cut out dead and weak stems. -‐Later flowering hybrids are the easiest to deal with. In February/ March start at the base of each plant and work upwards to find the 2nd pair of live buds. Prune just above these. • Tree pollarding & coppicing can be undertaken in February/March. Pollarding means pruning back to the trunk or stem while coppicing means pruning close to the base of the plant. We can coppice to ensure willows and dogwoods produce a fresh crop of bright stems -‐ shorten the stems to within 2"-‐ 3" of the ground before the leaves appear in late February-‐early March. In the vegetable garden, continue to dig, weed and fertilize then cover with plastic sheets to help warm the soil ready for planting. Now is the time to decide what you will plant. New gardeners -‐ why not make a list of the fruit & veg you buy during the next few weeks so you will know exactly what to plant. It's easy to get carried away and choose vegetables which look lovely in the garden but which nobody in the household likes to eat! Also remember it's better to plant several short rows at staggered intervals so that as one row is cropped and eaten, the next row will become ready to eat. Potato tubers are in the garden centres & supermarkets now. Store them in one layer in boxes in a light, frost-‐free place to encourage chitting. Once they have sprouted they can be planted any time from January-‐April. One of our friends always sows his Mange-‐tout peas in January, even though the recommended time is February-‐March. He believes he gets stronger plants this way -‐ worth a try? Garden ponds need to be checked now too. If there are any leaks or cracks which need repairing, now is the time to do it, before the water-‐lilies and marginals start to wake up and most certainly before the frogs, toads & goldfish start spawning, in case it becomes necessary to drain the pond in order to complete the task. Not much space now to cover my favourites in the garden -‐ fragrant, flowering shrubs. But at the moment we have Sarcococca, otherwise known as Christmas or Sweet Box, with glossy leaves, little white flowers & beautiful fragrance. When the flowers fall there are small black berries to decorate the shrub. Others are Daphne Odora and Hamamelis mollis (Chinese Witch hazel). Plant near your back door, or if that's not possible why not plant in a tub which you can move closer to the door when in flower.
Whatever you do though, enjoy your garden - see you next month ....
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French Life, Food & Drink... French Village Diaries by Jacqueline Brown. Having been lucky enough to spend some time with family in the UK recently, I couldn’t help but notice that in terms of food portions and drink sizes everything seems to be super-‐sized in comparison to what I am now used to here in France.
It started on the ferry where we always treat ourselves to a coffee. In France I am used to sitting in a bar and being served un café allongé, a single shot of coffee topped up with a little hot water, served black, in a small cup and usually costs just over a euro. Add a square of dark chocolate on the side and you have my perfect coffee. On board the P&O ferry I arrived at the Costa Coffee counter and was confronted by an enormously long menu list, just for a cup of black coffee. Thankfully my regular traveller husband was on hand to place the order, two regular Americano’s, while I stood staring at the meaningless jumble of words in front of me – he likes to refer to it as my ‘rabbit in the headlights look’. After a modest wait we were presented with two huge buckets of coffee, to which my first reaction was ‘these are regular?’ It was at this point that he whisked me back to our seats, muttering something along the lines of ‘you don’t get out much, do you’ and the reality of having left my French rural bubble hit me. As a self confessed foodie, you would think that the more food the better, and in my youth this was certainly very true, but France has changed me. She has refined my palette, introduced me to new taste sensations and has taught me ‘less is more’. One of the things my Mum and Dad love to do is lunch out at their local Carvery where the selection of traditional Sunday roasts available should be enough to have an ex-‐pat like me salivating at the door. However, plates piled high with four different roast meats, mashed potatoes, roast potatoes, carrots, red cabbage, leeks, swede, peas, cauliflower, stuffing, Yorkshire puddings and gravy is now way too much for me. A simple ‘Menu du Jour’, with a salad to start, followed by a meat dish with rice or potatoes and one vegetable and then a modest slice of tart seems so much more appealing. Even more so when a small glass of wine comes included in the price of the meal but in the UK I struggled to get served with anything smaller than a 175ml glass of wine. This not only cost a small fortune, but that much wine at lunchtime was enough to finish me off for the rest of the day! There are always lots of articles in the UK media about the escalating problems of obesity and the health risks associated with it. Surely the simple answer is to cut down on portion sizes, enjoy the flavours and embrace the less is more principle.
All of Jacqui’s favourite recipes can be found on her website http://www.frenchvillagediaries.com.
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One-armed paleontologist seeks wine trip... by John Sherwin. Let’s face it, the only good thing about February is that it’s not thirty-‐one days long. Twenty-‐eight grim, grey, grizzly days are quite enough to be going on with. But not to worry, it’s hard to keep a wine guy down and I’m here to spread good cheer. This is the time to day-‐dream, to get a little misty-‐eyed, to think of red wine and blue skies, to rustle maps by a log fire, in short, it’s the time for some serious holiday planning! Time was when the idea of a holiday centred on a beach or a pool or a ski slope, but these days there are themed holidays oozing from every pore of the tourist industry. So many possibilities. An over 60, one-‐armed palaeontologist looking for an assisted dig? Certainly madam, we have just the package. Sir is looking for a walking tour of the Alps for unmarried tattoo artists? Come right on in. No, I haven’t googled them, but I bet if I did I’d find something like. Why not make life easy? You’re in France. You’re not more than a couple of hours drive from Bordeaux. You don’t need a calculator to solve that equation – go on a wine trip. I help folks less fortunate than you (ie those who don’t live in France, close to Bordeaux) to visit vineyards throughout our fair land, but as you’re reading this mag, let’s concentrate on what might make sense for a Deux-‐Sèvrian.
Timing is important. (1) Avoid public holidays. When I say this to
my overseas friends they immediately assume that I’m warning them off crowded wineries: au contraire, the winemakers will be sensibly off enjoying themselves like everyone else. (2) Avoid Sundays, reasons as above. (3) Don’t even try to rouse anyone at lunchtime.
How long? Well, I won’t talk about pieces
of string, but it depends on what you’re looking for. Are you wanting to buy some reasonably priced wine from a particular area? Then a day or two might do. Do you want an understanding of a sub-‐region – Médoc, St Emilion etc? Then 2 to 3 days. An overview of the area – Médoc, St Emilion, Sauternes, Entre-‐Deux-‐Mers? Five days to a week. The most important thing is to go at your own pace.
Time of year? For me, a vineyard is a thing of beauty at any time of
year: the starkness of winter; the promise of spring; the bumptiousness of summer; the sighs of autumn. Romanticism aside, August is best avoided as all France, including winemakers, go on holiday. Harvest-‐time also, as all hands will be needed in the fields, not pouring dainty tastings for thee and me. Harvest in Bordeaux is typically mid to end September, but all depends on the year’s weather.
How to make contact? Now we’re getting to the pointy-‐end, the bit
that would put most people off. The obvious answer is to get in touch with me! But if you must go it alone, look at www.bordeaux-‐ tourisme.com to get some idea of what’s around. If you have specific chateaux in mind google them and pick up the phone. The reference book I use is Le Guide Bettane & Dessauve des Vins de France. This gives contact info and when chateaux are open for wine visits, as well as wine reviews. Very nifty.
What to expect? One advantage of visiting Bordeaux chateaux is
that most are medium to large and therefore will probably have staff who can handle visits in English. Other wine regions – Alsace, Languedoc-‐Roussillon, Provence spring to mind – you’d probably have to dust off your French. So let’s assume a largish chateau with whom you’ve booked a visit in English. Groups are rarely more than eight but you might get lucky and be with only a couple of others. There’s no set routine, but the visit will normally include an introduction of the chateau and its history, perhaps a brief look at the vineyard, a walk through the areas where the grapes are received at harvest, the press, the fermenting vessels, the caves full of oak casks where the wine is matured, then the tasting. All this is of course accompanied with explanation of the process, and questions are always welcome. Expect to spend about 45 minutes to an hour for the whole visit. Some visits are free, but these days most charge, typically €10 to €15. Even when the visit is free, don’t feel obliged to buy anything – unless of course you want to. A couple of chateaux which would give you a good entrée into the wonderful world of chateaux visits are Lynch-‐Bages in the Médoc and Figeac in St Emilion. Google them (I’m not doing all your legwork), call, make an appointment, go, enjoy, discover the wonder of wine where it’s made and in the company of those who make it. Or call me…
John Sherwin, French Wine Tours. Tel: 02 51 66 14 85 Email: johnsherwin@orange.fr ~ www.french-wine-tours.com
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Colour Advert Size A only 38€ per month or from 33,33€ per month for 12 months.
THE DEUX-SÉVRES MONTHLY
RESTAURANT REVIEWS... If you have positive restaurant experiences to share, we would love to print them here. Please email to: info@thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr for inclusion into future issues.
Fabulous New Restaurant Awaits You! If you're looking for a new eatery, or perhaps a new venue for a family occasion, you will be pleased to read about L'Étable Gastronomique, run by Scottish husband & wife team, Charlie & Elaine Watt. Situated in a beautiful, rural location in Augé, this wonderful new restaurant offers seasonal, fresh and homemade food in a warm and cosy atmosphere. L'Étable Gastronomique's restaurant caters for 24 covers during the winter months, extending onto the outdoor terrace with approximately 40 covers in the warmer months. The beautiful view is the perfect window of relaxation for diners and there is also the opportunity to walk the grounds after you've eaten.
Following their highly successful James Bond themed New Year's Eve party (with roulette table of course!), future plans start on the 14th February with a Valentine’s Night Dinner (reservations required). In the warmer months, intentions include open-‐air theatre and themed nights, and throughout the year, weddings, birthdays and family celebrations. So why not reserve a table and try it for yourself? Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday lunchtimes, 12-‐2pm and Friday and Saturday evenings, 6.30-‐8.45pm.
L'Étable Gastronomique
La Veille Ferme du Monteil, 79400, Augé. Tel: 05 49 28 21 48 ~ www.etablegastronomique.fr
Ex-‐hotel owner, Charlie, works Front of House serving the customers whilst Elaine is busy behind the scenes preparing and cooking the tasty dishes on offer. Elaine prides herself on great tasting British food with a 'twist' of French cuisine, which has already proven a hit with the locals. Newly opened on Christmas Day 2012, Charlie & Elaine's first day was a great success…. “We have recently eaten at the new restaurant in its lovely setting in Augé. The food was gourmet with an excellent wine list (and we have eaten all over the world). The ambience was welcoming and relaxing. We would thoroughly recommend this restaurant – not to be missed.”
Above: Outside Dining
Above: Inside
the restaura
nt
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French Adventures... Black Cat afternoon
2010 was the turning point for us. January 23rd to be exact. I was at Aviemore, Scotland, for the annual sled dog race, the biggest in Europe with over 200 mushers entered. I was in “C” class (4 dog), and had tried for years to win, coming 2nd seven times. Today was my day -‐ we finally won and it was time to move on. I’d now done it all, including breeding World Championship winning sled dogs, so had nothing to prove anymore. We already had our property in Cheffois, bought in 2010, so the move was on. It would be tough to leave, we both had good well paid jobs and great friends. Cherry (my partner of 28 years) was, and still is, an award-‐winning freelance Landscape Designer (Hampton Court Medal winner twice) and would carry on her business, both in England and France, whilst I would do whatever came along. I was a successful Landscape manager, having worked on some huge and prestigious contracts over the years, including The Millenium Dome (now the O2 centre), Tate Gallery, refurbishment of Battersea Park, T5 Heathrow, and the icing on the cake, Euro Disney Paris in 1991, where I was in charge of 40 French paysagistes landscaping ‘Adventure Land’ with only a spattering of the language. Not an experience to be missed! I had previously lived in France (Marseille) in 1974 for a month whilst hitch-‐hiking around Europe. (my mother called me a hippy drop-‐out, it’s now called a gap year experience... born too soon I suppose). I returned in Oct 1976 for the Vendage in Gascony, and took my team of 4 Siberians to the Alps (Meribel, Nancy la Croix, Saint Gervais and La Grand Bernand ) in January 2003 for an 8 day sled race. Over the years, through my work with the dogs, I had the privilege to be asked by the BBC to open the ‘Children in Need’ programme at Basingstoke ice rink by transporting Sally Taylor of Meridian TV onto the ice with my 4 dog sled team. That led a few years later to a 15 minute TV programme for an up and coming Wildlife TV presenter Chris Packham, teaching him dog sledding on the Goodwood Estate, West Sussex. In 2009, in Aviemore, I earned my Blue Peter badge teaching the new presenter, Helen Skelton, how to win a dog sled race, and finally the crème de la crème, being involved in the filming of “Tomb Raider” at Pinewood s t u d i o s w i t h my n o w increased 6 dog team. This was pre Angelina Jolie being the big star she is today. I remember clearly standing Above: Filming with Helen Skelton next to her on set and asking a mate standing next to me, which one she was? Big elbow in the ribs and a red face followed my gaff!!
Terrier, the 2 tortoises and the remnants of what couldn’t fit into my van. I travelled down to Newhaven on Wednesday 10th August, late evening, to catch “the midnight ferry to Cheffois” (Make a good song title that, think a bit!!!!) Go through customs etc with a whinging cat and 5 miserable dogs and prepare for the crossing. Cherry arrived on Saturday 13th, once the house was legally handed over, and now, here we are.... Freezing!!!!!!! I suppose, like most new arrivals, we had bought an un-‐modernised house, and even though we have the basics, we don’t yet have a log burner! That will come next year with the barn conversion. And what of the dogs? They are fine. 4 brand new kennels and a lovely converted small barn, which is my dog food prep-‐area, is testament to that. Well it would be, but it is at the moment doubling up as an overnight sleeping quarter for our 7 Siberian husky puppies. These were born on 4th November (1 day after my 60th), and will be going back to England (Bets-‐y-‐ Coed actually in Wales) to a friend who Above: One of the seven Siberian husky puppies. has bought the whole litter. Given that these pups are now attempting to eat me out of house and home, it was with some luck that I ran into a lady called Bernadette (also a scouser) at a dog show in St. Pardoux in September, which I’d read about in this very magazine. Coincidences continue to play a huge part in my life, even now. Not only was she a rep for the dog food I’d used in England, CSJ, but there was an opening for a rep in the Vendée. So here I am, supposedly recently retired and looking at some ”joie de vie” in sunny Vendée, now becoming self employed, (via the auto enterpreneur scheme) and at the moment working 7 days a week building kennels, landscaping the garden, revamping the garage into a studio for Cherry, being driven mad by the Huskies and the 8 week old feral black cat, Merlot, that we have just acquired. What’s that old saying about black cats, luck and crossing!
Contact Jimmy on: Tel:06 40 59 80 18 / 02 51 51 14 37 Email: iamthedogrunnerbryde@aol.co.uk Please also see advert on P.17. Left: Winning the race in Aviemore Scotland.
The highlight of the 3 weeks filming though was being asked by the BBC to take my team round the ice tunnel set so they could get some action shots. I did the filming brilliantly (fell off out of shot though) and was seen on Boxing Day being introduced on the telly by Rolf Harris for the programme Vets in Action who supplied the veterinary care on set. Being seen on the box by some 20 million, can’t be bad for “a scally from the little fishing port of Birkenhead” as Paul O’Grady describes our mutual hometown. Still back to the mundane, the Move... Cherry was organising most of the packing, putting 30 years of belongings into boxes with labels on them, like kitchenware, bedroom 1 etc. Cherry was to follow 2 days later with her dog Wizzy, the Border Page 26
THE DEUX-SÉVRES MONTHLY
Motoring... Porsche 911 – the Marmite of cars? by Helen Tait-‐Wright
Let me say at the outset that I love 911’s and I love Marmite, but I suspect that the people reading this will be divided on the subject. Even our household is divided! Chris hates 911’s (and Marmite!) My love affair with the 911 really blossomed after seeing the rather dodgy film “Condorman” on a school trip to the cinema. In the film, the superhero is pursued through the mountains by a group of glass eyed assassins driving black 911’s. Sadly the cars are destroyed in the film, but for me the fascination of the curvy little cars has never gone away. The 911 was first seen in 1963 at the Frankfurt Motor Show and was the replacement for the Porsche 356, an equally gorgeous car, which co-‐incidentally stars in one of my favorite films, Top Gun. The car was originally called the 901, but the French were the reason behind the change to 911, as Peugeot argued that they had exclusive rights to car names formed by three numbers with a zero in the middle. Production of the 911 began in September 1964. One of the distinguishing features of 911s until 1998 was the rear mounted air-‐cooled engine. This is one of the things that opposers of the 911 cite when they say “its just a Volkswagon Beetle on steroids”, as that layout was indeed originally used in the Beetle, which was indeed designed by Ferdinand Porsche. Over the years the basic 911 has undergone many transformations, but the iconic shape is still recognisable in 2013, 50 years after it was first seen. As well as being a successful road-‐car model, the 911 has excelled in motorsport. It has been modified by private teams and by the factory itself for racing, rallying and other forms of automotive competition. It is among the most successful competition cars ever. In the mid 1970s, naturally aspirated 911 Carrera RSRs won major world championship sports car races such as Targa Florio, Daytona, Sebring and Nurburgring, even against prototypes. The 911-‐derived 935 Turbo also won the coveted 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1979. In 1998, the famous aircooled engine was replaced by a water cooled model, and the bodyshell had its first overhaul. This was an important move for Porsche as their sales had collapsed after the boom period in the early 80’s and they needed to attract new buyers with a more technologically advanced model. Purists will argue that this new car, also known as the 996, is not a true 911, but it ensured the survival of one of the most famous car nameplates ever. Twice in my life I have had enough cash in my hand to purchase one of these wonderful cars, and on both occasions I bought a house instead. I won’t make that mistake a third time! So which one would I choose? Obviously it would have to be black, and really as close to the cars in that film that started it all ....... complete with 80’s whale tail! Which only goes to prove you can take the girl out of the 80’s but you can’t take the 80’s out of the girl! Contact Helen at: helen@stodel.org.
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MCS RACING
Hi again! If you have been reading these articles over the past two months, you will know that our car was needing a Rally Controle Technique before setting off on the race. My co-‐pilot (who has never driven the car before!) and I drove over 240km to the outskirts of Bordeaux in order for the car to be checked over. We had to wait for others to be seen first, as it was a first come first served basis. There were lots of checks underneath the vehicle and we have a list of things still to do in preparation before leaving on the 14th February. The good thing was that we drove the round-‐trip (nearly 500km) in one go without breaking down, which is the furthest I have driven the car since owning it! We met lots of other students who are also going to do the Rally, some in particular that live in Toulouse but go to Lycee at Poitiers. As we were from the same area, we drove back together as practice of driving in convoy. The target of this charity event is to help the Moroccan children by taking 50kg of materials (such as books, pens, pencils etc. and a full sports bag) to the schools. We are struggling to find any help with sponsorship or donations to and if you are of a mind to help a charity event we would be most grateful. Donations of any size will be gratefully received. Keenan Dominey, MCS RACING, 8 rue de la Violette , Chaignepain, 79190 Les Alleuds Tel : 06.29.72.33.94 ~ 05.17.23.13.43 Email: mcs-‐racing@sfr.fr
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THE DEUX-SÈVRES MONTHLY
Communications... Pictures. Now just to confuse everybody, cameras are rated by
Understanding Your PC ? Size Matters -‐ All About Capabilities
by Ross Hendry
I am often asked “How many pictures will fit on a PC?” or “How many songs or films can I put on a CD?” and other similar questions, so hopefully this article may answer such queries.
Bits and Bytes.
Most manufacturers use the Byte as the unit to advise you of the capability/capacity of your PC. For example, your PC has 4 Megabytes (4MB) of RAM and a 500 Gigabyte (500GB) hard disk drive, or a USB memory stick has 4 Gigabytes (4GB) of space. In these terms a Byte represents one character i.e. "a" or "4", or a symbol such as "@". Each character is made up of 8 binary digits, known a bits. Bits are normally represented by a "b" and Bytes as a "B". A byte is very small in computing terms and normally you will hear of kilobytes (kB), Mega Bytes (MB) and Giga Bytes (GB). These are simply multiples of the humble Byte, so 1 kilobyte is 1,024 Bytes -‐ normally referred to as one thousand bytes; a 1 Megabyte is 1,048,576 -‐ normally referred to as one million Bytes; a Gigabyte is 1,073,741,824 or one thousand Megabytes and 1 Terabyte is-‐ 1,099,511,627,776 Bytes, or one thousand Gigabytes (1,024 GB), or one million Megabytes (1,048,576 MB).! Armed with this knowledge you simply now need to know how big any object you want to store is and you may calculate how many you can store.
Music. How much data (number of Bytes) is there in a pop song
or album of songs? The best way to calculate this is by time, so for the average quality song/piece of music, each minute is approximately .918 Megabytes, just under 1MB. So a 45 minute album is .918 x 45 = 41.3 MB, for simplicity I use one Megabyte per Minute so I would over estimate to 45MB per album containing 10 songs. Here is a handy table to help you : Albums or Songs on
1 GB
1 GB
1 GB
1 GB
Bit Rate (kbps)
128
192
256
320
Hours of music
18.66
12.5
9.33
6.5
No of Albums @ 45mins/album
24.9
16.6
12.4
9.9
No of Songs @ 3:30 mins/song
319
213
159
127
The bit rate above refers to the quality of the digital music recording, the more kbps the better the sound quality.
mega pixels. Pixels are used to describe the resolution of an image, whereas bytes are used to describe a measure of data. Clearly the more Megapixels, the higher quality the image will be. Mega-‐ is a prefix used to describe how much of them there are (1 million). I find it easier to use the following table for pictures : Megapixels
1 GB
2 GB
4 GB
8 GB
16 GB
32 GB
4
580
1,160
2,320
4,640
9,280 18,560
6
326
652
1,304
2,608
5,216 10,432
8
290
580
1,160
2,320
4,640
9,280
12
163
326
652
1,304
2,608
5,216
16
145
290
580
1,160
2,320
4,640
Simply check the number of Megapixels your camera is rated at then multiply up. So a 12 Megapixel rated camera will take 163 pictures to a Gigabyte or 16,300 per 100 Gigabytes of Disk space.
Films or Video. Once again the way the film is recorded will
determine the quantity you may store. If you are talking about a film like you would see in the cinema, these may be anything from 600GB to several GB, depending on the format. I regularly download movies that are around 700MB, they are created this size to fit on a CD. These are .avi type files and I find the quality excellent. I also have many that are 1.4GB -‐ the difference in quality does not improve that much. The newer HD movies tend to be a minimum of 1.4GB per 90 minute movie. If you want the highest quality (for example Blu-‐ray) then I have calculated the average size will be around 25GB to 27GB. These would be for full 1080p resolution HD movies. If you work on 25Gb for your calculations you should be fairly accurate; the smallest Blu-‐ray I have seen is around 14GB and the largest is 50GB. I hope this helps and if you would like any further info on this matter you could always send me an email and I'll do my best to help. Ross Hendry is the proprietor of I n t e r f a c e C o n s u l t i n g a n d Engineering, who has over 42 years experience in Communications, Computer Technology and Direct Marketing. (See advert below for more information).
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Building & Renovation... Our home is our safety and comfort zone during the winter months. It needs to be kept warm and safe but power cuts seem to be a regular occurrence across the regions, caused by external or internal circumstances. In the event of external forces such as maintenance or fault to the incoming supply, lightning, high winds, flooding or storms, there is very little that can be done to prevent this other than BE PREPARED! Keep in a safe place torches, candles & matches where they can be easily located in the event of a power cut, along with blankets, hats and scarves! A power cut from external forces can last up to 24 hours, sometimes longer. To avoid power cuts from internal circumstances, being aware of the following and acting on them accordingly will promote safety and limit further serious outcomes. A power cut can be caused by a blown light bulb or lamp. This can be remedied by you by keeping a selection of bulbs and lamps in the house. Before replacing the bulb, make sure the switch is in the off position. If the switch remains on, heat can build up quickly and the bulb will be too hot to handle! If the fuse continues to blow or trip when reset or replaced, you will need to contact a qualified electrician. Always replace a fuse with one of the same rating. Fuses are designed to protect the size of the cable and loading purposes. The wrong sized fuse could lead to cable damage and possible fires.
flex -‐ the main part is the lead. The flex used in appliances is suited to the power drawn from the mains to operate it. The thickness of the flex is compatible to the current used. Bent and twisted flex will eventually split to expose the inner cores. This is no longer safe. Do not tape or cover exposed wiring. Flex should be replaced by a qualified electrician, or equipment disposed of. If using extension leads to accommodate British appliances, make sure they are ‘surge’ protected. A surge protected extension lead will ensure that the fuse in the extension lead is ‘blown’, averting a surge to your equipment and damaging your PC, telephone or other appliance connected to your extension lead. If you are using a coiled extension lead, make sure it is unravelled. A lot of heat can build up in a coiled lead. Check where your electrical supplies are and that they can be turned off if need be.
Be aware of your earth spike. Do you have one? Is it rated properly? Earthing is the most important part of your electrical installation; without appropriate earthing your home and occupants could be in serious danger, particularly when using faulty appliances. Check electrical appliances regularly. Most items are well protected from basic electrical dangers as in shock or overheating. Check the Page 30
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Business, Finance & Property... Understanding Risk by Bill Blevins, Financial Correspondent, Blevins Franks
One of the greatest issues which investors face is understanding risk. Many investors only focus on investment risk and fail to consider other types of risk that could affect their capital and which can be planned for. What type of risk do you need to be aware of? Capital risk:
e risk that prices will fall and your original investment will decline in value. Market risk: e possibility that market volatility will negatively effect your investments. Credit risk: e risk that a borrower will default. Institutional risk: e risk that the financial institution managing your money will fail. Currency risk: e possibility of loss by not considering your spending currency. Liquidity risk: e possibility that you may not be able to sell your assets when you need the money, or that you will have to sell in a depressed market. Inflation risk: e chance that your capital will decline in value as rising prices shrink the value of the currency it is invested in. It is important to consider whether you will make ‘real’ returns above inflation. If not, you are effectively losing money.
Very low risk investments may protect you from market risk but will expose you to inflation risk. You need to compare risk against risk (there is no such thing as ‘zero risk’) and establish which one represents the greatest long-term threat. en work to suppress it by accepting the lesser risks. e risk of doing nothing: Often, the greatest risk for investors, particularly those who rely on their savings in retirement, is doing nothing. Leaving all your savings on deposit and withdrawing the interest as income, exposes the capital value to inflation. e buying power of your money will be reduced over time. Take expert advice from a wealth management firm like Blevins Franks on suitable strategies for your specific, personal, circumstances, time horizon and objectives.
To keep in touch with the latest developments in the offshore world, check out the latest news on our website www.blevinsfranks.com
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Ask Amanda. “How can I plan my inheritance whilst living in France?”
In France inheritance tax (“IHT”), is known as succession tax. If you die as a resident in France, it is payable on all of your assets. However, for non-‐residents succession tax is payable only on assets located in France. The succession rules are very different from what we may have experienced in the UK and can be affected by whether you are married or have a PACS in France or whether you have children from a current or previous marriage or relationship. The French Government has recently reduced the death duty allowance to 100,000 Euros, increasing the number of families who will now be liable. With careful planning you can maintain a level of control with how your estate will be distributed. For example last month I wrote about Assurance Vie’s and how money in an Assurance Vie is exempt from the rules of succession. Under an Assurance Vie it is also worth noting that the first 152,500 Euros is free from French succession tax. (30,500 Euros if you take out a policy after the age of 70). This is just one example of how careful financial planning can help your future arrangements. If you would like to discuss your personal family situation I am more than happy to help you? You can contact me via email or telephone on the details below, or why not pop in to see me at one of my free financial surgeries? I offer a free financial surgery at ‘Café des Belles Fleurs’ in Fenioux each Thursday 10.30 till 14.00 (except when they are closed the end of February) and I am pleased to say that I shall be at the ‘Open Door’ in Civray on the last Tuesday of each month 26th Feb, 26th March. Amanda Johnson, The Spectrum IFA Group. Tel: 05 49 98 97 46 Email: amanda.johnson@spectrum-‐ifa.com or “Ask Amanda” at finance@thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr
Contact ‘The Deux-‐Sèvres Monthly’ La Bartière, 79130, Secondigny. Telephone: 05 49 70 26 21 or email: info@thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr
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Will the profile of house-buyers change in the Deux-Sèvres in by Trevor Leggett, Chief Executive 2013? As we said in the last issue of ‘The Deux-‐Sèvres Monthly’, we saw around 650,000 houses sold on this side of the channel last year. Those overseas visitors who have bought, have either been at the top or bottom ends of the market. At the bottom end we continued to see a steady stream of enquiries in cheaper areas like the Deux-‐Sèvres. Similarly the top end of the market never really went away and we saw plenty of demand for prime property in the Alps and on the Cote d’Azur. Upmarket estate agent Knight Frank has a name for these super rich buyers, they call them UHNWI’s. It stands for Ultra High Net Worth Individual and you need over $100 million in the bank to qualify. However, we have noticed that buyers haven’t necessarily been these incredibly rich people. Rather, we have seen the return of the British “middle class”. In PACA they may have millions to spend but in the Deux-‐Sèvres and its near neighbours, their budgets have been between €250-‐450,000 and it’s great to see them returning. This is the kind of buyer profile that has traditionally driven the property market on this side of the channel – typically retirees who come in search of a less stressful pace of life and a respite from cloudy skies and crowded, but failing high streets. However, this buyer profile is changing too. Last year we saw a trend towards younger buyers, with plenty of families opting to move to France. Our agents now need to be ready and able to advise on putting families into the French system and we need to put clients in touch with our local contacts from doctors & dentists to plumbers and roofers. We also need to have a large portfolio of suitable properties to offer these new buyers. It stands to reason that larger families need a bigger property than a retired couple. Families tend to like being in the middle of the action with good schooling and plenty of things for the children to do at the weekend. It’s now easier for young parents to make a living over here and they are happier than they used to be in leaving family behind. Flights into Nantes & Poitiers mean that getting to Niort, Parthenay, Bressuire and other towns is pretty easy. Add in the TGV and the A83 & A10 motorways and it’s not such a wrench to move your family to the Deux-‐Sèvres.
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Let’s hope that this is a trend that continues throughout the coming years. Seeing families come into the department and boosting local schools, shops, restaurants and businesses would certainly be seen as a positive by the local community. Allez les « classes moyennes – et la bourgeoisie » ! Leggett Immobilier is one of the leading estate agents in France. You can access all their local property listings and articles at www.frenchestateagents.com/poitou-‐charentes-‐property.
Contact ‘The Deux-‐Sèvres Monthly’ La Bartière, 79130, Secondigny. Telephone: 05 49 70 26 21 or email: info@thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr Page 38
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